98 THE COMMON SENSE OF THE MILK QUESTION 



that when the milk comes from the cow, at a tempera- 

 ture of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it is admirably suited 

 to the incubation of these bacteria, that in such a tem- 

 perature they will multiply very rapidly, one bacterium 

 producing as many as three thousand others in less 

 than six hours." If he knew these things, and knew 

 that to reduce the temperature of the milk would hold 

 the bacteria in check, that at a very low temperature 

 they increase very slowly, or not at all," he would 

 have done his best and taken the full pail out of the 

 dust and, in the absence of ice, placed it to stand in a 

 tub of cold water from the well. But he does not 

 know. And the ignorance of such as Bill is a very big 

 factor in the milk problem. 



IV 



If any reader thinks this is an exaggerated descrip- 

 tion of an ordinary farmyard, or of milking as it is 

 commonly carried on, I have only to say that it is a 

 very literal accoimt of an actual case which I know 

 to be far from exceptional. An interesting experiment 

 may be tried by any reader. Let him go out into the 

 country and closely observe conditions for himself, 

 checking the various points in the above sketch accord- 

 ing to his observations. He will find many farms 

 to which my fanciful sketch will not apply, but he will 

 find many more of which it is a moderate and re- 

 strained description. I know that the inspectors 



