TO SECURE BETTER FLAVOURED BUTTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 14

TO SECURE BETTER FLAVOURED BUTTER.

The difficulties which beset the factory manager in. turning out a clean-flavoured butter are very much accentuated in a year of drought. There is not enough water to lavish on the washing-up and thorough cleansing of utensils, and they are not scalded as they ought to be. A difficulty is experienced in supplying the cattle with pure, clean water. Food is scarce and dear to buy, and the expected outcome is disastrous to the volume of milk supplied to the factory. The amount has been coming down daily with great rapidity, and has now reached a level equal to one-third of the normal quantity handled. Such a reduction disorganises trade, and upsets existing factory arrangements for the time being. Had it not been for the North Island butter this year, over-stored and badly-flavoured as some of it has opened out, we would have been paying about 2s 6d per pound for our supplies. Notwithstanding these disabilities, the supply of what milk is available for the factory should be forwarded in a clean, healthy state, and when not the case the inspector should have power to step in and say, " Either change your methods—such work is not allowed hereon change your calling," or, as Mr Bishop says, " Get out of the business as soon as possible." It might well be asked if the department is doing what it should to educate farmers to a true conception of their responsibilities in this matter. Our attention was drawn the other day to a disgusting sample of milk—at least, it was stated to be milk,—which had been secured from a full can proffered for acceptance to the factory, and peremptorily refused by the manager. The explanation probably was that some of the cattle had been .horning their neighbours, and had torn and wounded the udder. The cow must have-been milked in the dark, with the result that the drip of blood from the teat had flowed in sufficient volume to discolour the whole canful. This is the meet charitable construction that can bo placed upon tire incident, but the only conclusion that can be arrived at that culpable carelessness must have crept into the management of the dairy from which such a sample could originate. In a case of that kind the mere refusal of the milk is not sufficient. Some more drastic action is required to protect not only the factory but the public. Evidently the only hope lies in educating the dairyman to a clear knowledge of sanitary laws and hygiene. It is nothing but blind unreasoning prejudice that leads farmers to ignore all the teaching on the subject which the department has thrust at various times upon them. Miles of manuscript have also beeta written on a pure milk supply by such experts as Mr Kinsella and others, professors of colleges have insisted that public health demands an absolutely clean handling of milk, and agricultural-writers beep hammering at the point and urging co-operative associations to deal with this feature and other items of the business, and all to no purpose. It is the exhaustive futility of such warnings that makes it compulsory to advocate harsh measures, and dairymen will have only themselves to thank if the carelessness of some of their number leads to tightening the strings of inspection. In the careless handling of milk lies the impossibility of making acceptably-flavoured butter. The contamination flavours imported by dust of the byre, and the deleterious atmosphere set up by insanitary conditions, is enough to affect the flavour of any butter. An examination of a separator after the morning's milk has been put through discloses a pad of filth surrounding the inside of the bowl of the machine, which tears off like indiarubber. It is said to consist of cells which pass from the udder, hair-dust particles, the solid matter of manure, bacteria, and what are -termed Jencocytes, about which there is yet much to he learned; but the merest tyro of a recruit could tell at a glance that a reasonable amount of filtering before the milk left the dairy would do away with an enormous quantity of this pad' of dirt. And if that straining was insisted upon at the dairy, great improvement would be effected in the keeping qualities as well as the -flavour of the resulting butter. Even if all the solid particles were removed the'soluble portion would -remain to contaminate the milk to a slight extent, but nothing to_ hurt. In nine cases out of ten it is foreign matter acquired in the dairy, and allowed to be shaken up in the cans in transit, which affects the flavour of the milk and butter. Cotton wool, gauze, and, muslin have all been tested for straining." The latter left considerable sediment in the milk, but the former very little. There aie now strainers on the market which vse a separate pad of cotton wool every time the article is used. And if they are so much siroeriov to others, their use should be insisted upon by the Department of Agriculture. Until oompulsorv restrictions are enforced as to the cleanliness of milk sent to factories, there is no chance of producing clean-flavouied butter. The quality of butter can be affected so easily and in so many ways, and injury often results from causes so wide apart, that it is difficult to assert positively what should be insisted upon and what left alone. : but it is reasonable to sunnose that the treatment of milk at the dairv can be saddled with most of the blame for turning out badb--flavoured butter, and .it is at the dairy where more stringent regulation is demanded.