76 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



above indicates that the financial inducement, consisting of a 

 premium to the prochicer, is the most efTective. It will trans- 

 form a farmer producing milk with millions of bacteria into one 

 producing milk with a few thousand bacteria in the space of 

 twenty-four hours. Next in importance to this is the laboratory 

 control of milk. Laboratory control supplements the premium 

 paid by giving the information upon which tlie premium is 

 based. Of much less importance than these is the plan of dairy 

 inspection. The external appearance of things must not be 

 entirely neglected. It is easier to produce clean milk amid 

 clean surroundings than amid dirty surroundings. No one 

 advocates dirty surroundings. The field for dairy inspection is 

 necessarily limited to the appearance of things. Appearances 

 have some part to play, but this part is only supplementary to 

 other factors which are of greater importance. Dairy inspection 

 is subordinate in importance to the economic control and the 

 la])oratory control of milk production. 



If it is admitted that the most powerful factor in bringing 

 about the adoption of sanitary measures is the economic factor, 

 then the solution of the milk problem lies primarily with the 

 milk consumer. It must not be forgotten that the milk industry 

 is a gigantic industry. In the United States the production of 

 dairy farms ranks third in value and is exceeded only by the 

 production of corn and beef. Dairying is the backbone of agri- 

 culture. In an industry which is so broad and which affects 

 the interests of such a body of producers and consumers the 

 question of the improvement in quality must finally be settled by 

 the producers and consumers themselves. Laboratory analyses 

 have a part to play. Dairy inspections are also a factor, but 

 above all in influence lies the advance in retail price which must 

 be paid by the milk consumers themselves. When the milk 

 consumers in our large cities are sufficiently aroused to be will- 

 ing to pay the small increase in retail price which is the cost 

 of cleanliness, clean and safe milk will be quickly obtained. At 

 the present moment milk producers and milk dealers are ready 

 and willing to supply a much larger quantity of milk of this 

 character than milk consumers are willing to pay for. 



Mr. Robinson. In ])roducing such milk, how much per 

 quart must the consumer pay over the ordinary price ? 



