The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-06-24
GOVERNMENT |sT0
HELP OUR OAIRYMtN
[BY S. NJ. LADD.l

Il
J of the United States department OF
| agriculture will offer plan of coopera
! ton to communities interested, which
if accepted will be greatly to the bene-
! tit of the dairy interests.
B. ID. White, who has charge of dairy
manufacturing Investigations in the de
tpartment of agriculture, has outlined
the proposed plan to The Free Press
correspondent. Mr. White has just re-
turned from Minnesota, where he has
been looking over the ground partly
with a view to ascertaining sentiment
on the subject and making plans for
carrying out of the project
The object sought by the department
OF agriculture in this new departure
is to assist the dairymen to not only
improve the quality of the product, but
/ the quantity. In the opinion of Mr..
White there is ample opportunity for
testing the experiment out.
In the first place." Mr.. White stated,
I'VE want to find creamery whose
board of directors or managers are will
ing to cooperate with the dairy di
vision of the department in the pro
posed project. We are looking for al
creamery where conditions are satisfac-
tory, and where they are wwillng to
operate a plant to secure the best re-
suits possible. The plant must be
operated economically and that means
proper management. After we have
found a creamery which is willing to
work with us, we will send capable
man there, and he will stay there u
year or more, working among the farm
.ers and assisting them"
The dairy agent or representative APP
pointed to work with the creamery
VIII work among the patrons, assisting
in, community breeding of dairy cows.
giving instruction in proper feeding and
care of the herd, so that the best re-
suits, will be obtained at the least
cost.
The dairy expert will also give i'll
structions to the creamery patrons as
to the care of the product, so that the
cereain or unskimmed milk may be de
a.
enabling the buttermaker to
make trst-class article, which will
command the highest price.
This work, While, might be termed
cooperative dairy improvement work; j.
similar to that carried OH in Denmark
which has proven invaluable to the
Danish farmer and has made it pos
slble for the Danes to put their product
upon the English market.
= Such creamery, working in coopera
ton with the federal government
would be an object lesson butter fac
tory, the results of whose experiments
and work would be valuable to the
entire creamery industry. The plan is
to begin the work in Minnesota on a
small scale at first, beginning with
perhaps one creamery, and gradually
increasing the number as fast as con
ditions permit.
The creamery signifying its willing
ness to accept the terms of the plan.
VIII be at no expense whatever Bur
of course, it will be necessary for the
board OF directors to approve of the
and to be favorable to the
project.
AT the present time, according to
the estimates of the dairy division. the
average Minnesota milk COW produces
annually l6O pounds of butter fat In
the opinion of Mr.. White, by proper
breeding, care and management, this
production could be increased by Zoe
pounds for each COW. Estimating SO0.-
900 cows in Minnesota this rate of
increase would give an increased yield
of SO,OOO,O00 pounds per year of but.
ter tat, or a value increase of $40
COO.OOO. There are some who are CD
timistic enough to claim that the av
elage butter fat production can be
doubled in the next few years, if some
such method as that proposed by the
department of Agriculture is adhered
to. At the same Zine, the farmer
would be improving the quality of his
larry herd by the, breeding of better
stock 80.
After creamery has been selected
Tor this work the inspector will visit
The several farmers who supply milk
Tor the factory. The number of pounds
Of butter fat delivered to the creamery
md the number of cows producing the
same for stated period will be care,
July tabulated. The inspector will also
ascertain how much the farmer received
'or his butter fat upon market basis
The feed will be weighed and carefully
accounted for. Then at the end of the
ear the results will be checked I'D and
t will be possible to ascertain the
armer's gains.
The department of agriculture prefers
o select creamery a little below the
verage standard for the proposed work.
n tins way it will be possible to
now to greater advantage the posi-
illties OF method aud business system
n creamery and dairy work.
The department will await receipt OF
pplications fromm Minnesota cream
uitlcient number of applications are
eceived, an inspector will be sent
o Minnesota to look over the field
or the purpose of selecting the cream
ry where the dairy improvement work
an be carried on to the best adyan.
age.