Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-12-14
STRiNGY MILK.
Cause Of Such Condition and How It May
He Overcome.

Cause Of Such Condition and How It Nay
He Overcome.
Professor H L. Russell of the Wis
consin Agricultural college in an article
in Hoard's Dairyman says: One of the
most perplexing of the abnormal fer
mentations that occur in milk is that
series of changes which is usually re-
ferred to as "stringy," "ropy" or
"sIimy' milk. 1t is perplexing because
1t is such peculiar change and there is
so much misconception concerning it's
cause. The trouble referred to occurs
most frequently during the summer
months, but even under winter condi-
tons it not infrequently prevails. AS
rule it breaks out rather suddenly, runs
its course and gradually dies out of its
own accord.
A variety Of different names are given
to this fermentation, depending upon
the character of the change. Where the
milk becomes slightly viscous it is call
ed "sticky." From this stage to that
where the particles cohere with such
tenacity that the milk strings out in
long threads, often a yard or more in
length, there are all degrees of the diff
Guilty. To these intermediate and severe
cases the terms Shiny" "ropy" and
"thready" milk are attached.
The cause of the phenomenon is not
to be ascribed to some popularity of the
food or climatic change. but to the pres
ence of different forms of bacteria that
Gn1 fhaiy. s,,tN lao ,,,,1l n,,l
rule, after milking. Milk may some
times be stringy when it is drawn. 1t
has been found that the organism caus-
ing some forms of Inflammation of the
udder (ilammitis) is able to produce
this change out in the great majority
Of cases they gain access after the milk
is drawn. A considerable number Of
different kinds of bacteria possess this
property of changing milk.
In some cases it is the sugar of the
milk that is changed into this viscous
substance; then again the heterogeneous
elements furnish the material that I'M
dergoes the change.
This ropiness is not confined to milk
alone, for wine, beer and saccharine
solutions (molasses, strip, etc. not in
frequently suffer from a similar trans
formation
Where these troubles occur in milk
dairies considerable loss is often pro-
duced. as the appearance of the stringy
milk or cream renders it unstable.
Several instances have come to the
writer's attention Of late where losses
amounting III some cases to 500 and
$3.50 PEI month were caused by these
troubles, which persisted for a consider
able period of time. In some cases the
milk may appear ''ropy" and still the
same can be creamed and ohurned with
out special difficulty It is said, how
ever, that the keeping quality of such
butter is not as good as that made from
normal milk While these Shiny fer
mentati ms are offensive TO the eye, it is
not known that the byproducts of the
fermentation produce substances that
are directly harmful, although, of course
no one would willingly use milk that
was affected in this way With the
knowledge as TO how such troubles are
produced it becomes an easy matter to
eradicate the same by applying such
measures as will destroy the organisms
producing the disease or prevent them
from entrance into the milk