238 DAIRY FARMING 



The cows, milkers and premises are regularly inspected, 

 and the milk is regularly subjected to chemical and bac- 

 teriological tests. The number of bacteria permitted by 

 different commissions varies from 10,000 to 30,000 per 

 cubic centimeter of milk ; and the fat content ranges from 

 about 3.5 to 4.5 per cent. 



The milk bottles are sealed preferably with metallic 

 caps bearing the date of bottling and the name of the 

 commission. Delivery should be made within twenty- 

 four hours after the milk is drawn and its temperature 

 during this time should not exceed 45 F. 



In the dairy house arrangements must be such as to 

 reduce contamination to a minimum. A receiving can 

 placed in an ante-room is used by the milkers to empty 

 their pails, and from this the milk is conducted into the 

 milk room. A sterilizer with doors at both ends is pre- 

 ferably placed between the milk room and the wash room, 

 so as to enable the milkers to get their pails without enter- 

 ing the milk room and, at the same time, to allow the 

 sterilized bottles to be removed without entering the wash 

 room. 



Profits. Obviously it costs more to produce certified 

 than average market milk, but the additional cost is less, 

 as a rule, than the increased price realized. Certified 

 dairies that have failed to make money have almost in- 

 variably invested more money in buildings and equipment 

 than was actually necessary. It has been shown that" this 

 class of milk may be successfully produced in quite ordi- 

 nary buildings and with moderately cheap equipment. 

 What is of greatest importance is extreme cleanliness, 

 which is achieved mainly through intelligent care and 

 management of every detail of the work from start to 

 finish. 



