ny extent and
the whey is expressed, it is certain to produce a starter that will
contain lumps that cannot be broken up. With a pure culture of
lactic bacteria, there is little difficulty in this regard, but as
soon as gas-forming bacteria are introduced, trouble is likely to
result.

In the propagation of starters, it is always to be remembered that
the bacteria, although invisible to the eye, are living things, and
unless conditions are favorable in every particular, it is
impossible to keep them in a healthy condition, so that growth in
the cream is rapid, producing the acid demanded for churning, and
imparting to the butter the desired flavor, both as to degree and
kind. No part of the daily routine of the butter maker should be
performed with more care than the preparation of the starters, both
the mother starters, and the larger one for addition to the cream.
The latter can best be made in one of the many forms of starter cans
now on the market, since by their use, the maker can heat and cool
the milk with little trouble, and can maintain the starter at any
desired temperature. Better starters cannot be made in them than by
the use of simple and improvised apparatus, but better results can
be obtained with the same expenditure of time and labor.

In the handling of the large starter, care should be used not to
overripen, since the larger quantity is more likely to "whey off"
than is the smaller starter. Skim milk rather than whole should be
used for this. It should be selected with care and heated to 200 deg. F.
for thirty minutes. When it is impossible to secure fresh milk for
starter making purposes, either condensed skim milk or milk powder
may be used. The condensed milk is diluted with water until its
volume is about the same as the milk before concentration; the
mixture is then treated the same as fresh milk, being heated and
cooled before inoculation. In the case of milk powder, one part of
the powder is added to ten or twelve parts of water, allowed to
dissolve as far as possible, and the mixture heated and cooled.
Either of these liquids will give satisfactory starters; the cost
however is high, and in most places milk can be obtained more
cheaply. The inoculation and the temperature should be so
controlled, as to ripen the starter at the time it is to be needed.
These conditions must be determined by the maker for himself. It
should be remembered that the bacteria grow much more rapidly, as
the temp