4o6 Bulletin 165. 



extreme care in milking is of especial importance in preventing 

 trouble from ropy milk. A discusssion of the general precau- 

 tions which should always be taken to prevent the contamination 

 of milk by bacteria cannot be given here, nor is it necessary. 

 For definite instructions concerning general precautions to be 

 taken in the stable, irrespective of the presence of trouble, the 

 reader is advised to read a bulletinf on the care of milk which 

 will be mailed free on application to the Secretary of Agriculture 

 at Washington. 



When it is desired to determine which of several dairies sup- 

 phnng a creamery is furnishing the faulty- milk, it maj^ be a val- 

 uable aid to set samples of the milk of each dairy in separate 

 vessels and note the subsequent changes, but in order that such 

 a test may give reliable information and the conclusions work 

 no injustice, several precautions must be observed. 



1 . The vessel used to contain the samples should be provided 

 with a cover of some sort. Either a small fruit can or a bottle 

 is convenient. 



2. Both the can and cover must be thoroughl}^ sterilized by 

 steam or hot water and kept covered to exclude dust except 

 w^hen the contents are examined. 



3. The sample must be poured directly from the patron's can 

 without coming in contact with any other vessels whatever. 



4. A fine wire with a loop bent at one end is the most con- 

 venient instrument to introduce into the vessel w^hen determin- 

 ing the viscidness of the cream, but the loop must be heated to 

 redness in a flame each time before it is used. The last precau- 

 tion, one of the most important, is necessarj^ in order to prevent 

 transferring ropy milk from one vessel to another should it be 

 present in any. 



SUMMARY. 



Ropiness is a fault of milk which does not necessarily depend 

 for its cause upon the health of the cows. It is said to be 

 caused by any one of several different species of bacteria. I 

 have found Bacillus ladis viscosus to be the cause of viscid milk in 



tCare of Milk on the Farm, by R. A. Pearson. Farmers' Bulletin No. 

 63, U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



