336 MILK 



overcome. Filling machines, cleaning machines, and caps are 

 designed for wide mouth bottles, and much expense will be 

 involved in making the change, which must be effected by 

 degrees. 



It has been pointed out before that too much stress has been 

 laid in the past on expensive equipment, and that the true road 

 to clean milk production lies in the application of proper methods. 

 With reasonable care of the, cows; with the use of the small-top 

 pail; with the use of well cleaned and steamed utensils and ma- 

 chinery; and by keeping the cooled milk cold up to the point of 

 delivery the bacterial content, as a rule, can be kept low, and 

 instead of having to remove dirt from the milk by special treat- 

 ment the dirt will not be permitted to gain access. 



Ayers, Cook, and Clemmens have made practical experi- 

 ments to determine the important factors which affect the bac- 

 terial content of milk. The authors found that three factors are 

 chiefly influential in reducing the germ content, namely: 



1. Sterilized utensils. 



2. Clean cows with clean udders and teats. 



3. The small-top pail. A fourth factor, the temperature at 

 which the milk is kept, prevents multiplication and serves to 

 keep the bacterial content low. The temperature should be near 

 10 C. (50 F.) or lower. The authors believe, furthermore, that 

 a high bacterial content of market milk is generally due to bac- 

 terial growth. 



The same authors state that "undue emphasis has been given 

 to factors and methods of minor importance, while those which 

 directly affect the bacterial content have not been sufficiently 

 emphasized," and that "milk of low bacterial content and prac- 

 tically free from visible dirt, when fresh, was produced in an 

 experimental barn under conditions similiar to those on the 

 average low-grade farm." 



There is much to be learned as to the most important points 

 at which milk may become contaminated. When research shall 

 have pointed out clearly which operations are responsible for 

 large germ content and which are of less importance, clean milk 

 will be produced without greatly increased financial outlay, but 

 will require intelligent care in regard to methods of production. 

 Old slovenly habits are slowly giving way to modern improved 

 methods. It should be borne in mind. that the crucial point is 

 the prevention of disease germs from gaming access to milk. 

 A few disease germs will prove dangerous, where large numbers of 

 harmless bacteria will have no significance, as in buttermilk, for 

 example. The gospel of milk with small numbers of bacteria 

 which is preached in many places should have the moral effect of 



