324 AGRICULTURE 



germs fall into it. A dirty udder, a dusty stable, dirty 

 hands, and poorly cleaned milk vessels are the most 

 common means of adding unwelcome germs to milk. 



Before milking, the dust and loose hairs on and around 

 the udder should be removed by wiping with a damp 

 cloth. The stables must be kept clean and well littered 

 so that the cow's udder and body may not be soiled. To 

 avoid getting dust and germs in the milk, it is better to 

 feed hay or other dusty food after milking or else a long 

 time before. 



The milk pails, strainers, and all other vessels must be 

 kept clean by careful washing and the use of scalding 

 water or steam after each milking. Be sure to clean 

 thoroughly the seams and rough places in metal milk- 

 vessels. These hiding places may be crowded with germs 

 if any of the dried milk is allowed to adhere. Sunning 

 helps to clean milk-vessels, for sunshine is a great enemy 

 of germs. Neither milk nor empty milk-vessels should 

 ever be left in a room where there is sickness. Germs of 

 human diseases sometimes enter milk by this means or by 

 the use of impure water used in washing the milk-vessels. 

 If the milk pails have partially covered tops and are held 

 in a slanting position, much of the germ-laden dust will be 

 excluded (Fig. 210). 



Cooling. Milk or cream should be cooled as soon as 

 possible, for germs do not multiply so rapidly in a cold 

 temperature as in a warm one. One means of quickly cool- 

 ing milk or cream consists in putting it in tall slender cans 

 and placing these in cold water. Because these cans are 

 deep, this method is called the deep-setting system of 



