DAIRY PROBLEMS. 169 



words, it requires very great care to clean and sterilize these milking 

 machines in order to produce even as good results as are obtained 

 by hand milking. But if care be taken to sterilize thoroughly all of 

 the apparatus, better and more reliable milk can be obtained by the 

 use of the milking machine. 



Rejecting Fore Milk. For reasons already indicated, the first milk 

 drawn at each milking will contain more bacteria than the rest. 

 The practice of rejecting the fore milk, either allowing it to waste 

 upon the floor, or collecting it in a separate dish, is, no doubt, an 

 advantage, but the extent of the advantage has been overdrawn. 

 The extra number of bacteria obtained in a pail of milk from the 

 entrance of the fore milk, is very small compared with the larger 

 number that enter the milk from other sources. 



Value of Trained Dairymen. Apparatus without a proper man 

 to use it is valueless. It makes no difference how many rules may 

 be drawn concerning the dairy, how complicated the apparatus 

 becomes, or how careful may be the directions given to the em- 

 ployees, it is quite impossible to expect satisfactory results without 

 properly educated and trained assistants. An untrained man will 

 succeed in getting only bad results, even with the best of apparatus. 

 The employees in our dairies at present are, in many cases, without 

 any proper training. They do not know the character of the prod- 

 uct they are producing; they do not know the dangers to which it 

 is subject; they do not understand the universal presence of bacteria; 

 they do not understand, in general, the problems that are concerned 

 with their business. They are quite likely to believe the whole 

 subject of bacteria in milk to be foolishness and not worth their 

 attention. Under these circumstances, no matter how many 

 directions are given or how much instruction there may be, satis- 

 factory results will never be obtained. 



Cooling. The importance of cooling the milk, and cooling it 

 immediately, cannot be overstated. When milk is drawn from the 

 animal, it is at a temperature to stimulate the growth of bacteria to 

 their utmost. It is true that, for a while, because of the germicidal 

 property of milk (see page 159), the bacteria do not grow; but this 

 condition lasts only a short time, after which, if the milk is warm, 

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