The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-23
HOW A CREAMERY PAYS.

HOW A CREAMERY PAYS.
A press dispatch from Albert Lea.
Mimi. says that the annual report Of
the Clarks Grove creamery, located
not far from Albert Lea. and the first
cooperative creamery to be establish.
ed in Minnesota. shows 1,4ce COWS fur
nishing milk and cream to the plant.
The average production was l57
pounds Of butter fat. which would
mean about 1873 pounds Of butter PEI
COW per year. The average price was
1873 per COW for the year. The cost
Of manufacturing the butter is IL
cents per pound. which ts said to be
much less than the cost in most cream
cries. The plant is a first class one.
naturally. or 1t could not show such
results. It is evident. also. that It has
been Well managed. Tho creamery
was organized IN May, 1890. and has
been in continuous operation ever
since. with the exception when a new
brck building was erected in place
OF the original frame structure. Dur
ing those IS years the creamery has
paid to IT'S patrons $l.3os. $3.50. or
over $66,SS: a year. The writer OF
the dispatch attributes to the cream
cry much Of the prosperity Of the
community which 1t serves and he Is
undoubtedly right. An interesting
feature is the manner in which the
institution vas financed. The concern
is a mutual one. and there IL no capt.
tai stock. The money with which to
build the plant was borrowed, and a
sinking fund was created with which
10 wipe u the indebtedness. This
has been done. and for some time the
patrons have owned the plant free
from all incumcrance.
This. in brief. is the story Of an IN.
etitution. not by any means a large
one. which has been an exceedingly
important element in tho life Of that
community. n which has contribut-
ed greatly to its prosperity. The M
Gres given above mean a great deal.
hut they tell only a part Of the story.
The money received from the sale Of
cream is but a small part Of the act.
ual result Of such an enterprise. Such
a concern cannot exist without affect.
ing in a marked manner the entire
farming practice Of the community.
The keeping Of nearly 1900 cows
means the cropping Of large areas Of
land for fodder rather than for grain.
1t means more corn and grass and
clover. more silos. hogs 10 con-
products OF the factory. IT. means
that fertilizer is being returned to the
soil instead OF being shipped out If
the country in the shape Of grain. If
VIC knew all the facts We would un-
d~ouh,edly find than the land in that
vicinity is increasing every year in fer
1;ls'y instead Of running down. We
would find that when grain crops are
raised. as they will naturally be as q
part of the rotation. the yield per acre
is immensely greater than II was be-
fore the creamery was established.
All of these are highly important.
Then there is the financial side Of the
subject as it affects the problems Of
general farm finance aud farm man.
aeement. Exclusive grain farming has
always been uncertain in its results.
The crop is harvested once a year and
whatever revenue there is comes In at
one time. During the remainder Of
the year the farmer must trade on
the accumulations Of past years, If
he has been fortunate enough to make
any, or on the prospects Of the COM
ing crop. The latter practice has
been quite generally the rule. That
means a line Of long credit and. quite
often. a chattel mortgage. Long cred
1t almost always means unwise buy.
ing. Purchases are made that could
be avoided or postponed. and that
would not be made were business done
for cash or approximately 30. 1t is
so easy to say ''charge IL" that the
phrase is apt to be overworked. Long
credits. and the uncertainties OF q one
crop system necessarily mean high
prices. They involve some bad ac.
counts. some losses. and the dealer
must protect himself by making the
good customers carry the bad.
A community that has a source Of
revenue that is regular. and from
which the returns are coming in all
the time lis a community that has
money in the bank. that is able to pay
cash for what it buys. and. conse
,quently. that is able to buy at bottom
prices. Its merchants are not Obliged
TO take long chances, and are able to
sell on narrow margins. A few wears
ago all the northwest suffered from
a season of unusually dry weather. In
some sections grain crops We're prac.
teal failures. The banks in such sec.
tons were kept busy supplying funds
to farmers who were perfectly good
with which to tide them over and pro.
vide for running expenses until anoth.
or crop. We recall that in Morton
county. where %dairying had become
! well established at that time, instead
Of borrowing. the farmers had none,
to loan. Cows made the difference.
We have beer told hat it is impos,
sible TO get men in this state to 'tak.
, care of cows. We do not know no"
they manage il at Clasks. Grove. bu'
1t is evident that they have been man