DAIRY MEETIXG. II5 



of and unknown. For many years makers of butter and cheese 

 have had their products scored and have profited greatly by the 

 results. You all know how the quality of creamery butter and 

 dairy butter has been improved by these competitive contests 

 which have been held by State Dairymen's Associations in about 

 every state where dairying is an important factor. About three 

 years ago some of us were thinking along other lines. If these 

 contests were doing so much to improve the quality of butter 

 and cheese, wiiy could not something be done to improve the 

 quality of market milk? With that question in mind we set to 

 work to devise some way by which milk and cream could be 

 scored. There came a time when it seemed best to try out the 

 plan. Two years ago last February the Dairy Division of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture inaugurated the first 

 milk and cream contest ever held in the world. It was held in 

 connection with the National Dairy Show in Chicago. There 

 were exhibits from ten or eleven states. The work was a suc- 

 cess and out of that contest have grown exhibits in many states 

 and cities. The first state exhibit to be held was held by the 

 Dairymen's Association in Xew Hampshire two years ago this 

 month. Other exhibits have been held in Connecticut, New 

 York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. 



Working along this same line some of the cities seeking to 

 better their milk supply sought the advice and cooperation of 

 the Dairy Division. During the last year or two we have 

 cooperated with a few cities in conducting such contests. 

 Prominent among these contests have been those held in Cleve- 

 land and Pittsburg. The Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, 

 which is a very progressive organization, financed the proposi- 

 tion, and offered gold and silver medals for the highest scoring 

 milk and cream. They looked after the expense of printing 

 and advertising, and furnished a place in which to conduct the 

 contest and hold the meeting. About 60 dairymen responded 

 with their exhibits and the interest shown by those dairymen in 

 the quality of their products proved most conclusively that one 

 of the best ways in which to improve the product is to get the 

 producer of that product interested in his own business. At 

 the meetings which were held in connection with the contest 

 there were some 300 producers of milk and cream present, who 



