The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-02-17

soon know all about ourselves and our
food mad how to get the best out of life
generally it will not be the fault Of
Uncle Sam.
He is having. every department of
the government putting in its best
ticks in finding out what is good for
us and letting us knew all about IL
This is the special speciality, however,
of the agricultural department, every
one of the bureaus of which is fairly
racing to dig up something new about
our food or daily life and then to tell
us all about-it.
Among the latest products of that de-
partment are bulletins on the boil
Weevil Problem" and Bacteria in
Milk" The first is undoubtedly Of the
greatest interest and Importance to
our friends in the cotton growing
states but the second is certainly of
| interest not only to them but to all
others. l.. A. Rogers is the author of
thes bulletin on milk. He is the bac-
teriolist of the dairy division, bureau
of animal industry. Very naturally
and to the great edifcation of the lay
mind Mr.. Rogers begins by telling
what bacteria are. He says:
"The basis of all life is the mysteri-
GUS jell-like substance to which scien-
lists have given the name of proto-
plasm. In its various forms it consti-
tutes the actual living changing part
of every living thing, plant or animal
The simplest living things are merely
shapeless, naked masses of this pro
toplasmic jelly. Bacteria show the
first differentiation toward the com.
plete plants with which we are ia
miliar. The protoplasm is covered
and held in definite shape by vers
thin and delicate wall. They are then
tiny one-celled plants. The plantA
growing in our gardens are organized
like the workers in community, each
kind doing a particular work and all
necessary to the complete plant. In
itself. Their food must be in a condi-
tion to pass through the cell wall to
the living protoplasm within. 1t must
be in solution in water and it must
be diffusible-that is, it must be sub
stance that will pass throuh mem
brane, otherwise it could not pass
J through the cell wall of the plant. MOI
all substances soluble In water will
pass through membrane.
'The bacteria are so small that 1t II
difficult to form a conception of theil
!, dimensions. 1t is only when we consid
er them in the aggregate that the!
reach units of measure>with which W.
are familiar. 1t is estimated that /
$4,000 average-sized rod-shaped bac
terra were placed end to end their CON
r bined length would equal one inch. TIL
weight of an average bacillus is 81
small that it has been estimated /
would take over 600,000,0 900 O
. them to equal one gram of 100000
5 100000 to weigh an ounce.
What the bacteria lack in size
made up in their great numbers an
> powers of reproduction. A cubic cent
= meter of milk, which contains about 2
drops, frequently contains thousand
e sometimes millions, even hounds @
r millions of bacteria. A single drop O
! sour milk may contain 100000 bat
I terra.
, Bacteria produce themselves by
!. very simple process, known as fissior
:. The cell becomes elongated and pa
9 tition wall is formed across the middl,
The two cells thus formed separat,
s, and we have two bacteria. Highe
! plants may take weeks and months, G
e even years, to grow to maturity
These simple plants known as bacteri
d however, under favorable circumsta
however, under favorable condition
: may complete their growth and repr
8 duce themselves in less than an hour
e There need be no general alarl
It about the matter, though, says NJ
Rogers. ut should not be assume
y that all bacteria are harmful either I
!, milk or to the human system In ia,
IN | many kinds of bacteria will a,rnru