245 



that will cause milk to exhibit an alkaline reaction. At times 

 these germs are very injurious, yet they may not seriously 

 interfere with the milk unless it stands for some time. How- 

 ever, they frequently prevent the ripening of cream and thus 

 seriously interfere in the proccbs of making butter. When 

 they predoininate in the dairy the best way to eradicate them 

 is by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the barns, buck- 

 ets, cans, churns, etc. At the same time it may be best to 

 inoculate the fresh milk or cream, or pasteurized milk or 

 cream, with a favorable germ by using a pure culture, or by 

 using ripe cream or buttermilk from another dairy where 

 they are making good butter. 



Butyric Acid Fermentation may be a result of the action 

 of one of several groups of bacteria upon the glyceride of 

 butyric acid. This action sets free the butyric acid and 

 produces the well known rancid or bitter taste of old butter. 

 Butyric fermentation may occur in milk and give it a bitter 

 taste. This bitter taste may be distinguished from the bitter 

 that is produced by the cow eating bitter weed {^Ilelomivi 

 teimitolium, etc.,) by the fact that the bitter from the bitter 

 weed is present in the milk immediately after it is drf^.wn, 

 and the bitter taste produced by bacteria appears some 

 time after milking, or may appear some time after the milk 

 has been boiled or cooked. According to Freudenreich certain 

 forms of casein and milk-sugar fermentations may result in 

 producing a bitter product. Some claim that the bitter 

 product is produced by spore-forming bacteria that act 

 chielly upon the casein or albumen. Bitter-producing germs 

 must be fought by cleanliness and disinfection. Bitter milk 

 from bitter weeds must be fought by removing the weeds 

 from the pasture or feed; by aerating the milk or by boiling 

 the milk in an open vessel. The last mentioned method is 

 doubtful. 



Ropy, Stringy or Slimy Milk may be produced by a 

 number of different species of bacteria. It may be a result 

 of a series of fermentations, a kind of decomposition. Some 

 investigators have isolated from ropy milk micrococci or 

 spherical celled bacteria, while others have isolated bacilli or 



