The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-05-05
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| A Few Words About |
Clean Milk.
Il BY A. c. Anderson, Professor
il OF Dairy Husbandry, 4
of the M. A. c.
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w the superior value of all dairy
products as a source Of bumaI
food there has naturally come an In
creased interest in the conditions sur
rounding the production of these foods
Further. our better knowledge of tbs
causes of many diseases and the man,
ner of dissemination teach las more
and more to associate pure foods wito
health, and impure foods with disease
Milk and milk products from the ma
ture Of their source and the agencies
surrounding their manufacture ana
handling have been found favorable
carriers for some of the very serious
diseases common to the human family.
Ignorance OF these facts has caused
a great deal Of human suffering and
the loss of much human life.
Much has been said and wrtttep
regarding the production of clean milk
The different phases Of the subjecI
have been treated, and widely differ
ent sets Of rules have been laid down
for the dairyman to follow. Some OF
these rules have been extravagaDt and
impractical, if not altogether impos.
sible. Many of them, however, have
been sane and feasible; all have been
actuated by wholesome desire to i'm
prove our food products and thus pre-
vent the loss of human life through ig
norance and neglect.
One of the essential factors in tis
production of clean milk is the dairy
man himself. He should by nature be-
neat. tidy and clean. A sloven may
live in a palace, and many a palace
with it's elaborate equipment is unkep'.
while often times the humble cottage
with it's simple, almost primitive, as-
pointments Is immaculate.
The matter of cleanliness is a gooG
deal Of a personal factor, and cleaY. :
healthy people are a necessity in the
production of clean milk.
A clean, healthy COW in clean.
well-lighted, well.ventilated stable are
also essentials. The light and VENT
lation are not so absolutely essentiaa
but both are CLOSELY associated with
the health of the cattle. Then, too, a
dark Stable is very apt to be dirty
and an unventilated one usually cor,
tains surplus of odors injurious 70
milk.
1t is surprising to see how many
farmers and dairymen never groou
their cows. A curry comb and brush
used intelligently for one minute each
day will keep a COW clean and re,
spectacle; her milk will suffer muca
less contamination, and she will be a
source of pride and satisfaction to hey
keeper.
A stable with smooth walls and cell.
ing furnishes much less opportunity
for the Judgment of dust and dirt and
is much easier to clean and disinfect,
but many very ordinary stables a-s
kept clean. Cement floors are more
sanitary than wooden ones and are
also easier to clean Stables WHARF
the spatters from the gutter are u
lowed to accumulate on the side wails.
often forming thickening crust from
year to year. are entirely unsuited fer
producing clean milk.
The spiders are ever active with
their webs. and frequent, vigorous
sweepings are necessary in order tu
prevent these webs from becoming
dust laden and constant disseminators
of dirt and germs.
Many valuable utensils are on ths
market intended for the help Of the
dairyman in keeping his cattle. bis
farm and his milk clean and whole.
some. The very best equipment, how,
ever, will not furnish clean milk with.
out an intelligent, vigorous operator
to use 1t. While a very good grade
of milk can be produced with very
ordinary utensils, sufficient painstak.
ing care must be exercised.
Aside from the factors named, ire
matter Of temperatures is extremely
important. Consignments Of milk are
frequently condemned with the coat-
mand "Clean up when the seat on
the di%culty is not a matter of clean
Illness, but lack of proper manage
ment after being drawn. If milk "
aerated and cooled to q
of so degrees and thee
kept at that temperature, or below:
one may know that If difficulties arise
they are probably not due to tenn
perature.