No. 6 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 223 



comes to us now less tlian one-ljalf of one per cent., one in two 

 hundred, is incorrect. Clearly this section of the law is of benefit. 

 The law is imperfect however. It should cover the accuracy of 

 the centrifugal testing machines. There are centrifugal testing ma- 

 chines in use at creameries so constructed that they cannot give cor- 

 rect results; and many are worn out. The law should provide for the 

 inspection of these machines and prohibit the use of such as yield in- 

 correct results. 



ERRORS OP IGNORANCE. 



The Vermont law requires that every operator of the Babcock test 

 for dividend-making shall be examined as to his knowledge of the 

 method of its operation; and that he shall secure a certificate from 

 the dairy school of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural 

 College that he is competent and well qualified to perform the work. 



The law has forced many operators to perfect themselves so they 

 could pass the examination and get a license, who otherwise would 

 have tested with but a half knowledge of the process. There have 

 been tested up to January 1, 1902, over 27,600 milk and cream bottles 

 and pipettes of 362 w^ould-be licensees. Large numbers of incor- 

 rect pipettes and acid measures have been detected and regraduated 

 and are not included in this showing. Had it not been for the law 

 457 incorrect bottles would have been used as measures of dividends. 

 Elad it not been that this law was on our statute books, over fifty 

 incompetent operators unable to test correctly even under condi- 

 tions when if ever thev would have striven to do their best, would 

 have been to-day adjudicating the value of milk at Vermont 

 creameries and factories. A considerable number of operatives were 

 refused licenses on the first examination, but were granted them 

 after they proved on second trial, that they had learned how to test 

 milk. Every man testing in Vermont to-day at least knew bow to 

 test when he took the examination. Whether in actual work he does 

 as well as he knows is another story. I see no reason why a law 

 of this sort should not work well in Pennsylvania. It works no hard- 

 ship to any one, provides for the removal of incorrect apparatus and 

 keeps incompetent men out of responsible places. 



Many operators have protested against our ruling that they test 

 cream on the ground that whole milk only was delivered at their 

 creameries. We have insisted on this point for three reasons. In 

 tlie first place the law refers to the testing of both products; then 

 again, the farm separator is so commonly used, that most creameries 

 are equipped and all must soon be equipped to test cream; and, 

 finally, there is a greater likelihood of error in cream analysis than 

 in milk analysis. This error is largely due to the fact that when 

 cream is pipetted — particularly separator cream, or, indeed, any 



