36 AGRICULTURE OE' MAINE. 



usually discloses the cause for the poor condition of the milk 

 and is sure to result in more precautions being taken in the 

 n^ethods of production and subsequent care. In this way the 

 necessity for the better handling of the milk supply will be 

 impressed upon producer, milkman, shopkeeper, and consumer. 

 The commencement of this effort for breaking away from old 

 conditions in our state, to the end of safer milk supplies, is 

 an important step in advance. It is hoped that the proper 

 subsequent steps will be taken and these must necessarily be 

 of the educational sort rather than militant or compulsory if 

 the surest and best results are to be obtained for all concerned. 



DATA ON MILK SUPPLIES. 



The present system of granting licenses does not allow for 

 an inspection of conditions where the milk is sold. Unfortu- 

 nately licenses are granted in many cases when if actual condi- 

 tions were known it would be far better to withhold them until 

 better conditions were evident. The answers sent in on the 

 application card are the only means we have to determine 

 conditions, and because of a continued demand for information 

 a new form of questions was prepared. This included ques- 

 tions as to the method of sale, — whether in bottles, cans, or 

 both, the price received and whether the milk sold was from 

 animals tested for tuberculosis, a factor that must be of con- 

 cern to the health of any community. 



Believing that each town and city should know of these con- 

 ditions and legislate accordingly I have compiled the results in 

 as complete a manner as possible from the answers received, as 

 follows : 



