74 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



HOW MAY AN INSPECTOR KNOW WHEN MILK IS GOOD. 



H. A. HARDING. 



In childhood we slowly reason out the merits of each indi- 

 vidual case, but later, by using definite standards, we quickly 

 and easily settle the cases as they arise. We find that the 

 simpler these standards are the easier they are applied. It is 

 usually so much quicker and simpler to pace off the distance 

 between two neighboring points than to apply measuring in- 

 struments with vernier readings that we commonly use the 

 former, though the latter method is vastly more accurate. 



As dairy inspectors, our superior officers and the public ex- 

 pect us to decide that a given milk is good, medium or bad. 

 So long as they have confidence in our judgment they have only 

 a mild interest in the means by which we arrive at our conclu- 

 sions. 



Since the beginning of milk inspection in Massachusetts in 

 1856 the milk inspector, like every other mortal, has been 

 searching for simple standards by which to decide his problems. 



Standards of Food Value. 

 In the earlier years his attention was centered upon the 

 chemical composition of milk. A study of normal milk gave 

 approximate values for fat and solids not fat. Relying upon 

 the lactometer and the Babcock test, he pronounced milk good 

 or bad. The underlying idea in this work was excellent, as 

 these tests throw light upon the food value of the milk. Un- 

 fortunately, this line of work led to the establishment of mini- 

 mum standards. While these minimum standards offered a 

 basis for punishing skimming and watering, they have had an 

 unfortunate and unexpected result in that they have standard- 



