568 MANUAL OF MILK PRODUCTS 



Moak * states that this disease may be prevented from spread- 

 ing by disinfecting the teats after milking with a strong anti- 

 septic such as pyxol, wescol, or hycol. A solution made by 

 using a teaspoonful of disinfectant to three pints of water gave 

 entirely satisfactory results. The method of treatment is to 

 dip the teats in a cup containing the disinfectant immediately 

 after milking. This treatment kills any organisms left on the 

 teat and prevents their finding their way through the orifice 

 into the interior of the teat. This method has proved quite 

 satisfactory in preventing the spread of mastitis. 



RELATION OF BACTERIA TO BUTTER 



As already stated, 2 the commercial quality of butter is pri- 

 marily dependent on the nature of the fermentation taking 

 place in the cream, and on the by-products of bacterial activity 

 after the butter is made. The development of acid during the 

 cream-ripening process is the result of bacterial action, milk- 

 sugar being converted into lactic acid. At the close of the 

 cream-ripening process, it will contain enormous numbers of 

 bacteria. Not infrequently, the number may be between 

 500,000,000 and 1,000,000,000 to a cubic centimeter. The 

 kinds of bacteria taking part in the ripening process will very 

 largely determine the flavor of the finished product. If the 

 bacterial flora of the cream consists chiefly of the lactic acid 

 organisms, the butter should have a clean, desirable flavor, 

 but if certain other types of organisms, such as the gas-producers, 

 are active during the ripening process, butter of inferior flavor 

 will be quite certain to result. The purpose of the butter- 

 maker is to control the bacteriological processes from the time 

 the milk is received until the butter is placed on the market. 

 If he is supplied with cream which has been produced under 

 good sanitary conditions, he can quite accurately control the 



1 Cornell Veterinarian, April, 1916. 2 See Chapter VIII. 



