6 BULLETIN 690, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUEE. 



ply into this product. Some creameries made only a few gallons 

 per day, while others engaged in ice-cream production more exten- 

 sively. In most instances it was sold to local trade in the city in 

 which the creamery was located. The annual receipts from the sale 

 of ice cream at the creameries varied from less than $1,000 to over 

 $35,000. 



TRANSPORTATION OF CREAMERY BUTTER TO MARKET. 



The shipment of butter to market was usuallj^ made by refrigera- 

 tor freight. The schedules in most instances provided for weekly 

 or semi weekly shipments. The butter produced after the shipping 

 day, was usually held in storage at the creamery. The facilities for 

 storage at most creameries consisted of insulated storage rooms which 

 were kept cold either by the use of ice or mechanical refrigeration. 

 About 92 per cent of the creameries used ice, as it was considered 

 cheaper. 



In furnishing refrigerator service to local creameries, the railroad 

 company either set out an iced refrigerator car on the sidetrack at 

 the creamery's shipping station or carried a refrigerator car in a local 

 way freight, which made it necessary for the creamery to deliver its 

 butter to the depot where it was ready when the refrigerator car ar- 

 rived. The consolidation of less-than-carload shipments into full 

 carloads was effected at division points, where a number of cars were 

 assembled on parallel tracks or along a platform, and the butter des- 

 tined to different markets was transferred into separate cars. (See 

 fig. 2.) The butter which had arrived over the different divisions was 

 thus loaded so that each shipment could be forwarded by through fast 

 freight to its final destination. 



The transportation charges and routing of shipments varied some- 

 what in different sections. Northern Minnesota butter in less-than- 

 carload lots, routed rail-lake-and-rail via Duluth to Buffalo and 

 points beyond, took a coraibination of rates on Duluth and Buffalo. 

 The tariffs of the lake carriers required a minimum of 15.000 pounds 

 of " dairy products," i, e., butter, eggs, and dressed poultry, in 

 straight or mixed lots from one shipper for one destination and de- 

 livery. For the purpose of economizing in freight charges the Minne- 

 sota shippers employed an agent at Duluth who effected consolidation 

 of the shipments at that point. 



The all-rail shipments moved through Chicago, while many from 

 Minnesota moved through St. Paul. The less-than-carload ship- 

 ments took the second-class rate to Chicago, while the carload ship- 

 ments took the third-class rate, with a minimum weight of 20,000 

 pounds. Usually the less-than-carload shipments were consolidated 

 by the railroads at St. Paul, Chicago, and other points in order to 



