No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 297 



A. E. Jackson. — Cows part clean and part dirty ; stables un- 

 clean ; drainage poor ; ventilation fairly good ; sanitary conditions 

 poor ; uses creek water. 



G. Percival. — Cows part clean and part dirty ; stables unclean, 

 ventilation good ; sanitary conditions poor ; uses cistern water. 



L. A. Cornell. — Cows clean and in good condition ; stables in 

 poor condition ; ventilation poor ; sanitary conditions of yard poor. 



M. S. Sprague. — Cows fairly clean ; stables unclean ; ventil- 

 ation fair ; sanitary conditions poor ; uses river water. 



During the past year considerable time has been given by 

 the acting executive officer of the Bureau to work in connec- 

 tion witli the milk business in the " Greater Boston." This 

 is a phase of dairying which last year sent over the railroads 

 11,798,191 cans of milk, — an average of 32,320 cans per 

 day. If the farmers received on an average 20 cents per can, 

 we have here an industry amounting to $2,359,628 to the 

 producers. The retail price in the cities varies considerably 

 under different circumstances. Milk is being sold more and 

 more in the grocery stores, and at a cut price. In not a few 

 stores it is sold at less than cost, as a bid for other trade. 

 We find retail sales made at all the way from 4 to 7 cents per 

 quart. If we consider 6 cents an average price, the sales, 

 which were 8,788,000 cans, amount to $4,456,000. These 

 figures relate only to the milk that is brought into the city by 

 railroad by the large milk wholesalers. Other statistics are 

 not available, because the milk is brought in in different 

 ways. It is generally believed — and the best information 

 that we can get confirms it — that over 25, almost 30, per 

 cent more comes in by wagons from near-by territory. Dr. 

 Harrington has kindly given me a list, showing that 5,232 

 cans daily are brought into the numicipality of Boston. The 

 competition of this wagon milk and of railroad milk has 

 been very sharp this year. If, of the amount of milk sold by 

 the wholesalers, the amount of adulteration should equal 1 

 per cent of the sales, it would amount to 87,385 cans of 

 milk. From the stand-point of the consumer, at the average 

 price of 6 cents per quart this means $35,566 paid unjustly 

 for water, — a $35,000 steal. From the stand-point of the 

 producer, netting on an average 20 cents })er can, it means a 

 wrong of $17,477. This amount could be easily doubled 

 were we to take in the whole State, with such thriftv, grow- 



