232 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Totals. 



Received. 



Sold. 



Surplus. 



1891, 

 1892, 

 1893, 

 1894, 



7,281,524 

 9,212,667 

 9,263,487 

 9,705,447 



6,113,803 

 7.315,135 

 7,619,722 

 7,657,421 



1,643,765 



2,048,026 



The following figures for other cities are taken from milk 

 inspectors' reports : — 



Springfield, 19,000 quarts daily, mostly furnished by three adjoining 

 towns. 



Chelsea, 10,664 quarts daily. 



Maiden, 11,000 quarts daily. 



Holyoke, 15,387 quarts daily. 



Lynn, 24,000 quarts daily, one-half coming from Portsmouth and 

 Hampton, N. H., in cars, and one-half from dairies of adjacent towns. 



Milk Standard. 



An effort has been made each winter for several years to 

 have the statute standard of milk reduced. Unquestionably 

 many cows in the State produce milk that is below the stand- 

 ard. But it is also a fact that the milk of a great majority 

 from all breeds contains 13 percent, of solids, — the legal 

 standard. The practical question is, Shall the interests of 

 the majority be sacrificed for the minority? The present 

 law is not perfect ; under an ideal condition, all milk would 

 be sold according to its quality ; but that is impracticable at 

 present, although we believe that ultimately, with the Bab- 

 cock test more common and the people more enlightened as 

 to milk values, this result will be reached. But this is not 

 the real point desired by the advocates of the change as we 

 understand it. They desire to get their 12 per cent, milk 

 on the market at the going price, — that is, the price for 

 the 13 per cent. milk. 



One point against the present law that is used with much 

 force is the claim that the standard hangs like a sword of 

 Damocles above the head of the innocent farmer, liable at 



