58 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



who want to raise the price of milk, it could be done ; but 

 they won't do it. The same condition is found in Millbury 

 that exists in Worcester. Now I claim, as Mr. Howe says, 

 there are men in the milk business who go out among the 

 farmers and buy their milk. The farmers wouldn't go to the 

 bank and lend these men $500, or $50, or $25, but they will 

 sell them $300 or $400 worth of milk, without any security. 

 Then the pedlers skip out, and that is the way it goes. 



Mr. N. I. BowDiTCH (of Framingham). I now sell direct 

 to large consumers in Boston institutions, I was in the re- 

 tail business here in town for a year or two, and we formed 

 a milk dealers' association just before I sold out. We put 

 the price up, and the milk dealers in Framingham, I think, 

 were more conscientious than in those towns to the west- 

 ward, because they all stayed by their agreement. One 

 man lost over 50 per cent of his customers, because they 

 couldn't afford to pay the higher price. 



I am very much in favor of what Mr. Allen said aljout the 

 protection of milk, and I try to produce a high qualitv of 

 milk by the best methods, as it goes to hospitals in Boston. 

 I find that all milk costs me, when it leaves my place, over 4 

 cents, and it is jDut up in large cans, so that I don't have the 

 expense of small cans for retail, or glass. I think he says 

 that his association pays 3 cents ; and I am unable to see 

 how the farmer can produce a high quality of milk, clean, 

 and under the best sanitary conditions, and get a new dollar 

 for an old one. 



Mr. AxLEN. Mr. Bowditch probably noted in my lecture 

 that we send back 13 miles from the market. A great deal 

 of this milk is produced on land that is not high-priced land, 

 and where the product is not worth as much as it would be 

 nearer the market. But understand, — and I want to em- 

 phasize this, — I honestly think that the Springfield Co- 

 operative Milk Association is paying the ' ' banner price " 

 for milk in the State of Massachusetts to-day. Take the 

 transportation of the milk ; think of all these thousands of 

 farmers who get up early every morning and draw their milk 

 to the railroad station, 1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles, 12 miles; 

 think of all the Avear and friction of their utensils ; take into 



