122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



chusetts Dairymen's Association contest will agree with me 

 that there has been wonderful improvement. I doubt very 

 much if there is any other State in the Union that can make 

 a better showing of clean milk. Now, the point that is going 

 to be gained from this clean milk work is that the confidence 

 that the consumer has in Massachusetts milk will be greatly 

 strengthened, which will redound to the benefit of the Massa- 

 chusetts farmer. 



Mr. Crocker. Won't you please tell the audience just how 

 your agents get at these clean cottons for this test? 



Mr. Harwood. After the entries have closed we send an 

 agent to each contestant. Five cows are milked, and the milk 

 is put into a mixing tank. The agent then thoroughly stirs 

 this milk in the tank, takes a quart of it and runs it through 

 a sediment tester, in the bottom of which is a piece of ab- 

 sorbent cotton. The cotton is then taken out and put in a box 

 which contains the man's number. The same number is put 

 on a card and enclosed in an envelope on the outside of which 

 is the man's name. Now, these are both sealed and returned 

 to the office. The boxes are opened by the judge. After the 

 awards have been made by number the envelopes are opened, 

 the cards taken out, and the name of the contestant ascertained, 

 so you see there is absolutel}^ no chance for favoritism. Now 

 this whole proposition is one of cleanliness. The speaker here 

 to-day said that clean milk could be made under very simple 

 conditions. We are trying to encourage the farmer to do that, 

 and Ave find that they are doing it more and more, and the 

 difference between the exhibits this year and last show a 

 distinct improvement in twelve months. 



Third Day. 

 The third day's session was called to order at 10 a.m. by 

 Secretary Wheeler, who introduced Mr. Herbert G. Worth of 

 Nantucket as chairman. 



