The record-union., 1899-09-13

of London, Manchester and Liverpool.
and 1t is constantly increasing These
markets will be glad to get a very
much larger supply of American butter
than they have ever yet received. This
trade, therefore, depends mainly upon
two conditions: First. the prices which
the British will pay, and, second, the
Willingness or ability Of producers and
merchants TO make exports of nnis
form high quality, and to keep them
up regularly. at least during parts OF
the year when the British customers
particularly want them Heretofore
the main difficulty in establishing
butter trade with England has been
that our own people were willing to pay
higher prices for our best butter than
the British cousins would, and con-
sumed most OF 1t at these prices. Con-
sequently We have exported butter in
quantity to England only when there
happened TO be an unusual scarcity in
their market, with corresponding high
prices, and surplus in our own coun-
try ready TO meet this temporary de-
mand THESE have been the conditions
during the last few months. Uncom-
monty large exports have been made,
and at a profit. But this may be said
to be almost accidental We happened
to have considerable surplus on hand,
and the British markets happened to
be in condition to want this and pay
us good prices for it. 1t is plain enough
that this is not the kind of regular
and reliable trade that is most desir.
able to establish, in view of the pros,
poets of a continual surplus OF good
butter in the United States
To secure a regular position for our
butter in the British markets and hold
IT, we have to compete mainly with the
supplies from Denmark. Australia, Ar
gentine and Canada. Denmark has
about reached the limit of production
and can hardly hope to supply the in
creased demand which is made by
Great Britain year after year. Canada
is our most active and thus far most
successful competitor in that field
The conditions of making butter and
transporting it to Great Britain are
practically the same for Canada and
the United States. The Canadian Gov
ernment has done so much in late
years, however. and is still doing it,
in extreme paternal fashion, to improve
madam butter and to offer exceptional
facilities for storing and transporting
it, that at the present time Canadian
producers and merchants certainly have
| decided advantages over those of the
| United States. 1t does not seem pos.
sible, under our system of government
for the Federal authorities to do much
IN following the example of Canada in
these particulars. One thing that might
be done, and manifestly ought to be-
| is to extend the present system and
regulations for the inspection of meats
and meat products exported from this
country, so as to include dairy prod
ucts. In this way we can at least guard
our reputation and see that nothing
goes to any foreign market under the
name of American creamery butter,
that is not the pure and genuine ar
ticle of standard quality There is op-
portunity, however. for the great but.
| ter producing States to do much useful
1 work after the manner of our Cana~
dian neighbors in improving the quail
/ ity of the butter made. and especially
/ in securing a greater uniformity in the
article, so that large supplies, practi-
cally identical in character, can be
found at any time ready to meet the
demands of foreign markets.
Australia and Argentina are furnish
ing Great Britain and other markets
with immense and constantly increas-
| ing supplies Of butter. The Pacific
| States are particularly interested in
Australia, because it will be our chief
competitor in the China Sea. In both
| these countries the Government is aid
| ing the business in every possible way.
But with all these advantages, 1t has
been found necessary, thus far, TO pro-
vide against deterioration of the but
/ ter, upon the long and trying voyage
| to reach the British market, by the use
! of chemical preservatives. This places
/ both these countries at a very decided
| disadvantage, and it may be confidently
asserted that there is no reason why
/ the United States should fear compe-
| tition from either of them as far as the
markets of Great Britainlare concerned.
| Denmark is SO near to the British mar
ket and its butter can be so easily and
quickly delivered, that that country
| has never used preservatives and will
permit none. Thus far very little has
been used in either Canada or the
hoped that none will be in the future.
The experiments of the United States
Department of Agriculture have
clearly demonstrated that butter from
the great producing area in this coun-
try, of which Southern Minnesota may
be called the center, can be made and
delivered in London and Manchester
fully equal in quality to the very best
Danish, which has long held the top of
the British market, and in just as good
condition This, with the use of no
preservatives other than common salt,
and with a good deal less of this than
customarily used in our own country.
Throughout the entire year of 1898.
and during the early months of 1899,
butter from creameries in the central
West was exported every week by the
Department and supplied to a. regular
line of customers In the North Of Eng
land. The result was eminently satis~
factory, and when the Department ex-
periments were discontinued the British
merchants were much disappointed and
applied to be placed in direct commune
cation with large creameries and their
selling agents, in order that this
American supply might be continued.
Offers have been made direct to several
creameries as the result, for more than
they can supply, and negotiations are
now in progress between some or the
largest British butter merchants and
American houses which are in con-
dition to enter export trade.
The work which has thus been done
for the older dairying regions in this