The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-08-19
BUTTER In CLATSOP
Another Industry Which Can Be Es-
tabIiShed Here.
Batter Caa Be raektd Ia Tins nad Shipped
TO Hot Countfies--views Of
Practical Mas.

The article below, received by Foard
( Stokes Co. from a well known au-
thority on butter making. Is OF special
Interest 10 CIatsop county farmers and
dairymen. as Il shows conciuaively
what minute care and attention must
be given to this trade 10 insure proper
success:
In regard 10 the question Of packing
butter In tins on the Pacific coast for
export 70 Japan, China and India,
would say that the experiment might
be well worth trying.
The first condition for success is that
extra fine butter Is or can be made
on the coast. The dairy industry il.
believe. growing rapidly In oregon and
Washington, and. II 1t Is not already
possible TO collect in Astoria sufficient
fine butter for packing establishment,
the probability is that gradually there
viii be enough so that an Industry Of
this kind started on a small scale
would get plenty OF material for a
healthy development.
The situation OF Astoria. with its IA
cilitIes for shipping is favorable for
such an undertaking. and another thing
that would facilitate 1t is that tin cans
can probably be made chsaply, and
without establishing any new can fac
tory. as such factories with the best
machinery are already found there In
connection with salmon packing estab-.
lishments.
The industry Of canning butter for
export 20 hot climates was started In
Denmark about thirty years ago by
Mr.. Rusk. Jr, and the great success
he achieved was due mainly to his In
defatigable energy and close attention
to the smallest details. The scandlna-
Wan preserved Butter Co. at that time
only accepted sweet cream butter made
according to the rules Of the company,
and shipped fresh twice a week from
the farms to the packing establish
ment in Copenhagen. The reason why
sour cream butter was not accepted
was that In sweet cream the very
least fault might be readily detected,
while in sour cream butter the faults
might be partly covered by the acid.
1t was not because sweet cream butter
was always better. but because when
such butter was found to be absolute
ly faultless 1t was safe to pack. Later
butter made from ripened cream has
been used with equal success.
AS soon as the butter arrived in Co
penhagen the tubs Or firkins were piac-
ed in a large room where fresh air. and
in which a temperature OF so degrees
was maintained by heating or cooling
day and night After standing there a
few days. until the butter cooled and
had attained the temperature OF the
room through the whole mass, 1t was
removed from the tubs and sampled
by experts. 1t was then carefully and
strictly classified and only absolutely
faultless sweet butter was selected as
No. and packed in tins for export
to hot climates. For this No butter
the dairyman obtained an over price.
about 10 per cent over the highest mar
ket quotations. The balance Of the but
ter, perhaps over one half Of the en-
tire receipts. was classified as Nos. 2
and and packed in tubs and sold on
commission as usual.
The No. butter was resalted and
worked once or twice. and 1t was then
packed in tins from one to five pounds.
It was pressed into the tins by means
Of press like a hand printing press,
stamp fitting loosely in the tin can
being pressed down upon the butter,
which was first put into the can by
means Of hand butter ladies. The but
ter was pressed firmly into the can SO
as to prevent air holes and exclude all
air. The cover was then put on and
rapidly soldered on, care being taken
not to melt the butter at the edges by
the solder iron.
In this country butter has been put
up in like manner, as for instance by
Mr.. Hintz, of the Elgin Butter Com
pany, who I believe has furnished it
to the navy and also exported it to
Brazil.
Butterine has been and is probably
yet put up in tins for the West India
trade. 1 see no reason why an industry
of this kind should not succeed in As
toria if it is started in the right way.
1t would, of course, be necessary to
have such an establishment far from
fish canneries, as the butter easily alb
serbs taint from any source. and would
be apt TO get a fishy flavor. IL there
was any chance for the wind to carry
that flavor to it. hardly need men
ton that it is necessary to have ex-
perts to classify butter, If the under
taking shall succeed, and II reputa-
tion shall be worked up for the goods.
1t would no doubt be necessary to in
augurate a thorough education of the
creamerymen. demanding Of them that
they make it strictly according to fixed
rules and subject to the approval or
correction of the experts or instructors
Of the packers,
But in order to ascertain If market
can be found for the product. 1t would
probably be prudent to start on small
scale. which can easily be done. The
only essential requirement being some
body who knows good butter when he
sees it. and who understands thorough
ly how to treat it. The mechanical
and commercial part of the business
your correspondents in Astoria will
easily manage.