796 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR. 



Other important things that need attention. The air in the milking place 

 mii^it be free from dust— it matters not whether the dust comes from the 

 floor as a result of its recent cleaning, or whether the animals have stirred 

 up the du.'^t in coming into the stalls, or whether it is caused by the distri- 

 bution of feed in the racks and boxes. Dust in the air will find its way 

 into the milk, bringing with it great numbers of bacteria. If the floors 

 are du.*ty they should be lightly sprinkled, so as to prevent the stirring of 

 the dust! Feed should not be distributed just before or during the milking 

 hour. 



Clean Milkers. — Another thing of importance in connection w'ith 

 milking is the condition of the hands and clothes of the milker. He 

 should be clean personally, and should be required to go about his work 

 in clean clothes. The milking should be done with dry hands. The habit 

 of some milkers of wetting their hands with milk just as they begin is a 

 filthy practice and the cause of much bad milk and poor butter. There 

 is something in the presence of a milker in a white suit that calls for clean 

 work, particularly if he is required to keep the suit clean while about his 

 work. For this reason, as well as for the esthetic effect, many dairymen 

 require their milkers to be dressed in white. The same principle is true 

 in regard to whitewash on the interior of the barn. A carefully white- 

 washed wall shows off cobwebs to their disadvantage, and they will usually 

 be removed. There is something out of place if part of a builduig is kept 

 clean and fresh — as a whitewashed wall, for instance — and other parts are 

 a mire of filth. "Whitewashed walls go with clean floors, and the two with 

 a white-clad milker will usually insure clean milk. 



HI. The Barn. 



Construction and Care. — It will be seen from the preceding paragraph 

 that the barn and its care have an important influence in the production 

 of pure milk. As it is impossible to secure pure milk in a dirty dark barn 

 reeking with odors of manure, its construction must be taken into account. 

 Plenty of air space must be provided in order to insure pure air, from 

 900 to 1,000 cubic feet being needed for each animal. An abundance of 

 window space must be provided. Enough light should enter to enable one 

 to read a newspaper in the darkest places. The ventilation should be such 

 that the air is changed every few minutes. Anyone contemplating a new 

 barn or a reconstruction of an old barn to conform with the ideas here 

 mentioned should secure some good treatise on barn construction and 

 ventilation. It is evident to any observer that one of the difficulties in 

 securing good milk is the dark, poorly ventilated and constricted barns, 

 containing rotten wooden floors that can not be cleaned. Concrete is the 

 best material for floors. It is economical and can be easily kept clean. If 

 wood is used in floor construction, it should be closely laid in pitch and 

 kept in perfect repair. The interior of the barn should be kept well cov- 

 ered with whitewa.sh, which acts as a purifier and makes the rooms much 

 lighter. Stalls and feed boxes should be simple in construction and easily 

 cleaned. 



