The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-09-15
CREAMERY PROMOTERS
GAME. q.

0AME. y" r
(Dy G L. Martin, trot. OF Dairy
lis, :, D. Agri College,
Anyone who takes cha noes on the
olher fellows game must expect. to
lose," is a saving that many people
in the northwest might do we'll to
think about during the next few
months. Indeed, good many have
played the creamery promoters gam.
and have nothing left but vacant
building and new exp 'rience.
The promoter is like the bee tina.
gets the honey. He does not stay
around the hive but is out among the
farmers. He arrives in community.
He stays short time, buzzes around
the country, gathers in all he can and
passes on to new fields, leaving little
but the sting. What is he? Plainly
an unattached middleman. Where
does he operate. Between the farmer
and the farmers business. Why does
he come? Simply for the money.
Why does he go? Because his meth
eds will not stand the test Of honest
business dealings. His game is to
sell shares for proposed creamery
from $500 to $50 each, and takes the
farmers notes with the understand
ing that they will not be binding until
all the shares are sold. When from
$4,000 to $4,000 is subscribed, the
creamery is built, turned over to the
farmers and the notes discounted at
the bank. n..s ,.",.ht,
Often men who do not own COWS
are induced to invest in the cream
cry as matter OF enterprise without
taking enough interest to Investigate.
This is the first step toward failure,
for the very first essential for a sue
CO. sful creamery is a sufficient num-
| Der OF cows. With the kind Of cows
found in North Dakota especially no
creamery organization could hope to
succeed without at least 400 cow,
within radius of or 6 miles from
the creamery. I have numerous let
ters to the effect that promoters have
built creameries where there were
not over 10 or 20 patrons and only 100
to 120 cows were to be found. It il
needless to add that such creameries
failed after few months operation.
Another thing, the promoter will
turn the creamery over to the patrons
without proper organization, nor even
sufficient interest to stick by It till
they acquire working KNOWLEDGE of
the business. s-
! Again, many buildings are built not
adapted for creamery purposes at all,
often leaving out Of consideration
many details As icehouse, water sup
ply and drainage, which are absolute
necessities for successful operation.
Too often will be installed much 3ex-
pensive and unnecessary machinery,
then the plant turned over to the far
mers for from $500 to $4,000 more
than it is actually worth,
Successful creamery operation, de-
ponds upon few fundamental aprin-
ciples and unless these are strictly
adhered to, the business will surely
fail. The thing to do is for a COM
muntty to call meeting of the farm
ers to investigate the conditions. In
vite to the meeting some disinterest-
ed dairymen from the department Of
agriculture, state dairy commission or
the Agricultural College who is ia
miliar with creamery organization. In
this way every detail may be made
clear and thoro, understanding had
SO no one will rush blindly into q bus
mess Of which they know little. Right
now the promoter is playing his game
and in many places over the state is
trail of vacant creameries az stand
ing monuments to his successful
profft.
DEPARTMENT OF Extension, Ayr. COL
lege, N. D. W. G. Palmer, Agr. Edi-
tor, Fargo, N. d.