4 BULLETIN 639, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BUYING MILK FROM FARMERS. 



Figure 1 also shows the necessity for middlemen to handle and 

 distribute the greater part of the city's supply. Farmers living more 

 than 6 or 8 miles from town generally considered it impracticable 

 to deliver their milk to the consumers. The quantity of milk pro- 

 duced on the average farm in that territory is not sufficient for 

 economical market distribution by the farmer. To realize the great- 

 est labor income he usually deems it advisable to devote his entire 

 attention to farming operations. 



In Table I the milk dealers operating in Detroit during the month 

 of August, 1915, are grouped according to the quantity of milk 

 handled as well as the quantities supplied to other dealers who did. 

 not buy from farmers direct. 



Table I. 



-Milk dealers who benight from farmers during August, 1915, according 

 to volume of business. 



Gallons handled daily. 



Less than 150 gallons. . 



150 to 250 gallons 



251 to 500 gallons 



501 to 1,000 gallons 



More than 1,000 gallons 



Total 



Number of 

 plants. 



Number of 



gallons 



handled 



dailv. 



336 



5,594 



3,960 



3,365 



40,205 



53,460 



Per cent of 

 total city 

 supply. 



0.63 

 10.46 

 7.41 

 6.29 

 75.21 



100.00 



Number of 

 gallons 

 sold to 

 dealers 

 not buy- 

 ing from 

 farmers. 



569 



915 



1,195 



2,165 



4,844 



Per cent of 

 supply 

 sold to 

 dealers 

 not buy- 

 ing from 

 farmers. 



10.17 



23.11 



35.51 



5.38 



.06 



Sixty-eight dealers in Detroit bought milk from farmers direct 

 and had plants for preparing it for market distribution, either 

 through their own or other dealers' equipment. The grouping of the 

 dealers in accordance with average quantities of milk handled daily 

 shows that the greater portion of the business was handled by com- 

 paratively few dealers. 



PRICES PAID TO FARMERS. 



Most of the larger dealers paid for milk on a butterfat basis, while 

 the majority of smaller ones bought their milk by weight or measure 

 without allowing premiums or making deductions based on butterfat 

 content, sediment test, bacterial content, or the score of the dairy 

 farm on which it was produced. The larger companies usually 

 based their monthly price quotations to farmers upon a butterfat 

 test of 3.5 per cent. For each one-tenth of 1 per cent butterfat the 

 milk tested below 3.5 per cent the price was reduced 2 cents a hun- 



