Equipment:

Arrangement. Allow 3 points for good arrangement; if some of the equipment is out of doors or . so placed that it can not be readily cleaned, make deductions according to circumstances. Condition. If in good repair, allow 4 points; make deductions for rusty, worn-out, or damaged apparatus.

Construction

Sanitary: If seams are smooth, and all parts can be readily cleaned, allow 2. Deduct for poor construction, from sanitary standpoint.

Durability: If made strong and of good material, allow 2. Deduct for light construction and poor material.

Cleanliness. If perfectly clean, allow 8 points; make deductions according to amount of apparatus improperly cleaned.

MILK.

Handling. If milk is promptly cooled to 50° F. or lower, allow 12 points; or if pasteurized at a temperature of 149° F. or above and promptly cooled to 50° or lower, allow 12 points. Deduct 1 point for every 2° above 50°. If milk is pasteurized imperfectly, deduct 6 points. If milk is improperly bottled or otherwise poorly handled, make deductions accordingly. Storage. If stored at a temperature of 45° F. or below, allow 8 points. Deduct 1 point for every 2o

above 45°.

SALES ROOM.

Location. If exterior surroundings are good and building is not connected with any other under undesirable conditions, allow 2; for fair conditions, allow 1; poor conditions, 0.

Construction. If constructed of material that can be kept clean and sanitary, allow 2; for fair construction, allow 1; poor construction, 0.

Equipment. If well equipped with everything necessary for the trade, allow 2; fair equipment, 1; poor equipment, 0.

Cleanliness. If perfectly clean, allow 4 points; if conditions are good, 2; fair, 1; poor, 0.

WAGONS.

General appearance.--If painted and in good repair, allow 2 points; for fair condition, 1; poor, 0. Protection of product. If product is iced, allow 3 points; well protected but not iced, 1; no protection, 0. Cleanliness. If perfectly clean, allow 5; good, 3; fair, 2; poor, 0.

The use of these cards enables a more perfect study of conditions in any city. The results so reported are comparable and can be analyzed with greater ease and accuracy.

The application of the system to the District of Columbia and vicinity shows the following conditions:

Eight hundred and eighty-six dairies were given complete scores, of which 526 were in Maryland and 294 in Virginia and 66 in the District.

The greater bulk of milk comes from four counties in which the average score, respectively, is as follows:

The following table shows the number and per cent of the whole number in each of the three sections, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia-scoring between 0-10, 10 and 20, 20 and 30, etc.:

The inspection of the city milk plants showed a better condition of affairs in some particulars than the inspection of the farms.

Seventy-four establishments showed an average score of 72.58 per cent; 4 per cent scored 90 or above; 16 per cent scored in the eighties; 49 per cent scored in the seventies; 25 per cent scored in the sixties; 6 per cent scored in the fifties.

The average rating of the dairies and city milk plants in the vicinity of Washington does not differ materially from that in other parts of the country. The cities that have adopted the score-card system and are regularly following it up are reporting dairy conditions constantly improving. Dealers take advantage of the situation and bid up on the high-scoring dairies and thus encourage better work on the part of the farmer. The dairymen want a high score and by studying the points in the score card are able to improve their conditions. On subsequent inspection they get a better score in almost every instance.

A number of cities publish from time to time in the local papers or through boards of health circulars the complete results of the score. This publicity has a very stimulating effect in inducing the dairymen and milk dealers to improve their conditions.

Perhaps not the least valuable part of the score-card system is the demand it makes for better and more competent inspectors. It has usually resulted in the dissatisfaction of inspectors with their previous work. The study of the premises in detail with the view of fixing the exact value of conditions requires better and more conscientious work. Wherever the system has failed, and there have been but one or two such, it has failed because the inspector did not relish the comparison of the results with his previous work.

The photographs shown in this article were all taken in the course of inspection work. Many of them were taken in the vicinity of Washington, but duplicates of these places may be found in all parts of the country. They show that more rigid inspection is absolutely necessary, that competent inspectors must be employed to instruct, and where instruction is not sufficient, to demand a better state of affairs. Laws and ordinances must be strengthened and the public educated to demand clean milk from clean dairies.

One important item that must be borne in mind is the fact that to change these conditions must create some expense on the producer and the consumer must expect to foot the bills.

