ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 233 



of salt, dissolved in warm water; 3 pounds of ground rice put in 

 boiling water and boiled to a thin paste; half a pound of 

 powdered Spanish whiting and a pound of clear glue, dissolved in 

 warm water; mix these well together, and let the mixture stand 

 for several days. Keep the wash thus prepared in a kettle or 

 portable furnace, and when used put it on as hot as possible, 

 with painters' or whitewash brushes. 



DISINFECTION. 



When milk has a strong taint at the time it is drawn, the 

 trouble is usually not due to bacteria, and it can be improved by 

 aeration. But when it is natural at first and gradually becomes 

 more and more tainted the longer it is held, bacteria are prob- 

 ably to blame, and if the dairy is badly infected with them 

 energetic measures are often required to get rid of them. If the 

 affected milk is not harmful to health, but only objectionable on 

 account of its smell or taste, its entire loss may be made unneces- 

 sary by pasteurizing or sterilizing it as soon as possible after it is 

 drawn and before much of a change has been made, and then 

 using it immediately or keeping where further infection can not 

 take place. But this treatment does not affect the source of the 

 trouble, and if that is not overcome by sterilizing all utensils and 

 practicing scrupulous cleanliness everywhere, the disinfection of 

 the stable or the killing of all the germs must be undertaken. 

 Disinfection is also necessary if cattle have been affected with a 

 contagious disease, and it should be done as soon as the last 

 case is cured or removed and before other cattle are added to 

 the herd. While the germs of some diseases are delicate and 

 can live only a short time outside the body of their hosts, others 

 are hardy and retain their vitality for months or years. Sun- 

 light is a great purifier and should be admitted in abundance. 

 The same may be said of fresh, pure air. Both of these aid in 

 disinfection. 



Whitewash partially serves the purpose of disinfection; it 

 should soon follow other agents which are employed when more 

 thorough work must be done. Before disinfection, the stable 



