63C ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Now nearly all the leading companies have a clause in their contracts 

 concerning the sanitary condition of the dairies. The New York City 

 Board of Health now issues a certificate properly engraved, setting 

 forth the high rating and excellence of farms scoring 90 or above. 

 These certificates have aided dairymen to secure better prices for 

 their product in hotels and private residences and the consumer has 

 the satisfaction of knowing that the milk is produced exclusively on 

 l)iemises where proper attention is paid to sanitation and the health 

 of the animals. 



A Few Points in Milk Production. 



The dairy industry, as far as it relates to the production of market 

 milk, is rapidly undergoing a revolution and the changes demanded 

 by the Boards of Health must necessarily increase the cost of pro- 

 duction somewhat, but not to the extent that we are sometimes led 

 to believe. Many of the careless methods which have been sanctioned 

 in the past must go, and I think we are now agreed that they should. 

 I believe the majority of dairymen are willing to do their part, but 

 they do not want to be insulted into doing it and you cannot blame 

 them. What then is required from the present day standpoint? 

 In a few words, the demand is for clean, healthy cows, well lighted, 

 well ventilated and clean, airy stables, tight, sound floors, clean, 

 healthy attendants, clean utensils, prompt removal and cooling of the 

 milk in a proper room used exclusively for the purpose and storage at 

 a temperature below 60 degrees. 



I cannot recommend too strongly the use of the small-top milk pail 

 in eliminating dirt and bacteria. In one instance where a study 

 was made of this point, it was found that where the ordinary open 

 pail was used, the bacteria count was 3,439,000 per cubic centimeter 

 as compared with 6,600 with the small top pail. 



Again, the use of the damp cloth in wiping the udders and flanks 

 of the cow before milking, is very important in reducing the bacteria 

 count. Stocking found that where this was practiced in one instance, 

 the number of bacteria in the milk was 716 per cubic centimeter as 

 compared with 7,058 per cubic centimeter where the moist cloth was 

 not used. 



I would like to call attention, also, to the question of straining 

 milk. I am satisfied that the dairymen are giving altogether too 

 much attention to finding a stainer that will remove the dirt and too 

 little attention to proper care and cleanliness in keeping the dirt 

 out. In most instances when the milk passes through the strainer, 

 nine-tenths of the bacteria and all the bad flavors in the milk pass 

 through also and all that remains is some coarse matter that can do 

 no harm. Dairymen should learn that milk once dirty can never 

 be cleansed by any process. 



Production of Clean Milk Not a Hardship. 



To illustrate: One dairyman had a bacteria count of 1,200,000, 

 when sampled three hours after milking. Considerable time was spent 

 in studying out a method of improvement which might be adopted 

 at a small cost. Finally, a few more windows were put in, some 

 canvass ventilation was used, a few coats of whitewash were applied, 

 the milk was carefully cooled, and then the bacterial count of this 

 milk came down to 100,000 per cubic centimeter at the same age. 



