212 THE BUSINESS OF DAIRYING 



of a high quality product would have the advantage 

 of a higher price, which fairly belongs to him be- 

 cause of the greater cost of producing milk of a 

 better quality. A few dairymen are already prac- 

 ticing this method with success, the percentage of 

 fat in the milk being stamped on the milk cap and 

 the system should be encouraged for the benefit of 

 both producer and consumer. 



Lack of uniformity in the sanitary qualities of 

 milk. — It is only until recently that much attention 

 has been given to the sanitary quality of milk. City 

 Boards of Health have given their attention largely 

 to chemical standards for milk, and examinations 

 have been made chiefly for content of fat and total 

 solids and for adulteration and preservatives. At 

 the present time more attention is being given to 

 the sanitary conditions at the farms, to the health 

 of the cows, and to the cleanliness of the milk when 

 delivered to the consumer. Now, in addition to ask- 

 ing the question, "Is the milk reasonably rich and 

 free from adulterations?" the Board of Health asks, 

 "Is the milk clean?" 



The standards used for judging milk on the sani- 

 tary basis include bacteria (the number allowed 

 ranging, in different cities, from 100,000 to 500,000 

 per c.c.) ; temperature of the milk (which is re- 

 quired in some instances to be 50° F. or below when 

 entering the city) ; and the dairy score card already 

 referred to. 



Education of the public. — The grading of milk on 

 the basis of its chemical and sanitary qualities is of 

 little value to the dairyman unless the general pub- 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



