Farm and Garden

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 362, 16 April 1903, Page 7

Farm and Garden

OBI3INAL AEIICLES

CAEE OP MILK DUEING HOT WEATHEE.

SSIOB£OW the effect that heat or warm »«I? wea!; h er produces on milk is !gsjjK mainly in the development cf certain forms of bacteria that ate naturally pressed within it. It necessarily demands much special care to keep milk in good condition while the weather is warm, and the milk purveyor is . the person to make the effort. Commencing with the cowb, a cow in good health will produce as good milk in hot weather as in cold; but the outside surrounding conditions are more favorable, for souring or spoiling the milk while the weather is warm than when cold. The first step is to avoid contamination or source of infection, and that can only be accomplished by adopting clean, sanitary methods in every.phase of milk production. First, if possible, it is better to have milk producing cows on pasture land than those kepi in small sheds or yards. The pasture is naturally free from bacteria, being well disinftcted by nature's sunshine and weather, while the small shed or yard is liable to be greatly charged with spores and other minute dust particles carrying germs of various kinds. The milk pails should be bo covered as to prevent the entrance of much material that would naturally fall from the udder and sides of the cow. Better still, if the flies are not too bad, it is a good plan to milk the cows out of doors. There is good reason for believing that this is one reason why one hears so much about bad milk nowadays, whereas in former times theie were not many complaints in that respect. In olden times the cow was geneially milked under a large tree or in a rail fence corner where stable fumes were unknown. A certain amount of souring bacteria lodge within the lower duct of the teat, and if the first two or three streams from the teats be milked upon the ground, or in a separate vessel, a large amount of contamination will be prevented. By adopting this method it has been found that milk will keep from one to two —or even five.;—hours longer than where all the milk is saved and these precautions not adopted. After the milk has been drawn from, the cow, two legitimate methods remain for keeping it as follow: beat and cooling and aerating. With heat we have pasteurising and sterilising, which are all right and moßt excellent methods, but not always practicable nor desirable. Where milk iB obtained from a good healthy animal it is better to keep it by airing and cooling than by pasteurising and Bterjlising—that is, for milk consumption. For butter or cheesemaking pasteurising will doj or when the milk is known or thought to be infected, it would perhaps be well to pasteurise. The quicker the milk is cooled and aired the better it will be and keep. There are on the market many good coolers and aerators, which answer very well. Home made coolers are often met with, and are perhaps cheaper than those offered for sale. Any arrangement whereby the milk will flow in" a thin sheet over a cold surface will, answer the purpose of a codler and aerator. It is important, however, to have all parts in which the milk comes in contact so arranged that they can be washed easily and disinfected with scalding hot water. Coolers connected with cold water should be so arranged that the water will flow through them rather than stand, but whore ke or ice water is used this would ' not bo necessary. Many purveyors of milk are careless with the product in allowing it to stand in warm rooms or in close vessels, or in refrigerators near which other material is stored —such as onions with, strong odours^-and , thus 'spoiling the milk after it has been delivered to them in good condition by the milk purveyor. This perhaps causes more trouble and is a greater influence to promote drugging milk than any othersource. For example, a milkman leaving good pure milk at such a place would probably lose his trade, for the reason that his milk ' soured' while it was not perhaps his fault. Thus very often milkmen are driven to drug their milk, in order to keep their trado, by a class of people who are careless in handling the milk after delivery. Every milk consumer should know that milk will naturally sow, but oi course it should not aour too soon after milking. Milk handled'in a clean, sanitary, way from healthy cows should keep from twenty-four to thirty-six hours at; a temperature of seventy-five degrees*; Where milk is produced for the creamery or cheese factory, or for the production of butter, it is very important to have it well cared for from the etart When separated immediately after milking the. cream should be treated as the milk—that is, cooled and aired at once—and kept cool until it is allowed to ripen for churning. The separator itself will largely benefit the cream, bat still not enough to make aerating unnecessary. Much has been said and written regarding the caro of milk, but' not half as much has been done as should be —or pi rhaps will bebefore tho proper methods are used.

NO MOKE BAD EGGS. An eminent French chemist has discovered a liquid which he claims to be capable of preserving the freshness of eggs for a period of twelve years. A year ago he placed a large number of these delicacies in the liquid, getting a magistrate to witness his act and seal the tank With his official seal. A few days ago the tank was opened in the presence of his worship, the eggs being found to be in excellent condition. Four eggs were selected haphazard out of the tank, and on being boiled were eaten, the magistrate pronouncing them to be excellent and possessing a delicious flavor. Another triumph for the inventor happened the other day, some eggs which had been in the liquid for four months being successfully hatched, eight out of the twelve placed under the hen proving fertile. It is lawful to pray God that we be hot led into temptation; but not lawful to skulk from the temptations that come to us. Fate served me meanly, but I looked at her and laughed, That none might know how bitter was the cup I quaffed. Along came Joy, and paused besido me where I sat, Saying, ' I came to see what you were laughing at.' Sin is never at a stay; if we do not retreat from it, we shall advance iu it, and the farther on we go the moro we havo to coma back.—Bairow. The next time you are discouraged, just try eneouraging some one else, and see if it will not cheer you.—J. E. Miller. ■:Maudie: 'Yes, Harold, when we aro married you will not go to the club at nights. You'll stay at home, and I'll sing $pA play the piano for you, won't I ?' /u;arold: *Yes, dearest; you know I never cared much for pleasure.'