were obtained by personal interviews with the manager or
representatives of each fluid milk processing plant.-

 An accounting was made of the utilization and distribution
 of milk received. These data included: (1) location and capacity
 of processing and distributing facilities, (2) volume handled by
 product and by type and size of package, (3) methods of distribution
 employed and quantity marketed by each method and (4) the volume of
 sales for each county in which products were distributed. When
 sales were made to a distributor, the products were shown as sold
 in the county in which the distributor was located, Information
 was not obtained from distributors as to whether they sold products
 in counties other than those in which they were located.

 Data on the utilization and distribution of milk were
obtained in the four administered milk marketing areas partly
from records of market control agencies. Additional data were
collected by schedules completed during personal interviews with
representatives of firms processing and distributing fluid milk
products in these areas. In Northwest Florida, data were obtained
entirely from interviews with representatives of each dairy
processing plant.

 In each area, data were collected on supplies and utilization
of milk for two months--Aprll and October, 1959. April is a month
with heavier than normal producer deliveries of milk. October is
a month of greater than normal fluid milk sales in most marketss./
The Dairy Division of the Florida State Department of Agriculture
provided a summary of the amount and origin by states of all fluid
milk products shipped into Florida in 1959.


Method of Analysis

 The data were analyzed on a marketing area basis largely by
tabular methods. Firms in each area were stratified into three
size groups on the basis of fluid milk sales per day: (1) less than
2,500 gallons, (2) 2,500 to 9,999 gallons and (3) 10,000 gallons and
over. Comparisons were made between size groups within each market
and for firms of each size in the several marketing areas.

 The potential demand for fluid milk in Florida markets was
projected based on two estimates of expected population and assuming
a per capital consumption the same as the estimated consumption in
1959.

 2/ For multi-unit firms, each processing plant was treated
as an individual firm.
 8/This is shown graphically in Chapter V, Figure 21.
Furthermore, these months were used so that the data collected
would be for the same period as in each of the other state projects
contributing to the Southern Region Dairy Marketing Project SM-10
Revised.