Survey of Knoxville milk supply

The material offered in this paper constitutes a study of Knoxville’s milk supply for the year 1925, and a general review of the milk situation for previous years so far as available information will permit.

The plan of work is to show the source of supply; distance of the producer from the market; quantity of supply; seasonal variations of butter fat, and solids not fat in raw milk sold by producers; seasonal variations of quality of milk sold by producers to distributors and to consumers; seasonal variation of efficiency of pasteurization plants as regards reduction of bacterin count in milk received from producer, and relation of bacteria count to barn conditions, source of water supply, methods of sterilization, and storage facilities.

The results obtained are based upon information obtained from the following sources: records of the Bureau of Health of the city of Knoxville, milk surveys of other cities, state Agricultural Colleges. State Experiment Stations, United States Government Publications and personal investigations.

All milk samples were taken and tests conducted by trained officials representing the Knoxville Bureau of Health and in accordance with Standard Methods of the American Public Health Association. (11). All records concerning location and number of dairies, numbers of cows, cows in milk, milk produced daily and products sold, were taken from earliest dairy inspection records made during the year 1925. Not less than two inspection reports were available for each dairy. Information regarding the channels of fluid milk from producer to consumer was determined by personal interview with each distributor and retail dairyman or their respective representative.