CHAPTER XLI 



PRODUCING GOOD MILK 



To produce milk which is absolutely pure and fit to use for 

 drinking, or for butter or cheese, requires more care than 

 any other work on the farm. Careful attention must be 

 given to the vessels in which milk is handled, the surroundings 

 of the cows, the place where milk is kept, and the actual 

 process of milking. The dairyman or farmer must realize 

 the importance of keeping everything clean. 



1. It is necessary to know that milk is easily made unfit for 

 use by dirt. The dirt which gets into milk carries with it 

 many small, one-celled bodies, called bacteria. These are a 

 form of plant life. With the proper temperature these bac- 

 teria grow very rapidly. A single bacterium may increase so 

 rapidly that in a period of twenty-four hours its offspring 

 and their offspring may number many millions — all so small 

 that they are not noticed. However, their presence in the 

 milk causes it to become sour, and acids are formed which 

 may be injurious if taken into the stomach. Disease-produc- 

 ing germs, or bacteria, are often introduced through the dirt 

 which gets into milk. Scarlet fever, tuberculosis, diphtheria, 

 measles, and many other diseases may be carried and spread 

 in this way. 



2. As was stated in Chapter XXXIX, the milk pails should 

 be made from the best quality of tin, with all joints and 



299 



