208 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



it is obvious that the separator must be cleaned thoroughly after 

 each separation. If not washed and freed from all remnants of 

 milk of the previous separation, the separator becomes a seat of 

 contamination and a source of unclean and filthy cream, the dis- 

 astrous consequences of which no subsequent treatment and 

 care of the cream can overcome. 



This does not mean that no attention should be paid to 

 cleanliness and care of milk before separation. Milk produced 

 under unsanitary conditions will not produce good cream, even 

 if passed through a clean separator. In the production of good 

 milk, clean stables, clean cows, clean milking and clean utensils 

 are essential, but all these precautions come to naught, unless 

 the milk is run through a clean separator; and experience has 

 shown that it is this negligence in the care of the separator that 

 has done more harm to the quality of the cream than any or all 

 of the factors entering into the care of the milk before separa- 

 tion, combined. 



How To Keep the Separator in Sanitary Condition. 



JVash the Separator after each Separation. — Immediately 

 after separation, flush the separator with water until the dis-^ 

 charge from the skim milk spout is clear. This removes most 

 of the remnants of milk and cream, and loosens the separator 

 slime in the bowl, making subsequent washing easy. Now take 

 the bowl apart and wash with hot water containing some good 

 washing powder, all parts of the bowl, discharge spouts and 

 buckets. Then rinse them with scalding hot water and allow all 

 parts to drain in a clean place. All other milk utensils should 

 receive the same treatment. Do this after each separation. 



Other Advantages of a Clean Separator. — Aside from in- 

 suring cream of good quality a clean separator will skim more 

 closely and last longer than a separator that is not thoroughly 

 washed after each separation. 



The slime which accumulates in the bowl reduces the space 

 in which the milk is exposed to the separating influence of the 

 centrifugal force. The separating efficiency is therefore dimin- 

 ished and more fat is lost in the skim milk. 



