yet they must be of simple
construction, so that they can be kept in a clean condition in order
to adapt them for general practical use. The use of such a utensil
increases materially the keeping quality of the milk.

[Illustration: Fig. 13.--Sanitary Milk Pails.

The Stadtmueller pail and the Truman pail, two of the most practical
of the small-topped pails.]

Stocking has shown that under ordinary barn conditions, the use of
small-topped pails reduced the number of bacteria 95 per cent; with
dirty cows the reduction in bacteria amounted to 97 per cent. A
six-inch opening presents only one-fourth as large an exposure as a
twelve inch, so that the reduction in bacterial content is greater
than the lessening in the size of the openings of the pails. The
ordinary pail receives dust not only from the udder, but also from
the flank which is usually a more important source of contamination
than the udder itself, while the small-topped pail receives only
that from the udder.

[Illustration: Fig. 14.--use of Sanitary Milk Pails.

The open pail is fully exposed to the falling dust while the hooded
pail excludes much of the dust and dirt coming from the animal.]

=Milking machines.= Where the milk is removed from the udder by
machine methods, instead of by hand, it is possible to eliminate
nearly all external contamination from the animal and her
surroundings. The only opportunity for infection is then through the
leakage of air around the teat cups. Care should be taken to see
that the teats are in a clean condition before applying the suction
cups. The main problem in the use of a milking machine is to keep
the apparatus in an aseptic condition. Immersion of the teat cups
and the rubber connections in lime water, brine solution, or other
mild antiseptics, prevents bacterial development. Hastings has found
that milk having a germ content of less than 10,000 bacteria per
cubic centimeter may be produced by the use of a properly handled
milking machine.

=Contamination from the milker.= While the milker is a small factor in
comparison with the animal in the matter of contamination, yet he
can not be neglected, as it is within his power to affect profoundly
the quality of the milk. His personal habits as to cleanliness and
his appreciation of the precautions necessary in the production of
clean milk have much to do with the contamination of the milk. The
milking should be done with dry hands, although a little vaseline
m