548 MANUAL OF MILK PRODUCTS 



bacteria which get into the milk at this point will be relatively 

 small, and the species will be those which have little apparent 

 effect on the milk, but if the cow is suffering with certain forms 

 of disease, such as generalized tuberculosis, or if there is in- 

 flammation in the udder, the number of bacteria getting into 

 the milk may be very large. If the udder is healthy, the milk 

 will normally contain from a few dozen to a few hundred bac- 

 teria to a cubic centimeter at the time it is drawn from the cow. 

 In examining 1230 samples of milk taken direct from the udders 

 of seventy-eight cows, Harding and Wilson found an average 

 of 428 bacteria to a cubic centimeter. The number of bacteria 

 existing in the udder seems to be influenced somewhat by the 

 size of the opening in the end of the teat, easy milkers having a 

 larger number of organisms in the udder than hard milkers. 

 Exterior of cow's body. 



The number of organisms falling into the milk pail at the 

 tune of milking will depend very largely on the cleanliness of 

 the cow's body, the germ-content of the stable air, and the 

 cleanliness of the milker's hands. If reasonable care is taken, 

 the amount of contamination from these sources need not be 

 large, but under some conditions it is very great. This is 

 indicated by the fact that the use of a small-topped milk pail 

 gives milk with a much lower germ-content than an open- 

 topped pail. Harding 1 and Stocking 2 found that the use of a 

 small-topped pail kept out more than one-half of the bacteria 

 which normally fall into an ordinary open pail. The beneficial 

 effect of the covered pail will vary with the cleanliness of the 

 cow and her surroundings, but, even under the cleanest condi- 

 tions, it is very marked. Certified milk-producers have long 

 recognized this fact, and the use of a small-topped pail is one 

 of their standard requirements. 



1 New York Experiment Station Bulletin No. 326. The Modern 

 Milk Pail. Harding, Wilson and Smith. 



2 Storrs Experiment Station Bulletin No. 48. 



