SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART VII. 271 



That is why I felt like saying "Amen" when Mr. Sshilling said poor butter 

 was drawing too high a price. If we could get the price down where we 

 could show the farmer we had to have good raw material in order to 

 get a good price for the butter, then we would have something to touch 

 his pocket with; but in the absence of that it is up to the buttermaker 

 to work among his patrons. I have heard buttermakers say they could 

 not do this; their patrons would resent it. The good buttermaker that 

 gains the confidence of his patron can do almost anything with him; he 

 can keep him from shipping cream to the sanitary plants. 



I am not going to try and discuss that question, because if I did I 

 would not catch my train at 10:45, but you know as well as I do that a 

 good buttermaker is the moving spirit in a creamery community, and if 

 the buttermakers of Iowa want to know how they can handle this quality 

 question, that is the answer right there. Let every buttermaker get busy 

 with his own patrons. You say that is easier said than done. I admit 

 that you cannot do it all at once, but a little improvement each month 

 with what has been accomplished in the month past, and carried on, is 

 just what will solve the trouble. Now it is well enough to ask for State 

 help and all that sort of thing. The creamery inspector contributes to 

 the quality of the butter, no doubt about that; but I want to tell you 

 where the inspection is carried on regularly (and I am referring now to 

 my own State), that the buttermakers get into the habit of depending 

 too much upon the creamery inspector. They do not have backbone 

 enough themselves. I know that I am saying some pretty severe things 

 to the buttermakers, but I have been there myself and I know that he 

 needs them. You may take that as a confession if you want to. It lays 

 with the buttermaker what is in the creamery, and I don't know as I can 

 enlarge upon it, but I would like to make it stronger if I had the words 

 to express myself; but if you go away from here and feel like trying to 

 remember anything that the fellow from Minnesota said, remember that 

 it is up to you as buttermakers of Iowa to take hold of this quality 

 question and improve the quality of Iowa butter. 



Now I am not going to take up any more time. I am glad to have 

 had the privilege of meeting with you, and I want to assure you again 

 that the Minnesota buttermakers have the kindliest of feelings towards 

 you Iowa fellows, and those of you who have come up to our conven- 

 tions (and there have been many of you there and have contributed to 

 the success of those conventions) have always been treated right, and I 

 am sure that the Minnesota boys can say the same thing, those that have 

 been down here to your convention. I wish you a successful meeting and 

 a happy solution of this troublesome quality question. 



