THE ANALYST. 101 MILK ANALYSIS. The following correspondence has appeared in the Vestern dlorning News. THE MILK DEALERS’ GREIVANCES. Sm,--If the writer of the letter headed ‘‘ New Milk ” in your paper a few days since had exercised a little patience, he would have been duly informcd of the object of the promoters of the meeting of the cow- keepers held at the Plymouth Temperance Hotel, Treville Street, last evening.B e anticipated the result of the meeting so far as the price of milk in future, which is to be 6d. per quart for raw and 2d. per quart for scald. But the primary object of the promoters was to receive a certificate from Dr. Blyth to test how far his evidence may be taken as a Public Analyst. Last week a raid was made on the Stonehouse and Devonport dairymen, aud on the evidence of the analyst that the milk was adulterated, they were convicted, and the magistrates imposed fines, together with costs, amounting to several pounds.Mr. Feesey was also summoned, and, after hearing the evidence of Dr. Blyth against him, he put a few very pertinent questions to Dr. Blyth, who gave very doubtful answers. Mr. Feesey then demanded a favourable verdict or that the milk be sent to Somerset House, for the purpose of substantiating Dr.Blyth’s evidence or otherwise. This was not accepted, and verdict was given in favour of Mr. Feesey. As before stated the object of the meeting last night was to receive a certificate from Dr. Blyth, Barnstaple, as also from Dr. Oxland, Plymouth, two supposed eminent analysts, of the result of analysing two bottles of milk.On Monday last I went to Mr. Superintendent Wreford, Plymouth police, and asked that a policeman be allowed to go to my field, see a cow milked, and himself fill three bottles with said milk, one each for the analysts, and the other to be retained by the police constable, and seal each with the Plymouth Constabulary seal. Sergeant Monkley was entrusted with this duty, and he is prepared to swear in any court of justice, that he performed that duty faithfully.Now, what does Dr. Blyth say as the result of his analysing. “To Mr. Superintendent Wreford.-I, the undersigned, Public Analyst for the county of Devon, do hereby certify that I received on the 17th day of July, 1877, from police sergeant a sample of milk for analysis (which then measured half-pint), and have analgsed the same, and dcclare the result of my analysis to be as follows ” :-I am of opinion that same is a sample of adulterated milk, if sold as milk.” Then followed the constituent parts of fdt, water, Bc.He then further states that “ the milk this certificate refers to has been almost entirely deprived of its cream-there is no other adulteration,” and signs his name A.Wynter Blyth, and sealed with a wax seal bearing his name, for which analysing a guinea was charged and paid, Query-Is an Analyst’s fee a guinea or half guinea ? Dr. Oxland, after stating that he had (‘ received a sample of milk in a bottle, sealed with the Plymouth Constabulary seal, from Mr. Sager,” and stating constituent parts, says : ‘‘ This sample has been skimmed ; the greater portion of the cream has been taken away.” In-the face of this result of analysing pure milk from the cow by two well-known analysts, is it not possible that a cowkeeper may at any time be brought before a bench of magistrates (they depending on the evidence of the Analyst), be branded as a cheat, and fined several pounds, as was the case at Stonehouse and Devonport last week, at the game time being perfectly honest, and selling pure milk.Surely, as it has been shown that possibly Dr. Blyth was mistaken in the Stonehouse cases, in saying that the milk was adulterated-as most assuredly he is with regard to the milk supplied pure from my cow, to be sworn to by the police sergeant-it ought not to be too late for the dairymen above referred to to have the benefit of the doubt, and refunded the money ; which to them, however, is not of so much importance as the b‘fiiching of a good name,” which money cannot replace.As a proof that the dairymen are desirous that the public shall have a pure article, the meeting resolved that the Mayors of Plymouth and Devonport be requested to convene a public meeting, for the purpose of considering the appointment of a Public Analyst for the towns of Plymouth and Devonport, conjointly.There was only one dissentient ; and the reason he assigned for voting against, was that in the face of the result of analysing, as shown by the certificates read that evening, it would be useless to make such an appointment. The possible results of the meeting will be that an association will be formed of the cowkeepers and dairymen of the three totvns.The remarks in the ‘‘ Notes in the West” are, to sap the least, unfair, such play upon words not always having the desired effect, and adding insult to injury. Two wrongs will not make a right, but 1 haye no doubt that the average of honest men amongst cowkeepers will compare favourably with these to be found even amongst journalists.Over 100 cowkeepers were present. Apologising for occupying so much of your valuable space. W. SAYER, Cowkeeper, ( CJ~aimalz of Meetitig,) James Street, Plymouth, JuZy 