The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-05-06
Another Creamery.

Another Creamery.
TABLISHMENT OF CREAMERY AT
wAYNEsBORO.
A large and representative gathering OF
the farmers of South River convened at
Waynesboro, on Saturday last, to consider
the feasibility of establishing creamery
in that flourishing town. The proceed
ings of the meeting throughout prove that
the people of South River are in earnest IN
this matter, and the result, (which left IN
the hands of the farmers. a district propo.
sition and guarantee leaves little doubt
that before long the second enterprise OF
this kind for Augusta will be in operation.
The meeting organized by calling Mr..
M. w. Quares to the chair, and the ap'
pointment of Mr.. Pattison. OF the free
Press, and Capt. G.. Julian Pratt as Sec
retaries. Mr.. r. G. Wright gave an in
teresting report upon the conduct and
management of creamery, the result
of his observation during recent visit to
the one constructed by Messrs. Kingsley
Bros, of Hamilton, Loudoun CO., Va.
That enterprise started with 800 cows
fourteen months ago, and is now manu-
featuring the product of 400. and giving
entire satisfaction to those who patronize
it. This creamery commenced by paving
the farmer SOC per 100 lbs. for the milk
which was equivalent to q 3-5th cents per
pound for the butter. They had increased
the price to $l.S0 at one time, and paid an
average of LIS, which was equal to 2S4
cts per pound for the butter. Experience
shows that:of average milk it requires 3
gallons to make one pound OF butter, and
the weight of milk is about lbs or. to
the gallon. The average price paid by
the merchants Of WaynesborU for II
months for butter was l5c. showing that
the creamery averaged l3&c more per
pound than our Peep Z under the old sys-
tenn obtained. The milk as drawn from
the cow is separated by the Swedish pro-
COoo vi l(N lIoNCi. "iiiC PNihNAe'y o"SSos
The farmer can take home with him his
milk al the nominal price OF one cent per
gallon Mr. Wright closed by assuring
the farmers that he WAS willing to guar
antre the price OF 50 cts. to start, and
would u;on the pledge OF 300cows obligate
himself to at once establish creamery.
Capt. &. Julian Pratt was then called
for and responded in a short speech in
which, he stated that, whilst personally,
his dairying belonged to that limited lclass
that will find no improvement III prices
through the creamery. still his interest in
the welfare and prosperity of the commu-
nifty induced him, in the most unqualified
manner. to endorse this enterprise. He
contrasted the system now employed and
the proposed improvement, and clearly
proved that whilst the production of but
ter of first quality, could be and was ac-
complished by individuals, yet it was done
at the greatest cost of labor, and the low
price presented no incentive to increased
production. OF offered any encouragement
for improvement. Then in the interest Of
the overworked housewife, whose cares
might well he relieved, be thought it the
duty of the::farmer to transfer the drndg-
cry of butter-making from the house to
the factory. where all the appliances of
science and labor saving machinery were
used in its production. Let us profit. said
the speaker, by making dairying a source
of income, and no longer. while blessed by
soil. climate. and nature prodigal in rich
succulent grasses, and pure sparkling
water. let it be said that the butter pro-
duct of Virginia. represented, only the
''odds and ends" above what is necessary
TO supply the family needs. Instead of
trading this surplus for goods why not
from well filled purse buy the family sup
plies for cash ? 1t could be clearly shown
that dairy. cow, we'll selected and wisely
and economically handled. will pay a
profit equal to her first cost every twelve
moAths on All average four years of her
life. Why even the average production OF
2 gallons per day for l0A months. at the
lowest price offered by the creamery,
would be equal to $43 Is per annum, and if
that average could be increased to gallons
it would reach $6475. to say nothing of the
increase which higher prices for milk
would bring as it has been shown by the
records Of the Hamilton creamery that
they paid $l.15. There is nothing in
cattle grazing equal TO that. The profit of
feeding gives no such return the produc.
tion OF grain with discrimination OF
freight rates and low pricesl has not
proved profitable ; why not then follow in
the footsteps of the older districts of the
United States, where dairying has super
seeded grain-raising Look at Orange. Dele
ware, Heckhimer and Oneida in n. Y;
Lancaster, Montgomery and Chester in
Pennsylvania. Take the dairying districts
of England, France and Holland and they
owe their renown to this industry, whilst
they are among the finest agricultural
sections of the world. Augusta county,
with an area about equal sells 1856 gal
Ions of milk, 443, 944 lbs., of butter and
2, 1856 lbs. of cheese Montgomery Co., Pa.
sells 1854 .032 gallons Of milk, 4,l66, Ala
lbs. of butter. and 342. 900 lbs. of cheese.
Butter is the one product i1 which the
farmer can condense the most value in the
smallest compass. The rapid strides in
dairying give no cause for apprehension Of
over production. The population of this
country in tho last 80 years has increased
four times as fast as the number OF COWS,
and We have 20 open foreign market.
Capt. +. adduced statistics 10 show that
the profit to farmers who sold milk to
crealneries in states where they were es-
tablished ranged from $6O.48 per COW up
to $l05. 90, and that the butter produced by
this method in the markets maintained an
average of 8 cents over that of the dairy,
and the farmer of course participates in
this increase. The more they get the
more they can pay, and you control the
raw product.
Following Capt. p remarks, general
disc ussion occurred, calculated to elicit
the particular information sought in rela-
ton to this system, which was partici-
pated in by Messrs. S. H. McCue and Ken.
per, of Fishersville John Stuart, Esq.,, D.
B. Weaver, formerly of Pa, now of Au-
gusta, Mr.. COyner. and others.