The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-09-18
THRIVING cREAMERIEs.

State Dairy Commissioners Kaufman
Visits Creameries in the Western
Part Of the State and Finds Them
Thriving.
State Dairy Commissioner f. e.
Kaufman, who has been making a
visit to the creameries of the state,
says:
West Of the Missouri river, In what
is usually called the cattle country,
are found twelve creameries, eleven
Of which are in operation. The supply
of milk during the spring months was
quite large. showing considerable in
crease over last year. The exception
ally" good crop in that section caused
the farmers TO pass up" the creamery
to some extent in order to take care
of the crop and some decrease in milk
receipts is noted but not sufficient to
embarrass the creamery as yet. When
the crop has been harvested and
threshed the farmers will give more
attention TO the cows and good win
ter's run is anticipated.
These eleven creameries are making
over $4,000 pounds OF butter per week,
most of which finds ready market in
Montana, Idaho and Washington at
Chicago prices I. o. b. shipping point.
The remainder is shipped East and
sells for the highest market price.
The creameries in the eastern and
southern part of the state are run
either on the hand separator system
or a combination of whole milk and
hand separator cream. All those visit
ed so far are doing a good business
considering that some are new plants
and the crops have been so good in
all sections. When the threshing has
been completed the farmer will be
able to give more of his attention to
the cows and with the abundance of
all kinds of feed the prospect for a
good winters run of milk and cream
is bright indeed.
Most of the butter in this part Of
the state is sold in New York for one
half cent above quotations.
Some farmers are ignoring the local
creamery anu shipping cream to Min
neapolis. Just why they do SO is a
mystery TO me as the home creamery
is paying ust as good prices as the
Minneapolis concern, In some cases
they are urged to do so by the mer-
chants in the creamery towns. 1t
seems to me like a very short-sighted
policy on the part of the farmers and
a very poor way to build up a town on
the part of the business men. BY the
way, this Minneapolis concern Is in
the nature of a trust and has boasted
that it intended to shut up every
farmers creamery in Minnesota and
the Dakotas. Their methods are shown
in the way cream is purchased. At one
point in the state where there was no
creamery they paid 16 cents per pound
for July butter fat and where they
were compelled to compete with the
local creamery Is cents for July but
ter fat When those business men
and farmers who turn down the home
creamery have succeeded they can
readily see they will be at the mercy
of this trust" No laws are needed
to control this trust" no need to re-
move the tariff. Just a little common
sense mixed up with some brains will
solve the problem. Then again this
creamery trust" buys cream on the
basis of New York quotations. All
but two creameries are selling their
product above New York quotations
and the farmer who patronizes this
concern once again pays the freight"
This is an agricultural state and all
business depends on the prosperity of
the farmer.