158 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



necessary, and I believe the quality question will eventually 

 Avork out to the advantage of every one. 



Ten years ago, according to the census report, about one- 

 third of the butter product of this countr}^ was manufactured 

 in creameries, — amounting to 420,000,000 pounds. The last 

 census shows that the amount of butter manufactured in cream- 

 eries is 624,000,000 pounds. I suppose this increase comes 

 largely from producers who formerly were manufacturing dairy 

 butter that are now patronizing the creameries. W'e have not 

 definite figures, but in my judgment the amount of butter 

 manufactured today is not much greater than ten years ago. 

 I am basing this assertion on the facts, — that the increased 

 population requires very much more milk for direct use, that 

 the ice cream industry uses greater quantities of cream, and 

 that the condensed and dried milk industry has practically 

 doubled. I have no doubt that the increase in the demand for 

 whole milk, the increase in the demand for cream for ice cream 

 purposes, and the increase in the amount of condensed and dried 

 milk, will make up for the increase in the number of cows in 

 the country. The cheese industry in the last ten years has 

 fallen off very slightly. I think the figures show a decrease of 

 about two per cent. In fact, the cheese of this country is now 

 made very largely in the states of New York and Wisconsin. 

 Cheese production in the State of Alaine has gradually dimin- 

 ished ; caused I presume by the high, prices that our creameries 

 are able to pay for the sweet cream product. Maine is certainly 

 fortunate in this product. When I say that I think the oppor- 

 tunities for dairying in Maine are most excellent, I base that 

 assertion on the fact that we are close to the very best markets 

 in this country, and that the sweet cream markets as a whole 

 will pay more for the product in such a form than in butter. If 

 we were to sell whole milk we would undoubtedly get a little 

 more money for it when close to the market, but we would 

 lose the valuable skim-milk which all dairymen prize. The 

 problem that confronts us today is how we are going to increase 

 the number of our cows, and increase it with the kind of cattle 

 we want to keep. And I know of no way that we can accom- 

 plish this except by breeding them ourselves, and breeding from 

 stock that we know is of good quality. When we do that then 

 the skim-milk is one of our greatest assets, and everything con- 

 sidered, the market for sweet cream is hard to beat. 



