152 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



struction of individual dairymen and creamery patrons in 

 correct principles and better methods. Every creamery and 

 cheese factory should be an educating centre and imi)ulse. 

 The work of such a concern, in the advancement of its own 

 material interests, is but partly done if it does not exert a 

 direct influence for good among its patrons. The factory 

 management should distribute dairy literature, aid institutes 

 or conduct meetings of its own, and not rest content unless 

 there is perceptible an improvement in its product year by 

 year, due not only to factory methods but to more intelligent 

 and better work on the part of the patrons. The consolida- 

 tion of creameries, as already noted, tends to increase the 

 quality of average product of the community thus served. 

 If the creameries are utilized in this way, as they may be, it 

 is quite practicable to reach nearly all the dairy farmers trib- 

 utary to them in the interest of improvement. It is much 

 more difficult, however, to reach the private or farm dairies, 

 and these still produce at least three-fourths of all our but- 

 ter, although making comparatively little cheese. Abun- 

 dant and most desirable work here presents itself for the 

 dairy schools and farmers' institutes, for such agencies as 

 can be provided by this Board and its Dairy Bureau, for the 

 betterment of farm dairy products. From these farm dairies 

 come the immense quantities of poorly made, low-grade but- 

 ter, which crowd our markets, depress prices and injure the 

 whole trade. The butter comes from fair cows and good 

 feed ; it is bad because its makers are ignorant of the prin- 

 ciples and methods of handling milk and making butter. 

 Is this not a legitimate field for educational effort by the 

 States? New York has already done good work in this 

 line, through the regular employment of five expert butter 

 and cheese makers, who labor as instructors among the 

 creameries, cheese factories and farm dairies of the State, 

 In Wisconsin and Minnesota similar duties are performed 

 by assistants to the State Dairy Commissioners. Canada 

 affords a still more conspicuous example of the possibility 

 of improvement by public training ; the Dominion has a 

 well-trained corps of instructors, operating under Dairy 

 Commissioner Robertson, and they have brought about a 

 wonderful improvement in quality and uniformity in the 



