686 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



It is pointed out that mares 1 milk in comparison with cows' milk is 

 much richer in water and sugar but poorer in fat, nitrogenous matter, 

 and ash. The fat in the analyses given is said to be lower than has 

 usually been found for mares 7 milk but higher in sugar. It is suggested 

 that this may possibly be due to the fact that the animals were at pas- 

 ture. In substituting cows* milk for mares' milk in feeding colts the 

 usual recommendation to dilute with water and add sugar is believed to 

 be questionable. It is believed to be better not to add any sugar, but 

 to dilute the milk about one-half at first and about one third later. It 

 is shown that as the period of lactation advances the percentage of 

 both nitrogenous substance and salts decreases while the sugar 

 increases. 



Milk: Composition, nature, hygienic and economic methods of 

 handling, A. J. McClatohie (Southern California Acad. Set. Agl. Expt. 

 Section Bui. 3, pp. 29). — This is a popular bulletin, with the results of 

 some experimental work. 



Analyses are given of samples of milk from S dairies, together with a 

 record of tests of milk delivered in Los Angeles during the months of 

 June, July, and August. Numerous experiments are briefly reported 

 showing the large number of bacteria in the milk from the first part of 

 the milking ("fore milk' 1 ), the bacteria which fall from the cow during 

 milking, the number of bacteria in the air of stables, the bacteria in 

 dairy utensils, the reduction of bacteria in milk by careful milking and 

 handling, the effect of high and low temperatures, cases of gaseous fer- 

 mentation of milk, bitter milk, and ropy milk. A case of bitter milk 

 was entirely remedied by painting the room in which the milk and 

 cream were kept and observing more cleanly methods. A bad case of 

 ropy or stringy milk was investigated. The condition of the stables, 

 the dairy utensils, and the clothing of the milkers was found to be bad. 



'•While milk drawn in the ordinary way into unsterilized vessels 

 invariably became ropy, in no case did ropiness ensue when the milk 

 was drawn from these same cows with precautions that prevented the 

 entrance of many living bacteria. Even cleansing the teats and udder 

 with plain water and milking into a sterilized pail covered with cloth 

 to exclude dust prevented ropiness.'* 



The ropiness was communicated to other milk by adding a little of 

 the infected milk. It was found that the milk from some of the cows 

 had a greater tendency to become ropy than that from others, and 

 experiments indicated ik that the exterior of some of the cows was 

 infected with the bacteria causing trouble more than the others; and 

 that even the canals of the teats of one cow were infected, as indicated 

 by the fact that her milk became ropy though the exterior had been 

 carefully cleansed. The other 23 cows were tested and the milk from 

 none of them became ropy when drawn with antiseptic precautions.'' 

 The cause of the trouble, although apparent to the author, was uot 

 removed on account of a lack of appreciation of the importance of clean- 

 liness and the failure on the part of the proprietors to fully cooperate 

 with the author. 



