A YLESB UR Y DAIR Y COMPANY 48 1 



1. The Aylesbury Dairy Company, London 



This Company supplies some 100,000 persons a day with milk 

 Its trade is situated mostly in the West End of London but also 

 includes many of the poorer classes. As much as 1,900,000 gallons 

 of milk are dealt with every year. The milk is received from about 

 70 farms in various parts of the provinces, the average distance 

 of which is from London 70-80 miles, though some of the con- 

 tributory farms are 200 miles distant from London. The system 

 carried out by this Company is, in the main, based upon a pure 

 natural milk supply rather than an artificially purified milk supply. 

 Thus the centre of gravity, so to speak, of the Company's work is 

 on the farms and not in London. Reference may therefore be 

 suitably made, in the first instance, to the farms, and then to the 

 management of the milk in London. 



The Farms. — Before taking on a new farm the Company 

 requires the farmer to fill up a form entitled, " Proposal to supply 

 milk."^ Although most of the particulars required are those of 

 a commercial nature, five of them refer to the water supply, 

 refrigeration, medical inspection, etc. Should this form be satis- 

 factorily filled in, a second form - is sent to the medical officer of 

 health for the district, who is asked to make an inspection of the 

 farm, to fill up the report, and to send samples of the water supply ^ 

 (which are examined by the Company's analyst). Many farms 

 have to be rejected on account of faulty water supplies, though 

 otherwise suitable. If the report is satisfactory and the water 

 supply is good the Company enter into an agreement or contract 

 with the farmer.* Some of the chief conditions laid down in the 

 contract are that all milk is to be of good quality, and nothing is to 

 be added or subtracted. No milk is to be sent from any cow 

 that is not in good health, or that is under physic, or that is newly 

 calved. Attention is to be paid to the cleanliness of the udder and 

 cleanliness in dairying generally. The milk is to be properly 



^ Appendix N, p. 581 : Form A. These forms set forth so clearly the nature of 

 the requirements insisted upon by the Company that it is unnecessary to burden 

 the text with details. 



2 Appendix O, p. 582 : Form B. 



^ The chief items upon which the medical officer reports are the water supply, 

 its source, gathering grounds, surroundings, possibility of contamination, 

 sufficiency, conveyance ; sanitation of farm, cowsheds, dairy, and as to refrigera- 

 tion, facilities for boiling water, etc. ; health of district and inmates of farm, 

 particularly as regards infectious diseases ; general character of farmer, etc. 



* Appendix P, p. 584 : Form C. 



2 H 



