DAIRYING 



1689 



DAIRYING 



is more commonly called, and the silo is a con- 

 spicuous feature in almost all farm landscapes. 

 Full details of its variety and use are given 

 in the article SILO. 



Cleanliness a Necessity. Probably no other 

 farm product is as easily spoiled or tainted as 

 milk. It is very sensitive to its surroundings, 

 readily absorbs particles of matter from the 

 atmosphere, and even absorbs odors from 

 articles near it. Tiny particles of dirt, more- 

 over, may contain bacteria, which may render 

 the milk dangerous or may leave it merely 

 disagreeable to the taste. The cows should 

 be milked in their stalls. Sweeping or litter- 

 ing the cows before milking should be avoided, 

 because these operations raise dust which may 

 contaminate the milk. It is desirable, however, 

 to change the air in the stable a short time 

 before, so that it may be fresh and pure. The 

 milkers should wear clean clothing, and their 

 hands should be clean and dry. The flanks 

 and udders of the cow should be wiped with 

 a damp cloth, to remove any dirt which might 

 otherwise fall into the pail. The old-fashioned, 

 wide-topped pail should be avoided; those 

 with small tops, partly covered, are the best. 

 All utensils used in the handling of milk should 

 be cleaned immediately after using and be 

 scalded with boiling water. A still better plan 

 is to steam them in a vat for several minutes. 

 Wooden pails should not be used. 



Development of the Industry. The dairy 

 industry, as a special branch of agriculture, is 

 of nineteenth-century growth, especially in 

 Canada and the United States. Long before 

 1800, in many parts of the world, cows were 

 being kept for their milk, but the individual 

 farmer kept only as many cows as he needed 

 to supply milk, butter and cheese for his 

 family. Dairy farming to-day, on the con- 

 trary, is a specialty, and a comparatively small 

 number of farmers supply millions of con- 

 sumers. 



While the industry has been growing, it has 

 also undergone a complete change in character. 

 In the beginning of the nineteenth century it 

 was believed that dairying was limited by 

 physical and climatic conditions to a small 

 part of North America, called the "dairy belt." 

 It was confined, also, to spring and summer, 

 when pasturage could be obtained. Cows were 

 usually allowed to go dry in the winter, and 

 winter dairying was practically unknown. 

 Under the system now employed, however, 

 good milk, butter and cheese can be obtained, 

 by proper management, in almost every part 



of North America. Cows are well-housed in 

 the winter, and give milk practically the whole 

 year around. 



Importance of the Industry. In the United 

 States. Although it is true that many farmers 

 make dairying their principal source of income, 

 yet there are thousands who keep only a few 

 cows, to supply milk, butter and cheese for 

 their families. As most of the latter group 

 keep no accurate records of production, the 

 census figures showing the amount and value 

 of dairy products are somewhat smaller than 

 they should be. The varying conditions under 

 which the industry is carried on in different 

 sections make it hard to find a satisfactory 

 basis for grouping the sections or individual 

 states in the order of their importance. There 

 is no doubt, however, that in the Eastern 

 states dairying is the principal source of in- 

 come of most of the farmers who own cows. 

 This is also true through the Central West. 

 In the far Western states many farmers still 

 keep cows primarily for beef purposes. 



New York and Wisconsin are now the fore- 

 most dairy states in the Union. They have 

 the largest number of milch or dairy cows, the 

 largest production of milk, and they lead in the 

 total value of products. Wisconsin, with about 

 1,700,000 dairy cows, is closely followed by 

 New York, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas 

 and Pennsylvania. In the census of 1910, 

 ranked according to the quantity of milk pro- 

 duced, New York was followed by Wisconsin, 

 Iowa, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio 

 and Michigan. The total production of milk in 

 the United States was then about 7,500,000,000 

 gallons a year. New York's annual output 

 of dairy products was nearly $82,000,000, about 

 one-eighth of the total for the United States. 

 Next in order came Wisconsin, $56,000,000; 

 Pennsylvania, $45,000,000; Illinois, $34,000,000; 

 Iowa, $34,000,000; Ohio, $33,000,000; Minnesota, 

 $31,000,000; Michigan, $28,000,000; and Cali- 

 fornia, $24,000,000. It must be understood that 

 these figures vary considerably from 'year to 

 year. One of the most striking features of the 

 dairy industry in recent years is the develop- 

 ment of the factory system in the making of 

 butter and cheese. This feature is discussed 

 in the article CREAMERY. 



In the Dominion of Canada. Dairying was 

 naturally one of the first branches of agricul- 

 ture practiced by the early colonists. The 

 farmers of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia 

 were famous at an early day for the excellence 

 of their dairy products. As settlement spread 



