The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-02-19
DIARIES OF The SOUTH
Are Being Investigated BY the United
States Agricultural Department.

AAAs(~eA5SeSA
States Agricultural Department.
Washington, d. C.-The amazing
inattention to the profitable industry
of dairying in the south, and the
best means to build up that industry
and make it pay, are shown in a
pamphlet just issued by the depart
ment of agriculture. The bulletin is
based upon the work Of the three
employees Of the dairy division in
fifty leading cities of the thirteen
southern states.
The investigators report that dairy.
ing is not receiving the attention it
should. In many cases neglect on
the part of dairymen and filthy meth
DDS of producing and handling dairy
products have been a menacing
source of disease. In other cases,
not made the profit they should, be-
cause of ignorance and lnattention.
Photographs are inserted in the re-
port to show the practice of some
dairy farmers who run small home
dairy, of leaving the dairying uten-
sils out in the yard to sun and air,
but not protecting them from the
chickens and pigs. These photo
graphs explain the existence Of pov-
erty on so many southern dairy farms
and the reason why nearly $23,000,-
600 annually are sent outside Of the
southern states for dairy products.
If the southern farmers would put
themselves in position to supply this
need, 1t is estimated that they would
derive an additional profit from their
farms annually of $14,000,000. This
profit now goes to northern and west
ern states for cream, butter, cheese
and condensed milk. OF course, near
! ly all the milk consumed in the south
| is produced in the neighborhood in
which it is consumed.
The number of cows of good breed
| that would be needed to supply the
need of the southern consumers, is
estimated to be 1869. The dairy
experts figure that it would cost So
305,155 to maintain these cows, leav-
ing to the dairymen the profit indi-
Gated above.
There are only a few creameries in
the southern states. These use cream
brought from long distances. One
creamery in Fort Worth, Texas, gets
part of its supply Of cream from Ok
lahoma Those in Chattanooga, Tenn,
also get their supply of cream from
far distant points. This explains, in
measure, why 23,435,O00 pounds OF
creamery butter is brought into the
south annually from the north and
west.
The annual production of creamery
butter in Georgia is given as 4S,960,
but over fifteen million pounds is
made on the farm. 1t is declared
that some diaries are now making
butter almost, if not quite equal, to
the best creamery butter. 1t is stated
that such butter is now being sup
piled in Atlanta, Macon, Augusta, Co
lumbia, S. c., and Birmingham, Ala,
in limited quantities.
/ 1t must. be recalled that the guam
/ tity of butter produced in the south
is not nearly sufficient to the demand,
and much of what is produced is
treated by these renovating factories
before it is sold. 1t is charged in
the report that some dealers palm OFF
renovated butter on customers as
creamery" butter.
1t is shown that the consumption ui
oleomargarine has dec eased since
congress passed an act to protect tho
consumers by imposing tax of 10
cents pound on the coIored Drod-
uct, and of cent pound on the
uncolored. Georgia in 1906 useG
only 172,494 pounds of this product,
although the total consumption
throughout the south was nearly T.
100000 pounds.
This bulletin, which was prepared
by Messrs. B. H. Rawl, Duncan slew
art and George M. Whitaker, may be
secured by addressing the depart.
ment of agriculture and asking for
Farmers Bulletin No. 349.