MILK LEGISLATION IN AMERICA 475 



introduction of improved cattle to the United States, and for a 

 long time the representatives of this race imported from England 

 included excellent dairy animals, and diffused new blood into 

 American cattle. Consequent upon these changes the entire dairy 

 trade rapidly rose to occupy an important place in the States, a 

 position which was still further enhanced by two inventions, namely, 

 the mechanical separation of cream from milk by the centrifuge, 

 and the Babcock fat tester for milk. 



These changes all tended in the direction of activity and 

 development in the trade itself They acted rather by way of 

 incentive and stimulation than by way of control, and it soon 

 became evident that the new enterprise must be legislated for. 

 Such control naturally arose from the trade on the one hand, and 

 the public, as represented by the State, on the other. Dairy 

 schools, annual exhibitions strictly organised, weekly and monthly 

 journals, and a knowledge of bacteriology may be said to have 

 represented the sources of voluntary control. State laws and the 

 regulations and supervision of the United States Department of 

 Agriculture represent the strictly legislative control which arose 

 out of public opinion and the competition of foreign markets. At 

 the present time the dairy trade in America is not only one of the 

 most enlightened and progressive in the world, but the measures 

 of control which guide and guard its interests are far in advance 

 of what may be found in many of the countries of Europe. In 

 number of cows alone the growth of the trade in America has 

 been remarkable, and it is now officially estimated that there are 

 17,500,000 cows in the States. (Iowa, New York, Illinois, and 

 Pennsylvania possess more than a million cows each.) The growth 

 of legislation is still more instructive. Early in the sixties of the 

 nineteenth century. States were constructing legislation controlling 

 the trade. New Jersey was one of the first States to pass public 

 laws protecting butter and cheese against adulteration. This was 

 in 1864. Pennsylvania followed in 1869 with an act to authorise 

 the councils in cities and boroughs in the Commonwealth to 

 provide for inspection of milk. From that time to the end of the 

 century innumerable State laws were made for the strict control of 

 the trade, with the result that at the end of the century only three 

 States out of 49 possessed no dairy laws. Eighteen States provide 

 by law for officials known as Dairy Commissioners. These officers 

 have a national association. At several large cities and centres 

 of activity in the commerce of the dairy there are special Boards 

 of Trade for supervisionary purposes. Nineteen States possess 



