74 THE MARKETING OF WHOLE MILK 



quently seen in villages, to delivery by covered wagon 

 or motor truck. Where the producer lives some little dis- 

 tance out from the city, use is ordinarily made of a de- 

 livery wagon of some sort drawn by one or two horses. 

 Occasionally one finds an auto truck or a touring car in 

 use for this purpose. The auto truck has been found 

 particularly useful by men living farther out or men sup- 

 plying a special grade of milk, which must be disposed 

 of to customers scattered all over the city. There is as a 

 rule but one delivery outfit, and that is most frequently 

 operated by the owner himself. 



Equipment for direct marketing varies from a few milk 

 cans, a strainer, and a dipper in the producer's kitchen 

 to an elaborately equipped milk house such as one often 

 finds in the case of men producing special grades of milk. 

 Most commonly, however, there is some sort of milk house 

 near the well, containing a bottler, perhaps a bottle washer, 

 a supply of bottles and bottle cases, and often a cream 

 separator for skimming surplus milk. An ice house is 

 usually felt to be a necessity, inasmuch as a regular supply 

 of ice is not likely to be available from other sources. 



The methods of handling milk in preparation for mar- 

 keting are also simple. Where the practice is to sell milk 

 unbottled by dipping from the can, the milk is merely 

 strained into cans, which are placed in cold water to cool, 

 or it may be strained, passed over a cooler, and then put 

 into cans for delivery. In most communities at the present 

 time the greater proportion of the milk is sold in bottles. 

 In this case it is strained, cooled — either by being put 

 into cans set in cold water or by being passed over a 

 cooler, — and then bottled. The bottles are then iced for 

 delivery. 



The surplus and shortage problem is seldom a serious 



