Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-10-17
THE DAIRY WITH CLOSED DOORS

When the creamery was established
in Americas it was believed long
step forward had been taken. Experts
who had acquainted themselves with
the conditions existing in this section
had stated that this was country en-
inently adapted for dairy purposes,
that large crops of feed stuffs could
be raised, and that the climate and
other conditions were peculiarly fav-
orable for the maintenance of cows at
high standard Of healthfulness and
the making of an article of butter that
would have no superior Those who
put their money in the creamery were
enthused with the possibilities of such
an industry here. Realizing that thous-
ands of pounds of butter are brought
here from the West every month and
retailed at IS cents a pound, they felt
that the home consumptive demand
would in itself be sufficient to keep
the creamery going and make it a
profitable investment.
Such it would have been if the ex-
pectations of the investors as to the
number of cows that farmers would
put in had been realized. But there
was soon manifest a woeful lack of
interest on the part of the farmers.
The promised COWS failed to MATERIAL
ice. After futile efforts to induce
farmers to avail themselves of this OPP
portunity to make money the plant
was closed down, and today it stands
with closed doors, a magnificent op-
portunity dormant, but we hope not
dead .
Public attention is being again d.
rected to dairying by the report of the
State Food Inspector, who is now Wis
iting the various daries scattered
throughout the state. Reports receiV-
ed by the Department of Agriculture
show that the number of large and
profitable diaries in Georgia is In
creasing rapidly. It is inevitable that
this should be SO. A state that is ag-
ricultural to the extent that Georgia is
could hardly be expected, in this era
of progressive and diversified farming,
to remain forever dependent upon sec
tions a thousand miles away for such
a costly necessity as butter when it
can be produced, of the finest quality,
at home. Georgia made butter, that
is, butter made by experienced men,
under proper conditions. is equal to
the very best that comes out OF Iowa
or Wisconsin or the famous dairying
sections of New York. It can also be
produced cheaper, climate conditions
rendering it less expensive to feed
and maintain the COWS. 1t stands TO
reason that it is not as costly to keep
cows in a mild climate as in one where
they must be housed several months
in the year because of the excessive
cold. With such manifest advantage.
with enormous crops of pea vine hay
available, and with our cotton seed
products recognized as the finest milk
producing feed, the only wonder is
that We are not driving other sections
out of the business instead of merely
competing with them on our own soil.
But to get back to our Americas
creamery. Why cannot something def
initely be done with it?- 1t is certainly
a pity, nay, more, reflection upon
the city, that it should remain closed,
a dead investment. The best sugges-
ton ever made, it appears to us, has
been that it be leased to the Agricul-
tural College, on five per cent rental
basis, and that scientific dairying be
made one of the chief specialties at
that institution. No District college,
we believe, occupies so unique a posi-
ton as the Third District college
would IL it were in possession of this
thoroughly equipped creamery, so
close to its farming lands. If this coll
lege can enthuse some of It's boys with
the possibilities of dairying and turn
ing out as dairy farmers it will confer
a great blessing on Georgia Surely It
Is not an Impossible thing for It to