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produced to show that while the trade in this article—Irish salt firkin butter—has of late
years considerably decreased, the manufacture being almost entirely confined to certain
districts of the South West of Ireland, and the sale to certain industrial centres in
Lancashire, Yorkshire, and South Wales, there is still a definite demand for this butter
on account of its low price, distinctive flavour, and long-keeping qualities.
It is also a peculiarity of this butter, owing to the method of its manufacture, which
has prevailed for many generations, that it frequently contains—and those interested in
its production and distribution say it necessarily contains—a higher percentage of
moisture than is found in any other butter coming into the market.
6. Some witnesses proposed that this difficulty should be met by the fixing of two
limits—a higher one, which would probably have to be fixed at 20 per cent, for one
class of butter—for which various definitions were suggested, but Irish salt firkin
butter being exclusively in view—and, for all other butters, a lower limit, which was
placed at from 15 to 18 per cent., the weight of evidence settling at 16 per cent.
Three bases for the division of butters under the dual limit system were suggested, i.e.
(a) the percentage of salt in butter ; (6) the trade description of the particular article in
question ; and (c) the price.
None of these classifications, however, appeared free from objection, and the Committee
was convinced of the undesirability, if it could possibly be avoided, of complicating the
Regulations by fixing a dual limit. The Committee also felt that, given time and
training, the remaining makers of Irish salt firkin butter would probably be enabled to fall
into line with the vast majority of Irish butter producers, who can now with modern
methods easily conform with any reasonable limit to the proportion of water in their
butter ; and this result would be accelerated in proportion to any further decrease in the
demand for this special class of butter.
7. The Committee, moreover, understand that vendors of this type of butter
containing water in excess of the proposed official limit, would be legally protected,
provided that a sufficient disclosure is made to the purchaser. This consideration finally
decided the Committee to recommend a single limit, and to leave it to the vendors of
Irish salt firkin butter to protect themselves in the simple manner indicated.
8. There then remained the question of the actual percentage of water which might
be fairly adopted as the limit. The Committee sought to learn from practical and
scientific dairy farmers, agricultural experts, and analysts how far the amount of water
was within the control of the maker. In the case of creameries and factories there was
a general agreement that this question presented little difficulty. In carefully-made
butters the proportion of water is found to range from 10 per cent, to 15 per cent. The
difficulties mainly arose when it became necessary to take into account the position of
small producers, with little knowledge, with unsuitable buildings, with rude appliances,
and without access to sufficiently cold water in hot weather. After hearing a large
amount of evidence on this point, the Committee nevertheless came to the conclusion
that a limit of 16 per cent, could safely be prescribed.
9. Were the limit to be placed higher than this, the Committee felt that the
reputation of, and the demand for, home-produced in competition with imported butter
must inevitably suffer. So far as could be learned no official limit to the proportion of
water exists in butter-exporting countries ; but it must be remembered that the industry
in some of these States is controlled by inspection and branding, or the producers of
butter are encouraged to secure a low percentage of water and a uniform standard of