328 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



the tubes completely covered. A large crock or wooden vat may 

 be used for the purpose and it should be kept covered. 



It is not advisable to attempt to sterilize by boiling the rubber- 

 ware of the milking machine. However, the teat cups and rubber 

 tubes can be rendered very nearly sterile by placing them in a 

 tank of cool water and gradually heating the water up to a 

 temperature of one hundred and seventy-five degrees to one hun- 

 dred and eighty degrees F. and holding at that temperature for 

 a half hour. They should then be removed and placed in a sterile 

 solution until used again. This treatment is recommended if the 

 dairyman is trying to maintain a very low bacterial count. 



The vacuum-pipe line should be flushed out at least twice a 

 month with hot water in which has been dissolved plenty of 

 washing soda or washing powder. In this process the suction is 

 used to draw the cleaning solution through the pipes. 



In handling the tubes and teat cups the operator should be 

 careful not to let any oil get on the rubber parts, for oil rots 

 rubber quickly. Boiling water and steam ^vi\\ also shorten the 

 life of rubber according to the amount of heat applied. 



In producing milk of low bacterial count it is advisable to wash 

 off the teats and udder of the cow and draw a little milk from 

 each teat before applying the cups. 



Appoint one man to do the cleaning. When one man is alone 

 responsible, he will usually keep the machine in proper condition. 



THE CREAM SEPARATOR 



On a large percentage of the farms throughout the country, 

 it has been found more advantageous to market the milk in the 

 form of cream rather than to sell it as a whole milk. Under this 

 system the milk is separated on the farm and the cream is sold 

 at a local creamery or hauled to the shipping station for trans- 

 portation to more distant markets. This method of marketing 

 has several advantages. It saves much hauling by greatly 

 reducing the bulk of the commodity to be handled. Also, the 

 skim milk, which contains valuable feeding elements, can be fed 

 to the calves or other young stock on the farm. 



Types of separators. — Cream may be separated from the milk 

 by gravity or by a centrifugal (mechanical) separator. Of these 

 two methods the latter is by far the more efficient and economi- 

 cal. The gravity separation may be accomplished by the 

 shallow-pan, the deep-setting or the water-dilution method. 

 These systems were used exclusively in the past and are still 

 in use in certain sections where dairying is undeveloped and on 



