478 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Some system of ventilation should also be provided. There are many 

 barns being constructed without a thought of pure air and its value in 

 producing clean milk, to say nothing of its helpful effect on the health of 

 the cows. Milk absorbs odors very readily and, therefore, if the air is 

 foul we should not be surprised to find the buttermaker criticize it for 

 having barn odors. 



Let us consider briefly the cow herself, and determine wherein better 

 care adds to cleanliness as well as to her comfort. The horses are 

 curried every day, whether they are used or not, but the cow, which 

 often gets much dirtier, never sees a curry comb. There are many in- 

 stances where the cow goes to pasture in the spring with the entire rear 

 end of her body soaked with manure. When this avalanche of filth finally 

 comes loose, it takes all but the skin with it. Cows kept in this con- 

 dition and milked twice each day cannot produce clean milk. During the 

 operation of milking the filth is shaken into the pail and furnishes a 

 source for the spread of disease among the consumers. 



Another great source of impure milk is the neglected hand separators 

 in horse barns and cow barns. In many instances the hand separator is 

 condemned, but it is folly to blame a machine constructed of cast iron 

 and steel for lowering the quality of cream. It is the improper care that 

 causes a separator to turn out poor cream. Although the machine is 

 kept perfectly* clean, yet, if stationed in the barn, the cream as it comes 

 from the machine is exposed to an atmosphere contaminated with dust. 

 Wisconsin has a law which makes it a crime for anyone to keep the 

 separator in the barn. Iowa would do well to follow in the footsteps- 

 of her neighbor. 



When the milk comes from the cow it is absolutely pure, but the con- 

 tamination starts from the time it leaves the teat until placed in the 

 vat at the creamery and cooled. If the cows are on pasture there is less 

 liability of dirt entering the milk during the summer than during the 

 winter. However, care should be taken in brushing off the dirt and dust 

 from the udder, and the milker's hands should be clean. The milk should 

 be run through the cream separator as soon as possible after it has been 

 drawn. It should be removed from the barn and taken directly to the 

 cream separator and skimmed. 



When the milk is drawn it has a temperature which is just right for 

 the development of bacteria. If it is allowed to stand around the barn 

 the bacteria will develop rapidly and thus make it much more difficult 

 to produce sweet cream. The cream should be taken from the separator 

 and cooled at once. This can be most easily done by placing the cans 

 in a small tank of water. The average well water has a temperature of 

 about 50.° This, when pumped directly into the small tank, which has 

 an outlet into a large stock tank, offers the most practical means of 

 cooling the cream on the average farm. The tank may be constructed of 

 either wood, steel or cement. 



Shot-gun cans offer the best means of cooling cream, because of their 

 small diameter and the amount of surface exposed to the water, in com- 

 parison with the amount of cream contained. The cream will cool 

 much quicker if it is stirred at intervals of one-half hour after it has 

 been skimmed. 



