EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII. 299 



United States 31.3 per cent more for milk than they did in 1900. If the 

 dairy industry is developing normally and equally in all parts of the 

 country we would expect to find the greatest proportional increase in 

 those sections where dairying was in its earlier stages. Let us compare 

 the conditions in a section in which the co-operative and the individual 

 system has been developed and maintained with a neighboring section 

 in which the central system has superseded the smaller creameries. In 

 the five years from 1900 to 1905 the number of creameries, cheese fac- 

 tories and milk condenseries in Michigan increased 29.7 per cent. In 

 Wisconsin the number of similar establishments increased 16.9 per cent 

 in the same period and in Minnesota there was an increase of 12.6 per 

 cent. These are typical co-operative creamery states in which the central 

 system has made little headway. 



For comparison, let us consider the neighboring dairy states of Iowa, 

 Kansas and Nebraska. In 1900 the Iowa creameries were almost entirely 

 on the co-operative or individual basis and paid to the farmers only a 

 little less than was paid in the neighboring state of Wisconsin. In the 

 following five years the centralizers encroached on the smaller creameries 

 until the number of establishments was reduced 53.7 per cent. In Kan- 

 sas and Nebraska dairying was less fully developed and the central 

 system almost completely superseded the small plants. In Kansas the 

 decrease in numbers of establishments was 47.4 per cent and in Nebraska 

 57 per cent for five years following 1900. Now let us see in which of 

 these sections dairying has made the most progress. In Michigan the 

 farmers received from creameries, cheese factories and condenseries 116 

 per cent more in 1905 than in 1900. In Wisconsin the increase was 58.4 

 per cent. In Minnesota the increase for these five years was 54.9 per 

 cent, an average for the three of 64.5 per cent. In Iowa, where the cen- 

 tral system had in this period to some extent displaced the smaller in- 

 dividual creameries, the amount received by farmers from creameries, 

 cheese factories and condenseries decreased 5 per cent. This is notwith- 

 standing the fact that there has been a steady increase in the price of 

 dairy products. 



In Nebraska and Kansas dairying should show for this period a 

 greater percentage increase than the older, more completely developed 

 states. In Nebraska we find an increase of 44 per cent and in Kansas 

 a gain of only 6.3 per cent, or an average for the three of oaly 2.2 per 

 cent. The increase in Nebraska is due very materially to the develop- 

 ment of the large central plants at Omaha. Much of the credit of this 

 increase should go to Iowa, instead. 



Which system has been more favorable to the development of the 

 dairy interests? 



The farmers of Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska might aptly quote from 

 the famous speech of Patrick Henry: "You say we are weak, but when 

 will be stronger?" 



