140 THE MILK QUESTION 



him for the tuberculin testing and the losses incident there- 

 to. He is given one fourth of a cent a quart more for his 

 milk provided he keeps the bacteria below 10,000 per 

 cubic centimetre. He is given one fourth of a cent for each 

 point (0.1 per cent) of butter-fat in excess of 3.5 per cent. 

 In other words, he is paid a premium for sanitary excellence 

 and nutritive quality. The milk might be called, with 

 propriety, "premium milk." The farmers receive, on the 

 average, about one cent a quart in premiums. In addi- 

 tion to the premium stated, the farmers also receive prizes 

 for the lowest bacterial count and receive other encour- 

 agements to excel. Those who work in the creamery are 

 also given premiums, provided no additional bacteria are 

 added to the milk as it passes through the creamery. 



2. Emphasis is placed upon good dairy methods rather 

 than upon equipment. The essential feature in the meth- 

 ods in producing this milk consists in cleaning and steril- 

 izing the pails and cans at the dairy. The farmer takes 

 away these prepared utensils when he delivers his milk in 

 the morning. There are at present thirty-five dairy farms 

 in this cooperation scheme. The simple device of cleaning 

 and sterilizing the pails and cans at the dairy at once elim- 

 inates thirty-five dairy wells, does away with the imper- 

 fect cleansing and sterilizing as it would be carried out by 

 thirty-five individual farmers, and eliminates thirty-five 

 kitchens and households where milk pails and cans are 

 ordinarily washed. The pail has a small opening and is 

 covered, which, in itself, excludes three fourths of the dirt. 

 The farmers soon find that it is to their advantage to wipe 

 the udders and teats, before milking, with a damp cloth in 

 order to keep their bacterial counts down. 



3. The milk is brought promptly to the dairy, where it is 

 handled with care and expedition. It is strained, cooled at 

 once, then filled into clean and sterile bottles^ These are 

 iced and shipped to town in refrigerator cars. Samples 

 are taken daily from each farmer for bacteriological and 



