132 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



to meet with you once again, but I can sincerely say that I am 

 glad to meet with you, for the first time. 



Perhaps you have heard of the man that went into a restau- 

 rant in search of something to eat. The waiter brought on the 

 first course usually served by most restaurants. The man eyed 

 it closely for a moment and then asked the waiter what it was. 



" Sir," said the waiter, " that's bean soup." 



" No matter what its been," says the man, " the question is r 

 what is it now?" 



That's the way with our creameries. It matters not so 

 much what they have been, the all important question is what are 

 they now ? Can they be improved ? Is there a chance for im- 

 provement ? or, in other words, what are our needs of the cream- 

 ery today? 



Why, our creameries are the most needy things I know of. 

 I think I could keep on mentioning the needs of our creameries 

 until the crack of doom, but as you have more experienced 

 speakers who can entertain you much better than I, I am just 

 going to mention what I think are the most important needs of 

 our creameries. If we can only get the important ones, the 

 smaller ones will surely come afterwards. Now I am speaking 

 of the co-operative creamery, mind you, as I have never had 

 any experience with any other kind. I am one of those who 

 believe that the farmers' and dairymen's salvation lies in the co- 

 operative creamery ; but from the appearance of things they, 

 as a rule, don't see it that way. About all some dairymen can 

 see in the co-operative creamery is a place where they can unload 

 their dirty, filthy milk, load up with sweet and sour milk, and then 

 go home. When they have done this they think they have done 

 their duty. The rest they leave to the buttermaker and the 

 manager. 



The buttermaker must make good butter from that milk 

 and the manager must sell that butter; and if a batch of butter 

 is so poor that it can't be sold, the fault is generally laid at the 

 buttermaker's door. The best buttermaker in the state cannot make 



