446 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



most burdensome in 1897, when it reached the immense pro- 

 portions of 3,059,619 cans, nearly 35 per cent, of the sales. 

 Since then it has been decreasing, and had fallen off to 

 1,632,146 cans in 1900. But in March of 1901 a formal 

 demand was made by the Milk Producers Union for an abo- 

 lition of the surplus provision, and for a " straight price," 

 that is, one price for all milk sold to the contractors, so 

 that the producer would know, when the milk left his dairy, 

 exactly what he would receive for it. The contractors re- 

 sisted this demand, and a milk "strike" followed. The 

 farmers held together with great unanimity and praise- 

 worthy harmony, keeping back a large proportion of the 

 city's milk supply. But the contractors reached out far- 

 ther, into adjoining States, and secured so much milk that 

 the consumer would not know, except from the newspa- 

 pers, that there was any disturbance in the market. At 

 length the power of negotiation prevailed, and a com- 

 promise was arranged, by which those who wanted a 

 " straight price " secured it by agreeing on a deduction for 

 surplus, as explained above, of 2 cents per can. 



At the time for making the trade for the winter price of 

 1901-2 the average price of last winter was fixed upon, 

 with the agreement that the discount for the surplus for 

 the next six months should be determined in advance to be 

 ll^j cents per can. There were further agreements looking 

 to a more even supply and guarding the producers if the 

 actual surplus should fall below the prearranged discount. 

 On account of the shortage of milk, which promised to be 

 serious on account of the increasing cost of production, the 

 contractors voluntarily raised the price 4 cents per can in 

 December, and the increase is to continue through Jan- 

 uary. The following table shows the wholesale price of 

 milk in Boston for twenty years. The price that the farmer 

 received has been a fixed discount from this, varying: accord- 

 ing; to the distance from Boston. We have included in the 

 table the price which the producer in the middle belt has 

 received during this time, the price being what he has re- 

 ceived for all milk consumed as such in Boston, and not the 

 average income of his dairy when both sale milk and butter 



