THE MILK QUESTION'. 30 



Referrino; aijain to the relation of milk sales and soil fcr- 

 tility, attention is invited to the tables already presented, 

 While it is seen that 1,000 pounds of milk eontain nitrogen, 

 phosphoric acid and potash, worth $1.54, the second table 

 shows that of these elements seven-eighths are held by the 

 skim-milk (value $1,341^), wdiile in the cream there are only 

 enouoh to be worth 191^ cents. Hence, in selling the cream 

 alone, from a standard cow, the manurial loss for a year 

 would amount to but 92 cents instead of $7.50, where the 

 whole milk is sold. But under the cream-gathering plan, 

 every patron of a factory may take home his share of the 

 buttermilk. Look at the table once more. Of the 19|^ 

 cents worth of fertilizing material in the cream from 1,000 

 pounds of milk, 18^ cents worth remain in the buttermilk, 

 and only 1^ cents worth go with the butter. Selling all the 

 butter from a good cow will draw upon the fertility of the 

 farm in the course of a 3'ear, to the extent of just about 6 

 cents. Here is the first and not the least of the advantages 

 of contriliuting to a cream-gathering butter factory, and 

 using the skim-milk and buttermilk on the farm. 



Three years ago it was stated as probable, and by many 

 ridiculed, that the factory product from the cows of a whole 

 communit}' might be made to equal in quality that of the 

 best single dairies in the town ; and, further, that the factory 

 would make full as much butter from the same cows as could 

 be done on the fiirm. Both of these expectations have been 

 realized l)y the cream-gathering factories in this vicinity. 

 According to the statements of local consumers, and the still 

 severer test of the general market, no better butter is made 

 in Hatfield and Easthampton than that of the factories in 

 those towns. And I have the testimony of several farmers 

 w^ho send their cream to the factories, that the latter make 

 even more butter per cow than could be done at home. 

 One patron says that the gain in his case has been at least 

 ten per cent. 



The increase in the average quality raises the price, so 

 that enough more is obtained to pay the factory expenses. 

 During the present year the average price of creamery butter 

 in the large cities of the East has been 34|- cents per pound 

 for the very highest grade known to the wholesale trade. 



