THE MILK QUESTION. 



27 



which is necessary to a living profit. The system of selling is 

 all wrong. But this trouble is to be considered under our 

 second division. 



The value of milk as an article of food is becoming better 

 appreciated by all classes, and the demand in the towns and 

 cities is very rapidly increasing. This may be approximately 

 shown by the statistics of milk sold in this State. 



The data from which these estimates are derived are very 

 uncertain, but the figures may be regarded as relatively cor- 

 rect, although not giving the actual facts. 



The annual reports of the milk inspector of Boston give the- 

 following estimates of the milk consumed yearly in that city : — 



The consumption has more than doubled in quantity in 

 twenty years. Twenty years ago, the people of Boston paid 

 $1,000,000 annually for their milk ; they now pay $3,000,000. 



It is no wonder that farmers in Massachusetts, and New 

 Hampshire also, strive to supply this growing demand, and 

 there is no doubt that the business can be made profital)le, it 

 the proper conditions of production and sale are fully observed. 

 But there lies the difficnlty. So many have been attracted by 

 the milk-selling l)usincss, that the production has kept closely 

 up Avith the demand, and at times has exceeded it. Many of 

 the producers, looking mainly to quantity, run the cost of pro- 

 duction above safe limits, and make so much milk that they 

 have no facilities for handling it at home, and must sell it or 

 lose it. On the other hand, the dealers, encouraged by the 

 quantity offered, hold prices as low as possible, and the result 



* Five. sixths of this is furnished by Massachusetts farmers, .ind the rest, about 5,000 gallons. 

 out of 3:5,000 daily, comes from New Hampshire. 



