172 PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF MILK HYGIENE 
fore-milk from a normal udder usually contains from 
0 to 500 bacteria per c.c., mostly udder cocci. Sometimes 
more may be present, but when the number exceeds 
5000 per c.c. the udder is infested with mastitis organ- 
isms, usually streptococci. The fore-milk should not be 
milked out upon the floor or litter as this supplies condi- 
tions which are favorable to the growth of bacteria. 
The type of milk pail has a 
very pronounced influence on the 
bacterial content of milk. The 
larger and more horizontal the 
opening of the pail the greater the 
opportunity for contamination. 
There are two types: The open or 
uncovered pail and the covered-top aw 
pail (Figs. 18, 14, and 15). The 
top of the open pail is entirely un- ill 
protected and is about 12 inches in AE 
top being covered. The smaller 
opening, of course, offers much less 
opportunity for dirt to fall into the 5... 45 omen ren eres 
milk. It is more difficult to milk eee 
into the covered-top pail than into the open pail, especi- 
ally at first, but this is largely overcome by practice. 
There are two varieties of covered-top pails: One with 
the opening vertical and protected by a hood and the 
other with the opening more or less horizontal (Figs. 
14 and 15). The pail with the vertical opening is prob- 
ably somewhat more difficult to milk into than the pail 
with the horizontal opening, but it affords a much greater 
diameter, while the covered-top 
pail has an opening only 7 inches 
in diameter, the remainder of the 
