31s AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
have small cans, holding from a pint to four and six quarts respectively, 
which they fill from the larger cans to ‘suit customers. 
The prices of milk for 1868, 1869, and 1870 have been as follows: 
Summer rates, at the farmer’s door, 4 to 4$ cents a quart; at depots in 
or near the city, 5 to 54 cents a quart; delivered in cans at stores and 
shops, about 64 cents a quart; retailed to families, 8 cents a quart. 
Winter rates,-at the farmer’s door, about 5 cents; retailed to families, 
9 cents. 
Adulterations of milk have been traced to all classes of dealers, except 
the railroad agents: to wholesale dealers, who distribute to families, 
stores, ete., from wagons; to retail dealers, who sell in small quantities 
from market places, stores, shops, and cellars ; and to the milk producers. 
The foreign material of the adulterated milk is almost always water only. 
Salt is sometimes added to make up the loss in specifie gravity, burnt 
sugar to alter the blue tinge of the watered milk, and carbonate of soda 
to prevent souring. During the winter few complaints cf adulteration 
are made, but many that the milk is old, or that it has been skimmed. | 
Poor families, for obvious reasons, are much oftener served with adult- 
erated or inferior milk than the prosperous classes. 
During the year ending March 31, 1870, 1,680 samples of milk were 
inspected, of which 520 were found ‘to be more or less adulterated. 
Nineteen samples, subjected to chemical analysis, averaged 28.83 per 
cent. of adulteration, the largest percentage being 41.17. The supply of 
milk to the city during the year amounted to 7,646,020 gallons, at a cost 
to the consumers of $2,599,646 80. 
During the year ending March 31, 1871, 1,700 samples of milk were 
inspected, of which 610 were found to be adulterated. Twenty samples 
analyzed by the chemist showed an average adulteration of 52.40 per 
cent., the largest percentage being 50.34, and the smallest 21.03. The 
number of gallons supplied to the city during the year was 8,510,340; 
daily supply, 23,316 gallons. The cost to consumers for the year was 
$2,893,515 60; daily cost, $7,927 44. The whole number of complaints 
in court from the enactment of the law to March 31, 1871, was 206; num- 
ber of convictions, 135; failures to convict, 69; cases yet pending, 2. 
The 1,700 samples of milk inspected during the past year, and the 
610 samples that were found to be more or less adulterated, do not give 
the actual extent of adulteration throughout the city. The milk exam- 
ined was supposed to be adulterated, or the inspector would not have 
been-requested to test it. The quantity of milk adulterated and sold 
without exciting complaint can only be conjectured. It is a significant 
fact which the inspector states, that “in all the complaints carried before 
the courts during the past year for violations of the milk law, the parties 
pleaded guilty, paid their fine and costs, and were advertised, as required 
by the statute.” 
The price of milk at the farmer’s docr during 1870 averaged 44 cents 
a quart; the price paid by consumers averaged 84 cents per quart, or 
exactly 80 per cent. more than the farmer received. At the price ob-- 
tained for their milk, farmers complain that they are not suificiently 
compensated for their labor and capital invested. If they could receive 
some portion of the profits which the middle-men exact, they would have 
less cause for complaint, and consumers would not be so liable as they 
now are to an increase in price. Much attention is being given to 
various schemes for dispensing with the services of one or two classes of 
middle-men. : 
Inspection of milk in New York and Brooklyn—Mr. C. F. Chandler, 
chemist to the metropolitan board of health, which has sanitary superin- 
