Putnam patriot., 1917-10-05
MUST GET MORE
FOR MILK
State Milk Producers Make Flat Rate of
Three Cents
Increase Upheld by Secretary l.. H..
iealey. Needed TO Retain Dairy Herds

At meeting of the Connecticut
Milk Producers Association held in
Meriden the Hat rate of eight cents per
quart to the producer was adopted.
This action has the endorsement of
l.. IL. Healey, secretary of tie Stnte
Board OF Agriculture who says the &C.
lion is entirely justified.
Mr. Healey bases his contention on
the condition of the dairy industry at
the present time, and on the need that
there is, especially in this state, for IA
growth III the industry.
While in no way wishing TO depre-
cate the raising of cattle for beef, Mr..
Healey makes the point that this pro-
cedure TO large extent, means ten.
dency toward decrease in the dairy
herds. He feels that every agency in
the state which is engaged in stimu-
lating the agricultural production
should always keep in mind the inn
portance of maintaining proper bal
ance which will stimulate the produc-
ton OF animals Ms we'll as crops, espec.
tally such animals as may be essential
70 dairy productions.
The retaining and increasing OF the
dairy herds, says Mr.. Healey with
emphasis, means the retaining and in
creasing Of the fertility OF the soil. He
points out what the farmers part is in
the matter Of dairy production.
at is his duty" says Mr.. Heaiey,
ITO produce good clean milk Of stand.
ard quality at the lowest cost price. A
great majority of our Connecticut milk
producers are doing this. And yet
after the farmer has done this In the
most perfect way possible he finds that
nj the average current price received
for milk, he does not get the cost of It's
production. Thus there is no incen-
tive for the farmer to increase his herd.
Yet, never, through organized effort,
has he attempted to curtail his product
as a means of boosting the price"
Mr.. Healey gives the results OF a
recent survey made by workers at the
Connecticut Agricultural College. BY
studying conditions as they existed in
diaries composed of 3,25s cows, he
finds that the average production OF
each COW is 5000 pounds. There is q
balance on the wrong side OF the ledg.
er, however, between what the pro.
ducers received for their milk and
what IL cost To produce IL.
The average loss TO the producer for
each quart of milk that was sold to the
consumer was found to be two. thirds
of cent. Each COW, then, when av-
eraged Z, 25S pounds year, was Q mel
loss 10 its owner OF flS.24.
The supply Of milk, II Is argued
should be permanent and adequate
yet II Is felt that this is not possible
when the price received for milk con.
tinues to be below the cost of produc,
ton. The price received for milk
within the past three years, IL Is ad.
mitted, has increased considerably but
the cost of production, 1t is argued has
increased much more rapidly.
The only way Of insuring a continu.
ation OF the dairy industry in Connec.
ticut, as Mr.. Healey sees the situation,
is "a higher price for the milk. Ii Is
assumed that the consumer will see
the justice as we'll as the necessity OF
such course.
The value of milk is taken up. No
food furnishes nutritive material al so
low relative cost, says Mr.. Healey.
Many people, lie AYERS, look upon milk
as a beverage, when in realty IL is 4
most nourishing food. One pound of
steak nj 30 cents pound, he finds, has
the same nutriliye value as one quart