The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-08-17
CHEESE IS MONEY
MAKER IN PLENTY
Fills Pockets of Farmers;
Wisconsin Industry
COWS DOING DUTY
What Has Been Done Where
Stumps Were Featured
Few Years Ago
SIXTH CHAPTER

Who eats millions upon millions OF
rounds OF cheese that is manufaC'
tured in Wisconsin? During our
soJOurn OF several days IN the Bad
ger State we were favored with but
one piece OF cheese, ana mat was
III the hotel at Barron, where there
are forty four cheese factories in
the county. One small bit OF cheese
was served with a dish OF cold slaw.
1t was an excellent cheese, with the
proper favor. But Green county Is
the center OF the Swiss cheese in
dustry in the United States Swiss
ColOnistS from the Alps settled here
in lSt5. They were attracted by
the scenic beauty of the country
and its close resemblance TO their
native land. II is now the richest
disunctively dairy district for its
area in the world. II is only TWEEN
ty-four miles square. The large
herds OF Holstein and Brown Swiss
cattle, mammoth modern barns, nu-
merous silos and fine farm homes
attract the wonder OF the tourist
and are the marks denoting the
general prosperity OF the people.
One hundred and nifty seven licensed
cheese factories dot the landscape
and the output OF these small 1arn
plants in Swiss. Limburger and
Brick cheese brings to the farmers
100000 annually.
County bank deposits, thirteen
banks, s7,54S,OO0: additional bank
resources. Sl,235.l04; city OF Mon
roe deposits. three banks, $500
72O; Green county's assessed valua-
ton. S65,000. 900; dairy industry in
vestment, S54,0O0,0o0: cattle invest
ment. S6.07S.400: valuation cheese
dow .prinS iDNi1I1
ing equipment, s1,757,00O; rural pur-
chasing power, being the producing
and livestock value, 1902 SOB.
Number OF cattle. 63,499; produc-
ing dairy COWS. $4,000; number of
licensed cheese factories, 15T; num-
Der of patrons, 2.lS2: condenseries,
4; creameries, 4: receiving sta
tions. %. Pounds OF cheese pro-
duced. 12.4o6,135. No American
cheese factories.
Population. Green county. $4,000.
Rural population. 1870. Farms
$3.50, of which 1929 are operated
land and buildings is $23,7S4, which
is higher than in any other county
in Wisconsin. Farm acreage $685.
026, acres in crops. including hay,
143,S07. Acres Of alfalfa, 5.932.
highest in Wisconsin. Leading silo
county Of the state. over 1000 silos.
October 2 and will be celebrated
as cheese days in Green county.
The event will be held at Monroe.
the county seat. where is located a
stock sales pavilion costing $4,000.
The Green County Holstein Breed
ers association will conduct a sale
of cattle.
4 + 4
site of Marshfeld was pine stumps.
II was an uninviting spot, but there
were many men who saw in 1t posi-
bilities. A city of nine thousand peo
pie has been built on what seemed
in former days a land that would
not grow weeds. II is a thriving
enterprising, handsome city, out OF
which are shipped each week from
thirty i've to forty carloads OF
American and DrIck cheese, all
made in the seventy factories in
OF the factories is 100000 pounds.
which measured in money amounts
10 more than $4,000, 900, the bulk Of
II going to the farmers. In 1915
the cheese production amounted to
100000 pounds. The increase in
the output has been greatly stimu
lated since that time The twelve
creameries in Wood county manu-
featured 100000 pounds of butter
in 1922. You can estimate the
amount of money that was dropped
into the pockets OF the farmers for
the butterfat they sold to those
creameries, Two years ago the
farmers received % cents for but
terfat that was sold to the cheese
factories. Now they are receiving
48 to 40 cents. There are so many
canning factories in Wisconsin that
it would be difficult TO enumerate
them. They all are making money
for their stockholders and the farm :
ers.
At Medford, a small town In
Taylor county, the creamery pro-
duces 100000 pounds of butter
annually. The creamery at Wis
consin Rapids, another city that has
grown up where comparatively
ured the earth as prominently as
warts on the hand of a small boy,
tuns out over 5000 pounds of butter
per day. The creameries in Wood
county, twelve in number, are
bringing into that zone about s3.-
900, 900 annually. From Marshfleld
three or four carloads of rich cream
are shipped to Philadelphia each
week. Nothing goes to waste in the
creamery at Marshfeld. Like the
packers who use up everything in
the hog but the squeai. this cream =
cry uses everything in the cream
and butterfat. The waste that for
merly was dumped into the sewer
is now manufactured into casien,
an ingredient that goes into the
making of glue and paper. The glue
factory at Marshfield consumes the
casien. There was a time when the
casein came from Central America
Three million cheese boxes are
manufactured In Marsnfeld, annu-
ally. This is another industry that
has created payroll In that city,
Other industries help to swell the
circulating medium daily.
Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids
are thirty-two miles apart and are
connected by a paved highway the
entire distance, which suggests that
It would be a mighty fine thing II
Mankato and st. Peter, lesser dis :
lance apart. could be thus linked
up, making an auto trip all the more
pleasant. Old Lizzie maze the run
between Marshfleld and Wisconsin
Falls in a few minutes. En- Jute
The Free Press representa- Ives
were given an opportunity to look
at the State Experimental station,