The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-11-28

| to clean a COW or a stable but these
are the things of importance rather
than the breed of COW or the cost of
the stable. Some rich but misguided
people have spent fortunes on prize
winning animals and fancy buildings
and are yet unable to produce good
milk-because they or their EN-.
ployes do not know what iSmeans to
keep clean dairy. Unless one has
studied the subject he will overlook
many point that seems trivial but
is vital. The dust in the air is one
of these. For good results special
care must be taken to keep the air
free from dust. 1t is very bad prac-
tice to brush COWS just before milk
ing, or to feed dry hay at that time.
Loose ceilings and partitions are re.
sponsible for quantities of dust that
are invariably found in too many
stables. If dairymen knew the raft
theory" of Tyndall by which the car
riage of bacteria on particles of dust
floated in the air is made very plain,
then it would be easy to reduce this
Objectionable condition.
3. The kind of utensils used and
their care are factors having much
to do with the quality of milk. The
chief trouble is in the lack of cleaning
and sterilization. All utensils should
be thoroughly cleaned and exposed to
live steam or boiling hot water until
practically sterile, and then cared for
in way to prevent further contain
ination.
Many persons merely rinse with
warm water which does little good,
or they may sterilize the utensils care
fully, then expose them to dust. Such
defects are due more often to
ignorance than to willful negli-
gence. Frequently it is found
that with the same amount or less
work better directed, much better re-
suits can be had. 1t is very important
to avoid the use of contaminated wa
ter for any dairy work. Disease
germs have sometimes been transmit
ted to milk by impure water used for
cleaning.
must not omit mention of one uten-
sill that is coming into use in the in
terest of ideal milk. 1t is the small
top milking pail. Most of the stable
contamination finds its way into milk
when the pail is under the udder. This
can be largely excluded by reducing
! the size of the opening through which
it falls.
4. The employees must, Of course, be
healthy. They should have clean
hands and wear overall suits when
milking. 1t is found by experiment
that a quiet mixer gets cleaner milk
than one who is rough and vigorous.
ly shakes the udder and surrounding
parts.
5. Some would say that the cooling
Of the milk is the most important of
all requirements. 1t is vital but not
more important than the other four
headings. The milk should be cooled
promptly to so degrees Fahrenheit or
lower and kept cold until delivery. I'm.
less an exceptionally cold spring Is
available every dairy which sends
milk to the market should be provided
with ice.
Very briefly have given my idea
of what would be ideal milk produc.
ton for our cities and towns. but this
! is only half of the story. Good milk
most be properly cared for after it
leaves the hands of the producer or
its chief value is lost. We need ideal
transportation and ideal delivery.
We need also ideal care of milk in
the homes where milk is bought by
the pint or the quart and where many
of the troubles charged against the
dairymen have their origin.
And again, we want purchasers who
want ideal milk. For moment look
at the question from the dairyman's
standpoint. Many dairymen are in po-
sition to ask why they should exer-
else greater care and increase expense
of production Qabor or closer atten.
ton to details is money! when they
cannot improve their market one
cents worth by so doing. We need
milk consumers and milk dealers who
will show some appreciation of ideal
milk.
The saddest and most astonishing
exhibit of disregard of the fact that
some milk may be better and more
wholesome and worth more than other
milk is shown by most of our public
institutions. which buy milk. Espe-
cially are the hospitals remiss in this
matter.