ARMOUR & COMPANY,

CHICAGO, November 23, 1896.

Dear Sir. The sale of our butterine among the different institutions in all parts of the country has compelled us to make a special department to cater to the schools, colleges, hospitals, etc., and we are particularly anxious that your institution should be among our long list of buyers.

Our butterine is a wonderful success wherever it is used, and has been proven by the most eminent chemists and physicians to be pure and wholesome. Another advantage is its keeping quality, as it never becomes rancid as butter does.

10-lb. and 20-lb. tubs or 2-lb. rolls, c. over; 1-lb. rolls or prints, 1c. over.

If there is any particular information you desire about the product, we shall be very glad to hear from you.

Yours truly,

ARMOUR & COMPANY.

Note. If your institution, for any reason, will not desire to receive further quotations from us upon butterine, may we ask a line to that effect, so that we may save you any annoyance?

CHICAGO, December 24, 1896.

Dear Sir. We offer you, to-day, at the following prices, subject'

to market changes:

60-lb. ash tubs, parchment lined...

30-lb. ash tubs, parchment lined.....

171c.

18c.

10, 20, 30 and 50-lb. spruce, ordered in nests.. 18 c.

1-lb. prints, packed in white-wood boxes (54

lbs. each, wrapped in parchment paper).... 181c.

We can furnish you any style package desired. Hoping to be favored with an order, we remain,

Yours truly,

ILLINOIS CREAMERY CO.

P. S.- All goods are shipped direct from factory. Address all correspondence to Chicago office.

CHICAGO, February 10, 1897.

Dear Sir.- Our winter's business has surpassed all previous records, and the reason is readily recognized in the uniformity and excellence of our qualities.

The improved "Illinois Creamery" brand, as an economical piece of goods, is specially recommended.

All tubs and 2-lb. rolls, c. over; 1-lb. rolls (or prints), 1c. over.

Please deliver to Adams Express Company (or other express)

in Jersey City, addressed to me, ...... tubs,

Name.....
Street....

And oblige,

City....

An examination of the above communications, which are being sent to nearly, if not all, the public institutions, restaurants, hotels, boarding-houses and boarding schools in the State, it seems to me, should carry conviction that these people are endeavoring to sell these goods in defiance of our law, and that they

are endeavoring to do it in such a way that we will have the most difficulty in ascertaining the facts.

I am of the opinion that this Department should have the right. to select and employ a few special detectives, whose employment should not be known to any one outside of the head of the Department, for the purpose of ferreting out the movements on the part of these people.

It is a fact that the men who are now employed at our regular work are very soon known to the agents of the manufacturers of these goods, so that so far as doing any secret or detective work they are practically useless from that very fact alone.

The selection of a man from the eligible list of the Civil Service Commission, it seems to me, can scarcely determine his fitness to cope with the cunning and sagacity of the vendors of these goods. I respectfully suggest now that your honorable body take such action as will place at my disposal a few men in this capacity.

CARE AND FEED OF COWS.

Section 21. Care and feed of cows.- No person shall keep cows, for the production of milk for market or for sale or exchange, or for manufacturing the milk or cream from the same into any article of food, in a crowded or unhealthy condition, or feed any such cows on distillery waste or on any substance in the state of putrefaction or fermentation, or upon any food that is unhealthy or that produces impure, unhealthy, diseased or unwholesome milk. But this section shall not be construed to prohibit the feeding of ensilage..

There are a large number of cows within the State of New York that are kept in stables nearly the entire year, many of which are within the limits of our cities, for the production of milk for sale for consumption. There can be no doubt but that if the sanitary conditions in connection with these stables are not what they should be that it will be a prolific source of danger. I have, for that reason, given instructions to the assistant commissioners to have the agents in their respective divisions examine such stables, and report their views thereon of them, in cases where there is doubt as to the stables being kept in accordance with the law I have given instructions that a veterinarian or sanitary engineer, if possible, be employed to examine and

report on same. We have had no prosecutions since I have been in office for violations of this section, although we have found a few stables where it was evident that the condition there prevalent would soon produce a condition of things that would be in violation of the law. In such cases, the parties are having their attention called to it, and are making the necessary corrections.

