t 76 
Inspectors have iiniformlv endeavored to cooperate with the farmer 
as much as possible toward securing the improvement of his premises. 
As an incident to the inspection of dairy farms, and in order that 
the dairy farmer and the health officer might be advised as fully and 
intelligently as possible of the inspectors* findings, the health officer 
devised some time ago'^ a system of scoring dairy farms, a feature 
of dairy-farm inspection which has since been widely adopted. It 
was deemed desirable, whether a notice was served or not. to inform 
the farmer as accurately as possible, at each visit, of the judgment of 
the inspector with reference to his establishment. A certain number 
of points was. therefore, allowed for each general feature of the dairy 
farm and the inspector required to grade the establishment accord- 
ingly. The form for scoring shows the maximum number of points 
attainable and the number allowed by the inspector, and is printed 
so that by means of carlDon paper a duplicate copy can be produced 
without additional labor. The original is left with the farmer for 
his information and guidance, and the carbon copy is forwarded to 
the health officer with the daily report of the inspector of dairy farms. 
AVith respect to the scoring of dairy farms, however, this may be 
fairly said : That no one can interpret the meaning of another's score 
card unless he knows the principle upon which the rating has been 
made. It is possible either to fix an absolutely ideal standard of 
perfection and to score every feature of the establishment on that 
basis or to fix a reasonable standard, having in view the state of the 
dairy industry, either generally or in the vicinity and at the time 
when the scoring is to be done. The former method will give low 
scores: the latter will give higher ones. It can not be said that 
either method is wrong, and possibly, having in view the future state 
of the dairy art that is so devoutly to be hoped for. the former method 
is preferable. It is essential now. however, only that when we under- 
take to determine the significance of the scores of dairy farms we 
know which method has been followed. In one place, apparently 
under the former method of scoring. 30 points out of a possible 100 
has been regarded as a fair passing mark.* Under the other method 
70 would be none too high. 
Eecently the Department of Agriculture has applied the tuberculin 
test to a considerable number of the dairy herds supplying milk to 
this District. This test has laeen applied under an ” agreement ■’ 
between the Department and the farmer, the latter undertaking to 
comply with certain conditions in consideration of the application of 
the test free by employees of the Agricultural Department. This 
agreement has varied somewhat in its terms during the period the 
work has been in progress, but all forms have provided for the 
° Report of the Health Officer. 19<>4, page 27. 
^ Hoard’s Dairyman. April 5. page 26S. 
