234 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



DAIRY MANUFACTURING INVESTIGATIONS. 



Mr. B. D. White is in charge of the section dealing with dairy 

 manufacturing investigations. 



MARKET INSPECTION OF BUTTER. 



Market inspection of butter has been conducted at the Nev7 York, 

 Cliicago, and San Francisco markets. This inspection is made at the 

 request of the dealer or the producer, and the defects of the butter 

 are pointed out and suggestions given for overcoming them. During 

 the fiscal year there were 3,058 inspections made, of which 1,500 were 

 made in New York, 1,478 in Chicago, and 80 in San Francisco. Be- 

 sides inspections for quality, the inspectors have made tests for salt 

 and moisture, and have weighed shipments of butter to determine 

 the shrinkage between the creamery and the market. In replies from 

 252 creameries to an inquiry from the Bureau. 184 stated that the 

 work had proved beneficial, 59 had no opinion, and 9 knew of no bene- 

 ficial results. The dealers in butter also expressed much appreciation 

 of the inspectors' work. 



CREAMERY INVESTIGATIONS. 



During the year 157 new creameries have been reported. Plans for 

 organization, articles of incorporation and by-laws, lists of machin- 

 ery, and plans for creamery buildings have been furnished to these 

 new creameries by the Dairy Division when they could be used to 

 advantage. Besides assisting in the organization of creameries under 

 favorable -conditions, the establishment of creameries has been dis- 

 couraged in localities where there was an insufficient number of cows 

 to keep a creamery running successfully. 



Investigations and advice in the management of creameries have 

 been continued during the past year very much as heretofore. Five 

 men have been giving the greater part of their time to this work. 

 They have been cooperating with state departments and dairy schools 

 in teaching creamery operators better methods. INluch money is lost 

 to creameries annually by the lack of proper business methods. The 

 large creamery usually checks up every operation; the small creamery 

 usually checks up none. It has been estimated that the loss from 

 bad management in three of the leading butter manufacturing States 

 has been reduced more than $400,000 annually within the past three 

 years, but that those same States still sustain a loss from this source 

 of more than $1,200,000 everv vear. This statement shows the benefit 

 as well as the need of work such as the Dairy Division is doing. 



Many creameries have no method of disposing of their sewage. 

 Plans for septic tanks were sent to 39 creameries during the year. 

 Some further study of this subject is necessary, how^ever, to perfect 

 the septic tank for creamery purposes, owing to the amoimt of grease 

 contained in the sewage. 



Nearly every creamer}^ has some patrons who take pride in furnish- 

 ing clean, sweet cream j from which the highest grade of butter can be 

 made. At the same time there are usually many patrons who have 

 no special interest or pride in the quality of cream they send to the 

 creamery, so long as it is accepted ; and the result is that much of the 



