32 BULLETIN 890, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Dealers should give considerable attention to the question of wash- 
ing the cans. If they are allowed to go back unwashed it is a very 
difficult if not an impossible task for the farmer, with his limited 
facilities, to clean them properly. It does not matter what method 
is used, so long as the cans are well rinsed, sterilized, and dried. The 
drying of the cans is an important factor. It not only leaves the can 
in a more sanitary condition but preserves its life by preventing 
rust. The cover should also be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, but 
should not be put on the can until the latter is dry. When the covers 
are not put back on the cans immediately the cans should be kept 
in a clean place where there is no dust or contamination. The covers 
should be placed tightly on the cans before they are returned. 
The milk dealer must have a machine that will do rapid work, 
but the main result to be obtained is a clean, sterile, and dry can, 
regardless of the method used. Many of the machines on the market 
do not steam the cans long enough. Some dealers get good results 
by washing the can in a sink with a hard brush, then rinsing and 
placing it over a jet which blows live steam into it. If the steam is 
allowed to go into the can long enough the can will dry in a few 
moments after being removed. Each can should receive live steam 
for at least 45 seconds. 
LABOR-SAVING DEVICES. 
Considerable labor can often be saved by the use of labor-saving 
devices, such as elevators and conveyers. Some conveyers operate 
by gravity, while with others power is used. This equipment is 
expensive, and, of course, only such quantity should be purchased as 
can be used economically. Many steps and much labor, however, 
can be saved by the proper use of these devices. A conveyer to run 
cans of milk from the receiving platform to the dump tanks often 
saves much labor. A conveyer from the clean-bottle storage room 
through the bottle-filling room to the cold-storage room will, in 
many plants, save at least one man, while a conveyer from the cold- 
storage room to the loading platform will greatly expedite the load- 
ing of the delivery wagons and save labor at many plants. The same 
conveyer can often be used for two purposes at the same plant ; the 
track that is used to convey the milk intq the storage room during 
the day can be used at night in loading the delivery wagons. At 
some plants a conveyer is used to convey the cases of empty bottles 
from the receiving platform to the bottle-washing room, thus pre- 
venting congestion on this platform and expediting the work. The 
economy of these labor-saving devices is shown in Tables 1, 2, 3, 
and 4 in Department Bulletin 849, City Milk Plants. 
