16 



or it may mean absolute aggregate decrease. The dairy busi- 

 ness as necessarily conducted by the majority of Massnchu- 

 setts farmers is the least profitable branch of their operations, 

 and many within the past six years have discovered the fact 

 and sold out. Many others, nevertheless, realizing that ani- 

 mal husbandry is fundamental to the maintenance of soil 

 fertility, continue to face a small profit, or even a deficit, in 

 order that their money crops may not suffer. For the sake of 

 the business of farming let us not forsake the dairy cow ! 



Milk Prices. 



Milk is wholesaled at different rates to city and town dis- 

 tributors, bakeries, stores and individuals, so that returns 

 vary between such wide limits as 20 cents and 51 cents per 

 can of 8^ quarts. Prices also depend upon the distance 

 from market, the relative supply and the retail price as fixed 

 according to the wealth and particular requirements of the 

 consumer. Note that the following wholesale price averages 

 reflect all these conditions separately, or in combination, as 

 do the retail price averages given later: Plymouth, 48.3 cents ; 

 Bristol, 43.5; Barnstable, 43.3; E"orfolk, 40.8; Essex, 40.2; 

 Middlesex, 39.5; Hampden, 38.1; Hampshire, 36; Worces- 

 ter, 34.9; Berkshire, 31.6; Franklin, 28.6; Dukes and Nan- 

 tucket, no report; the State, 37.8. 



Retail prices have advanced 1 or 2 cents per quart in some 

 places within the past year. Outside of Suffolk County, 

 which, if reported, would probably lead the list, average 

 retail prices are: Nantucket, 9 cents; Norfolk, 8.75; Plym- 

 outh, 8.5; Essex, 8.25; Barnstable, 8.2; Bristol, 8.04; 

 Dukes, 8; Middlesex, 7.9; Worcester and Hampden, 7; 

 Berkshire, 6.9; Hampshire, 6.8; Franklin, 6; the State, 8.4. 



Pasturage. 



As compared with the last three or four years pasturage is 

 in much better condition, although still far from normal. 

 The condition is: Dukes, 100; Hampshire, 97; Worcester, 

 92.7; Bristol, 91.5; Essex, 90.6; Middlesex, 90.4; Plymouth 

 and Nantucket, 90; Franklin, 88.5; Barnstable, 88.3; 



