84 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



to kill the germs it contains has much to commend it ; but 

 how much better it would be to have no germs there, or at 

 least to reduce them to the least possible amount. Sanitary 

 inspection of herds may provoke criticism as a possible 

 means of subjecting the farmer to unnecessary annoyance. 

 But I believe that a majority of the most intelligent, broad- 

 minded agriculturists admit that it is right to aim at fur- 

 nishing as good a product as possible, and that studying the 

 interests and tastes of the consumer tends in the Ions; run 

 to enhance the welfare of the producer. This legislation 

 should not be undertaken hastily. It should be conceived 

 in a spirit of friendliness to the interests of agriculture. 

 There should be nothing about such a law or its enforcement 

 that would subject the farmers to any undue hardship or to 

 annoyance from any arbitrary martinet. It would be well 

 if the agitation should be commenced by the farmers them- 

 selves, not only to show that they are interested in the 

 quality of the product they sell, but to insure legislation 

 in sympathy with them, and to see that the enforcement of 

 the law is placed in the hands of their friends. Such legis- 

 lation is sure to come, and if the farmers are prominent in 

 securing it, it may be more satisfactory to them than if it is 

 forced upon them ; and it may avoid objectionable features 

 that would be engrafted in a law enacted by excited or 

 frightened city interests in possession of only half the 



truth. 



In Conclusion. 



The future of the city milk business at times seems 

 discouraging, especially when we consider the increasing- 

 distances that milk can be transported, and the consequent 

 increasing number of farmers and amount of territory which 

 must compete for the business where there is already a 

 frequent surplus. Formerly the superiority of fresh over 

 " stale " milk was often urged, but in the light of modern 

 bacteriological studies this difference has largely disap- 

 peared. Milk produced one hundred miles away, if clean 

 and properly handled, may be better when twenty-four 

 hours old than that produced even in the city limits when 

 only five hours old. The way milk is cared for is of more 



