705 
2.8, the computation being based upon the work of the five inspectors 
then on duty and on the actual number of days worked by the entire 
force. The average frequency with which each of the 883 dairy farms 
actually inspected was visited during the period named was 4.4. 
An inspector assigned to an outlying district is required to live 
within the territory under his supervision. Thus, one inspector re- 
sides at Leesburg, Va., another at Germantown, Md., and a third at 
Frederick, Md. The inspectors having supervision of the three 
districts adjacent to the city, and in fact extending within it, reside 
in Washington. The number of dairy farms now under the inspec- 
tion of each of these inspectors is as follows : 
Washington district No. 1 127 
Washington district No. 2 133 
Washington district No. 3 123 
Leesburg district 166 
' Germantown district 206 
Frederick district 4 205 
The local inspectors of dairy farms ordinarily visit the health 
office each morning to file reports of the preceding day’s work and to 
receive instructions as to their duties for the day. If, however, an 
inspector expects to go a long distance during the day, in order to 
visit an outlying farm, this custoipary visit may be omitted. The in- 
spectors residing at Leesburg, Germantown, and Frederick, under 
ordinary circumstances, visit the health office but once each month, 
forwarding to the health officer by mail daily such reports as may be 
necessary, and receiving their instructions in like manner. In any 
event, each day, either after visiting the health office, if a visit be re- 
quired, or without such a visit if none be necessary, the inspector 
proceeds to examine certain of the dairy farms lying within the ter- 
ritory assigned to him. In determining which of these farms to visit, 
he is guided by instructions from the health officer, by outstanding 
notices which he has served, and by a general knowledge of the condi- 
tion of the farms within his district. It is just here that the services 
of a bacteriologist are most needed in connection with milk-inspection 
work. The bacteriological examination of milk as it reaches the city 
would show the location of the farms sending in persistently milk 
containing relatively large numbers of bacteria as compared with the 
general milk supply. The occurrence of such high bacterial counts 
being a sure indication of faulty methods of milking or of handling 
milk, inspection could be directed against the offending farms, farms 
having good records being inspected with less frequency, if necessary, 
to permit this to be done effectively. 
Having arrived at the farm, the inspector investigates the condition 
of the premises and of the dairy apparatus and utensils used in con- 
nection therewith, and examines into the condition and health of the 
24907— Bull. 41—08 45 
