ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



only those phases of the care of milk that the producer must know 

 in order to produce clean, pure milk. 



Milk is a human food. We have a perfect right, therefore, 

 to insist that milk be clean, pure and wholesome. Would you 

 sell your neighbors meat, when you knew it was covered with 

 hlth or partially decayed? Is it any better to seh milk that is 

 filthy with dirt from cow, stables, or feed ; or milk that may pro- 

 duce many cases of typhoid ? A man's duty to his fellowmen de- 

 mands that he do all he can to have milk clean, pure and free irom 

 disease germs. Neglect in these matters often goes so far that 

 much sickness and even death results. 



Before going into the practical details of producing good 

 milk, it will be best to discuss briefly the subject of bacteria. 

 Bacteria are exceedingly small one-celled plant bodies. They are 

 so small that with a microscope magnifying 500 times they are 

 hard to distinguish. They require fluid, or semi-fluid bodies in 

 which to live, and milk is one of the best mediums for bacterial 

 growth. Bacteria multiply very rapidly — under proper condi- 

 tions one germ will develop into millions in a few hours. They 

 develop best at a temperature of 80 degrees — 100 degrees, or prac- 

 tically the same temperature at which milk comes from the cow. 



There are many forms of bacteria, each having a certain 

 function to perform. The lactic acid produces lactic acid in milk, 

 and lactic acid in milk means sour milk. The germ diseases, such 

 as typhoid and tuberculosis, or consumption, are ofter trans- 

 mitted to the human system by their bacteria in milk. So numer- 

 ous are the various forms of bacteria, and so great their wor 

 that the dairy industry may be said to depend on these various 

 forms of bacteria. The preservation of milk, the successful man- 

 ufacture of butter, cheese and condensed milk, all have a great 

 deal to do with the questions of bacteriology. 



The care of milk begins with the care of the cow. If the 

 animal is out of condition, or is not properly fed or cared for 

 she is quite likely to show the effects in the quality of her milk. 

 Where a cow is overfed or underfed, and the digestive system 

 gets out of order, the milk w^ill often be tainted. Turnips, f«-esh 



