The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-08-30
Advise Those Who Care For,
Cows and Stable.
ALL CANS SH0ULD BE KEPT CLEAN
General Instructions to Pso pie; Con
tagious Diseases Should Be Re-
ported to Office.

The department of health has, after
a great deal of labor and time. in a
measure perfected an ordinance fol-
the regulation of the sale and produc.
tion of clean, pure milk. The bacter.
biological standard test one to five hun.
dred thousand of bacteria per G C has
been adopted as the basis of the milk
test. This is very liberal and gen.
erOus test, andr it is not difficult for
the milkmen and dealers to comply
with this test.
Mankato is the, first city i'm the
state of Minnesota which has adopted
this standard. The aim of the de-
partment of health is to assist by
milkmen and dealers to produce and
sell clean, pure milk. A careful com
pliance with the rules and regula.
lions cannot fail to do this. A hearty
cooperation with all milkmen is ask
ed, in order to meet the requirements
of the ordinance. A careful compli-
ance with this ordinance will be a
great benefit to the milkmen as well
as to the users of milk.
Health Officer A. 0. Bjelland has
issued the following rules, regulations
and suggestions, which should be read
carefully:
In order to comply with the bac-
terial standard for the testing of milk
and for producing cleaner and more
sanitary milk, the following sugges-
lions and instructions are some OF
those most necessary.s
Rule A, Whitewash Cow Stables OF
-ups-Whitewash acts as a mild
antiseptic, and adds greatly to the
cleanliness and healthfulness of the
stable.
Rule B, Ensilage-While ensilage is
very good food when fed in moderate
quantities, there is great tendency
to feed too much of it, and in that
way injure the quality and flavor of
the mix. 1t may be fed to the extent
of one half bushel per cow once day
directly after milking, without injury
to the milk Silos in barns are I'M
sanitary and fill the air with very
disagreeable odor. This is breathed by
the COWS and is also absorbed by the
milk, in that way injuring it perma-
nently.
Rule C, Milking and Care of Milk
Special attention is called to the fact
that the cows udder should be thor
oughly cIeansed by rubbing with a
damp cloth previous to milking, as
any loose dirt falling into the pail
causes the milk to spoil quickly, even
though it is strained Immediately at
forwards, as half of it dissolves in the
milk and therefore cannot be removed
by straining.
The mixers hands should also be
washed and dried just previous to
milking, and should never be wet with
the milk, as is the custom at present
in some dairies. Milk will keep bet
ter if the first teaspoonful or two
from each teat be MIXED OH the
floor or otherwise rejected, as this
milk always contains the germs or
bacteria that cause quick souring.
If we could imagine a portion OF
the milk removed directly from the
cow in an absolutely clean can and
covered with absolutely clean cotton
batting one fourth inch thick or
more, not having come in contact with
the dust of the air or dairy utensils,
it would keep in this way in perfect
condition for weeks. Milk should be
removed from the COW stables as soon
as drawn, and placed in a suitable
milkhouse, and should then be strain
ed, preferably through clean flannel,
and cooled as soon as possible to 40
degrees f., and held at that tempera-
ture, covered with a clean cloth, until
collected. Milk must be artificially
cooled in winter as well as summer,
by placing the cans in cool water.
Metal strainers soldered onto the pail
are Objectionable, and it is almost
impossible to keep them clean. Elan
mel for StralnlnS Snouiu De WfunS ou'
of boiling hot water just before using.
Rule ID, Pals, Cans, Stopples and
Bottles-It has been found that while
dairy in general may be clean and
care taken with the milk, the latter
fails to keep well. This trouble has
been traced to pals, cans, bottles and
stopples. Milk pals should have all
seams filled up flush with solder, and
should be thoroughly rinsed with cold
water, thoroughly scalded or steamed,
washed in strong suds both morning
and night, and kept inverted before
milking. Cans must be cleaned with
boiling sal-soda solution, and rinsed
with clean, boiling water. Rinsing wa
ter from one can must not be used
in rinsing another. If means. are at
hand they had better be thoroughly
steamed for ten minutes. This may
be done by putting quart of clean
water in can and placing on the
stove to boil for fifteen or twenty