76 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



" PKOTECTION FROM FLIES " CONTEST. 



MR. P. M. HARWOOD. 



/ 



Yesterday I promised that if I could I would obtain from 

 the office and ready, to you what we had written in relation 

 to the " protection Y^om flies " contest. Perhaps I ought 

 to say, for the benefi\ of those who were not here yesterday, 

 that the State of Massachusetts has offered sums of money 

 not to exceed $5,000 p^r year for three consecutive years 

 for the encouragement o% dairying. Only one-fifth of what 

 was asked for was granted us. We have aimed at two points : 

 one, to encourage clean iivilk, — the production of clean 

 milk in the pails before it is '^trained ; therefore prizes were 

 offered totaling $2,100 for mt|k which appeared to be the 

 cleanest. We have also awardeA prizes for dairies protected 

 from flies. Now, if we ^an inojice dairymen to be more 

 cleanly in their methods of milkmg, keeping the dirt out 

 and keeping the flies out, we think "we have accomplished a 

 good deal, and we think that a better way than penalizing 

 people for not doing what they should do is to encourage 

 them by giving prizes for doing bettek Nothing has ap- 

 pealed to me since I came to this meeting: as have the words 

 of many of the unsuccessful contestants (i^iX4 being the total 

 number, only 20 ,of whom could be succeJ^ful), who have 

 told me that they/will try again if they have an opportunity ; 

 they say that tjaey have learned more in thisXcontest about 

 the production'' of clean milk than they ever knew before in 

 all their experience of years in dairying. This is en- 

 couraging./^ \ 



I want to say just a word about taking advantage of the 

 psychological moment. Mr. Kenneth E. Webb, winner of 

 the second prize in the eastern section, was here yesterday 



