Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-06-27
Clean and Dirty Milk.

Clean and Dirty Milk.
From the Farmers Review: Many
dairymen apparently. fail to recog-
nize the fact that when milking and
caring for milk they are handling hui
man food and that it should be treat
ed as such. In many dafries the
mixer goes to his task with soiIed
hands and dust-laden clothing and
without so much as brushing the
loose dust and dirt from the cow I'm
der such conditions much filth must
of necessity find its way into the
milk. No other food is produced in
such filthy surroundings as Is fire.
quently the case with milk and no
other food will absorb odors SO read
lily and become tainted so quickly as
will milk. 1t is, therefore, doubly
important that great care be exercised
to have milk produced under the most
sanitary conditions possible. One can
judge something of the amount of
filth in milk by the sediment found at
the bottom, but o2iy a small part OF
the contamination is in visible form.
Milk sours because of the presence of
certain kinds of bacteria, which, act
ing upon the sugar of the milk, change
cause different changes, some offensive
to taste and smell and a few danger
Gus to health. These bacteria are
living organisms, though so extremely
minute that $50 of them placed side
by side are equal only to the thick
ness of ordinary writing paper. While
thorough straining will remove all
visible filth the greater part of it is
in solution which, of course, will pass
through even the best of straincrs.
Milk in the udder of a healthy COW is
both pure and sterile, and il it could
be drawn and handled without con-
tamination would remain sweet and
wholesome for an indefinite length of
time. However, bacteria accumulate
and multiply in such places as mud
holes, manure heaps, seams of uten-
sils not thoroughly cleansed, or where
animal or vegetable matter not liv-
ing is exposed to warmth and mois-
ture. They are present in dirt and
dust of every description, and because
of their great numbers and their wide
diffusion no practical method has yet
been devised by which milk may be
drawn absolutely free from contami-
nation with living germs Yet they are
unnecessarily numerous in milk as or
dinarily drawn, because it contains
thousand times more bacteria than
that which may be obtained by using
extreme care in regard to cleanliness.
Hence the necessity for keeping every
thing about . dairy scrupulously
clean, particularly in hot weather
when conditions are especially favor
able to bacterial growth. Clean milk
will not only remain sweet longer, but
as everyone knows is a more whole
some food. If it were more fully real
lied that milk is food and not SIM
ply a commercial commodity it would
seem that dairymen would not allow
so much filth to get into it.-W. J.
Fraser, University of Illinois.
Scrub Feeding.
From Farmers Review: Men who
grow live stock at home often become
over-enthusiastic over pure-bred stock
after returning from a visit to the
agricultural fairs or fat stock show.
They reason that the difference in size
and appearance between the ribbon
winners at the ring and their own
stock at home is due solely to good
breeding. Oftentimes good blood is
sent home. TIE rapid change in form,
and a tendency to early maturity do
not take place. The good animal Is
given scrub conditions. A scrub farm
er with scrub feeding will soon make
scrub stock out of the progeny of our
national prize winners, even though
they have a long pedigree of royal
blood. 1t takes an improved farmer
who will improve his system of feeding
and care to handle successfully pure
bred animals on the farm He must
know their characteristics; he must
know the relation of various foods to
animal nutrition, and then be willing
to bestow patient care and attention
upon the animals he has in charge.
Before launching into the business OF
breeding high-class animals the farm
er has much to learn; but if he will
set himself to do it he is sure to be
amply rewarded, not only in financial
way, but he will get what money can
not purchase genuine satisfaction
that he is doing a creditable work
W. B. Anderson
One of Natures Tricks.
1t is well known that many insects
bear a close resemblance to leaves,
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