The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-10-18
SUFFER- IN PRINTS AND PACKAGES.
Arguments in Favor of and Against the
Popular ''Print'' Form

Arguments In Favor of and Against the
Popular print" Form.
In the best retail butter markets, saws
Henry E, Alvord in American Cultivatcr,
there is very general preference for the
print form Purchasers want their
ouller attractive In appearance, and so
they select the small rolls, pats or blocks,
round square or brick shaped, generally
oearlhS some design or trade mark,
stamped or pressed upon the butter,
which gives to this class of the article the
name OF prints. This preference is
SIMPLY one of the many pieces of evidence,
afforded by retail markets, of the close re-
latlon of the eye and appetite, and the i'm
portance of 1.-The looks of the thing" in
selling any food product.
There is another side, however, to the
print butter subject which is not often
considered. Those persons most particu-
lar about their butter regard its most i'm
portant qualities to be sweetness, freshness
and high flavor We all know butter to be
an extremely perishable produce, injured,
even when carefully made, by exposure to
air and the contaminations which are con-
veyed in the air This is the reason so
much attention has been given to butter
packages of all kinds. The more butter
is exposed to the air, the greater are the
chances of its injury. The print form,
especially if the prints are small, offers
the greatest surface exposure. The
print is the very worst form in which
butter can be put for preserving it's deli
cate favors. Small rolls stand best in
this respect. In both cases the danger of
injury is lessened by wrapping in nap
kin, or cloth saturated with brine. The
waxed, or parchment paper which has
come into use within a few years, also
furnishes a good protection If butter is
to be printed at ALL every print OF lump
should be carefully and closely wrapped
In the waterproof paper, to make pack
age as nearly air tight as possible, before
leaving the dairy room where it is made.
Thus protected, if well cooled and firm,
the closer the prints are packed and kept,
till sold or used, the better. To facilitate
close packing the square and brick forms
are preferable to the roll and round print
or pat"
But there is another objection to print
ing butter. The best Judges of butter and
most successful makers, at the present
day, advise handling it, with or without
almost omitted in some of the most par,
ticular diaries, and much butter from
large creameries having the highest repu.
tation is actually not worked at all. In
making print butter, however, good deal
of manipulation is necessary. Very gen.
orally the whole process of putting into
print form is just so much extra handling
after the butter is at its best. This need
less handling or working Injuries the grain
of the butter. Overworking is the most
common fault in butter
If butter is packed into tub, jar or
other package, as directly from the churn
as possible, these serious objections to
print butter are avoided. The wonder is
that small consumers do not learn the adj
vantage of small packages, in which but
ter is packed in bulk. In some markets
five pound boxes and little pals holding
six, eight and ten pounds, have become
quite popular. But, while cheap and con.
venient, wood is by no means the best
material in which to pack butter Glass
is the best, or porcelain, and stoneware
next. For local trade there is nothing
better than well glazed stone jars. The
butter is thus protected from the air, and
its grain and favors well preserved.
Moreover the maker is saved the labor
and actual expense Of putting the butter
into print form, and this is quite an item.