PRICE OF MILK.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2115, 14 October 1875, Page 2

PRICE OF MILK.

(To th« Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sib.—ln your issue of the 12th iast, there is a letter from " Enquirer " pretending to ask for information about cowkeeping, but anyone reading his letter can see that his real object is to try to show the publio that the Thames milkmen are a parcel of fools. There aw about 22 milkmen on the Thames-—surely gome of them know as much about cow-keeping as "Enquirer." His remark about the cost of keeping a cow "v pretty near the mark, but the quantity 40 to 50 quarts for two cows is just about double of what two good cow§ will give with the feed he speaks about. I may tell him that two cows that will give from 40 to 50 quarts on good pasture land will not give more than 12 to" 13 quarts on the Thames feed. If •'.Bn quirer " will find me two cows that will give the quantity of milk he says. I will give him £20 a head for them, but hs must guarantee them to keep it up for five months. Now I will tell him what two middling cows will give here. To milk two cows for nine months, giving them the best feed to be had here will average about 13 quarts per day. Cow* that will do that will cost in Auckland £12; and when dry will be worth about £3 10s.

In the Weekly News of 25th September last there appears a telegraph itating that the milkmen of Adelaide had been compolled to raise the price to Bd. In the Advertiser of 28th September last " Poor Collier," whilst; endeavouring to show that the Thames milkmen could sell milk at Gd a quart only proves tho difficulties the Thames milkmen have to encounter, compared with the Auckland milkmen, but signally fails to.show that milk here could possibly be sold at less than its present price. " Poor Collier" fancies he has got "Poor Milkman" down as he says that "Poor Milkman" contradicts himself by faying that there are no runs here whilst he mentions one man as losing so many cows on the run. What " Poor Milkman" meant is that the runs here were not worth having as so many cows were killed by the wretched feed they have to live upon. No one but a madman would com. pare the splendid pasturage at home with the scrubby stuff" on the Thames. It appears to me that ..'„• JEnquirer" wishes to make the inhabitants of the Thames dissatisfied with the price of milk, but the milkmen generally get few, if any complaints from their customers. Several writers have written here about milk matters, but from what they tell yon it is quite evident that they are totally ignorant of the subject; but all that I have written is derived from practical experience. Ido not intend to trouble the public with any more letters, but believe that they will now see that milk could not be sold here at less than Sd. per quart. FaibPiat.