THE ECONOMIC FACTORS 137 



business expert, but he should certainly take advantage 

 of the expert information and advice now available to 

 him. One great drawback is most farmers' apparent 

 inability to make use of printed matter. Federal, 

 state, and college authorities are continually publishing 

 literature that should be in the hands of milk producers, 

 yet it is surprising how few avail themselves of this 

 free information as well as that contained hi dairy 

 periodicals. There are indeed hopeful signs in the 

 increasing attention being paid to high-grade stock, to 

 cow-testing for the purpose of weeding out animals 

 which are kept at a loss, and to other points of man- 

 agement. But it is evident that a great deal of agricul- 

 tural extension work to take knowledge personally to 

 the farmer will be needed to bring about the requisite 

 improvement in dairy husbandry. 



There has naturally come about considerable spe- 

 cialization of dairy farms. The larger these are and the 

 more closely organized and managed, the greater will 

 be the profit. This development has suggested that 

 the small dairy farmer may eventually be crowded out 

 of business. How far this may come to pass is hard to 

 tell, but the economic function of the dairy cow on the 

 ordinary farm indicates that we must still continue to 

 depend upon the ordinary farmer for a large share of 

 the milk supply. So far as sanitation goes, by the 

 simple methods outlined in Chapter III sanitary milk 

 can be produced, at a moderate cost, on almost any 

 kind of farm by ordinary dairymen. 



A certain number of all businesses fail, and one can- 

 not hope that every last dairyman can be made suc- 

 cessful. But standards can certainly be raised. And 



