The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-13
FOR 4 new OFFICE
Dairy Interests of State Want a
Commissioner.
Would Enforce Rules to Improve
Grade of Butter.
ON THE DOWN GRADE.
Claimed Kansas Creamery
Butter Is Deteriorating.
High Class Butter on Market
Now Rare.

Dairy interests of the state may
come before the next legislature with
a bill providing for the creation of a
state dairy commissioner, whose duty
1t viii be to see that the creameries of
the state place the highest possible
grade of butter upon the market
The duty of such a commissioner
would begin with the farmers and
dairymen who supply the milk and
cream to the creameries. He would
have to see to it that the dairy COWS
are properly taken care of, that the
best cattle for dairy purposes are util-
lied, and that the milk is properly and
promptly handled.
Owing to the fact that the dairymen
do not fully understand the necessity
OF handling cream properly. it is said
that the quality of the Kansas cream
cry butter is being allowed to deterior-
ate To check this tendency, l. d.
Graham, the secretary of the Kansas
state Dairy association, is issuing q
weekly circular, which he is sending
out to the editors OF the weekly news
papers, with the request that they
print the circular in whole or in part.
a letter accompanying the circular
says.
LAS Kansas has no state dairy com
missioner, and as the dairy industry of
the state is threatened by the low
quality of butter which has been
placed upon the markets by her
! ereameries, it becomes necessary for
this Office to do what 1t can to aid the
farmer ia protecting his interests and
Ia securing good pay for good cream.
The dairy is gold mine for Kan
Sas. and Kansas butter has heretofore
ranked high in the New York and
nome markets. Lately, however, it is
found that a large percentage of Kan
sas butter ranks only as seconds in
the New York market, and there is no
sale for it. The quality of Kansas
butter must be improved or failure
Will be the portion of the Kansas
dairyman.
''There is but one way to do this and
that is to give more care to the milk
and cream Farmers realize this. and
they realize too, The tn5ustfce Of the
creamery companies paying the same
/ price for all kinds of cream, regard
/ less of quality. The creamery COM
I panies are now forced 10 accede to the
! demands of their patrons, and buy
! their cream upon a graded system,
which pays a premium for cream OF
good quality over that of poor quality.
Heretofore, cream in all conditions of
/ cleanliness or filth. of freshness or age
/ has been paid for at the same rate
! Hereafter, creamery companies will
/ have to pay a higher price for good
( cream delivered promptly than they
do for inferior quality
"A prominent butter buyer in Min
nesota, which is one of the best butter
! producing states in the Union, re-
marked that high class butter is very
rare on the market nowadays. A tub
| that viii grade as high as e5 is the
/ exception. Why is that true2 It is
/ due almost entirely. to the poor cream
| received The commission houses and
large plants lost heavily on poor but
ter last year, and the reason they are
cooperating in the work of grading
cream is to get better quality. They
must have better or go out of bust
ness. and If all interested parties do not
carry out the cream grading idea and
stick to it, they will get let down
harder than ever"