ON AGRICULTURE TO DENMARK 89 



perforated tin trays, and the whole is kept in position by means of 

 a pyranildical framework pressing down the trays. As the milk 

 rises to the top of the lower tank, it passes off into a large storing 

 tank, and thence into the bottling room. There are four of these 

 filters in use for the different qualities of milk. It is quite incon- 

 ceivable the amount of sediment which is arrested by this process 

 out of carefully handled and, to all appearance, quite clean milk. 

 Not only is there palpable dirt, such as hairs, scales, chaff, etc., 

 but also enormous numbers of bacteria. In the coarser layer of 

 gravel, as much as 6^ millions of bacteria have been found, and 

 in the finer layer 17^ millions per cubic centimetre. The gravel is 

 taken out after each day's work and cleaned by being boiled 

 in a solution of water and soda, and then thoroughly sterilised 

 by steam at a temperature of 302 degrees Fahrenheit. When 

 thoroughly dry, it is passed through fanners in order to have all 

 particles of dust blown out of it. From the storage tank referred 

 to above, the milk is drawn off, and weighed up into larger or 

 smaller tins as customers require. These cans on being filled are 

 labelled and sealed, and then placed in tanks amongst ice until 

 being sent out in vans for distribution. The milk sold as children's 

 milk is passed through a separate filter, and led by a pipe into a 

 bottling room, where it is bottled by a machine, similar to that used 

 for bottling beer. A skilled bottler fills the bottles, which are of clear 

 glass, from six taps, each bottle holding about a quart, and then 

 passes them on to a woman who corks them by machinery. Finally 

 the corks are tied down by thread, and sealed with lead seals, 

 which are compressed and stamped with the Company's stamp. 

 The bottles are first placed in boxes fitted with racks and covered 

 over with ice, and then sent out in vans for distribution to the 

 Company's shops, or direct to customers as may be required. 



On the initiative, and at the request of a number of ladies and 

 gentlemen, chiefly doctors, the Company agreed to supply pasteur- 

 ised and specially prepared milk for infants. As the process 

 involved some extra expense, a Society was formed called "The 

 Society for the Nourishment of Infants," the object of which was 

 to raise a fund to enable the poorer classes to obtain this specially 

 prepared milk at a price that would be within their reach, and 

 thus check the infant mortality which was believed to be due to 

 inferior and unwholesome nourishment. This prepared milk con- 

 sists of milk mixed with sugar and water in varying proportions 

 according to the age of the child. With a view to kill any possible 

 germs of disease, the milk is filled into specially constructed 

 bottles, then corked and heated up to 85 degrees centigrade, at 

 which temperature it is kept for half-an-hour, and then rapidly 

 cooled down by being placed in ice. It is claimed that milk 

 prepared in this way will remain in perfect condition for at least 

 twenty-four hours. It is sold in zinc stands or cruets, each containing 

 the number of bottles necessary to nourish a child according to its age 

 for twenty-four hours, and each bottle containing sufficient for one 

 meal. Prior to being used, these bottles are .placed in warm water to 

 take off the chill, and then uncorked, and an ordinary mouthpiece 



