Year: 1879

Tho Westchester dairy farmers and their
associates who are interested in the ques-
tion OF pure milk for New York have hold OF
O matter Of importance to the city. Milk
unadulterated with water is not by any
means one OF the commonest OF things and
the milk sold at the corner groceries is
not good water either


At the Katonah Milk Convention, some
time ago, JOEL MARBLE remarked that his
Bon thought his city milk good enough until
he drank that on the farm at home, when he
was no longer content until he had his own
private supply direct from the country.
Probably other people have felt the same
way, though they are not all rich enough to
follow Mr.. MARBLES example.


Our city milkmen get all the credit OF
watering the milk, and perhaps they are
sinners sometimes in that respect. The
Croton hydrant is handy. But the chief sin
ners, as it was shown at the Milk Conven-
tion, are dairy farmers themselves. They
water the milk before it leaves the farm,
though it may be only to the extent OF five
per cent, complaining that the price they get
is so small that they must cheat little In
so doing they act against their own interest,
for they increase the supply, and so help to
lower the price. Any movement for purify
ing the milk of the city must therefore be-
gin with efforts to make the farmers moro
honest AMI more intelligent.


The quality of cattle in the country has
greatly improved within the last quarter OF
century. Even on ordinary farms the
best breeds. or mixtures with the best
a. H., In,.
pride in maintaining a high quality of
stock. With the improvement in the breed
of milch cows the milk has grown richer
Therefore, instead of having thin, blue milk
In town. we ought to have the very best, and
that at moderate prices. Already large
business is done in New York in the sale of
excellent milk which comes in sealed bot
Ties; but the higher price charged for it
from ten to twelve cents a quart-puts it
beyond the reach OF multitudes.


There is no reason why first-rate milk,
pure and sweet, unskmmed and without
water, should not be supplied to everybody
at the prevailing prices. The dairy farmers
reasonably complain that while they get
barely enough for profit, the milk is sold
In New York at a large advance, the middle
m6h reaping the advantage. Mr.. JAYS Com
mittec on Pure Milk must remedy or lessen
this evil by obtaining for the farmers more
direct market. They must teach them to
abandon their vicious habit Of resorting to
the pump to increase the number Of their
milk cans, and so arrange that the milk
shall be distributed here just as it was when
1t arrived. If they can do all this, the milk
problem will be solved. Bat they have a
hard task before them.


I We are glad they have stirred up the sub
ject, and hope the result Of their efforts will
be an increase in the supply OF pure milk.
Perhaps the plan they have under consider
alton is the most feasible, though it is open
to objections. 1t Is to establish central
depot in New York for the Bedford dairy
farmers, to receive the milk In sealed cans,
and to distribute it in sealed bottles. II this
plan is adopted, and proves successful, a
limited number OF families will get pure
milk, but the great mass of the people OF
the city will have to get along with their
old supply. However, good example will
he set