46 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
seventy-six million pounds of butter, and of this the creameries and whole milk fat 
tories furnished probably 10,000,000 pounds, leaving 66,000,000 pounds to be produce 
at the farm dairies. Now, if on the first day of March next, we should find 660 crean 
eries built and equipped and with a guaranteed cream supplv equal to an average pr< 
duction of 100,000 pounds of butter at each creamery for the year to come, we ha\ 
then not substituted farm with creamery butter, for the evidence is that millions c 
pounds are annually made and consumed, of which no account is made. It will be 
most remarkable progress if in ten years we shall see anything like this number d 
creameries in operation, hence we see that no over supply has resulted, and besides, r| 
estimate has been made in regard to the rapidly increasing home demand for goo 
butter, nor a foreign demand we might supply if we were not already importers om 
selves from the limited production of Europe ; and all this is evidence that if we eves! 
have a surplus of good butter, no doubt can exist but that a market at paying pricefl 
can be found for it. 
What would this 66,000,000 pounds of dairy butter bring, if made at a creameri 
and sold in the open market ? Assuming that the difference in price between dain: 
and creamery butter is only 12 cents, there is a wide difference in result—one of almoa 
eight million dollars. During a recent tour (in December) through the southern an. 
central part of the state, I found that the difference in price between that paid fcf 
dairy butter at the stores, and the price of creamery butter in Cleveland and Cinciij 
nati, to be 22 cents in favor of the creamery article, but rather than to be accounted ■; 
“ creamery crank,” we will put this difference at only 10 cents net between the twl 
offerings, and we then will find that if we figure the dairy butter at an average of 29 
cents for the season, which is above rather than below the actual price, and th 
creamery butter at 30 cents, which is also below the average, our figures will the 
show up as follows: 66,000,000 pounds dairy butter at 20 cents, $13,200,000 ; tbe samli 
amount of creamery butter at 30 cents net, $19,800,000, and this for the seventy-fiv 
counties outside of the Western Reserve. Then finally, Ohio, by turning her wholl 
attention to butter-making, would only produce half enough to cover the suine anl 
oleo trade of this country. In other words, the building of 660 creameries, less tha;; 
ten to each county, we would not—let us assume—raise the production, but in qualit; 
we would realize an increase of revenue of not less than six and a half million dollar ■ 
and have not added a moment to our labor, but have actually decreased it, and fror 
a labor have changed it rather to a recreation. 
Honestly, I believe that the cream-gathering system has not only a place as a pioi 
neer in districts where dairying is to obtain a place among the agricultural industries! 
but even in old and established dairy sections. If 150,000,000 pounds of compounds 
called butter, but which in reality are only tallow or hogs’ lard made rich in colo 
with annottoine, can be sold in preference to low grades of dairy butter, I hold tha 
150,000,000 pounds of good butter would take its place, if made—and so well made tha 
no reasonable criticism could be offered m objection to it. To this end, why are w> 
not more rapidly building creameries, and why are not your long-established cheeS' 
factories run as butter factories through the winter V Why should not farmers s< 
order their dairies that a certain proportion of the milk product shall be secure* 
to maintain the creameries ? Why do we not so calculate that our dairies will pay ; 
profit through the year instead of eating up the earnings of the summer in inactivity 
during the winter, and thus, while making an honest penny for ourselves, suppl; 
labor through the dull season to the factory boys, and thus benefit farmer, consumer 
and manufacturer, each alike? 
This system has more than one feature to commend it to favorable notice ant 
adoption. It implys better cows, an understanding of breeds and breeding ; of quan 
tities and qualities, and of supply and demand, and of markets and their exactions 
It puts every farm upon a plan of easy stock breeding, for the sending of the butte 
alone to the market, leaves the great food element of milk—the cheesey matter—a 
home to be fed to the live stock, which now to the farmer means prosperity as neve 
before. 
Briefly summarized, this system means thrifty progress and prosperity, and al 
this directed by intelligence, education and calculation. To the farm it means bette: 
and finer breeds of cattle, better butter and better prices. It means supplying th< 
market with less skim cheese and in its place furnishing the markets with choic< 
pork and well-fed veals, such as can be eaten without suspicion. 
Beyond all this, it has other features of commendation. It means to the farme 
less “ store pay” and therefore financial independence, for his revenues are in money 
It says to the tired housewife that there is no milk to skim, pans and cans to wash 
cream to churn, butter to salt and work over, and the rounds of trouble and worr 
that come of home butter-making. The time so gained may be spent in cultivating 
the refining graces, such as come of reading and sociability, and the beautifying o 
homes. The education of the family can be better perfected, and the mental facultie 
developed and brought into requisition in the solving of the great problem of a sue 
cessful life. 
