10 P.D. 123 



REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF DAIRYING AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 



Better Milk from Massachusetts Farms 

 The program to improve the cleanliness and keeping quality of the milk 

 produced on Massachusetts farms was greatly extended during the past 

 year. Added stimulus was given to the work through the excellent co- 

 operation of local milk inspectors, milk dealers, county agricultural agents 

 and producers' organizations. Assistance was given to many local boards 

 of health that were planning on putting into effect new ordinances relating 

 to the production and sale of milk. Surveys were made of the milk supply 

 coming into these communities to determine its freedom from sediment and 

 its relative keeping quality as well as the temperature at which it reached 

 the dealers' plant. In this manner accurate information was gathered as 

 to the actual condition of the milk. From these facts, it was easier to 

 judge as to what kind of regulations should be adopted and how much time 

 should be allowed the farmer to get ready to meet such regulations. The 

 increase in the adoption of reasonable requirements by local boards of health 

 covering the production of milk on Massachusetts farms is one of the en- 

 couraging factors working toward improvement of the milk supply. 



A special study of the milk coming to certain Metropolitan Cities and 

 Towns from Middlesex County was undertaken. An effort was made to 

 test all the milk coming into dealers' plants that was secured from this 

 territory. In general, the quality of the milk was below the average and a 

 series of eight meetings in different parts of the County were held at which 

 the producers were given an opportunity to discuss the problem of producing 

 milk of a higher standard. The result of these meetings was a demand for 

 more uniformity of requirements and less duplication and unsatisfactory 

 inspection of dairy farms. Several meetings of milk inspectors, milk dealers 

 and representative farmers were then held to work out a minimum set of 

 regulations suitable for any City or Town to adopt. These were later to 

 be approved by the Massachusetts Milk Inspectors' Association. The suc- 

 cess of this program in Middlesex County depends upon the willingness of 

 the producers to co-operate with the milk inspectors. The demands of the 

 market for a higher quality milk require that a large amount of work of this 

 type be done in the future. 



Summary of Milk Surveys 



