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Show DAIRYING HOME OR PUBLIC CREAMERY? By Edgar L. Vincent. rt livery dairyman asks himself the question sooner or later, "Shall I lakic my milk to the Cuamcry or make it up at home?" And that problem will always be at the front with most of us. Many times we are forced one way or the other by circumstances, so that there can be no question how we must regulate our action. To the creamery we must go when help faih. Home must be our only resources re-sources when we arc beyond the reach of a good public creamery. But there are cases which may be decided either way. What shall be our criterion? Now, the writer has tried both ways and has seen it work in the community. Experience is my guide, then, in saying what I do. It is my candid opinion that the man who can put his milk in a good co-operative cr aniery is the best off of anyone. I have with forethought used some qualifying expressions here. I say a "good co-operative creamery," for the reason that there are those which arc not entitled to this designation. Their managers arc not men who attract at-tract the highest respect and patronage patron-age of the public. Better not patronize pat-ronize such an institution. On the other hand, a well-regulated co-operative creamery will afford a better outlet for milk and bring in a more equitable return than any I know of. I have in mind this moment a creamery which has at its head men who are trusted to the last penny pen-ny and are worthy of this confidence. The modus" operandi of this institution institu-tion is on the following plan: The milk is brought in and tested carefully care-fully by a competent man. A good butter-maker is employed to make up the milk. A man well qualified tor the position is engaged as a seller, sel-ler, lie is a man who knows what good butter is, who matoos a study of the markets and who has the interests in-terests of the patrons at heart. Every Ev-ery month the returns arc made up and each man receives just what his milk entitles him to, the expenses being equally distributed.. Very rnraly U tjl&r any fault found with the management of this -creamery, for the simple reason that all the men who have the concern on their shoul-dess shoul-dess arc honest men. That is the secret of every Mich institution. Answer that one question and you need ask no more; "Arc the men at the head' of it honest?" Where one must decide between the home dairy and the ordinary public pub-lic creamery, as a rule the choice should be in favor of the home. This is especially true where there is a good market within a reasonable distance. Many things contribute to make the home dairy attractive. Often Of-ten just to be able to control the work is a thing of joy and satisfaction. satisfac-tion. "I am my own boss in this thing," wc may then say. "I am not dependent on the whim, or the dishonesty dis-honesty of any man. I do my own weighing, my own testing, my own making up and my own marketing. The money is mine when it comes." The tendency toward monoply among public creameries is doing much to foster the co-operative and the home dairy. In some sections the only public institution of this sort is under the dominion of a monoply mon-oply which does as it will about weighing, testing, selling and paying. To Such an extent ha this been carried car-ried fon that the smaller private crcamcrics'havc been driven off the Is face of the earth, not being able to compete with the monoply. While we arc doing so much to destroy or neutralize trusts in othcrjiclds, why should wc not do something for "the creamery which is fast being blotted out by the drift toward combination? Some splendid reports arc made to me by persons who arc making their butter at home. These people make a business of their work. They canvass can-vass the market and engage customers custom-ers for the entire year. They engage en-gage to furnish these patrons the butter but-ter thy may need at a certain fixed sum per pound. While it may be a matter of some speculation how the market may go at certain seasons of the year, still it is rarely difficult to engage for a price which will be fair to both customer and producer. Regularly on certain days these farmers jake their butter in. Once a week sor p$sibly pnee in two wefcs, is usually often enough. These farmers far-mers have little trouble in getting their packages back when empty. Their pay comes in cash, and many times they arc able to sell other things than butter on their routes. More and more city people ar.c coming com-ing to ibuy of the farmers direct. They arc then sure of getting fresh goods, and good weight or measure, meas-ure, a matter of no small moment, as every city buyer knows. The Elgin Dairy, Salt Lake City, pays the highest market price for cream at all times and gives absolutely absolute-ly the correct test. Wc otter no premiums, for any farmer knows they pay the premium in the long run. We arc doing an honest, legitimate business busi-ness and want your cream. Send your cream in Red cans and wc will send you pay for all the cream delivered. de-livered. ELGIN DAIRY CO. o |