Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-11-25
THE ELGlN DAIRY BOARD
The Vast Milk, Butter and Cheese Trade
Which It Controls


present $50 creameries. Meetings are
held every Monday afternoon during
the year. Buyers and sellers meet to
make the transactions which determine
the prices for the week following the
meeting. The butter and cheese makers
who have these commodities for sale
place them before the buyers through
the secretary, who writes the amount
offered, the price demanded and the
price offered by the first bidder on a
blackboard. At 2 80 in the afternoon
the list is called off by the secretary,
and the excitement begins. The sellers,
of course, try to keep the price as high
as possible, and the buyers endeavor to
purchase at the lowest figures. The best
known brands, which have a reputation
for excellence, are sold without trOu
BILE, and, i'll fact, nearly all the butter
offered on the board is readily sold at
the prevailing market price. The quo
tations for Elgin butter always average
high on account of it's well established
reputation and because the dairymen
are unable to supply the large demand
New factories are being built every
year, improved machinery facilitates
production, but the price Of Elgin butter
has not varied much i'll corresponding
months for several years.
The total cash transactions during the
% years the board has been in existence
aggregates the large sum of $72. 147,-
741.95 The average price for butter dur
ing that time has been % 3-5 cents, and
the average price of cheese s. % cents
The total production of butter in the %
years was $40, 945, 391 pounds and of
cheese 1876, 100, 475 pounds, making a to-
tai Of 3S2, 045, S65 pound Of dairy prod
ucts for the one district Last year the
cash transactions amounted to 81, $780,
147. Oh. That vast sum of money was paid
for 325, $50, $50 pounds of butter and
5.735, 029 pounds of cheese. It is no
ticeable fact that while the output of
butter last year was 1,500,O0 pounds
in excess of the product the year pre-
vious, the amount of cheese was 500, 900
pounds less. These statistics show the
Importance OF the Elgin board and the
reason of its great influence. The actual.
sales on the call board each Monday aft
ernOOn do not form any considerable
part of the transactions. Sales are con-
summated before the board meets, the
price to be determined by the sales on
the open board, and many more are
made after the session at the ruling
market price. Many of the largest but
ter and cheese makers contract with the
dealers at New York, New Orleans,
Philadelphia, Chicago and ST. Louis for
so many pounds each week during the
no 70 he Il ~ =,
market price on the Elgin board
The Elgin dairy board of trade is gov
erned by a president, secretary, treasurer
and 4 board of directors, the latter
choosing the officers from their number.
Any business man i'll good standing can
become member by application to the
board of directors and the payment of
the annual dues. The buying and selling
of dairy products are regulated by the
bylaws and rules of the board. Among
the other matters of Importance are the
rules governing the inspection of butter
and cheese. They include the classified
tion of butter as follows:
''All butter offered ON the board of
trade shall be assumed to be butter
churned, sailed and packed in a cream
cry, from cream which is separated from
the milk i'll the creamery where the but
ter is made unless otherwise designated.
Extra. must be quick, full,
fine, fresh; taste must be pleasant and
sweet; brine perfectly clear and little of
it; body and grain must be perfect; col
or even and uniform and good for the
market for which intended; properly
sailed, neither gritty nor fiat; package
good and uniform, and not less than five
hoops to the tub of 60 pounds
Classification of Cheese. = Full
creams extra shall be full cream, fac
tory made, perfect in flavor, close
made, fine texture, we'll cured, uniform
color and perfect surface. Boxes to be
in good order.
"Firsts shall be full cream, factory
made, clean flavor, good texture, we'll
cured, uniform color, good condition.
Boxes in good order.
Seconds shall be reasonab bly, clean in
flavor, full cream. Boxes in good order.
"All other grades of cheese, quail
ty as understood between buyer and
seller -
Inspectors are appointed by the board
of directors, who at the request of any
member must examine any lot of but
ter or cheese to see that it is properly
classed and of proper weight.
Within a radius Of so miles from Ell
gin it is estimated that not less than
$50, 900, 600 is invested in the dairy in
dustry. Besides the creameries there are
five large condensing factories, condens-
ing on the average $50, 600 quarts Of
milk day. Even this does not exhaust
the supply, and the Elgin district sup
plies Chicago with all its best milk.
During the hard times the members Of
the Elgin board of trade were probably
less affected than any other class of
men. Prices fell off trife, but whether
run or rust the dairy cow con-
tinues to give milk. The farmers are re-
iad e i-ac.a tlai oattl 80 !