158 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



of these products to the railroad station, or, wherever the 

 number of cows is sufficient, to a central plant owned and 

 operated by the organization, where the milk may be processed 

 so that it is marketable in any city, and where in times of 

 surplus it may be manufactured into butter or cheese. 



When such steps are taken the dairy products of the com- 

 munity may be offered for sale to the highest bidder, and bids 

 may be solicited from dealers in all cities within shipping dis- 

 tance. In this way the highest market price which the product 

 will command may be received without the periodical friction 

 which is bound to arise if the organization tries to force one 

 dealer to pay the price which it thinks should be paid. In 

 short, I would have the dairymen, through their co-operative 

 organization, assume the responsibility of that portion of the 

 process of distribution which the contractor now performs in 

 the country. 



The Richmond Farmers Co-operative Association, Inc., of 

 Richmond, Vermont, has just perfected an organization which 

 may be used as an illustration. The steps taken in the forma- 

 tion of this organization were as follows : — 



1. A survey of the community. 



2. The organization of a co-operative corporation. 



3. The sale of stock. 



4. The building of a plant of sufficient capacity to take care 

 of the milk of the stockholders. 



5. The employment of skilled help to receive and process the 

 milk. 



6. The offering of the processed product for sale to the 

 highest bidder. 



A survey was taken of 228 farms. It showed that these 

 farmers owned 4,200 milch cows; that 85 per cent, of them 

 sold cream, 10 per cent, of them sold milk, and 5 per cent, 

 made butter at home. It also showed that these farmers 

 obtained some income from the sale of hay, apples and live 

 stock; that 95 per cent, of the number had milk houses and 

 put up ice, 50 per cent, were interested in cow-testing associa- 

 tions, 85 per cent, owned their farms, 80 per cent, were Ameri- 

 can born, 48 per cent, owned automobiles, and 45 per cent, 

 carried checking accounts in the bank. 



