The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-04-13
The Making of Market Milk.
MIR. Jared Van Wagenen. Dairyman of
New York

New York.
There are four fundamental requirements
for the making of high grade market milk.
lst The first is that the COWS must be
healthiul and in good condition in the broad
sense implied by that word.
End. The second is that they must be kept
under good hygienic conditions in respect to
stable care management and fed upon sound,
clean foods, whose effect upon the milk will
not be untavorabe
3rd. The third is that the cows must be
cared for in clearly manner and especially
that the milking be performed with such pre-
cautions as shall, so far as possible, prevent
the contamination OF the milk with germ life
4th The fourth is that the milk be cooled
to a low temperature directly after it is drawn
and kept as cool as may be until delivered to
the consumer.
This, in brief, is the fundamental principle
of making high grade milk and success will
depend upon the thOroughnesS with which we
are able to carry out the successive steps.
We may dismiss the subject of the health Of
the COW in few words. Fortunately, the
acutely sick COW generally gives very little
milk, but there are minor illnesses which
might result in COW giving milk Of a bad
favor. Thus, for example. slight Indigestion
in the COW resulting from gorging them.
v
clover in the fall, may result in milk Of dis
agreeable flavor. Then, too, the small amount
of 'stripper' milk yielded by cow only SIX
weeks or month before calving is often Of
such rank. strong flavor rs to be quite unfit
for use. 'Stripper'' milk seems especially
apt TO be Objectionable for the making Of
cream. ! do not think it economy to continue
to milk COW too close to calving because the
small amount of inferior milk IS secured ouIy
at the expense Of a dimjuution Of yield when
she again comes fresh.
There is one disease Of cattle which is Of es
pecial interest from the standpoint OF the milk
consumer, and that Is tuberculosis, because
there may be possibility of transmitting con
sumption through the milk Of the COW. just
how great this danger or possibility may bo Is
AN open question, but | believe It is sound
doctrine which torbds the sale Of milk from
luberculouS cows
?. In regard to the stable care and food Of
the COW. We may say this; thst most OF u cannot
and need not have stables flooded W.Ih sun.
light, with spotessly white walls and iron and
glazed tile fittings. 80 long rs The making OF
milk Is a strictly commercial proposition. we
cannot invest too much money Ig shelter for
the COW. but II will not only be desirable, oat
il viii pay IN dollars aud cents TO have a stable
that IS reasonably warm aud comfortable and
well lighted, aud perhaps most Of sli. well
ventilated. In q hygenic sense. this last IS
most necessary. A stable may be- warm. well
lighted and neatly kept. and vet u there i no
provision for the renewing OF the air supply,
aud the COWS are compelled To- breathe The
same air over aud over again, t canuo, be
called a desirable stable, no matter hoW com
plete it NAV be in other respects.
In regard to our selection Of food for the
sfay D. sf..
commonly used for COWS are aerfec1iy consist
eut with excellent milk. Where COWS cal
freely Of rspt, cabbage, onions, or even silagc
Immediately before miklng, u may result IN
the milk acquiring the characteristic havurs
Of those foods, Rape and cabbage eau be TED
ia moderation without hasus d some TIM"
elApses before milking. II snsI.a<e aAvcF Is
complained o. be sure that she sjiagr Is iei
after milking both u;ght Rua morning aud uoi
before or ~hiie milking Is going on. Any
grain foods nov on Fbe market except badly
deeompu>ed brvWers' or aistIliers grams may
be- led with safety. TAR IS the quairt, o.! she
milk j. concerned
! The milking Il has been truly slii
lhAs ben always lays flesh rgE, aui il NAV
also be- said that cos nsAriY aiaays E1ve.
good milk Usuaiiy milk Is bad because at
the treatment Il receives after leaving The cos
We may say this. tbsi wILk spoiis or sour
or becomes bad favored because 81 germs
which gyt entrance into the muk and ~hleh
cru3 there and bring atusl change 10 the
milk, which rrsnlis IA bad flavor Ne :uu.f
remember that these germs ~ bacteria ayr
exceedingly minute. I suppose a hundred e
them may cling to = co.'s hasE and thousand
ride on q tiuy heck q manure. And then
these germs increase under favorable coual.
