THE MILK QUESTION. 31 



railk is able to deliver ])ut 90 quarts to his customers. On 

 some routes, where large numbers buy small quantities, the 

 shrinkage amounts to 13 per cent. ; and even at milk depots 

 or stores it is seldom less than 8 per cent. Thus a retailer 

 who buj^s 200 quarts at 4|^ cents ($9.00), and delivers on his 

 route, at 7 cents, not over 180 quarts ($12. GO), makes but 

 $3.60, or less than 2 cents a quart, to pay for his time and the 

 expeuse of his geueral outlit. And this, too, on the sujiposi- 

 tion that his shrinkage is Avithin the average, and that he is 

 paid for all ; whereas more or less bad debts are usually the 

 fate of the city milkman. Two hundred quarts make a good 

 route for one man and one horse, and is not likely to average 

 13.50 per day. The difficulty is in the system of numerous 

 long routes, half a dozen wagons often passing through the 

 same street. 



There is but one way to remedy this evil, and that is con- 

 solidation of the business and co-operation. I am a firm 

 believer in co-operation in almost all branches of dairyiug, 

 :alwa3"s provided it is properly managed. In the business of 

 milk selling the advantages of co-operation are manifest no 

 matter whether the sides be great or small. 



In villages with but two or three or a dozen different milk 

 routes, where the producing farmers deliver direct to con- 

 sumers, a little friendly co-operation, instead of the cut- throat 

 competition which so often exists, would be great gain to all 

 <;oncerned. 



With the next grade in the business, supplying large towns 

 and small cities, the best course is to establish a milk-depot 

 — dairy would be the true name for it — but I suppose it 

 would generally be called a creamery. To this central place 

 the milk produced for sale should go, as generally as possible, 

 and from it the deliveries should be made. They would be 

 not only of milk, but of all its varied products, for the dairy 

 or depot would be fitted to convert surplus milk into butter 

 or cheese ; and also to supply milk, cream, sour milk, butter- 

 milk and cottage or " Dutch " cheese. Such an establishment 

 might be a joint stock concern, owned and controlled by the 

 ■milk producers, or the business of a single proprietor or of a 

 firm. In either case the dairy would probably do a wholesale 

 l)usincss, and also keep several teams of its own delivering to 

 families. 



