Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-04
Good Recommendations for Care
OF Mi|k,Cream,B ,Cans,PaiIs
What Inspector Has Found and
Changes He Has Wrought.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Regular Meetings Of Governor and
Council Will Be Held at 10 A. M.
Thursday, Feb. 5 and 26.

Improvement and with this object in
mind, the educational factor has not
been neglected" says Russell s. Smith
of Auburn, State dairy and milk in
spector, in his annual report which
was filed at the department of agri-
culture Tuesday.
Continuing, Mr.. Smith says:
THAT the sale of butter substitutes
Is on the increase Is very evident when
we know that at the beginning of the
year the number of licensed dealers
selling oleomargarine was 704 Com
pairing this number with those of Mas
sachusetts having 40, Vermont 234 and
New Hampshire with 10, we see that
Maine is far in the lead, yet out Of
the 704 licenses none were granted for
dealers in colored oleomargarine. A
tax of 10 cents a pound is made If
the colored article is sold but no Ii
censes were issued for that purpose.
THE sale of oleomargarine for ex-
aetly what it is and not under the dis
guise of butter is of economic impor-
| tance to the consumer. With the OBJ
ject of enlightening the customers, a
complete list of names of dealers SELL
ing oleomargarine was secured from
the revenue office at Portsmouth and
published in bulletin form.
Dealers selling renovated butter do
not require special licenses, so that
data in regard to the extent of its sale
is limited to observa ton Closed car
tons containing oleomargarine or rem
ovated butter are becoming the preva-
lent method still In many instances
and the substance is sold in small lots
from tubs. Grocerymen are beeom-
ing to regard the sealed carton as the
most sanitary method and lessening
the danger from failure to mark the
package.
During the past year / have Sc
cured from dealers 1869 samples of
milk and cream and $40 samples of
butter or butter substitutes which
have been analyzed.
Prosecutions for violation of the
laws regulating the production and
sale of milk and cream number 3S, and
two prosecutions have been made for
violation of the law relative to not
labelling renovated butter.
"One hundred and fifteen dairy farms
were visited and inspected for sani-
| tary conditions of milk production.
This is a detail which I believe should
be given much attention, as the edu-
cation of the dairyman at his place of
business is the proper point to begin
the sanitary Improvement of our milk
situation. Every opportunity to visit
dairy farm has been taken and I
have found that many requests for
visits have had to pass because Of
pressure of time for securing samples.
have endeavored through correspond
ence, newspaper articles and short ar
ticles in the quarterly bulletins, to
enlighten the producers and consum-
ers of dairy products as much as pos
sible.
City milk rooms where milk is re-
ceived and bottled, numbering 62, have
been visited. In the handling of milk
in these rooms many dangers have
been corrected. The return and wash
ing of milk bottles and cans is in it
self large influencing factor in the
delivery of clean, safe milk.
"When we note that only 379 or S2.4
per cent Of the entire number of sam
pies collected were above standard
and clean, we stop to reflect as TO the
reason. 1t Is evident that many rea-
sons can be advanced for the pres
ence Of sediment in milk, but perhaps
the most important one is the fact
| that not enough attention is given by
| the average milk producer to cleanli-
ness of the cows, stables and utensils
at milking time The subsequent treat
ment of the milk, such as straining
through many thicknesses of cheese
cloth, sheet wadding or cotton, is the
most usual method employed for the
removal of the sediment which is
known to enter the pail during milk
ing. 49,
"Why dairymen do this instead Of
eliminating as much as possible the
chances for this sediment to enter the
pail and milk is not understood. 1t
would seem that the occupation of ex-
tracing this sensitive and valuable
article of food, which nature never In
tended to be exposed to light or air,
has indeed become negligent.
1.-THE use of some form of a covered
or hooded milking pail has been advo-
Gated and will continue to be advo-
Gated until dairymen see the folly of
trying to produce clean milk without
some effort towards clean conditions
at milking time and without the
chances for dirt entering the milk,
reduced to the minimum.
with the education and gradual en-
lightenment of the producer, believe,
lies the keystone of clean milk pro-
duction, but this cannot be perpetu-
ated without the like education and
enlightenment OF the distributor and
consumer On very large percentage
of the dairy farms in this State the
dual purpose barn Is to be found and
the usual methods OF manure disposal
are to pitch it out OF a window back
of the cows or allow it to pass through
the cellar, Sometimes barns of this
kind are found when the lighting and
ventilation are above reproach, but
more often the builder had little
knowledge of what constitutes sani-
tary stable where milk is to be pro-
duced and extracted.
"The object of inspection is not to
criticize when an honest effort Is be-
ing made, but to help whenever pos
sible. To this end complaints which
have been received from milk dealers
have been answered in person and help