A Good Coating for Butter-Boxes.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, 28 February 1890, Page 2

A Good Coating for ButterBoxes.

Dr. Tnrby king, of t& Staeliff Asylum* has written alefcter tothe Chairman of the Bwsedin Chamber of Commerce giving particulars of an undented process of coating boxes* fo, for packing butter. If orain«nf batter be kepi .for a few monfhßJn wooden receptaeifc.?: s . actt as boles or kegs* he says.twb objectionable changes are liable to take place, especially in the outer portions. On the one hand the butter 10 apt to acquire a very strong flavor,, which the wood nay possess, and on the other it may turn rancid 1 , owing to the absorption of a part of its salt by the wood. The first trouble is obviated by the selection of such timbers as tawa, honeysuckle (rewarewa), totara, or white pine (kahikatea), but the second difficulty csiinot be so easily avoided. It is true that, butter packed in totara will keep for a epnsiderable time, but the opener grains of the other timbers render them quite unsuitable, excepting where the butter is tojbe kept for only a very limited period. That has led to the use ot, varnishes or lacquers, aHofwhioli Dr King as- j sumes consist essentially of solutions ' of tasteless, reams either simply painted on or else more or lesa impressed into the wood by means of rollers, as in Pond's process. Dr! King suggests (that solid paraflrae ! should be used for thu) purpose. It is tasteless, inodorous, adheres readily to wood when melted, and in perfectly inert if taken into the body. Dr. King's theory is horn out by a writer in the *' Terihno-chemioal Manual," who says .— f Paraffin© is largely used for the lining of casks and other wooden vessels to keep them sweet aD,d to prevent either the absorption of their contents by the -wood or their escape through the poreii. If applied to beer barrels it prevents them from becoming musty anil foul, and by filling the pores and joints of the staves it prevents the esoiipe of carbonio acid gas. Water buokets, butter firkint, "and 'other wooden articles of domestic use can be similarly treated as the materail is cheap, easily obtained, and easily applied, it may be tried on a small scale by anyone. v ' Probably the idea, now that it has been mooted, will be taken up by ; some practical person, acid its oom- , mercial value put to test.