The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-29
DAIRYING IN THE WEST.
The Advantages Over Other Parts OF the
Country.

York in keeping cows and IN making
butter and cheese were invited to at
tend the meetings of dairymen's as
sociations in the west, for the purpose
of %imparting information. No doubt
they accomplished considerable good
in the matter of attording instruction
in the establishment of butter and
cheese factories aud in the sale of
dairy products. In n respect their
speaking had a bad effect. Their es-
innate of the capabilities of the west
TO produce milk, butter, and cheese
that would compare in excellence with
those produced in York state" was
exceedingly discouraging. Some of
them thought that only inferior articles
would ever be produced on prairie
arms. They declared that it required
a somewhat hIlly country to furnish
the grasses that produce the best milk,
and they stated that spring water was
essential to successful dairying. A
few took a rather more hopeful view
Of the matter. They expressed the
belief that grasses suitable for the pro-
ductiOn of good milk would sometime
be raised on the prairieS. They thought,
however, that one generation of men
would be required to prepare farms
for the occupation of dairying. After
the native prairie sod was reduced,
drains were cut, and the land kept in
cultivated crops for thirty or forty
years, they thought that, good past
ures of tame grass might be establish
ed and good milk produced. 1t was
we'll enough to make in the meantime
some butter and cheese fOr the supply
of local markets, where the patrons
were not very particular, and some of
these inferior dairy products might
lind a sale in the east at prices much
below those realized by eastern dairy
men. Many who listened to the re-
marks of these "wiSe men from the
east" abandoned the idea of becoming
dairymen, and others diligently labor
ed to improve their farms so that their
boys, in a distant future, might make
good butter and cheese. None, or at
least very few, thought that they
could successfully compete with York
state" dairymen in the production of
butter and cheese designed for first
class customers in the great cities of
tho country.
1t took but a few years to demon
Strate the fact that the great prairies
Of the northwest were capable of pro-
ducing as much and as excellent grass
as any territory in the country. In
fact, it was shown that the native
grass of the prairies furnished
good food for mich, cows, and
that the pasture grasses that are in
favor in other places could be intro
duced on a prairie sod with very little
difficulty. With good grass and an
abundance of grains, and with the
same breeds OF COWS that were kept in
the dairy regions of the eastern states,
there was no trouble In obtaining good
milk. Skillful hands converted this
milk into butter and cheese of excel
lent quality. At several national and
international fairs butter and cheese
made in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa
were awarded the highest prizes. A
reputation was gained at home and in
foreign countries. The proprietors OF
western creameries and cheese fac.
tories were proud to put their names
on all the packages they sent out.
They established boards of trade in
all the large towns which were dairy
centers, and caused the wholesale
dealers in butter and cheese to attend
them in order to obtain goods to sell
again. They saved the margin LONG
allowed commission merchants, aboI.
ished the credit system in disposing OIL
dairy products, and adopted sound
business rules.
The prospect for dairying in the
states and territories composing the
northwest are now excellent. Thi:
portion of the country enjoys ad.
vantages for dairying not possessed
elsewhere. 1t is an excellent country
for producing grass, which is the fooC
chiefly relied ON for making milk. The
fertility of the soil mas not been ex,
hausted by the continuous production
OF grain, hops, and tobacco, as is tn,
case in many parts of the east. Corr
and all the smaller grains are chiefly
raised. No commercial fertilizers arr
required in order to produce large
crops. 1t is easier and cheaper to col
lect herds of dairy cows in the ives
than in the east. The production d
beef is one of the leading institutions
Parties purchasing or raising animal
to fatten prefer steers, and COWS cal
readily be obtained for dairy purposes
The facilities for marketing western
dairy products are now almost every
thing that could be desired. There /
an extensive local market. Butter AM
cheese are in constant demand to sup
ply mining towns in the distant ives
and lumber-camps in the north. Sew
eral times during the past few year
the complaint has been made by east
ern dairymen that butter and chees
were carried from Iowa to BostoI
cheaper than from Vermont. Trans
portation companies now contrac
to deliver western dairy prod
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