SELLING MILK DIRECT. 
Half the Price Goes to the Producer. 
The nearer the producer of a product on the farm 
can come in a business way to the consumer of it 
the better it is for both parties. The dairy business 
is no exception to this rule, but there are certain 
difficulties encountered in disposing of dairy prod¬ 
ucts, and there are certain peculiar conditions, es¬ 
pecially for those residing at a distance from cities 
of considerable size. There is need of special at¬ 
tractions and special efforts in order to make close 
relationship possible or profitable. It is not now re¬ 
garded as usually possible to establish immediate 
as to trade and profits. It is an enterprise of this 
sort that I wish to notice in this article. 
While in Binghamton recently, a city of about 
50,000 inhabitants, I took a little pains to look up 
the milk business. Among other dealers was one 
who particularly attracted my attention, and I soon 
found that the store had been fixed up by an old 
acquaintance of mine, A. W. Wright, who has had 
a large experience in the milk business in many 
ways. He had sold out to Mr. Fowler when I 
called, but the store and business was being kept 
up in accordance with the plans of Mr. Wright. 
The salesroom presented a very attractive appear¬ 
ance. It was not only perfectly clean, but it was 
tiveuess of the place, but it indicates the general 
condition. See Fig. 360, page 951. 
It is of small use to go to the expense of a fine 
place for a salesroom if one is to ignore the quality 
of the material to be sold, unless the affair is to be 
short-lived. The result of my investigations in the 
matter of quality proved reassuring. There were 
eggs for sale that were large and white. They were 
not tinted, as many “white” eggs are. I do not 
mean that tinted eggs are in any way inferior to 
those that are pure white, but if one is trying to 
cater to a special trade, and that trade wishes white 
eggs, then those eggs should be white. These were 
secured from a hennery where all of the eggs are of 
Contact with the consumer where the producer re¬ 
sides at a distance from a city of much size, as is 
the case with the average dairy farmer. If two 
parties can be mutually interested in the distribu¬ 
tion, one the producer and the other a man who 
shall deliver (he product to the consumer as directly 
from the farm as is possible, there is about as little 
loss as can be expected at present. This may enable 
a dairyman to get a 50-cent dollar in the place of 
-'■> or 35 cents as is so common. Such a course 
should cut out much of the expense and loss of 
handling and make a good business for both parties. 
A superior product can be furnished at less cost 
than the same grade can be had by the usual method, 
and there is greater certainty of satisfaction as to 
quality and price for both parties to the enterprise, 
where the efforts are mutual and interests identical 
roomy, and so nicely arranged that one must ad¬ 
mire the taste and skill that had been exercised in 
putting things in order. Not that it is costly, but 
tastefully fixed up. The business is not large, the 
sales of milk averaging a little over 300 quarts a 
day. It is just such a business as one wants when 
he is to give personal attention to all details and 
serve a choice trade with something that will al¬ 
ways please. Cream, butter and fancy cheeses were 
in stock, as was buttermilk and a few other notions. 
Glass cases with everything kept in sight add to the 
desirability to trade at the store or to have goods 
delivered from there. Fresh paint at frequent in¬ 
tervals, an absence of flies and dust, and unusual 
neatness all tend to impress the purchaser favor¬ 
ably. The picture that is given herewith is hardly 
sufficient to give one a complete idea of the attrac- 
one color, and the fowls are kept pure for the spe¬ 
cial purpose of furnishing the sort of eggs that the 
trade desires. Prices were reasonably consistent 
with the pains taken. I think that five cents a 
dozen about covers the extra expense over the price 
of the eggs usually on the market. Customers are 
invited to visit the yards where the poultry is kept. 
Feeds, while making but little difference in the real 
value of the eggs, are advertised to be carefully 
selected, and the practice is in keeping with the 
advertising. 
As for the milk, it is called Guernsey, and the 
name Guernsey is a prominent feature of the adver¬ 
tising. In order to see if the practice is in keeping 
with the advertising I visited the farm where the 
milk is produced, it being shipped in from Oxford, 
a town some 30 miles away. In the first place the 
