328 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



more likely to be polluted, is left in the hands of thousands 

 of men, niaay of whom are ignorant and unscrupulous. 



Dr. Peters of Boston says that at least ten per cent of 

 the cows about the city are affected with tuberculosis. If 

 this be the case, it will take a great many Dr. Kochs and a 

 great quantity of lymph to counteract the evil which will 

 arise therefrom. 



The German government is controlling the manufacture 

 of the lymph for the cure of consumption. Perhaps it 

 might be well for Massachusetts to control the milk supply, 

 which is said to be one of the greatest sources of the seeds 

 of consumption. This Board can certainly do something if 

 it will set itself earnestly to work upon the subject. 



Age of Milk. — Sterilization. 



In this connection is the question of the age of milk, and 

 its sterilization. There appeared in the "Boston Herald," 

 a few weeks ago, a very able article by Dr. Henry J. Barnes 

 upon the age of milk, contending that most of it was too 

 old. He writes: " Half this milk is thirty-six and half 

 forty-eight hours old before it reaches the consumer .... 

 I know of no city of Europe or America where such a com- 

 plicated system of handling is practiced. . . . From an 

 economic point of view, the system is bad ; from its influence 

 on public health, it is criminal." 



Other physicians, knowing how difficult it is to get milk 

 free from disease germs, have urged its sterilization ; and one 

 wealthy lady, Mrs. Frances Fisher Wood, has started this 

 industry on her Vermont farm, and is shipping the product 

 to New York City. The proper sterilization of milk not 

 only destroys all disease germs, but will preserve it for 

 some length of time. If we are not mindful, this industry 

 may be the means of bringing milk from remote points to 

 compete with the fresh milk of Massachusetts, and we shall 

 find ourselves in the same condition as when " oleo " was 

 introduced, and creamery butter brought from Iowa. 



Since there are in round numbers 200,000 cows in Massa- 

 chusetts, is not the whole milk and dairy question an impor- 

 tant one for this Board to consider specifically ? Nay, is it 

 not a philanthropic one, as well? If it is not desirable for 



