Milk plants are now generally equipped for the rapid and economical handling of large quantities of milk in a most sanitary manner. The bottles as they are returned from the consumer are washed in a continuously-acting automatic washer which washes, rinses and sterilizes the bottles without their being removed from the cases in which they are carried on the wagons. These machines are effective, if not run at too rapid a rate, so that the bottles are not exposed for a sufficiently long period of time to sterilize them. The bottles are then filled and the paper caps inserted by machinery. The caps can now be obtained from the manufacturers in sealed tubes in which they have been sterilized so that the contamination from this source is avoided. The shipping cans are washed and sterilized with live steam, and in many plants are thoroughly dried, by passing hot air into them. Under these conditions they then reach the farmer with none of the musty and disagreeable odor that frequently is present when the can contains a small quantity of water, condensed from steam. The top of the milk bottle over which the milk is poured is exposed to contamination from the hands of the deliveryman. Trouble from this source can be avoided if the consumer cleans the lip of the bottle before removing the cap. The better grades of milk are dispensed in bottles, the top of which is protected by an additional cover of paper or tin foil which reaches to the neck of the bottle and is held in place by a crimped metal band. =Milk supply of the small cities.= It is true that the quality of milk supplied to the large cities by the great milk companies is generally much superior to that sold in the smaller cities and villages. Many of the smaller places are however, attempting in various ways to improve their supply. It is evident that methods will be successful here that can not be employed in the larger places. A detailed and careful farm inspection by a tactful, capable inspector, coupled with proper publicity will do much to improve conditions. The publication of the scores of the different farms, and the demonstration of the sediment test as applied to their product attracts favorable attention to the good dairies and unfavorable attention to the poor. This usually has an effect on the trade sufficient to cause the negligent producer and dealer to improve. It is also becoming recognized that high grade milk can be produced with very simple equipment. In fact the small farm is often more successful in producing high grade milk than is the large farm on which the work must be done by hired help for here the personality of the owner can not make itself felt as where the producer is doing a portion of the work about the barn and dairy himself. It is becoming more and more evident that the chief factor in the production of clean milk is the personality of the producer; he should be one who gets enjoyment out of his clean stables and cows and his high grade product.