The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-12-26
COOPERATIVE DAlRYlNo.
why It II Superior to the Old Plan oi
Private Diaries.


Private Diaries.
Like all other innovations the coop
erative creamery is subjected to de-
gree Of adverse criticism. Any departure
from the good old ways. whether in
farming, or politics. or any other line of
action. is sure to be deprecated by many
who believe the golden age" was in
the past and that in these modern days
things are rapidly growing worse.
While a certain degree of oonserva-
tism is to be commended. the spirit
which it involves should not be allowed
to become dominant either in the indi-
vidual mind or in the community at
large. Carried to excess this spirit
blocks the wheels Of advancement and
makes progress impossible. Farmers
have suffered in the past, and many Of
them are suffering to-day, from an ex-
cessive development of the conservative
spirit. They are still disinclined to try
new methods and adopt new processes.
To this cause is largely due the diff
Guilty experienced in establishing CO.
operative creameries in many farming
communities.
While it can not be claimed that this
system is absolutely perfect it does
seem as If it could be proved that for
the average farmer and dairyman the
cooperative method is far superior to
the old plan of private dairies. Obser
Walton and experience have led me te
strongly favor the cooperative cream
cries for the three following reasons.
First. Because they greatly reduce
the labor of tho women of the house.
hold. The farmers wives and daughters
are greatly overworked and any system
which will tighten their burdens in this
direction without involving great disad.
vantages in some other line is to be
commended. It Is true that when pri.
vate diaries are conducted, q great deal
OF the work can be done, and to their
credit it may be said, often is done by
conditions, and when good degree o.
consideration is shown. good deal Of
work and care connected with butter
making falls to the lot Of women. The
adoption Of the associated creamery
system reduces both their work and
their care. This fact alone makes II
worthy Of general acceptance by farmere
and dairymen who furnish butter for
the market.
Second. The adoption Of the cooper.
alive system tends to the introduction
OF better methods Of dairy management.
Thousands Of farmers are now using
deep cans set In ice-cold water who
formerly kept milk in shallow pans,
ard who would not have made the
change If 1t had not been necessary to
do SO before they could join the associa.
ton. The cooperative system requires
uniform method Of setting the milk, and
by thus doing away with the ''go-as-
you-please' ways which their patrons
previously followed, has been Of marked
benefit to the parties who furnish the
cream. They get more cream than they
used TO obtain from the same quantity
Of milk, and during the warm months
the SKINNED milk is sweeter and better
than it was when the open pan system
was followed. Not only are the methods
Cor caring Tor tho milk improved but, In
many cases at least, the introduction OF
the cooperative system is followed by
better feeding Of the cows, and more at
tention is paid to their comfort. Both
these changes are manifestly to the
profit of the owners of the cows.
Third. To the great majority of farm
ers the cooperative sys' pm will give
larger returns in cash than private
dairying. There are few farmers who
have unusually good facilities for
marketing their products who can OBJ
tain higher prices for their butter if
sold to their own customers than they
can get from creamery. But these
| cases are exceptional. Taking the aver
age price for year at the time it will
be found that the creameries make bet
ter returns than can be obtained by
selling the butter at stores or to fami-
lies. II farmer or dairyman 10 50
situated that he can supply certain
quantity Of strictly first-class butter
every week ian extremely difficult thing
TO dol, he may be able to secure fancy
prices. But it is not every farmer who
can do this. Upon most farms the
quantity of butter produced varie,
greatly at different seasons of the wear.
and there is also considerable difference
in the quality. The trouble and cost OF
marketing 10 also quite an item which ID
saved to the farmer when he becomes q
patron of the cooperative system. To
those who are distant from good markets
this il . matter OF considerable moment.
Various other points of superiority Of
the new system over the old might be
named, but enough have been stated to
deserve consideration and, 1t is hoped,
TO cause > wider adoption Of the CO.
operative system than has yet been ..
sured.--Elliot, In American Dairymsp,