The Bulletin. 69 



MARKETING MILK AND CREAM. 



By William D. Saunders, Dairy and Pood Commissioner of Virginia. 



Our cities, for the most part alive to the interests of the health of their citi- 

 zens, have established hoards to control to a certain extent the production of 

 the milk coming within their municipalities for consumption, the danger hoing 

 that diseases of various kinds are frequently transported in milk and produce 

 their characteristic troubles when taken into tbe intestinal tract, the princi- 

 pal requirements for the present being more cleanly methods in the production 

 of the milk and freedom of the cows from disease. Some dairymen seem to 

 resent interference on the part of tbe city authorities with their arrangements, 

 while others are willing and eager to meet the requirements and do what the 

 boards of health regard as necessary to be done in the interests of the health of 

 the different cities. 



I will deal with this question first, so far as it concerns the dairyman who is 

 trying to supply cities with such milk as will satisfy their health officers and 

 protect the consumer, so far as science indicates that it can be done. I think I 

 will take a text at this point, as there are two words I want to impress on you, 

 and want you to hold to and practice what I am going to say in connection with 

 them : 



CLEANLINESS AND COLD. 



Cleanliness about the stable, in the first place, is most important. We want 

 our stable where the drainage is good; we don't want mud around it so deep 

 we can hardly get through it all winter. We want the stable itself arranged 

 so that it can be kept clean. Cement floors, with gutters for carrying off all 

 liquid material, are most important. The stable should be cleaned out as often 

 as necessary to get out all material and keep the floor clean. It is just as easy 

 to clean the floor once daily as once a week, and twice daily as once. Getting 

 in the habit of doing it is all that is necessary. We are all victims of habit. 

 If we ever get in the habit of doing anything, we find it is all "right. Another 

 practice of keeping the dry feed over the cows is one that should be changed 

 when new barns are being built and for several reasons. When the forage is 

 being fed a considerable dust is raised in the barn, which is not good for the 

 cows and also tends to infect the milk to some extent with germs that, while 

 they may not be harmful, had better be kept out. More light is wanted as well 

 as more air. Light, especially sunlight, tends to destroy germs and moulds, 

 which might cause trouble and which may be present in the barns. Plenty of 

 light and ventilation also tend to bring about better conditions of health 

 amongst dairy cows. Cows when milked should first be brushed off along 

 their sides and udders, their sides and udders dampened so that as little con- 

 tamination as possible will get into the milk from this source; hairs from the 

 sides of the cow, dandruff from the udder and dirt and dung from the tail 

 will add foreign material to the milk, carrying more or less germs of various 

 kinds that should be and can be kept out. The pail in which the milk is 

 drawn should be carefully washed and sterilized before any milk is drawn 

 into it. This is again a source of contamination. Steam is essential for 

 sterilizing all vessels used in handling milk. A small boiler costing about 

 $25 will answer every purpose and drive a small turbine separator, if de- 

 sired. The dairyman who is undertaking to provide a milk free from most 

 objectionable features should, in the first place, provide good healthy cows. 

 These cows, if it is practicable to be done, should be tested for tuberculosis 

 regularly, as there seems to be a growing demand that only milk from cows 

 tested and not reacting be allowed to be sold in our cities and towns. What- 

 ever we may think of tuberculosis and its transmissibility from cattle to 

 human beings, one thing we are all agreed upon, and that is its contagious 

 character as to cattle. One case in a dairy herd tbreatens the entire herd, 

 and sooner or later every cfow in a herd may contract tuberculosis from one 

 tuberculous animal. Knowing this, are we not as much interested in con- 



