Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1917-05-14
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
About Milk.

Mr.. Editor: There seems TO be so
many interpretations in regard to the
local milk situation, that, perhaps a
little actual light on the subject would
at least, relieve some of the intentional
Measurements that have been pub
lished in YOUR columns in the past few
weeks 1t is not a question of how
much water man can sell his patrons
for five cents a quart, from ten cows,
to be able to deposit $4,000 a year in
the savings bank, but can a man sell
milk for less than IL cents a quart in
single bottles {and / mean milk, not
that eight and 15-quart COW kind that
is doubled at the spring to sixteen and
thirty Quarts) and get by?
COW must be from two to three
years old before she can produce milk.
During that time the producer has
spent $40 on her without return to
say nothing OF the chances of loss by
maximum milk at five years and at
nine becomes a non-producer and is
sold to a liberal C?) buyer to be con-
verified into kosher beef at a loss of
over so per cent. of her value The
cows are MIXED by labor at an ave-
rage cost of over 81 per day per man,
the feed costs, and it must be rem m
bered that hay has a market value OF
s23 per ton, bedding at SIS, silage OF
Sc per ton and feed of $50 and that a
and cultivating all the season for his
herd. Not only his work but that also
of his help, his machinery, his horses
is required for putting in crops, NOW
feeding of green crops, for his cows to
eat through the fall, winter, spring,
and in many cases summer. Usually
he can turn them out to pasture for
part of May, June and July, but they
want silage or hay and grain just the
same and when August comes they
must have fresh, succulent green feed
or they will drop in their milk flow,
ND hoy 7aI-1l n at hat
bles must be clean, light and airy,
utensils must be washed and sterii-
lied, the cows must be clean, the milk
ers' hands must be washed and dried
before milking, the health of the COW
must be tested, and the milk must be
up to the state standard"
1t should be carefully MIXED into
narrow mouthed pail, and strained
through several thicknesses of cheese
cloth or absorbent cotton and in a
room free from hay, dust and microbes
away from the cats and dogs, run
through a sanitary clarifier and
bottles and Immediately capped with a
SANITARY cap. This all costs as 1t takes
time and time is money whether you
are a policeman or a dairyman.
The feed of each cow costs-for hay.
silage, bedding, breeding, grain-50
cents per day, and the man, horse, la
bor depreciation. ice insurance, vet
Urinary attention, medicine, loss on
cans DOtCleS, TO say nOLDIng or Dad
debts (and there are a few who still
owe the milkman) 20 cents per COW
per day. The average COW gives but
an average Of seven quarts of milk
per day Contrary to some of the pub
lished, local statements). For these
seven quarts the milkmen for the past
month have been getting 6s cents.
For example, Farmer Brown sells
milk. He has ten cows, and sells sew
enty quarts daily. He gets when his
six cents a quart or 1920 per day. He
drives in seven days and delivers.
leaves home at a. M, gets back at
noon, was up at three. He has to milk
and gets through at p. m. He has
worked Is hours or one union day and
seven hours at pay and one half But
for his total yearly income of 365 days,
he gets $3.50 per week or s152S for
cidentaIly ten cows, one bull, and
young stock enough to replenisfl his
herd yearly. The whole situation
makes me think of a recent cartoon
his tailor for a suit, cloth is up, labor
is up, buttons are up, and the suit
cost over last years price IS. But he
must have it. He expects to pay more
for he is getting more wages. Next
ne goes to the shoe store to buy shoes.
"27 factories closed in Lynn" Leather
is high, labor is high and scarce,
landlord raised the rent, shoes are 50
nlsheT- wen, ne must nav Ing suoSS-
He gets up in the morning, meets the
niIkman at the door. Sorry, mister,
but owing to scarcity of grain, poor
silage, no weather to pasture my cows,
and my boy George has left me and
gone to the munition factory to work
so l must ask you to give me cent
q quart more" He is kicked on the
steps with loud ordinations of I'M
grateful, robber, thief, and a further
thrust Of Don't you come here again
as shall not pay it: not to you, any
way
Some of the dealers who sell the
lowest and, according to statistics
whose milk on several tests last sum-
mer was the lowest, run the most ex-
tensive equipment, hire all their la