The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-08-07
KEEPING BUTTER.
To Salt or Not to Salt-Satisfactory TIES
Needed.

To Salt or Not to Salt-Satisfactory Tests
Needed.
One of the most interesting points
about butter-making, and one that we
seem to know the least about, is what
causes some samples to keep in fair
state of preservation for almost an I'M
limited time. while other samples decay
almost Immediately. No one seems
able to discover wherein lies this re-
markable difference. Some think the
difference lies principally in the amount
opinion. Others claim it is in the art
of making the butter that the keeping
quality is to be found. Still. again. il
is thought by many that the shape and
manner of the packing cuts the princi-
pal figure in its keeping quality. This
idea has been spread and clinched in
the average mind by the long use of the
old-fashOned firkin for keeping fall
butter in this country, while at the
same time the opinionated and so-called
scientific dairyman is sure the keeping
quality Of butter rests entirely upon the
manner of packing adopted, because it
is commonly reported, and seems to be
true, that the Danish butter makers
put up butter without salt, in tin boxes
Theoretically sealed, and send this
butter all over the Southern world for
consumption, where it must 90 through
the most trying degrees of heat, and at
the same time live long time and in
the end come out veritable butter.
No one can gainsay the abOve-stated
facts. though we may all honestly differ
with the judges as to the quality of the
above described fall butter and some
of us might refuse to eat the Danish
article that had remained in a melted
liquid condition for months at a time.
Indeed, it is always question in the
tropics what kind of oil you will eat on
YOUR bread or vegetables, and butter oil
might readily prove quite as palatabie
as much of the so-called olive oil that is
evidently made from cotton seed.
There are. however, some more in
teresting facts than those above re-
ferred to. For instance. the editor Of
the National Lice Stock Journal. in
speaking of the reasons for sailing but
ter, makes this statement: The writer
saw and examined carefully consider
able number of packages of butter at
the Centennial Exhibition in Philadel-
phia, which were from one to more
than three years old. and which were
nearly all we'll preserved without any
sailing. A half-doZen or so of these
packages were exhibited at the
Worlds International Exposition held
at Vienna three years before. and OF
course they had acquired some age
previous to being shown there, but they
were still sound" On the same subject
the editor says he also saw in Central
New York package of salted butter
which took premium for best butter
in its class at the local agricultural fairs
for three years in succession, and was
still sound. This last story looks almost
incredible, that butter two years old
should take the premium over other
samples of course less than a year old.
With such butter it may be said ''time
writes NO wrinkles on thine azure brow. ="
The question now is, what makes
those samples. keep so very much longer
than others2 Is there some occult trick
about il, or are the conditions OF its
manufacture SD TduICdl tHdt W icpct-
ton the same result may be reached
every time? Are these accidental lots.
or the regular product of a given form
ula? Professor Arnold, We notice, has
lately borne evidence. too. as to the
qualify Of some of the above instances.
This subject seems to be arousing new
and stirring interest. We think it a lit
tie behind the signs Of the times. What
is demanded just now is butter fresh
from the churn. with all the rich aromas
still clinging about it. The above sam
pies, we have no doubt, were eatabls
because good men have said they were,
but for our part we would not care to
have our hot cakes>buttered with them.
We think we see the ghosts of departed
dairy maids sitting in judgment upon
such ancient articles. All the same, it
would be blessed good thing if some
one would travel round the world and
gather up all the methods of different
nations for keeping butter 80 as to
finally determine which is the best.
Who will do it?-American Dairyman.
Edwin Booth calls his summer home
Boothden.-Boston Post.