Ian 



■ t 



Mr 





X' 



jr 



^ 



SNOW PLOW HUNTS AUTOS NEAR ALGONQUIN WHERE McHENRY AND KANE COUNTIES MEET. THE PLOW AND CAR ARE BOTH 

 the onter of a Main Paved Highway. •■■';.■ 



Old Man Winter Grips 

 Illinois During February 



THE biggest news in Illinois last 

 month was the weather. 

 The heaviest snow and the cold- 

 est weather in more than 35 years 

 covered most of the state. The temper- 

 ature for the first three weeks of the 

 month averaged close to zero. Through- 

 out northern Illinois impassable roads 

 and snow drifts up to 30 feet deep prac- 

 tically brought outdoor work, motor 

 travel and meetings of all kinds to a 

 standstill. Milk shortages in Chicago 

 were acute for a number of days dur- 

 ing the most severe weather. Many 

 County Farm Bureau annual meetings 

 were postponed. Dairymen waged a 

 terrific struggle to get their milk to 

 market. Shovel brigades were organ- 

 ized by farmers throughout the north- 

 em tier of counties to help state high- 

 way workers open the main roads. Bob- 



sleds were used to take milk to the 

 open roads. Railroads did the best local 

 passenger and freight business in years. 



Throughout central and western Illi- 

 nois, Producers' Creamery trucks had 

 difficulty in making their regular pick- 

 ups. In spite of the bad weather and 

 terrible roads, however, volume of 

 cream over the state was maintained 

 within 15 per cent of normal. Many 

 feirmers hauled their cream to the 

 {javed roads by sled where they met 

 pick-up trucks. The Producers Cream- 

 erv of Olney was the only one of eight 

 in 'the state which had a substantial 

 increase in volume for January com- 

 pared with that of a year ago. 



Approximately 300 dairymen came 

 out for the annual meeting of the 

 Peoria Milk Producers on Feb. 15, re- 

 ports Wilfred Shaw, director of dairy 



marketing. The Producers are now sup- 

 plying six of the largest dairies in 

 Peoria which includes all of the leading 

 distributors except Roszell. Last year 

 the co-operative supplied only three 

 buyers. During 1935 members netted 

 34 cents more per cwt. for milk than 

 in 1934. Only seven of the 1,700 mem- 

 bers canceled out during the cancel- 

 lation period. Just two of these were 

 active shippers. 



At the annual meeting of McLean 

 County Milk Producers, Manager For- 

 rest Fairchild reported that members 

 received a net price of 39.18 cents per 

 pound for butterfat during the past 

 year or $1.28 per cwt. for milk at the 

 farm. From the price of 39.18 cents, 

 Fairchild said, must be deducted ap- 

 proximately seven cents per pound of 

 butterfat for hauling and the Associa- 

 tion's commission. This is the best 

 price members have received for milk 

 since 1931. Milk was sold in six 

 classes of which base represented 38.8 

 per cent of total production. 



The board of directors voted to re- 

 fund the surplus funds of 1930 amount- 

 (Continued on page 29) 



MARCH. 1936 



