150 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pulx Doc. 



and consolidation where practicable, The same arguments 

 which were used in favor of having a number of butter- 

 making farmers associated in their work may be applied to a 

 group of neighboring creameries. Economy of administration 

 and improvement in sales may be gained by hearty, harmo- 

 nious and systematic co-operation, while the creameries re- 

 main distinct. But the advantaiJ:es in making; and sellins; 

 greatly favor large producing creameries rather than small 

 ones. In many cases it is desirable that complete business 

 consolidation should take place. If fifteen, twenty or more 

 creameries, co-operative or proprietary, are well situated as 

 to means of transportation, etc., it will be to the interest of 

 all concerned for them to unite in one company, transfer all 

 butter and cheese manufacture to one point, and use the 

 vacated buildings as separating stations, or sell them. The 

 Franklin County Creamery in Vermont is an example worthy 

 of imitation. The first creamery in that county was started 

 in 1880 : five years later there were thirteen ; in 1890 these 

 thirteen creameries, having then 34 separating stations, con- 

 solidated, and seventy-one such stations are now operated in 

 that county by the one company, the cream from twenty- 

 five thousand to thirty thousand cows being brought to St. 

 Albans, mainly by rail, and manufactured under one roof, 

 where eight or ten tons of butter are made daily. This 

 creamery makes about three million pounds of butter a year. 

 The economy of manufacture and the advantage in making 

 sales need no argument. The same conditions must prevail 

 as in the case of a single co-operative creamery, although 

 perhaps in higher degree. There must be cordial concert of 

 action among all concerned, and thorough efficiency in man- 

 agement, showing business capacity commensurate with the 

 business itself. 



There is another matter connected with creamery manage- 

 ment which may be mentioned here, although somewhat out 

 of place. The factory which in these days pays for milk or 

 cream upon weight or measure alone is sadly behind the 

 times. The true basis for settlement with patrons, whether 

 butter or cheese is to be made, is the fat test of every lot of 

 milk or cream received. But this fat test is not the easy 

 matter often re}>resented. The Babcock machine, or its 



