The Globe-republican., 1895-06-28

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country. The wisdom of such 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 pound above the
market price. Before that time Illinois
had been obliged to send to New York
and other eastern states for her dairy
products. In 1892 the number of pounds
CT butter sold on the Elgin dairy board
of trade was 81, 496, 2S4; the number of
pounds Of cheese, Ills, 735; the cash re-
ceived for butter. 1925, 725.2S, and for
cheese, $5S9, 56O.94. There were 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 $21 ,024 900; the
value of condensed milk, $1,O22 900;
Illinois milk sent to St. Louis, $402 800;
butter and cheese sold on the Elgin
board of trade, $S,315, 1859; creamery
butter and cheese sold outside the Ell
gin district, $6,927 ,519.06; dairy butter,
S31 ,OO0, 900; value of skim milk for feed
Ing purposes, $7,OO0,0 600, making grand
total of SIS, 691, 1886 for the annual
dairy product of this state. 1t was fur
ther estimated in that year that there
were 100000 cows in the state Of Illi-
nois, and that the dairy industry repre-
sented capital of 1886 900, 900, with,
cut including condensing 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
324 stock companies, aside from rail-
road corporations, that represented a
combined capital Of $115,210, 045, or
about one-third of that invested in the
SluSlc LlUuSlTy VI udlTy lug.
In Wisconsin w. d. Hoard estimates
that there are 100000 cows. producing
$50, 900 900 gallons of milk annually
and representing capital of from $780,
100000 to $15O,OOO,0OO The income
from the dairy industry in that state is
about $31,OOO,O0O. 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 15,047, 246 pounds,
and Of cheese 50, 1O0, POI pounds, with a
combined value of So, 1896, 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 1916, 900 tons,
and that of the United States alone at |
61O ,OOe tons, or about one-third of the
entire product.
But these figures only indicate the
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 they have regarding
the general condition of agriculture
and the animal industry.