PURE MILK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2188, 12 May 1908, Page 3

PURE MILK.

THE NEED FOR CLEANLINESS THE CARE OF THE DAIRY;HERD No food is so linbio to contamination by dirt and disease germs as milking and dairy products, such as butter and cheese. Milk, containing as it docs rich nourishment and national warmth of temperature, becomes a natural breeding ground for organisms that are specially injurious to the human system, tlie germs of tuborculosis aiul typhoid or enteric lover multiplying in it with enormous rapidity. it is therefore essential to the health of the community that the milk supply should bo clean, pure and under proper supervision. The law gives the Health Department, Borough and City Councils power to make regulations to superintend the milk supply by tho inspection of dairies, milk depots, cans, carts or any utensils used l in purveying milk to households, or to butter and cheese lactories. Tho Agricultural Department lias also power, in tho absence of other control, to undertako supervision and does, at all times, becomo responsible for tho inspection of stock and tho registration of dairies supplying milk citherHo customers, liotols or boardin'' houses. This Department lias now under consideration a now set qi regulations lor the control of' dairies and factory suppliers, and is but waiting an Order in Council to bring .than into force. . . ~ With a view to ascertaining tno effect of tho proposed new regulations, and tho consideration _of tho dairy herds in tho Poverty Bay district, a “Times” reporter called upon Mr \\. Aliller, of tho local Stock Department who very kindly furnished some information upon tlio management of dairies and dairy herds., There aro sovonty-foui rag dairies supplying in the town and surztssj am i* SciSoSoof owmjtspiig bntels These,” saul Air. Ahllei, an come under the direct control ot the Department, and we have power, -rf the regulations are not complied with, to cancel registration, and so stop them from supplying any • There are about two hundred and twenty-five dairies supplying miilk to factories and whereas the cattle cornt imder'inspection by the tbe dairies at present do not, but nil as as the' new regulations are in force° At present these dames aie not ill that can be desired, them pies and from them you. will be able’to see there is no drainage, no possibility of thorough cleanliness, C o comfort for tho cow while die is being milked. The duel reason for the want of proper elation being absent is that many farmers hold their lancLon very short tenure, often, only renewable Jiaily , and consequently they are not aliyays prepared to spend money ill electing proper dairies and milking sheas. “Another disability many labor under,” continued the Departmental officer, “is the want of water—at least its uso to keep the milking parts of tho cow, their own hands, and milk cans clean. There ss nothing so essential to profitable dairyin;w, to the health of the herds, or to the purity of milk as thorough cleanliness. Why, I .have myself seen a girl sit down wiit'h dirty bandr? unci start to milk, without even washing the udder of the. cow,, and as her fingers got wet witli milk, the drippings carried tlie dtist / from the ccw and the dirt from her -own bands into the pail below. That, of course, is wrong and dangerous, -and you would think that -girls or even men would have more respect, for cleanliness than to do such things.. But it' is done, not- generally, perhaps, though I have met 'with a few cases. I would -also add that tho chief offenders -in this way are the factory . suppliers. The town dairymen, who come more directly under the control of the Department are fairly clean and the dairies and herds arc kept in satisfactory- condition.”.

CONTAGIOUS MAMITIS. “Unfortunaitly many herds 'become infected with contagious diseases,” said Air Aliller, “anil the most frequent of those is contagious mamitis or inflammation of the udder; Dairymen should be continually on the look-out, for this is a troublesome disease, and if left too long is difficult i.f not impossible to cure. Indeed, if tho maxim “Prevention is Ibottor than Cure” ever applied, it applies to -mamitis, which can only ho dealt with in its early stages, for when lumps form nothing can be done. To ascertain if one of the lliord is infected, the milk from each cow should be separately strained twuce a week, -and -if the milk is found to be curdy, it- should he thrown away, because such infewted milk will gi-ve children who drink it a sore throat, You see,” added tho speaker scientifically, “the inflammation is caused by a small organism, very similar, when seen under the microscope, to tlie organism that causes dipth-oria. That organism can only he destroyed by the free uso o.f antiseptics, and tlio Department recommends thatthe milking parts of tho cow should be washed- and syringed out witli 4 -per cent, of -bora-cic acid in -boiled rain water. Tim milkers hands should also l>o washed -witli the ~olu tion to prevent carrying the disease to healthy cows. . , “In this rosvneet the Deportment would like it- known that Air Burton, the Veterinarian, attached to the Gisborne office -would be pleased to o-ive lecturer, in any district on wow to cone with this and other diseases of dairy stock.”

CONTAGIOUS ABORTION, disease- that is having serious effects among many herds is contagious abort ion. Moot farmers know what, tho disease .is so an explanation is unnecessary. This d-isoase is also caused by an organism (that can- be transmitted. The trouble oaks also for antiseptic treatment, and cov\should, the day after calving, be washed out with a solution of halt •v tabloid -of port-blonde o-f mercury in a quart o-f water. Care should also be -taken to prevent infected bulls from running with the herds, and these animals can -also bo treated with the same "solution. The foetus should be burned or <• destroyed in some thorough manner. “f fbn.'ideatily expect the new regulations to come into force this month,” said Air Miller in conclusion, “.and -hope they will give tllie departmental officers power to deal, with the two dis-sa-scs. I have mentioned, and to control the dairies that supply tlie factories. One thing I would like to impress upon farmers is t-ho v-alue of -testing th" cows in the herds so that they might know whether a cow is being kept at a profit or a loss, and so weed out the non-payers. Farmers should also learn the free use of boiling water for cleansing pans and milk pails, and when the milking is being done, a -bucket o-f water should be kept handy, so that the hands can be frequentfy washed.”