852 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



The creamery pays as much as possible for the milk. During 

 July, 191 3, when butter was very low, it paid 12 centimes a liter 

 (2.62 cents a quart) and returned the skim milk. In winter it 

 pays much more (up to 19 centimes a liter or 4.15 cents a quart) 

 both because the price of butter is higher then and because the 

 milk is richer. In summer it takes about 20.35 liters of milk to 

 make i kilo of butter, while in winter it takes as little as 16 or 

 1 61 liters. 



The cream is allowed to stand over night and is churned the 

 next morning. The butter, excepting a small amount reserved 

 for local sale, is put up in lO-kilo pats and packed in wicker 

 baskets. The butter is first wrapped in linen with the stamp 

 of the creamery on it and packed in straw in the baskets. The 

 total cost of the baskets, straw, and cloth is about 25 centimes 

 (4.8 cents) apiece. The baskets are sometimes used twice, but 

 not when they have been sent to Paris. 



The shipping to Paris is done through the Association of Co- 

 operative Creameries. This association is composed of one hun- 

 dred and twenty creameries in the department above mentioned. 

 Each of these pays an entrance fee of 1000 francs. The society 

 takes contracts for coal, cloth, etc. It has started a mutual insur- 

 ance society. It obtained from the government the establishment 

 of the creamery school at Surgeres and contributes a considerable 

 amount towards its maintenance. The State Railroad Company 

 has given it the privilege of transforming nineteen freight cars 

 into refrigerated cars, and hauls butter in them for the same price 

 as in ordinary cars. The association provides the ice and charges 

 the creameries ^ centime a kilo extra for transportation in these 

 cars. The refrigerated cars are sent to Paris by fast freight, 

 leaving the butter country at about 5 p.m. and reaching Paris 

 at 4 A.M. 



The butter is carted immediately to the Halles or central mar- 

 ket. The Halles are six huge pavilions devoted to the wholesale 

 and retail provisionment of the city. One of these pavilions is 

 used for the wholesaling of butter and eggs. All of the selling 

 is done in commission by the ntandataires or commissioners. The 

 government forbids the mandataires to engage in trade of any 



