38 ACRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



man. who is protlncing clean, wholesome milk is found, he 

 should be encouraged. 



An effort has been made to remedy the method of selling 

 milk in stores, a very vital matter from the sanitary standpoint 

 bv reason of the fact that the poorest quality of milk is often 

 retailed in these places with no particular care in relation to 

 cleanliness. Relieving that the sale of bottled milk in stores 

 would remedy at least a part of the evil, I have visited 120 

 stores in 14 cities and towns and have endeavored to get the 

 grocerynien to sell only sealed bottled milk and thereby protect 

 themselves from responsibility by selling exactly what they re- 

 ceive. I have found the grocerymen ready to do this, as a rule, 

 and the milkman would rather do it in many cases, for he does 

 not want his reputation destroyed by improper handling of his 

 milk. Milk sold from a measure that has been exposed to germ 

 carrying flies and which is washed but seldom, is improper food 

 to be consumed. The germ laden milk measure is bound to go 

 the way of the unsanitary public drinking cup. The change will 

 necessarily be slow, but nevertheless it will be sure. Tf boards 

 of health in every section would shoulder responsibility, and 

 influence city governments and boards of selectmen to pass 

 resolutions prohibiting the sale of "loose" milk, especially in 

 stores, the danger of disease would be greatly lessened. .\ 

 state wide law in this matter would be of inestimable value, 

 and I hope it will be an actual fact before long. That the 

 public at large needs education as to what constitutes clean, 

 wliolesome milk, and the requirements to produce and maintain 

 this product until it reaches the consumer, is certain. 



In the quarterly bulletins the analyses of samples as well as 

 violations of the law and prosecutions for the same, have been 

 reported. The mailing list for these consists of about 4,000 

 names, including the newspapers of the State. It is the en- 

 deavor to give the public as much information as possible in 

 regard to the quality of the milk they are receiving. The news- 

 papers have helpefl greatly in this, but still many people are 

 uninformed. The increased deman<l for these quarterlv bulle- 

 tins would show that the public are anxious to know more 

 about what they are receiving, and rightly so. Short articles 

 that are of benefit both to the consumer and to the farmer 

 have been published in these bulletins, with the object of en- 



