DAIRY MEETING. 155 



farmers as a leader and they have a right to look to you for 

 advice. Now, knowing average conditions as well as you do, 

 do you really recommend straining milk in the barn?" He 

 frankly admitted that he did not, and thus by being approached 

 in a different way squarely placed himself in accord with the 

 principle which the board of health was trying to establish, and 

 which he had criticised only a few moments before. 



Again, some of the modern regulations may add to the cost 

 of milk production, and the producer is not to be criticised for 

 rebelling at what seems to be an increased burden arbitrarily 

 forced upon him in a tactless way without a clear explanation of 

 the reasons. 



But if friction between health officers and milk producers is 

 to be reduced to lowest terms, if there is to be an honest effort 

 to get into closer accord, the producers have a duty in the mat- 

 ter as well as the health officers. The latter must be patient to 

 explain, even to the point of tedious reiteration. But the pro- 

 ducer must be in a receptive frame of mind. When those who 

 have had a better opportunity for investigation than he has 

 tell him about insecticides, chemical plant foods, and other 

 things, he does not question the facts stated. The successful 

 farmer has a receptive mind; is on the alert for new facts and 

 when these are obtained is ready to receive and adopt them. 

 Let us receive statements about milk in the same spirit. Let us 

 remember that physicians are specialists in health matters and 

 know more about them than we do. They know from many 

 actual experiences the danger from contaminated milk. We 

 must recognize their position as students of and leaders in health 

 problems and receive their deductions as we do the statements 

 of other investigators and specialists in the domain of agricul- 

 ture. 



Now then what are the facts — comparatively new facts — 

 which warrant such increased attention to the nation's milk sup- 

 ply, and so many new rules regarding the production and distri- 

 bution of milk. Speaking broadly this new phase of dairying 

 rests on bacteriology which is a comparatively new science. It 

 is a science which has thrown a flood of light into many hitherto 

 dark places and has revolutionized a number of lines of work — 

 notably surgery, to the saving of many human lives. As the 

 work of the bacteriologist permeates dairying we can see why 



