DAIRY MEliTING. 165 



ihe source of danger lies most emphatically at the beginning of 

 the milk, — that is, in the stable and with the cow. Usually 

 throughout the State, the farmers that are visited have the old 

 methods in vogue. For instance, if the Inspector goes to a 

 farm where unclean milk has been produced, he will ask the 

 farmer if he is using a covered milk pail. Time and again men 

 are* encountered who say that they do not take any stock in these 

 new methods, these new ideas. They have used an open pail 

 for so long a time and they do not see why they should change. 

 Then they will be asked if there is not always a certain amount 

 of dirt on the froth as it rises to the top of the pail and they 

 admit that they always see that. And when asked if they do not 

 think that goes into the milk and some of it stays there, they 

 will nearly always answer that they are using from 8 to 10 or 

 12 thicknesses of cheese cloth in straining the milk. But it is a 

 well known fact that once the dirt is in the milk it is almost 

 impossible to get it out, because some of the dirt is soluble in 

 the milk. It is true that you can strain out some of the larger 

 particles, but in straining, if the cloth is not changed, you wash 

 some of the particles down through the cheese cloth. If some 

 things like that are explained to the farmer who means to do 

 well, he will at once become interested and before long you will 

 find him writing to some concern, or writing to the Department, 

 and asking for suggestions, or where he can buy a covered milk 

 pail. 



The demand for clean milk is growing in nearly every one of 

 our cities. In the City of Portland I am glad to say that the 

 right method has been taken in handling the milk. A city ordi- 

 nance requires that the milk should be sold in bottles only, and 

 should not be poured on the streets. If this should be enacted 

 as a state law, it would be a great advance step in securing clean 

 milk for consumption. Laws are being made in other states 

 that require certain things from the producer, so that the product 

 would tend toward cleanliness. In visiting the different farms 

 oftentimes the cows are found to be very dirty. Now there is 

 no law by which the owner of these cows can be prosecuted. 

 The attention of the Board of Health of the town is always 

 called to the coudition of that man's tie-up, and the man is told 

 that if he does not clean up the public will know of it and he 

 certainly will sufifer thereby. After all it is the fact of giving 

 the public inform.ation regarding such a place that hurts a man 



