The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-04-18
The Creamery business.

The Creamery Business.
The following is a copy OF a letter
written by Chas Prefer to a friend who
asks for pointers in the Creamery bust
ness, and published in the Eureka Blade:
h We started with about 500 rows and
our highest receipts of milk was 1900
pounds per day. The average income
per month for six months was $1,000.
Our farmers, as soon as the first months
receipts were paid them, bought all the
cows they could. Many that had only
three cows to start with now have from
fifteen to twenty. it is not only the price
OF butter that We farmers figure upon.
The moutlily income will pay the run
ming expenses. The more cows the more
calves; the more skim milk to feed hogs,
and the more manure to improve the
land. The good prices of hutter en-
courages them to buy lows and after
tina! the general advantages will follow.
When we were in Minnesota the
farmers told us that they got out of debt
so rapidly that they could hardly realize
it. The constant expense of machinery
had ceased and the daily income had in
creased, consequently they had stopped
contracting debts. Our delegation,
when in Minnesota. saw at once the adj
vantage of diversified farming. First
those farmers had only a half or n quar-
ter section of land. This they had just
| for THAR ,,.un IlSn anI tnncf l,n,r }hn,r
stock on this, consequently thew could
not raise any calves. This is one great
advantage that We have over closely set
tied countries. Again, those farmers
must raise pasture and feed on their own
land to feed their stock. We have the
prairie here and have nothing to do but
up the hay and so can raise the calves
and the income of the cattle is extra. 1t
is really surprising how the patrons of
our creamery are picking up lands in
the vicinity of Eureka.
am daily getting letters from Mime
sofa men (Old time friends that now have
grown-up childrcn) asking in regard to
lands and the advancement we have
made in creameries. Quite a number
have promised to come out in the spring
and look this country over. Those people
see what is coming. They have been
worse off than We are: many Of them lost
their farms by mortgages from three to
five hundred collars, and this same land
IN ten years became worth from SIS to
$40 per acre under different manage
ment and stock raising and %dairyiDg.
wish to say: Do all you can to en-
courage the farmers even if it is a little
hard for the first one or two years. Ii
will be the building up of the country.
r think tits the duty of the business
men of any town toget together and help
raise the money to build a creamery and
, turn it over to the farmers, with some
good business mar at the head to run
and manage it and ship the butter and
and get returns. The trouble is business
men are always ready to advise farmers
to go into diversified farming but when
I it comes to assistance they are not there.
| have had two farmers offer me their
:, land, stock and everything they had if !
0 would give them up their papers. That
was three years ago. Today they have
paid all their arrears of taxes and inter-
est and little floating bills around town.
and one of them says that inside of
:. three years he can see himself clear out
of debt.
: You explain to the farmers that a COW
will average from So to 81 per month.
Taking SO as a basis for nine months,
will be S27, the calf is worth SIS and the
skim milk will feed a hog surely worth
So, making a total income for a COW OF
$40 a year.
Owing to the high exemption laws of
t this state farmers are Obliged to mort
gage all their real and personal propesty
to its full value, and consequently they
: have lie credit. II our laws in this res
pect conformed to those Of adjoining
Y states We could soon have men OF means
I and capital seeking investments here,
d thereby making times easier and credit
equal to that enjoyed by residents OF
: Minnesota and Iowa.
| hope that you will succeed and that
in the future the farmers will profit
thereby. Yours truly, PREFER.