522 THE CONTROL OF THE MILK SUPPLY 



The farm drains must remove all liquid filth, and pumps must be 

 covered and protected against access of surface water. The imme- 

 diate surroundings of all pumps must be raised above the level of 

 the adjacent ground. These are but illustrations. They are sufficient 

 to emphasise the fact that in actual practice milk farms in Denmark 

 are better kept and managed than similar farms in England. 



The conclusion in respect to this matter, which was arrived at 

 by two English Local Government Board inspectors as the result of 

 a visit to Denmark may be quoted. It should be added that this 

 conclusion is supported by very substantial evidence which we need 

 not quote, but to which we give the reference. They report : — 



'' We visited during our stay a variety of cowhouses, 

 both great and small, and the general conclusion at which we 

 arrived was that the Danes possess a somewhat higher estimate 

 of the value of cleanliness in the cowhouse than, according to our 

 experience, is possessed in this country. Still, we wish to state 

 plainly that we saw nothing in this particular alone which is not 

 frequently attained to in England, and which, by the exercise of 

 more care and intelligence, could not be reached in many more 

 instances — in a word, it was not the superiority of the Danish 

 cowhouses which impressed itself upon us so much as the intelli- 

 gent manner in which the Danes make use of the often humble 

 facilities at their disposal." ^ 



3. Milkers and Milking" 



Present conditions. — Visits to cowsheds where and when 

 milking is being carried on, will reveal conditions of filth 

 which cannot do otherwise than lead to the contamination 

 of the milk. This is an almost universal experience in Great 

 Britain. But if we follow the milk into the dairy, we gener- 

 ally find a cleanliness rendered all the more impressive by 

 contrast with the cowshed. Yet this dairy cleanliness, essential 

 though it is, unfortunately comes too late ; the mischief has been 

 already done by the antecedent dirt in the byre. It is in the 

 cowshed, therefore, and at the time of milking, that the chief pre- 

 cautions must be taken. 



Recommendations. — {d) Time of milking. — We have already 

 pointed out that the quality of milk varies, especially as regards 

 fat, according to the difference in the interval of time which 

 elapses between one milking and the next Milk yielded by the 



^ Report of Departmental Committee on Food Preservatives, 1 900. Appendix 

 containing report of visit of Dr Bulstrode and Mr Huddart to Denmark, and 

 other places. Appendix No. 3, pp. 283 and 285. 



