DAIRY INDUSTRY. 



The department moved into the new dairy building soon after 

 the opening of the fiscal year. The building is not yet finished. 

 During the entire year our work has been considerably handicapped 

 by the presence of the builders. 



The different lines of work may be discussed under six separate 

 headings, as follows : 



I. Teaching Work. 



There were the same number of classes as in the previous year. 

 Although classes were larger than in the previous year, they were 

 not as large as they should have been because some students who 

 had intended to take the work decided not to do so when they found 

 the working rooms were incomplete and practice work would be 

 badly interrupted. 



II. The Winter Dairy-Course. 



This class was practically the same size as in the previous year, — 

 about 90 students. They averaged high in ability and made a good 

 record of attendance. Only a few left before the term closed. 



Thus far there has been no serious lack of positions for com- 

 petent winter-course students. Yet I think I see a difference in 

 the demand for these young men. Certain large dairy concerns 

 are extending their operations throughout the State, buying plants 

 which have been owned by individuals or farmers' companies and 

 changing these from factories which make butter and cheese into 

 stations where milk is prepared for shipment to New York City. 

 Frequently such a change in the use of the milk means also the 

 dismissal of a man who has been well trained and who commands 

 a salary of $60 to $icxD per month, and the employment of one who 

 has had little experience and is willing to work for about $50 per 

 month. A few such changes do much to decrease the pressure for 

 competent operators of butter and cheese factories, and this in 

 turn has its influence in holding down the attendance of the winter 

 dairy-course and in checking the demand for those who take this 

 work. It will be many years before there is any great difference 

 in the number of men employed in making butter and cheese in 

 New York State factories, and there are excellent opportunities 



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