THE PRICE CONTROL FACTOR IN THE PURE MILK 



PROBLEM.* 



F. H. HALL. 



Under present conditions, dairymen cannot profitably produce 



good, sanitary milk to sell at wholesale for much less than four 



cents a quart. Many researches, made in several 



Good milk states, with data and estimates obtained from widely 



demands a varying sources, unite upon approximately this 



good price, figure. For example, in a study of the milk supply 



of an adjoining city of about 12,600 inhabitants, 



made by the bacteriologist of this Station, the following figures 



were secured for the investment required to supply the city with 



milk : 



Capital Invested in Supplying Milk to City With 13,000 Inhabitants 



Cows — 600 at SS0 $43,000 



Land with buildings — 3.000 acres at S100 300,000 



Equipment — 3,000 acres at $20 per acre 60,000 



City distributers 50,000 



Total $45S,000 



These figures are based upon most careful, conservative estimates 

 and are believed to be below the actual figures that would be shown 

 by a detailed census. This would place the amount of capital invested 

 for each cow at $680 for the producer and $83 for the retailer. The 

 600 cows in the dairies supplying this city give annually approx- 

 imately 2,800 quarts of milk each, a figure decidedly better than 

 the average for the State, which is about 2,100 quarts. The Station 

 herd for several years produced almost exactly 2,800 pounds per 

 cow. Accurate records of the food cost required to produce the milk 



* Reprint of Popular Edition of Bulletin No. 363; see p. 37 for Bulletin. 



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