EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS, 295 



The inspection of the cow which produces the milk is the first important step. Of 

 course her food should be a part of this inspection, but a knowledge of what the food 

 should be or should not be is fairl_y understood now, or if not, a knowledge of it may be 

 easily acquired. Disregarding any further consideration of the food, the cow herself 

 is the machine which should be carefully inspected every two weeks by a competent 

 man, or if the proprietor works about the cows daily, he, if he understands the animal 

 thoroughly, will be able to assume the duties of an inspector daily. The inspection 

 of cows should not be left to milkers, for they are usually too indifferent to observe the 

 small variations in an animal which are easily detected by the owner. 



Although our knowledge is not sufficient to say that every sick or abnormal animal 

 secretes a dangerous milk, yet we do know that some diseases yield through their 

 influence upon the animal economy an abnormal milk. If the disease is acute, it would 

 be far better to avoid any risk, to suspend the use of the milk for the period of the 

 disease ; if the disease is chronic, it were better to not use the milk until some one 

 competent could pass upon it. To avoid the possibility of conveying tuberculosis to 

 man or anitnals through the milk, every milk producer should subject his herd to a 

 tuberculin test, not only for his own benefit economically and hygienically, but for the 

 benefit of others. 



The stable should be properly ventilated, lighted and drained. It is not necessary 

 to make a stable which will involve thousands of dollars of expense; a common 

 ordinary stable such as many of you have will do ; in most of the stables in use, the 

 factors mentioned above, especially ventilation and lighting, are sufficient for the 

 health of the animal. The old style of barn has cracks and knot-holes and windows, 

 all of which add to the ventilation and light. Drainage is too frequently disregarded 

 and the result is that much decomposition is constantly in progress, vitiating the air 

 and proving very detrimental to the well being of the animal. It does not seem 

 feasible to recommend the construction of barns which will meet all the requirements 

 of a pure milk supply. This idea is barred out largely for the reason that where many 

 cows are brought together in a stable, it becomes impossible to keep the stable in 

 a condition of absolute cleanliness. There are the stalls, the gutters and in most cases, 

 feed boxes and other equipments, all of which render cleanliness complicated and 

 uncertain. 



To obviate these difficulties which are always associated with the stable, the writer 

 believes that a milking room of a size sufficient to meet the requirements of a herd, 

 into which the cows, one, two, or three at a time, may be brought for milking, would 

 be the most desirable and is the only means by which a pure milk may be obtained. 

 This room would be provided with water, conveniently located and prepared for not 

 only keeping the room in an absolutely cleanly condition, but for sponging oflf the 

 udders of the cows before milking. The cows, when brought into the room, shall have 

 been groomed previously, and so placed after entering the room that there will be no 

 rubbing against each other or necessitating the milker to brush against them. This 

 procedure would remove the cows and the milk from the dust of the stable and the dirt 

 coming from the stall, the bedding, the food and other environments, and would place 

 them where the air is comparatively free from dust and the filth from the stable. 

 The dirt from the udder and hairs would be overcome by sponging the udder and 

 flank with lukewarm water in such a manner as to prevent drippings, and by keeping 

 the udder moist while milking. If the size of the herd would warrant it, one man 

 could look after the leading of the cows back and forth and the grooming, and the 

 milker, dressed in a clean suit made purposely for his work, would attend to the milk- 

 ing and the milk only. 



I am aware that when this method is first carried into operation there will probably 

 be a falling oft" in the secretion of milk and butter fat. but after a time, as Mr. 

 Johnson demonstrated, by gentle treatment, the cow will become accustomed to the 

 change and will resume the normal secretion of milk. This is to be expected of the 

 peculiar nature of the cow. She is very sensitive to changes, but is also very sus- 

 ceptible to gentle training. 



The removal of the cow from the stable environments into a pure air, and the 

 dampening of tlie udder and milking into a sterilized pail in such a manner as would 

 be ('ii(ii'('l\' feasil)le and jii'acticable, lias been demonstrated in a few simple exjieriments 

 by tlie author. Tlie pail used in these experiments was steamed ten minutes, the cow 

 was led out of the barn into the open air at a time when the ground was damp, thus 

 eliminating dust in the air, her udder was sponged oft' and remained damp during the 

 milking, but in each case she had not been groomed. Samples were then taken, after 

 milking, from llic {tail, and samjiles also were taken from the pails, at the same time, of 

 the regular milkers. These samples were placed in a warm room at about 70 degrees 



