ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



gers from bad germs therein. They have given the little knowl- 

 edge which is a dangerous thing. Instead of securing a willing- 

 ness to pay for a clean article a good price, they have developed a 

 prejudice against all milk. It seems to me that there is room for 

 a bureau whose sole function it should be to exploit the values of 

 milk in the ration of both children and grown people. 



Before we can expect much increase in the demand for good 

 milk the farmer must be ready to produce it. In the presence 

 of Mr. Gurler it illy becomes me to foist my inferior knowledge 

 on this topic upon you. I shall content myself therefore with a 

 few suggestions. 



First, it requires no inconsiderable skill and care to produce 

 pure milk. The cows must be healthy; the feed arid water must 

 be sound and free from evil contamination; the stable must be 

 well lighted and well ventilated, with cement floors or the equiva- 

 lent, with smooth side walls, and a smooth and clean over-head; 

 the stalls must be so arranged as to keep the cow from soiling 

 herself in her own droppings ; the milkers should perform their 

 duty in the morning before the stables are cleaned out, the excre- 

 ment being covered with straw or sawdust; the milking should 

 be done before silage or grain feed is offered to cows ; the cows 

 should be brushed as to sides and udder before the milk pails are 

 brought in the stable, a simple fastening under the neck prevent- 

 ing lying down until the milking of the given cow begins ; the 

 hands and clothes of the milker are clean and the teats are not 

 wet with milk ; the pails and all utensils are clean ; the milk is 

 removed from the stable after straining through three thicknesses 

 of cheese cloth or its equivalent ; the milk is removed from the 

 stable at once and cooled and aerated in a room where the air is 

 free from dust and germs. 



The whole object of this care is to keep the milk free from 

 bacteria. Certain forms of pails are recommended where the 

 milking is done through cloth strainers into the pail. I neither 

 favor or disfavor them. The Connecticut experiments show lit- 

 tle advantage. At best they attempt to keep out bacteria. Bet- 

 ter not have the germs there to fight. 



