River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-04-30
The American Cheese Trade.

The American Cheese TRADE.
A communication has been received
by the Secretary of Agriculture from
the "Ilome and Foreign Produce Ex-
change, Limited" London, England,
through its secretary, G. j. Acocks, in
which the experience with the Ameri-
can cheese trade is reviewed. The
following statements of profound in
terest to the dairymen of the United
States occur in tins communication:
For some years past the United
States product has been waning in
popularity on the London market:
relatively, because of the advance in
Canadian make, both in quality and
quantity; positively, because of dis
tinct deterioration from the earlier
standards. To find factory which,
week by week, fulfills the requirements
for a choice article is now the excep.
ton. 1t is a matter of universal COM
plant here that the American supply
has not come up to these essential
conditions with the result that losses
and disappointments have been nu-
merous."
In conclusion, the communication
says: 1--WE do not presume to instruct
practical makers as to the causes and
remedies. 1t is our duty simply to in
dictate those practical points where
improvement is needed, and to trust
to the abundant energy and skill of
the dairy farmers of America that
they will make strenuous effort to
recover the lost prestige. We would
point out that their interest is the
same as ours. A good product not
only commands the full market value
but makes the business crisp and pleas
ant to all concerned"
Last year through the United States
consul at Liverpool, Thos. IL. Sherman,
a communication similar in character
was received by Secretary Rusk from
the Liverpool Provision Trade Associ-
alton calling attention to the exporta-
ton from the United States of ''filled
cheese" and stating that the article
is compound of skinned milk and
grease, such as old butter, Oleomarga-
rine, or lard, the main ingredient
being at present stale butter on ac-
count of the belief of the manufacture
ers that they can thus defy the
analyst" The protest stated that for
five years the price of cheese instead
of advancing in the spring months had
declined from this cause, and that it
was highly injurious to the American
cheese trade.
In connection with these protests
the Secretary of Agriculture desires
to call the attention of our dairymen
to the fact that our butter exports
have never recovered from the loss of
confidence engendered in the British
market by similar practices INDUCED
in by some of our butter producers in
the manufacture of butter for export.
For years during the past decade there
has been a steady falling off in guam
tity and in price in the butter exports,
the past five years averag ug per
annum only about seventeen million
pounds of butter against twenty mil
lion pounds in the five years preced-
ing. The price during the last five
years averaged from three to five cents
less that in the first five years.
Our exports of cheese are still con-
siderable, averaging for the past five
years lightweight million pounds
annually at an average price of over
nine cents a pound; but for the first
five years of this decade our exports
of cheese averaged yearly one hun
bred and twenty million pounds at an
average price of nearly eleven cents a
pound. 1t is of the utmost Importance
to the agricultural interests of the
United States that we maintain and
extend our foreign markets for agri-
cultural products. 1t is the present
policy of the Secretary of Agriculture
to bend all the efforts of the Depart
ment to effect this purpose; but no
efforts, however we'll directed, can lie
effectual in this respect unless amply
sustained by the character of the pro-
ducts we send abroad. The purity,
the quality, and the uniformity of our
dairy products must all be carefully
studied, and the name American made
synonymous with absolute integrity.
The Secretary is well aware that only
few manufacturers in this country
resort to the methods against which
the foreign dealers SO earnestly pro-
test, but it is we'll understood that in
this line of business the stigma justly
attaching the wrongs committed by
few is invariably applied to the entire
product coming from country where
such practices are possible. American
dairymen are vitality interested in this
matter, and the Secretary of Agricul-
ture therefore unhesitatingly invites
the cooperation of the agricultural
preSS in making these facts DnhIic