The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-21

price is always at the top, usually near
ly double that of ordinary creamery
are competing with New England for
the Boston trade, the creamery at Sa-
lima already sending over ], 500 pounds
of butter daily to Boston.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
railway is following the Vermont Cen
trails plan and is encouraging the erec-
ton of creameries along it's line. Dur
ing the spring stations have been OPEN
ed through northwest Kansas as far
west as Phillipsburg, and at each was
day of celebration with procession,
band, speeches and laudation of the
humble cow. 1t is expected that they
will be extended to the Colorado line
or even farther if there are people
enough to supply them with patrons.
The western Kansas farmers find the
creamery a blessing, for it is their only
means of securing a cash return for the
little things of the farm. The Rock Is
land is also extending the line south
ward and into Oklahoma, and it is ex-
pected that by next year 100 stations
will be managed by the Kansas Cream
cry company, with headquarters at To-
peka. 1t is a valuable and helpful
movement if prices do not drop so low
as to discourage the farmer. If he can
get fair wages for his la Dor he will stay
by it, if not he will drop it at the first
opportunity that presents itself.
representative OF the st. Adams,
VT, creameries was out through Kan
sas short time ago. You are doing
the business" he remarked. 1T is just
Ike your real estate boom-everybody is
taking a hand in it. The result is that
we will see ten cent creamery butter
before the end comes and hundreds of
creamery companies will fail. OF course
it will hit US harder than it will the
west. New England farmers last win
ter fed $40 hay and SO cent corn; Kan
sas farmers fed 81 hay and II cent
corn. The butter prices are based on
the Elgin prices in New York and the
west is as we'll off as ourselves, prac-
tically, as the transportation is but one
and one-half cents approximately to
sea board per pound. It is going to be
hard on somebody when the bottom
drops out of the creamery boom and
everybody will probably suffer more or
Tess''
1t is thought by many that the cream
cry is the outcome of hard times and
crop failures and to a degree this is
prof. bly, true.T farmer who is get
ting big crops and good prices is not
going to spend time with his COWS.
Especially will he not when by letting
the calves run with the cows he can
realize about as much as for the milk
Calves are worth now when a year old
SIS to $50 if of good blood. This is about
as much profit a cows milk gives
and 1T is more satisfactory and not half
so much work to handle the calves as
TO get up at O'Clock every morning to
milk the COW. So that good crops, good
prices for cattle and better prices for
grain probably mean a decrease in the
amount of milk taken to the creamerieS
and injury to the business. The 100
creameries and stations that Kansas
will gain during the year will have to
hustle to continue profitable. The time
was when creamery companies paid
100 per cent annual dividends but it is
past. They pay well yet because it is
the only business on earth in which the
expenses and salaries are deducted
from the gross receipts before the price
to be paid for the raw material is fix
ed. The competition lis, however, so
great that it is difficult to go much be-
low the market price. 1t is probable
that this years prices will average
lower than any in the history of the
creamery industry as the June pay
ment was the lowest point ever touch
ed. Winter prices are always better
than those of summer, but the varia-
ton is steadily decreasing as better
methods are learned.
One encouraging feature of Kansas
butter making is the testimony as to
It's quality. Even the buffalo grass fed
COWS are winning praise from the ex-
pertS who say that theEe is a keeping
quality and a permanence of flavor that
is not found in that coming from tame
grass regions, Notwithstanding the pop
ular belief in clover fed and favored
butter. The western product put up in
the attractive bricks and wrapped in
gold labeled tissue paper is ali right
and can fight it's own way. A Kansas
farmer remarked the other day: when
the first settlers came west they found
buffalo and prairie chicken on the
plains. That means that God intended
that we should pin our faith to cattle
and hens''
arb 60