The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-11-01

pOrtant factor In the business or dairy
ing. There is, no doubt, sufficient fell
tile land to raise the dairy products in
quantities sufficient to meet all home
demands in time. In these sections
navigation is open the whole year, so
the merchants receive shipments with
the same regularity both summer and
winter. In the third and fourth Sec
tons everything is different. The
winters are long and cold, the snow
covers the ground seven and eight
months in the year and the frost
comes in the latter part of September
and remains until we'll into June.
Navigation closes early and does not
open till June.
Owing to the high freight rates and
the necessity of putting in large stores
of every kind of product, the mer'
chants buy only the best of everything.
In the matter of butter, the customer
demands that the product he buys
must be the pure stuff, free from adul-
terations of any kind. Not even reno
waited butter can be sold to advantage.
In the first and second sections the
popular package among the butter
dealers is the 60-lb. case of one and
two pound prints. Owing to being
near the source of supply and having
regular steamer transportation the
butter they handle is of a high grade
and does not lose it's fresh flavor. The
trade in these sections also carries
some canned butter for prospectors.
In the third and fourth sections very
little case butter is handled, owing to
the long distance from the source OF
supply and the lack of quick transpor-
tation. Pickle rolls in one-fourth and
one-half barrels are the popular pack
ages. Canned butter in 2-lb. squares
or in round cans is used by the pros
pectors, or in camps where supply is
purchased to meet their wants for
month or more without replenishing.
The greatest difficulty with which
the dealer has to contend is in estl-
mating his wants until navigation
opens again. Often considerable
amount is carried over and becomes
the cooking butter the next year. NO
cheap butter is bought for immediate
consumption. The steamer companies
do not give the shipments of butter
sufficient care, and this carelessnesS
spelling of great quantities in transit.
Every steamer carrying butter should
be equipped with small freezing
plant. so that butter could be deliver
ed in any port of Alaska in as good
condition as when it left the states.
The Alaska dealers, with the cooper
alton of the merchants in the states,
should take some united action to rem
edy these conditions.
While in Alaska I examined large
number of packages of butter in the
retail and wholesale stores, in the
third and fourth sections, and found
that high grade of butter is handled,
but, owing to conditions mentioned
above, and because few OF the dealers
have refrigerators, there is practically
no butter which has fresh favor
This is not noticed by the consumers,
however, as they have become accus-
toned to the flavor.
The supply of butter in the Alaskan
markets comes principally from the
wholesale dealers in the cities on
Puget Sound. Portland and San Fran
cisco are also furnishing some OF the
trade, but owing to the more frequent
and regular transportation from Puget
Sound the latter secures the bulk OF
the business. In the early days OF the
gold rush the greater quantity was
supplied from the middle west, Iowa
and Minnesota furnishing the butter
through Pacific coast dealers. The
creameries in Washington, Oregon and
California are, however, gradually
supplanting the eastern creamerleS
and will in a few years handle the
entire trade. The possibilities OF Alas
ka producing sufficient butter to meet
the demands of her trade, without out
side butter being shipped in, are very
romote There is some butter manu-,