Farm and Garden

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 198, 11 October 1909, Page 4

Farm and Garden

MII.K PRLSKRVATP i.N\ A contributor to th«- Farmer and Stor-l;-It>". :er say.-: "It is r.ot an uncommon thir.j,' to find a? many as live million , bacteria in every cubic ccntirr.etre(five j drops) of milk, and when this is contrasted with the fact that milk as ! contained in the udder of the cow is, to all intents and purposes, sterile, the enormous amount of contamination which takes place after the milk has been drawn from the cow presents a grave problem to all concerned in milk production. And in view of the admitted danger which is incurred, more particularly by tbeinfuntile population of the country, by the use of such milk as food, the solution of this problem should receive immediate and unremitting attention. Milk, being such a splendid food for human beings, must naturally afford a similar amount of nourishment to bacteria, which multiply more rapidly at a warm temperature than when milk is cold. It therefore follows that a temperature maintained at freezing point will prove fatal to germs present in the milk; and it being sometimes difficult to produce this effect by the agency of atmospheric temperature, the use of coolers or refrigerators is generally resorted to. Contamination may, however, easily arise owing to the larger surface exposed to the atmosphere in its passage down the cooler, and if kept or used in dirty or dusty places, they may prove a serious source of admitting bacteria to the milk. Much of this contamination might be avoided if coolers were kept and used in a thoroughly cban place or dairy, and were also provided with covers or simply protected with sterile cheese cloths when not in use. Sterilisation is now quite extensively practised in order to destroy the | injurious germs which may be contained in the milk. As an infant food sterilised milk is undoubtedly the purest and safest, although the peculiar "cooked" flavour which it gets during the process of sterilisation is somewhat detrimental to its popularity as a universal food. The process of sterilislation may be outlined as follows: — The vessel containing the milk which may be the bottle from which it is to be used, is placed inside a larger iron vessel filled with water, the interior 1 vessel being raised about half an inch i above the bottom of the other, and the i water reaching as high as the milk in j the bottle. Steam is then turned into | the water which is allowed to boil j under pressure until a temperature of I 155degs. F. is reached. After a lapse of thirty minutes during which time the apparatus should be kept tightly covered, the bottles should be removed, and after ascertaining that they are perfectly air-tight, should be stoppered, subsequently being kept in a cool place until ready for use. A simple form of apparatus for sterilising milk can be manufactured in | the following manner.: —A tin pail is | fitted with a moveable false bottom ; punctured with several holes, and fitted i with legs about half an inch in length |to allow of circulation of water. Bot- | tle-i containing the milk are set on this ! false bottom, and the pail is filled with ! water to the level of the milk in the bottles. The vessel and contents are protected by a cover in which a hole may be punched. A perforated cork is inserted in the hole, through which may pass an ordinary chemical thermometer, the bulb of which descends into the water. By means of this contrivance the temperature of the water in the vessel may be carefully regulated without removing the cover. Although not, of course, adaptable to sterilisation on an extensive scale, this simple and easily contrived ap- ! paratus will prove very serviceable where it is desired to prepare a few bottles of sterilised milk."

ACIDITY IN THE SOIL. A report on the above subject has been issued by the State of Florida, U.S. The report states: —"Acidity is due to four causes: 1, The decomposition of organic matter accompanied by the formation of various organic compounds including the production of organic acids; 2, the action of soil bacteria acting upon certain portions of the vegetable matter in the soil; 3, the breaking up of mineral fertilisers. Thus, when sulphate of ammonia is decomposed in the soil, there is a formation of free acid in the soil solution, which is injurious unless counteracted by the presence of a sufficient supply of lime in the soil. It is possible that to the acidity so produced in the absence of adequate lime may be attributed the unsatisfactory results which have sometimes been noticed from the use of sulphate of ammonia in sandy, acid soils. 4, The fermentation of green materials. When a heavy crop of green material is ploughed under, fermentation will set in if the conditions of temperature and moisture are favourable, and, as a result, the soil may become sour unless it is well supplied with bases such as lime, magnesia, etc." The gist of the whole is to be expressed in the one word: "lime." PREVENTION OF SORE SHOULDERS. About the question of sore shoulders, a Victorian farmer says:—"We are working six horses at the present lime, and find that nothing beats keeping the horse collars dry and clean. My brother and I are always working two or three teams. At the ploughing season we sometimes take the collars in to the fire, and dry them, as when they are dry they keep the shoulders smooth. When they are wet they will not let the skin slip in pulling, but pull it in wrinkles, then form a blister on the shoulder. Let anyone try band digging all day and then dry the band and observe the results. There is nothing better than keeping collars dry, either by means of the sun in summer or by the fire in winter."