2^ Illinois State Dairymen's Association. 



taken them home and will wire results Thursday, so the results 

 will be announced at that time. As to acidity of milk, practically 

 all passed in that; as I said before, about half the samples had 

 more or less dirt or sediment in the bottom of the package that 

 I did not like to see, and of course it is not necessary. Some of 

 you might have had as much dirt in you milk before you sent 

 it here and had strained it out; of course that saves you on the 

 score but it does not remedy the matter, for the dirt has been in 

 the milk and the bacteria is left in it and never will be taken out, 

 but of course we should not have any visible dirt in the milk. I 

 am not able now to go much further into this matter of scores 

 but the score cards will be filled out Thursday and placed with 

 the exhibits in the exhibit room and everyone can find out how 

 much he stands, and prizes will be awarded on quality. 



Member: — Is milk sterile or free from bacteria when it is 

 drawn from the cow? 



Mr. Lane : — Not quite sterile but pretty nearly so. 



Member : — Is not some bacteria always present ? 



Mr. Lane: — Yes, because the point of the teat always con- 

 tains more or less bacteria and some get into the udder, so there 

 are always a few bacteria in the milk. 



Member: — The milk in the udder should be free from bac- 

 teria, should it not ? 



Mr. Lane: — The milk is manufactured largely during the 

 process of milking. Some think there is a whole pailful of milk 

 in the udder; there is only a small amount already deposited in 

 the udder and as the milking progresses the milk is manufactured, 

 you might say, and the small amount in the udder is more or less 

 contaminated although there may be only a few hundred bacteria 

 present. Of course if you cool the milk as soon as it is drawn, 

 it is possible to secure milk with only a few hundred bacteria. 

 Occasionally, in certified milk, samples have been tested with no 

 bacteria found, but that was simply because the dilutions used 

 were so great that they did not happen to be caught. But even 

 in milk produced with the best of care, there are always a few 

 bacteria. 



The Chairman.^If the number is increased quite materially, 

 does it not indicate that there is some disease of the udder ? 



Mr. Lane : — It is possible to increase the number of bacteria 

 in the udder if the cow has any trouble with the udder, such as 



