THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 265 



THE CARE OF MILK AND THE MAKING OF BUTTER 



By 



A. B. Graham, Superintendent of Agricultural Extension, in Missouri 

 Agricultural School. 



Eggs may be kept for many days, meat can be preserved for 

 months, vegetables and fruits can be placed in cold storage or in 

 a cellar for a long time, or preserved in cans indefinitely, but of 

 all the farm products milk requires the most care to prevent 

 deterioration. Eggs should be kept v^here the least amount of 

 air can penetrate them; meats must be covered with brine or 

 smoked to prevent the entrance of bacteria that cause decay or 

 they must be kept under such a cold temperature that the same 

 kind of bacteria cannot live; vegetables must be kept in cold 

 places for like reasons ; fruit should be carefully handled so that 

 the skins may not be broken and bacteria enter the pulp; a cool 

 place in an earth mound, cellar, or cold storage room should be 

 provided to prevent the multiplying of harmful bacteria. Since 

 milk is a liquid into v^hich dirt may fall and carry not only filth 

 but bacteria that will cause it to sour quickly, great need is re- 

 quired to prevent the entrance of anything that will cause it soon 

 to lose its good qualities. Dirt will dissolve in milk just as salt 

 or sugar will dissolve m water. 



In the first place, there needs to be extreme care taken that 

 there be as little dirt as possible on the body of the cow and the 

 udder. In some of the large dairies each cow is given a bath 

 before milking; this may not be practical in all cases but since 

 the small dust particles from the cow carry both filth and bac- 

 teria, it does emphasize the necessity for bedding dairy cows well 

 and rubbinsr off the dust prior to milking. No nains should b*- 

 spared to clean the teats and udder with a damp cloth. The prac- 



