MILK AND CEEAM CONTESTS. 5 
certified milk or cream are usually prohibited from entering any 
samples in the market classes. 
MANAGEMENT OF THE SAMPLES. 
There are no restrictions placed on the dairymen as to the produc- 
tion of the samples for the contest. The answers to questions on 
the entry blank show that many methods of milking are pursued. 
On some farms the cows are milked in the bam; at other places they 
are milked in the pasture or feed lot. Various methods of cleaning 
the cows are resorted to, and the milk is handled in a varied number 
of ways after it is drawn from the cow. 
All the samples of milk that are entered m a contest must be 
produced on the same day. This makes all the samples the same 
age when they are scored. After the milk is bottled, it is packed in 
a shipping case and surrounded with ice so that it will be in the best 
possible condition when it arrives at the place of exhibition. ^lixing 
salt with the ice may cause the samples to freeze. 
Tlie samples should be consigned to some cold-storage warehouse 
in the city where the exhibit is to be held, and upon their arrival 
put immediately into a cold room. In each entry should be four 
bottles, one for chemical analysis, one for bacteriological examina- 
tion, one for judging flavor, odor, sediment, and appearance, and 
one to be placed on exhibition. When all these samples have 
arrived, the four bottles in each entry should be given a number, 
preferably on a tag put around the neck of each bottle. The bottles, 
bearing simply the number, are submitted to the judges, and the 
scores are all made by numbers instead of by the names of the dairies 
or of the owners. 
It will be noticed on page 15 that some contests are tabulated 
separately. These contests were held under somewhat different 
regulations. Instead of allowing the dairyman to submit a sample 
of milk produced m any way, the samples, at irregular intervals 
through one entire month or more, were taken from the regular 
supply, as it was delivered. It was believed by those m charge of 
these contests that such a procedure would give a more definite idea 
of the average milk furnished by the dairymen and would also have 
the advantage of continuing a supply of high-grade milk from all the 
dairies entered. 
Two objections to this method have been raised by some authori- 
ties. First, the taking of samples, through an extended period and 
at times unknown to the dairyman, is the legitimate duty of any 
health department; therefore a contest conducted in this way is very 
liable to confuse the dairymen as to the distinction between health- 
department work and milk exhibits. The second objection is the 
more potent one. Under the usual procedure the dairyman knows 
