2 MANAGEMENT OF DAIRY PLANTS 



line as a coordinate feature of the creamery. If operated by 

 common power, the laundry should be separated from the 

 creamery by a solid wall and the workers in one place should 

 take no part in the operations of the other place. 



The market facilities will naturally play a big part in deter- 

 mining the nature of the business. If a creamery is located in 

 a thriving town or in a city, ice cream making would naturally 

 fit in with butter making. Special demands may be created for 

 soft cheese. A retail business may be started to advantage. 

 In a number of cities, creameries are selling, at retail, all the 

 products they manufacture. 



Although some or perhaps all of such side lines should be 

 taken up gradually only after the business has been established, 

 yet there should be a fair survey of such opportunities at the 

 outset, as these will often largely determine the advisability of 

 starting a creamery. 



Raw Material Available. Considering Iowa conditions, a 

 creamery located in the country or in a small town and not de- 

 pending on local markets for the sale of its products, nor placing 

 any dependence on side lines, should receive cream or milk from 

 not less than 600 cows. 1 If working with less, the operating 

 expenses are too great and such a creamery is unable to com- 

 pete with a strong rival. Farrington and Benkendorf 2 estimate 

 for Wisconsin that there should be at least 400 cows for a cream- 

 ery and 200 cows for a cheese factory, with a good prospect of 

 increasing this number in the near future. 



As an illustration, consider two creameries, one receiving the 

 raw material from 400 cows, the other receiving the raw mate- 

 rial from 800 cows. Assume that these creameries are handling 

 only gathered cream, that the entire amount of butter fat pro- 

 duced by the cows is sold to the creamery, and that each cow 

 produces 140 pounds of butter fat annually. Also take for 

 granted that the price paid by each creamery for butter fat 

 delivered at its plant is not less than the New York quotation 

 for extras, and that the butter is sold on commission at one 

 cent per pound in excess of the price paid for butter fat. The 



1 Bui. 139, la. Agr, Expt, Sta., 1913. - Bui. 244, Wis. Agr. Expt, Sta., 1915. 



