206 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



"sundries," must bo assessed upon the pounds of butter made 

 during any given time. Monthly settlements are usual and the 

 total expenses should not exceed five cents per pound on the butter 

 sent to market. This cost of manufacture maj'^ be reduced to three 

 cents per pound, in a factory of economical size, well managed. 

 The cost of making is generally greater during the first six months 

 operation than afterward. At Hatfield, Mass., after an experience 

 of one year on the purely- cooi)erative plan, the superintendent, 

 butter-maker and gatherer, formed a partnership and contracted 

 with the farmers to do all the work from skimming to marketing, 

 and including interest on the factory investment at 3| cents per 

 pound on the butter made for a year. 



There is evidence enough of the household relief and pecuniary 

 profit afforded by this Cream Gathering System of butter making, 

 not only b}' its rapid extension in Wisconsin and Iowa, in Penn- 

 sylvania and northern New Jersey, but in the success already 

 accomplished in New England. 



At Hatfield, in western Massachusetts, on the Connecticut river, 

 as the result of a meeting held in March, 1880, the first Fairlamb 

 Factor^' east of the Hudson, commenced operations in October of 

 that year. They rented a building and the whole expense of fitting 

 it and starting on a basis of 300 cows was $1,200. The}' had a 

 capital of SI, 500 in shares of $10. The cost of making butter the 

 first two months was 6 cents, the next two 4| cents, then 4 cents and 

 during the second year 3^ cents. The first j-ear this factory made, 

 in round numbers 50,000 pounds of butter from 49,000 "inches" of 

 cream, ( measured on the scale of the Fairlamb can which was there 

 adopted.) The second 3'ear a rival establishment drew oft" part of 

 their cream and thej' made 42,000 pounds ; the largest product in 

 one month being 5,983 pounds. This factor}^ is now making about 

 1,100 pounds a week. The first j'ear the patrons of the factory- 

 received, net, 28 cents per pound for the butter made from their 

 cream, and during the second year they have averaged 30^ cents 

 per pound. During these same years, when the average to patrons 

 has been over 29 cents, the average receipts for the best private 

 dairies in the town has been 28 cents and less. Thus, b}^ this fac- 

 tory system, the patrons have actuall}' received more mone}- for the 

 same quantity of butter than under the old way, while they have 

 been saved all the trouble and expense of making and marketing. 



