The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-02
DAIRY TROUBLES IN MID-sUM
MIR.

When the hot muggy weather of
mid summer sets in the mischief seems
to begin in the good housewives dairy
operations. Tae poor COWS are
pected of giving bad milk on account
of bad food, or they are supposed to be
diseased. 1t works a change of pas
ture or feed for the innocents Outlines,
but to nc purpose, for the trouble con-
tinues and grows worse. Verify the
witches get into the milk vessels. 1t
IS a common belief that 1.-The whey
eats up the cream" and no butter can
be made 1t is a serious loss when the
milk refuses to sour properly, or itsoon
turns blue, or red after being set for
cream to rise. 1t is no less vexatious
because it begins my~steriously, and
the Fl st intimRtion IN gets of trouble
may be hours Of churning in a warm
day for nothing.
Before we expose the witches" in
the cream we will tell you something
briefly about botany-the trees, shrubs,
annual plants and DIVERS which grow
all about us, The study of these is
called botany. When the large plants
have been studied there are ferns and
MOSES which are very interesting, and
below these there are plants which are
so very small that the naked eye can
not see them. Then the botanist uses
a microscope Of high power and is a
myc3logist if he studies fungi, or a
bacteriologist when bacteria are his
especial subjects Of study. The plants
of q country are called its for0 and
snd likewise the plants which the
0otanist sees with the microscope are
called the fora Of the substance which
he uses as a place to grow the plants
under observation. These minute
plants are found everywhere and in
great numbers. A cut on your finger
would heal by what is called the fl st
intention" if some of these little plants
did not get into the cut and grow,
causing it to heal more slowly and
with some appearance Of pu5 or mat
ter. Some Of the families of these
minute plants (shey are more runner
Gus than the families of large plants,
and tie individuals more nearly com,
pare in numbers with the sands OF the
sea- are concerned with the decay of
other plants. But we must leave them.
There are families which have special
places of ~habitation, and we know of
the effects Of their growth and depend
ON them for our regular operations
Among other things the dairy opera
tions depand on these minute plants.
The regular souring of milk is brought
about by their growth. Now when the
condition IF warmth ard moisture
around a DAIRY come more favorable
for IRE growth or some other families
tnan tor the ones we depend Oh, the
air aud vessels become charged with
go great numbers Of these unusual
kinds, or kiuds which may be often
present in few numbers, hat they
crowd out the common kinds and the
effects Of their growth and transfer
nation is new and strange to US. The
butter no longer can be churned as
when Gcterium lactis controls in the
fora Of our dairy and milk.
When some species are in control
the milk takes on a different color,
when others have the upper hand it
does not sour, and so the changes go
on-the witches" are unseen plants
performing their life functions more
rapidly where favorable conditions are
existing, and the way to combat them
and to restore the reign of Blactis and
our normal d airy operations is to keep
the temperature and moisture of milk
and milk vessels under control az
nearly "a possible. During the hottest
weather this cannot be done without
the use Of ice and the most p~ainstakiDg
care to scald and sundry vessels and
often then there will be temporary
distur Dances.
Just nov, the first OF August, the
troubles in the dairy are extending
throughout eastern and middle North
Carolina and in most cases must be
met by extra vigilance if Irregular opera
tions are to be kept no.