408 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Earlier in the month 27 samples were taken in Williams- 

 town and North Adams, which averaged 3.70 per cent of fat. 



The first week in October, samples were taken as fol- 

 lows : — 



It appears that there was no material increase in the 

 quality of milk when the statute standard changed, on the 

 part of these milkmen, and that both in the last week in 

 September and the first week in October the milk was sub- 

 stantially up to 13 per cent of total solids. So far as this 

 experiment throws any light upon the situation, the average 

 milk that is sold in Massachusetts has 13 per cent total 

 solids in September as well as in October, and the milk sold 

 in September was substantially above the statute standard 

 of 12 per cent total solids. 



During the past year, the perplexing conditions of the 

 milk business have led to the organization of the milk ped- 

 dlers in several places, for purposes of mutual protection. 

 In two cases the assistant executive officer of the Bureau 

 has been called on to address them on the milk law and its 

 operation. In one case 32 samples of milk were tested with 

 the Babcock test before the meeting, as an object lesson on 

 the composition of milk, showing the value of the Babcock 

 tester to dealers in sale milk. The average of these tests 

 was 4.14 per cent of butter fat. Among the samples were 

 two or three which were brought in as suspicious, and 

 brought down the average. 



We have made much efibrt to emphasize the point that 

 the enforcement of the law is of advantage both to peddlers 

 and producers. Very often the milk peddler, accosted by 

 an inspector, particularly in the early morning hours, is 



