Thirty-fourth Annual Convention. I8i 



by the board of health. The trouble has been that the board 

 of health have not met the dairyman half way in the past. 

 They have gone after him with a club, when they should have 

 first offered suggestions, assistance and encouragement. Then 

 if he did not get busy they should apply the law. Many dairy- 

 men do not understand why it is that methods which have been 

 accepted for the past twenty-five years are suddenly condemned. 

 They want an explanation and they are entitled to it. But I 

 believe that when the dairyman understands the importance of 

 greater cleanliness and that cow manure was never intended to 

 go with milk any more than with water, bread, or any food 

 substance, and that it is a poison, he is ready to make improve- 

 ments. 



Up to the present time there has been but little incentive to 

 the production of high-class milk, with possibly the exception of 

 certified milk. Clean and dirty milk have sold for the same 

 price and in direct competition with each other. This is not 

 right. With other commodities the grade determines the price. 

 It should be so with milk. 



There are indications, however, that the dairyman who pro- 

 duces clean milk will in the future receive a premium for his pro- 

 duct and the careful inspection of the dairy farm and the milk 

 produced is going to help bring this about. Already an advanced 

 price is being offered by the milk dealers in some of our cities 

 for milk from high-scoring daries. This certainly is encourag- 

 ing to the dairyman who is trying to produce a clean product. 

 Every farm should be inspected, and such inspection should be 

 welcomed by every intelligent dairyman. A score such as that 

 given in this contest showing the milk to be of high quality will 

 have a tendency to increase the sales and inspire confidence. It 

 will be for the dairyman's interest in the future to produce clean 

 milk, and he should be rewarded for his efforts. Producers 

 should hold together in this matter. Public sentiment is with 

 the movement for a better milk supply and the prices of food 

 stuffs and labor being high, the producers have every reason to 

 demand a fair price for a good product. But they should see 

 to it that their product is clean and that it deserves the price 

 demanded. It is not for the producers' interests to allow the 

 consumer to get the idea that this most valuable food product, 

 milk, is produced and handled under dirty conditions. It is to 



