Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-12-23
uigh Price of Butter.

In n late number of COlman's Rural HOrfd
is an article, BY one Of the editors, discours.
ing on the High Price Of Butter;" some
portions Of which | can cordially indoise
while other parts are open TO question
That batter bears a much higher price, com.
pared with former times, in all parts Of our
country, even in localities where the greatest
amount is produced, is fact too generally
known to be disputed but does it bear TOT
high q price, compared with the cost of pro.
ducing, over former times; or is there a less
proportional production, causing a scarcity
That much that would naturally 90 TO the
production Of butter is turned 10 the manu-.
facture of cheese, is also to be admitted
The rapid increase Of Cheese Factories for a
few years past, increasing the facility and
case OF Uniform manufacture and produc.
ton Of cheese, tightening the burden Of the
good housewife and dairy-woman, has tended
largely to the increased production Of cheese
in many localities, at the expense of pro.
portionatc production of butter The diver.
sion from many pursuits, caused 10y the late
war, caused o somewhat decreased production
in butter and an increased demand for cheese
also the stopping the free admission from
Canada has tended somewhat 20 affect our
market. But the increased tendency to prodi
gality of our people, induced by the redun
dancy Of our currency, tends to a lreer and
larger consumption Of articles of both neces
sity and luxury.
That we produce less proportionotely thar
we did in 1850 or $50, / can hardly belicy,
to be the case. Not having the statistics al
hand, / can not substaniiatc my belief By
facts, neither can | believe that the price ],
too high compared with the increase in cost
Of production. In 1850, the price Of butter
paid to the producer in this section, averaged
from about Is to 90 cents per pound ir
1867, the average was about 33 to 80 cents
per pound. The cost ofkecping cows per week
IN $50 was about 80 cents in SCI about
81. The increase in wages was somewhat
less, about 33i per cent; so that COW that
would produce 200 pounds Of butter would
in 1860, give an income Of about $40, and
about $40 in 1867 The keeping of said
cow would increase from S26, in 1860, to
$50 in 1868 The increase in price of the
same COW in the same time would be nearly
100 per cent. Is an average of 80 cent.
per pound too high compared with 1860
To-day / am fully aware that butter brings a
much higher price, from 10 to 80 cents per
pound but that price can be maintained but
for short time, in all probability, the supply
and demand governing the price at all times
So it is every year in which there is a short
season, when much larger than an average
price is paid for butter.
The article alluded to says, it is asked
what is the cause of such high prices of but
teri 1t had better be asked how to account
for the scarcity of butter ~ aud then goes
on to answer, giving two causes; first, OBJ
serving, thore are too many cheese tactorie,
unless there is q greater exporting demand
for cheese - and, second, the uulavorabc
season in both the East and West would
rather believe that the reasons before sug-
gested, Increased prodigality in consumption,
together with the unfavorable season, less free
butter, enhanced cost of production, &c.), are
the main causes Of scarcity That the diver
sion caused by cheese factories and an unla-
vorabe season, alone, are the causes, and
that the effect of cheese factories alone ma
terially advanced the price Of butter, | am
hardly prepared to believe.
| can fully agree with the remark that
" there is no danger Of oyerstocking the mar
ket with A No ] butter" SO long as there
is such difference in cows and in the quality
of milk they give, so long will there be a
difference in the quality Of butter, factory
private dairy, or on the farm; that uni
formly better article Of butter may be made
| am fully convinced but that A No ! hut
ter can be made by the most experienced, so
far as my experience and observation goes
from a certain class of cows, | am as fully
convinced is impossible.
The difference in quality of cheese made
from the mill; of different classes 6f cows
comfortable, is less observable
generally, than the difference in quality of
butter made from the same cows. Some cows
will make hard, good favored No | butter,
while others, on the same pasture or keeping,
cared for in every respect as the first, will
make only second or third quality. When
this can be accounted for and remedied, and
our dairy-women are more uniformly and
better educated to their business, the cows
more uniformly and better kept and cared for,
then We shall have more uniformity Of prod
ucts.