MARKET MILK BUSINESS OF DETROIT, MICH., IN 1915. 7 
that skim milk has a value of 30 cents a hundredweight for feeding 
purposes. Ninety pounds of skim milk were allowed for each 100 
of whole milk. 
TABLE III.—Average prices, by months, paid for 100 pounds of 8.7 per cent milk 
by all classes of milk dealers in Detroit; also estimated average returns for 
butterfat delivered to a local creamery. 
Average prices paid per hundredweight | Possible returns 
of milk. from creameries.?2 
F Average Ror bute 
Months. peices bet For but- |terfat plus 
pound tor 
Small | Medium| Large ATI ilybutterss | ome’ eu) 20 Cauts 
dealers. | dealers. | dealers. | dealers. weight of | pounds of 
skim 
milk. 
Cents. 
UREN SABA Seiad ee Cee eee genes $1. 91 $1. 884 $1. 836 $1. 876 Sled $1. 321 $1. 591 
IG DRUAILY sane fee see ke cee oe 1.91 1. 884 1. 823 1. 872 30. 437 1. 264 1. 534 
IEG, Se SUG Ses eet aia enh saa are 1.91 1. 864 TES UACh 1. 848 27. 204 1.119 1.389 
AENTO) QU REAP Fs Sp aan Ce ae oe 1.68 1. 678 1. 442 1.60 30. 375 1. 262 1. 5382 
BSL SGSCOR Eh SUAS SoSH Oo aas 1.68 1.63 1.180 1. 73 27. 46 1.130 1. 400 
UM CN See ey neeys iva is ao es 1. 68 1. 588 1. 235 1. 501 27.175 1.118 1.388 
BUTI eases ee peat BEE A ek) 1.795 1. 618 1.343 1. 585 25.5 1. 042 1.312 
INU EUS Trees me ae 1. 68 1. 720 1. 523 1. 641 24. 293 - 987 j. 257 
NCD LCIMD CT ae ee ace 1.68 1. 760 1.616 1. 685 25. 016 1.020 1. 290 
WCCOD CHEE ee ee ib Sh sie 1.91 1. 851 1. 733 1. 831 27. 156 1.117 1.387 
INOVember 2 See ee 1.91 1. 864 1. 780 1. 851 30. 025 1. 246 1.516 
December: =. hither es 1.91 1. 942 1. 860 1. 904 33. 208 1.390 1. 660 
Total average............. 1. 805 1.774 1. 595 1. 744 28. 295 1. 168 1. 438 
1 Butter prices are the monthly averages of Chicago quotations on the basis of which most of the creameries 
of that section sell their butter. 
2 These returns are computed on basis of 3.7 per cent butterfat in milk and on the basis of 22 per cent 
overrun in butter manufacture, and a cost of 2.42 cents a pound for manufacture. 
The table and figure also show that there was no constant relation 
between the monthly average wholesale prices of butter in the Chi- 
cago market and monthly average prices paid for milk by Detroit 
dealers. Farmers in that territory generally received higher prices 
for milk than they would have obtained if they had delivered the 
cream to local creameries for the manufacture of butter and had fed 
the skim milk on the farm. Farmers have found that it requires 
great care and expense to produce and deliver daily a good grade of 
market milk, whereas three deliveries a week are usually sufficient 
for buttermaking purposes. 
At certain seasons of the year, however, some of the dealers bought 
milk for less than it would have yielded the farmers if it had been 
utilized in the manufacture of butter and the feeding of live stock, 
which may be explained by the fact that the companies which own 
and control country milk stations may obtain virtual buying monop- 
olies in certain localities. The prices paid to farmers for milk 
usually depend upon existing competition. Small dealers who do 
not own or control country milk stations are generally unable to buy 
milk in distant areas. In the abset.ce of market information and ac- 
tive competition of manufacturing plants it may also be possible to 
buy market milk for less than it would yield for manufacturing 
purposes. 
19462°-—_18—Bull. 689 ——2 
