Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-11-20
Dairying in Iowa.

upon thousands OF rich FARMS her DrOe-
porous cities, busy railroads and all the
many appurtances of the business and
social world of the present day, is very
little like the Iowa found by the ex-
plorer Dubuque. French Canadian,
who settled in 1888 upon the site now
occupied by the fair city of Dubuque,
whose name she bears, and where Iowa
dairymen are this week to hold their
twenty fifth annual convention, says
the Chicago Dairy Producer.
Iowa, as such, was unknown then. An
unexplored, unnamed, unoccupied will
derness, except it was known to the red
man occupied by the wild beasts he
hunted and trapped for subsistence and
barter. Iowa the peer of any state in
agriculture, did not attract many COM
ers for nearly a half century after Du-
buque put up his pioneer home on the
banks of the great Mississippi, for it was
not until about 1888 that active eimmigra.
tion began. July A, 1888, Iowa was or
ganized as territory, and in 1S46 was
admitted into the union as a state.
Whether or not Dubuque and hie lit
tie band of followers introduced the
dairy COW as queen of Iowa is not for
US to know, but that the dairy COW was
soon to have home in Iowa is GER
tain, for the stock interest of the state
was among the first to attract notice,
though it was but slow growth.
The Iowa Dairy Association was or
ganized in 1876, just thirty years after
Iowa was admitted to statehood. and
while dairying was a prominent ad.
junct to farming, it yet gave no fair
promise of reaching the development it
has in the twenty-five years since that
beginning. In fact, as late as 1885, q
geographical writer described its re-
sources thus: "Cattle and other stock
interests large and thrifty. Dairying
attractive" Dairying has continued to
be attractive" since then whether
from chance or necessity, and has now
taken its place as third in Importance
of the states industries.
Iowa is credited with an annual rain
fall ranging near forty-two inches.
Winters severe and summers pleasant,
temperature average for summer 70 de-
grees and winter 90 degrees, the range
of temperature in the year, being from
10 below zero to 100 above. Splendid
pastures are usual except in very un-
toward seasons, and forage crops for
cattle yield abundantiy SO that provis.
ion is readily made for the winter per-
iod.
1t is Iowa's dairy interests, however,
that this week calls to prominence.
What is the record as it stands today.
Speaking roundly Iowa has 100000
COWS on thu more than 100000 farms of
the state. Valued at $40 per COW, this
means an investment of S42,OOO,OOO, q
sum that is double the value of the hogs
that help use much of the skim milk,
and only equaled by the investment in
horses and mules, many thousands of
which are used for the Transportation
of dairy products.
Driven in pairs, this number of COWS
would encircle the state, or in single
file would extend from Chicago TO San
Francisco. Placing the yearly milk
flow at 3,60Opounds per COW, this means
eight barrels of milk each, or 100000
barrels for the state. Placing these bar
rels as closely as they would stand a
distance of 5000 miles would be cover
ed or twice across the continent. If
this amount of milk were river so
feet wide and one foot deep, it would
extend 200 miles, or entirely across the
state from north to south.
The creameries of Iowa, with their
skim stations are nearly 1000 in num-
Der. In rouad numbers they make up
85,0O0,000 pounds of Iowa's butter pro-
duct, 100000 tubs of butter, sixty
pounds each. Placed side by side these
tubs would make walk reaching from
Omaha to Chicago. 1t would make a
stack as large around and several stor
les higher than the twenty-one of the
famous Masonic temples. 1t would fill
$500 cars-350 trains. A train load of
butter day from Iowa's cresmeries,
and these make up but one-half of
Iowa's butter.
Iowa has on her pay roll over 1000
buttermakers and station operators, at
least 1000 haulers, and nearly 100000
patrons, and among these is distributed
the $l7,OOo,OOO received for Iowa but.
ter sold by the creameries of the state,
at least Sl5, 100000 of which is paid by
outside consumers. AS the creameries
make up only about half the butter