26 CONFERENCE ON MILK PROBLEMS 



common practice was, and with minor exceptions continues to be the 

 case, to convert the perishable surplus into butter or cheese or 

 both. Such procedure not only avoids waste, but increases the 

 marketing facilities of the product, as butter and cheese, being in 

 a much more concentrated and less perishable form than milk, 

 can be shipped greater distances before the freight becomes pro- 

 hibitive. This principle of conservation naturally receives added 

 force with the increase in the stand of cows maintained. 



The second (important) reason why butter determines the price 

 of milk embraces the one just enumerated with the added opportu- 

 nity butter offers for the marketing of numerous farm products for 

 more money than could otherwise be obtained therefor. Thus in 

 addition to the grazing land of pastures, bearing in mind that pas- 

 tures usually comprise such areas of farms as are not readily 

 adapted to tillage purposes, there is much waste material such as 

 fine or clover hay, not suited for horse feeding and, consequently, 

 limited to farm use, cullings from root crops, vegetables, etc. Fur- 

 thermore, granting the crops just mentioned might be sold, yet 

 they admittedly are of low value and are either exceedingly bulky 

 or heavy, either of which characteristics limits their transportation. 

 Through their conversion to butter they become exceedingly con- 

 densed into a greatly enhanced valuable product, capable of in- 

 finitely greater transportation and resultant limitless market. 



The third condition abounds in the great opportunities for con- 

 servation of soil fertility provided through butter .production. Thus 

 when crops are sold directly from farms, much of the major por- 

 tion of plant food required for their growth is removed from the 

 farm. Where milk is sold and proper treatment is accorded the 

 manure, about 20 % is removed, while when butter is made and 

 sold from the farm but about 1 % is removed. 



The price function exerted by butter upon milk is what has as- 

 sured the supply of milk to all large centers of population in 

 suitable abundance and at fairly uniform cost. Moreover, up to 

 about 1895, when the proper relation of micro-organic activity and 

 raw milk effecting public health first began to be clearly demon- 

 strated, said supplies were, with minor exceptions, based largely 

 upon adulteration of one kind or another, fairly adequate for the 

 needs of even rapid growing communities. 



Community growth, however, has much to do with existing con- 

 ditions. As cities grow the needs thereof increase both in quantity 

 and diversity. This affords increased options for the sale of energy 

 applied to farms in direct ratio of distance of farms from cities 

 plus the size of the latter. Whereas a farmer originally was, in a 



