BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 93 



MILK INVESTIGATIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS. 



SANITARY MILK SUPPLIES FOR ARMY AND NAVY. 



Assistance has been rendered to the United States Public Health 

 Service in sanitary surveys of zones about Army and Navy estab- 

 lishments. The necessity for a safe milk supply at such places is 

 obvious. Most of the Army cantonments and camps are situated 

 in the South, in regions where the supply of milk is limited. Efforts 

 v^ere made to bring about improvement through suggestions rather 

 than by the application of drastic regulations which might easily 

 have reduced the available supply still more. The work consisted 

 of either complete or partial surveys of the dairies, bacterial counts 

 of the milk, and inspection of the pasteurizing plants; in short, the 

 milk was watched from the time it left the cow until it was con- 

 sumed. So far the milk supplies of 16 Army and Navy estabUsh- 

 ments have been investigated and great improvement has resulted. 



SANITARY SURVEYS OF CITY MILK SUPPLIES. 



In addition to the Army cantonment zones, 12 cities and towns 

 were worked with, and 773 dairy farms were scored for sanitary con- 

 ditions, 1,045 other dairies were visited, 7,011 bacterial counts were 

 made, and 111 milk plants were scored. In the work of improving 

 conditions 57 other towns in 16 States were visited and in many 

 cases assistance was rendered. Sanitary surveys are now made 

 more comprehensive and complete, and for that reason fewer cities 

 have been visited than in former years. 



A monthly letter, containing information of timely interest both 

 to producers and consumers, was sent regularly to 1,500 local health 

 officers. 



MILK CONTESTS. 



The milk contest is more and more proving its value as a means 

 of improving a city milk supply and keeping it at a high level of 

 quality. Eight contests held during the year under the immediate 

 supervision of the Dairy Division resulted in four cities definitely 

 adopting milk grading with regular contests. 



FARM STERILIZER AND MILK-COOLING CAMPAIGNS. 



The campaign to encourage the sterilization of milk utensils on 

 the farm has been continued with excellent results. Simple steam 

 sterilizers were sent to 180 health departments and to 25 State agri- 

 cultural colleges for demonstration. One hundred and seventy-two 

 health departments demonstrated the sterilizer to 5,799 people, and 

 it is believed that the colleges have been no less successful. 



A campaign urging the more thorough and prompt coohng of milk 

 and cream to below 50° F. on the farm has been carried on and 

 is being continued. Incidental to this effort the construction of ice 

 houses and the putting up of ice in the winter has been encouraged. 

 Posters, leaflets, and press articles, in addition to the regular pubh- 

 cations, have been distributed in very large numbers through the 

 cooperation of health officers, creameries, cheese factories, milk plants, 

 and State extension agencies. 



