APPENDIX C.

REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF LIVE STOCK AND DAIRY FARMS

SIR: I respectfully submit the following report of the inspection of live stock and dairy farms for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899: Number of inspections of dairies and dairy farms in the District of Columbia. Number of dairy farms in the District now producing milk.

398 136

Average number of cows producing milk for sale on District dairy farms. 1,000 Number of inspections of dairy farms of importers (Virginia and Maryland).

Number of dairy farms of importers:

Pennsylvania.

Tuberculosis of udder.

Actinomycosis...

Inspections of abattoirs and stock yards

Number of hogs condemned

Number of steers and cows condemned

Inspection of cattle at abattoirs by request of owners of cattle.

198

1

277

348 3,240

40

120

2

2.46

5

Inspection of meat by request of food inspectors.

Southern cattle (covered with ticks, Boophilus bovis) quarantined and slaughtered

120

Source of milk supply of Washington.

MARYLAND.

Milk from stations on Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Metropolitan Branch:

Source of milk supply of Washington-Continued.

MARYLAND-Continued.

Milk from stations on Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, etc.—Continued.

Milk from Round Hill Division, Southern Railway Company:

Source of milk supply of Washington-Continued.

VIRGINIA-Continued.

Milk from Round Hill Division, Southern Railway Company-Continued.

Train No. 60..

Total milk supply of Washington.

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Metropolitan Branch:

Train No. 52.

Southern Railway Company:

Gallons.

1,685

1,800

Danville Division, train No. 16.....
Round Hill Division, train No. 28..

980

2,130

Round Hill Division, other trains

455

The law regulating the sale of milk in the District of Columbia has been in operation' four years, this city being a pioneer in the movement for a pure and healthy milk supply. During this period the condition of cows, barns, and dairies has gradually improved as the inspection by this office has increased in scope and requirements.

The inspection of dairy farms during the fiscal year has been confined to the District of Columbia and to such parts of Maryland and Virginia as can be reached with a horse and buggy, as no funds were available to pay the necessary expenses of the inspection of the more distant points, where two-thirds of the milk is produced.

As will be seen by the prepared table, there are 136 dairy farms actually producing milk in the District, showing a decrease of 58 since last year. The public is to be congratulated on this decrease, as most of those discontinuing business in the District were farmers who kept from two to six cows in their back yards and were not suited by surroundings to produce good and healthy milk. Many of these persons have become importers by moving to Maryland or Virginia, where they can secure abundant pasturage and water.

We have been able to give these 136 farms a fairly adequate inspection, being able to inspect some of them once or twice a month and those more distant not so frequently, owing to the inspections of

abattoirs and city dairies and to the inspection of importers living adjacent to the District.

The inspection, as far as carried, has been regular and systematic, as books have been prepared giving the names of all dairy farmers in each locality and a map showing the location of their farms. Each section is visited and inspected before taking up another section.

We have been able to inspect all the dairy farms at Langley, Lewinsville, Tysons Crossroads, Rosslyn, Ballston, Cherrydale, Falls Church, Arlington, Baileys Crossroads, and other points in Alexandria and Fairfax counties, Va. These farms are within 15 miles of this office.

In Maryland most of the farms in Prince George County have been inspected as far as Campsprings, Md., including Oxenhill, Silverhill, Suitland, Seat Pleasant, and all farms beyond Benning, D. C. North of the District all farms at Highland, Bladensburg, Hyattsville, Chillum, Chevy Chase, Takoma, and Bethesda have received numerous and frequent inspections. Most of these farms are within 15 miles of the office.

All dairy farms from which the milk is transported by wagons have been inspected save a few near Fairfax Court-House and Vienna, Va., and Colesville and Ednor, Md. Owing to their distance from this office, they can not be inspected unless a fresh horse is available each day. The farms producing one-third of the milk sold in this city have been inspected, and the barns, dairies, and cows are in a fairly sanitary condition and are about as well as can be obtained while working under the present law, which is not explicit enough on many important points.

