The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-01-15
THE DAIRY
Condition of Our Dairy Industry.

fifth biennial report, covering the
period from November l, 1902, to No
vember 1, 1904. 1t does not show
so large a proportiOnate growth in
the dairy industry of the state of
Washington as was shown during the
two years previous to the period COW
cred by this report. But there was
an increase in the amount of butter
manufactured in the state during the
last two years over the previous two
years of nearly 100000 pounds. For
the year from November l., 1902, to
November l, 1903, the number of
creameries in the state was Az,
whose total output was 6,97O173
pounds of butter. For the year from
November /, 1903, to November l,
1904, the creameries numbered All
and the output was 7,566,769 pounds.
This is an increase of 596,596 pounds
in favor of the last year, but it does
not imply that the dairy industry has
made such a large growth during the
past year as it did two to four years
back. Commissioner Mcdonald at
tributes this slower growth to the
high prices of beef that prevailed dur
ing the years 1902 and 1903, and to
the high price of hay prevalent dur
ing the past three years. A great
many of the dairy farmers sold out
their herds and bought beef cattle,
hoping to realize greater profits there
from; while others, who had heavy
crops of hay, found it more profitable
to dispose Of their COWS and place the
, hay on the market. This was largely
the case east of the Cascade noun.
tains, where the quality of hay was
+Lao thn Gil 10
commanding large figure that was
too tempting to those who had the
hay on hand.
This being the case, commissioner
Mcdonald calls attention to the fact
that west of the Cascades the dairy
industry has made a much larger
proportionate growth than east. The
hay crop on the western slope is never
so good in quality, and the market
will not give as much for it as can
be obtained by the hay coming from
the eastern side. But the dairy farmer
on the western side has discovered
that if he feeds his hay to the COW
the returns from the dairy will be
better than could possibly be OBJ
tanned by placing the hay on the
market in competition with the bet
ter grade from east of the mountains.
The result has been that, while the
creameries east of the mountains in
1904 produced 2,052,710 pounds of
butter, the creameries on the western
side manufactured 5514,059 pounds
almost three times as much. Another
factor that has contributed largely
to the growth of the dairy industry
west of the mountains lies in the
large number of Scandinavian farm
ers who have settled here and taken
up small farms. These are noted for
their industry and perseverance, and
are very successful in dairy lines, be-
ginning in a small way and expanding
as they make the means from their
herds to purchase additional cows.
The amount of butter manufactured
in this state is far from sufficient to
supply the home demand, let alone
the demand from Alaska and foreign
markets. Last year the butter sent
to the latter from this state-Wash
ington-made ds-amOunted to 49,
404 pounds, while 81 ,006 pounds of
cheese went to the same destinations.
Alaska markets took ,351 pounds
butter and 124,306 pounds cheese dur
ing the same period. The imports OF
butter from Oregon and California to