452 ANNUAL RErORT OF THE 



Oft. Doc. 



REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON DAIRY AND DAIRY 



PRODUCTS 



By M. E. CONARD. Chairman 



The past ten years have been eventful ones in the dairy business. 

 They have brought about conditions that are very discouraging, in 

 the present state of enlightenment, to the average dairyman. 



1. The steady and advancing prices of all kinds of dairy feeds. 



2. The scarcity and high cost of labor. 



3. The unprecedented demand for beef and veal. 



4. Until very recently, the persistent low prices for butter, milk, 

 and the like. 



All of which have C(;m blued to narrow down the margin of profit 

 to the producers until he has been obliged to live without many of 

 the comforts he richly deserves. 



There has been a lack of co-operation amongst the producers of 

 milk and butter, and I venture to say that as a class there Is a 

 serious absence of business methods employed. There has been, and 

 is yet. a tendency to look for the remedy only at the selling end of 

 the business. We are too prone to think the fault all lies with the 

 man who buys our product and that he should pay up and share the 

 deficit with us. In fact we feel that of late the producer has not 

 received quite his legitimate share of the cash paid by the consumer, 

 but we must know that the dealers in dairy products are businesf- 

 men and are doing just what we should do to protect our own interest. 

 They are doing business on business principles. 



There is no reason why the consuming public should be expected 

 to pay prices suflficient to compensate for our lack of pro;ier com- 

 prehension of our responsibility as food producers. 



The steady and unprecedented growth of the cities and towns of 

 this great Commonwealth has put such markets within our reach 

 as never existed before, and now it devolves upon us as dairymen to 

 till the soil, select and breed up our herds and to so handle their 

 output as to avail ourselves of these markets. There is an increased 

 demand for raw milk which has resulted in a greatly decreased 

 amount of butter made throughout the eastern part of the state. 



It is gratifying to be able to report that there is a growing demand 

 for a better and more thorough knowledge of how to utilize the count- 

 less acres at our command so that we may be able to supply this 

 growing demand to our own advantage. The interest manifest at 

 the fourteen dairy schools held during the present winter in almost 

 as many counties proves the prevailing desire for more dairy knowl- 

 edge that will enable us to cut down the cost of production. Indeed 

 we are inclined to believe that we as dairymen are responsible for 

 some of the causes of the narrow margin of profit so much complained 

 of for the following reasons: 



