DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVE'MENT MEETINGS. I9I 



adjusting higher or lower per cents, at 20 cents a pound of fat, 

 or even at 30 cents a pound of fat. The most practical way for 

 a dealer is to adjust the price of fat, both to his producers and 

 consumers, upon its marketable value in the milk or cream he 

 is selling— modified more or less at times by the price of butter. 

 The price of skim-milk should be governed in a similar man- 

 ner. And it is easy to see that one dealer may find skim-milk 

 of more value to him than it is to another dealer. This will 

 depend upon the dealer's market for fresh skim, his facilities 

 for transportation to that market, its value for manufacture 

 into casein, condensed skim or skim powder. Some of these 

 items depend upon the world's markets, but they are all more 

 or less interdependent, and one cannot change greatly without 

 afifecting the rest. 



Realizing the wearisomeness of this subject, or at least my 

 exposition of it, I will leave it here, in the hope that you under- 

 stand what I think is the best method of making prices on milk 

 and cream. I wish this subject might be discussed somewhat 

 today, and I will try to answer any question upon it. 



But do not applaud quite yet. I have a side issue or two 

 that I want to introduce. 



It is of vital importance that a dealer should know how to 

 handle his product a;id how his patrons should handle it, so 

 that it may be put upon the market in condition pleasing to 

 the customers and satisfactory to the health authorities. Such 

 handling is necessary to gaining and holding the more desirable 

 class of customers obtaining good prices, and thus being able 

 to pay good prices. 



So when a dealer asks his patrons to do this or that thing 

 the chances are that the dealer knows what is needed and has 

 the ultimate good of his patrons in view. I am not complain- 

 ing of the producers. I am simply asking all patrons to heed 

 what their dealer says, and work cheerfully for the common 

 good of the business. Do not expect consumers to come up 

 and say, "Here is some money, now give us better milk." But 

 we should produce the good milk first — get our reputation first 

 and then by firm and tactful methods, secure a deserving price. 

 As a matter of fact that is just what State of Maine producers 

 have been doing in the past few years, and Maine milk stands 

 well today. But there is plenty of room for improvement, and 



