10 P.D. 123 



public will be fully protected and safeguarded in the use of this milk in its 

 raw state. 



Inspection of Dairy Plants 

 One inspector from this division has been assigned the work in a State- 

 wide program of plant inspection. His work involves chiefly the checking of 

 milk samples taken by milk dealers who are paying producers on the basis of 

 weight and test. We have received many complaints during the year that the 

 butterfat test, which is used by the milk dealei's as a basis for payment to 

 the producer, has been uniformly low. In many cases the producers have had 

 private butterfat tests made prior to communicating with the Department of 

 Agriculture. In all cases we have sent our inspector to the milk plants and 

 checked all samples. Our investigation would indicate that there are very few 

 dealers in this State who would intentionally make improper butterfat tests in 

 order to pay the producer less than he should receive. The few questionable 

 cases that have come to our attention have been very carefully and frequently 

 investigated, and it is our opinion that these milk plants are now testing more 

 accurately and that the producers are receiving full payment on the basis of 

 a butterfat test. The following table gives a statement of the work completed 

 in connection with our plant inspection) program: 

 Babcock tests made . 5,208 Milk inspectors visited 186 



Producer milk tested . 4,659 Farms visited , 



Producers interviewed 452 Reductase tests made 



Dealers or creameries visited 875 Sediment tests made 



Dealers' samples tested . 186 Temperatures taken 



75 

 159 

 199 

 586 



Complaints investigated . 109 



Poultry Program 



Several cases have arisen during the past year where the importance of our 

 new law relative to the transportation of live poultry is clearly set forth. The 

 State police have cooperated closely in apprehending thieves who have been 

 transporting stolen poultry on the highways, and these cases have been brought 

 to the attention of the courts and substantial fines and imprisonment have been 

 meted to these ever-ti-oublcsome violators of our poultry thieving law. The 

 drastic provisions of this law have acted as a deterring factor, and the fact 

 of apprehending some of the leaders of an apparently organized gang of 

 poultry thieves has relieved the situation somewhat in connection with the 

 wholesale stealing of poultry in this State. 



Our program of regulatoiy work in poultry has increased considerably dur- 

 ing the past year so that it has been necessary to ask for the employment of 

 another poultry inspector to assist in this expanding program of work. Our 

 poultry breeders are recognizing the importance of. official grades that are 

 adequately supervised and regulated. Our present program relates to four 

 classes of poultry flocks: Massachusetts Record of Performance Accredited; 

 Massachusetts Certified Accredited; Massachusetts Pullorum Accredited; 

 Massachusetts Pulloi'um Passed. This year the grade known as Massachusetts 

 Record of Performance Accredited was responsible for most satisfactory re- 

 sults to our local breeders. There were nineteen poultry plants under the 

 supervision of this division and unannounced visits were made to these plants 

 whereby the trap-nesting was taken over for the day and the checking of the 

 trap sheets for accuracy was made. An increase of two flocks under super- 

 vision was made over the previous years' records. 



Twenty-six poultry breeders are taking advantage of the grade Massachu- 

 setts Cei'tified Accredited and a total of 31,421 birds were inspected by this 

 department. Each bird inspected was leg-banded, provided it met the grade 

 requirements for pullorum disease freedom, health and vigor, productive capac- 

 ity, and reasonable freedom from standard disqualifications. Visits were made 

 to each breeder during the hatching season to check on the size of all hatching 

 eggs and to make sure that the grade requirements were met by the various 

 breeders. 



