ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII 393 



make good butter out of poor cream it would be much more economical 

 to hire a man to visit the farms as often as possible and improve the raw 

 product which is the real source of poor butter. 



However, there are many other ways in which the creameryman is re- 

 lated to the patron. Every creamery must have enough of the raw pro- 

 duct to pay the operating expenses and the necessary dividends. The 

 lack of enough cream to supply the demand is one of the important rea- 

 sons why we find so many creameries taking an active interest in their 

 patrons. The buttermaker in the small creamery as the field man in the 

 large plant could devote a portion of his time to no better advantage than 

 familiarizing himself with the conditions existing on the farms of his 

 patrons. By supplying himself with the best literature on dairying and 

 then spreading his information broadcast among the patrons a great deal 

 of enthusiasm could be aroused. 



Statistics show that since 1875 the number of milch cows in the United 

 States has increased from 11,000,000 to 22,000,000, which means an in- 

 crease of 100 per cent. Not alone has the number of cows doubled in the 

 past thirty-five years, but their valuation per head has increased from 

 $25.74 to $35.79, making the total valuation of dairy cows in the United 

 States $780,30S,000. But the chart also shows us that the population has 

 increased much more rapidly during the same time. In 1875 the United 

 States had 38,000,000 people. It now has 95,000,000, an increase of 150 

 per cent. Along with this increase in population and number of cows we 

 find the average price of butter during this time has increased one-fourth 

 which means that the demand for dairy products has increased in spite of 

 the increase in the production of these products. 



Another great indication for the demand of dairying is found by a 

 comparison of imports and exports of dairy products during the past ten 

 years. In 1899 the population of the United States was 76,000,000. The 

 imports were valued at $1,619,693, while the exports were valued at $7,- 

 62S,211, or nearly five times the imports. In 1909 the population has in- 

 creased to 95,000,000; the imports increased to $6,031,499, and the ex- 

 ports decreased to $3,500,405. This reversion of imports and exports 

 shows that we are rapidly falling behind in our supply and that the Un- 

 ited States is sending to foreign nations $8,540,612 for dairy products 

 which should be produced here. The population is beginning to overtake 

 the production in this country. We have doubled our population four 

 times a century. By twenty-five years from now there will be as many 

 people living and asking for food at one time as have lived up to this 

 time since America was discovered. Instead of producing $800,000,000 of 

 dairy products per year we must produce many times more. 



Having considered briefly the status of dairying in the United States, 

 let us now see what our own state is doing along this line. As you all 

 know Iowa produces more butter than any other state in the Union. From 

 the last dairy commissioner's report we find that the butter production 

 of Iowa has increased from 87,972,470 pounds in 1899 to 101,907,315 pounds 

 in 1909, and the average price per pound advanced six cents making the 

 total valuation last year $L?,4S5.S02. and the total dciry products aggre- 

 gate $60,000,000. 



