Gloucester County Democrat., 1892-03-31

built, and second how many men Will
pledge themselves to furnish milk or
cream. Unless the crops have been a
failure or disasters of various kinds have
made the community willing to do al
most anything to better their condi-
tons, majority will not be willing tc
stand the irksome confinement necessary
to the care of the dairy. If they are de
pendent for their milk supply on cows
accustomed TO having their calves run
with them, they will be disappointed.
Such cows cannot be broken to milk:
they will kick often and lively, smash
your pail and patience with the same
foot Now send out committee of
your most conservative and best bust
ness men to the nearest county that has
q large and prosperous creamery business
established. There they viii find CO.
operative crea1ncries whose management
will gladly post them in regard to the
business, and wiil usually point out to
them the mistakes their company made
at the start, and advise them how to
avoid like trouble.
Direct your committee to take plenty
Of time and visit the patrons Of the
creamery. learning all they can from
them of the care of the cows and of
the milk. They will discover that
the creamery business is one of in
finite detail, and that the least neglect
to either cows or milk will work injury
to the quality of the butter. Write to
this office and we win send you our re-
port containing q list of the creameries
doing business in each county. We
would advise your committee to visit a
county containing at least dozen
creameries. for SO large a number will
insure a successful business.
The following is the usual way Of
starting cooperative or stock company
creamery: Shortly after the farmers
have held their first meeting one or
more agents of dairy supply houses come
into the neighborhood. These men are
well posted in the creamery business
and give many glowing examples of sue
cess. They talk of the advantages to be
derived from the business and dwell on
the prosperity Of the farmers that live
in dairy counties. They extol the Co
operative idea and denounce trusts and
individual creamery men. They often
invite the committee to visit Elgin, Ills,
with them. The farmers look upon these
men as pkilanthropists and feel very
grateful to them for the interest they
manifest in their welfare.
These men are not sent out to educate
the farmer, but to build and equip Il
creamery for him. They viii furnish
him with everything necessary to his
creamery at the largest possible price
They are very careful to mention no cir
cumstance that would dampen the ardor
or discourage the company from build
ing. No creamery means no sales. Not
long ago | attended farmers institute
in county that had just built its first
creamery. The cost of the creamery
was nearly 81 600 1t has two De Laval
separators, a twelve horse power boiler,
a cheap ten horse engine and a cheese
apparatus. 1t could be duplicated for
one-half the money. or at most for
"a 900
The building is sided with third class
lumber. which when objected to read
in the specifications as &c stock" In
fact, the plans and specifications had
never been read before signing There
are plenty of cows within reach of the
creamery, but many Of the farmers had
allowed the calves to run with them the
year previous and now they cannot milk
them. The farmers were made to be-
heye that they would receive seventy
five cents per 100 pounds for milk. The
first shipment netted them twenty three
cents per 100 pounds, and there had been
nothing taken out for the interest on the
investment. either
-Four thousand pounds of milk per
day was the maximum amount received
at the time Of my visit. Cream was
being gathered twice a week, and both
butter and cream showed that the milk
was receiving very poor care. The farm
ers lack both tanks and windmills, two
very essential things in the proper
handling Of the milk. These facts
learned from reliable parties after at
tending the institute. The stockholders
realize that they have paid 100 per cent.
more for their outfit than it is worth,
but as they did not read the contract
they think the dairy supply men were
moderate, as they might have taken
their money and have given them even
less than they did.
While this is a very aggravated case
it is by no means the only one, as hun
dreds Of creameries have been built at
exorbitant prices for the farmers in the
last five years. Ii was only two or three
months ago that combination on dairy
supplies was abrogated and the pool
broken. Now if farmers contemplating
building this spring will keep away
from the dairy supply people and exam
Inc into the business in prosperous dairy
counties, finding ont exactly what they
want, they can then contract with the
supply men and secure their outfit at a
price that is somewhere near right.