92 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



milk, many patrons, instead of bringing cream as formerly, have 

 brought whole milk, the skim milk being made into cottage cheese 

 and condensed skim milk. The patrons of the creamery have re- 

 ceived good prices for their milk and cream. In the last fiscal year 

 as compared with the preceding year the average number of patrons 

 increased from 414 to o34; the quantity of whole milk purchased 

 increased from 2,081,314 to 4,003,804 pounds; cream purchased, from 

 1,042,244 to 1,085,891 pounds; butterfat churned, from 425,084 to 

 506,498 pounds: cottage cheese manufactured, from 139,585 to 

 352,825 pounds; condensed skim milk, from 506,832 to 647,756 

 pounds; the average price paid for butterfat rose from 47.2 cents to 

 55.6 cents a pound and the average price paid for skim milk from 57 

 cents to 81.6 cents per hundred pounds. 



CHEESE-FACTORY EXTENSION. 



As a result of the cheese-factory extension work in the mountainous 

 sectioQs of the South 1 1 new factories were organized durin*^ the fiscal 

 year, maldng a total of 41 in operation in the South. Most cheese 

 factories built in previous years have shown satisfactory growth and 

 development and are providing an outlet for dairy products in regions 

 remote from transportation facilities. The quahty of southern cheese 

 is generally satisfactory and there is a good demand for it. 



In the Western States the cheese work has been confined largely to 

 increasing the efficiency of operation and improving the quality of the 

 product rather than organizing new factories. In spite of the diffi- 

 culties caused by unsettled conditions and the changing of cheese- 

 makers, considerable progress has been made toward producing a high 

 quality of cheese. 



INSPECTION OF BUTTER FOR THE NAVY. 



The quantity of butter contracted for by the Navy Department has 

 been increased from 2,700,000 pounds in 1917 to more than 8,000,000 

 pounds for 1918. This butter is being made under careful inspection 

 in 90 factories scattered through Iowa, Minnesota, California, Michi- 

 gan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. As in previous yesivs, the manu- 

 facture of the butter is supervised by the inspectors of the Dairy 

 Division. The butter is made from pasteurized, unripened sweet 

 cream and is of high quality, uniform grade, and good keeping quali- 

 ties. The demand by the Navy for first-class butter has done much 

 to stimulate creameries throughout the country to improve the 

 quality of their product. 



INSPECTION OF EENOVATED-BUTTER FACTORIES. 



The number of renovated-butter factories has decreased from 19 

 at the beginning of the fiscal year to 16 at its end. Only 19,405,672 

 pounds of renovated butter was made during the year, of which 17,340 

 pounds was exported. During 1917 the product amounted to 

 27,542,015 pounds. The quality of packing stock used during the 

 fiscal year 1918 was inferior to that of previous years. Suggestions 

 for improvement have been willingly accepted by the factories and a 

 general improvement has been made. 



