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97
The condition of cowsheds in Finsbury is, on the whole,
good. The paving and drainage is satisfactory, but general
uncleanliness and untidiness is marked. Manure is left lying about,
and the receptacles for this stuff are not cleared as often or so
thoroughly as they should be. One or two of the sheds are deficient
in light. But, in a general way, it may be said that the defects are
not those of structure or accommodation so much as those due to
careless management.
All the cows in Finsbury are milked twice daily, in the early
morning and early afternoon. I saw no evidence of thoroughly
clean milking, although I was informed in most cases that milkers
washed before and during that operation, and also cleansed the
udders of the cows about to be milked. After milking, the milk is
in all cases strained ("screened"), generally through muslin,
in order to get rid of particulate matter. In five out of the
seven cowsheds the milk is cooled over a Lawrence cooler.
In one it is cooled in a can under a tap of cold water, and in one it
is not cooled at all. I consider the entire absence of cooling a great
disadvantage, but I was told that the customers preferred it not
cooled. Most of the milk is sold in Finsbury on "rounds" or in
shops, but some of it finds its way to other metropolitan districts.
The approximate amount yielded is 10 quarts per cow per day. On
the whole, and judging the matter on broad lines, there would appear
to be much room for improvement in the straining, manipulation,
cooling and storage of milk in all these seven cowsheds. Rough
and ready management, in a corner of the cowshed or yard, and
entrusting the work to the cowman will not suffice. Dirty milkers
and dirty utensils are unpardonable.
Milk Shops in Finsbury.—There are registered in the Borough
261 milk vendors, of whom 40 are confectioners or maintain
coffee shops, leaving 221 milk vendors (or about one to every
450 of the population) who sell milk for consumption off the
premises. For the purposes of this enquiry a thorough inspection
has been made of these 221 milk shops. They are divisible
into two groups, namely, (a) dairies and (b) general shops
selling milk. There are 39 so-called dairies (or 18 per cent,
of the total) and 182 general shops. At the dairies only milk, butter,
cheese and mineral waters are sold as a rule. At the general shops