332 ANNUAL REPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



list. The usual number mailed each month is about 3,000 copies, but 

 in some instances as many as 4,500 have been sent out. Many 

 creameries have expressed their appreciation of this work. 



Prior to the year just ended creameries were visited by field men 

 without any regular system, but simply as help was needed. While 

 improvement was made by this method, there w^as no assurance that 

 the improvement was permanent. This year regular monthly visits 

 have been paid to 22 creameries in Minnesota, Iowa, Texas, Virginia, 

 and California* and a general oversight of their work has been main- 

 tained for the purpose of strengthening each weak spot. The results 

 of this S5'stem have been very satisfactory. 



In Minnesota a cream-grading system was introduced in one cream- 

 ery, and the quality of the cream was so much improved in conse- 

 quence that the price obtained for butter increased 4 cents a pound. 

 In other creameries the quality of butter was materially improved, 

 the overrun increased, and the cost of fuel reduced; record systems 

 were generally adopted, and equipment was greatly improved. 



At an Iowa creamery the methods have been made more econom- 

 fcal; a premium of 7f cents has been secured on sweet cream, which 

 is sold to ice-cream makers; and the price of second-grade cream is 

 now higher than the former price for mixed cream. The number of 

 creamery patrons, of dairy cattle, of purebred bulls, of silos, and of 

 herd-record keepers have all been increased. 



In Texas improvement has been sought in methods and equipment. 



In two creameries record keeping has resulted in making an over- 

 run larger than before. Two creameries have introduced ice-cream 

 making and mechanical refrigerating. There is general improve- 

 ment in testing and the care of cream. 



In California the quality of the output has been improved, cream 

 grading has been adopted, overrun has been increased, salt-testing 

 and moisture-testing apparatus have been installed, and cost of fuel 

 has been reduced. 



Visits to creameries other than those under regular observation 

 have not been abandoned. In all, 245 creameries have been visited. 

 The percentage of nenmeries which do not improve after receiving 

 "^sistance appears to be small, indicating that the work is substantial. 

 Among the points of improvement are: Cost of manufacturing is 

 more definitely known, overrun has been steadily increasing, leaks 

 and losses are being stopped, and prices paid to patrons for cream 

 are relatively higher as compared with quotations on butter. 



Septic tanks have been installed in four Iowa creameries according 

 to plans sent by this office. All these tanks are giving satisfaction. 



The cooperative w^ork with the creamery at Troy, Pa., has been 

 very satisfactory. Under the cooperative arrangement the creamery 

 buys the raw material, sells the product, and pays the wages of the 

 workmen,, who, however, are employed subject to the approval of the 

 Dairy Division. The division has complete direction of the manu- 

 facturing part of the business, being free to make any experiments 

 it desires and to purchase any desired portion of the product for 

 laboratory uses. The work of the creamery has been systematized, 

 the overrun has been increased, and the quality of the butter was so 

 high that it obtained a premium ranging from 1 to 3 cents a pound 

 above Philadelphia quotations. Especially in the winter much im- 



