precautions whatever were taken to procure special samples, so I am fairly justified in saying that this milk is a fair sample of what dairy farmers can supply in London during the month of October. These deliveries are from the milk of about 2000 cows.
Out of this series of 55 samples, the solids (not fat) fell in one case to 8·93 per cent., with 3·14 per cent, of fat, and in the next lowest case to 9·10 solids (not fat); that is 54 out of 55 samples are above the limit, and the one remaining sample has a high proportion of fat; but the average is more important, and this comes to solids (not fat) 9·60, fat 3·46, total solids, 13·06; so that the average of these 2000 cows is at the very least six per cent, above the limits used by the Society, and nearly 40 per cent, higher in fat.
So much for what comes to London: now let us see what is sold in London.
It is proper to expect that some of the best milk should be delivered, for however leniently a milk seller may generally look upon watering, we cannot expect that all of them do so.
I purchased 300 samples in London, and three out of the 300 corresponded with the average of the milks sent to London, and one of the 300 was richer than the average; 296 remain to be accounted for, 93 of these pass the limit; they may have been watered, and, in fact, many probably have, but they are just above the limit; 203, or 67·9 per cent., are below the limit, and this represents the amount of sophistication I have actually found. The percentage of added water in these samples varies from 3 per cent., to 61 per cent. Out of the 300 samples no less than 63, or 20 per cent, of the total, are just on the limit line of solids (not fat) and fat in genuine milk. But as soon as this limit line is passed, watering goes on rapidly; 15 per cent, of the samples contain more than 20 and less than 30 per cent, of added water, and 15 per cent, contain more than 30 per cent.; in all 68 per cent, were watered.
