Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-07-03
From the Ashville News and Farmer.
ELL Mountafn Cheese Factory.

& Ou CdGufuay 1dSt, HI SOLAPeshy Will q
friend, we broke over the bound dairy line OF
iAsheville, and enjoyed delightful ride to
/ the Elk Mountain Cheese Factory. En-
PEASANT, permit us to tell what we saw on
the road
LIST. We saw some very fine land, very
badly titled. We saw oats heading six
inches high. We saw fields of wheat
through which we could travel without
treading on the stalk, and would have to
stoop low to pluck head. We saw one
meadow that could be made valuable by
proper draining and seeding, but is now
being ruined for the want of such judicious
treatment.
In fact we saw, all along the road, the
strongest evidences that our farmers will
soon be compelled to change their present
denuding process of cultivating their lands,
or be starved out.
Corn, corn, corn has so completely ex-
hausted the lands that in few years, IN
less some system is adopted to infuse new
life and vigor into them, they will have no
power left for recuperatiOn. 1t is a sad
sight to look upon so much of the once
prolific soil of Buncombe, now Z" thrown
out" as worthless, or struggling to pro
duce a few heads of wheat and few nub-
| bins of corn, upon stalks not larger than
our thumb. A change of culture or a
change Of owners must soon come to the
rescue, and the sooner the better for the
whole country.
After pleasant ride of five miles over a
good road, we were welcomed to Elkville,
and invited to Inspect the process of making
Cheese and the production of the Elk
Mountain Factory.
| THE HISTORY OF THE ENTERPRISE.
Not quite a year ago, Mr.. n. w. Wood
fin, the owner of the lands upon which the
Factory is situated, left this place to visit
the State of New York. While there he
made the acquaintance of Governor Ho-
ratio Seymour, the present President Of
State, who induced him to visit many of the
Cheese Factories there in succ ,ssful opera
ton. The fattering results in that State
caused Mr.. Wocdtin to seek out every in
formation concerning 1t, with view to IN
Producing to the people of Western North
Carolina the subject of Cheese Making, as
means of recuperating their lost fortunes
and to change the productions of their
farms.
The intelligent and practical mind of
Mr.. WOOdhn saw at once that If Cheese
Factories were profitable in New York,
where grazing lands are worth from 500
to $500 per acre, and labor much higher
than in these mountains, it would be much
more profitable in Western North Caro-
lima, where equally as good grazing lands
can be bought at from ST. to $40 per acre,
aud labor much cheaper, while our climate
and water, being cooler and purer than in
| New York, will enable us to produce bet
ter quality. He i'm mediately induced Capt,
Edwards, one of the best Cheese makers in
New York, and who was highly recon-
mended by Coy. Seymour, to pay visit
to Runcombe and examine the country. In
January last Mr. Edwards came here, took
survey of the country, aud pronounced it
equal to New York for Cheese making.
A company was Immediately formed,
| Capt Edwards employed to superintend
the Factory, and sent b 4ck to New York to
procure the most complete and best ma
chinery. At that time there was not tree
cut, from which any part of the present
buildings were erected; but the indefati-
| gable energy of the members of the Com
pany in an incredible short time felled the
huge forest trees, erected suitable build
ines. made a good road of two miles in
length, and by the time the machinery ar
rived, on the 7th day of April, everything
was ready to receive it.
On the 29th of April, 1868, the day at
ter the machinery arrived) the first Cheese
was made at Elk Mountain, weighing 40
lbs, and is as fine an article of Cheese az
any made In any country.
Quantity Of Cheese made daily $50 to 260 tbs.
Number of Cows MIXED Observation-Disclosures 1876
The whole quantity of Cheese made since
Apfl 18th. .o,UUO lbs.
Thele are two sizes of Cheese made; one
size weighing about 40 lbs. each, the other
from s to II lbs. The prices adopted by
the Company are for the largest size, 20
cents per pound for the smaller size, by
the single Cheese, 25 cents, but where or
more small ones are taken the price is re-
duced to the same as for the largest size.
This price brings it within the reach of
every one, and if the company does no.
thing more, it deserves the united support
of our people for having reduced the price
of that article of food.
The Factory employs fifteen hands. OF
these, three are females, two, as mixers
only, aud one in the vat room. The male |
employees are engaged, between the NOR !
ming and evening hours, in various other
duties on the farm.
About fifty hogs are kept ''fat and -four
ishing" upon the whey from the watts.
Capt Edwards thinks that the cows in
crease their flow of milk about 80 per cent,
after they are received at the farm, MIXED
regularly and fed upon its rich pastures
The machinery was made by Messrs. |
Williams, Ralf Il Co., Utica, Oneida Co., |
N. Y.
mus, lu6u, III ten mOECNS aiGef II was |
first thought of, the machinery has been
made in New York, and delivered in Bun
combe county, N. c., the forest felled, the
buildings erected, 100 COWS purchased, and
5000 pounds of superior Cheese made,
which finds ready sale, in and near Ashe-
vile, at the above prices, and gives the
factory earnings, since the 2Sth of April
not two months-the respectable amount
of $1,000! Such energy and industry is
entitled to the highest praise, and ensures
to the enterprise profitable career.
AS an enterprise for the general good, it
cannot be over estimated. Already we see
its influences Eermeating tthr3ugh every
section of these mountains. Cheese fac
tories are to be established in other coun-
ties, and with them will orr farmers be en-
couraged to change their system of cult
walton. The grass and rotation of crops
will soon make our old fields put on
living green verdure, from which the low
ing cattle will yield, morning and evening,
their golden reward to the owners, while