No. 4.J MILK AND CREAM. 357 



wash will accomplish wonders. Barns can be further dis- 

 infected by using a spray nozzle on the pump, and occasionally 

 spraying the interior with water containing five pounds of 

 carbolic acid for every hundred pounds of water. The 

 gutters, stalls and platforms can be sprayed with the solution 

 with most excellent results. 



Handling Milk. 



Before milking, the udder and belly of the cow should be 

 well brushed. This takes but a few minutes and is a valua- 

 ble preventive of impure milk. 



The milker should wash his hands before milking, and wear 

 a light inexpensive suit, consisting of overalls and jumper, 

 which should be frequently washed and kept outside the sta- 

 ble. This suit should be removed and well aired immedi- 

 ately after milking. Some producers of so-called "fancy 

 milk" compel their employees to wear white duck suits ; but, 

 while this makes a better appearance, it is not at all necessary. 



TJie vessels in which the milk is drawn and kept must be 

 thoroughly clean. All milk vessels should first be rinsed 

 with cold water, then thoroughly scalded with hot water, 

 drained and well aired. Unless one is very particular, milk 

 will accumulate in the seams of milk pails and harbor euor- 

 mous quantities of bacteria, producing the most objection- 

 able results, and completely puzzling the producers as to the 

 cause of the trouble. 



As soon as the milk is drawn in any quantity it should be 

 removed from the barn to the dairy house. It is a great 

 mistake to have a dairy room opening directly out of the cow 

 stable, for it soon becomes thoroughly impregnated with the 

 barn odor. The dairy house should be sufficiently far re- 

 moved from the stable to allow a good circulation of air 

 between it and the stable. The milk should here be thor- 

 oughly strained, aerated and cooled. 



Aeration consists in allowing the milk to run in a thin 

 layer for a distance, exposed to the action of pure air. This 

 is not absolutely necessary, but it most certainly aids in 

 removing the slight animal odor, as well as the various gases 

 the milk contains. It at the same time cools the milk to a 

 temperature of 50° F. The two most common forms of aera- 



