Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1914-05-08

dating the country to z ereafer o.
tent and at the same time make thelr
farms produce more revenue. He
does not be,ieve or advocate that
wheat farming will ever be abolish
cd in Barton county, but he Is Of the
opinion that when a smaller acreage
Is farmed and the land is better car
ed for than ct present that the aver
age yield per acre can be doubled.
Tn committee took an auto at Mul
Vane and drove out to talk with the
farmers themselves and to inquire
what they thought Of the ccndensary
business, and every single tanner ex
pressed himself 40 strongly in favor
Of the institution. Most of the farm
ers within a large radius Of MulVane
are patrons Of the plant and they said
they were highly pleased with the
treatment received from the company
and the prices they received for tn il
milk, and that its institution was the
very best thing that ever happened
to Sumner county.
The farmers are milking from to
40 COWS each and each stated that
they were getting good returns from
their investment and labor. Most Of
the COWS were sold to the farmers by
J the condensary company and they
have paid for them out of their milk
checks. Holsteins are kept mostly
although many Of the tanners have
mixed herds. Milk noutes are estab,
hshed by the cOndensary people, and
some of the milk Is brought from as
far as twenty-five miles. While the
routes are looked after by the con
deOsary management, yet the farmers
pay for the hauling, the cost running
from Ii to 20 cents per HUNDRED
pounds, varying according to distance
The price paid for the milk by tht
Mulvane condensary IS the same price
paid by the company at their High
land, H., and other stations, and runs
from $1.25 to $500 per hundred; tn,
average for the past year being $1.64
or better than IA cents per gallon
which price undoubtedly means a gocC
profit for the dairyman.
A large number Of the farmers o
that vicinity who keep a number G
COWS have installed milking machines
there being over thirty IN that VI
cinity at the present time and a nun
Der Of others have placed orders TO
the same. These are great labor saw
ers and have proven to be a big sue
cess. A three unit machine, that Is
one that will milk three cows at
time, together whit a gasoline engin
to run the same, can be purchased fo
about 5000. One farmer who milk
80 COWS has one of these machines
, and his young Son and daughter d
all the milking in 40 minutes. Tn
|. machines do not milk the COWS a
close as by hand and it is necessar
7 to follow up the machine and do tn
stripping by hand, as the machin
leaves about a half pint of milk 1
each COW.
Lands. and rents have great
advanced in that section since the az
vent Of the oondensary. Quarter sex
J tons that formerly rented for $50
per year now bring $500, and the sci
; ing price Of lands has gone up frol
500 to $50 per acre, with PRACTICAL
: no farms offered for sale. When til
} condensary was first established q
; MulTane it received the product {
? only about 700 COWS, while now it
, receiving the product Of $500 whic
J shows that the people there haV
e found 1t to be a good thing, and mol
: cows are coming into the countr
every month. One farmer there WI
8 milks S5 COWS had received 500
for his milk for the past 10 montl
and all Of the others have done equa
nlly as we'll in proportion. A few (
t the farmers do not patronize the CO.
q densary but make business of bu
= ing the calves from their neighbc