The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-05
How One Creamery Grew.


One of the most convincing eX-
amples of what cooperative effort
will do for community is found
in the progress of the Farmers Co
operative Creamery at the Missis-
sippi a. & N. college. This cream
cry, as most successful institutions,
had a small beginning, plenty Of op-
position and an over-abundance OF
obstacles. In it's years of effective
operation, however. this opposition
has melted away and the obstacles
in the main have been smoothed
out, so much so that the story IS
one of the most beautiful and con-
vincing in all the history Of south
ern dairying. The story Of this
creamery is briefly told in the fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. J. S. Moore,
professor of Dairy Husbandry at
the college where the creamery is
located:
In 1912, the writer asked permis-
sion Of the Board of Trustees Of
the Mississippi a. & NJ. College to
organize cooperative creamery at
the college and that said creamery
be allowed to use part Of the dairy
building for its work. In making
this request, we stated that, II a
success, the creamery would DO
much toward securing a 6iverslfl-
cation of crops and increasing the
number of live stock on the farms;
that it would enable the farmer to
turn from cotton farming, which
had already become a very uncer-
tain crop in many sections OF the
state due 10 the presence of boil
weevils. to moro rational and
profitable system.
Authority for the establishment
of the creamery was given. and
the organization was completed and
with 10 patrons the creamery be-
gan work in September, 1912.
The college dairy department had
a small amount Of equipment on
hand. 1t agreed to turn this over
to the creamery which was to pay
for it in monthly installments. NO
patron or stockholder was required
to pay any cash, but & fund was
started by setting aside part of
the receipts each month. This
fund was used in making payments
on the equipment on hand, keeping
up repairs, adding new equipment
as needed and as the funds grew
for operating capital While no
cash has ever been paid, except as
above, the Cooperative Creamery
now has property and operating
capital amounting to about SIS, 600.
In addition to this the patrons, as
a rule, have received the top OF the
market for their butter.
Believing that the success or fall
ure Of this creamery would have. a
marked influence on the develop
ment of dairying, not only IN this
section but throughout the state,
the head of the dairy department
acted as manager Of the creamery
for three years. In return for the
facilities provided and help offered
by the collego the creamery is to
be available fol any instruction Of
fered by the college to students and
others.
AT the end Of three years. the
work had grown to such an extent
and the success Of such creamery
had been so thoroughly establish
ed. the management was turned
over to a manager selected by the
board of directors.
The following table will show
the growth OF the creamery since
its organization.
1912 1916 1920
& monttS>
Number OF pa % Iao
irons u
ds,;ysr,d in;',,.1, - ii.5o$ l>@.lS2 ~ 800
Receipts $5S7e.iS $d9,'S" 81 Sl"2 NY
Iranx ra1a pa s,.,o3.2o sse+e9S2e sl7o.72f.'6
The growth of the creamery has
been steady from the beginning.
Each wear showins an increase over
1be preceding and this, notwith-
l.,,,d;ro the fact that during the