Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-01-13
BUTTER IMPORTANT PRODUCT
Recently Brought into Chan
nels of International Trade.
Death Struggle Of Two Of the Great
est Butter RuyiuE Nations Has
Utterly Disrurtcd Youngest Of
Worries Markets.

The worlds butter market, one Of the
youngest Of the great international mar
kets. has been turned topsy-turvy by thu
European conflict, begins a bulletin IS
sued by the National Geographic society.
which sketches one Of tho interesting
phases OF economic chaos brought about
by the new war geography. II remained
to most recent times to bring butter. and
other pcr1shsbie goods, into channels Of
International trade The development Of
modern technique. especially that Of re-
frigeration, and the ind ust falization Of
cities, regions and Of whole countries ara
the causes that have operated TO make
butter one Of the important commodities
OF world commerce Before the war. Eu-
ropes butter dishes we're filed with the
products of Siberia, Argentine, Australia
and New Zealand. 1t Is estimated thu.
more than 10000 oo pounds OF butter were
sold in International trade every year.
To-day. however. all channels of tho
butter trade have been disorganized. 1t
lie reported that one Of the most serious
shortages in the central powers Is that OF
fats and oils. America, Siberia and west
err Russia supplied the Germans with
butter in normal times, but these sources
have been largely dried up by the war
Germany, itself. produced considerable OF
its home supply. and. since the outbreak
Of hostlities has underworld TO increase
its production. In the past year, It pro-
duced $500 900 pounds of butter and I'm
ported about 100000 pounds. 1t con-
SHINES. normally, 1,C7000O,Op pounds a
year.
Little Denmark possesses tie greatest
butter export. and, in a sense, owes this
distinction to the powerful competition Of
American grains in the 7cs which forced
the Danes to turn from bread production
and to concentrate their efforts upon tho
production Of butter for the bread. Den.
mark exports more than 100000 pounds
Of butter yearly and its fancy buffers are
the finest made. 1t. also, acts middle
man for great quantities of Finnish and
Russian butter. The small northern king
dom has sold increa sing quantities Of but
ter, cream and milk in the German mar
ket since the outbreak OF the war.
AS an immediate result of the Siberian
railway. Russia took an astounding stride
In the production Of butter Siberias pro.
duction of this commodity becoming in a
short time more important than its pro
duction of furs and gold. Russia became
one Of the first butter selling countries in
tHe NOTlu. SpeCldl DUtter trains became
a significant feature OF Russian railroad
ing, and Windau, Petrograd and Eisa be-
came butter ports OF international re-
nown. At the time of the wars outbreak
Russia was selling 1SO0oO,O0O pounds Of
butter in the worlds market. OF which
Germany was taking 6OOOOOO pounds
, The Russian production has since, accord
ing to reports, been turned almost en-
tirely into the army kitchens.
The third greatest butter dealer in the
worlds market was far away Australia
the country with the greatest butter per
capita consumption. Australia sold S4.00O.-
600 pounds Of butter yearly, most of which
was disposed OF In the London market.
Holland dealt strongly in butter selling
yearly some 5SoOO.00O pounds. and more
, than half of this turnover into Germany
Sweden and Finland were other impor-
tant butter sellers. while France, though
It sold very little butter, true to it's ma
ture sold that little as a rich luxury to
the discriminating palaces of London's
west end Canada Austria Hungary. Ar
gen ina, and the United States completed
the list OF exporting countries
England led all purchasers Of butter
taking such enormous quantities rs TO
consume two-thirds OF RI! the product
brought into interna tional trade. During
recent years, England has purchased reg
ularly more than 400, 90 pounds of but
ter per annum Denmark, Siberia, Sweder.
Australia, New Zealand, France and
North and South America have all con-
,ributed the butter for Englands bread
buffers to England The Siberian source
VI I,\.t h. po