CITY MILK PLANTS: CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT. 5 
largely by truck, the vicinity where most of the milk comes into the 
city would be a convenient location. In case a large proportion of 
the milk is to be handled as bulk goods or wholesale deliveries, the 
wholesale section would have the advantage. If branch plants are to 
be established 1t may be well to locate the main plant where it can 
most easily receive the milk from the railroads. It is much less ex- 
’ pensive to transfer bull goods by truck than bottled goods, so that 
many dealers find it advantageous to have a main plant where most 
of the milk is received and to have branch plants near centers of dis- 
tribution. Usually most of the trade of the branch plants is retail, 
while the down-town plant handles the greater portion of the whole- 
sale trade. One plant having two branch plants had routes as fol- 
lows: 
Wholesale Retail 
Toutes. routes. 
Maina lants se eee ee 12 39 
IBTAnCheN Owes eee eee 4 26 
BrancheNoneee este ee 3 28 
By locating the plant near the center of distribution, delivery 
costs may be considerably lessened and in some cases two delivery 
trips may be made during the day. 
Some dealers plan to establish the main plant in or near the section 
of the city where considerable development is anticipated. In this 
way they endeavor to obtain the trade of people moving into that 
section and the plant itself acts as an advertisement. 
To serve as an advertising medium the plant must be situated 
where there is considerable travel, as in a retail shopping district, or 
at a street-car transfer point. The value of this form of advertising 
depends upon local conditions. In a small city it may be of consider- 
able importance. The retail counter cash trade is usually of small 
importance in a large city, but in a small or medium-sized town this 
trade is often well worth considering. A plant on a much-traveled 
highway should draw this trade. 
~ In few cities is there difficulty in getting an adequate supply of 
water and electricity, but, nevertheless, it is well to consider these 
items. Congestion of traffic is of small consequence in a small town, 
but in a large city it may assume considerable importance. 
Good drainage for the plant and clean surroundings are essential 
for an up-to-date plant. Some plants are opposite parks and the air 
is very free from dust, while at plants in a thickly settled part of 
the city it is often necessary to filter the air that comes into the © 
building. 
In general, there are three locations in cities that may be selected 
for a milk plant: (1) In the wholesale district near the railroad, 
