Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-05-30
Maine Dairy Laws.

Ndinc Odiry LAWS.
The Maine legislature. which has re-
Gently adjourned, has not been unmind.
full Of the dairy interests of the state,
says B. Walker Mckeen in Hoard's Dairy
man.
1t passed four acts which pertain to
the production, manufacture and sale OF
iairy products and their limitations.
The act to regulate the sale of imita-
ton dairy products fixes a heavier
penalty for the manufacturing or selling
of Oleomargarine, colOred to resemble
butter, and provides that no hotel, res
taurant, boarding house or lunch coun-
ter shall furnish oleomargarine to its
guests without displaying notices that
The substance 50 furnished is not butter.
1t also provides that no person shall
sell, Or furnish for sale, to another who
asks for butter or cheese, any substance
or compound made in imitation.
These two last clauses are expected to
be of great service in stopping the illegal
use of these goods. Under the old law,
there was no penalty whatever for any
hotel or restaurant using these goods,
and they were at perfect liberty to serve
them on their tables il they chose to DO
so. The new law also provides that no
person shall sell, or expose for sale, any
renovated butter without the words,
renovated butter" being conspicuously
and plainly stamped on the top and side
of every original package, and that
whtue il is sold at retail from the
original package, it shall be labelled
plainly with the words, renovated but
ter.
Ii is thought that quite large quan-
titles of these goods have been sold in
the state, and it is hoped this law may
serve to stop their sale, except to
those who may desire to purchase them,
and at prices that will correspond with
the quality of the goods. 1t is also pro-
vided that the commissioner of agricul-
ture shall inquire into the methods OF
making butter and cheese in the fac
,ories Of the state, and the methods of
taking, preserving and testing samples
of milk and cream, also that he shall in
vestisate all dairy products and the pro-
duction thereof, and shall disseminate
such information rs may tend to in-
prove the quality thereof. He is also
co act for the Stale in the enforcement oi
the dairy laws.
The law in relation 10 the total solids
of milk has been changed, and the re-
ouirement now is that milk shall contain
3 per cent of fat aud per cent of solids
not lat, aud the words knowingly ami
willfuly" are stricken out of the
clause prohibiting the sale OF adulterat-
ed milk IL had been found to be prac-
tictly impussi bile to convict under the
old law as il was easy for the offender TO
hide behind this clause, and no one
could prove his actual knowledge OF
adulterations.
The law also provides that after July
|, 1908, all milk or cream purchased oy
creaneries shall be weighed and tested
by the Babcock method and the value
determined by the amount OF butter lat
thus found. Ii | mistake not, the
writer was the first one to advocate this
method from the institute platform
several years ago. 1t is eminently fair
and Just to all parties Interested.
Another most important requirement
is that all samples of cream treated by
the Babcock test shall be weighed in
stead of being measured by the pipette,
and that the standard unit of testing
shall be Is grams. 1t has been abun-
dantly proven that there is quite an
appreciable divergence in the weight OF
a given quantity of light and OF heavy
cream, and by the use of scales for
obtaining samples for the test bottles,
this error and element of unfairness will
be overcome.
The law also takes up the matter of
testing, and provides that when % per
cent or if there are more than 100 patrons,
when 80 per cent of them in any one FAC
tory shall petition the commissioner OF
agriculture, he shall make one or more
tests of the samples OF that factory.
This is certainly good step to take, as
il will tend to maintain or restore con-
fidence In creamery management. All
of these acts are for the purpose OF pro-
tecting the honest producer and the
honest creamery manager, or Tor over
coming natural conditions, and putting
all upon an equal basis.
State Dairy Instructor Thompson re-
ports that there has been a great re-
duction in the amount of defective
cream delivered at Maine creameries
during the last year, and that this re-
duction was reported from every factory
in the state.
He also SAYS that from returns made
To him, he has been able to figure the
increase in value of cream SO delivered
during the year, and places it at $50, 900.
This sum represents the amount OF
money which the farmers have earned
by adoption of improved methods. 1t
would also seem that the value OF the
result as an object lesson and as a stim-
ulus for still better work in future,
would be greater even than the increase
in the income for the year.