MILK AS A MARKET COMMODITY n 



almost constant. Because of its perishability and be- 

 cause there is no adequate substitute for milk for these 

 purposes it happens that it reaches the consumer regu- 

 larly very soon after its production. A survey made by 

 a committee of the International Association of Dairy 

 and Milk Inspectors in the summer of 1916 shows that 

 the total age of milk when delivered to the consumer in a 

 considerable number of cities averaged as follows: 1 



TABLE V 



These estimates, however, obviously include milk de- 

 livered directly by the producer himself. Around our 

 larger cities the time is usually longer, generally from 

 thirty-six to fifty hours for the evening's milk and from 

 twenty-four to thirty-eight hours for the morning's milk. 

 For example, in the case of such cities as Columbus, 

 Ohio, Akron, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where 

 most or all of the milk goes right to the city plants of the 

 dealers, the various steps follow each other about as fol- 

 lows: Starting at the time the milking is about completed, 

 at five P. M. on Sunday, let us say, the milk is put 

 into cooling tanks in cans. Monday morning at about 

 the same hour the morning's milking is completed and 

 the milk started on its way, reaching the city plant about 

 mid-day. During the afternoon it is processed, bottled, 

 and placed in the refrigerator. Early Tuesday morning, 

 usually between one A. M. and four A. M., it is loaded on 



1 International Association of Dairy & Milk Inspectors, $th Annual Report, 

 1916, p. 49. 



