EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 179 



The product consisted of evaporated skim milk to which cocoanut oil had been 

 added and the whole heated in the cans for the purpose of sterilizing. 



When the samples arrived one can was plated out on lactose agar both 

 aerobically and anaerobically, using the pyrogallic method for the latter. 

 After 10 days' incubation at room temperature, the aerobic plates gave a 

 count of 240 per cc. and the anaerobic plates a count of 35 per cc. Strict 

 anaerobes were not found as the cultures fished from the anaerobic plates 

 grew well on agar slants. The follo^^^ng cultures constituted the predomi- 

 nant flora on the aerobic plates: 



A. I. — A large, white, wrinkled, raised, dull, sticky surface colony. A 

 large rod with oval spores, many of which were free. Spores larger in diam- 

 eter than the vegetative rods. Spores eccentric. 



A. II. — A yellowish-white, large, round, wrinkled glistening colony of 

 cheesy consistency. Same microscopic appearance as A. I. 



A. III. — Small, oval, brownish sub-surface colon3^ Predominant form on 

 plates. Large rod, free spores which were short and cylindrical. 



A. IV. — Small brownish, irregular, dull, surface and slightly sub-surface 

 colonies. Large rods, with spores of same appearance as A. III. 



The above organisms were inoculated in duplicate into some sterilized, 

 filled evaporated milk which had not turned bitter. After 5 days one set of 

 the duplicate cultures was tasted l)ut no change in taste was noted. After 27 

 days the duplicate set was tasted and all the inoculated samples were in- 

 tensely bitter while the control tube was not bitter. 



In the meantine, I had Mr. Segelin plate out another can on milk powder 

 agar, the plates being held un<ler aerobic conditions. He ol^tained a count of 

 2,000 colonies per cc. and he isolated six organisms: 



C. 1. — A pear shaped colony 2 mm. in diameter, white to gray, with clearing 

 around the colony. Large rod-spindle-shaped sporangia, \\dth spores placed 

 eccentricalh^ 



C. 2. — Radiating colony — 2 mm. in diameter. Straight rod with rounded 

 ends, 2-4 cc. long. Spore former. 



C. 8. — Round, white colony, smooth, rained. Large micrococci, occurring 

 in irregular groups, as diplococci and as tetrads. 



C. 4- — Nearly round, white colony with wavy edge similar to C. 1. 



C. 5. — Round, white colony. Similar to C. 1. 



C. 6. — Small, lens-shaped-yellomsh colony. Resembles C. 2 in micro- 

 scopic appearance. 



These were inoculated into sterile filled evaporated milk and the cultures 

 were tasted at the end of 17 days. All produced a bitter. fiavor in the milk 

 while the uninoculated control tubes did not taste bitter. 



III. Exmmna'ions of "Ever Fi-esh" milk. 



A number of bottles of this product were submitted to me for examination 

 as to sterility. The milk was put up in 14 oz. dark brown bottles, sealed 

 with a crimp cap. On the label is the picture of a cow-head and a bottle of 

 Ever Fresh Milk with the legend ''Her ideal realized." Below is the fol- 

 lowing statement: "Milk that keeps. Ever Fresh Milk. Pasteurized in 

 the bottle. Pure cows' milk. Germless; unadulterated; keeps fresher and 

 longer when opened than ordinary milk; being easily digested and standard- 

 ized, it is a perfect and balanced food for infants, especially valuable for 

 invalids and ideal for children and adults; contains all essentials of a perfect 

 diet. Chevalley Ever Fresh Milk Products Co., Portland, Oregon," 



The bottle was opened after flaming the crimped cap and neck of the 

 bottle. It was plated at once on lactose agar in a series of dilutions in trip- 



