474 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. 



the milk supply steadily improved until the report for Mai'cli. 1911, showed that 

 12.8 per cent of the dairies ranked as 'excellent' and 87.2 per cent 'good.' 

 The ' poor ' grade had disappeared quickly before the light of publicity, and 

 the ' medium ' grade had decreased steadily and finally had disappeared." 

 Considerable credit for this improvement in the milk supply is given to the 

 efficiency of the dairy inspector who was operating at that time. However, 

 it is pointed out that following this reix)rt there was a reaction due to a 

 change in inspectors, with the result that inspections made by the authors in 

 Januai-y and February, 1913, showed 18 per cent 'good' and 82 per cent 

 " medium." 



It is further explained that " every external form and legal enactment which 

 accompanied one of the most striking recorded cases of municipal improve- 

 ment of a milk supply is still in force, and yet within less than 2 years the 

 sanitary conditions surrounding the milk production have returned essentially 

 to the condition in which they were at the beginning of the original improve- 

 ment." 



The essential point lies in the fact that " during the latter part of 1912, 

 when the official grading of the dairies merely retained them at the highest 

 grade which they had previously reached, the financial stimulus for the pro- 

 duction of cleaner milk was weakened if not entirely removed." Had the 

 strict grading of dairies been continued and the effect of the financial stimulus 

 been retained, it is thought probable that this marked deterioration in the 

 quality of the milk supply would not have occurred. 



The authors summarize their findings as follows : " Under present financial 

 conditions the wholesale price of city milk is not high enough to yield the 

 average owner of a dairy a satisfactory interest upon his investment; there- 

 fore he is compelled to supply the cheapest grade of milk that the market will 

 accept without reducing the purchase price. The main opportunity for cheapen- 

 ing production is to omit the labor and care which are necessary to the pro- 

 duction of a clean, sanitary article. The financial stimulus is the strongest 

 force which can be enlisted in the improvement of municipal milk supplies. 

 Milk supplies will never become better as long as the largest profit is attained 

 by the production of dirty milk. However, they will Improve when consumers 

 are able to buy graded milk which they are sure is true to grade." 



The price control factor in the pure milk problera, F. H. Hall (New York 

 State Sta. Bui. 363, popular ed., pp. 8). — This is a popular edition of the above. 



The pollution of the air in commercial dairy byres, J. Hendrick {Ti-ans. 

 Highland and Agr. Soc. Scot., 5. ser., 25 (1913), pp. 79-96) .—This is an account 

 of investigations supplementing former work (E. S. R., 21, p. 376) to determine 

 the actual condition of the air in commercial milk-producing barns conducted 

 under ordinary conditions. Tabular data are presented as to the air space 

 per cow, floor space per cow, maximum, minmum, and average amount of 

 carbon dioxid present in evening and morning air, average temperature of the 

 bam, and details of ventilation of the 18 barns tested. 



Character of water for the creamery, Daire (Indus. Lait. [Paris'], 38 (19.13), 

 Nos. 17, pp. 27Ji-279; 18, pp. 280-295). — A discussion of the chemical and bac- 

 teriological character of water used in the creamery, with special attention to 

 the sources of contamination. Water often contains a high percentage of 

 calcium and iron, rendering it detrimental to use in the dairy. The author 

 discusses the purification of water by means of filtration and electrical sterili- 

 zation. The use of phosphoric acid as a sterilizing agent is also suggested. 



Composition of first-drawn and last-drawn milk, D. A. Gilchrist (Jour. 

 Bd. Agr. [London], 20 (1913), No. 2, pp. 97-106, fig. i).— An account of studies 



