The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-12-14
THE CHEESE TRADE.
SOME REASONS WHY OUR EXPORTS
HAVE DECREASED.

While we imported into the United
| States in the seven months ending July
81, 1900, 7,116,675 pounds of cheese,
worth $94O, 542, or little over 13 cents
| a pound we exported in the same time
36.353, POI pounds, worth $3.6S9, 993, or
a little over 10 cents pound. The i'm
| ports are of the fancy European cheese,
such as a few of our rich people have
acquired taste for, but they are most
| in demand by those who came here
from the countries where they are
made. These seven months are, how
ever, not in the season when we export
most cheese and it seems quite posi-
BILE that in the next five months we
shall send more than we have in the
past seven. If we do, we shall exceed
the record of several years past, though
by no means reaching as large an
amount as we have in some years.
In 1870 we exported something less
than 100000 pounds and in 1880
about 127,5OO,OO0 pounds. Since then
the amount has decreased nearly ev-
cry year, getting down to 95,000,O00
pounds in 1890 to 60O0O,O00 pounds in
1895 and to 100000 pounds in 1898.
Why is this decrease? Our Canadian
neighbors will point to their increased
exports - from less than 100000
pounds in 1870 and about 100000
pounds in 1880 to 15O0OO.0OO pounds
in 1S9S-and they assert that the Brit
ish buyers became prejudiced against
the cheese from the United States be-
cause we sent 'skim" and filled"
cheese there while they are not allow
ed to be sold in Canada. and their full
cream cheese has become popular in
England.
There is no doubt but that some truth
exists in this view. but it does not tell
the entire story. One reason for less
ened expectation of cheese has been
that we did not have the cheese to sell.
Dairymen who once patrOniZed cheese
factories or made cheese at home found
: that they could obtain better results
with their milk by having creameries
or butter factories. The manufacture
of condensed milk has largely increas
ed and the operators have located fac
tories in sections where once were
cheese factories, and the farmers are
better satisfied with the prices they
pay than with the results of cheese
making.
Still other sections Of large diaries
where once much cheese was made
have been drained by those who fur
nish the milk to the larger cities. and
this, like the condensary, relieves the
dairymen Of further care of the milk
after it is once shipped.
But not least in the reasons why we
have not cheese to export we believe to
be that our increasing population con-
sumes more cheese than it did one
or two decades ago. and besides the
increase in our numbers there is per
capita increase in consumption, with
which production has not kept pace.
We have not figures at hand to show
how much that increase may amount
to, but from the reports of dealers VIC
believe it to be considerable. s>e
A part OF this is due to the character
of the people who have immigrated
here within the past 20 years both from
Europe and the British provinces. Many
of them eat cheese not only because
they like it. but because they think
there is more nutrition to be had for
the money from cheese than from meat
or from butter. They were cheese eat
ers at home and they still demand it.
frl- MI no of
cheese always in the house and part
Of each days food has become more
common among our native born citi-
zens. as the quality of cheese to be
bought has improved and become more
uniform.
The same cause that has made cheese
| more popular as an article Of diet in
the United States has helped increase
| the demand for cheese in foreign coun-
| tries. and Canadians have profted by it.
| They have been establishing new cheese
| factories. while we have let many of
ours remain idle and diverted the milk
to other purposes. Whether we have
been wise in SO doing may be seen in
the future. 1t is sure that we could
sell more cheese if we had it to sell.
We could produce more if we thought
cheesemaking would be as profitable
each year as it seems to be this year,
or rather, if we could be sure of get
ting as good prices as it sells for now.
There are other reasons why Canada
has been able to increase her exports
OF cheese. The governments of the
Dominion and of the provinces have
encouraged by the use of money and in
other ways the establishment of cheese
factories there. The dairy associations
have sent out instructors to teach the
best methods and inspectors to see that
their teachings were followed, and in
this they have been aided by the gov
eminent dairy schools, which have
helped to train up cheesemakers to
take charge of the factories.
| Cottage Cheese.
For working cottage cheese put two
gallons of sour (clabberedl milk into 6