The times., 1901-05-20
THE DISTRICT MILK SUPPLY
The Production and Distribution of
the Universal Food.

The Dairy Farm. the Accommodation
Train. and City MiII<mnn-EffOrts
of the Health Department to Pro
tect Herds and Check AduIteratiOn n
The production and distribution Of the
milk supply of Washington includes two
important industries. To provide good
milk implies high bred animals and high
grade agriculture. To deliver such milk
to the people of this city implies first
class facilities for transportation. and
equally good arrangements for storing the
lacteal fluid and carrying it to the con-
sumer
What is termed the milk business has
three branches-its production on the
farm, its transportation to the city. and
its distribution here. When the dairy
farmer in Maryland or Virginia has de-
posted his milk cans at the way station
by the railroad his work is finished.
Presently an accommodation train hur-
ries these cans away to Washington Here
the milkman receives them morning and
evening and delivers their contents to his
customers. All this time the milk is or
should be kept at low temperature, and in
most. instances is consumed before any
chemical change takes place in its com
position.
The sources of the milk supply are the
agricultural portions of the District and
the nelgkboring States of Maryland and
Virginia. There are in the District, ac-
cording to statistics accumulated in the
Health Department, 15b dairy farms pro-
ducing milk for sale. The average num-
her Of COWS is 1000. and the average pro
duction per diem about 1000 gallons.
one dairy in Pennsylvania sends milk
10 Washington In Maryland there are
277 dairy farms and in Virginia 34S dairy
farms. regularly sending milk TO this city.
The product outside the District is from
5000 cows 3.24O of which We're inspected
by the Health Department last year.
The milk from the District farms and
the nearby territory in Maryland and
Virginia is brought to the city in wagons
and distributed usually hy the farmer
himself or by his employees. The product
of perhaps 5000 cows is thus brought to
the consumers. But the milk from 4,OO0
COWS is brought in over the railroads
Between s and O'Clock each morning
the milk taken from the cows the night
before arrives at the two depots. A train
leaving Frederick, Md, at o'clock in the
morning collects 1.6S5 gallons en- route.
Another train from Boyds, Nd, comes
in with J. 500 gallons on board. a train on
the Danyilie Division OF the Southern
Railway arrives each day with $50 gal
Ions. and another on the Round Top Di-
vision brings 2,I30 gallons from the green
hills of Virginia"
In the evening trains arriving over the
same routes bring in lesser amounts from
the morning milking, making grand
total Of more than 1900 gallons Of milk
each day At an average price Of cents
quart to consumers, this represents
daily outlay for milk by the people OF
Washington OF sz,eSo.
The value of milk has proved source
of great temptation, alike to the dairy
farmer and the city milkman. They have
diluted the product, and have 'doctored'
the contents Of cans, until the most uni
versal food has been changed into a
nauseous fluid unfit for use.
Growing out of this is the milk inspec-
ton by the Health Department, which
now extends TO the investigation of herds.
and the conditions of barns and dairies.
With reference to the latter the last re-
port of the inspector OF live stock and
dairy farms says:
Many Of the old COW barns were old
types of the acknowledgement pattern,
where the object sought for~was warmth
In the winter for the cows, which slightly
Increased the milk supply On some of
these farms cows were confined in the
stanchions on the advent of cold weather
and not released until spring and never /
turned out for exercise. The windows !
were of the old frame sliding pattern and I
were not glazed and were seldom opened. /
The only ventilation occurred when the 1
doors were opened at cleaning times. /
The stencil from such stables was almost 4
and eventually tuberculosis /
and spread through the herd, /
as COWS. depleted by such lack Of venti- 4
Iation, are unable to Withstand the inva- |
sion of the tu5ercle bacillus which exists 4
In large percentage Of COW barns
Some barns were so poorly lighted that I
we were often unable TO know whether
some Of the stalls were occupied by COWS
until a kick now and then received made ,
Us cautious. -9.>snftcient cubic air space
has proven serious obstacle to over
come often on account Of prejudice
gainst the cows getting fresh air and
where there was insufficient floor space
for the number Of cows owned.
The education of some of the non-pro-
gressive type of dairy farmers has proved .
10 be most burdensome, and in several 4
cases the Police Court has proved to be
The best educator
The report goes on TO say that in
number of instances the Health Office I
has induced dairy farmers TO reconstruct I
their buildings so as TO remove the CON
ditiOns described. one object sought by 1
the department is to have established on /
each dairy farm a special dairy for the {
cleaning, storage, etc, Of all cans and /
utensils used in connection with the milk
The need for thus separating the cleaning /
Of cans, etc, from the kitchen and living
rooms OF the family was eXempiified in a /
peculiarly impressive manner
Within a few days sixty-five cases of /
scarlet fever were reported TO the Health /
Department in 4 certain section of the
city. Investigation proved that each pa
tient had drank milk from the same milk
man. An inspector went to his farm lust
beyond the District line, and found that
bottles in which the milk was placed had
been cleaned and filled in the kitchen !
with a child Of the family III with scarlet
fever in the next room. The mother had