HANDLING OF MILK AND CREAM 141 



wooden boxes and in no part of the making or handling do either 

 come in contact with the hands or other contaminating objects. Ad- 

 ditional caps (to take the place of parchment paper caps on glass, 

 bottles) are supplied for certified milk to keep the dust from the 

 inside covers of the bottles. An ingenious metal opener is pro- 

 vided consumers wherewith the covers are removed without danger 

 of their falling sidewise into the container. A special machine, 

 (some of which are very cheap) is made for filling and capping 

 the bottles so that the containers and covers are not touched by 

 the hands. The paper bottles are several inches shorter than the 

 glass bottles, on account of their thinner walls; the paper lids fit 

 down into the bottle and allow of no leaking; and the necks are 

 wide enough to remove the cream with a spoon. The cost is about: 

 0.7 of a cent each for a quart, and 0.5 of a cent for pint paper con- 

 tainers. The paper container is first of all of most value because it is 

 absolutely free from germs, i. e., sterile. Then it does away with 

 breakage, and with loss of glass bottles from various causes. Again, 

 the paper bottle does away with the cleaning and sterilization re- 

 quired by glass bottles. And, moreover, there is saving in weight 

 in transportation 1 , of paper bottles. The latter weigh 2 ounces 

 against the 26 ounce glass quart bottle. A city dealer selling 3,000 

 qts. of bottled milk daily might save some $60.00 monthly in loss 

 of glass bottles, and as much more required for labor and power, 

 by the use of paper bottles. But the paper bottles would cost some 

 $612.00 per month. 



And, while there is so much saving in weight that almost twice- 

 as much milk could be carried on wagons in paper bottles, yet this 

 is of little advantage, as it is now possible to carry as many glass 

 bottles on a wagon as one man can distribute (300) in a day. There 

 would be some saving of the milkman's time because he would not 

 collect empty bottles. The only disadvantage which occurs to the 

 writer is the fact that quality and quantity of the cream would not 

 'be so apparent in the paper bottles, nor would dirt. 



