Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-12-23

The following from the Philadelphia
North american, although designed for
that locality, is fully as applicable to
many portions of the West.
No feature of American agricultural
development is so noticeable as the rap
id and extraordinary increase in the pro-
duction of cheese. In fact. cheese has
become staple product of some of the
largest and most f1ourishing agrlcultur-
al regions in America. This is owing to
the introduction of the factory system
into the business, by which many diaries
associate themselves together to supply
a single large cheese factory. This orig
mated in New York State, where it OBJ
tanned its full development, and gave
name and character to the cheese OF
that region, before the custom had made
any progress elsewhere. Experience
showed that it gave an immense impc
tus TO agriculture in Il new direction, the
dairy interest being found much more
profitable than it ever had been under
other arrangements. With the cnor-
nous increase in population in all the
cities of the State, as we'll as in Phila-
dclphia, and the cities Of New Jersey,
the market for this New York cheese
increased remarkably, and the capital
accumulated in the business was used to
extend it ona large scale.
The degree to waiyh this has been car
ried in New York, may be judged by a
few figures furnished by the report Of
the Dairymen's Association. In 1866
there was in the United States 192 cheese
factories, Of which go were in New
York, 70 in Ohio, 26 in Illinois, 25 in
Vermont, and eight in Wisconsin, show
ing how theoretically the New Workers
have followed up their success in this
line 1t is to be observed that the am
pie supply OF banking capital all over
New York State furnishes facilities not
crioyed elsewhere for this business.
But in Wisconsin, which is almost total
" deficient III this respect, the cheese
factories, which number only eight, in
1868, have now risen to siXty-two, with
10,Sl7 cows attached, and producing
over 100000 pounds Of cheese, which.
at fourteen ceats - pound, would be
worth over 100000. In Minnesota
quite a number of cheese fact .rics have
been started, and a large number of ad-
ditional ones are being organized.
Under the influence of this factory sys-
tenn the cheese product Of this country
has risen from 100000, 600 pounds in
1860, to $40, o00, 900 in 1863 and in the
latter year, with an increased price, the
demand exceeded the supply some H.,
600, 900 pounds In 1869 the dairy pro
duct of the United States exceeded our
whole wheat crop in value, being worth
$500, 1000, 900, while the wheat crop was
valued at 1915 100000. 1t also exceed
ed the value of the cotton crop, which
was 1858, 100000.
These figures are we'll calculated to
awaken the attention of agriculturists
in Pennsylvania, which is so famous for
its excellent butter, and might be equal
~ famous for its superior cheese, if the
people would turn their attention to this
new channel of enterprise. We have no.
ticed, in the dairy region around Phila-
delphia, some scattering movements to-
ward organizing cheese factories, but
nothing like general awakening of in
tcrest on the subject. To our dairy far
mers it is subject of great pecuniary
Importance since it offers them means of
profit in their business far beyond any
thing they now enjoy.
The cheese factory offers them a mar
ket for their milk right at their own
doors, and on a far larger scale than any
they have at present, for while the city
takes only certain quantity of milk and
butter, the cheese factory, having the
general markets of the whole country to
supply, can take all the milk the dairy
man can furnish. At the present time
we draw our supplies of cheese from
New York State, but there is really no
good reason why we should not make
enough in Delaware, Chester, Montgom-
cry and Bucks counties to furnish our
own markets; and, with such a Deepen
dence to begin upon, it really argues a
sad lack of enterprise am ng the dairy
men of this great farming region that
they have never yet established cheese
factories. We can not doubt that if this
were done the dairy interest would at
once increase to a great extent, and that
the population of these counties would
progress cnrrcspondingly. Indeed. the
movement would not be confined to these
counties, bupwould soon spread through
Berks and Lancaster, where at present
the farming interest is still devoted to
the raising OF wheat, rye, oats and corn.
1t is true that, by still adhcring to these
lines of culture, Pennsylvania has re
manned one of the leading grain-grow-
ing States, and raises nearly enough to
support her own people, while New
York exhibits Il great deficiency. Still.
there arc many parts OF the State, pscu-
liarly adapted to dairy farming, where
the establishment of these factories is
most desirable, and would be great
ben, fit