The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-01-01
STATE DIARIES.
OUTPUT SHOWS INCREASE IN-ru,o
YEARS.
This Increase, However, Has
Kept Pace with the Incre.s
Consumption - Warning as =
Prices Charged---Oleo Nav n
Used.

Seattle, Dec. 27.-The bienn;a,
port of E. A. Mcdonald, state dol
and pure food commissioner, lust 6las
with Governor Mcbride, shows an ~
crease in the production of butter =
this state of 100000 pounds dnr;nu
the past two years, and of 100 oOS
pounds of cheese during the same ~
riod. King county manufactured H.
largest amount of butter, but the reno..
does not show that all the cream N.Y.
produced in this county. In fact ,ho a
commissioner states much of the cream
was shipped in from outside da;,n
ranches to the local creameries. III.
greatest proportionate gain made dur
ing the two years was accomplished hr
Claltam county.
Despite the large gain made by the
dairying interests during the past two
years the result is not regarded AZ sa,,
isfactory. Commenting upon a show.
ing of the amount of butter and cheese
shipped into this state from outside
sources Dairy Commissioner Mcdonald
Gays:
"The large amount of butter and
cheese shipped from other states ipdi.
Gates that the production of butter in
this state is not gaining on the increase
in consumption and should encourage
every dairyman to increase his herd
1t should also encourage new settlers TO
go into the dairy business.
From general information the trade
with Alaska is no larger than it was
two years ago, when my report showed
that during 1900 there was shipped to
Alaska 943,0l7 pounds of butter. The
trade OF Alaska has become more set.
tied, and it may be considered at its
lowest point. There has been very
little speculation in butter for the Alas.
ka trade during the last two years, as
the product is bought and handled by
the regular Dealers"
Despite the obstacles he was forced
to overcome in collecting his statistics,
Commissioner Mcdonald is able to
make very interesting showing Of the
dairy business in the state. 1t was dis.
covered, during a search of county rec.
ords, that no table of the number Of
milch cows in the state is kept The
county auditors include them under the
general head of Cattle" Many of the
dairies and creameries did not respond
to the request for statistics az promptly
as the commissioner desired, but from
the reports received was possible to
prepare fair estimate of the states
business.
The commissioner shows there are
about 125, 900 mich cows in this state,
valued at $5,000,0OO. The value Of
creameries is placed at $500, 900, and
of cheese factories at $45 900. The val.
ne of the state product during the year
ending November l is fixed as follows
1888, PSI pounds of butter, 81, 47O,Sl2,
and / ,12S,475 pounds of cheese, $l24,-
161.
The fact that butter is now command
ing high price in the market prompts
the commissioner TO sound warning
to dairymen. Discussing this phase OF
the situation, in connection with tho
impoi tation of oleomargarine, he says
"Oleo manufacturers are making ev-
cry effort to place their uncolored proc.
uct on the market. The high price Oh
butter this fall and winter will give
them grand opportunity. 1t will Dc
unfortunate for the dairy industry Il
butter goes up higher, as it will have
tendency to increase the sale OF oleo'
margarine. If oleomaragrine should %
used to large extent for a couple Oh
months, it will be more difficult to IN
duce the consumers to again use pu''
ter"
Earlier in his report the commission,
er cites the prices paid in this state anu
in eastern markets for butter, comment
ing upon the showing as follows;
'The average price of butter for Ten
months during 1902 was over four cen''
higher in the Seattle market than VI
the Elgin market. This speaks Tor "
self, as the freight on butter from opr
cago to Seattle is 81 per hundred weight
so the Washington creamery men T
ceIve 2 cents per pound more than .n J,
eastern creamerymen for their product