Glacier County chief., 1939-02-03
FRUIT AND DAIRY
STATE INSPECTION
ACTIVITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE AND LABOR
TOLD IN REPORT
Montana Creameries Have Made Many
Improvements in Plants and Equip
ments During Past Two Years;
Cream Sold by Farmers Is Checked.

The Montana legislative as
sembly has had placed before it
the biennial report of James 7.
Sparkling, commissioner of agri-
culture, labor and industry. In the
report are detailed accounts of ac-
tivities during the past two years
of the various subdivisions of the
department, which include the di-
vision of dairying, division of hor-
ticulture, division of grain stand
ards and marketing, division of
scale testing and the real estate
division.
concerning the importation of fruits
and vegetables is outlined in the re-
port from George L. Knight, Missoula,
state horticulturist The report read:
THE border stations cover all main
highways. entering the state.
THE amount of work connected with
! the inspection service is well shown by
the fact that in one year. Jan. l. 1887
to Jan. l, 1898. 3,54604l containers
were inspected and 2005O packages of
fruit and l2,465 packages of vegetables
were condemned on account of disease.
Comparing the above period with previ-
Gus years. a marked decrease in con-
demnations is noted showing that the
quality of produce coming into the
state is constantly getting better.
Dairy Division
Work in the dairy division, which is
at present engaged in programs other
than the regular routine of the unit.
were reported on by B. F. Thrailkill,
chief Of that section. who outlined the
following activities with which his di-
vision is carrying on:
Quality products-This work was
started two years ago by giving cream
cries rigid inspections. in which work
the creamery operators have given the
department 100 percent cooperation.
and through which work We have in
creased the average inspection score of
the plants from 70 to 81. The creamer-
les have made many improvements in
their plants and have installed new
and up-to-date equipment There are
some plants still making Improvements
We are now checking the cream
from the farmers, and where We find
undergrade cream. our inspectors go
to the farm and work with the farm
ers in every way to help them produce
better cream. This method has gained
a great deal Of favor with the farmers.
and we have found most farmers are
very much interested in producing
better cream"
Work of Inspection
In line with inspection. he reported:
During the last biennium we have
made 2,618 inspections Of creameries.
ice cream factories. cheese factories
and cream stations. We have also made
1900 egg inspections. Many eggs have
been condemned and sent to the dump;
others have had to be regarded. We
have made 2O75 butter, ice cream and
cheese inspections where the products
had to be analysed for fat, moisture
and solids content besides all the
butter that had to be weighed to see
that each pound contained one pound
net. Approximately 10000 pounds of
cheese was condemned on account of
being low in fat and high in moisture.
This cheese was shipped out Of the
state where 1t was made into proceSsed
cheese.
5000 Pounds Condemned
Three thousand pounds Of cheese
was condemned because 1t was unfit
eight hundred pounds of cheese
shipped into Montana from out Of the
state was condemned because of low
fat, high moisture content. and this
was turned over to state institutions.
Several shipments of butter from out
of the state were condemned and
turned over to the federal department
for prosecution. We have had some
prosecutions against people making
butter in Montana; they have all plead
ed guilty and paid their fines. Some
butter was condemned as to quality and
destroyed. Approximately all the illegal