Evening star., 1901-04-01
MARKETS FOR OUR BUTTER
TO INTRODUCE DAIRY PRODUCTS IN
THE ORIENT.
An Expert to BE Sent to China and
men on Methods of Hardening.

The Secretary of Agriculture is putting
into execution plans for introducing Amer
lean dairy products into the markets of
the orient, as well in the markets of
South America and the West Indies. A
few days ago Raymond A. Pearson, assist
ant chief of the dairy division of the De-
partment of Agriculture, left for Porto
Rico, where he will establish agencies for
the sale of American cheese and butter.
He will then visit San Domingo, Haiti and
Cuba. A dairy expert is also preparing to
leave for China and Japan.
The Department of Agriculture is also
making ready to investigate the methods
of manufacturing such foreign cheese as is
imported into the United States, with the
view of having it made in this country.
The value of the cheese annually imported
amounts to over a million dollars.
Exports of Butter.
In the year 1889 there were exported by
the United States 2O.247. .997 pounds of but
ter 1t was shipped to countries as fol-
lows: United Kingdom, 10,27S,TSS Ger
many, 91S, ,262; other Europe, 912,S01; Brit
ish North America, 1,9S6,0S3: Central Amer
lean states and British Honduras, go 1875;
Mexico, 2S0,924: Santo Domingo, I6,34I;
Cuba $50, $40; Porto Rico, 10, ,706; other
West Indies and Bermuda, 2,o65,53s; Brazil,
L, II
America 911,943: China, 22.337: Japan,
o.. 4a5: other Asia and Oceania. PIG, $50; Af-
rica, II ,147; other countries, 229S6
Methods of Hardening.
Mr.. Pearson, in recent report on the
preparation of American butter for export
to the orient said
1T having been shown that there may
soon be surplus of dairy products avail
able for export, that in the near future
large markets for these products may be
developed at trans-Pdci;ic points. and espe-
cialIy that the United States does not share
in the present trade TO the extent that 1t
should the next question to be considered
is, how butter should be prepared for
shipment to warm climates. There has
been much discussion on the various
phases of this question, participated in by
dairvmen creamery. men AMI scientists,
and numerous ideas of practical value have
been advanced.
"As to the kind of butter wanted, all
agree that for export without refrigera-
ton it should be of particularly hard body
and high melting point. More stress is laid
on this than on the necessity of Its having
high flavor. clean. mild favor Is
wanted, and an article of close texture,
with dry, solid body and capable of re-
sisting the effect of heat as much as may
be.
.sIt is believed that the body or hard
ness Of butter is largely within control of
the feeder and butter maker 1t is thought
by some that butter made from milk con-
tanning large fat globules has lower
melting point than that made from milk
containing small fat giobules. According
to this theory, butter from Channel Island
stock would be softer than that from the
so-called cheese breeds, proposition that
is opposed by not a few 1t Is said also
that butter made from milk taken during
the latter part of the period of lactation
Is harder than that from milk taken soon
after calving That the body of butter
can be easily affected by variations in
manufacture is well known
AN important cause of difference in hard
ness is supposed to be difference in the rel
atiye proportions of the component parts
of the butter fat caused by various kinds
of feed An increase in the stearin and
palmatin which are solids at ordinary tenn
peratures, and a corresponding decrease In
olein, which is an oil at ordinary tenn
perat ures, would cause butter TO be harder.
while changes of an opposite nature would
make it softer. Practical experience and a
few experiments show that the hardness of
butter can be affected to a certain extent
by the feeds given the cows. "