The Portland daily press., 1893-05-16
that Co-oPERATlVE CREAMERY.
Clear Statement of What Is Absolutely Ed
sential to Its Success.


Clear Statement of What Is Absolutely Es.
sential to Its Success.
I believe that where private cream
ery has been successful cooperative
creamery can also be made SO. but GER
tain things are absolutely necessary.
First-The stockholders must have
good working knowledge of the dairy
business; they must have good cows and
take care of them and feed them.
Second Enough milk should be guar.
anteed from the start to run the cream
cry to its capacity. The way to secure
the milk is to take in as stockholders
only farmers who milk their cows, not
beginning business until enough cows
are secured.
Third-A man who can make first class
butter and cheese and who understands
everything connected with the creamery
business, from weighing the milk, tax
ing samples and testing it to shipping
the products, conducting the necessary
correspondence and keeping the books.
No matter how well the patrons do their
part, if the man who makes up the milk
does not understand his business they
will lose money.
Fourth-The business must be con-
Quoted on business principles.
This quite often proves a stumbling
block to the success Of organizations Of
this kind. There are always a lot of
fellows who think that because they own
share they ought to have hand in ev-
hot ac nv, A,I
the business. A creamery cannot be
managed successfully by committee of
the whole. A man should be placed in
charge Of the business who understands
it, and he should have authority to con-
duct it according to his best Judgment.
It is not wise to place the entire con-
troll Of the funds in the hands Of one
man, but so far as the details are con-
cerned let the butter maker attend to
them. He knows more about handling
the milk and cream and butter and ship
ping the latter than do the patrons and
should not be hampered by unnecessary
restrictions. The plan lately adopted by
q number Of cooperative creameries of
sending some young man of the COM
munity to a good dairy school until he
learns the business is good one. A
number of young men have been sent in
that way during the past year.
The patrons of a cooperative creamery
are paid for their milk whenever they so
will it. The usual way is to pay once a
month, using the Babcock test to deter
mine what is due each one. The expense
will depend upon the local conditions. 1t
will cost $75 to 500 month for good
butter maker, and he will need cheap
helper part of the time. Butter MAX
ers can be had cheaper than that, but in
the majority Of cases they will lose more
than their wages every month. It will
pay to get the best man that can be had.
He is the cheapest, Then the fuel, oil,
salt, tubs, ice, hauling tho milk, etc., can
be figured at local prices.
In regard to constructing the building
and putting in the machinery, figure on
who will do it the cheapest. Find what
the agent wants for putting up the build
ing, then get local builders to figure on
it. See what the agent asks for putting
in the machinery, then get prices from
other supply houses for the same. If the
people are ready to build creamery,
there Is no need Of thousand dollar
agent as q go between. -Henry G. Wal
lace in Breeders Gazette.