The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-11
OUR DAIRY INTERESTS.

The twenty-nIth annual report OF
the state dairy commissioner. sub
mitted by Commissioner W. B. Bar
ney, has come to hand. This depart
ment of the state government is
Icharged with responsibility for en-
forcement of the pure food law, the
paint and linseed oil laws, the tur-
pentine law, the weight and measure
law, the concentrated feeding stuffs
law. the continent stock food Law
and the agricultural seeds law. Its
range, and the information contained
in the report is varied as well as in
teresting.
Among other informing details it is
learned that fifteen or more new
creameries We're started in Iowa in
1911 and several that had closed for
want Of business were re-opened.
Where opportunity has been afforded
the dairy department has assisted in
the work of organizing. In some in
stances, it is noted with regret, cream
cries have been organized under
what 10 huOhu d6 tHO piOhOtAOh
plan at an expense anywhere from
81 900 to $1,000 in excess of what
they would have cost had they taken
the matter up with the department.
The department gives notice through
! the report that it is at all times ready
and willing to help organizations of
the kind When the building is fin
ished the equipment can be bought on
the open market at any of the supply
houses. In many cases this knowl-
edge has come to the people after
they had made their contract with a
promoter. The fact is deplored that
in not few instances they have been
given obsolete equipment in place OF
that which is up to date
The estimate is made, and it is sub
mitted as a conservative one, that
more dairy sires have been placed at
the head of the dairy herds of the
state in the last two years than in the
ten years previous. For a number of
years the average per COW in Iowa
has been 140 pounds of butter fat.
/ Within the next few years as the
/ heifers sired by these dairy sires
come in milk, it is expected that the
average per COW will be materially in
creased. It is pointed out that the
high land valuations nave brought
about condition that makes it out
of the question for the producer of
beef to make money on scrub stock
j on y,,,t pN- II: :.
purpose Our people have been a
long time in awakening to the fact
that this same economic principle
holds good in breeding cattle for the
dairy.
One section OF the report is devot-
ed TO the subject of city milk inspec-
ton. In the way of additional legis-
lation it is recommended that a law
be passed defining more explicitly
who are milk dealers Commissioner
Barney also reiterates the statement
made in his last report advising that
the pay for local milk inspectors be
increased.
According TO the report, the most
common form of milk adulteration is
) that of skimming the nights milk,
this having set for sufficiently
long time before delivered to allow
the cream to rise. The most flag.
rant violation OF the milk law is
among the restaurants, cafes and ho.
tells, in that they are in the habit OF
storing milk in upright coolers with
a faucet at the bottom, from which
the milk is drawn and the customer
is served with poor milk Many
prosecutions have been made along
these lines and it is believed much
good has been accomplished. In
some cases the law was not wilfully
violated, but in others the milk would
be drawn off and sold by the glass
until the cream was reached, when
this would be drawn into pitchers
and used as cream In some in.
stances says the report. these res
taurants We're buying milk as low as
sixteen cents per gallon and gallon
OF milk. as ordinarily served, makes