Daily Kennebec journal., 1875-02-09

ASSOCIATED DAIRYISG IN WALDO co.
BY GEO. e. BRAcKErT, BELFAST.

abstract of tabulated report of the results of
operations of the cheese factories in the county
last year, read before the Waldo Co. Dairymen's
Association, Jan. 30, 1875.
Waldo county takes the lead in the State
in associated dairying or the manufactur-
ing of milk into cheese by the factory sys-
tenn, and this section seems to be peculiar
ly adapted to this branch of farming, for
Notwithstanding all the obstacles and diff
ficulties necessarily encountered in start
ing, and operating new enterprises, sue
cess has invariably followed every effort.
Our climate air and water are especially
adapted to milk producing and cheese
making. Our soil produces the richest and
| best feed for stock and our markets are
| convenient and prices remunerative, as the
consumer takes almost directly from the
producer.
In 1873 there were four factories in OPP.
GRAFTON in the county; last season nine
were in operation, and with the six more
lately chartered we may expect over q
dozen, strong, live. well stocked and op-
Grated factories to be in running order dur
ing the summer OF 1875. And every one
a success, adding so much to the wealth
of the farmer, the town and the communi-
ty, both directly and Indirectly, the bear
ings of which we have not time to discuss
We summarize the dOings of the ninc
factories for the last season: Whole amount
of milk received ,74S.4 lbs. 81 3-4 tons
of cheese manufactured. Average cost Of
factory buildings 81 1856. Average cost OF
apparatus $3.50. Factories run from 46 10
146 days. Number of lbs. OF milk to make
pound of cured cheese, about 10. Price
obtained for cheese, Is cts. per ID. Aver
erage cost of making, per h.. 2 1-2
cents. Average number of cows to fac
tory. no; highest. 1870; least, 60. Whole
number of cheese boxes used, 2921. at
cost of IA cts. each. Average wages paid
cheese maker, $50 per month and board.
Estimated value of whey for feeding to
hogs, cts. per gallon. Price OF milch
cows. $52.
Thus briefly are some of the facts OBJ
tanned by collecting from full returns from
each factory A few hints and explana-
tions arc in order. 1t must be borne in
mind that five of these factories were new
and started late in the season. One oper-
ated only little over four weeks. and
only one for full season. From the
same factories with only the same num-
Der of COWS we may confidently expect
double the amount of product the next
season. Again no factory is fully stocked
with cows. Each factory in the country
is capable of manufacturing the milk Of
200 cows without adding to its expenses.
This would quadruplc the product or give
us $50 tons of cheese annually from the
nine factories. The cash product last sea-
son was $27 ,403. The cheese making
capacity is at least 400 tons annually or
1920 900 year. The only drawback to
this in two years is the lack of cows, and
this lack our farmers must immediately
commence to supply by purchase and
raising. Let our farmers look to it that
not a heifer calf goes to the butcher until
our county is supplied with cows. 1t will
pay to raise them.
Another point. A large sum is annually
paid out to cheesemakers from abroad and
thus the money carried away. We can
Just as well keep it at home We have
plenty of young men of brains to make
No. l cheesemakers. Let every factory
not thus supplied, see that some young
man learns next season, and thus stop q
leak.
The value of whey for feeding to hogs.
heretofore overlooked, is found to be an
item of importance. Experiments made
by patrons of our factories last summer
fully settle the question. The estimate
OF 2 cts. per gallon value is fully borne
out, and the aggregate is large.
But the question cannot be treated in
the short limits of newspaper article.
The great value of the general results ac-
cruing from the cheese factory system 10
Waldo county and to Maine are plain. d.
rect and important. The restocking our
farms the appreciated value Of manu-
featured article over the price of the raw
product; the direct returns in dollars and
cents without paying middle-men; the
cash value added to our rural towns in
stock Improvements and buildings, and
more than all else, the gradual but surely
increasing fertility and value of our farms
thus making new and improved de-
parture in agriculture, are patent to any
one who has fully examined the subject.
and gives cheering promise for the sue
cess OF the agricultural future of Maine.