The San Francisco call., 1903-12-28

product and is usually sold at prices
slightly below the market for State
product.
Prices of butter in San Francisco are
uniformly maintained on higher basis
than are obtainable for creamery but
ter in the Middle West, and for this
reason under ordinary conditions deal
ers are able TO make a fair profit on the
imported article, even when marketed
here at lower prices than the State pro-
duct commands. This business is, how
ever, more or less speculative. and at
times is attended with considerable
loss.
The tendency in butter-making is
more and more TO creameries, but
there is a disposition to decrease
rather than increase the number
Of these factories. Experience seems
TO demonstrate the claims that
large institutions can minimize the
cost of butter-making, and that un-
der good business management, such
as is necessary to successfully con-
duct large operations, dairymen secure
better results than by making butter
on the farms or working through
small creameries. Capitalization of the
gives uniformity to quality and to
some extent prevents Improbable
competition in marketing the product.
GREAT PRODUCTION.
The largest. creameries in the State
are in Los Angeles, Fresno, Stanislaus,
San Joaquin and Sacramento counties,
with capacity ranging from about $685.
600 to 100000 pounds of butter an
nually. The output of these institu-
tons is capable of large increase with
out enlarging present manufacturing
capacity.
In cheese production the dairies and
creameries of the State have not
gained the high reputation earned for
butter. A large portion Of the cheese
made is of ordinary quality, lacks rich
ness and favor, and is marketed be-
fore it is sufficiently aged to give it
the merit Of Eastern product. The
quantity of cheese manufactured here
for the year 1902, according to the re-
port Of the State Dairy Bureau, aggre-
gated but 6,5O3,441 pounds, represent
ing a value Of $702,371.
Experiments have been tried in the
manufacture Of the description of
cheese known as Chedder by such
dairymen as DR.. Flint Of San Juan and
Z. A. Davidson of Gflroy, but these
did not give satisfactory financial re-
suits and were discontinued. Cheese
equal in merit 10 the Eastern product
was made, but the commission men in
San Francisco market preferred the
Eastern product because it could be
handled on better margin of profit.
Consumers also gave preference to the
Eastern cheese.
One creamery is operating at Selma, |
in Fresno County. The management |
proposes to demonstrate the ability Of |
creameries here to compete on merit !
with the Eastern product None Of the |
Selma cheese has yet been placed on |
the market nor will it be until il has /
been. aged at least six months and is !
well matured. This product is aged |
under the cold curing process.
The dairy industry in California is |
largely in the hands of men who have |
been bred TO the business, Danes, |
Swedes, Italian-Swiss and Portuguese. |
Americans control about one-haIf the |
dairies in the State. The business is |
open to all, and there is no reason |
why any class should be more success
full than any other, with equal intelli- |
gence and experience. Near Sacra- |
mento, San Jose and Fresno the bust !
ness is largely in the hands Of Amer
leans. The number of American
farmers in this branch is rapidly in
creasing, particularly in the irrigated
districts and where the dairymen are |
owners Of the land. not renters. |
Where the foreign element predomi- |
mates they are generally renters.
IMPROVEMENT THE RULE.
Dairy herds in California are being |
constantly improved. The day Of ma
tive COWS with long horns is past. |
Shorthorns, Jerseys and Holsteins have |
come to remain. Alfalfa, which a few |!
years ago was not regarded as suited /
to the making of high class butter, is /
now recognized as the ideal grass for |
dairy stock, and the peculiar advantage |
that a dairyman has in an alfalfa dis
trict is in the greater number Of COWS /
that can be maintained. On alfalfa |
fields the quantity of milk per COW is /
greater than under other conditions /
While ten COWS and their increase can |
be maintained well on fifteen, at most /
twenty, acres of alfalfa the year round, /
ten acres of land is necessary to sup
port a single cow where native feed is !