Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-22
THE HUMBLE COW.
Through the Creameriss She Is Proving e Bonauza For Western Farmers-
 Special COrrespondenee.l

Through the Creameries She Is Proving a
 Bonauza For Western Farmers-
 Special Correspondenee.l
 ABILENE, Kan, Dec. 1s.-Three epochs have divided the past decade for western farmers; three great industrial fashions have reigned and promised to become per manent wealthmakers- The first was that of wheat raising. During the latter seven ties the wheat fields of Kansas and Nebras- ka were the wonder of every transconti- mental traveller. Along the bottom lands of the Raw and Platte the beautiful leagues of grain stretched away for miles, and the passenger trains often stopped during har- vest time in the midst of the toilers to allow the travellers nearer view of the attractive scene. Everybody who could started in the wheat raising industry.
 But there came bad crop years, and it soon became apparent that wheat growing could not be followed exclusively Next came sheep. Wool brought a good price. The unlimited pasturage and the mild win ters seemed singularly adapted to the rais- ing of sheep and production of wool Flocks came up from Texas and New Mexico. tens of thousands of head-long legged, hungry creatures, with pound or two of coarse, hairy fleece on their bony backs. Wrinkled necked merinos also came from the sheep growing centers of New York and Ohio. The sheep population of the Mississippi val ley leaped to amazing figures, Kansas at one time having close to 100000 head, where now are but about 2OO,O0l In 1888 wool took tumble, and the race was changed to one of disposing of the locks. Then came boom times and a period of uncertainty, but now there has arisen a new savior for the struggling prairie farm er and it is the most sensible of all-the mild eyed and humble COW. All over the Drairip Sf fatpS haya hAan builr fr1amarieS and morning after morning long proces- | sions of farmers teams laden with milk | cans may be seen unloading their sweet | scented product at their doors The teams are frequently driven by the wives and daughters of the household, as thus the men are enabled to do a full days work at | home.
 From the receiving vat to the separator l the sweet fluid goes, and later the cream is ] churned in great revolving boxes into pure, | healthful butter that requires no coloring | material to fit it for the daintiest table in the land. Pressed into solid pound pack | ages, wrapped in tissue paper and marked | with some attractive device, it commands the highest market price and goes to the | best trade of the continent Kansas and | Nebraska are sending many carloads rcgu- | larly to the cities of Mexico and north into | Canada. Kansas sold over S401o. oOo worth of butter in lS92, and this years product l will be far in excess of that figure Ne braska and Iowa are doing nearly as well | and are reaping a certain and rich harvest from this new industry.
 l By means of it the farmer with a few COWS is able to utilize his crops for feed, ! being thus less dependent upon the mar | ketSs He receives at the end of the mont h the cash receipts of the butter his milk has | produced, less a small commission retained by the creamery owners. He is usually n l stock holder in the creamery, 50 even a part of this comes back to him. By means of | improved machinery. familiarity with the l markets, etc, the manager of the creamery succeeds in realizing the very highest pos | sible return for the butter produced, and it all results in increased profit 10 the farmer.
 Indirectly il benefits him as well To
 secure good returns from his stock there | must be warm barns, careful attention and ! proper food. The farmer diversifieS his
 crops and, in short, makes farming a busi-
 neSs, as does his brother in the eastern states, instead of speculation and guess | work-the great fault which has been a constant brake on western development In many a prairie county from SlO,oOO to
 Sl5,o00 q month is being paid out by the creameries. It is providing the groceries and clothing and giving a residue for les sening he mort gage on the homestead. No | industry in the west is returning so large or satisfactory a profit on the investment, and yet the demand for good creamery but ter is not supplied.
 The humble COW is proving the salvation of many q household. In the creamery sections her value has been increased mar
 velously, and among the chief factors of western prosperity she must be reckoned as enc of the most stable. With cheap | land, cheap iced and high prices for her
 product. shs is better than silver mine on l q western farm C. NJ LARGER