Methods : of Securing Clean Milk 137 
kept clean and bright, but no germs will find a 
resting place in the crevices. The use of much 
strong alkali is inadvisable, as it serves to cloud 
and tarnish the tin, giving it a dull appearance. If 
the vessels are exposed to steam until they are 
thoroughly hot, and then placed in such position 
that they will drain, no other drying will be necessary. 
Having taken every precaution that the vessels 
are thoroughly cleansed, the prevention of access 
of dirt to the milk in process of milking is impor- 
tant. To this end, the body, especially the lower 
part of the belly and udder, of the cow should be 
thoroughly brushed and preferably dampened just 
before milking. The hands of the milker should 
be clean and his clothes free from dust, and the 
air of the stable should be free from dust. If 
the stable floor is dampened, it will not only aid 
in this respect, but in summer time will materi: 
ally reduce the temperature of hot and overcrowded 
stables. With these precautions, we may expect to 
secure milk containing a minimum amount of dirt;* 
but with all these precautions, more or less dirt will! 
find access to it. And immediately after milk- 
ing, as much as_ possible of this dirt should be 
removed by at once straining the milk through a 
brass wire strainer of not less than fifty meshes to 
the inch and three or four thicknesses of loosely 
woven cotton or woolen cloth. The cloth strainer 
not only removes fine particles of dirt, but also 
*These directions will serve to secure milk that is reasonably clean. So 
much importance is now placed on extreme cleanliness and there is so large a 
demand for the extremely high grades of milk known as “certified,” that a 
chapter on certified milk has been added to this edition. 
