D4 THE MARKETING OF WHOLE MILK 



as made up by extra purchases from creameries or other 

 jurces. In this particular instance the surplus over fluid 

 lilk demand was not very great. The charts for Boston, 

 hiladelphia, and several of the other cities are more 

 ^ical in that they show a much larger proportion of sur- 

 lus above fluid milk needs. The demand in all these 

 istances fluctuates much less throughout the year than 

 oes the supply. Health ordinances may have more or 

 ;ss influence over the shape of the surplus chart; for ex- 

 mple, where health regulations are stringent a dealer 

 lust provide for more milk to meet needs at shortage 

 eriods than would be the case if he could readily get 

 dditional milk from some cheese factory or condensery. 

 or this reason Columbus must carry a greater surplus 

 lan would be necessary if it could readily tap at shortage 

 eriods the milk supply available around Springfield, Ohio, 

 hich is coming to be a condensery center. 



Producers have loudly protested that there is no such 

 ling as a " surplus," asserting that the dealers were simply 

 sing the fact of the existence of a slight excess as a means 

 f beating down prices. During the past few years, how- 

 \^er, statistics have been collected by numerous milk 

 ommissions and food administrators which have con- 

 rmed the dealers' claims and convinced the producers. ^ 



It is true that there is no surplus for consumers as a 

 'hole nor for certain large dealers who also manufacture 

 irge quantities of the various by-products regularly. Of 

 Durse in any case there is always a demand for all of the 

 lilk for some purpose, but some demands will take the 

 lilk only at the lower prices. In most cities the majority 

 f the milk dealers do mainly a fluid milk business, and 

 lany of these plants are not equipped for the manu- 



' New England Homestead, August 3, 1918, p. 76. 



