No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 295 



Medical and health bodies have been discussing them, and 

 considering possible legislation. It is a fact that legislation 

 has hitherto looked more after the commercial fraud of sell- 

 ing adulterated milk, or milk not of standard quality, than it 

 has at the health phases of the case. It is also a fact that 

 the modern advances in bacteriology have given definite and 

 accurate data on which we can now base intelligent and ad- 

 vanced action. Hence there is a good opportunity for Mas- 

 sachusetts to take a forward step, and for the Legislature to 

 do something looking to enhancing the quality of the State's 

 milk supply. But such legislation should be discreet, and 

 should, especially at the outset, guard against steps too far 

 in advance of the ideas of producers, or which might tend to 

 the annoyance of petty officialism. Michigan has a system 

 of inspection which merely leads to publishing reports of 

 what the inspectors find. The publicity of these reports is 

 expected to work a correction of the evils noticed. A meas- 

 ure as mild as this ought not to arouse great opposition, 

 and yet it would be strong enough to have a beneficial 

 educational influence which would tend to correct evils now 

 existing so far as producers are concerned. A favorable 

 report would be a good advertisement of any producer. 

 Any filthy or unsanitary conditions at the city end of the 

 business among wholesalers or peddlers would require differ- 

 ent action. I submit herewith a few samples of the results 

 of Michigan inspection, as taken from printed reports of the 

 dairy commissioner of that State : — 



At Lowell. 



R. Rider. — Cows clean ; stables clean ; ventilation good ; san- 

 itary conditions fair ; uses well water. 



J. Kramer. — Cows fairly clean ; stables unclean ; ceilings dusty 

 and floors dirty ; ventilation good ; sanitary conditions very poor ; 

 uses spring water. 



At Howard City. 



A. S. Stodard. — Cows poor but fairly clean ; ventilation poor; 

 sanitary conditions fair ; uses well water. 



William 0' Donald. — Cows clean; stables unclean; ventilation 

 good; sanitary conditions fair; uses creek water. 



