xx BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



portion of the reasons why dairying is not more profitable to our 

 farmers : high taxes ; unscrupulous middlemen ; over-production 

 in summer, and shortage in winter ; low prices of milk, butter and 

 beef ; cost of feed ; competition of oleomargarine ; abortion in 

 cows ; lack of good pasturage, and distance from market in some 

 sections. The past year the scarcity of ice was a drawback. 



A special circular was also sent to the treasurer of each of the 

 then twenty-seven co-operative creameries in the State, and replies 

 were received from eighteen of them. It appeared from the replies 

 received that since April 1 last there was a slight increase in the 

 amount of butter made ; that the quality of the cream furnished 

 was much the same as last year ; that the prices received for butter 

 averaged about one cent per pound less than last year ; that the 

 product sold as readily as last year ; that most of the product was 

 marketed in the State, although certain creameries sent more or 

 less to New York, Brooklyn, Bridgeport, New Haven, Albany, 

 Philadelphia and Providence ; that it took from 6 to 6.53 spaces 

 of cream to make a pound of butter ; aud that the creameries made 

 a practice of coloring their butter a little, in order to have it uni- 

 form in appearance throughout the year. Some do not color from 

 May 1 to November 1 ; others color a lrttle nearly every month in 

 the year. Most of the creameries reported that the market does 

 not call for a highly colored product. Some of the creameries sell 

 considerable unsalted and uncolored butter in New York markets. 



The following were given as some of the drawbacks to the 

 successful operation of co-operative creameries : Lack of capital 

 to hold butter in summer ; too much cream in summer, and too 

 little in winter ; cost of gathering the cream, on account of the 

 distance necessary to be traveled ; failure of patrons and creamery 

 officers to co-operate heartily ; under-selling by creameries, and 

 want of unity as to selling-price of butter each month ; competi- 

 tion of milk car ; low prices received for butter ; and lack of 

 patronage caused by the hesitancy of farmers to join creamery 

 associations. 



The following table gives a list of the creameries in the 

 State, date of their incorporation, and their work during 

 the year 1890 : — 



