Wisconsin Dairy Factories. 



361 



also manufactured in a few establishments. The cheese is 

 usually sold by the factories every week, and the dividends 

 on the sales are in most cases paid monthly or fortnightly, so 

 that the farmers get frequent cash returns. In the greater 

 number of factories the price charged for the manufacture of 

 the cheese is from f d. to £d. per lb. It is the usual practice 

 to return the whey to the farmers, who give it to their pigs. 



The methods of paying salesmen and secretaries of factories 

 for their work vary considerably. In some cases the salaries 

 consist of a small commission on the sales, in others, a fixed 

 sum is paid per sale, per month, or per dividend declared. 

 An ordinary payment to a secretary amounts to about 6s. 6d. 

 per month. The cheese factories are, as a rule, closed for 

 four months in the year. 



With regard to the butter-making industry the inquiry 

 extended to 52 creameries, of which 33 were owned by 

 individuals, and 19 by co-operative societies. The number 

 of farmers contributing to a creamery ranged from 15 to 

 145, the average being 40. The daily milk supply of these 

 creameries amounted in six cases to between 100 and 200 

 gallons only, in 20 creameries the quantity dealt with daily 

 was between 200 and 500 gallons ; and in the remainder it 

 usually ranged from 500 to 900 gallons, but in two cases it 

 was 1,800 and 2,300 gallons respectively. The distances from 

 which the creameries drew their supplies of milk varied from 

 two to ten miles. All the creameries visited used separators, 

 the belt separator being the system mostly employed, 

 although a few turbine machines were also used. The Bab- 

 cock test is used as the basis of the payments made to farmers 

 for their milk, and the price charged by the creamery for 

 making the butter is usually 2d. per lb. The separated milk 

 is returned to the farmers. 



Unless the butter maker owns the creamery he has nothing 

 to do with the butter after he has paclvcd it in tubs ; he 

 does not sell the butter, except small lots bought by farmers 

 or incidental customers. 



The number of men required to operate a creamery depends 

 a great deal on the arrang-ement of the building and 

 machinery, and the kind of packages in which the butter is 



