24 THE BOOK OF CHEESE 



keep the stable air free from dust at milking time, all 

 operations which stir up dust, such as feeding, brushing 

 the cows, cleaning the floor, should be practiced after 

 milking or long enough before so that the dust will have 

 settled. It is a good plan to close the doors and to 

 sprinkle the floor just before milking. 



38. The milker himself may be a source of contamina- 

 tion. He should be clean and wear clean clothing. The 

 hands should not be wet with milk during milking. 



39. Utensils. The utensils are an important source 

 of bacterial contamination. The bacteria lodge in the 



FIG. 3. Types of small-top milk pails. 



seams and corners unless these are well-flushed with solder. 

 From these seams they are not easily removed. When 

 fresh warm milk is placed into such utensils, the bacteria 

 begin to grow and multiply. All utensils with which 

 milk comes in contact should first be rinsed with 

 cold water and then thoroughly washed and finally 

 scalded with boiling water, and drained or blown absolutely 

 dry. They should then be placed in an atmosphere 

 free from dust until wanted for use again. If an aerator 

 is used, this should be operated in pure air, free from 

 odors and dust. One of the greatest sources of bacterial 



