BUEEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 331 



ougl) study of the cost of producing milk under average farm condi- 

 tions. Little definite information is available on this subject. 



DAIRY MANUFACTURING INVESTIGATIONS. 



The work relating to dairy manufactures, in charge of Mr. S. C. 

 Thompson, includes the inspection of butter, advice and assistance 

 in the management of creameries and other dairy manufacturing 

 enterprises, and the study of processes and products, from the com- 

 mercial standpoint. 



MARKET INSPECTION OF BUTTER. 



Butter has been inspected on the markets of New York, Chicago, 

 and San Francisco, but there has been no inspector at Chicago since 

 May 1. In New York 2,200 inspections were made, in Chicago 1,973, 

 and in San Francisco 170. 



There is considerable doubt as to the benefits that the creameries 

 derive from this work. The examination of 1,058 reports on butter 

 from 164 factories shows that in the cases of 30 factories an improve- 

 ment in quality followed, deterioration in quality followed in 35 

 factories, and in 99 factories there was practically no change. The 

 demand for inspection seems to come more frequently from the but- 

 ter dealers than from the creameries. The information which market 

 inspection gives of the condition of butter Avhen it arrives on the 

 market is essential to the best work on the part of the creamery, but 

 market conditions under which inferior butter brings a good price 

 render the creamery operators more or less indifferent to the quality 

 of their output. The advisability of discontinuing this work is being 

 considered. 



CREAMERY MANAGEMENT. 



Many creameries neglect some elements of business management 

 "which should be carefully attended to, such as securing proper over- 

 run, preventing leaks, securing good raw material, and marketing 

 to the best advantage. 



Reports from 1,500 creameries indicate a loss from abnormally low 

 overrun amounting to $1.391.G10.98 in the four States of Minnesota, 

 Wisconsin. Iowa, and Michigan. On the basis of these reports from 

 creameries advice has been given by correspondence, where occasion 

 for it was shown, regarding needed improvements in methods of 

 operation, with a view to stopping these losses. 



From the same four States 3,420 shipments of butter were inspected 

 during the last calendar year, of which only 17.5 per cent graded 

 " extras " or above, while 82.5 per cent graded below extras, the dif- 

 ference in price causing an apparent loss to the creameries of 

 $104,101.38. The low grading was due in greater or less part to 

 defective cream in 85 iier cent of the cases and to poor workmanship 

 in 40 per rent, whieh indicates that, while inferior workmanship 

 holds down the quality of butter to a large extent, the chief cause 

 of poor butter is inferior cream. 



Circulars touching on some phase of the creamery industry have 

 been prepared and sent out each month to the creameries on our active 



