PRODUCTION" OP MILK OP LOW BACTEEIAL CONTENT. 43 



The average bacterial count of 93 samples of milk taken from the 

 five farms under the ordinary conditions was 87,391 per cubic centi- 

 meter, which was reduced to 4,602 after the introduction of the three 

 essential factors. The highest average bacterial count in fresh milk 

 after the introduction of these factors was 10,637 and the lowest 

 1,962 per cubic centimeter. 



It is believed that the results offer proof of the practical value of 

 the three essential factors, namely, sterilized utensils, clean cows 

 with clean udders and teats, and the use of small-top pails, for the 

 production of milk of low bacterial count when fresh, on the average 

 farm. The effect of holding the milk on the farm was not consid- 

 ered in this work. 



BACTERIAL COUNTS OF FRESH MILK ON THE AVERAGE FARM. 



One of the interesting points noted throughout this work was the 

 fact that very high bacterial counts were not obtained, even under 

 extremely dirty barn conditions, with dirty cows, and unsterilized 

 utensils. As a rule, samples of fresh milk taken directly after milk- 

 ing, when produced under these conditions, contained less than 

 1,000,000 and usually below 500,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter. It 

 must be remembered that in this work fresh milk which had not been 

 strained or cooled was examined. It is realized, of course, that strain- 

 ing and cooling over unsterilized coolers would increase the bacterial 

 count to some extent. This observation led to the belief that in all 

 probability the bacterial count of fresh milk as produced on the 

 average farm is not so high as has been generally believed. 



In order to obtain some information on this point, 249 samples of 

 fresh milk from 12 different farms around Grove City, Pa., were 

 examined during the summer of 1916. The milk was strained but 

 not cooled. The condition of the barns and the methods of handling 

 milk probably represent the average on uninspected farms in the 

 North and North Central part of this country and would score on 

 the average approximately 10 points out of a possible 100, based on 

 the United States Department of Agriculture dairy-farm score card. 



The results of the examination of samples of morning's and night's 

 milk are shown in Table 19. The night's samples averaged 115,135, 

 and the morning's samples averaged 180,696 bacteria per cubic centi- 

 meter, and the average for all was 135,146. 



