MILK AND CEEAM CONTESTS. 21 



milk. In some contests those in charge have received samples that 

 were actually curdled; such milk, being of no value as market milk, 

 could not, of course, get credit for flavor or odor. Then certain forms 

 of bacteria cause fermentation or decomposition in milk, and when 

 they have worked for a considerable length of time they cause a very 

 undesirable flavor. 



Certam feeds also contribute to the flavor and odor. In several 

 competitions milk scores have been cut heavily because of a pro- 

 nounced garlic flavor. Silage flavor is very often in evidence, espe- 

 cially during cold spells in the winter when the bams are kept tightly 

 closed. If the silage is fed directly after milking instead of either 

 before or during milking, there should be no trouble on account of 

 silage flavor in milk. There is one thing, however, that must be 

 remembered: If the cows leave any silage in the mangers it must be 

 cleaned out and taken from the barn when they are through, as the 

 warm milk very readily absorbs the silage odor if it is in the air. 

 The stable air, if close or "cowy," is another source of bad odors 

 which are absorbed by the milk. Sometimes flavors are detected 

 in milk which are due to foreign substances. Milk has been sub- 

 mitted in bottles from the rubber parts of which it had absorbed a 

 flavor of rubber. The use of unparaffined caps may give rise to a 

 "brown paper" flavor in the milk. 



It would seem that the best results, so far as flavor and odor go, 

 can be secured by mixing the milk of three or more cows. Some- 

 times the physical condition of the cow or the period of her lactation 

 influences the flavor of the mflk considerably, so that if the milk 

 from only one cow is submitted there is a risk of the individuality of 

 the cow playing some part in the flavor. It is also best to avoid 

 "stripper" milk on account of a strong flavor which very often 

 develops. 



VISIBLE DIET. 



With proper care in milking or even with proper care in straining 

 there is no excuse for large amounts of sediment in milk. As a 

 matter of fact, however, few samples, even in the certified milk class, 

 have been scored perfect on this point, and some samples have been 

 so extremely dirty as to receive a zero on the score card. The sedi- 

 ment usuaUy found is a fine, dark-brown or black precipitate, which 

 is the result of dust and dried manure finding its way from the cow's 

 hide into the mflk. Some of this fine sediment in a state of tempo- 

 rary suspension in the milk may pass through coarse strainer cloths, 

 if such are used, and settle to the bottom of the bottle after the mflk 

 is allowed to stand for any considerable time. Very often large 

 pieces of foreign matter have found their way into the milk. In some 

 cases it is almost unbelievable that such matter could get into contest 