,iops with wonderful. raPidity. Il has been
estimated that iH ark fresh from the cos these
germs woaid double IN aunb-r every fiit~ea
minutes THIS uAy or may no; be exactly
irue. bat al ibis rate. = single germ would Dc
Is At The esd Of the h-st hour. OF course,
you know that there are a great variety az
germs that tiud theiz way isio milk. soUae ot
them are innocent and harmless aud probably
have no very decided ayifeu in AIy aSy.
Some. The 50 called tactic acii forms, cause
milk 90 become sour aud beacr au3, iay use,
and these are the forms which commonly
make The dalrymcn the most lFuaOis. Soaae
forms cause s~cc. euyIhng aal -..ae cause
bitter milk, and these are occasionally met
With There are also . jrg forms that caasc
disease. aud these are ouce IN Wh.le iound
IN milk also. Nos he prsne.pse ~ in which
germs fud Access Ia milk = hy means Of stable
dust. decks 81 manure, hAlrs and dSn8rud
scales thai fall juto the milk SO tia. 10 a ~eFd
means milk that Is clean. However. q Is by
no means possible 10 keep at the germs COL
Of milk Eveu when dra~u With The utmost
precautions. a. Is done Ia certified mix
stables. there will still be considerable sum
Der Of bacteria pTeseui, bas 1t IS pts sible. by
using even 8 little care. TO reduce the uumbvr
very much below shat would be the ease
where the milking Is carrlessiy dome.
OF course, | realize that &c cannot, - =
rule, take the very exact and elaborate pre-
cautions 10 the way Of cleaning and Washing
the COW aud everything else thai IS deae ~
so-called certified stables bat believe that
there are certain things which can be done a.
8 very slight expense. which wiA greatly im
prove the keeping qualities Of The mix.
We must al least do this: Try and give The
cowS bedding enough 50 thai they are Kept
reasonably clean and that the TANKS and I'd
der Arp not soiled With manure. Milking
With vet hands IS, il seems 10 me. the very
worst habit Of which the dairy man Is gui'iy.
The possibilities Of communicating milk 10 ghis
way are wonderful. A iew seconds spent $50
brushing the udJer aud flank Of the COW wlii
greatly reduce the plumber OF loose hairs AID
scales which would otherwise drop into the
milk.
Then, too, cleanliness has a double mean.
ipg-for il means not only cleanliness IN milk
Jog the COW, but il means cleanliness ia the
utensils AS we'll. Remember this, that there Is
no way Of getting really cleaa pals and cans,
except By the use Of boiling water or hive
steam. Elbow grease aud cold waier never
can make = satisfactorily clean milk can.
You NAV rub and scrub AS much rs you
choose, but the bacteria still find shelter in the
seams Of the tin, or in the cracks, and these
places remain a. a yeriiable breeding ground
of bacterial life. But i you can subject every
part Of every uteusil TO the temperature OF
boiling water, then you may depend upon the
fact that the germs are dead. aud that things
are clean IN u meteorological sense. You
may get along with this by having plenty Of
water in tea kettle, but if you are doing
much in the way of cleaning cans, you really
need a small boiler so that you can have live
steam to use. Let me say, by way OF sng
gestion, that the washing OF the cans ought to
be done in Baltimore city, where with can
washing machines and plenty OF live steam,
the can could be washed far better than can
possibly be done by the farmer at an expense
of only Il fraction of cent each.
4. Aud then finally; We must cool milk
quickly, aud keep il cool until delivered TO
the consumer. Remember, that milk spolls
because bacteria grow ia it, aud they grow
much more slowly at low than at high tempera.
lures. Then their growth is exceedingly
rapid at 70e aud abOve-much slower at co.
and very slow indeed at 50o or below. SO the
simple rule is to cool the milk by means OF ice
water in summer to a low temperature, and
then use every means to keep it there.