CHAPTER VIII. 



MILK AND ITS CARE. 



C. H. ECKLES. 

 Dairy Hzisbandry, Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station. 



^.— MILK. 



I. Secretion of Milk. 



Milk is a fluid secreted by the mammary 

 a"lands of all animals that suckle their young. 

 It contains all the elements of nutrition neces- 

 sary for the nourishment of the voune animal 

 in a palatable and easily digested form. 



The material forming milk is all taken from 

 the blood, but chanfred in nature bv the secret- 

 ing cells so that no constituent of milk, except 

 water, is found in the blood in the same form. 



In the wild state the cow only gave milk 

 enouoh to nourish the calf until it could subsist 

 on other food. Under domestication of the 

 cow the secretion of the milk has been ereatly 

 increased bv careful selection and liberal feedine. 



II. Care of Milk. 



The conditions under which milk is handled 

 are of the greatest importance, whether it be 

 used as food or manufactured into butter or 

 cheese. 



I. Sources of Abiioriual Gdors. — Milk begins 

 to decompose and possesses abnormal odors 



