MILK AND CEEAM CONTESTS. 17 
old when scored, the showing is remarkable and points out very 
strongly the fact that milk properly produced and handled and 
thoroughly refrigerated in transit and storage can be kept sweet for 
a considerable length of time. 
The latest card shown on page 7 is more nearly uniform as to cuts 
in bacterial rating than the former cards. For the same increase in 
bacteria practically the same cuts are made, there being no serious 
breaks. 
BENEFITS OF MILK CONTESTS TO DAIRYMEN. 
As milk and cream contests are intended primarily for the educa- 
tion of the dairymen, it is interesting to go over the scores made in 
some of these contests to see whether they accomplish the purpose. 
In examining the scores of contests which have been held in the same 
place two years in succession, two things are very noticeable. The 
first is that dairymen who compete for two successive years almost 
always do better in a second contest than they did in their first, 
showing very plainly that they have received valuable suggestions 
as to the production of sanitary milk. The second is that dairymen 
who have had experience in these competitions nearly always do 
better than those who are competing for the first time. The follow- 
ing results which have been tabulated from three contests show con- 
clusive figures along these lines: 
MARYLAND STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION, 1911 CONTEST. 
Average 
score. 
10 men who competed the year previous 73. 83 
23 men competing for the first time 64. 15 
ILLINOIS STATE FAIR. 
Average Average 
score 1910. score 1911. 
7 dairies which competed both years. 74. 64 79. 68 
7 dairies which did not compete in 1910 64. 39 
NATIONAL DAIRY SHOW. 
Market milk: 
5 dairies which competed both years. 89. 50 89. 53 
23 dairies which did not compete in 1910 83. 62 
Certified milk: 
14 dairies which competed both years 83. 10 91. 05 
3 dairies which did not compete in 1910 75. 72 
Looking at the Maryland State Dairymen's Association's 1911 con- 
test, it is seen that the 10 men who had had previous experience in 
preparing milk for contests averaged more than 9 points better on 
the score card than those men who were competing for the first time. 
At the Illinois State Fair in 1911 those who had competed the 
previous year bettered their former scores by more than 5 points and 
