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Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



shown in the illustration (WS. Fig. 2). This lid is lined with tin 

 dipping from the sides to the centre, on which the bottles are 



Fig. 2. — Cross-section of the Wisconsin curd test (after Farrington & Woll.) 



XJ TJ," testing jars showing different stages of test ; WL, water line ; M, milk; F, frame ; WS, stand 



to support cover; Al, drain holes ; WO, water outlet ; DP, drain pail. 



rested so that the whey may drain off the curd. The bottles used 

 for the test are ordinary Mason jam jars, and for these a perforated 

 lid and strainer adapted for the purpose of this test may be obtained 

 from suppliers of dairy utensils. Before putting the milk into them^ 

 the jars must be sterilized and the best way to do this with a mini-*- 

 mum risk of breakage is to put them all into a vessel of water 

 containing washing soda in the proportion of about half a pound of 

 soda to ten gallons of water which should then be brought to boiling 

 temperature. 



To make the test, till as many pint glass jars as may be required 

 three parts full, the milk being heated to 98 degrees Fahr. by stand- 

 ing the jars in warm water ; add 10 drops of liquid rennet, mix with 

 a rotary motion and allow it to stand in the water at 98 degrees 

 for twenty minutes by which time the milk will have coagulated ; then 

 break up small with a knife and allow to settle, put in the strainer and 

 drain off' the whey as it separates from the curds. After the sample 

 has been permitted to remain for from six to twelve hours, the tem- 

 perature having been maintained at 98 degrees all the time, the curds 

 may be examined ; those having a bad smell or flavor, or a spongy, 

 pin-holey, gasey or mushy texture, can be easily detected so that the 

 milk producing the taint may be set apart. If it can be traced to a 

 particular supplier, by similarly testing each cow's milk separately, 

 it may be found that the milk from a particular cow is causing the 

 trouble, perhaps from a diseased udder, and her milk may be kept 

 apart until it becoraes iiormal. Care must be taken not to contaminate 

 one sample by mixing it with another through the medium of the 

 thermometer and the knife, which should be cleansed and sterilized 

 before inserting into each jar of milk. 



The illustrations show the results of the application of the test. 

 Fig. 3, madei from the mixed milk taken from the cheese tank 

 exhibits a curd of solid firm texture, the only holes visible being those 

 of irregular shape due to the particles of curd not yet having settled 

 together. Fig. 4 is the milk of one supplier and in it will be 

 noticed several gas-holes, those of a round regular shape, like the 

 holes in bread being due to the formation of gas consequent upon 



