The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-07
PRODUCING CLEAN, SAFE MILK
Simple, Sensible Precautions Against
Bacteria.

James A. Gamble, milk specialist o
the bureau of animal industry at Wash
ington, in speech delivered before tn
Michigan dairy conv ntion at Flint
Mich, on Feb. II, said:
According to statistics compiled b,
the dairy division from figures Furnished
by milk dealers throughout the country
the price of milk at the farm is increas
ing These figures give the average pric
received in 1912 as 1866 q its per quart
and in 1913 3.S49 cents quart. From
these figures we gather that in 1913 thu
dairymen of the United States received
about $2s,00O,0O0 more than they did il
the previous year for the same amount
of milk.
| 1t is estimated that S,000000,000 gal
Ions are now produced each year in the
United States, and it seems certain that
| this amount will be increased. Perhaps
the amount of this increase will be in
huenced in no small degree by the con
sumers opinion of its nutritive value
/
If milk is faulty in any way the con.
sumner complains to the health depart
ment or to the dealer who leaves it at
his door. He in turn passes it on ia
the producer, the producer to the hired
man, and he, if he must get satisfaction,
blames the innocent COW which in the
| first place, if she be healthy, gave it
pure, as nature INTENDED.
1t can hardly be successful argued
that milk from the healthy COW. by
whatever adjective best described when
it reaches the consumer, be it certified,
inspected, high-grade market, owgrade
market, grade A, B, c or d, was not a
milk which met the exactng require.
ments of certified" when the COW gave
it. If it has fallen below that high
standard. let us not blame the COW, but
man and conditions over which he has
almost complete control.
In the last annual report of an in
ternational committee on dairy farm in
spection is the following interesting par
agraph: This committee believes that
the production Of clean and reasonably
safe milk is comparatively simple proc
ess, easily within the reach of all care
full dairymen, if paid price sufficient
to induce them to become genuinely in
terested in its production" From this
we gather that If the financial co-opera-
tion of the consumers can be secured
the dairymen will become more interest
ed in the production of better milk.
Lack of interest has relegated dairying TO
the position OF side issue on many nat
ural dairy farms, to the detriment of
both the farms and the quality of milk
produced there. From facts at hand il
would seem that the cooperation OF the
consumer is slowly but surely coming.
You say, and | agree, that better milk
cannot be had without better knowl-
edge equally on the part OF the produc.
er, transportation agency, dealers and
consumers, OF those factors which affect
its purity and keeping qualities.
Milk as it comes froL. the healthy
COW is both clean and safe. but it is
easily contaminated. This eontamina-
ton may be measured by the number
and kinds of bacteria the milk contains
Bacteria are very tiny, one-eelled plants,
too small 10 be seen with the naked
eye. With healthy cows perhaps the.
most important foreign matter 10 be kept
out of milk ID manure; certainly the
types OF bacteria which one may un-
find there are not desir
able inhabitants of milk. You are all
aware of the fact that the excrement
Of the COW contains that part of the
food which her body does not assimilate |
and the intestinal tract may harbor enor-
nous numbers Of Objectionable bacteria |
The COW, the barn and the stable yard |
should be clean. Clean bedding should |
be provided. Loose hairs from the flank |
and udder of the cows also often get 4
INTO the milk. Washing these parts or
yong over them with a wet cloth Just |
previous TO milking is OF much assist
,nce in curtailing the contamination
rom these sources. The feeding of dry /
,orn, stover or grain before or during
milking is also a channel by which dust
nay find its way into milk.
Perhaps the covered milk pail is the
,est single device 10 assist YOU in reduc-
ng 20 minimum the foreign matter
which often finds its way into milk.
Needless TO say. the hands OF the milk
r and all utensils used to hold, strain
n convey milk should at all times be
sept thoroughly clean. ! believe ,i,Y
hat there 10 more reason for keeping
he animal which produces food for our
elves and our babies clean than to
pend extra time grooming and cleaning
he horses which draw the manure and
he garbage wagon. Yet custom de-
hands that the horse be kept clean.
'eeding dry seeds and grain after milk
ng instead Of during or before adds
othing to the cost OF production but ,
astly improves the keeping qualities Of
he milk. The removal Of the manure
aeh day 10 he field 5r proper pit adds
o the eNpenae. il is true. Tut our sx-
eriment station tells us hat ~ so do.
ne we save plant food. The immediate
boiling Of MIX is not added expense,
or II Il be cooled at all the price l.
be same one time as another.
Investigators tell NJ that about 10
INT. Of the bacteria found in milk after
has been produced IN the ordinary
table is from the udder Of the cow
hat about % per cent. Is from the sta
lc air. the mixer and the milking uten-
D.: that the rest Of the total number.
D per cent D. from the body 81 the
~. With these facts in mind We NAV
sadily see that { per cent. ne have (
it'll ne always, while % per cent. can
large measure h. prevented from
aiming access 30 milk.
Many interesting experiments have
zen conducted showing the effect o.
le various common dairy practices on !
ie bacteria count Of milk. These prove !