The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-05-29
"sTRAwBERRlEs AND CREAM

Jamln, Esq, of Little Rock, Before the
State Horticultural Society at It's Recent
Meeting.
At recent meeting Of the State Horti
cultural Society in Little Rock, among
the various papers read, the following,
by n. W. Benjamin, Esq, treats Of a
tops that will bear careful consideration
of Arkansas farmers Its title, "Straw-
berries and Cream" will suggest its par
port:
Mr.. PRESIDENT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
Diversity of agricultural interests creates
prosperity. Wherever you find any reason
ably good country that raises diversity OF
crops you will find prosperous community
comparatively free from debt. Wheneve or
you nad reasonably good country that de.
ponds upon one crop solely you will find q
community greatly in debt, living as the
saying Is "from hand to mouth" Arkansas
has too much OF the latter. Is It because
Arkansas Is not susceptible OF diversified
to the contrary. 1t is because we have pre-.
vailing here to an alarming extent, the dis
ease--cotton on the brain-whfch, IL not
taken in time, is always fatal to the pros.
perity of any community. Diversified crops
Is sure remedy for the disease, If
taken before too many doses of Gan.
aconda mortgages" have been given,
but II too many doses have been taken
there Is no hope for the patient 1t was but
few years ago that man in this State, who
thought Ofplanting an acre of strawbe ries
was looked upon, II not lunatic, at least a
crank, but few of these cranks planted
quite number of acres each, and rs they
seemed to have more money and leisure
than the all cotton men, others concluded to
plant sail more than their neighbors. Sc
that now during the strawberry season
N pnF.lOn6g ehinnnd
Northern markets. and to day Arkansas
st berries, on account of their fine quality,
ar quoted higher In the market than those
Of any other Southern or Western State.
This has ell been accomplished in few
years by the efforts of a few persistent men.
Although we have the most delicious straw
berries that can be raised, we lack some
thing to make them just what we want.
That is good cream. Look at the stuff that
this exhibition here at the capital OF this
State puts before you for cream to go with
your strawberries-thin milk and thinner
water-like the Englshman's drink "'alt
and 'alf," then frozen to make you think it
1t is cream. You could not find enough of
pure, sweet cream within radius of five
miles of this city to hardly go with one case
of Strawberries Cream Is almost an un.
known product in this State, except in Lo-
noke Prairie and Arkansas counties, where
large number of farmers are making but
ter equal to any creamery butter and ship
ping to this market and Memphis. But as
these parties have no regular creamery,
they sell their butter from five TO ten cents
per pound below the price paid by our mer-
chants Tor creamery butter. Why Is 1t that
no creameries are established in Arkansas?
Is it because it will not pay or is 1t because a
dairy, cheese factory or creamery can not
be successfully operated in Arkansas,
or is II because 1t pays greater profit
TO grow cotton, or that dairYing is too
small business?' 1t certainly can not be
the latter-for King Dairy now holds the SUI
preme scepter in this country. King Dairy
now sees King Cotton and goes him Sl2O,OO0,-
600 better annually, sees King Wheat and goes
him 500, GOO better annually, sees the Ma.
tional Bank King on his investment and goes
him S40000,000 better on his investment. 1t
has long been delusion that good utter
can not be made in the Southern states in
summer Years ago Congress made dona-
tion Of lands to each State to establish an
agricultural college. This State accepted
the gift and built fine university, so far as
building Is concerned. but the Legislature
has for wears refused to recognize our agri-
cultural interest and make an appropriation
to establish an agricultural department. II
is to be hoped that our next Legislature will
| do what Congress intended in making the
| donation-that Is, make it an agricultural
| college in fact as well as in name.
The State of Mississippi has established an
agricultural college in fact; has large
| farm of both cotton and upland, and is max
| ing an honest effort to not only see what can
! be raised, but to see what profit there is in
! each. To the agricultural college OF Missis'
sippi under the general management OF
! General S d. Lee and the special manage.
! ment of Prof. f. A. Gnley, belong the credit
| of solving the practicablity of creameries In
! the south, In their published reports, after
stating that the creamery is success, they
| say: 1.-THE college is entitled to the credit
| of being the first to show from actual tria
extending through an entire summer,
creamery can be made profitable to Its
| patrons in this State, and butter of equality
| that eXcels the best Western butter, made
| and delivered i'm good condition in market
! TIE use of the cream separator, carrying OF
! milk from one to three miles to the creamery
| temperature Of raising cream, etc, were un'
| solved problems in this State. Much had &c
be learned and there is yet room for i'm
! prOVement. We have shown that where
| milk from a sufficient number of COWS car
be secured and sufficient amount of gooc
water, either cistern or well water, by using
| the separator and small quantity of ice
first class butter can be made"
with flowing well or ample supply tina
| will remain under sixty five degrees temper
AZURE, the ice can be dispensed with. How
many places in the hills and mountains o
the State can be found where there is a bolt
spring that viii furnish an "ample supply o
water that will remain under sixty five de
grees temperatureP Can any better place
be found for n creamery? Has not Arkansas
more pla es OF this kind than any southern
State? Ought she not to be the leading South
ern State In dairyng? Would not thi
industry utilize great portion of GU
lands that are really unfit for tn
cultivation OF cotton? In these mountains
and hills stock are much healthier, and mucl
better butter could be made than in the rive
bottom lands that are especially adapted Il
cotton.
Their report says: "The experiment, II /
may be called an experiment, has called tn
attention of farmers to a new industry tina
can be made n source of profit on the farm
and shows:
l. That creameries may be successfully es
tablished in this State.
>. That butter of as good quality and a
great n yield can be made here, and that
will stand shipment during the summe
months as well as the best Eastern butter
3. That our pastures and stock produce a
rich milk as Is made in what was formerl!
known as the dairy belt
4. That patrons find 1t profitable to pa
tronize the creamery"
In addition 81 the report a private lette
from General Lee. In writing about tn
creamery, sGya: at has proven n success
and now some twenty are being put up 4
Miss ssippi" This shows the effect of start
ing good creamery upon the industry c
the State. Should one successful Dreamer
be started N Arkansas, IL would not be te
wears before We would have n hundre
creameries In our midst and at least a thou
sand good diaries, the combined product {
J which would only be second to our cottoI
The questions asked are What will 1t cost
Will (. be profitable? Let us examine thi
| fha Z