336 Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. [May 3, 1920. 



eventually coagulated. The organisms were all rod forms, growth on all 

 media being slow ; stained preparations from old cultures showed meta- 

 chromatic granules, but spores were not found. 



Sample B3 — Cream immediately prior to Churning. — The cream after 

 being pasteurised and pumped over the pipe-coolers was run into attem- 

 perator or holding vats, where it was left overnight at 57 degrees Fah. 

 Selected cans of cream were added as "starter." These cans were chosen on 

 account of the clean acid flavour of the cream. While this desired acid 

 flavour would be caused by Bad. lactis acili, a harmless and necessary type, 

 it is evident that the conditions which allowed the entry and development 

 -of this desirable organism would also be favourable for the entry into the 

 milk and cream of many undesirable types. The plates clearly indicate this, 

 as it was ascertained that 1 c.c. of the cream contained 20,448,000 micro- 

 organisms. Although 20,000,000 of these were "lactics," or desirable lactose 

 fermenters, there were also 448,000 per c.c. of undesirable organisms, 

 •comprising 116,000 undesirable lactose fermenters or organisms of the coli 

 group, 100,000 of the proteus group (a putrefactive type), 20,000 S:rcina 

 ,lvtea, 10,000 yeasts, and 2,000 moulds. There wei-e also counted 200,000 

 bacteria, which were unable to liquefy gelatin, and which, when inoculated 

 into litmus milk, caused alkalinity or no apparent change in ten days ; these 

 were both spherical and rod forms. 



Simple B\. — Butter in the Box after PacJcing. — The cream from the 

 attemperator or holding vats was gravitated over pipe-coolers and churned in 

 .a combination "Simplex " churn at 51 degrees Fah. The sample for plating 

 was taken from the near surface butter as packed in the box, by means of a 

 sterile measure. From the plates it was shown that one gram of butter 

 contained 4,246,100 micro-organisms. They included many of the types 

 found in the cream, prior to churning, the numbers, however, being 

 considerably reduced, many having been carried awa}' with the buttermilk 

 and wash waters, as a comparison with the butter- wash water will 

 show. Of the total bacterial content 4,000,000 were "lactics," or desirable 

 lactose fermenters ; 200,000 micrococci produced acid in litmus milk, but 

 failed to coagulate it in ten days. The 33,100 gelatin liquefiers included 

 Bact. jluoreicens Uqjcftciens, Sta2)hlococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea, Bact. 

 proteus, and Ba t. lactis aer genes ; 3,000 bacteria were considered inert, 

 Vieing unable to liijuefy gelatin or cause only alkalinity when inoculated into 

 litmus milk, 7,000 were yeasts, and the 2,000 mould growths were species 

 of Fusa)ium and Penicilli'.m. 



Sample Bb Butter-wash Water. — The water used for washing the butter 

 was obtained direct from a shallow rivei-, which flowed about 100 yards 

 from the factory. This water was drawn tin-ough a pipe by the aid of the 

 factory machinery, and delivered into holding tanks. The sample for plating 

 was collected into a sterile tube direct fioin the tap in the churn room. 

 From the plates it was found that 1 c.c. of water contained 22,800 micro- 

 organisms ; 8,800 of these were proteolytic types, being able to liquefy 



