No. 4.] MILK. 55 



the udder and taking care of them nicely, keeping them 

 clean, as he can if he doesn't do this? I think it is im})Os- 

 sible. I want to take exception to another remark. I think 

 that it is impossible for the farmer to create the jn-ice of milk 

 by improving his methods. He simply can't do it, if he is 

 going to live. The average farmer, who is dependent for 

 his living on what he gets from his milk, can't afford to do 

 it. He has got to meet the market in the cheapest pos- 

 sible way that he can, especially at the present time, when 

 milk does not command a price which makes a living pos- 

 sible. The point is well taken by ]\Ir. Ellis, that you have 

 got to educate the community to the difference between a 

 good and a poor quality of milk ; for as long as a good 

 quality gets no better price from the consuming public than 

 a poor quality, there is no inducement whatever for the 

 farmer to produce a better quality at a greater cost. 



Mr. Elmer D. Howe (of Marlborough). One other 

 dealer and myself handle about one-third of the quantity sold 

 in our city ; and we undertook to educate the people up to 

 the idea that milk cared for and handled properly was worth 

 more — especially with the increase in the cost of produc- 

 ing it, which was maintained during the last year — in the 

 winter than it was in the summer. We undertook to raise 

 the price to 7 cents a quart during the winter, with the 

 result that so many of our customers went to the other 

 dealers that both of us had to go back to the price the other 

 dealers maintained. They either change dealers, or say, 

 "We w^ll pay the additional price, but we won't use so 

 much milk; " and the consequence is, the attempt to educate 

 people up to the idea of a higher standard of milk takes all 

 the profit, in the way of advertising and educational methods, 

 which you get from the increase in the price of milk. I 

 think the people are not yet educated up to the point of 

 being willing to pay for the extra labor involved. There- 

 fore, we simply must meet the market as it is, making an 

 article that will stand the test of law, and will also meet 

 fairly well the demands of the people. T have talked with 

 Mr. Ellis, and he tells mc that he gets 10 cents a quart, where 

 I get 6, but when you come to figure out the net profits 



