The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-05-02
CREAMERY PROJECT
The Situation Is Investigated BY &
Practical Man
a FAVORABLE PROPOSITION

Oniy requirement Asked Is Assurance o.
MIX OF l5c Cows-Cost. Average Re-
suits, and Advantages Over Home
Manufacture Considered
Mr.. George E. Patterson, the gentle
man referred to in recent issues of the
ISLANDER as seeking information
about this locality as a field for the
operation of a creamery, arrived here
Friday from Puyallup and has since
spent several days interviewing farmers
and business men and looking over the
situation generally. His first days
trip to the San Juan valley, in COM
pany with August Void, convinced
him of the truth of what the ISLANDER
has frequently said, not only that San
Juan county possesses exceptional ad-
vantages for dairying, as a whole, but
that the San Juan valley alone is
abundantly able to support enough
COWS to keep large creamery in con.
slant operation. But it is doubtful if
there are enough COWS kept i'm the val
lev now, or on the island within a
radius Of six or seven mills from Friday
HarbOr, which Mr.. Patterson says il
undoubtedly the most desirable loca-
ton for a creamery, to justify the i'm
mediate establishment of plant here,
without the cooperation of farmers in
other sections of the county. The most
extensive dairyinen and progressive
farmers in the valley, including those
who make the finest butter, are hearth
ly in favor of the project and promise it
their cordial support. and If the farmers
OF Orcas, Lopez and Shaw islands will
only evince the same progressive spirit
there Is little doubt that the establish
ment of a first-class creamery here
within few weeks can be secured.
AS to the number of cows or amount
OF milk required Mr.. Patterson says
that at least 5000 pounds of milk a day
should be assured to begin with, which
would mean the product of about $50
such cows as the average of those now
kept In this county. With careful at
tention to feeding and breeding for
milking qualities the daily average
should easily be increased from the
twenty pounds upon which the above
estimate is based to at least twenty-five
pounds. The milk of good dairy COW
weighs about eight and one half pounds
to the gallon, and about Al per cent is
butter fat. A cow that gives three
gallons day, which is only a moder.
ate average for a good mixer, would
I'm dc
33} pounds of butter fat. For the past
three years the average price of cream
cry butter at wholesale has been rs
cents pound and taking this average
as basis of calculation a good dairy
cow should bring her owner about $50
a month if he sells the milk to a>creaIn-
cry. Andthis does not take into ac-
count the value OF the separated milk.
After all she butter fat has been ex-
tracted from it the milk is worth from
10 to Is cents per hundred pounds for
feed for swine, calves or poultry. The
residue milk belongs to the farmer and
can either he sold by him to the cream
cry or taken back to the farm to feed to
young stock, which is the more profit
able and usual plan Nor does the
estimate given include tie value Of the
manure produced by each cow, which,
according to agricultural statistics,
should, If properly cared for and ap.
piled, be worth $40 year, if cows are
kept in stalls, or pens. In this mild
climate, where cattle are "kept up"
but little, the fertilizing value of the
manure averages much less, doubtless,
than the estimate given. However
that may be, it is a we'll known fact
that dairying as an industry promotes
the fertility of the soil, while grain
production, without frequent crop rota-
ton, destroys it.
1t is the usual creamery custom to
pay for milk the wholesale market
price of the butter fat which it con-
tains, less charge of to Al cents q
pound for making it into butter. 10
those " no have separators of their own
and sell the cream only, a charge OF 2
cents a pound is made. And it is a
matter of common knowledge among
those who have had experience that
the extra amount of butter fat obtained
by the creamery process, above the
amount obtained by the ordinary pro-
cess of home manufacture, will pay all
the creamery charge. When the milk
supply reaches 5000 pounds day,
which would mean the product Of zoo
to $50 cows, the creamery charge can
be reduced to cents.
Think for a moment what cream
cry handling 5000 pounds of milk q
day would mean i'm cash to the dairy
men supplying it. 1t would distribute
among them from 81 200 to 81 500 a
month, and the benefits resulting from
it would be as widely distributed as the
sources of milk supply. Instead OF
trading home made butter for merchail.
disc at local stores, and getting for it q
considerably lower price per pound
than the creamery butter justly COM
mands, they would regularly get in
cash the full market price of creamery
butter. less the moderate charge for
manufacture, which would be fully
covered by the excess of butter fat OBJ.
tanned by the creamery process.
Another feature of this particular
project, which ought to commend it to
the favorable consideration of every
farmer, is that Mr.. Patterson is not
asking for any bonus or stock subscrip'
fions. or seeking to organize CO opera.
tive company with view to obtaining
4 liberal salary for its management.
He and his brother have had years of
expe rience in the creamery business
and having recently sold the cream
kery established by them at Orting, they
are now seeking a new location. He
il much pleased with the general situa