New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 765 



protected with a cloth over the top during the sterilization, this 

 cloth not being removed until the pail was handed to the milker. 

 In this way considerable contamination of the milk was avoided. 

 In a preliminary test, we compared, for three milkings of each of four 

 cows, pails thus protected by cloth and other pails similarly cleansed 

 and sterilized, but not protected by the cloth while being taken from 

 the milk room to the barn. The protected and unprotected pails 

 were used alternately on the same cow by the same milker and all 

 other necessary precautions were adopted to make the comparison 

 show only the effect of the cloth protector. The average germ 

 content shown in the protected pail was about 900 germs per unit, 1 

 while that in the unprotected pails was 160 per ct. greater, being 

 about 2,400. This protection of the pails seemed of decided advan- 

 tage in eliminating a source of error in the experiment and might be a 

 wise precaution in practical dairy work. However, the influence of 

 the protection would rapidly decrease with successive milkings into 

 the same pail. 



In taking samples, the milk from each cow was thoroughly stirred 

 with a sterile spoon and the necessary amount taken by means of 

 the same spoon. Before adopting this method of sampling careful 

 tests were made of various other methods and this one was proven 

 most reliable. Several duplicate bacterial cultures were made from 

 the samples, which were developed under conditions providing both 

 for the growth of the bacteria that thrive in ordinary room tempera- 

 ture and those coming from the udder of the cow where the tempera- 

 ture is considerable higher. In every case, at least three plates were 

 counted to secure the average germ content, and, in many instances, 

 twice this number. 



When the Station barn was constructed in 

 Plastering and 1904, the cow stable was ceiled at the top and 

 white-washing sides with planed, beaded, matched southern pine, 

 stable which was finished with a coat of oil and shellac 



in accordance with accepted dairy construction 

 at the time. Modern sanitarians find fault with this finishing of the 

 stable since the joints and beading of the wood allow considerable 

 accumulation of dust, and they usually recommend the use of lath and 

 cement. This gives a tight ceiling and a smooth finish to which 

 little dust can cling. In our stables, also, the stanchions are not of 

 the type now most highly recommended, as they lack a little in 

 simplicity and afford many places for the lodgment of dust. In 

 order to contrast the effect of this older construction under unfavor- 

 able conditions with the newer construction at its best, dust was 

 allowed to accumulate on walls, ledges and stanchions until these 

 were in as bad a condition as would be tolerated under reasonably 

 good barn management. The germ content of the milk of six cows, 



x The unit was 1 cubic centimeter of milk, equal to 18 to 20 drops. 



