REPOBT. 



By act of the Legislature of 1905 a new fiscal year for 

 State departments was established, beginning Dec. 1, 1906, 

 therefore this report covers only eleven months, — Jan. 1 to 

 Dec. 1, 1906. Hereafter reports will cover twelve months, 

 from December 1, annually. 



This year we have had occasion to bring a total of 113 

 cases in court, against 155 last year, 168 in 1904 and 289 in 

 1903, notwithstanding increased and thorough inspection. 

 Therefore, we note a reduced tendency to violate the dairy 

 laws. The number of oleomargarine licenses has fallen oft' 

 from that reported in previous years ; but, as we h&,ve brought 

 cases under a wider range of statute violations, the number 

 of prosecutions has increased. 



It is a pleasure to be able to announce that the year has 

 been one of general improvement along lines of sanitary 

 milk production, especially as regards general market milk ; 

 and due credit for this should be given to the State Board 

 of Health for its inspection of dairies, to the farmers who 

 have responded to the suggestions made, and to the im- 

 proved plants and methods of the Boston milk contractors. 

 A beginning has been made b}" interested parties during the 

 year in the matter of certified milk. What the result of 

 this movement will be it is yet too early to determine. 



This Bureau has worked unceasingly for a better dairy 

 product, and the calls for lectures along this line have 

 greatly increased over any previous year. We believe that 

 fundamentally the farmers should reform their OAvn condi- 

 tions, and that it is largely due to their failure to do so that 

 inspection and regulation become necessary. The chairman 



