Vermont Dairymen's Association. 133 



It has long been known that the fodder and the bedding, 

 the exterior of the cow and her milker, the utensils and the 

 dairy, were all sources of the bacterial contamination of milk. It 

 has been taught until recently, however, that the cow herself, 

 if healthy, was not guilty ; that her milk as it was drawn from 

 the udder was free from organisms if the fore milk was rejected. 

 This is now known to be not quite true. She does contribute a 

 small quota to the general assemblage ; and all the cleansing of 

 barn, and dairy, and occupants will not avail here, for we cannot 

 cleanse the inside of a cow's udder. But we may deter almost 

 all of the organisms from entering. 



There are three ways of fighting the bacteria in milk. 



They may be kept out. 



They may be killed out. 



They may be caused to commit race suicide. The policies 

 of exclusion, of destruction and of isolation ! All good — but the 

 best way and one not of necessity expensive is to exclude them. 



Now I do not mean again to rehearse the story of cleanliness 

 in the dairy. I do want, however, to say a word or two about 

 the sanitary milk pail. 



Much of the dirt, tangible and intangible dirt, that which 

 may be seen on the cheese cloth strainer, and that which dis- 

 solves and passes through — dandruff, hairs, flecks of dried 

 manure, bacteria and the like that get into milk — fall in from 

 above during the process of milking. Now straining milk through 

 cheese cloth only removes a part. The situation can be bettered 

 to a marked degree, the keeping quality of the milk be enhanced, 

 and the likelihood that the milk will make good butter be increased 

 by attention to a few details that are neither costly in money 

 or time, or difficult to install. 



1. Wipe udder and abdomen with a damp cloth immediately 

 before milking. 



2. Provide milkers with clean clothes. 



3. Fill seams of dairy utensils with solder and use some form 

 of the sanitary or dirt-excluding milking pails. There are several 

 forms of the latter. One is a covered pail with a 4" funnel 

 covered with wire gauze into which fits a loose ring whereby may 

 be fastened in a few layers of cheese cloth. Another is a closed 

 pail with a large opening covered with a wire mesh and ab- 

 sorbent cotton. And still a third and very practical pail is one 

 with a shoulder and a hood which is otherwise open. According 

 as this is held the amount of dirt entering the pail may be cut 

 down from 60 to 90 per cent. 



If now after the organisms have been thus excluded their 

 growth and multiplication are checked by low temperatures. 