20tli, 1877.102 THE ANALYST. SIR,-A very curioas circdnistance appear& l o have occured that, to say the least of it, is highly diverting and amusing.The harassed and injured dairymen of Stonehouse and Devonport select a cow, one of their number milks this cow (it is said in the presence of a police-constable), and two samples of milk are sent to two different analysts-Dr. Oxland and myseif. In due time the certificates of the analysts conic down, each agreeing tbat nearly the whole of the cream has been abstracted, and immediately a jubilant Plymouth cowkeeper rushes into print, raises the price of his creamless milk, and gives his own version of the transaction.If a little less of thc cream had been removed, the public, as well as the policeman, might have been imposed upon. I n this instance, as the mean of two very careful analyses, I returned the milk as containing .2 per cent. of fat, which equals 1 per cent.of cream. Thousands of analyses have shown that if the milk from all the cows in England was mixed together, the Analyst would obtain from a fair sarnple about 3 per cent of fat. No cow in health, either abroad o r a t home, ever produecd milk, when fairly milked, with so small a pexccntage of cream as was sent to me, I say when fairly milked, for I am perfectly a m r e of the dodges of cowkeepers, and I know very well that a milkman can if he choses, by selecting certain portions, produce samples of milk with B somewhat low percentage of cream, such selected portions never being found in commerce, fsr I think the whole milking is mixed together.I will buy any cow, certified to be in perfect health and properly fed, which when milked by me or in my presence, gives less than -2 per cent.of fat, and shew i t as a curiosity. I t is almost dificuit to treat the matter srriously; but if the dairymen of Stonehouse really desired experiments to be instituted upon the amount of cream their cows produced before they advanced the price of their milk, the experimental cow should certainly have been pronounced healthy by a competent veterinary surgeon, and, above all, sboultl have been milked by some intelligent, uninterested person.As the matter stands, the whole affair wears the aspect of a conspiracy. I assert that (1) the milk was dciiberately and ictcntionally skimmed, or ( 2 ) the milk sent was from certain selected portions of the whole milking, or (3) that the cow was diseased. Unfortunately for the experiment the trick is a t once too palpable, and has been carried too far.I am, pours truly, A. WYNTER BLYTH. Barnstaple, Ju1g 2 3 4 1877. SIR,-A letter in your paper of to-day is another specimen of “If you have no case bully the witnesses.” I will not attempt to add anything to my former letter. Dr. Blyth insinuates that it may or may not be true that the cow was milked in the presence of a police sergeant.Had the man been a constable of a brief experience, as such he might even then have hesitated to questiou the performance of his duty faithfully, but he is an experieiiced member of the Ylyniouth Force, of twenty years’ standing, and hence he may well feel insulted at the statement made, Sergeant Nonkley would not risk his reputation for the sake of the cowkeepers or any body of men.6‘ I hereby certify that I went by direction of Mr. Superintendent Wreford to Kr. Sayer’s field, saw a COW milked, filled three bottles with said milk, and prior to the cow being milked saw the bucket and bottles wiped perfectly dry. I also sealed the bottles, and they did not go out of my sight during my filling and sealing them with the Plymoutk constabulary seal.-(Signed) RICHARD J~ONKLEY.” Dr.Blyth says, ‘‘ the trick is at once too palpable, and had been carried too far. If a little less of the cream had been removed, the public, as well as the policeman might have been imposed upon.” I will not venture to comment on this, but leave the certificate of the police-sergeant to answer such an attempt to evade the matter, and make my former letter a lie.I here most emphatically deny that the milk from the cow was in m y way tempered with. The public will be able to judge between the statements of the police- sergeant and Dr. Blyth. I assert that there has been no attempt a t ‘‘ conspiracy,” but on hearing that the Stonehouse dairyman had been fined, and knowing the questions put by a Stonehouse dairyman, I was desirous of ascertaining for myself, and getting the milk froK my COW. I quite thought that to apply to Mr. Superintendent Wreford, of the Plymouth police, would be as good a course as possible to pursue, seeing that the superintendent of Stonehouse police was the prosecutor in the Stonehouse cases. Dr. Blyth says, ‘(The cow should have been milked by an experienced and disinterested person.” H e had GO knowledge of the sergeant‘s coming, nor, uiitil the bottles were filled, did he know for what purpose the illilk was obtained. Blr. E ~ ~ d l e , veterinary surgeon, has professionally seen the cow to-day, and certifies that the cow is perfectly heal;hy, and has been so for some time past. H e certifies as follows :- The man mas both. Yours truly, 4, Jamcs Street, Plymouth, Jidy 8Wi, 1877. m. SAYER.