DAIRY FARMING DAIRYING. 489 



"If the manure is not frequently and thoroughly cleaned out, it gets dry and 

 small particles from it help to swell the number of germs in the air. 



•' Much benefit would ensue either from moistening the fodder, or from feeding and 

 bedding an hour or so before milking commences, to allow the dust, etc., of the air 

 time to settle. If all such work were finished even half an hour before milking, it 

 would be a gnat improvement on what is now done in many stables." 



Directions are giveii for the proper cleaning of dairy utensils; the 

 milk cans with concave bottoms instead of convex are recommended, 

 '•as in the former case the milk drains into the center of the can, while 

 in the latter some of it is left in a channel around the edge and can not 

 he easily removed by the brush ;" and the results are given of washing 

 cans in different manner. In each case after the can had been washed 

 and drained dry 100 cc. of sterile water was added, well shaken up in 

 the can, poured into a sterile flask, and then submitted to bacteriolog- 

 ical analysis. From improperly cleaned dairy utensils these washings 

 contained from 230,000 to 800,000 germs per cubic centimeter; when the 

 cans were washed in tepid water and then scalded out there were from 

 13,000 to 93,000 germs per cubic centimeter; and when the cans were 

 washed in tepid water and subjected to live steam for 5 minutes the 

 number was reduced to from 400 to 1,800 germs per cubic centimeter. 



Eemarks are also made on the influence of temperature of the milk 

 on the growth of germs, showing the importance of cooling the milk 

 quickly; and in conclusion a summary is given of precautionary meas- 

 ures to reduce the number of germs of milk to the minimum. 



Milk sampling, C. L. Penny {Delaware Sta. Bpt. 1896, pp. 132-157, 

 figs. 2). — This article contains a reprint of Bulletin 31 of the station 

 (E. S. E., 8, p. 820) on the use of carbon bisulphid for preserving com- 

 posite samples of milk for testing. In addition trials are reported with 

 a large number of substances as preservatives which do not submerge 

 the fat. These included salts of potash, ammonia, magnesium, sodium, 

 barium, mercury, tin, silver, lead, iron, zinc, and a number of organic 

 compounds. The best results were obtained with magnesia, magnesia 

 mixture, mercuric chlorid, silver nitrate, sodium sulphite, potassium 

 sulphocyanate, potassium permanganate, potassium bichromate, potas- 

 sium carbonate, boric acid, formalin, alcohol, carbolic acid, and an' 

 alcoholic solution of camphor. Most of these preserved the fat in mis- 

 cible condition. 



"[The sample preserved with 1 per cent of potassium bichromate] after 3 months 

 shows no sign of putrefaction or of curdling and is quite miscible. A less pro- 

 portion of the preservative will doubtless be efficient. There is some danger of 

 oxidation of the butter fat by means of the mixture of sulphuric acid and the 

 bichromate. Where the latter salt is added to the milk by guess in unknown pro- 

 portion a considerable [loss] in the fat found in the test may ensue. . . . 



"The sample [treated with 10 per cent boric acid] after a week was free from 

 putrid smell and was perfectly miscible. The reaction with sulphuric acid in the 

 test bottles is like that of fresh milk. Five per cent failed to prevent curdling 

 within 48 hours, the sample becoming quite putrid. . . . 



" [With 0.3 to 0.7 per cent mercuric chlorid] the sample after several months was 



