SANITARY MILK PRODUCTION 243 



ter, a matter of the highest importance in keeping cows 

 clean. 



The walls and ceiling should be as smooth as possible. 

 Moreover, they should be frequently disinfected by means 

 of a coat of whitewash. The latter gives the barn a 

 striking sanitary appearance. 



' Clean Barn Yard. A clean, well drained barn yard is 

 an essential factor in the production of sanitary milk. 

 Where cows are obliged to wade in mire and filth, it is 

 easy to foretell what the quality of the milk will be. To 

 secure a good barn yard it must be covered with gravel 

 or cinders, and should slope away from the barn. If the 

 manure is not taken directly from the stable to the fields, 

 it should be placed where the cows cannot have access 

 to it. 



Clean Cows. Where the barn and barn-yard are sani- 

 tary, cows may be expected to be reasonably clean. Yet 

 cows that are apparently clean, may still be the means of 

 infecting milk to no small degree. When we consider 

 that every dust particle and every hair that drops into 

 the milk may add hundreds, thousands, or even millions 

 of bacteria to it, we realize the importance of taking every 

 precaution to guard against contamination from this 

 source. 



To keep cows as free as possible from loose hair and 

 dust particles they should be carded and brushed regu- 

 larly once a day. This should be done after milking to 

 avoid dust. Five to ten minutes before the cow is milked 

 her udder and flanks should be gently washed with clean, 

 tepid water, by using a clean sponge or cloth. This will 

 allow sufficient time for any adhering drops of water to 

 drip ofif, at the same time it will keep the udder and flanks 

 sufficiently moist to prevent dislodgment of dust particles 



