St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-11-23

DIARIES ON WHEELS.

DIARIES ON WHEELS
q I.roatabls Business for Fsrnsrs Living
Near Large Towns.
No man ever embarked in . legtti-
mate business. coupled with resolu-
ton 70 conduct it solely on honest. fair
principles. without triumphantly sue
cecding in the end. and bequeathing
an enviable reputation to posterity.
Americans are nation Of hucksters.
so there is no disgrace for any one to
sell milk from door to door. more than
there is to draw it away to creamery.
Some black sheep. in the retail milk
trade, like occasional delinquents In
other professions. have stigmatized the
vocation they represent by adulterat-
ing and diluting the milk. The per-
petual newspaper pun about water in
the milk which We buy from the re-
tailers has made consumers stole
ally resigned to what they con-
slider the privileged fraud Of milk
men, Disregarding facetiousness.
let US soberly inspect the milk
business. and not condemn till We have
just cause for condemnation The
number Of people in this country who
depend on the city milk-man for their
daily supply can be enumerated by the
millions, hence that avOcati0n Is
fraught with sanative importance to
the whole city population. In cities
Of moderate population milk-men are
generally country dairymen with small
farms adjacent They rear their own
cows. pasture them on their own acres.
and with honesty OF purpose daily
draw the milk yield to town and serve
it out to their customers.
The way to drive the black sheep
out of the milk trade (provided there
is any. and even II there is not, 10 es-
tablish lucrative trade among hon.
est competitors) is to encourage con-
scientious suburban dairymen Of small
means to 60 into the business. II. IN
your particular locality. small fruit
growing and vegetable-raising have
been overdone, invest in three. five or
ten cows as your land limit and means
allow. and see what the dairy will do
for you. There is moro money In
this branch Of dairying on a small
scale rightly conducted than is often
realized from a largo butter-pro-
ducing herd carelessly attended to.
First buy nothing but the best cows;
never mind the cost, as it is folly to
start at all il you can not start right
II you think that your probable Gus
toners would prefer Jersey milk. and
are willing to pay for it. invest in that
breed. II not, buy cows that would
pass as excellent butter producing ami
mails. young. vigorous and without
physical blemish. Look as much to
the richness Of your milk as to the
copious quantity. This is tho main
essential that will please customers
and pave the way for loyal. steadfast
patronage. Don't be fearful Of q too
small acreage; remember that contig-
uous to a city you can support more
cows to advantage on limited area
than you could on an ordinary country
place. Milk at 81 per 100 pounds
means two cents per quart. but you
could sell your milk for at least five
cents per quart, and perhaps more.
The factories and creameries now-a-
days net their patrons very little over
IS cents per 100 pounds. or II
of cent per quart So you
see you can afford to buy .
great deal of forage and grain for your
limited dairy. Ground feed can be
obtained cheaper in q city than at sta
tions in the country. You can handle
baled hay with facility. and you can
also raise heavy crops Of such nutri-
tious roots as carrots. raangels and
rutabagas.
In the delivery wagon don't aim at
any thing ostentatious. or accept any
thing shabby. Let immaculate neat
ness and sterling simplicity character
ize every thing about the rig and ap-
purtenances. Aim to have your milk
pure, rich and wholesome. Use no
water; II it costs you more to produce
such milk and thereby curtail profit,
enter the competitive race with less
scrupulous milkmen with nothing but
the most honorable and liberal trade
motives. In the end you will come
out ahead. for such a policy is Sure to
win among appreciative customers.
Conduct your vocation on business
like principles; do not trust too
heavily, and demand settlement
with customers ut stated intervals
II you were a country dairyman
taking your milk to cheese factory
or creamery for manufacture. . mod
crate tactical maturity would be desir-
able, but as a caterer to the fastidious
tastes OF townspeople. who desire 1t
for direct consumption. it should be as
sweet as when drawn from the COW.
One requisite would be an ice-house.
where milk could be refrigerated up to
the moment of sending to market A
great trade is growing in cream as
we'll as milk. for table use. and II
would we'll pay amateur milkmen to
make this q collateral branch Of their
business. Only the rich can afford to
dairy for fun; the poor must dairy for
profit; so, my friends in the vocation.
II you are not wealthy. remember that
profit cometh OF perseverance and
shrewdness. Money can be made in q
thriving town selling fresh country
milk by the glass to thirsty pedestri-
ans. It Is more inviting on a hot day
than lemonade or soda water. Small
farmers near town. try q dairy on