REPORT OF BUREAU OF INSPECTION. 187 



lection of milk and cream samples. The number of samples of 

 milk and cream collected since October w^as four himclred and 

 sixty. As ordered by statute, thes>e samples were analyzed at 

 the laboratory of the Maine Experiment Station. The results 

 of the inspections on the whole were very' satisfactory and out 

 of the samiples collected only a few showed a deficiency that 

 warranted a hearing or even a request for an explanation. 

 There are still many changes to be suggested in the milk situa- 

 tion. In some instances it seems necessary to caution milk 

 dealers to take more care to produce a clean product; some of 

 the .provisions of the statute should be more carefully observed 

 by milk dealers, as in numerous cases no license number is dis- 

 played' on the wagon, although this is required by law and 

 should be observed ; people are selling milk without a license — 

 in some cases from stores — and it was discovered that a regular 

 milk business 'had been carried on from a delivery team al- 

 though no license had been procured, which seemed inexcusable, 

 as obtaining a license carries no expense other than postage for 

 an application. It has been noticed that in some cases, when 

 selling milk from cans, the product has not been dispensed 

 consistently. Care should be taken to turn the can frequently 

 so the cream may be well mixed with the milk, thus insuring a 

 isitandlard quality when ^portions are drawn. It is also recom- 

 mended to milk dealers that they adopt some method during the 

 winter months to prevent milk from freezing in their delivery 

 wagons, as freezing renders milk more liable to decompose, in- 

 jures its keeping qualities, and consequently increases its unfit- 

 ness for food. 



Tlie demand for clean milk, or any legislation framed to 

 insure a clean product, should be drafted with care so that in 

 no way will it resemble prohibition but rather a regulation of the 

 sale of thi's useful food product. It must also be understood 

 by the consumer that if clean milk is expected a corresponding 

 increase of the cost of milk may be expected aS' well, with the 

 high price of feed and increased cost of 'production. Without 

 attermpting to quote, I recornimend that the most valuable in- 

 formation recently given along these lines is co'ntained in Farm- 

 ers' Bulletin 602, published by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture at Washington, entitled "The Production of Clean 

 Milk." 