No doubt beyond the artificial line that has been drawn on account of distance the same conditions obtain as were formerly encountered within the inspected territory.

Many of the old cow barns were old types of the semiunderground pattern, where the object sought for was warmth in the winter for the cows, which slightly increased the milk supply. On some of these farms cows were confined in the stanchions on the advent of cold weather and not released until spring and never turned out for exercise. The windows were of the old frame sliding pattern and were not glazed and were seldom opened. The only ventilation occurred when the doors were opened at cleaning times. The stench from such stables was almost nauseating, and eventually tuberculosis appeared and spread through the herd, as cows, depleted by such lack of ventilation, are unable to withstand the invasion of the tubercle bacillus, which exists in a large percentage of cow barns. Some barns were so poorly lighted that we were often unable to know whether some of the stalls were occupied by cows until a kick now and then received made us cautious. Insufficient-cubic air space has proven a serious obstacle to overcome, often on account of prejudice against the cows getting fresh air and where there was insufficient floor space for the number of cows owned.

The education of some of the nonprogressive type of dairy farmers has proved to be most burdensome, and in several cases the police court has proved to be the best educator.

Fortunately this class of barns is disappearing and is seldom seen within driving distance of the city and then only in cases where relaxation has occurred, owing to infrequent inspection on account of the small force employed and the distance required to reach such farms. In many instances barns have been so improperly constructed that

for dairy purposes it has been necessary to replace them with a new barn, and where the advice and experience of this office is sought by the owner, such barns have been constructed at a very small cost and with proper conditions to insure the health and comfort of the COWS. We are assured that many of these bad conditions exist on the farms of importers not yet inspected, in spite of the fact that the description of their barn and surroundings, as furnished by themselves on their applications, shows almost perfect conditions in most cases. We believe that in the future all importers should certify as to the answers on their applications and that the veterinarian should not only certify as to the condition of the cows, as now required by law, but also the condition of the barn, dairy, and surroundings.

During the fiscal year a large number of dairies have been built on dairy farms by order of this office in order that the milk and all appurtenances should be removed from the bad surroundings of stables or dwelling houses. On many farms the milk is stored in springs while awaiting transportation, and the cans, bottles, etc., are washed under the shade of some tree adjacent to the dwelling house in pleasant weather, but on rainy or cold days the kitchen, with its odors and usually unpleasant surroundings, becomes the dairy. In such cases the dairy is required for the washing of dairy appurtenances, and when good spring houses are not available the dairy is used by supplying it with the necessary cooling box and patent cooler.

The urgent necessity of entirely separating the dairy from the dwelling was shown us last winter, when 65 cases of scarlet fever were caused by the bottles and cans being washed in the kitchen of a dwelling where, undoubtedly, an unreported case of this disease occurred. All of these cases occurred in one section of the city, and all of the people were supplied with milk from the same farm. This farmer had a fine dairy, but did not use it on cold days. This dairy was supplied with a fine "Star" cooler, which was seldom used "on account of the trouble of pumping the water," and milk from this farm was often brought into the city in a warm condition, and yet the milk act does not require any specific way of cooling or require immediate cooling after milking, which is the most important factor in the production of healthy milk, save that of requiring cows proven to be healthy by modern tests. The ease with which milk sours in hot weather, due to the lack of cooling and aeration immediately after milking, drives many producers to use preservatives dangerous to public health. This office should require the use of some one of the approved patent coolers and aerators immediately after milking and should require the milk to be cooled to 50° F. and delivered to the consumer at the same temperature. Many experiments show that milk should not be sold when above this degree of temperature, owing to the rapid growth of milk bacteria above this figure.

CITY DAIRIES.

The general inspection of city dairies has not been attempted owing to the vast amount of work required by the inspection of dairy farms and abattoirs. Inspections have only been made where applications are received or complaints made.

A general inspection would undoubtedly show many licensed dairies unfit for such purposes. The decision which permits grocery stores to sell milk has a bad effect on the sale of wholesome milk, as in many stores milk is handled in about the same way a vinegar, molasses, or other such commodity.