22 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



tained longer than on any other, and rightly so. It contains all the ingre- 

 dients necessary to sustain life, an, in practically the same proportion as 

 is required by the system. "We live not upon what we eat but upon what 

 we digest," that is, upon the part which is assimilated and made use of by 

 the system. Milk, when in a pure, wholesome and untainted state, is the 

 most easily digested food we have; but when it is in any way tainted, it is 

 rendered unpalatable,- its digestat ity is impaired, and its value, to the 

 cheese and butter maker, as well as to the manufacturer of condensed 

 milk, is greatly decreased. 



In studying these various taints of milk, we will consider them, for con- 

 venience, as being of three classes. First: those that are found m the 

 milk, when it is drawn from the cow; secord: those produced by absorb- 

 tion after it is drawn, and third: those caused by bacterial growth. 



That slight but distinct animal odor, noticeable in all milk imme- 

 diately after it is drawn, is liked by some people. Generally this odor 

 renders milk unpalatable, especially if it has been allowed to remain in 

 some warm place for any length of time. This taint can quite readily 

 be removed, by proper cooling and aeriation. Cooling, in order to be 

 done thoroughly, should be done as soon as possible after milking. The 

 can should be placed in a tank of cold water, and still better, running 

 water, and the milk should be stirred until cold. When there is only one 

 milker, the milk should not be allowed to remain in the barn until a large 

 canfull.is milked, but should be taken to the cooling tank as soon as one 

 cow is milked. Probably the best method of cooling is to run the milk 

 over one of the many advertised patent coolers. This gives the milk a 

 good chance to aerate, and the cooling is done quickly and thoroughly. 



The liquid secreted directly after parturition is known as colostrum. 

 It is a thick, yellowish, viscous liquid. In composition it differs very much 

 from normal milk! It contains a very large per cent of albumen and ash,, 

 but its content of sugar is very low. Although it is not fit for human 

 use, it is exactly what is needed for the young calf. The boiling test and 

 the microscope are the best or quickest means of detecting colostrum. 



