The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 878, 7 February 1879, Page 2

The Evening Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1879.

W-vmt became scarce and milk res© in prke. Jk> sooner had this occttrrcd than

tIW heavens wot© opened and cwpioas showers of rai« descended tsp«n the parched earth. These wilt, in s«me form or other. Kind their way into the milk cans £ ( > vif the grass dots* not grow and provide fund fur cows which Caen it into milk, we all bow that t.fiere is at least one other way of making ftp any deficiency. Why.

therefore-, the price should not jw* bealtowed tt-> return to it:* normal rate- wecannot, understand. We are totd by a number of milk vendors that in future the price per tpiart wilt be- hvepenee instead of fourpence, and that stamped nieasnres wilt tiy used in doting it ottt. We presume that vendor* have discovered, like the publicans, whose glasses are growing by degrees beantifutty less, that they are bringing ruin upon themselves by their liberality ; but we hope, for the sake of their good names, that the milk vendors wilt not follow the- example of their moreunprincipled neighbours, whose glasses are now tittte better than thimbles, and who actually pat water in their wares. We tike to see a milk vendor dtp his ample measure into the detieatety white tfuid, and serve his customer* as though he was being paid for it ; and if the whiteness should be sullied by a tinge of blue, we tike to see him act tike a man and ifive a ' l drop over." The tonality of milk, as many milk vendors wilt felt yon. varies. Some sows drink more water than others, and this accounts for the milk in the coooanut, or rather, the water in the milk. Of course, that does not matter

much ; nobody with sense would expect milk without water. Coutd not ttw vendors of mitfe retain their present measures and make up any deficiency in ike approved method of their trade ,* Tins would m*ve them the expense «f procuring

.ew stamped measures. If there should appen to be any name on the list of ad-

vertisers, whose possessor is ignorant of the meaning of the words *' in the approved method of the trade," his brethren wilt open his eyes. Again, it has just occurred to us ttuvt the tivepenee per i-piart might include tream. Coutd the mttfc

he allowed: to stand for a few hours, be then skimmed:, and the result turned into butter I Hy this means we should stand some chance of getting something worth putting no our bread, for the stuff ttsuatty sold under the title of butter might be made of anything but cream judging front its ftavor. til ts a mistake for ruitfc vendors to he- two conscientious, fitch milk is not good, and ruinous atifce to the poukets of milk vendors and the eontitaf ions of those who drink it. We- intend to use onr tactometer now, and if we discover that any vendor of milk departs from the path of strict rectitude which is travelled by some of that class, but shunned by others, by vending neat milk, we shall announce the fact, and hold turn up to. public opprobiunt. We do realty believe that milk pure and simple would now prove too strong for the stomachs of the majority of people.