The Glenwood post., 1916-03-18
CHEESE MAKING POSSIBILITIES
IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES

CdEESE MAKING POSSIBILITIES
IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES
Washington, d. c., March 12.-The
possibilities of cheese making in diff
ferent sections of the western states,
particularly on the irrigated projects,
received considerable attention from
specialists of the United States depart
ment of agriculture during the sum-
mer of 1915. A representative of the
dairy division spent number of
months among factories in Idaho and
Montana studying the troubles expert
enced in making cheese of satisfac-
tory quality, and in seeking means Of
overcoming these difficulties.
In Idaho, very successful factories
are now in operation near Boise and
Buhl. At Boise large cooperative
company owns two cheese factories
and one creamery. These cheese fac
tories have proved so popular with the
farmers that the company intends to
build other factories of the same kind.
The factory at Buhl at one time last
summer paid for butter fat II cents a
pound more than was paid in any other
market in the same locality, and at
no time was this difference less than
6 cents.
Owing to an inadequate milk supply
and poor management, there have been
failure of cheese factories in both Ida
no and Montana. The climste and all
other natural conditions, however, are
good for cheese industry throughout
Montana and in the higher parts Of
Idaho. On the intensively farmed irri-
gated projects the dairy cow furnishes
a good medium through which to mar
ket bulky crops of alfalfa and corn.
The prices which a cheese factory is
able to pay for butter fat, in competi-
ton with other markets, can readily
be estimated if the price of cheese is
known. Milk makes 81 pounds Of
cheese for each pound of butter fat.
The cost of manufacture is about 2
cents a pound in factories of ordinary
size. Cheese at 13 cents a pound would
allow the payment of 2s.7 cents a
pound for butter fat; at IA cents for
cheese, 32.4 cents for fat; at 10 cents
for cheese, 35.1 for fat; and at l6 for
cheese, 37.s would be paid for butteF
fat. During the past summer great
quantities of cheese were sold in the
Rocky Mountain states at price
higher than 16 cents pound, while
probably none brought less than 10
cents.
In certain localities, some farmers
not familiar with cheese factories are
inclined at first to oppose the industry
because it uses skinned milk formerly
available for calves and hogs. This op-
position is not we'll founded, as nearly
every farmer in the great cheese factory
district of sheboygan county, Wis, is
able to raise excellent dairy cows. The
irrigated regions of the west, more
over, produce great quantities of al
falfa, which furnishes cheap substi-
tute for the protein of skinned milk
for pigs. Experiments by the New
Mexico experiment station have DEM
onstrated that where alfalfa pasture IS
available and corn is worth 80 cents u
bushel, hundredweight of SKINNED
milk is worth only IA cents, as COM
pared to nearly 80 cents where there
is no alfalfa. It is probable that,
with pigs on alfalfa pasture, whey
would give almost as great gains a.
would skinned milk.
In the flush of the season . cheese
factory can be operated economically
ON $500 pounds of milk, OF the pro
duct of about 200 cows. This milk
should be produced within 4 miles Of
the factory, Is longer haul IL not
economical and increases the danger OF
bad milk and poor cheese: A cheese
factory to handle 5000 pounds of milk
can be built for about 1880, inclu'l-
ing equipment.
Al 10 little Of the country is natur-
ally suited to the manufacture OF
cheese, and as the possibilities are so
great, the department believes that, as
a rule, consideration should be given
to establishing factories wherever con-
ditions are favorable to the develop
ment Of this industry.
FOE SALE