DAIRY, SEED IMPROVEMENT, STOCK BREEDERS MEETINGS. 249 



years of somewhat superficial investigations prompted by fear 

 of the threatened advance in the price of milk, coupled with 

 unwillingness to admit or concede that milk so produced was 

 correspondingly worth more, directed attention to the devise- 

 ment of shorter paths to righteousness and proportionately 

 cheaper than those obtainable by stable improvement. This 

 line of work first resulted in the recommendation that milk be 

 sterilized. After some years of trial this was found to be un- 

 satisfactory and was finally superseded by pasteurization as 

 the only practical and safe way to provide wholesome milk 

 supplies. The trend towards pasteurization is particularly 

 strong at present in all large centers of population. That 

 pasteurization, as now usually performed, does have a tendency 

 to prolong the commercial life of milk, must be conceded. This 

 is accomplished by the effect such treatment of milk has on 

 delaying its souring. Its merit as a factor in the protection of 

 health still remains somewhat uncertain. The interval of 

 time during which it has been in use has been too brief to 

 warrant the formation of definite opinions thereon. Pres- 

 ent indications are that as a life saving proposition it will prove 

 to have been over-rated, although it will be employed to a 

 considerable extent because of the commercial advantages pre- 

 viously stated. When the time that elapses between the pro- 

 duction and distribution exceeds 24 hours, these advantages 

 become inviting and rapidly enhanced as the time limit in- 

 creases. Hence, pasteurization will first be employed in such 

 communities where much of the milk used, necessarily, at 

 present, comes from rather remote points. From the commer- 

 cial point of view, there is no advantage apparent in pasteur- 

 ization of milk where the milk can be delivered to consumers 

 within 24 hours of its production. 



There are certain grave objections to pasteurization that will 

 ultimately demand attention. First, the logical efifect thereof 

 is to place a premium upon carelessness and filth. That is, 

 this method is but the culmination of efforts seeking to evade 

 the added costs that inevitably must result from stable inspec- 

 tion and the changes in practices and methods such inspection 

 will impose. Attempts to reduce costs are always laudable, 

 but the method and ultimate effect involved should not be 

 overlooked. 



