Milford chronicle., 1916-06-23
The MILFORD CREAMERY
ONICO-OPERATIVE PLAN

issue of the Pennsylvania Farmer the
following concerning the cooperative
creamery conducted at Milford:
Kent County. Delaware, is usually
thought of as a fruit growing section.
And so it is But in the last three or
four years a new line of farming is
being taken up, either to supplement
fruit growing or to go hand in hand
with it. This is dairy farming Where
within a few years even the family
COW was not always to be found on
the farms, now herds of a dozen COWS
are not uncommon. Especially is
this true in the section around Mil
ford.
The reason for this is due to the
fact that a market for their product
in the form of butter fat has been
made through the organization of a
cooperative creamery three years
ago From a small beginning when
organized this creamery has grown
into what is probably the most sue
cessful cooperative creamery in Del
aware. The following is a short ac-
count of its history and progress:
The first, and to my mind the only
unfortunate feature in connection
with this creamery, and one which all
the stockholders now realize, was in
its organization. Instead of a group
of the leading farmers themselves
getting together and doing the or
ganizing, they allowed a creamery
promoting company from Chicago to
come into the community, do the pro-
noting, build the creamery, equip it !
and start it in operation, with the re-
senTs nrsa1n
more than its building and equipment |
were worth. Other communities con |
templating starting a cooperative |
creamery should take warning from |
the lesson learned by the men around /
Milford and profit thereby.
However, in spite of this fact, the
creamery has been a success from
the beginning. 1t started operations
July "a, 1913, capitalized at $500.
Dividends were paid right from the
start. For the first eighteen months,
s per cent was paid. During 1915,
10 per cent was paid the stOckhold-
ers, and it is quite likely that this
will be repeated in 1916. In addition
to this several hundred dollars have
been deposited in the bank from the
profits for sinking fund
At the beginning there we're only
six patrons. When l visited the
creamery in February of this year
there were S6. This has been about !. :
the number that have patrOnized it
during the past year. To show how
the dairymen are awakening to dairy
ing and increasing and improving
their stock, note the amount of cream :
received During February, 1915, 500 -
pounds OF butterfat were received a ,
week. For the same time 1916, 1850 n
pounds were the weekly receipts. The a
price paid for butterfat has ranged n
from % to BIZ cents. The overrun q
averages % per cent. All the patrons n
deliver cream retaining the skim-milk n
It home to feed the calves, hogs and n
chickens. Buttermilk for pigs is sold q
or three cents a gallon. That used
or cooking is sold for 10 cents a gal
on. II
Included in the equipment of the N
.reamery is a cream ripener, or wiz 81
.rd agitatOr. which the buttermaker s.
lses as a pasteurizer. This is the only th
o-Operative creamery in the state in al
which the cream is pasteuTized before E
burning. It is also the only cream W
ry in which artificial starter is used le
o rjran the cream. Both the pas st
eurizer and ripener insure a better nj
rade Of butter. pI
A good share OF the success of the su
reamery can be attributed to the but en-
erIoaker, X. NJ. Beadle, who gained kr
is experience as a buttermaker in fT
lichigan, before coming to Delaware.
Ie was responsible for the introduce wi
on Of the pasteurizing and the arti- "I
cial ripener Everything around clt
le creamery is kept almost spOtless- Ch
clean. On the outside of the build tol
Ig are posted signs giving hints as on
how to produce a good product,
nd in the spring and early summer,
hen garlic infests the pastures, a
gn which attracted my attention,
.ad: If your pasture is infested
ith garlic, turn your COWS into it in [.
e morning or evening after milk wa
z. then give them other rOughage brt
kill the taint." This one sign alone We
IS done much to improve the quality lOC
the cream delivered. Nothing has exc
t been done toward grading the ent
cam, but at one of the recent meet or
gs of the directors this question was ire
ought up, and from the sentiment are
pressed it is likely that a system orc
grading will soon be adopted. is &
The patrons have done much in ed
ese few years to improve their dair- spr
and to less the cost of production. welt
INV of them have silos, many are pre-
lrting alfalfa, and a few are using pea
re-bred sires and are having their incl
rds tested for production in order thir
weed out the poor COWS and raise frui
tier ones. Balanced rations are fror
W being adopted. Among the new wht
rms being built or remOdeled, con- orcl
tie aoOrs and stanchiOns are found. so
"GrWS" WELL RFCFlVFD Ear