294 BOAKD OF AGEICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the milk producers of this Commonwealth are to be put on a 

 safe financial basis, more than 3I/5 cents per quart must be the 

 net price paid to the farmer at his door. The actual neces- 

 sary cost of producing a quart of milk, even under crude 

 conditions, is not far from 3 cents at the present time. 



According to the report of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture last year, after investigating the milk supply 

 of the city of Boston, Mr. Whitaker estimated that from 80 

 to 85 per cent of the milk consumed in greater Boston is 

 brought in by the railroads. In the twelve months from 

 Dec. 1, 1905, to Dec. 1, 1906, these railroads reported to 

 the Railroad Commissioners 114,233,976 quarts of milk 

 brought into Boston, which is understood to be exclusive of 

 the cream which is shipped in by freight. If we call the 

 milk brought into greater Boston by the railroads four-fifths 

 of that consumed, we have 142,762,470 quarts as the total 

 amount brought in ; and a raise of 1 cent per quart, when- 

 ever such raise actually takes place, means an increase of 

 $1,427,624.70, which looks like a very large sum. 



Professor Alvord found that the average consumption of 

 milk in the country was practically two-thirds of a pint per 

 day per capita. On this basis, a raise of 1 cent per quart 

 would mean not far from $1.20 per person per year, or $6 

 for an average family of five persons, from which standpoint 

 it does not look large, and can hardly be said to be a burden. 

 The consumer, the contractor and the farmer will have to 

 adjust this matter some day, when the latter may get a fair 

 price for clean, pm'e milk. 



That market milk has improved in the matter of tempera- 

 ture and cleanliness is shown by the last report of the board 

 of health of the city of Boston , from which we learn that the 

 milk samples taken from contractors in 1904 showed 35.6 

 per cent over 50° F., and in 1905 only 6.33 per cent, — a 

 reduction of nearly 600 per cent. In 1904, 18.87 per cent 

 showed over 500,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter ; and in 

 1905, only 12.25 per cent, — a reduction of practically 331/^ 

 per cent ; and we may reasonably expect the present year 

 will show further improvement. 



