218 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



paid for it. Every dairyman knows that the handHng of milk 

 the first few hours after it has come from the cow has a great 

 influence on its quality and the quality of the products made 

 from it. The care of milk seems a simple matter, but better 

 methods in our dairies are of the greatest importance to the suc- 

 cess and reputation of American dairying. 



It is to the interest of every patron of a creamery or cheese 

 factory that the milk used shall be the best and purest that can 

 be produced. Anyone who increases his monthly check by adul- 

 terating his milk, accepts payment for what he did not deliver^ 

 and is stealing that amount from others to whom it belongs, but 

 anyone who delivers badly contaminated milk to a creamery 

 does even worse. His milk may spoil the entire production of 

 the day, and thus largely decrease the returns to every patron. 

 Butter and cheese makers should absolutely refuse to accept 

 milk that is tainted or unfit for use; they must do this in justice 

 to themselves and to patrons who deliver good milk. 



The attempt has sometimes been made to estimate the losses 

 caused by skimming and watering, and enormous amounts are 

 named, but it is not believed that these nearly equal the losses 

 caused by taints or changes in the milk due to neglect. In con- 

 tracts and agreements the expression "pure milk" should not be 

 taken to mean simply milk having a normal chemical composi- 

 tion, but freedom from all unnecessary contamination; the word 

 PURE should be understood in its broadest sense. 



BACTERIA. 



When left to itself, under ordinary conditions, animal and 

 vegetable matter sooner or later undergoes a change; these 

 changes are familiar to everyone as decay, decomposition, putre- 

 faction, or rot. The most common change of milk is known as 

 souring; but there are many other fermentations, all of which 

 were once supposed to be due to ill health of the cows, to foods 

 eaten, to thunderstorms, etc. It is now known that changes of 

 milk and other organic matter are caused by very small vegeta- 



