744 



Tests for Farmers' Milk. 



[march, 



Agricultural College to farmers residing in the counties con- 

 tributing to the support of that body. 



2. A stamped and addressed envelope should be sent for the 

 report. 



3. Samples should not be sent so as to arrive between Friday 

 night and Monday morning. 



4. If it is proposed to send samples periodically, as may be 

 in many cases advisable, the institution should be so informed. 



5. The sample bottles should be carefully sealed and packed 

 in accordance with the requirements of the General Post Office, 

 and the postage prepaid. 



6. The following instructions as to taking samples should be 

 closely followed. 



Instructions for taking samples : — 



A. Testing tlie Milk of One Coiv, — The sample should be 

 taken immediately after the cow has been milked. To ensure 

 thorough mixing the milk should be poured from one vessel 

 into another several times, and a small quantity then quickly 

 removed and at once transferred to a clean bottle, capable of 

 containing at least a quarter of a pint. The bottle should at 

 once be corked and sealed. 



B. Testing Mixed Milk. — In taking a sample from the milk 

 of a herd it is often impracticable to mix the milk by pouring it 

 from vessel to vessel. The sampling may then be done by using 

 a strong glass tube, obtainable from any chemist, of about 

 three-eighth inch bore and open at both ends. The tube must 

 be sufficiently long to reach the bottom of the can, and should 

 be slowly passed perpendicularly into the can until it touches 

 the bottom. If this is done carefully it will then be found that 

 the milk in the tube stands at the same level as the milk out- 

 side. The upper end of the tube should then be firmly closed 

 with the thumb, when, if the tube is carefully withdrawn, the 

 column of milk will remain in the tube, and may be emptied 

 into a clean bottle by gently releasing the thumb so as to admit 

 air. Samples taken in this way from all the pails should be 

 thoroughly mixed in the same way as the sample of a single cow. 



If a glass tube is not procurable, the milk must be mixed 

 thoroughly by pouring from vessel to vessel. Stirring the milk 

 is not enough. 



