P.D. 123 11 



Quality Milk Work 



The campaign to improve the quality of the milk produced within the 

 Commonwealth has been extended to new sections and developed along 

 new lines. The object being to awaken the farmers to the necessity of 

 producing a better product so that they can more successfully compete 

 with the milk from neighboring states. Two tests were used in this 

 work, the reductase test to determine the keeping quality of the milk, and 

 the sediment test to show the cleanliness. Temperatures of each sample 

 of milk were also taken to find out how effective the cooling had been. 



Reductase tests v/ere made of samples of milk from 1,574 farms as 

 compared with 1,495 in 1926, while 1,332 sediment tests were made. This 

 has been carried on in cooperation with milk dealers, milk inspectors and 

 county agricultural agents. The value of the work is evidenced by the 

 statement of a dealer for whom a series of tests were made and farms 

 visited. A complete survey of his entire supply was made, and recom- 

 mendations for improvement were made to the producers who made the 

 poorest milk. He said the bacteria count dropped from 100,000 per cubic 

 centimeter down to 10,000, and that he believed that this drop was due 

 to the quality milk work of the division. 



Summary of Quality Milk Work 



Reductase Sediment Farms Visited 



Dealers 



1574 



1332 



298 



169 



Tests were made for dealers in the following cities and towns: South- 

 borough, Marlborough, Fall River, Swansea, Somerset, Westport, Dart- 

 mouth, Fitchburg, Westminster, Ashby, North Leominster, Lunenburg, 

 Leominster, North Westport, Norwood, Walpole, Worcester, Sutton, Mill- 

 bury, Auburn, Arlington Heights, Bedford and Athol. 



The following statement is taken from the annual report of the Worces- 

 ter County Extension Service. 



"Cooperating with State Department of Agriculture, tests were made 

 of milk from 583 farms in the county to determine quality. This promises 

 to be one of the best pieces of work this year." 



Hogs 

 Following the plan started in 1926, another Ton Litter Contest was 

 arranged, including both farmers and public institutions. Five litters 

 were successful in reaching the goal, namely, raising one litter of pigs to 

 a weight of one ton or better in six months from birth. All five litters 

 attained a greater weight than the best one the year before, showing the 

 improvement in methods of care, feed and management. 



Summary of 1927 Ton Litter Contest 



1. Grafton State Hospital 



2. Worcester State Hospital 



3. Northampton State Hospital 



4. Foxborough State Hospital 



