Fifth. " What arc the chief drawbacks, at present, to 

 the carr^Miig on of this industry?" The following are a 

 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 oleo- 

 margarine ; abortion in cows ; lack of good pasturage and 

 distance from market in some sections. This year the scar- 

 city of ice has been a drawback. 



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

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

 replies were received from eighteen of them. It appears 

 that since April 1 last there has been 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 readil}' 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 Provi- 

 dence ; that it took from 6 to 6.53 spaces of cream to make 

 a pound of butter ; and that the creameries make a practice 

 of coloring; their butter a little, in order to have it uniform 

 in appearance throughout the year. Some do not color from 

 May 1 to November 1 ; others color a little nearly every 

 month in the year. Most of the creameries report that the 

 market does not call for a highly colored product. Some of 

 the creameries sell considerable unsalted and uncolored but- 

 ter in New York markets. 



The followino; are 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 travelled ; 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 ; competition of milk car ; low prices 

 received for butter ; and lack of patronage caused by the 

 hesitancy of farmers to join creamery associations. 



