1902.] DISCUSSION. 275 



closed pails, or why all tlie milk, perhaps, soured in a short 

 time; that it was because in the method of manipulation, as 

 I understand, the milk is left exposed to the air and, under our 

 conditions, which it seems to me are most favorable, the sour- 

 ing germs have an opportunity to enter and cause curdling. 

 Now, the farmer, just as soon as he can get his milk away 

 from the cows, away from the stable, cools it down to a very low 

 temperature, and the souring germs do not grow so rapidly, 

 and he is thus enabled to keep it for quite a period of time. It 

 seems to me that right there in connection with this subject of 

 removing dirt, we have perhaps a tenable explanation of why 

 the milk of the most careful dairymen keeps better. As I 

 understand, Mr. Stadtmueller, by the method which he pur- 

 sues at West Hartford, has no trouble in getting milk that will 

 keep three days at an ordinary temperature. He uses the 

 greatest care in keeping out every particle of dirt that he 

 possibly can, and as soon as the milk is gathered he has it 

 taken into a separate room where the air is fresh and pure, 

 and cools it down at once, and just as quickly as possible. He 

 has told me that he has left milk in that condition standing 

 around in his office for a period of three days without its hav- 

 ing soured. It seems to me that the question of cooling the 

 milk as well as the question of removing the dirt is of great 

 importance. Of course the question of removing the dirt may 

 play some part in regard to the disagreeable flavors w-hich 

 sometimes develop, but the prompt cooling of the milk seems 

 to me to be of the greatest importance in giving the milk good 

 keeping qualities. 



Prof. Conn. I agree with what Prof. Phelps has said, 

 but I think there is a little misunderstanding here. We are 

 not attempting to lay down a principle or method for produc- 

 ing and caring for milk. All that we were trying to do was to 

 see if the use of a cover would remove all the dirt or not, or 

 would help to remove it. All this question of animal odors 

 has nothing to do with the question that we considered. This 

 Agr. — iS 



