Methods of Securing Clean Milk 137 



kept clean and bright, but no germs will find a 

 resting place in the crevices. The use of much 

 strong alkali is inadvisable, as it serves to cloud 

 and tarnish the tin, giving it a dull appearance. If 

 the vessels are exposed to steam until they are 

 thoroughly hot, and then placed in such position 

 that they will drain, no other drying will be necessary. 

 Having taken every precaution that the vessels 

 are thoroughly cleansed, the prevention of access 

 of dirt to the milk in process of milking is impor- 

 tant. To this end, the body, especially the lower 

 part of the belly and udder, of the cow should be 

 thoroughly brushed and preferably dampened just 

 before milking. The hands of the milker should 

 be clean and his clothes free from dust, and the 

 air of the stable should be free from dust. If 

 the stable floor is dampened, it will not only aid 

 in this respect, but in summer time will materi- 

 ally reduce the temperature of hot and overcrowded 

 stables. With these precautions, we may expect to 

 secure milk containing a minimum amount of dirt;* 

 but with all these precautions, more or less dirt will 

 find access to it. And immediately after milk- 

 ing, as much as possible of this dirt should be 

 removed by at once straining the milk through a 

 brass wire strainer of not less than fifty meshes to 

 the inch and three or four thicknesses of loosely 

 woven cotton or woolen cloth. The cloth strainer 

 not only removes fine particles of dirt, but also 



*These directions will serve to secure milk that is reasonably clean. So 

 much importance is now placed on extreme cleanliness and there is so large a 

 demand for the extremely high grades of milk known as "certified," that a 

 chapter on certified milk has been added to this edition. 



