MARKET MILK 153 



reached the market sour, tainted, or otherwise in poor condition. 

 Such milk usually means a complete loss to the producer, as it 

 costs too much to transport it back to the farm and because, 

 depending on the market as an outlet for his milk, he has no 

 means for utilizing small amounts at uncertain intervals. 

 Another important consideration is the unpleasant effect upon 

 the purchaser. Delivering sour or tainted milk usually results 

 in losing the confidence of the dealer ; or if it is delivered direct 

 to the consumer, it means the loss of good customers. A repu- 

 tation for clean milk means fewer complaints, a better class of 

 patrons, and a steady market for the product of the dairy. 



SOURCES OF MILK CONTAMINATION 



Bacteria find their way into the milk from various sources. 

 Some may come from the udder itself, where they grow in the 

 milk cisterns and ducts. The greater number, however, come 

 from the dust of the air, the dirt from the udder and flanks, 

 from the milker, and from unclean utensils. 



HOW TO PRODUCE CLEAN MILK 



The cows and their care. 



To have healthy cows is one of the first essentials of the 

 production of clean milk. If the cows are diseased, their milk 

 is apt to contain disease-producing bacteria, or be otherwise 

 abnormal. When milk is secreted by the healthy mammary 

 gland, it probably is free from bacteria, but as soon as it passes 

 into the milk ducts and cistern of the udder it becomes con- 

 taminated with the bacteria which exist there. The amount 

 of contamination from this source, however, is relatively un- 

 important, since the number of bacteria found in the healthy 

 udder is not large, amounting to a few dozen to a few hundred 

 to a cubic centimeter of milk. If the udder is diseased, the 

 germ-content of the milk may be very large. Special attention 



