TWEXTY-SIXTH AXXVAL MEETING. 13 



operations of butter and cheese making he must call to his aid these mysterious 

 allies. He is obliged to depend on these minute organisms for the production 

 of the "gilt-edged butter" that always commands the highest price in the 

 market. The Danes, whose exhibit at the World's Fair was a revelation to 

 some of us, have done as much as any people towards the isolation and per- 

 petuation of those particular forms of bacteria that have been found to pro- 

 duce the best, sweetest butter. As a result of their work, "prepared 

 cultures" are now offered to dairies. If they have allowed their stock 

 of bacteria to degenerate; if through lack of care or of cleanliness 

 their particular families of bacteria are not the best that can be had, 

 all that it is necessary to do is to sow in the dairy some of these good, 

 healthy colonies and good, sweet grass butter can again be made. Our grand- 

 mothers did not suppose that when they watched so carefully the temperature 

 of the cream, and when they attended so carefully to the cleansing of the 

 milk pans, that they were only producing conditions for the healthful growth 

 of those bacteria that had "blue blood" in their veins, and those that would 

 scorn to aid in the manufacture of anything but the highest grade of butter. 



So also in cheese ripening. It makes the greatest difference what colo- 

 nies of these lower organisms are admitted into the factory. Some will only 

 bring discord and moldy cheese; others sweet, ripe old age . 



It would be interesting to illustrate the subject farther by more glances 

 into the under world of bacteriology that has begun to open out so wonder- 

 fully within the past few years to the eye of the patient investigator. What 

 immense results may be expected from the work in this field, following the 

 lead of such men as Koch and Pasteur? We have learned to identify with 

 reasonable certainty the germs of consumption, of cholera, and of typhoid 

 fever; and now the next step obviously is to study tne conditions of their 

 propagation and growth; and, knowing their life history, we shall be better 

 able to guard against their attacks. But, however seductive this field is, we 

 must teave it with only these few glimpses. 



Finally, be it noted that all those who are engaged in the work of scien- 

 tific investigation are adding to the sum of human knowledge, each in iais 

 narrow sphere, it may be, but each just as effectively. We cannot afford 

 to look on anything that can be seen or heard or felt or tasted or smelled or 

 known as too small or too insignificant for our notice. It is only in following 

 out the little clews that we may chance to get hold of that we can hope to solve 

 the labyrinth of nature. The true investigator never despises the "day of 

 small things." 



