No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 401 



During the year 1898 the price has been 31 and 33 cents, 

 — 2 cents reduction from the figures of the previous two 

 years, but netting the farmers the same on account of the 

 reduced discount. 



Early in the year there was a contest between contractors 

 and producers as to the amount of surplus for which the 

 contractors should pay full price. The producers asked the 

 full price on an amount of the surplus equal to 5 per cent of 

 the sales ; the offer was on an amount equal to 2i per cent 

 of the sales. A proposition to refer the difference to the 

 board of arbitration fell through, owing to a misunder- 

 standing. 



There has been undertaken during the past season what 

 may prove an entering wedge to a material improvement of 

 the city milk supply. One large firm of milk wholesalers, 

 compelled to move its business by changes in railroad tracks 

 incidental to the new union station, has built a new milk 

 depot. It is constructed of brick, iron, cement and artificial 

 stone, so that it can be kept scrupulously clean. The milk 

 will be cooled by artificial refrigeration, instead of ice, which 

 is more cleanly. But the distinctive feature of the building 

 is the possibility of a radical change for the better in the 

 method of distributing milk. Now the peddlers take the Si- 

 quart cans from the cars to their individual milk head- 

 quarters, which are not always over clean, and which some- 

 times are in unpleasant proximity to stables, sewers, etc. 

 Here the milk is mixed, put in small retail cans, kept in 

 refrigerators over night, and delivered the next morning. 



This new wholesale milk house is to be fitted with porce- 

 lain-lined vats, where the milk will be mixed and cooled. It 

 can then be drawn into cans or bottles for consumers, kept 

 in cold storage at known and uniform temperature till needed, 

 and sold to peddlers under a guarantee of quality, for imme- 

 diate distribution. This plan also has the possibility of 

 keeping away from the city trade all cans used in the trans- 

 portation of milk, making possible the return of clean cans 

 to the farmers. 



A scrap going the rounds of the dairy papers draws a 

 somewhat fanciful view of the future condition of the city 

 milk trade. It says : — 



