SLIMY MILK BACTERIA. 8l 



differ from the first groups in one highly important respect. 

 There are no practical means, so far as we know, by which 

 the dairyman can avoid the presence of the lactic and enzyme 

 bacteria, although care and cleanliness may greatly reduce 

 their numbers. The types of bacteria now to be mentioned 

 may be avoided, and if they produce trouble in a dairy the 

 application of simple remedies will enable the dairyman to 

 get rid of them. The following are the most important of 

 these dairy troubles due to bacteria. 



Slimy Milk. The most troublesome infection in a dairy, 

 outside of the milk souring, is the development of a sliminess. 

 A sliminess in milk is not always produced by bacteria. It 

 is a characteristic of the milk from animals suffering from 

 certain diseases, particularly garget. But in the majority 

 of cases the trouble is due to the development of bacteria 

 in the milk subsequent to the milking. In some countries 

 slimy milk is regarded as a delicacy and is produced by 

 artificial means. In Norway the people have learned to pro- 

 duce slimy milk, which they call taettamoelk, by placing 

 in the milk the leaves of a certain plant (Pinguicula) which 

 causes the development of a sliminess in the course of a few 

 hours. It has been believed that the plant in question has 

 nothing directly to do with the sliminess, but that its leaves 

 are the home of a microorganism which develops in the milk 

 with the result noted, and a slime-producing bacterium has 

 actually been found upon this plant. Within very recent times 

 it has been insisted that the sliminess is actually due to cer- 

 tain secretions from the plant rather than to bacteria, pos- 

 sibly to enzymes. Whether this is true, or whether the more 

 common explanation, that it is due to bacteria, is the correct 

 one, is at present unknown. Another artificial preparation of 

 slimy milk is used in the manufacture of Edam cheese, which 

 is mentioned on page 246. 



Except in a few such instances slimy milk is an undesir- 

 able fermentation, and sometimes produces great trouble 

 6 



