Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 156, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1918 — KEEP BACTERIAL COUNT VERY LOW [ARTICLE]

KEEP BACTERIAL COUNT VERY LOW

Main Essentials Are Clean Cows, Sterilized Vessels and SmallTop Pails. TESTS ON ORDINARY FARMS Result of Experiments Indicate It Is Possible for Average Dairyman to Produce Milk of Very Superior Quality. The consumer of milk may sometimes be inclined to feel that its purity is in direct proportion to the cost of the plant and equipment from which it comes. The dairy division of the bureau of animal industry,, United States department of agriculture, has demonstrated that this is not always the fact. Clean milk, with low bacterial count, can be produced in ordinary farm barns, provided a few basic principles are adhered to in each case. How Tests Were Made. In order to demonstrate the practical value of the three essential factors in producing milk of low bacterial count—sterilized utensils, clean cows with clean udders and teats, and smalltop pails—tests were made on six ordinary farms with the voluntary cooperation of the dairymen. Five of the farms sent milk and one sent cream to an experimental creamery operated by the department of agriculture. The dairy bams were ordinary farm barns, scoring on the dairy division score card less than the average bams sos equipment. The plan was to determine first the bacterial content of the fresh milk and cream on the farm under the existing conditions; then to place in operation the three factors previously mentioned and note the results.

For the work small-top pails were lent to the farmers, together with simple steam sterilizers. The method of operating the sterilizer was demonstrated to the farmer, who was then left to operate without further assistance. At each milking the milk was stirred by means of a long sterilized pipette, after which samples were taken from each can and a composite sample placed in ice water and tests made wtthin an hour and a half. For a period of three weeks samples were taken from each farm under the old conditions, and for the three weeks following under conditions in which small-top pails and sterilized utensils were used. Decrease In Bacterial Count On all the farms the bacterial count of the fresh milk showed a very great reduction following the installation of the simple safety method mentioned. The bacterial count of the milk on several of the farms was reduced to 3,000 per cubic centimeter. One of the most striking reductions was on a farm where the average count was reduced from 187,000 to 3,600. The results of these experiments are taken by the department of agriculture to indicate that it is possible for the average dairyman on the average farm, without expensive barns and equipment, to produce milk of a very low bacterial count. These factors, when combined with other simple factors relating to cleanliness in producing and handling, will result in clean, wholesome milk with low bacterial count