Address on Butter-Making. 



By G. A. Smith. 



(Dairy Expert, New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y.) 



The past few years have worked a wonderful change in the 

 dairy business. Many sections, especially in the Northwest, have 

 witnessed the growth of this line of work from nothing to an 

 extensive business among a class of farmers who, less than 10 

 years ago, were raising wheat and corn and keeping but few 

 cows. This change was brought about by the low price of wheat 

 and corn, and the small average yield obtained per acre from 

 growing these crops. Year after year a few of the thinking 

 farmers began to agitate the question of the necessity of making 

 some change in lines of work. Some of those who came from the 

 dairy farms of the East were inclined to take up dairying. The 

 agents of the dairy supply houses saw the opportunity and were 

 quick to take advantage of the conditions and to push their busi- 

 ness. The result of all this work has been the great increase ir 

 production of butter which we have seen. In most instances it 

 has been a success, from a financial point of view with those 

 farmers in the Northwest. They will remain in the business, 

 and we must meet the competition in an intelligent way or be 

 driven out. With all of this has come a wonderful improvement 

 in dairy machinery and a much better understanding of the under- 

 lying principles of butter-making. 



The farmer in the new dairy sections has been willing to accept 

 modern ideas much more readily, and to put them in practice, 

 than has the farmer in the old dairy sections. The result has 

 been a much higher average standard for the butter of the North- 

 west than in the older sections of the East. "With all these facts 

 before us, the question to be decided is — Have we reached the 

 point where we are willing to throw aside traditions and change 

 our methods to the extent of conforming to the best approved 

 plan of the up-to-date dairyman, in caring for the milk and method 

 of manufacture? In fact, work to secure the most comprehensive 

 knowledge possible of modern dairy practice? Very few people 

 have any idea of the importance of the little things necessary in 



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