144 THE MODERN MILK PROBLEM 



The care of surplus milk in the country was con- 

 sidered by the committee just quoted to be a very 

 important matter: 



In addition to producing good, clean milk and cream and 

 grading it, the producers, to assure themselves of greater 

 returns for their product, would do well to process it and to 

 make arrangements to care for the surplus. Too much em- 

 phasis cannot be laid upon the taking care, in the country, 

 of the surplus; manufacturing it into butter, skim milk or 

 cheese. As pointed out previously, this surplus item is one 

 of the most serious causes for the present chaotic condition in 

 the industry. 



The above plan, it will be seen, proposes for the coun- 

 try a concentration at the farmer's end and for his ad- 

 vantage similar to that which now exists at the dealer's 

 end in cities. 



Many large dealers buy milk' on a sliding scale which 

 varies the price both according to month and according 

 to percentage of butter fat. For years past farmers 

 have been breeding cattle for quantity, not quality. 

 The result has been a great increase in numbers of 

 cows, such as Holsteins, which yield milk in large quan- 

 tity but with a low butter-fat test. In the case of New 

 York State the Legislature was induced to take account 

 of this situation and lowered the legal minimum of 

 total solids. In order to secure a sufficient percentage 

 of cream the sliding scale of prices according to fat 

 was adopted by dealers. This is obviously a fair way 

 of buying milk, for it makes the distinction between, 

 say, Jersey and Holstein cows and between high-test 

 and low-test Holsteins. 



Certain large dealers have also established premiums 



