814 



The Organisation of the Milk Supply. 



[JAN, 



age paid by the member varied from Jd. to id. per imperial 

 gallon. 



The Society has a representative in Stratford, London, 

 who enters into negotiations with retail dealers throughout 

 the East End of London, and makes contracts for the supply 

 of certain quantities of milk. The contracts are usually half- 

 yearly. The member enters into a contract with the Society 

 to forward daily a certain quantity of milk to any station 

 which the Society may specify. The contract does not lay 

 down an absolutely fixed quantity, a margin of about ten 

 per cent, being allowed. Thus, if a farmer thinks he can 

 supply about 100 gallons daily he contracts to supply between 

 95 and 105 gallons. If he sends less than 95 gallons, and the 

 Society to fulfil its contracts is obliged to purchase milk, the 

 difference between the contract and the market price of the 

 deficit is deducted from the farmer's account. If, on the 

 other hand, he sends more than 105 gallons, he must accept 

 whatever price the Society can obtain for the surplus. 



The milk after being drawn from the cow is cooled to 

 6o° F. It is strained either when being poured from the 

 receiver to the cooler or in passing from the cooler into the 

 churns in which it is to be consigned. No attempt is made 

 to collect the milk, and the farmer takes it in his own cart 

 to the station. 



Part of the milk which is sent to Stratford is distributed 

 by a "wholesale van" (the property of the Society) to retailers 

 who desire to have milk delivered at their own places of 

 business. The remainder is sold in the open market, either 

 to retailers or to other wholesale dealers. 



The Society's premises at Stratford are fitted up with 

 refrigerating, cold storage, pasteurising and separating plant 

 on modern lines. If on any day there is a glut in the market, 

 and the Society finds itself with a surplus quantity of milk 

 of which it cannot profitably dispose, it is pasteurised or put 

 into cold store and held over until the following day, or it is 

 separated if the Society happens to have at the time an outlet 

 for cream. 



With regard to the benefits which the farmers derive from 

 membership of the Eastern Counties Dairy Farmers' Co- 

 operative Society, the following is an extract from a letter 



