The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-02-16
Buttcr md Cheese.

From TIC ". J. UOfa'
a great change Inns taken place within
II few years in tic price of dairy products
Many can remember when butter was
sold for ten cents, and cheese for five cents
ler pound or course, values IN NIL Other
articles have increased, particularly since
the war, and corresponding 10 the premium
paid for gold. but no commodity has
advanced equally with cheese ind butter
anil now probably no branch Of farming
is 50 profitable us tho dairy business. II
Is question for farmers to consider
whether present quotations arc likely tc
hold, and whether, ms in the c'lsC with a.
most every other pursuit, high prices will
not stimulate production 10 such degree
us to OvcrStOCk the market
Thoughtful observers arc Of opinion thai
dairy products must be M exception tC
the ordinary course, attunCd HgrcGably tC
the law of supply and demand, ind that
relatively, prices will advance rather thar
decline. The main reason for this belle
is founded upon the filCt, now well cs'
tabIisllcd, that the area of grNss land Is
limited, and that by no skill Gun 1t bt
much increased; while tho extent o.
country occupied by consumers must sc
on increasing 10 such MI extent that the
term indefinite my he used.
The dairy regions Of the United States
fixed by conditions Of climate and, in Il
considerable degree, by soil, include the
most Of the States Of New England, New
York, md the Northern portions Of the
States Of Michigan, Wisconsin and Min
ncsOta. To this count, Nebraska, Kansas
Dakota, Wyoming and Colombo must be
added, but ut present their production is
insignificant. or the vast territory Of the
remainder Of our country-lhlly two.thirls
Of tho whOlr-it Is to he said that its CRpa'
bility for producing butter and cheese
gradually diminishcS with caIch degree
southwark, until ut last, on the line
Of the cotton StaLcs, tho supply oven
for family use, is incOnstant anil small
Tho causes for this change Of Condi-
ton would lead to more extended re-
marks than We now propose, but It Is
sufficient to shy that the heat Of tho sun
and the nature Of tho soil arC such rs to
make the growing Of grass suited for the
production Of milk, or even for common
plsturagG, extremely difficult. Besides
only portion Of the region fitted Gor
supporting diaries can bO devoted to this
subject, since great variety Of other
crops must be grown; nor Is my farmer
in condition to devote SO much Of his
time To the care Of cows Nnl their milk
us the business generally demands. Such,
however, rs are so situated us TO be able tC
keep diaries, may with confidence expect
still To hu handsomely rewarded; and the
pursuit has now assumed such celebrity
and II has become so systGmatiZCd, tEni
he may expect additional rewards lOl
care, cleanliness, and whatever Cnters
into full understanding Of the business
OF tho relative Importance Of butter
and cheese in Our markets, VIC see by the
recent statistics, that the value Of butter
made last year was over 5000, OOOO OO
md Of cheese $3GOO0,OOO, which will
naturally surprise those who have only Il
general notion OrtlG subject, since n great
deal OF publicity has b0On given to the
cheese factories, but little haS been said OF
the making orbuttcr. The reason Is most
Of the butter has been made In private
families, and no new methods or devices
have been adopted, while in making cheese
large structures have been erected, and
u species Of cooperation has been
established. The profits Of butter max,
Ing arc now greater on the whole than the
profits of cheese making Formerly the
reverse was tho case, which shows tint
the demand and the price for butter have
increased In remarkable degree in COM
parison with cheese within few years
The success Of factories for making but
ter seems not to have been remarkable,
although there are some establishments