Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-03-16
BUTTER AND CHEESE.
Notes Of the National Convention n
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The National Butter, Cheese and Egg
association, which convened at Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, on the I'd inst, was not SO
well attended, on account of the inter-
ruphon to trains by storms, as was ex-
pected, and consequently not so much OF
success. The following notes of the
proceedings will be of service to the
dairymen:
The following resolution by Mr.. An
derson, of New York, was unanimously
adopted:
WHEREAS. It has como to the knowledge of
your committee appointed to examine the dairy
products now on exhibition in Cedar Rapids
that cheese adulterated with lard has been
shown to the delegates to the convention and
others; therefore,
Reso1oed. That this association condemns the
practice which some parties are trying to intro
duce in our system Of dairying, it being a dis
honest proceeding, and certain of iniuring our
export trade, which has been built up so sue
cessfully by the means Of genuine, honest, and
superior products.
The topic "The Relations of the Pro-
Queer and the Dealer was then taken
up, and spirited discussion of an hour
and half ensued.
Mr.. Buell., of Illinois, opened, and
spoke from the producers standpoint.
He thought the produce is too much at
the mercy of the commission men. He
makes shipments of butter to them reg
ularly, and sometimes he receives more
than the quotation price and sometimes
less. But quite often the account sales
show that it brought two, four, or five
cents per pound less than he thought it
was worth in purchase. He could not
help thinking sometimes that his COM
mission merchant either used poor judg.
ment or that he had really sold the but
ter for more than the account sales
showed. If he suspected the lat
ter he had no means what
ever under the present plan OF dis
covering whether it was so or not, and
he suggested as a remedy that on every
account sales should be stated the par
ties to whom sold. In making these re-
marks he had no intention of question
ing the integrity of commission men in
general, as he believed the vast majority
Of them to be honest, but he had no
means Of telling which were honest and
which were not. He read their cards in
the daily newspapers, but read nothing
in them as to characters selecting one to
deal with.
Judge Luce thought such a remedy as
Mr.. Buell. proposed would do no good,
for if we have to deal with rascally COM
mission men they will beat us every time
in spite of our efforts to detect them, and
the only way to do is to find out the
honest men and deal with them. IAp-
n1arse I
Prof. Knapp, of the Iowa Agricultural
college, said that If dairyman would
uniformly ship good goods with recog-
nized brand on, and always to one man.
he need have no fear of being cheated.
MIR. Marvin, of Monticello, said that a
dairyman who received his freight at
Cedar Rapids recently received three
tons Of soapstone, and it is supposed
that he intends to use it in his butter.
Mr.. Marvin was appointed committee
to investigate the matter.
Mr.. Sherman, of Iowa, called atten-
ton to and condemned unsparingIy the
practice of some dairymen of buying I'M
sailed butter, working it over, and brand
ing it creamery.
Prof. Knapp, of Iowa, delivered very
interesting lecture on s'The Grasses Of
Iowa. He said the climatic conditions
OF the state were radically different from
those of the eastern states or southern
Europe. Timothy is native product
OF southern Europe, and hence was not
suited to withstand the peculiar condi-
tons OF our hot weather in certain sea-
sons of the year, especially in July and
BY using barnyard manure or
chemicals fair crop can be raised, but
there IS not manure enough in the world
to fertilize the prairie lands of the west.
We must get substitute from countries
where the climate is similar to ours
Central Asia and parts of Australia.
for instance. In the latter country.
They have grass that produces four
crops a year, making seven and half
tons to the acre. The professor related
his experience with the Hungarian grass
and millet, and thought these articles
more profitable than timothy or clover.
He related some experiments made with
corn planted in drills ten inches apart.
six kernels to hill, and cultivated two
or three times during the season. This
corn made twenty tons of fodder to the
acre. Each stalk had one and some
TWO ears, and there was probably eighty
bushels to the acre in twenty acres
planted in this way.
A general discussion followed, anu the
delegates piled the professor with nu-
nerous questions, which his vast in
formation on the subject enabled him to
answer s.. satisfactorily every time.
The next topic was that of transporta-
;iop, and was discussed by several repre-
'entatives of the leading lines of rail-
'oads and ocean steamships. They all
greed that the transportation and ex-
of butter and cheese was rapid
y becoming business of great magni- !
ude and they all promised there would
'oon be increased facilities on the rail-
oads and steamships for safely carrying
hose products.
BY request, Mr.. Huston, of Waubeek.
cad paper, which he had prepared for
he late state association of dairymen on
he condition of the creamery business /
n Linn county. It. was very interesting,
howing that there are thirty creameries
n the county, producing 1900, 900
pounds of butter and $50, pounds of
heese annually, the value of which is
bout $4OO, 900.
The topic, "The Importance of Uni
ormity in Quantity and Quality of Pack
ges," was next considered, and the dis
ussion was one of the most valuable of
he convention. There was found to be
reat diversity of opinion. The New
FORK men preferred ash tubs, while Bos-
on preferred spruce. Some exporters
laimed that England wanted no spruce
ubs, while others asserted that she
'ou]d have no other. Some dairymen
4 the west advocated white oak as the
cry best wood for butter tubs. The
methods of preparing the tub
y rinsing, boiling, soaking or sailing,
ere thoroughly considered.
The topic of protection of the Ameri-
an dairy was discussed. The prevailing
pinion was, that it is the duty of each
tate to pass laws requiring all products
} be distinctly branded what they are,
nd that all articles used for adulteration
Mould be manufactured under the SUI
ervision of national board of health.
resolution embodying the opinion was
1opted. 1
The Cedar Rapids board of trade Of ,