The Washington times., 1901-07-21

nally come from the best cream, anS
has been cultivated in q laboratory
under conditions which ensure abso
lutte purity. 1t may have been prepared
In powdered form mixed with sugar OF
milk. or il may be contained in some
liquid medium. In some of the larger
butter making establishments the prac-
tice is to mix a few ounces of the cul-
ture with a considerable amount OF
milk. which is then allowed TO stand
until q sufficient number of bacteria
have been developed. This milk is used
as a starter" so called, for q quanti-
ty of cream large enough to make per-
! haps ton Of butter In other words.
the milk starter is sort of a nurs-
| cry from which the microscopic bac-
terra may be uansplanted to the cream
! without contamination, so that the
quality of the product may be definite
! ly predicted. Afterward, if sufficient
care is taken, a portion Of one lot of
| properly seeded cream may De used to
seed the next, and this process be con-
! unued fer some time without the need
OF specially prepared cultures.
The action of the microbes in bread
making and brewing, in the fermenta-
ton of the mash for the distillation of
spirits, is somewhat more complicated.
In the ripening of butter the bacterial
action results directly in producing the
desired ethers and salts, but in alco-
holic fermentation, for example, there
are several successive stages before
the required results are obtained.
In sugar making, tanning, vinegar
making, and, more especially, cheese
making, bacteria might naturally be
looked for as the agents of productive
industry. but 1t is more surprising that
even in the textile manufactures mi
crobes have been found to have ,heir
utility. In the separation of the fibres
OF hemp, flax, and jute they have long
been employed, though, of course,
without its being known that such was
the fact. Flax, for example. is the
bast fibre of the flax plant, and in or
der to separate it for the manufacture
OF linen II is necessary to dissolve a
gummy, resinous substance, which
binds the flexible fibres to those which
are brittle and useless This is done
by process known as ''retting," the
stems being gathered in bundles and
then set in tanks or rivers or ponds.
where they are allowed to stay for ten
or twelve days. During this process
the gum, insoluble in water alone. is
attacked bv the bacteria which the
water contains and decomposed or fer
mented, leaving the fibres easily sep
arabic. The waters of certain streams
nave become famous for their peculiar
effect on fax, as. for instance, the
water OF the River Lys, in Belgium, |
which had evidently become thorough !
ly planted with the proper bacteria for |
retting. Since the fermentation of the /
gum IN this process probably also af- |
fects the strength of the fibres, many |
attempts have been made to accom- |
plish the separation by mechanical |
means, but up to the present it has |
been found impossible to get along |
without the assistance of the bacteria. |
Examples of the productive import
ance of microbes might be multiplied |
Indefinitely. 1t is even suggested that |
the aroma of the finest tobacco may
be secured in lower grades by the
proper cultures. But, interesting as
the prospect Of such discoveries may
be. 1t has always been found necessary
at the institute 10 protect the good mi
crobes at every step from the danger
OF disastrous competition with those
whose characer is mischievous. Milk.
for instance. is subject not only TO The
bacteria which sour it, but to others
which make it blue or 'ropy'' or Bit
ter. In the same way, beer, whisky,
bread, and other products have their
peculiar bacterial diseases. All food
stuffs which spoil, indeed, do so as a
result of fermentation produced by
bacteria. and 1t is largely to delay
their action that foods are cooked, |
smoked, preserved, or kept on ice. The
further one goes, in fact, the more one
8 impressed by the uses to which in
iustrial biology can BIZ. put. 1t is clear
y its province to determine the char
icter of the enormous number of
harmful microbes which attack every
variety of food, and to present a rem
edy for their action, the enormous
growth of the canning industry being
'nly one example of the commercial
value of any new discovery in the BIZ
llOpiEt'c Ia hnra