No. 4.] SOURING OF MILK. 2.51 



teats, together with the adjoining parts of the body and 



thighs, should be wiped with a damp cloth immediately 



before milking. These precautions will reduce to the lowest 



terms the bacteria which will get into the milk pail from the 



cow. 



The Milker. 



The milker himself must practise personal tidiness, and 

 the leading authorities, where the liest results are to be ob- 

 tained, both preach and practise the importance of strict 

 cleanliness and even the wearing of neat clothes while milk- 

 ing. The milker's hands should be carefully washed. 



Removing from Stable and Straininr/. 



As we have said above, no matter how carefully the pre- 

 cautions against micro-organisms arc observed there will be 

 bacteria in the air. The milk is therefore threatened so 

 long as it is in the stable, and it is also liable to absorb 

 odors as well as bacteria. Milk should therefore be removed 

 from the stable at the earliest possible moment. Straining 

 the milk in the stable or leaving it there in the cans until the 

 whole herd has been milked are procedures harmful to its 

 quality. A minute's delay in the Imrn may mean an hour's 

 quicker souring. Milk always ought to be strained in a room 

 separate from the stable, where the air is pure and fresh, and 

 where cleanliness is most carefully observed. 



Several thicknesses of strainer cloth throuo-h which the 

 milk is allowed to trickle slowly will filter out many bacteria 

 as well as much filth. It is therefore important, in a herd of 

 any considerable size, to change the strainer cloth often, as 

 it soon becomes impregnated with bacteria which have been 

 entangled in its meshes, and some of these are liable to wash 

 through into the milk if the same cloth is continually used. 

 The more unclean the milk the more frequently the change 

 of strainer cloths should take place. The more violently the 

 milk is poured into the strainer the greater the chance of 

 the force of the stream driving some bacteria, which had be- 

 come entangled in the strainer, through into the strained 

 milk. 



A third cause of infection is unclean utensils and cans. If 

 these are not washed with the greatest care and thoroughly 



