Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-12-05
LESS BUTTER
RAISES PRICE
Higher Price Encourages
Imports and Use of
Substitutes.
Outlook For Dairy Industry
in 1896 is More
Favorable.

The dairy industry, being one
of the principal modes of livli-
hood in this section, an analysis
of the situation as compared to
past years, production and stor-
age figures, is rather interesting
and is given in an article issued
by the Division of Agricultural
Economics, University Farm. St.
Paul. The article follows:
The averaee monthly wholesale
price per pound of 80 score butter at
New York for February. 1855 was
362 cents. This was the highest
price since October, 1880 when the
price was 40 cents. Starting with the
July, 1884 price of 24.5 cents, prices
rose steadily until February, then de-
clined to "a cents in July, 1885. The
price changes from month to month
during this period were abnormal.
The usual tendency is for butter
prices to rise from September to De-
cember and then decline more or
less steadily to midsummer The
monthly prices for the first four
months of 1885 were. January 34.2
cents, February 1862 cents. March 31.7
cents. and April 34.5 cents. or an av-
erage of 342 cents for the four
months The decline in price during
the next four months was likewise
unusual. the prices for these months
being May 27.3 cents, June 24.3 cents,
July $40 cents, and August $50 cents.
Since July. butter prices have risen
to go cents for October. The farmer
is interested in knowing why prices
rose so rapidly last fall and winter,
and why they declined so sharply
this summer.
The prolonged rise in butter prices
since July, 1884 xas largely due to
decline in production. Butter pro-
duction during 1894 and the early
part of 1885 was reduced by severe
drouth conditions which not only re-
duced the amount of feed available
but made necessary the government
cattle-buying program. The number
of milk cows on farms on January,
1880 was % million head. The num-
Der had increased to 26 million head
on January 1, 1884. an increase of
IS per cent in four years. January 1,
1885 found 25 million head On farms,
a decrease of per cent in one year.
A large proportion of this decrease
program which was inaugurated in
the summer Of 1884 because of the
unusual drouth The exact number
of dairy cattle so bought is not avail
able. The government program for
the control of tuberculosis and Bangs
of cattle but perhaps did not increase
the total number disposed of but rath-
er insured the elimination of diseased
cattle in the culling process.
Production Less.
Production per COW. as we'll as the
number of milk cows, was reduced.
The average annual milk production
per COW for the United States de-
creased from 4.309 pounds in 1882 to
AIS pounds in 1893 and 4,030 pounds
in 1884. decrease of 279 pounds, or
6.5 per cent in two years. This de-
crease reflects directly the effect of
the drouth of 1888 and 1894 on the
supply of feed available for milk pro-
duction-
The reduction in milk cows on
farms. and the reduction of milk pro-
duction per COW are reflected in a
decrease in butter production during
1884. Production during the year was
1.65S. 155. 900 pounds. the lowest since
1880 when 1885. 231 900 pounds were
produced. The 1884 production was
104. $4,000 pounds. or s per cent less,
than the 1.762. SIS. 900 pounds pro-
Continues on Page -