The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21
DAIRY WORK old AND new
Now an Industry Confined to No
One Section of the Country.

Primitive Methods of a Century Ago
Compared with Modern AppH-
| unces-Creamcries and Fnctories-
/ A National Commercial Feature
| NO branch of agriculture in the Ohlteu
| States" says Henry f. Alvord Chiel Oh
| the Dairy Division of the Bureau oil AM
mai Industry. Agricultural Department
| has made greater progress than uairE me
| during the nineteenth century. No oth-
err" he continues, has received greater
benefit from the art of invention, the
teachings of modern science, and the in
| teIligent practice Of skilled operators.
Cooperative and commercial organiza-
| lions have been formed to conduct the
| business locally and to guard it's general
interests State laws and appropriations
of money have been made to foster ana
promote this industry. Dairying mas De
| come the specially of districts OF wlde
area in different parts of the country. IL
is now regarded as among the most pro-
gressive and highly developed forms OIL
farming in the United States.
The greater part of this country has
been found so well adapted to dairying
that it's extension has more than Kept
pace with the opening and settlement OF
new territory. A belief was long enter
tanned that successful dairying in Ameri-
ca must be restricted to narrow geo
graphical limits, constituting a dairy
belt lying between the 10th and 18th par
alels of latitude and extending from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Missouri River the
true darying districts were thought to
be in separated sections, occupying not
more than one-third of the area OF TINS
belt. These ideas have been exploded. 1t
has been proved that good butter ana
cheese can be made by proper manage
mcnt in almost all parts of North Ameri-
ca. Generally speaking, good butter can
be made wherever good beef can be pro-
duced. Advantages unquestionably exist
in the climate, soil. water, and heritage
of certain sections, but these factors are
largely under control. and what is lack
ing in natural conditions can be supplied
with tact and skill So that, while dairy
ing is intensified. and constitutes the
leading agricultural interest over large
areas where the natural advantages are
greatest, the industry is found well es-
tablished in spots in almost all parts OF
the country and developingf in uneXpect-
ed places and under what might be con-
sidered as very unfavorable conditions.
COLONIAL DAIRYING.
Dairying was practiced in this country
in colonial times, and butter and cheese
are mentioned among the early exports
from the settlements along the Atlantic
coast; but this production was only a
feature of general and pioneer farming.
Dairying as a speciality did not appear in
the United States to any extent until well
along in the nineteenth century. The dairy
history of the country is therefore iden-
teal with its progress in the present cen
fury. This progress, according to the
lately published statistics of the Agricul-
tural Department, has been truly remark
able. The wide territorial expansion: the
immense Investment in lands, buildings,
animals. and equipment; the great i'm
provement in dairy cattle; the acquisition
and diffusion of knowledge as to economy
of production; the revolution in methods
and system of manufacture: the general
advance in quality of products; the Won
derfui increase in quantity; the industrial
and commercial Importance of dairying.
all constitute an industry which has be-
come one of the most notable commercial
features of this nation.
DAIRYING ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
During the early part of the last CEN
tury the keeping of cows on American
farms was incident to the general work.
The care of milk and the making of but
ter and cheese were in the hands of the
women of the household, and the methods
and utensils were crude. The average
quality OF the pTpnuCtS was INFERIOR. 1 ne
supply Of domestic markets was unor-
ganiZed and irregular. The mich cows
in use belonged to the mixed and indie
scribable race OF native" cattle, with
occasionally really good dairy animal
appearing singly. almost by accident or,
at the best. one of family developed
by some uncommonly discriminating yet
unscientiiic breeder. Winter dairying
was practically unknown. 1t was Il COM
mon thing for cows to Starve to death
or die of exposure, and 1t was considered
no disgrace for owners to have their
cattle ''on the lift in the spring, a COM
mon expression in past years in some To-
calitieS, indicating the actual necessity
Of human aid to raise emaciated animals
to their feet. In the Eastern and Middle
States the milk was usually set in small
shallow earthen vessels or tin pans for
the cream to rise. Little attention was
paid to cooling the air in which il stood
in summer or to mOderating it in winter
so long as freezing was prevented. The
few who scalded fresh milk had no idea
of the true reason for so doing or why
beneficial effects resulted. The pans of
milk owners oftener stood in pantrieS
and cellars, or on kitchen shelves than in
rooms especially constructed or adapted
to the purpose.
Without tracing the gradual growth
and development of the dairy system of
this country to its present perfected
state two inventions may be described
which have aided materially in the recent
advancement of the industry. The first
is the application of centrifugal force to
the separation OF cream from milk. This
Is based upon the fact that the specific
gravity of skim milk is greater than that
of the fatty portion, or cream The larry
centrifuge, or cream separator Gig. -,
enables the Dreaming or Swimming to be
done Immediately after milking, prefer
ably while the milk has its natural
warmth. The cream can be churned at
once while sweet, but the better and usu-
al practice is to cool thoroughly and then
slowly cure, or 'ripen 1t for churning
hold tNss4lN
high temperature, avoiding the necessi-
ty of much ice or cold water. The skim
milk is available for use while still warm
quite sweet, and in its best condition for
feeding to young animals. This mechan-
ical method is more efficient than the old
gravity system, securing more perfect
separation and preventing loss of fat in
the skim milk. II also largely reduces
the dairy labor. The handling and care Of
milk may thus he wholly removed from
the duties of the household. Separators
are made Of sizes and patterns suited to
farm use. and TO be operated by hand or
power-a dog or sheep. a bull or a
horse, water. electricity, or steam.
AN ECONOMICAL MOVEMENT
The foregoing conditions apply when the
separation is done on the farm where the
milk is produced. In creamery practice
the milk is usually aired and cooled on
the patrons farms and hauled once
day to the factory; there it is warmed to
facilitate the work, passed through the
separator. and the skim milk may be at
once hauled back on the farms. A cream
cry uses one or more separators of large
capacity. operated by power. This prac-
tice involves the double haul and an ap-
parent waste of the farmers time and
labor. \ movement toward economy in
this respect is the establishment OF
Swimming stations" at convenient points,
equipped with one or more power separ-
aters; to these the milk Is taken for sep
aration from the farms in the vicinity,