Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-10
MUCH BLAME At DOOR
OF MILK CONSUMERS
Fail in Ordinary Precautions.
Suggestions Made by Chief
B. H. RaW.

milk consumers do not do what they
might to see that they are supplied with
a pure product. and that it is properly
kept after they get it,"
This was the statement of B. II. Rawl,
chief of the dairy division of the De-
partment of Agriculture, to a Star re-
porter today. In speaking of the pro-
posed raise in the price of milk to
cents a quart, he said:
eff good milk can be bought at
cents it IS much cheaper for the con-
sumner than milk of uncertain quality at
4 cents.
..Of course, it is hard to be certain
that milk is all right even at the higher
price But the consumer can do an APP
preciahle part. This is what he does
not seem to realize, or at least does
not always do.
Not Improved by Standing.
For instance, if even good milk is
delivered in d bottle at a house in the
morning and allowed to stay in the sun
for two hours before it is taken in, it
naturally is not improved. Where there
might have been two or three bacteria,
there will be a few hundred thousand
proper care the number could have been
kept low.
..Tben when the milk is taken in it is
frequently put into a refrigerator that
either is not clean itself or where there
are all sorts of food to help contaminate
il do not know about the local con-
ditions here but j know that in some
towns the milk dealers, or most of them,
have expressed willingness to put the
milk in a box and ice it If the house
holder would furnish the box.
1T will be seen that with substantial
box properly placed small piece of ice
left with the bottle of milk would last
for long time and would help the keep
ing wonderfully, compared with the bot
tie sitting on the steps in the broiling
sun The householder usually could ar
range To have the milk cared for and
taken in as soon as delivered. But this
is not the general practice, by any means.
Conditions Are Improving
There has been Improvement. I know
around Washington in the last year or
two in the conditions on dairy farms.
This Improvement would be more marked
if the consumers would show that they
know what is being done and would pat
ronize the dairynfen who were trying to
give good service.
THE dairies around Washington are
visited and are scored according to the
conditions under which the cows are kept
and the milk handled. These figures are
all availa BILE at the health office. / have
tried several times to get some way of
publishing them. or at least getting the
consumers to inspect them there, which
| they are at liberty to do
LAS a matter of fact, many dairymen
are making an effort to improve their
stock. This usually means to improve
the conditions under which they are kept
II man is improving his herd and has
high grade cows he is not apt to let
them stay in bad stable or lie in water
and filth and that sort of thing.
Even with the high price of milk
there is a very small margin. as a rule
between success and failure in running a
dairy business. A dairyman is learning
that II costs just much to feed a cow
that is not paying for herself as it does
to keep one that eats just the same and
! is giving twice much milk.
The dairyman can find this out only
| by keeping strict account of the cost
! of feed and of milk production. More
| and more are dairymen doing this The
| result Is that the production of the herds
| on the average is increa sing.
LAS the dairymen make more money
| they can afford better quarters for their
| stock and will be able to improve the
| conditions under which they handle the
| milk