98 THE CREAMERY PATRON'S HANDBOOK. 



should great care be given the milk pails and cans, but all utensils that 

 come in contact with the milk should be subject to the same close scrutiny. 

 The custom of returning the by-products of the factory (skim milk, whey 

 and buttermilk) to the farm in the same set of cans that are used for the 

 fresh milk is a source of much trouble. Many factories insist that sepa- 

 rate receptacles shall be used for these products that are always in an ad- 

 vanced stage of fermentation. With intelligent effort the danger from 

 this source could be much minimized, but the difficulty lies in the fact that 

 one careless patron often defeats the labors of those who are more careful 



FIG. 3. The wrong and right kind of a milk pail. A, the ordinary type of pail showing sharp 

 angle between sides and bottom; B, the same properly flushed with solder so as to facilitate 

 thorough cleaning. The lower figure represents a joint as ordinarily made in tinware. The 

 depression a affords a place of refuge for bacteria, from which they are not readily dislodged. 

 This opening joint should be filled completely with solder. 



in this regard. Greater care on the part of the cheesemaker in keeping 

 the whey vat sweet and clean would be an object-lesson to patrons that 

 would be of more value than abundance of precept. 



It must be remembered in cleaning milk vessels that the spores of 

 these "infinitely little" germs are often endowed with powers of resistance 

 that far exceed the ordinary standard. In a practical way, on the farm, 

 unless one has steam at his command, it is impossible to actually destroy 

 all these latent forms of life that may happen to adhere to a pail or can. 

 Tepid, or even hot water momentarily applied has but little effect, but 

 thorough scalding will do much toward removing the larger amount of 

 germ life. Joints and seams should receive especial attention. These 

 should be well flushed with solder so as to make a round surface that can 

 easily be cleaned. 



INFECTION FROM BODY OF ANIMAL. A serious source of contamination 

 of milk always comes from the animal herself. Drawn, as the milk usually 

 is, in an open pail, the opportunity for entrance of loose hairs, particles 

 of excreta, fine dust, epithelial scales and fodder particles could not well 

 be improved. Every hair of the animal's coat is laden with dormant 



