CHAPTER XX. 



SANITARY MILK PRODUCTION. 



Sanitary Milk Defined. Sanitary milk is milk from 

 healthy cows, produced and handled under conditions in 

 which contamination from filth, bad odors, and bacteria, 

 is reduced to a minimum. 



Importance of Sanitary Milk. The production of 

 clean milk is one of the most important subjects that con- 

 fronts the American dairyman at the present time. Fur- 

 ther improvement in the quality of butter and cheese must 

 largely be sought in the use of cleaner milk. With the 

 better appreciation by the public of the great nutritive 

 value of milk, there opens an unlimited market for it for 

 consumption in the raw form. Already we find that milk- 

 produced under the best sanitary conditions sells for prac- 

 tically double that obtained under ordinary, more or less, 

 slip-shod conditions. So great is the clamor for cleaner 

 milk that any extra efforts expended in producing it are 

 certain to be richly compensated. 



The Necessary Conditions for the production of sani- 

 tary milk are as follows: (i) Healthy cows; (2) sani- 

 tary barn; (3) clean barn yard; (4) clean cows; (5) 

 clean milkers; (6) clean milk vessels; (7) clean, whole- 

 some feed; (8) pure water; (9) clean strainers; (10) 

 dust-free stable air; (11) clean bedding; (12) milking 

 with dry hands; (13) thorough cooling of milk after 

 milking; (14) sanitary milk room. 



Healthy Cows. The health of the cow is of prime im- 

 portance in the production of sanitary milk. All milk 



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