500 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



I 



ever, increased activity has been displayed and as a result several more 

 creameries are expected to qualify for the use of the Brand this winter. 

 A noticeable increase in the demand for this butter by buyers on the 

 New York market has been manifested during the past three months 

 and the price premiums offered to the creameries manufacturing it have 

 been very liberal. This increased demand is certain to have its effects 

 among the butter plants and should serve as an impetus to the movement. 

 Even though the use of the brand should not become general in this 

 state its value cannot be over-estimated. It will not only serve to bring 

 added prestige and high financial returns to the creameries actually using 

 it, but bring about a keener inquiry into the merits of Iowa butter as a 

 whole. The task involved in inducing the creameries to take up the 

 State Brand is by no means a small one. The exacting provisions of the 

 regulations governing its use, necessitates the use of the best quality of 

 raw material and creamery apparatus and the employment of skilled 

 men, and it is sometimes difficult, therefore, to convince creamery 

 patrons to undertake the added expense which is frequently involved 

 unless they can be assured a good return for this financial investment. 

 Fortunately, the buyers on the market now appear willing to pay for this 

 additional cost, and our task should not be so difficult in the future, but 

 it is mainly to the creameries who first commenced to use this brand 

 that the credit of this situation is due. Their courageous refusal to dis- 

 continue the use of the brand when its use apparently meant nothing in 

 the way of financial reward, kept the project from being an ignominious 

 N'ilure and, if as is to be hoped, the trade mark ever becomes one of 

 Iowa's big assets, it will be due in no small measure to their firm stand in 

 continuing to recognize its value. 



It has been briefly stated that there are many poorly paid butter- 

 makers in the state, a fact to which is largely attributed the heavy losses 

 sustained by a number of creameries. As a matter of fact, the wages 

 paid these men is in general far too little considering the class of work 

 they are called upon to do. For example the average monthly salary of 

 Iowa butter-makers is a few cents less than $130. When it is considered 

 that this includes a number of high salaried men, it is not difficult to 

 conclude that there are far too many men receiving less than this sum, 

 a fact which is certainly not conducive to the expenditure of any unneces- 

 sary time or labor in the interest of the creamery. When the enormous 

 increases in living costs are considered, it will be seen that many of them 

 are hard put to eke out a mere existence. 



An examination of the reports sent in by the creameries shows very 

 plainly that great opportunities are being overlooked and that the 

 responsibility for failure to take advantage of them lies about equally 

 on the butter-maker and his employers. A well paid butter-maker will 

 usually save the creamery his salary several times over while, as stated, 

 a "cheap" butter-maker is usually cheap at any price. A point which 

 may be of interest in this connection was well brought out in the reports 

 compiled from the creameries. In practically every instance where the 

 butter-maker was assisting in the formation of calf clubs, cow test associ- 

 ations, pure bred sire movements and the installation of cream cooling 



