The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-11-17
is Warning Sent Out by Aeri-
cultural Extension Depart
.rnent of University.

MORGANTOWN, Nov. 17-There
has come under the observation OF
the Agricultural Extension Depart
ment of the West Virginia Univer-
sity, the fact that creamery pro-
eral sections Of the state. Cream
cries are good instruments for the
development of any agricultural COM
munity, where there are enough
COWS to support such an enterprise,
but to go into section where there
is practically no interest along dairy
lines, organize stock company. and
open a creamery, is hazardous in the
extreme. The history Of several
such cases is that a man will enter a
prosperous community, claiming to
| be q practical dairyman, affiliate
himself with two or three of the most
influential and prosperous farmers
and show them the advantage that
creamery affords. These men will
then go with him to see some of the
neighbors, and interest is agitated
to such an extent that before the
hard working farmers realize what
they are doing they have signed their
names to a contract which will bind
1 them for one or two shares of stock
of 500 each. The creamy will
open with no cream routes establish
ed and not a sufficient number OF
COWS to supply the cream required.
AS result the plant will shut down
after operating from sixty days to six
months and the farmer has his
money locked up in something that
will not realize twenty-five cents on
the dollar. However. this is not the
worst of it. Any prospects that the
section might have had of becoming
a dairy section have been paralyzed.
Again. the prices charged for the
| creamery machinery Is from twenty
five to fifty per cent in excess Of
what it should be bought for from
a reliable creamery supply company,
and even then the plant Is not al
ways completely equipped.
1t requires about 400 good cows
to support n creamery. This number
1 will vary somewhat, depending on
conditions. Most of the feed for the
COWS should be grown on local farms.
The advantages that a creamery
offers are many. In the first place,
dairy farming is generally consider
ed to be one of the most satisfac-
tory methods of building up the soil
where cream is sold, practically all
| of the fertility is retained on the
farm. Secondly, the crops raised are
marketed very profitably in sellintl
cream and thus bring in steady in
come throughout the entire year.
The Extension Department of the
West Virginia University, cooper
ating with the Dairy Division of the
United States Department Of Agrf-
cultre. will be glad to get in touch
with any section desiring a creamery
and will send a man to make sur
vey of the situation to determine the
advisability of creamery organs
cation. Then, II the prospects are
good, specialist can be be obtained
from the Dairy Division, who will
determine the proper machinery nee
essary and will give an accurate es-
innate as to the cost. The extension
department strongly recommends
that no contracts be signed with any
creamery promoters until after an
expert from this department has
looked over the proposition to de-
termine whether Il creamery can be
profitably established BY acting
upon this advice, which costs the fer-
mer nothing, serious losses may be
avoided and more efficient creameries
established.