Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-12-27
Dairymen's Conventions.

10 Tue coHNeuIlOnS OF the persons who
have been engaged in the business.
AS o on as cooperative diaries were
established in central New York the
pat rons began to hold meetings with
Vi ew of gaining information from
each other on the best ways of manao-
ing ows, taking care of milk, manu-
featuring butter and cheese, and dis
posing of dairy products These
local meetings were of great value to
the persons who attended them They
were schools of practical instruction.
They gave rise to the formation of the
American Dairyman's association,
whose proceedings were published
each year and distributed in many
portions Of the country. The great
good accomplished by this association
caused others to be formed in the
western states and the Canadian
provinces.
The annual conventions of these as
sociatiOns brought together a large
number of earnest men and women
who were engaged in the business of
| keeping COWS for milk or the manu-
facture of butter and cheese. At these
meetings addresses were delivered bv
persons of scientific attainments on
the composition and production of
milk, and the changes it undergoes
previous to and during the time it is
converted into butter and cheese.
These annual gatherings were also
largel y in the nature of experience
meetings" Persons who had been
very successful IN the production of
milk or the manufacture of superior
butter or cheese were asked to state
their manner of procedure. They
were nOtinfrequently called upon to-
answer all sorts of inquiries There
was no keeping back of secrets. As a
rule every person attending cOnven-
ton felt it his duty to tell all he knew
that would tend to advances the in
terest in whi,h his hearers were en-
gagged.
By degrees these conventions devo-
ted attention to other matters then the
management of milk aud manufac,
ture of butter and cheese. The breeds
of COWS, the construction of barns,
the best feed for dairy stock, the cool
ing and transportation of milk, the
disposition of skinned milk and
whey, and the marketing of dairy
products all received consideration.
Dairymen were among the first agri-
cultural producers to move in the
matter Of securing better facilities for
transportation. The establishment
of dairy boards of trady was the re-
suit of the action taken in these con-
ventions. Their establishment Sput
an end to the credit system in the
sale of dairy products. They caused
the purchasers to come to the place
where butter and cheese were made
in large quantities. They put stop
to sending dairy products to commits
sion merchants in distant cities to be
sold on long time and subject to great
losses in shrinkage in weight and
deterioration caused by want of pro
per care and attention.
Through the action of conventions
Of dairymen butter and cheese pro
duced in factories are now chiefly
sold in the towns where they are
made for cash. The weight is ascer-
tanned on scales belonging to the local
board of trade The money is paid
over before the butter and cheese
change hands. The establishment of
dairy boards of trade has afforded an
opportunity for the managers of fac
tories to put their names on all the
packages of butter and cheese they
sell. By SO doing they are able to
gain and keep a reputation if they de
serve to have one. Before dairy
boards of trade were established it
was the practice of commission mer-
chants to put any name they chose
on the packages that were consigned
to them. By that means they could
prevent any new factory from gain
ing reputation for it's products
They could also prejudice the public
against certain sections Of the cOun-
try as dairy regions
The conventions of dairymen have
performed a large amount of good
missionary work. Recently it has
become the custom to change the
place of holding them nearly every
year. Persons engaged in general
farming attend g dairy convention if
it is held near to the place where they
live. They listen to the addresses,
papers, and discussion and become
interested in them. Many of them
sec0me convinced that dairying is
more profitable then grain-raising
and meat production, and make ar
rangements to adopt the latter indus
try. The publication of the proceed
ings of dairy conventions has called
the attention of the public to the
profits of dairying and the best
methods of conducting the business.
The proceedings Of most Of the con-
ventions have been published in book
or pamphlet form and sold at low
price to persons who are not members
of the association.
At the meetings of most of the as
sociatiOns there are now displays of
butter and cheese and the various
utensils used for handling, storing,
and manufacturing milk. These
afford excellent opportunities for
comparing samples. Doubtless these
meetings might be rendered more
profitable by afording an opportunity
fO1a tho and 1Jta11 lC