36 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



prosecutions stayed, it being thought that because of carelessness 

 on the part of some of their cHents, the giving of a criminal 

 record for first offence was too severe. Several conferences 

 were held with the seven opposing attorneys and the cases 

 were continued at their wish until finally disposed of. I regret 

 that I could not reward them for their courteous treatment 

 during this time but the law could not be changed and the 

 prosecutions were finally made. 



In visiting many stores where samples of butter were not 

 purchased I noted the sanitary conditions under which butter 

 and its substitutes were kept and I found a general lack of 

 knowledge or disregard of proper labeling and covering, espe- 

 cially for renovated tub butter. It was commonly exposed to 

 dust and flies and no covering placed over it during sweeping 

 time. This method is very unsanitary and wasteful to the dealer 

 and from criticisms made, many have seen the wisdom of sell- 

 ing butter substitutes in sealed, plainly marked packages not 

 less than one-half pound in weight, as they come from the 

 wholesaler. 



Many complaints have been made to me personally about 

 poor butter being sold by large butter concerns, but as far as I 

 have been able to learn these concerns are far from violating 

 any dairy laws even though their product may be very inferior 

 in taste. 



It is a common and legitimate practice for large creameries to 

 buy surplus butter from smaller concerns in the flush season and 

 to ship that butter to cold storage until the supply runs short. 

 Then this bought-up butter is brought back to the creamery and 

 worked in with fresh made butter and sold under its stamp. 

 Poor quality butter when sold to the general public does not 

 benefit the reputation of the concern under whose stamp it is 

 sold, but in some sections the demand is great enough so that the 

 public must accept or go without. 



Rather than make their own cream into butter of a known 

 quantity some of the creameries ship sweet cream to Boston in 

 summer and prefer to sell poor quality butter brought from 

 cold storage or from the western states in winter, worked 

 over anrl bearing their stamp. 



It is surely a slight imposition on the public to supply their 



