UP TO DATE DAIRIES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4824, 18 March 1925, Page 3

UP TO DATE DAIRIES.

I’HE DAY TO CLEANLINESS Listening to the considered opinions of. capable dairy factory managers and expericehced Inspectors of the Government Dairy Division, ” Rustic.us ” is coming to the conclusion that the quickest and surest road to a general improvement in the quality of our production is to be. found in the application of ” boiling w.ater and caustic soda.” Simple as it may seem; every speaker at the large gathering of dairy managers and directors held at Wanganui. recently, stressed the importance and effectiveness of this old household combination, and, as was pointed out by Mr Hopkirk, Government Bacteriologist, the milk as it leaves the cow, is to all intents an.l purposes, bacteriologically clean. It is contaminated by the man and machine who milks it and the utensils it is milked into. Clean hands, clean machines, and clean utensils, and you remedy' 90 per cent, of the present troubles with the raw material, and incidentally raise the standard of quality. The use of caustic soda in the milking shed is still being looked at askance by' many dairy farmers. For some reason or other the idea lias gained ground that caustic soda will ruin the’rubbers iir milking plants and spoil the lining of pipes, etc. Thifs, it has been proved, is entirely contrary' to fact. Rubber inflations, etc., have been exhibited, which for eighteen months had been cleaned daily with boiling water and caustic soda. It is. practically proved that instead of ruining them caustic is actually prolonging the life of rubber. Moreover, boiling water and caustic soda have become great labour savers. The laborious work of taking three and four sets pf teat cups to pieces once or twice a week is entirely done away with. Under this new method, machines need never be taken to pieces throughout the whole season. The recognised system of insuring a permanently clean milking machine is as follows: — In the morning before milking put a bucket of cold w.ater through machine. When the last cows arc in the shed, light copper or chip heater. Time it so that water boils when required. When milking "s finished ffush- out with cold water. Follow up with boiling water and caustic soda (one tablespooful of caustic to four gallons of water), and if water is hard add a small handful of ordinary soda. It is essential, that water should be boiling. Follow immediately with a bucket of clean boiling water. At the evening’s milking put again cold water through machine before and after milking. If these simple rules are carefully followed there will be no more complaints from the factory managers. Needless to say, cans, separtors, etc., must be kept clean. — Manawatu Daily Times.