160 TESTIMONY OF JOSEPH T. 0' CONNOR. 



Q. On July 10th it had risen to 102? A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Referring to cow No. 16 of the same dairy, I find that on July 

 1st it stood 100, and on July 10th it had fallen to 93 ? A. Yes, sir. 



Q. Can you give any explanation of those two variations ? A. I 

 think my answer to the previous question covers the ground 

 entirely. 



Q. In case you should find, say half a dozen of samples of milk 

 that you knew to be pure, which came from healthy well fed cows, 

 and a specific gravity which was below 100 by your lactometer when 

 properly used, would you not think that the lactometer as at present 

 used is graduated at too high a standard ? A. May I ask how large 

 a number of cows will you suggest to be selected for this ? 



Q. Suppose you examined the cows at two or three dairies and 

 found them all to be healthy and well fed as far as you could tell, 

 and found that one-third of those cows yielded milk which, when 

 properly tested at a proper temperature, was below 100, would not 

 you think that the standard was lower ? A. I hold it to be an im- 

 possibility. 



Q. Suppose that occurred ? A. I should look for evidence of 

 disorder, of some abnormality within the cow some condition of 

 food or otherwise so affecting the cow as to make this change. 



Q. Suppose you entirely failed to find it and found that the cow 

 was giving this unusually low gravity of milk, what would you say ? 

 A. I would be sorry that my efforts had not been more successful 

 to find out the cause. 



Q. Do not you think that the lactometer is a very poor test to 

 apply practically to milk in a large city for the purposes for which 

 you applied the test ? A. No, sir, I do not. 



Q. Do you regard the test as you use it as being the best test for 

 the purpose ? A. The best test for the purpose. . 



Q. Is it the most accurate test ? A. In regard to determining a 

 quantity less than say 5 per cent, of water it is not as accurate as 

 would be an analysis, but in determining a quantity, say more than 

 that I am merely giving approximate figures it is to me just as 

 accurate, provided that in each case we have a standard from which 

 we start. 



Q. Suppose the lactometer inserted properly at the right tem- 

 perature in pure milk stands at 120, may not some 15 per cent, of 



