136 



CITY MILK SUPPLY 



is the first because it is practically impossible to keep the business of the 

 household separate from that of the dairy. Members of the family, 

 especially the children, run in and out of the milk room; things that should 

 be kept in the kitchen find their way into the dairy room; there, clothes that 

 should be hung in a closet or in the shed find a convenient hook; the milk- 

 room doors are left ajar; odors from the kitchen often permeate the milk 

 room and other petty things interfere with the routine of well-ordered dairy 

 business. Most objectionable, are those dairy rooms that are located 

 in the cellars of houses, for they are likely to be dark, damp and poorly 



FIG. 29. Inexpensive dairy house for farmer handling milk in bulk. (40th Annual 

 Report, Boston Health Department.) 



ventilated besides which dirt is apt to sift down from the floors above 

 and be blown in from the ground. Another objection to having the 

 milk room in the house is that in case infectious disease appears in the 

 household such a location is most unfortunate. 



The location of the milk room in or attached to the barn is usually 

 unsatisfactory chiefly because of the difficulty of keeping out odors, but 

 also because it is hard to keep the room scrupulously clean, to prevent 

 it from being overrun by the help and to keep out flies, rats and other 

 vermin. However, some dairymen do overcome these difficulties and 

 maintain thoroughly satisfactory milk rooms within their barns. 



Altogether the best location for the dairy house is detached from the 

 barn and 150 to 200 ft. from it and, if possible, near the dwelling. The 

 object of the milk house is to have a place where the milk can be weighed, 

 tested clarified, separated, cooled, put in its final container and stored 

 in surroundings free from odor, dust and confusion. Also it is the in- 

 tention to provide a place where th workman may attend to these things 



