192 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



should be discarded, for they cannot be properly cleaned when in this con- 

 dition. All utensils should be washed as soon as possible after using, 

 since the longer the milk remains on them the harder they will be to clean. 

 They should first be rinsed with lukewarm water to remove the milk, then 

 washed with hot water and soap or some alkali, and scalded with boiling 

 water, or with steam if it is available. Cans should never be tightly closed 

 when not in use and should be placed on a rack in an inverted position so 

 that dust cannot blow into them. If possible they should be placed where 

 the sun will shine on them as that will do much toward keeping them pure 

 and sweet. 



Bottles used to deliver milk for direct consumption must be taken to 

 the dairy after each using and thoroughly washed and sterilized to kill 

 all disease germs. If this is not done disease may be carried from one 

 house to another by means of the bottles. The practice some dairymen 

 have of bottling milk in the wagon on the route, using bottles collected 

 from the houses just visited, cannot be too strongly condemned and should 

 be prohibited by law. 



The Feed of Cows. 



Sudden changes of feed should be avoided, especially if very marked, 

 as in changing from dry to green feed. Special care is required when 

 cows are put on pasture in the spring and when first turned on rye or 

 clover. Only a small quantity of green feed should be given at first, the 

 amount being increased as from day to day the dry feed is reduced. If 

 care is not exercised at such times the cow's system is likely to become 

 deranged and the milk will then have a peculiar, disagreeable odor, but if 

 this method is followed the system gradually becomes adjusted to the new 

 conditions and no bad results follow. 



When feeding turnips or cabbage the difficulty is frequently experienced 

 of having disagreeable odors in the milk. This difficulty may be largely 

 if not ^entirely avoided by feeding after milking rather than juSt before, as 

 the peculiar odor produced by these feeds will then leave the cow's sys- 

 tem before the next milking time. 



