Te Aroha Ohinemuri News UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1898. THE MILK QUESTION.

Te Aroha News, 10 March 1898, Page 2

Te Aroha Ohinemuri News UPPER THAMES ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1898. THE MILK QUESTION.

We referred the other day to the crusade lately started in Auckland against the sale of unclean milk Since then we have had the advantage of perusing a lengthy article appearing in the last number of the ‘Contemporary Review,’ entitled ‘ the inhabitants of milk/ The article in question is a very able and interesting one, even if at the hands of Mr Edmund Yerney it becomes a somewhat gruesome one, and we should like to be able to re-print it. In these days of gigantic telescopes many of us are apt to overlook the progress made in the microscopic art, and to-day the miscroscope is telling us some strange tales about the milk we so unconcernedly quaff or mingle in the matutinal cup of tea or coffee. The potent effects in the spread of such diseases as con - sumption, typhoid fever, diphtheria, cholera, scarlet fever et hoc genus omne } of the various forests of bacteria (the lowest grade of animal organism) which are aotively found growing in milk are only now being revealed to a wondering world. Of the diff rent species about 150 are dairy bacteria. Some kinds of these fascinating little shrubs actually travel; others content themselves with waving to and fro. Milk from a healthy cow is, in the first instance, absolutely free from bacteria; but, so admirably,adapted to bacterial growth is it that in a short time it is swarming with minute forms of life A portion of Mr Yerney's article is devoted • to a consideration of the various methods in use for the destruction of germ life, and stress is laid on the importance of rejecting the first drops from the udder called ‘foremilk,’ which while containing a very low per centage of butter fat contains eight times as many bacteria-as the

‘following’ milk. After enumerating the chief teachings of science as regards milking, the writer goes on to say that in England they are little regarded. Of the various disinfectants in use thin common whitewash is always safe. The strong disinfecting power of direct sunlight should also he borne in mind ; putrefactive liquids may be actually rendered sterile by simply submitting them to. the action of sunlight. The oldest and best known method of preserving milk is by the use of heat. The two most practical methods of preparing milk, so as to free it as far as possible from baeterial life are sterilisation and pasteuration. The latter, we believe f is the method employed by Mr John McKenzie wellknown milkman. Cream is richer in bacteria than skimmilk at the same age ; but butter-fat is not suitable to the growth of bacteria; therefore the changes due to bacterial action are much slower and milk sours sooner than cream, fhe chief lesson to bo drawn from a p^ r_ usal of Mr Verney’s article is the necessity of a high standard of cleanliness in order to insure successful dairying. The Scandinavian farmers, who are steadily underselling the English farmer in his own market? for dairy produce find such high standard does pay. We would like to call the attention of our' dairy farmers to a liigh-class milk drawn from cowp, groomed like race hor-es, and bottled. Bottled, milk is generally used among the wealthier classes in Copenhagen and in Stockholm ; its advantages are being more and more appreciated ; its use is rapidly extending, and there can be little doubt that before long bottled milk will be imported into England. The milk is heated to ‘a temperature of 158 degrees, which does not affect its taste; it is filtered and rapidly cooled down, stored in sterilised bottles and sealed. Thus it wilt keep for several days, and is far cleaner and safer for use than milk in bulk. While a knowledge of the bacteriology of milk is essen f ial to all engaged in its production it is strange that there exists no English book to which the student can turn for detailed instruction. The best works are German 'and American, but a popular and trustworthy manual suitable for the library in a small township like Te Aroha has still to be written.