192 ATJNUAL ICKPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



at least within tlie limits of our present knowledge. And 3et it is 

 very desirable that we should approach as nearly as possible those 

 conditions which will admit of our prolonging the commercial life 

 of milk, so that it can be consumed with safety by the babe or in- 

 valid a( a distance remote from the source of supply. 



This realization of the importance of an intelligent application of 

 practical dairy hygiene has made Denmark famous throughout the 

 world for her fine milk, cheese and bulter, and has enabled her to 

 capture the best markets for the last named of these products. 



It is a foregone conclusion that the more sanitary care of milk 

 will reduce the percentage of loss in its commercial handling, be 

 it shipped to the city markets or sold at the near-by creamery. So 

 the problem before us resolves itself into a financial proposition, as 

 well as one involving the health of the consuming public. Whether 

 such care as we are contending for will pay or not is no longer an 

 open question, for it has passed the experimental stage, and is be- 

 ing answered in the affirmative by actual experience in many of our 

 up-to-date, or, I might more properly say, ''pioneer'' dairies. It is 

 well known by all of our best informed dairymen that if milk is 

 properly handled during the first two hours after being drawn from 

 the cow, the souring process is very much retarded. 



It is not the purpose of this paper to discuss methods of applying 

 dairy hygiene, but we think that if every creameryman or milk 

 vender would receive only such milk at a remunerative price as was 

 known to be handled according to our best knowledge of practical 

 hygiene, and all other milk at a lower price, the object lesson would 

 be a good one; for we know from personal experience that the per- 

 centage of saving to the sanitary operator would compensate him 

 well for his extra labor and expense, besides placing him on a higher 

 moral plane, and introducing him into a more progressive frame of 

 mind; while the man who preferred to cling to the good ( ? ) old way, 

 and take the lower price for so much of his product as he succeeded in 

 getting to market in a salable condition, would soon see the folly of 

 his ways, and enter the ranks of his more thrifty neighbor. 



The question may arise — ''What constitutes practical dairy hy- 

 giene?" We would answer: A knowledge that the cows are free 

 from disease; a well lighted and well ventilated stable, with 

 floors and troughs of such material as will not readily absorb liquid 

 manure, and with sutficient fall for effective drainage; promptly 

 cleaned daily, and well dusted over with land plaster or South 

 Carolina rock; the side walls and ceilings should be smooth, and light 

 in color, so as to prevent the collection of dust; the cows should 

 be clean; brushed off daily, and, if necessary, have the thighs and 

 hips clipped, to prevent the collection of manure; the milking 



