The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-05

prices might Increase the consumption, but
Il considerable augment Will scarcely be
looked for when we consider that the annual
demand for cheese in England is already
about sixteen pounds per head OF the popu-
latiOn.
As regards this particular product, these
facts indicate that the foreign market will
be likely to remain for the present nearly
stationary. With butter the case IS some
what different The total consumption Of
this article in England, excluding Irish sup
plies, is 2i3,OO0,0ll pounds, Of which less than
G0,OOO,0J0 are produced at home. heretofore
the chief purvcyois Of Great Britain have
been France, Holland, and the scandinavian
States, relatively small quantities being
taken from America. There Is no doubt
that the expectation of fine qualities OF
this staple could be made to pay the Ameri-
can producer better than does cheese at
present rates The lower grades, however,
could not. according TO this report, be
shipped with profit because they would
come into competition with the nrth-
cial article, or so-callcd olcomargarine,
which has already obtained firm footing
in the English trade. But it is pointed out
that there are other markets besides that
of England which could be occupied 10y this
branch of tho American dairy industry.
This is especially true Of the Spanish Amcri-
can republics, where butter sells readily at
very high figures, not infrequcntly at q dol
lar per pound and upward. For such ship
ments the method of packing would seem to
be somewhat different from that praotised
by our producers. The packages, 1t is said,
nre small, and the tins containing them are
so soldered as to exclude the air. Danish
butter put up in this way for the South
American market is the subject OF u very
lucrative traffic.
While we eat less cheese than English
men, we consume n great deal more butter.
According to the most trustworthy statis-
tics and estimates, the amount used at home
during the twelvemonth preceding January
!, 1879, was not less than So0,0000O0 pounds,
whereas the amount exported fell short OF
q. 100000 These figures attest a mean an
nual consumption OF sixteen pounds a head.
against seven and half pounds for each
person in England. On the other hand the
demand for cheese in the two countries, il
we would express the exact numerical ratio,
- as lNt vi Jul Slh' VI NhN -ANlhlAii " BIN
teen in the British Islands. On the whole,
it would appear that our dairymen might
expect a signal expansion OF the market for
American butter, provided they would con-
fine their eXertlons to producing only an
article Of the highest quality.
Another interesting feature In the report
OF the Dairymen's Association is an attempt
70 estimate the cost Of producing cheese
and butter during the past twelvemonth. 1t
appears that some $50 postal cards were
sent to prominent producers. and the an
swers returned afforded material for sound
deduction. 1t is stated that the average
money product OF each COW for the entire
season was si725 taking the prices OF
cheese and butter current upon the Utica
market On the other hand, q careful
and somewhat elaborate calculation fixes
the expense account, including feed and
| labor. at $500. The remnant, S7.J5, Is
plainly very small percentage OF profit,
when we consider that taxes and insurance
and outlay for repairs to dairy buildings
and machinery, as well as the interest ON
capital, have all To be met by it. On the
whole, the conclusion is drawn that, in the
case Of average cheese dairics, at all events,
the product OF the cows during the year
1873 was scarcely sufficient to pay for their
own support.
The remedies suggested are, first, TO re-
duce the production Of cheese by turning
the milk into butter, or sending the cattle TO
the shambles; and second, that buyers
should refuse altogether 10 deal in so-called
skim cheese, and thus make it a useless
article Distributors and dealers in these
kinds Of produce are so well organized into
exchanges and other associations that it
would not be difficult for them TO stamp out
the species Of counterfeit just named. Nor
can it be doubted that if skim cheese We're
no longer suffered to compete with the
whole milk staple. signal difference would
be remarked in the market value Of the lat
ter as an article of food.