Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-05-14
pA,ayISc IN TuE WEST.

4 ". !. , e
Not many years ago, SAYS me
Chicago Times, men who had achieved
considerable success if cctstra New
York In keeping cows and In making
butter and cheese were invited to at
tend the meetings Of dairypien's as
sociations in the west, for the purpose
Of imparting information. No doubt
they accomplished considerable good
in the matter OF affording instruction
In the establishment OF butter and
cheese factories and in the sale OF
dairy products. In one respect theH
speaking had 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 discoura2ing. Some OF
them thought that only inferior articles
would ever be produced on prairie
farms. They declared that 1t required
somewhat hilly country to furnish
the grasses that ptoduos the best milk
and they stated that spring water was
essential to successful dairying. A
few took 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 wefe 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
/ well enough to make in the meantime
4 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
/ find sale in the east at prices much
below those realized by eastern dairy
men. Many who listened 10 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 theii
boys, in distant future, might make
good butter and cheese. None, or al
| 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
the country.
1t took but few years to demon
strate the fact that the great prairieS
of the northwest were capable of pro
ducingas much and as excellent gras;
as any territory in the country. Ii
fact, it was shown that the native
grass of the prairies furnished
good food for mich cows, anc
/ that the pasture grasses that are il
favor in other places could be intro
duced on prairie sod with very little
difficulty. With good grass and al
abundance of grains, and with tn,
same breeds of COWS that were kept il
the dairy regions of the eastern states
there was no trouble in obtaining gooC
milk. Skillful hands converted thii
milk into butter and cheese of excel
lent quality. AT several national anC
international fairs butter and cheese
made in Illinois, Wisconsin, and lows
were awarded the highest prizes. A
reputation was gained at home and il
foreign countries. The proprietors O
western creameries and cheese fac
tories were proud to put their names
on all the packages they sent out
They established boards OF trade il
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 o.
dairy products, and adopted SOUND
business rules.
The prospect for dairying in th'
states and territories composing tn,
northwest are now excellent. Ihi
portion of the country enjoys adj
yantages for dairying not possesse,
elsewhere. 1t is an excellent countr,
for producing grass, which is the foo,
chiefly relied on for making milk. Tn
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. Cor
and all the s~~aller grains are chief
raised. No commercial fertilizers ar
required In order TO produce larg
crops. 1t is easier and cheaper to col
lect herds of dairy cows in the ives
than in the east. The production c
beef is one OF the leading institution:
Parties purchasing or raising animal
to fatten prefer steers, and cows ca
readily be obtained for dairy purpose.
I The facilities for marketing wester
DAIRY products are now almost every
thing that could be desired There
, an extensive local market. Butter an
cheese are in constant demand to SUI
/ ply mining towns in the distant we!
! and lumber-camps In the north. Sey
|. eral times during the past few year
, The complaint has been made by cas-
} ern dairymeh that butter and chees
were carried from Iowa to Bosto
,, cheaper than from Vermont. Tran
. portation companies now contraC
to deliver western dairy proc
ucts in Liverpool and Glasgow ,
rates that were not anticipated fe
years ago.
In many places capital is necessar
TO develop the dairy interest in th
west. The farmers have no money |
put in butter and cheese factories
They generally commenced poo
They have spent years in lmprovin
their places. All the money the
could obtain from the sale Of croT
! aas been exhausted in making fence
erecting buildings. breaking the sol
aud purchasing machinery. The
, might exchange some of the stock the
now have for dairy COWS. but they hay
not the money to erect buildings sui
able for butter and cheese factori,
, and to purchase suitable machiner
and implements for them. MOI
knowledge Of the proper sheiterin
and care OF mich cows is also wan
ed, and more instruction is needed
J The art of milking, the care OF milk, Ii
: raising of cream, and the manufactul
If butter and cheese. Western farm
ers have been advised to convert the
! grass and grain into meat and wool
order to save in the matter OF tran
portation. There Is a greater savin
n the matterof transportation i'm COZ
Ferting grass and grain into butt,
aud cheese than into meat and wo,
Another thing necessary to permi