The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1919-01-09
THE MINNESOTA FARMER
A Good Paper on Farming From Business Stand
point-EspeciaIly Its Cooperative Feature
Before Chauauqua, By L.. TT.
THE MINNESOTA

of business the association does.
He should be man of ability and
experience and understand las near
as possible) the drift of the market
in order to obtain the best prices
for the members.
Cooperative creameries and
cheese factories employ a steady
manager, who is usually the but
termaker. He often acts as agent
in buying various farm commodi
ties, such as salt, wire fence, and
feed, for the patrons. In the year
of 1911 the legislature provided for
a state creamery. which was erect
ed. In 1914 there were $50 cream
cries, of these $40 we're coopera-
tive. There was a total of 120, $685.
1913 pounds of butter made in the
creameries in 1914, 61.8 per cent
Of the business being done by the
cooperatives, 1873 per cent by the
proprietary and 25.3 per cent by
centralizers of which there were 80.
The potato and fruit marketing
associations do not employ a per-
manent manager. though an expert
is chosen to do the business. They
have large warehouses for storage
and occasionally do some coopera-
tive buying.
The COW testing associations are
organized to determine which
COWS are profitable and to weed out
the slackers. They have proven
themselves of great Importance
these days when a good dairy COW
costs 500 and over, and feed cost
ing two and three times the price
of five or six years ago.
Thoroughbred livestock associa-
tions are organized to stimulate
interest in the raising of thorough
bred stock and to create markets
where the dairyman and beef-raiser
may buy thoroughbred sires. The
man who raises thoroughbred Hol-
stein or Jersey cattle does not do
so for the purpose of making mon
ey in the dairy business, but to sell
his male and female calves to the
dairyman who wishes to better the
grade of his herd. The thorough
bred cattle raiser whose stock has
shown the highest production rec
ord may demand his own prices.
Thoroughbred hogs are not of
necessity raised because one breed
will bring more at the South St.
Paul markets than others, but in
order that the average farmer may
have a place to purchase a sire
which will better the grade of his
herd. The same applies to horses.
A Belgian draft horse may or may
not be better than some other
breed of drafts; the point is that
there is not enough thoroughbred
stock of any kind to 60 around, so
farmers are endeavoring to better
the grade of their. favorite breeds
by buying thoroughbred sires.
Anyone who goes into the business
in the right manner stands to make
good. This requires considerable
capital and good judgment, first
class buildings are required as
we'll as competent help for care
taking.
The farmers elevators are Or
ganized to secure better prices for
the patrons. They usually pay
top p-notch prices as we'll as paying
stockholders dividends. They en-
ploy a salaried manager whose
ability as a buyer of grains can not
be questioned. There were in the
crop year of 1914-15 296 coopera-
tive farmers elevators in the state
out of total of 1.428, including
line and individual elevators and
mills. In the same year the farm
ers handled 43, ,489, 146 bushels, or
38.9 per cent out of a total of ILL.,
667, 146 bushels of grain. This
should give good idea of the SER
vice these farmers elevators give