212 



Milk Tests in 1907. 



[JUNE, 



farm hands sent half-a-day's journey on foot with a sample. 

 The samples that arrive through the post, broken or unbroken , 

 show no lack of originality in packing or in choice of bottles. 

 If some enterprising firm would make and advertise bottles for 

 milk samples, packed in light boxes ready for post, I think 

 it might help things a little." 



Another writer says : — " A small number of samples un- 

 doubtedly genuine have fallen below the limit, the cause for 

 which I am disposed to attribute very largely to defective- 

 sampling. This is a question of the highest importance, 

 and yet both farmer and retailer have failed fully to appreciate 

 it." 



A far more serious difficulty, however, is that the tests are 

 often used by persons for whom they were not intended, 

 or, even if used by the proper persons they are used in an 

 improper way. One writer points out that they are used by 

 retail milk sellers in all probability for the purpose of seeing 

 how much water can be added without detection. 



This, of course, can be obviated by refusing to test samples 

 which are sent in without the particulars required on one of the 

 forms provided by the Board, particulars which can only be 

 supplied by the milk producer. Another difficulty is that 

 farmers seem to look at these tests from a wrong point 

 of view. One writer says : — " I seldom seem to get samples 

 sent unless the producer is in trouble. Instead of making use- 

 of the tests to check the quality of the milk produced, they use- 

 them in order to check the result of some analyst who has 

 reported against the milk." Another writes : — " The milk in 

 this district is chiefly produced for selling as milk, and all the- 

 farmers care about is to get as large a yield of milk as possible 

 without troubling as to the quality. One farmer came and 

 asked us to defend him in the court when he was prosecuted, 

 for selling milk with added water, but this, of course, we- 

 refused to do." The following method of avoiding this un- 

 pleasant experience is given from another centre : — " The 

 recommendation to keep back a little of the first drawn milk 

 from the morning's milking was put into practice in some 

 instances, with the result that the remainder was raised above 

 the standard. The extra labour of drawing a small quantity of 

 milk into a separate pail in the morning is not great and results 



