The Columbus journal., 1895-07-03

So6V pups Wy
The purpose of this division will
be to collect and disseminate informa-
ton about the dairy industry OF this
country. The wisdom of such a depart
ment cannot be questioned when We
consider the wonderful development of
the dairy industry in this country in
the last twenty years. Its growth and
development have been SO phenomenal
that it Is almost impossible for dairy
men to keep track Of it and secure the
statistics necessary to show the prOduc-
ton Of butter and cheese.
The first creamery in Illinois was es-
tablished at Elgin in the year 1870.
Two or three years later the agitation
was begun In Wisconsin. and later the
movement spread to Iowa. The first
butter from the Elgin creamery sold In
Chicago at 10 cents a pound above the
market price. Before that time Illinois
nat been obliged to send to New York
and other eastern states for her dairy
products. In 1892 the number Of pounds
OF butter sold on the Elgin dairy board
OF tradew was 80. 496, 2S4: the number of
pounds Of cheese, Ills. 1875: the cash re-
ceived for butter. 81, 725,7 25.2S, and for
cheese, $3.50, $685. 4. There we're repre-
sented on the Elgin dairy board in 1892
300 creameries. leaving 266 creameries
In the state not reporting their sales
there.
Taking the summary of the Illinois
dairy product for 1892. prepared for the
worlds fair, we find that the value of
the milk was placed at 81 ,O24 900; the
value Of condensed milk, $1,O22. 900:
Illinois milk sent to st. Louis, $402, $50;
butter and cheese sold on the Elgin
board Of trade. $685. %: creamery
butter and cheese sold outside the Ell
gin district, $6,927, 519. O6; dairy butter,
$31 .OOO, 900: value of skim milk for feed
ing purposes. 81, 0 900, making a grand
total Of SIS. 691. 1855 for the annual
dairy product of this state. 1t vas fur
ther estimated in that year that there
were 1.6OO. 900 cows in the state of ILL.,
nois, and that the dairy industry repre-
sented a capital of 1886, 900, 900, with
out including c~ondensing factories or
manufactures of dairy supplies.
The importance of these figures can
be seen by comparing them with the
report of the state board Of equaliza-
ton, which shows for the same year
S24 stock companies. aside from rail-
road corporations. that represented a
combined capital of $115, 21O, O45, or
about 0ne-third of that invested in the
single industry of dairying.
In Wisconsin w. d. Hoard estimates
that there are zoe, 900 cows. producing
$780, 900 600 gallons Of milk annually
and representing a capital of from $780,
100000 to $50. 900. OOO. The income
from the dairy industry in that state is
about $31, 900, 600. Wisconsin regards
the industry SO important that it has
established a state dairy school at a
cost OF $4,000. which has about 100
pupils.
The exports of butter from the United
States In 1892 were 1904, 246 pounds,
and of cheese S2,1O0,2 21 pounds, with a
combined value of 5 1885, 900. The Am
orleans were rapidly securing the Lon
don market for their cheese until some
of the dishonest exporters began ship
ping filled cheese and selling it for full
cream cheese. This deception has been
a severe blow to the American cheese in
Europe. The English statistician, Null
hall, places the total annual dairy pro-
duction Of the world at 1,946, 900 tons.
and that of the United States alone at
$4,000 tons, or about one-third of the
entire product. 81
But these figures only indicate the
importance of the dairy industry in
this country and the necessity for some
department of the government that can
give especial attention to it and pub
lish reports that will enable the public
to secure an intelligent knowledge of
its production. as thew have repardinp
the general condition Of agriculture
and the animal industry.
- g. .