No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 



293 



Milk. 



The price of market milk has been raised in various cities 

 in the Commonwealth during the year 1 cent per quart to 

 the consumer, but it has rarely been the case that there has 

 been a net gain of 1 cent per quart to the producer. The 

 price of milk in Boston was nominally raised 1 cent per quart 

 to the consumer October 1. The price paid the farmer was 

 raised 11/^ cents per eight-quart can. As these cans actually 

 hold eight and one-half quarts, the net raise to the farmer 

 per quart was .1764, or between % and % of a cent per 

 quart, — nearer % than y^, — hardly enough, it would seem, 

 to meet the additional expense of present cost of and care in 

 producing clean market milk. Allusion has been made else- 

 where to the improvement in matters of handling on the part 

 of the milk contractors in recent years. This has not come 

 about all at once, but nevertheless it has reached a point 

 where the cost of running business has very materially in- 

 creased. Just what this cost is no one knows but themselves. 

 There is no doubt, however, upon one point, and that is, if 



