Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-01-02
About the Dairy.

HbOut Tic Larry.
OREGON AGRICULTURAL COL
LEGE, Corvallis.-The three points to
observe in keeping milk ,or cream in
the best possible condition for market
or manufacture, are clean, cool and
covered" said Professor r. R..
Graves, head of the Agricultural Col
lege Dairy department. "The public
demand is not so much for richer milk
as it Is for cleaner and better milk
and it is a demand that must be an
swered If the dairyman is to have a
continued market for his products
There is undoubtedly very general
belief that there is great deal of ex-
pense and labor required to handle
milk in sanitary way, and that it is
not practical on the farm or in small
dairies. Such is not the case, how
ever, and it is possible to improve the
quality of the milk greatly without in
creasing the cost of production
"The quality of milk is impaired by
bacteria, by dirt that falls into it, and
by odors that are absorbed by it.
Bacteria are present in amounts
ranging from a small number to sew
eral millions in drop-about one Gu
bic centimeter, generally referred to
as C. C. They are found in the milk
while in the udder of an unhealthy
COW, and to less extent in the udders
of healthy cows, usually about 500
per C. C. In the latter they are mostly
in the 'foremilk,' and in the strippings.
some reason not well understood, in
crease during the first hour. after the
milk is drawn. After that, if the milk
is warm, they increase very fast, and
the milk is soon full of them.
Perhaps the largest number fall
into the milk during the milking. Part
of them come from the dust in the
air, and the remainder from particles
of dirt, manure and hair, which drop
into the milk. In order to lessen the
number which fall into the milk, the
COWS should be cleaned we'll before
being milked, and the milk should be
drawn into pail with small, hood
ed, cloth-covered opening. Such pals
exclude more than one-half of the
germs which fall into an ordinary
open pail during the milking process.
IF the COWS are curried and brush
ed once day and then are carefully
wiped about the flank and udder with
damp cloth, most of the dirt will be
removed and the remainder attached
close to the skin so that it will not
fall down during the milking. The
best milking pals have openings from
five to seven inches wide. In some
pals the opening is covered with a
single thickness of cloth that is
stretched across the opening about
three inches below the rim
The floor, walls and stanchions of
the stable should be kept clean and
free from dust and cobwebs, and If
the floor is dry it may be sprinkled
lightly before milking All dry feed
is given after milking, so that no ex-
ira dust is raised. The practice of
wetting the teats with milk is too
filthy to be allowed in any dairy.
while mixers in large commercial
dairies wear clean white clothes, a
good substitute for the farm dairy is
a light, loose-fitting long coat which
should be kept clean in clean place,
and slipped on just before milking.
The mixers hands must be scrupu.
lously clean, and never permitted to
come in contact with the milk,
las soon as MIXED the milk should
be poured into a can in the milk house
or somewhere else where the air is
free from dirt and odors, and cooled
to the lowest water temperature avail.
able. If the temperature of the milk
is reduced to so degrees F. or lower,
within the first hour. harmful bacteria
will not multiply. Hence, If the milk
is cooled, kept cool and covered, 1t
will keep for two or three days.
THE best way to cool the milk in
the small dairy, is to place the cans
into tanks or tubs, of the coolest wa.
ter that can be had, and stir both
milk and water occasionally with a
clean rod until they have the same
temperature. After the milk is as
cool as the water, stirring should
cease
another source of bacteria in milk
is improperly cleaned milk vessels. II
the pals, cans and cloths are washed
in warm water, with bit of soda or
other similar detergent, and then i'm.
mersed for five minutes In boiling
water, they will be thoroughly clean
ed and disinfected. In cleansing the
pals and cans 1t is necessary to give
special attention to the corners.
Where the corners are not smooth
and rounded, dirt and decayed milk
will collect, literally teeming with
bacteria Of the sourlng and putrefying
kinds.
Such feeds as turnips, silage and
kale should not be fed before or dur.
Ing the milking time as warm milk
takes up odors very readily, and for
this reason, too, the milk should be
removed from the barn as fast as II
Is drawn.
In following the above simple rules
there will be but little increase in cost
over that OF the usual methods. and
the more wholesome milk, with the
better prices 1t will bring as soon as
It's reputation is established should
induce every producer to conduct his