Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-07-18

ter There.
American butter and cheese promise
to find lucrative market In Porto Rico
and Cuba, says the Washington Post.
Through the efforts of the dairy di-
vision Of the department Of agricul-
ture our dairy products have been In
troduced IN both islands, and already
there is q great demand for them. Mr..
Richmond A. Pearson, assistant chief
Of the dairy division, has just returned
from a tour of the two islands. He
Travelled over both islands and made
@ thorough investigation Of dairy con-
ditions Mr.. Pearson believes that
Porto Rico and Cuba furnish n fertile
field for American dairymen to invade
and that within n short time the Is
lands will prove excellent markets for
our dairy products.
At present no butter Of consequence
is churned in either of the islands. In
deed butter Is a rather scarce article
and is generally used only by Ameri-
cans who reside there. Among the
poorer classes of native Porto Ricans
a very inferior quality Of butter Is
used to some extent. 1t is mostly I'M
ported from Denmark, and It's quality
can be judged from the fact that it IS
sold for from 10 to 10 cents n pound,
Other butter IS imported from Den
mark, France, Spain and Italy which
is Of better quality, but even it is very
much off flavor and would not be con-
sidered fit for use by Americans in the
United States. All the butter imported
is shipped in tin cans and necessarily
becomes rancid. Some Of the French
butter Is sold for as much as 10 cents
a pound, and It does not begin TO COM
pare with the American product. Some
brands of Danish butter bring 30 cents
a pound and the Spanish and Italian
product is sold for 30 and 40 cents per
pound.
American butter could be shipped to
both islands and sold at n profit for 4O
and 45 cents pound.
"T am confident that the American
butter would soon displace all other
buffers both in Cuba and Porto Rico"
said Mr.. Pearson. 81 found that the
Porto Ricans were anxious to try our
butter, and oil seemed at once to fall
In love with It."
The American product has one great
advantage over foreign buffers, In that
the tax upon II Is only nine-tenths OF
O. cent per pound, whereas all other
foreign buffers are taxed at the rate or
6 cents per pound. In Cuba American
butter has to pay the same tax as 9th
er countries, 3 cents per pound.
There IS no general use Of butter on
the tables of native Porto Ricans at
the present time, and 1t would require
some patience and time to educate
them, although they eyince n natural
taste for II. Mr.. Pearson while on the
island received several shipments or
fresh butter, and, although the heat
was intense, the butter remained sweet
and good, but of course 1t softened to
some extent. This Is point Of great
advantage that the American product
has over the other buffers, as the lat
ter soon become rancid after being eX-
posed to the heat.
No butter Is made in either Cuba or
Porto Rico at the present time, princl-
pally because there are no cold springs
I'm which to keep the milk and also be-
cause of the very high price of Ice. Mr..
Pearson believes 1t is possible to make
a good quality Of butter In the Islands
and that within few years the inhab-
itants will be making their own butter.
There are localities in Porto Rico and
Cuba where the pasturage IS excellent,
and dairy farms could be established
thereon that would prove profitable.
Mr.. Pearson thinks that even now q
creamery could be profitably establish,
ed, as it could build its own ice plant
and thereby reduce the cost of the Ice
The COWS Of the islands have not been
bred for giving milk, but notwithstand-
ing this the quality of the milk Is very
| good While travelling on the Islands
| Mr.. Pearson received many complaints
as to the milk, and in order to satisfy
| himself he had q COW millled In his
| presence, when he discovered that in
stead of drawing all the milk from the
udder of the COW the milker would al
| low q good portion of 1t to remain
| which was saved for the nourishment
! of the calf that was nearly always
present with the cow. AS the last milk
drawn from the udder of COW is al
ways the richest, the general poor quail
| ity of the milk on the two islands was
at once apparent
There are no regular dairies such as
we have in the United States, and O
| puryeyOr of milk Is usually the owner
Of but one cow, which he drives from
| house to house, delivering the milk
| fresh from the cows udder. 1t is a
common sight TO see COW being milk
ed in front OF a fashionable residence
| The people have learned to believe that
| In order to be fresh the milk must be
warm, and therefore when procured
| fresh from the COW 1t is of course pure
and sweet. The natives would become
Mt once suspicious of milk that had
been chilled and would conclude that
! prepared or adulterated milk was being
sold to them. American dairymen
would therefore have to exercise some
patience before they could secure q
| profitable trade.
Mr.. Pearson believes that better milk
could finally be produced If some Amer
lean bred cows were taken to the is
lands, as the COWS there at present