I am of the opinion that I shall give more attention to this part of the work than it has received heretofore, from the fact that I believe there is a greater source of danger from neglect in the stables than elsewhere. Scientific men, to-day, are taking the ground that much of the infectious and contagious disease among domestic animals is caused by poor ventilation and bad sanitary surroundings. If this view is correct, and I am inclined to think it is, it warrants me in devoting more time to this portion of the work. It will call for something of an addition to the force, in the way of men properly educated to determine the necessary sanitary conditions, but, in view of the results sought to be produced, the expense is a trivial matter.

RULES AND SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING THE CARE OF MILK.

A pamphlet has been issued by this Department, entitled "Rules and Suggestions Concerning the Care of Milk, and the Making of First-class Butter and Cheese." It was issued by Josiah K. Brown, First Dairy Commissioner. An extract from it concerning the care and handling of milk, which I deem very good, reads as follows:

"Everything about the stable must be clean and neat, and the place where the milk can is kept must have a good, free circulation of pure air, away from the odors of the barn-yard and stable. Some device should be used by which the milk can be thoroughly exposed to the air as soon as drawn from the cow, so as to rid it of the animal odors and gases while it is warm, as they become condensed by cooling of the milk and cannot be removed by subsequent aeration. The old time theory, that the heat in the milk is what causes all the trouble, is, I am satisfied, entirely wrong, as the heat in the milk, when drawn from the cow, is no different from any other heat, and has nothing to do with the animal odors. This is easily proven by cooling a can of milk quickly, when you will find, no matter how cold it is, that the

animal flavor is still there. On the other hand, take a can of warm milk which is thoroughly aerated, you will find the odor gone while the milk is yet warm. To secure the best results in cheese making, the milk should not be cooled below the temperature of the air, during the summer months, in order to secure the proper ripeness so that the acid development will keep ahead of any possible taints. The night's and morning's milk should never be mixed before arriving at the factory, as the night's milk, standing until morning, becomes loaded with the bacteria that are constantly in the air, especially in warm weather, and when you add the warm milk it raises the temperature of the whole mass, and they begin their work at once, so that by the time the milk reaches the factory it will, quite likely, be in bad condition. The idea, that by hauling milk to the factory twice a day, without aerating it, removes all responsibility from the patron, is an error. It will retain all the gas and odor, and, being covered tightly, they will become condensed in the milk where it is drawn any distance, and it will be injured before it comes under the maker's control. Too much care cannot be taken in the cleansing and scalding of everything connected with the dairy cans, pails, strainer, etc. Remember that it must be scalding water, warm water will not accomplish the purpose. Never allow the cows to be chased by the dog. Anything that produces a feverish condition of the cow will result in injury to the milk. The farmer has so many cares beside that of giving proper attention to his milk that it is often sent to the factory in bad condition without his knowledge. He should, however, give this matter his personal attention, because the income of others, as well as his own, will be reduced by allowing his milk to go to the factory in bad condition. The food the cow eats and the water she drinks has a direct influence on the quality of her milk. The water must be pure; it is important that she be kept away from stagnant pools. She should also have plenty of salt; much discussion has been had and many experiments have been made with a view of ascertaining the amount of salt milk cows should have. It has come to be well established that the best method of furnishing salt to cows is in some way to place it within their reach so they can help themselves every day."

CHEESE.

That part of the Agricultural Law relating to cheese is found in sections 4, 27, 30, 33, 34 and 35, which read as follows:

Section 4. Expert butter and cheese makers.-The commissioner of agriculture may appoint and employ not more than five expert butter and cheese makers, who shall, under his direction, examine and inspect butter and cheese factories and at