148 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



J. B. McEdwards (Livermore Falls). I was very much 

 impressed with what the gentleman said in regard to cow 

 test associations. I think that one of the best things that 

 Maine dairymen can do is to have the individual cows 

 tested. I have made some experiments along this line 

 with a few of our patrons, asking them to bring in samples of 

 milk at different times from the different cows, and testing them 

 at the creamery, and in every case, without exception, the 

 farmer had made a mistake in the quality of the milk from the 

 individual cows. Cows that he thought gave the richest milk 

 were not the best cows. I think it would be a great thing if 

 we could start these cow test associations in different sections 

 of the State. Where I am located, we would be willing to test 

 this milk from the individual cows free if the samples were 

 brought to the creamery, marked correctly, because it is not 

 much work. We have to test a lot of samples the first of every 

 month and it would be a small matter to test 10, 15, 20 or 25 

 samples more. Thirty-two samples will fill our tester and we 

 can run them through in less than an hour. I think the infor- 

 mation the farmer would get from this would be very valuable. 



Another important matter with regard to dairying in Maine, 

 which I think perhaps ought to be attended to before the cow 

 testing, is the stable and tie-up testing, keeping the filth out of 

 the milk. Milk from a cow that is perfectly healthy is almost 

 sterile. After rejecting the first two or three streams from the 

 udder, it will keep almost indefinitely if it is kept sealed up, 

 away from the air. It is the bacteria, the dirt from the clothes 

 of the milker, from the udder of the cow, and the dust of the 

 stable, that sours milk. Prof. Gurler of Wisconsin has made 

 tests in this line with some of his cows. Some of you are 

 familiar with his work. He took some healthy cows, washed 

 the udders with water with a disinfectant in it, and milked 

 through sterilized cotton, rejecting the first two or three streams, 

 and the milk kept many, many days, I think 16 days, without 

 any perceptible acidity. This shows that milk free from dirt 

 will keep a long time. The trouble with a great many Maine 

 stables is that dirt gets into the milk and makes defective 

 cream. We have to churn it into butter, because the sweet 

 cream is used for shipping purposes, consequently the butter is 

 not of as high quality as it would be if the filth were kept out. 



