76 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Ofif. Doc. 



cattle, SO that by means of a measuiement of the optical activity of 

 milk senini by use of the di])i)ing refractometer, it is possible to de- 

 tect the addition of very small percentages of waler. Skimming- 

 is detected not only by an abnormally low proportion oC fa( to the 

 entire milk, but also, and far more definitely, by the proportion which 

 Ihe fat bears to the total solid materials of the milk, the proportion 

 of the fat in the solids of unskimmed milk rarely falling below twenty- 

 seven per cent, of the solids. 



By the ap|»lication of such methods, a large number of cases of 

 skimming and watering have been detected in the j)resent year and 

 have usuall\' been terminated by pleas of guilty on the part of the 

 dealers prosecuted and their payment of the fines and costs imposed. 



it is apparent on the most casual consideration of this subject 

 that a thorough and continuous control of the milk produced in the 

 thousands of dairies and sold in the hundreds of communities in this 

 State, is impracticable without the employment of a large force of 

 agents and chemists. It has been the endeavor of the Bureau so to 

 conduct its work that the most effective operation possible with its 

 present force and resources should be, secured. The general con- 

 dition during 1910 as to skimming, watering and the use of pre- 

 servatives and artiticial colors, has been highly satisfactory. In the 

 great majority of communities whose milk supply has been sampled 

 for analysis, few cases of violation of the law, or none, have been 

 discovered. In a few communities, however, very serious conditions 

 appeared, the number of violations of the law being large in pro- 

 portion to the total number of samples examined. No effect will be 

 spared to protect the milk consumers in such communities. 



In relation to milk control, the laws of the Commonwealth have 

 committed to the larger municipalities adequate powers whereby they 

 can organize and maintain agencies for their own protection against 

 milk trade abuses. The Bureau has endeavored to co-operate with 

 these agencies whenever called upon. 



CREAM 



During 1010, 490 samples of cream were analyzed, of which 27 were 

 found illegal, all but one of them because of a deficiency in butter fat. 

 In 1009, 1,078 samples of cream were analyzed. A number of adverse 

 findings given in the Summary of that year are included in the pres- 

 ent list of samples condemned under the milk acts, so that the condi- 

 tions of the two years under consideration cannot be precisely deter- 

 mined by comparing the figures in the respective Summaries. The 

 facts at command warrant, however, the statement that for this com- 

 modity also there has been a distinct improvement in the grade of ma- 

 terial offered for sale under the name of "cream." 



