Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-01-24

the development of a distinct dairy
ing industry. Herkimer county
cheese early became famous. An
export trade began to grow and the
industry spread throughout the
New England states, Pennsylvania
and Ohio The factory system be-
gan to grow up after the middle Of
the century, since which time the
progress of the industry is marked |
by the increase ana development of
the factories that are strewn broad
cast over the country today.
The early cheese factories and
creameries were purely cooperative
concerns, such as are to be found in
many parts of this state today.
Milk is delivered to the factory, is
there manufactured into butter or
cheese, and the proceeds from sales
are divided among the farmers pro
rata in proportion to the amount of
milk delivered by each. From the
co operative factory sprang the
joint stock company factory, owned
and controlled by the farmers them
selves, and finally began the spread
of the factory based on the pro-
prietary plan. Now there are large
concerns and Wisconsin, bv the
way, is the home of one of the
largest which own and operate
factories in many parts of the
country, and which are engaged
for the most part in manufacturing
and selling condensed milk.
The first cheese factories and
creameries received milk direct
from the farmers. About 1875 the
farmers began to skim their milk
and deliver cream only. Later.
branches of the creameries were
opened for receiving cream, which
was shipped by rail or carried by
team to the more remote central
factories.
1t is generally said that good but
ter can be made wherever good beef
can be raised. 1t was only believed
that there existed dairy belt" ly-
ing between the fortieth and FORTY
fifth parallels and extending from
the Atlantic to the Missouri river. but
that idea has since been exploded,
and it has been proven that butter
and cheese can be made with profit
in most parts of North America.
The central west, comprising states
near to and adjoining Wisconsin, is
now the chief dairying section of
the country.
Wisconsin had in 1900 the large
number of 25, 246 dairy farms, with
an average of 90 COWS per farm in
addition, $50, 800 other farms in the
state had an average of s dairy
COWS. The dairy farms comprised
1886, 299 acres, of which 60 per cent
were improved. The investment in
farms, improvements, buildings,
machinery and live stock for dairy
ing purposes aggregated $138, 1885,
713, and the value of products
reached the enormous total of
$24, 992, 534 The latter figure has
doubtless doubled in the last half
decade.
Only two states in the union sur
pass Wisconsin in the volume of
milk produced annually. The COWS
OF the state are in the habit of Civ
ing 500, 600, 900 gallons of the fluid.
of which more than one half is sold. |
The manufacture of butter now
runs to the enormous total of about
10, 100000 pounds per annum, of
which two-ffths is made on farms
and the remainder in, factories.
Next to Iowa, Wisconsin manu-
features more butter in factories
than any other state in the union.
Upwards of 100000 pounds of
cheese are also manufactured in the
state, the greater part in factories.
On account of the rugged nature
of the country in many parts, Wis
cousin is particularly well adopted
to dairying. The pine lands of the
north also afford excellent dairvino
facilities bt fore the soil has been
sufficiently cleared to permit Of ex-
tensive agriculture. The southern
part of the state has an excellent
local market in Chicago and Mil
waukee, while the products of the
entire state figure largely in the