34 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS. 



The object of inspection is not to criticise when an honest 

 effort is being made, but to help whenever possible. To this 

 end complaints that have been received from milk dealers have 

 been answered in person and help given. 



Complaints have often been received from consumers and 

 have resulted in samples of the product being secured in every 

 instance and the fault corrected. These complaints are usually 

 made because the milk received will not keep and this is due to 

 lack of cooling the product by the producer. 



Instances of ropy, stringy, and bloody milk, and very dirty 

 milk, have been traced back. The causes for ropy and stringy 

 milk were, in each instance, the lack of sterilizing the utensils, 

 they beting washed in lukewarm and sometimes cold water, allo-vv'- 

 ing a bacterial growth in the seams. Bloody milk has been re- 

 ported and traced to a cow whose udder had been injured on 

 the bars of the pasture gate. Another instance was traced to an 

 animal that had recently given birth. 



Very dirty milk has been traced back to ascertain the cause 

 in many instances. The common practice of filling bottles that 

 have not been rewashed, is a very unsanitary method. In one 

 instance two pasteboard tickets were found in the milk, show- 

 ing conclusively that the bottle was not rewashed. 



Only one city has and enforces an ordinance prohibiting thj 

 fdling of bottles on the wagon, and it is evident that more re- 

 striction is necessary if the practice is to be stopped. In visit- 

 ing milk rooms I have observed that it is a common practice 

 for some dairymen to not rewash the clean looking bottles but 

 to pass them as being clean enough. It is needless for me to 

 comment upon this practice, as it is plain that it is extremelv 

 dangerous and conducive to the transmission of disease. 



The rewashing and sterilizing of all returned milk and cream 

 containers are factors that cannot be neglected in the production 

 and delivery of clean, safe milk. 



The consumer must be taught to do his share by not return- 

 ing bottles difficult to wash properly such as are frequently 

 collected by the milkman. 



I have often recommended that when in doubt of the washing 

 nihility of the milkman the consumer should have his own tagge 1 



