The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-07-05
PREVENTING THE SQUIRTING OF
MILK IN HOT WEATHER.

summer months many farmers have
trouble with sour milk. This cans
es much loss, not only to the farm
er who keeps one or more cows for
family use, but especially TO the
dairyman who retails his milk or
ships it to a dealer in the city. The
dealer usually pays only one half
price for sour milk or refuses TO
accept it at any price, thus entail
ing heavy loss to the producer,
Good sweet milk can be produced
and delivered in prime conditions to
the customer in the hottest summer
weather. The writer has for five
years shipped milk from the farm
TO Louisville distance OF 81
miles-the milk being three hours
on the train in transit, and has not
had a drop of sour milk during
time. The amount of these ship
ments ranged from GO to 80 gall
Ions day, and was on strict
business basis, every gallon being
sold at good margin of profit.
During about half of this time the
milk was shipped in s and 10 gal
Ion cans, the remainder of the time
in quart and pint bottles.
Good sweet milk depends on two
items, cleanliness and cold tenn
perature. To secure these the fol-
lowing rules should be observed.
Have the cows udder clean be-
fore milking, A clean damp cloth
can be used for this purpose and
can be carried in the pocket OF the
mixer. Only a few seconds are re-
quired TO wipe the udder off i'm
mediately before beginning to milk
the COW. In our experience this
simple expedient has worked won
ders.
Be careful not 10 allow haiis,
dust or dirt to fall into the milk
They are laden with germs. Germs
cause the milk to sour. The great
err the number of germs the quick
er the souring will occur A pail
with small opening win be very
helpful in keeping out dust and
other dirt.
Use the milk pail for no other
purpose than for milking Some
dairymen use 1t for watering the
horses and stopping the hogs, and
then wonder, why the milk sours.
Cool the milk Immediately by
running it over milk cooler, tone
of these can be bought for IS 10
SO or by immersing in cold spring
or well water. The animal heat
must be removed before placing in
cans or bottled for delivery or ship
ment II necessary to hold the
nights milk for shipment the next |
morning 1t should be held at low
temperature. Cold springs or well
water in a wooden or metal tank |
of proper size to hold shipping cans
may be used for this purpose. II |
running spring water is at hand, |
this will serve admirably. In some |
cases the milk or cream may be
lowered into a cistern and kept |
cool until time for shipment. II
care is exercised, milk can be kept |
sweet without ice, but a supply Of |
ice is very desirable.
Another important point. Wash
all vessels carefully. Examine fire.
in the angles to see that |
no accumulation Of yellow Shiny |
casein material collects, as this will |
certainly cause rapid souring. Az
ter washing, scald all vessels with
boiling water and place in pure
fresh air until ready for use. II
exposed to the sun, SO much the
better, as sunlight is the best germ
killer and purifier.
Milk produced in the manner out
'ihOu VIII Nc VI Inc DtbL qudiily
and will bring the highest mark
ct price. Such milk is always in
and II used for buttermak-
ing it furnishes the raw material
from which high quality butter can
be produced. If all the butter pro-
duced on Kentucky farms were
made from milk handled in this
way, hundreds of thousands OF
pounds of poor butter which each
year goes into our markets at
very low price would be replaced
By gilt edged article, which would
sell at an attractive price, and
would add many thousands of dol
lars to the annual profits of Ken
ttcky farmers.
w. D. NICHOLS.
Asst Professor of Dairying