Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-01-28
THE PULLJQaN HERALD.
Saturday, Jan. 20, 1905
Washington Dairy Interests.


biennial report of State Dairy and
Food Commissioner E. A. Nc
Donald, reached 1856, 769 pounds
during the fiscal year ended Novem-
Der d, 1904, compared with $780,
ia pounds for the year ended Nov
ember I, 1903, an increase of 500, =
5o6 pounds, as against an increase
of approximately 100000 pounds
in 1903 over the fiscal year 1902.
OF the total 2,o52, 7Io pounds were
produced east Of the Cascades and
s,514o5o in Western Washington.
There were AL creameries reporting,
an increase of eight from the previous
year. The output of cheese for the
past fiscal year from 81 factories was
526,2oI pounds, as compared with
S5355I pounds produced by AZ
factories in 1908. This decrease of
327,35o pounds is largely traceable
to the operation of three milk con-
densing plants, which absorbed
much of the product heretofore con-
verted into cheese in districts which
had been heavy producers.
While upon its face the report Of
the commissioner is reasonably fav-
orable, it certainly does not reveal
such a growth in the dairy industry
of Washington as is justified by the
advantages offered for this, one of
the most profitable branches Of agri-
culture. The fact that the three
leading centers of Tacoma, Seattle
and Spokane alone handled 4,4oI,-
$40 pounds of eastern and 7I1,o5o
pounds of Oregon and California
creamery butter, together with l.
1905 pounds of eastern and GA
6O3 pounds of southern cheese is an
ample demonstration of the fact that
production is not making serious
inroads upon our importations, and
is pot likely to soon equal home
consumption at the present rate Of
increase. One of the leading deter
rent factors during the past season
ortwo, as has been heretofore pointed
out, is the sustained high prices for
feedstuffs, and the tendency to dis
pose of dairy cattle, which has
seriously decreased the output in
several important producing sec
tons, but as time is demonstrating
the lack of wisdom of this policy
there is already shown a tendency
to restore herds and output.
The more menacing difficulty,
however, as has been alluded to by
The Trade in the past, is the failure
to maintain the previous high stand
ards in Washington's butter product.
The commissioners report refers to
this factor as follows:
Eastern creamery is in greater de-
mand in Alaska than Washington
creamery, because it does not deter
iorate SO rapidly. This brings us
face to face with the problem,
"What shall we do with our surplus
butter when we have more than will
supply the home market" There
is only one answer to this question
Adopt Eastern methods" make as
good butter as is made in the East,
and the foreign and Alaska trade is
ours. The advent of the hand sep
arator marks the time when our
creamery butter began to dcteriorate
in quality as we come back to similar
conditions which existed when the
cream gathered did Swimming at the
milk house of the patron. He could
reject the cream if it was in bad con-
dition, but now the cream is sepa-
rated by the dairymen, and in many
cases is shipped to the creamery
before the creamery man has an
opportunity to reject it. The farmer
has been to the expense of shipping
it, and the manufacturer hesitates to
return it, and even if he should the
dairyman can find some other cream
cry to receive it.
1t is evident that not only an IN
Creoced o,,fr,1t bt1t reform IN