132 CLEAN MILK 



it is desired to thoroughly mix the milk of many cows before 

 it is bottled. Instead of a can for mixing the cooled milk, it is 

 better to use the large tank for filling the bottles — that is, the bottle- 

 filler tank; and after twenty gallons or more of milk have flowed 

 from the collecting-tank of the cooler into the bottle-filler tank, the 

 milk should be well stirred with a sterilized stirrer and the bottles 

 filled while the milk is being mixed. The stirrer may be made like- 

 a huge fork, from heavy tin. 



The warm milk of several cows may be mixed in the barn by 

 pouring the contents of a number of milk pails into a large can. 

 But unless there are enough milkers .to do this within a few min- 

 utes, it is better to carry each milk pail to the cooler, as soon as it 

 is full and mix the milk after it has cooled. The time elapsing 

 between milking and bottling should be as short as possible. The 



Fig- 35- 



milk must be cooled instantly after milking, and be bottled within 

 an hour of milking. In some establishments the milk is bottled 

 within eight minutes of milking. The cooled, mixed milk is poured 

 into the bottle filler and flows immediately into the bottles, which 

 are then quickly capped with sterilized paper caps, and placed in the 

 wagon boxes well surrounded with ice in warm weather. Milk 

 bottles should always be cool before they are filled with milk. This 

 is especially true of the smaller sizes, which it is wise to keep in cold 

 storage an hour before filling. The milk should be delivered to the 

 consumer the year round at a temperature not over 45 ° F. If not 

 shipped immediately — as in case of the night's milk — the milk may 

 be stored in the wagon boxes over night with ice or kept in cold 

 storage or in sufficiently cold water. (Fig. 36). 



All the dairy utensils should be rinsed in clean warm or cold 

 water as soon as the milk has been bottled and then washed with 



