But this is not the whole story of milk.  Milk is extraordinarily rich in calcium, commonly called lime, necessary for the growth of the bones and teeth and also important in the diet of adults, even though they have stopped growing.  No other food has nearly as much.  A pint has almost enough calcium for one entire day’s supply.  It takes 21/4 pounds of carrots to give the same amount, or 7 pounds of white bread or the impossible quantity of 21 pounds of beef!  A diet without milk (or cheese) is in great danger of being too low in calcium, especially a meat-and-bread diet without vegetables.

Among the most necessary constituents of milk are the two vitamines.  One is present chiefly in the fat and the other in the watery part of the milk.  Without milk fat, in whole milk or in butter, we run considerable risk of having too little of the fat-soluble vitamine.  The other vitamine is more widely distributed in our foods, so that with our varied diet there is little danger of not getting enough.

Milk, therefore, fills all the needs of the child, except, perhaps, for iron, and is one of the best foods in the diet of grown people.  THERE IS NO OTHER FOOD THAT HAS ALL THE VIRTUES OF MILK; IT THEREFORE HAS NO SUBSTITUTE.  “THE REGULAR USE OF MILK IS THE GREATEST SINGLE FACTOR OF SAFETY IN THE HUMAN DIET.”

OUR MILK PROBLEM

We have not nearly enough milk in the United States to give every child the quart and every adult the pint which they should have.  Although we actually produce about a quart per person, more than half of this is used for butter, cheese, and cream, and only about two-thirds of a pint is drunk directly as milk or used in cooking.  This spring we have slightly more than this amount because of the dairymen’s response to the patriotic appeal to maintain production, but our supply and consumption of milk are still far below what they should be.

To increase the quantity in the country the price of milk must be low enough for people to afford it, but high enough to keep the producer and distributer in the business.  The question of a fair price is a difficult one.  The cost of feed has gone up, labor is scarce and dear, but further economies in both production and distribution are still possible.  This past winter the Food Administration and the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture have assisted many local commissions in determining fair milk prices and pointing out economies all along the line of the milk business.

It is most unfortunate that ignorance of the value of milk makes people particularly sensitive to a change in its price.  When it goes up even a cent a quart, many cut down their consumption, while a considerably larger advance in the price of meat will make little difference in the amount bought.

If diminished use of milk continues, dairymen may go out of business and permanent harm be done, both to us and to those dependent on us abroad.  A factory may close down and when the need comes reopen immediately, but if a cow is killed it takes practically three years to replace her.