A prominent veterinarian in Kansas City, Mo., recently said in connection with the milk supply of that city, that the prevailing price of milk was based on a system which required only that the solid and coarsest dirt be strained out. If the consumer wanted milk that had been kept free from such contamination he would have to pay for the added cost of production.

In order to carry into effect such a system of inspection it is recommended that there be an inspector for approximately every 100 dairy farms. These inspectors should be skilled in all questions pertaining to the production and distribution of milk. Five of every ten inspectors so employed should be skilled veterinarians and the other five should have had training in a good dairy school or have had experience which would be the equivalent of such training.

Inspectors should devote their entire time to the work of inspection and should not be allowed to do outside work that in any way relates to the business of inspection. There should be a chief inspector whose duty it is to supervise all work of inspection; he should be responsible to the health officer. The health officer, or board of health, should have full power to make rules and regulations and enforce the same so as to safeguard the health of the community from a contaminated milk supply either through carelessness, ignorance, or malicious intent.

The following suggestions might well be distributed by the health officer and the requirement be made that they be posted in a conspicuous place in every barn, dairy house, and city milk plant:

TWENTY-ONE SUGGESTIONS.

THE COWS.

1. Have the herd examined frequently by a skilled veterinarian. Promptly remove any animals suspected of being in bad health. Never add an animal to the herd until certain it is free from disease, especially tuberculosis.

2. Never allow a cow to be excited by hard driving, abuse, loud talking, or unnecessary disturbances; do not unduly expose her to cold or storms.

3. Clean the entire body of the cow daily. Hair in the region of the udder should be kept short. Wipe the udder and surrounding parts with a clean, damp cloth before milking.

4. Do not allow any strong flavored feed, such as garlic, cabbage, or turnips, to be eaten except immediately after milking.

5. Salt should always be accessible.

6. Radical changes in feed should be made gradually.

7. Have fresh, pure water in abundance, easy of access, and not too cold.

THE STABLES.

8. Dairy cattle should be kept in a stable where no other animals are housed, preferably without cellar or storage loft. Stable should be light (4 square feet of glass per cow) and dry, with at least 500 cubic feet of air to each animal. It should have air inlets and outlets, so arranged as to give good ventilation without drafts of air on The presence of flies may be reduced by darkening the stable and removing the manure as directed below.

COWS.

9. The floor, walls, and ceilings of the stable should be tight, walls and ceilings being kept free of cobwebs and whitewashed twice a year. There should be as few dust-catching ledges and projections as possible.

10. Allow no musty or dirty litter or strong-smelling material in the stable. Store manure under cover at least 40 feet from the stable in a dark place. Use land plaster daily in gutter and on floor.

THE MILK HOUSE.

11. Cans should not remain in the stable while being filled. Remove the milk of each cow at once from the stable to a clean room; strain immediately through cotton flannel or absorbent cotton; cool to 50° F. as soon as strained, store at 50° F. or lower. All milk houses should be screened.

12. Milk utensils should be made of metal, with all joints smoothly soldered, or, when possible, should be made of stamped metal. Never allow utensils to become rusty or rough inside. Use milk utensils for nothing but handling, storing, or delivering milk.

13. To clean dairy utensils use pure water only. First rinse the utensils in warm water; then wash inside and out in hot water in which a cleansing material has been dissolved; rinse again; sterilize with boiling water or steam; then keep inverted in pure air that may have ready access, and sun if possible, until ready for use.

MILKING AND HANDLING MILK.

14. The milker should wash his hands immediately before milking and should milk with dry hands. He should wear a clean outer garment, which should be kept in a clean place when not in use. Tobacco should not be used while milking.

15. In milking be quiet, quick, clean, and thorough. Commence milking at the same hour every morning and evening and milk the cows in the same order.

16. If any part of the milk is bloody, stringy, or unnatural in appearance, or if by accident dirt gets into the milk pail, the whole mess should be rejected.

17. Weigh and record the milk given by each cow.

18. Never mix warm milk with that which has been cooled, and do not allow milk to freeze.

19. Feed no dry, dusty feed just previous to milking.

20. Persons suffering from any disease, or who have been exposed to a contagious disease, must remain away from the cows and the milk.

21. It is needless to say that the shorter the time between the production of milk and its delivery, and between delivery and use, the better will be the quality of the