MO BOARD OF AGKICULTUKE. [yub. Doc. 



Milk sold by the half-pint jar at 5 cents means 20 cents per 

 quart; that sold by the glass at 5 cents, usually the same. 

 At 10 cents per glass, holding one-third quart, the price 

 rises to 30 cents per quart ; and sanitary milk, modified and 

 put up by prescription for babies' use, ranges from 25 to 50 

 cents per quart. In the suburbs of Boston the usual price 

 which the householder has to pay is 7 to 8 cents for average 

 milk, and 9 to 10 cents for sanitary milk. There is a con- 

 stantly increasing number of small dairies springing up 

 among the wealthy fancy farmers in the eastern part of the 

 State, which are producing sanitary milk and cream, and get- 

 ting an extra price for it. Even a few farmers of limited 

 means are now undertaking the project, as a business venture. 



There is also variation in the Avholesale price of milk, 

 which the i)roducer receives, dependent mainly upon his dis- 

 tance from market. The farmer who sells milk to Boston 

 contractors is paid according to his distance from market, 

 the average distance being 56 to 7(5 miles ; and, as may be 

 seen by the tallies, the average price to the farmer in this 

 zone for milk delivered to his local railroad station is 2,Qy2 

 cents in summer and 281/^ cents in winter, provided he does 

 not exceed his limit (see footnote with table) ; but in case 

 the contractor returns clean cans, i/^ cent each is, under the 

 present contract, to be deducted for washing. The farmer is 

 obliged to put up 8I/2 quarts for a can. Thus his average 

 price per quart through the year is 271/^ cents, divided by 

 81/25 01' practically 31/4 cents at the railroad station or 3 

 cents at the farm. Farmers 150 miles out get 2.88 -|- cents 

 per quart, and those 25 miles out get 3.47-}- cents per quart, 

 for average milk. In some instances producers wholesaling 

 their milk direct to peddlers get 4 to 41/^ cents per quart 

 for it. 



High-class sanitary milk is rarely ever wholesaled. In 

 the only case we know of the price quoted was 81/^ cents, 

 which was said to pay expenses, but yielded no profit. 



There is no question but that the average price for average 

 milk, which really means the bulk of all the milk sold in 

 Massachusetts, is too low, so far Jis the return to the pro- 

 ducer is concerned ; and it is undoubtedly true that no im- 

 portant food is cheaper than milk, at present prices. Even 



