SANITARY MILK PRODUCTION 31 
ter, a matter of the highest importance in keeping cows 
clean. 
The walls and ceiling should be as smooth as possible. 
Moreover, they should be frequently disinfected by means 
of a coat of whitewash. The latter gives the barn a 
striking sanitary appearance. 
Clean Barn Yard. A clean, well drained barn yard is 
an essential factor in the production of sanitary milk. 
Where cows are obliged to wade in mire and filth, it is 
easy to foretell what the quality of the milk will be. To 
secure a good barn yard it must be covered with gravel 
or cinders, and should slope away from the barn. If the 
manure is not taken directly from the stable to the fields, 
it should be placed where the cows cannot have access 
to it. 
Clean Cows. Where the barn and barn-yard are sani- 
tary, cows may be expected to be reasonably clean. Yet 
cows that are apparently clean, may still be the means of 
infecting milk to no small degree. When we consider 
that every dust particle and every hair that drops into 
the milk may add hundreds, thousands, or even millions 
of bacteria to it, we realize the importance of taking every 
precaution to guard against contamination from this 
source. 
To keep cows as free as possible from loose hair and 
dust particles they should be carded and brushed regu- 
larly once a day. This should be done after milking to 
avoid dust. Five to ten minutes before the cow is milked 
her udder and flanks should be gently washed with clean, 
tepid water, by using a clean sponge or cloth. This will 
allow sufficient time for any adhering drops of water to 
drip off, at the same time it will keep the udder and flanks 
sufficiently moist to prevent dislodgment of dust particles 
