No. 123.] REPORT OF GENERAL DAIRY AGENT. 133 



Total number of inspections for the year was 4,203 ^ 



Number of inspections where no samples were purchased or 



taken, 3,485 



Number of samples of butter, oleomargarine and renovated 



butter, all purchased, 712 



Number of samples of milk, 24 



ENCOURAGEMENT OF DAIRYING. 



An industry as important to the consumer, and as uncertain 

 and often unprofitable to the producer, as dairying needs more 

 encouragement than perhaps any other agricultural industry. 

 If consumers would only use all the milk that is best for their 

 well-being, supply and demand would ultimately take care of 

 the situation. Until such time much has to be done. The ef- 

 forts of this Department for years have been to increase milk 

 consumption through the spread of food value of milk propa- 

 ganda, and to improve the quality through clean milking con- 

 tests. The clean milking contests have educated and encour- 

 aged hundreds of milkers to adopt better methods, and now the 

 prizes offered for better grade heifers of the milk-producing 

 breeds is another step taken, not only to encourage the dairy 

 farmer to better efforts, but to furnish in the end better and 

 cheaper milk to the consumer. 



ENCOURAGEMENT OF DAIRYING PRIZE CONTESTS, 1918. 

 The Clean Milking Contest. 

 The following notice was sent to women, girls and boys on 

 dairy farms : — 



You can help win the war. Learn to milk cows and assist in the out- 

 door work on the dairy farm. At the same time earn part of the $734.50 

 offered in prizes by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the 

 Dairy Bureau of the State Board of Agriculture. 



1 There were 18 extra samples taken during the year, therefore this total is 18 less than the sum 

 of the next three items. 



