The Philipsburg mail., 1899-07-07
DAIRY AND POULTRY.
INTERESTING CHAPTERS FOR
OUR RURAL READERS.
How Successful Farmers Operate This
Department of the Farm-A Few
Hints AS to the Care of Live Stock
and Poultry.
ROpiness in Milk and Cream.

Prof. A. r. Ward of the Cornell
Experiment Station, On the subject OF
ropy milk and cream. says:
"Ropiness in milk is one Of the most
serious troubles milk dealers have to
contend with. This condition, which
is Objectionable more on account of its
unwholesome appearance than from
any known harmful effect which it pro
duces, has received its popular desig"
nation from the viscid Shiny con-
slstency which characterizes the al
fected milk. The cause has been found
to be the action of certain bacteria,
and number of apparently different
species have been described as hay
ing the power of producing the ropy
condition. Among those who have
written on this subject should be men
toned Adametz, Loeffier, Guillebeau
and Marshall. Nevertheless, few deh-
mite determinations have been made
concerning the natural habitat of these
particular species of bacteria and the
channels through which they gain en-
trance to the milk Further informa-
tion on these points is especially de-
sired in order to successfully combat
the trouble and to prevent its recur-
renee. This trouble, which is wide
spread and of considerable economic
Importance to milk dealers and butter
makers, should not be confused with
the abnormal changes in milk which
accompany an inflamed condition OF
the udder frequently called "garget.
Milk drawn from udders in this con-
dition is more or less thickened by the
presence of pus. or may in addition
contain white, tough solid masses OF
casein, which pass through the duct OF
the teat with more or less difficulty.
Milk in such condition Is by some
called ropy, and consequently it has
been asserted that diseased condition
of the udder is the cause Of all ropy
milk. The Investigations which have
heretofore been made do not throw
any definite light upon this alleged
cause They do not suggest neces-
sary dependence upon diseased con-
dition of the udder, although they do
not preclude the possibility of such
combination"
After relating several experiences.
the professor gives the following con-
clusions:
"Ropiness is fault of milk which
does not necessarily depend for its
cause upon the health of the cows. 1t
is said to be caused by any one of sew
eral different species of bacteria. l
have found bacillus actis viscosus to
be the cause of viscid milk in two diff
ferent creameries. In the two out
breaks Investigated the trouble was
found to be caused by the use OF milk
utensils which had not been sufficiently
scalded The bacteria, remaining In
the cans which had previously con-
tanned viscid milk, were able to sur
vive the washing and remain alive to
infect new quantities Of milk. Greater
care in scalding utensils brought the
trouble to an end. All small utensils
were immersed in boiling water for
three minutes, and the larger cans were
flled to the brim with scalding water
which was allowed to remain for the
same length of time. A thorough in
vestigation of the sources from which
the bacteria might have entered the
milk at the stables and of sources else
where, failed to reveal the presence Of
bacillus lactis viscosus. Nevertheless,
from the work Of Adametz. there is
reason to suspect that during warm
weather these particular bacteria get
into the milk from water The i'm
portance of thorough scalding of ves-
sells which have once contained ropy
milk is urged upon the consumer as
we'll as the dealer. Bacteria may read.
lily be transferred from running water
to milk by the agency of mud, which,
drying upon the udder, may be dis
lodged during milking. Milk utensils
which have been used for containing
water should be scalded before using
| again for milk. The apparent purity
of water used about a creamery gives
no assurance that it is free from bac-
teria."