ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 143 



out the more populous regions in the United States, and the place and 

 esti'mation held by creamery butter in domestic consumption has been 

 honeistly gained by an article superior to dairy made product, but that 

 is not s'aying that the average quality of creamery butter ha& im- 

 proved; or that the average of fa rm dairy butter has deteT'io.ratieid during 

 the time when the one was being substituted for the' other. 



The reason why factory made butter has displaced farm darry butter 

 is not because the milk delivered to the factory is better than that from 

 which dlairyi butter is m'ade., On the contrary, the conditions are all 

 favorable to tlie farm; dairy supply. But the reason plainly is because 

 a higher degreei of isikill and superior mechanical mieans are employed in 

 handling the milk and cream an d miaking and marketing a much more 

 uniformly high grade of butter than ever haS' or probably ever will be 

 supplied from the farm dairy. 



Let me remark incidentally that herein lies the reason why oleomar- 

 garine has been able, as a simon- pure firaud, to fin'd ready acceptance and 

 increasing demand everywhere f ronL all classes of consumers alike, be- 

 cause it is uniformly madle in imitation of high grade creamery butter, 

 and sold to the consumer as creamery butter. 



The only improvement then worthy of special mention which affects 

 the condition of the average dairyman or creameryman, which has come 

 during the past decad'e, is not from improveinent in the average qual- 

 ity of the milk supply or in raising the average per capita milk yield, or 

 in economy of production, but rather in raising the average quality of 

 the aggre!gatie output of butter, by the use of greater skill and better 

 macihineiry, fromi that of farm dairy to the average of creamery butter. 

 And still this doeisi not show tha t there has been any noteworthy im- 

 provement in the average quality or any reduction in the average cost 

 of the milk, butter and cheese produced today, over the average of ten 

 year^ ago. Increase in the quantity is no indicatiion of, an improve- 

 ment o'f the quality of the prodlict,, for upon the testimony of some of 

 the leading dairy and creamerymen in the best dairy regions in the 

 United States, men speaking in the light of fifteen or twenty years 



