CHAPTER XII. 



THE MILK AND CREAM TRADE. 



Dairy Cattle Statistics. Consumption of Milk. Milk Adulteration. - 

 Separated Milk. A Difficult Point. The Middleman's Profits..- 

 Urban Milk Trade. Preserving Milk. Milk and Railways. 



Dairy Cattle Statistics. 



THE number of cows and heifers in milk in the British Isles 

 varies a good deal, and this variation is the cause of the fluc- 

 tuations which occur in their value. There were 3,946,259 in 

 1887; in 1889 there were 3,814,593, showing a decrease in 

 two years of 131,666 ; but in 1890 there were 3,956,220, being 

 an increase in one year of 141,627. In 1891 they had again 

 increased, and, as a consequence, their value declined in the 

 markets. In 1892 the increase continued, and the price of 

 cattle fell very seriously, though cows " on note " to calve 

 were in good demand in the last quarter of the year, owing 

 to the scarcity of milk. 



Bearing on this question of fluctuating values, which are 

 caused by varying numbers, I may remark that dairy farmers 

 will find a constant benefit by studying the agricultural returns 

 of Great Britain, which, having been collected by the 4th of 

 June in each year, are, or ought to be, issued some time before 

 Christmas. These returns give statistics of the number of 

 cattle in each separate county and in the British Isles as a 

 whole : sheep, horses, pigs, and all kinds of crops are also 

 tabulated, so that anyone can see at a glance the increase or 



