CHAPTER XIII. 



ORGANIZING CREAMERIES. 



CO-OPERATIVE. 



The co-operative creameries are the best wherever the mem- 

 bers have learned to co-operate in the true sense of the word, 

 have found the right man to manage, and trust him. The lack 

 of these essentials is the cause of their downfall in, alas, too many 

 cases. 



But even at their best, a single co-operative just as a single 

 individual creamery, will find it hard to compete with the large 

 creamery companies which run from ten to one hundred cream- 

 eries and have systematized the work of producing uniform but- 

 ter at one end and seeking a market for it at the other. These 

 creameries are in reality an extension of co-operation, and have 

 relation to the single creamery similar to the latter's relation to 

 the private dairy. 



Nevertheless I believe in the ultimate success of the co-op- 

 erative system, though it may require modification of our present 

 laws to allow it to embrace the combination of several co-opera- 

 tive creameries under one management. Or the Canadian syndi- 

 cate instructor system may be adopted. 



As soon as it is found that the owners of at least 400 cows 

 (within a distance of four to five miles of the intended cream- 

 ery site) have agreed to join and deliver the milk, they should 

 organize, and, while listening to what creamery promoters may 

 have to say, make independent investigations. 



As a rule they will be able to get good advice from the 

 Agricultural College of their own state, and it is a good plan to 

 send a committee of investigation to some successful co-operative 



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