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53
tunal interests, apart from the serious question of tuberculosis in milk
and its effect on the human race.
Now we come to the actual application of these principles I have
referred to as necessary for the production of a pure milk supply.
Dung must be removed before milking. The cows are groomed
with a wet brush and curry comb. Dry grooming makes dust. Wash
the udders with a rough cloth, then wipe them with a soft cloth wrung
out in clean cold water. Keep the hair on the udders clipped short.
Having cleaned the cows the milkers wash their hands, repeating this
operation if necessary during the milking. Milk dry-handed with
covered pails, after rejecting the first few squirts from each teat, as
they contain most of the bacteria.
The cows' milk is removed to the dairy at once and is strained,
cooled and run immediately into bottles and churns. The collecting
tank must be large so that the milk from a number of cows gets well
mixed: otherwise variations in quality will occur. The cooling need
not be as low as 45° F. if the milk is clean. With milking finished, the
utensils must be promptly rinsed with cold water and then washed with
warm water and soda, again rinsed and sterilised with steam or boiling
water. The cleaning of all utensils must be carried out both night and
morning, special attention being given to the straining cloth. Everything
must be protected from subsequent contamination. It is the
labour and not the equipment which costs money.
In estimating the cost of labour alone, Mr. Lejeune took the labour
figures for 11 months for three farms run on exactly similar lines,
except that one farm produced Grade A milk and the others ordinary
milk of a good standard. All three farms had 70 to 80 cows and their
yield was approximately the same. The figures showed that the labour
cost per gallon at the Grade A farm was .9 of a penny more than the
one farm and .7 of a penny per gallon more than the other. This was
cowshed labour only and did not include work in the dairy on the
Grade A farm, nor did it include bonuses on bacterial counts paid to the
Grade A cowmen, whose wages were otherwise the same as on the
other farms.
The Clean Milk Movement is spreading. Clean milk competitions
have been organised in several counties, and have helped to show
farmers and their men what can be done. The small farmer is learning
that the wealthy have not the monopoly of clean milk production.
The new Ministry of Health grading regulations came into force in
January, 1923, and these show that the principle is recognised of grading
the milk itself rather than the place from which it comes.