Specific Marketing Problems 



27 



Table HI Average Prices Paid for Butterfat in 1917 



The prices paid for butterfat in various forms have been fairly 

 well in line with prices for dairy products in other sections, when 

 overhead charges and costs of operation are taken into consideration. 

 Evaporated milk, butter and cheese are the chief products turned out 

 by the manufacturing plants. Data collected from the creameries indi- 

 cate that the overrun in these plants varies from about 21 to 24^/2 per 

 cent. The quantity of cheese produced per 100 pounds of milk ranges 

 from about 7^ to 93^ pounds. In 1916 about 2.750,000 pounds of 

 butter and 1,100.000 pounds of cheese were collectively produced by 

 the creameries in the Valley. This does not include the butter and 

 cheese manufactured on the farm, but represents only that which was 

 produced by commercial plants specializing in the production of these 

 commodities. During the first nine months of 191 7 about 1,850,000 

 pounds of butter and 1,250,000 pounds of cheese were produced by the 

 same concerns. Only one grade of butter is turned out by each plant. 

 This butter is packed in one-pound cartons of the flat type customary 

 in the West. Full cream and half-skim cheese have been produced at 

 various times, although at the present time some of the creameries are 

 producing full cream cheese only. By far the greater part of the but- 

 ter and cheese produced in the Salt River Valley finds a market in the 

 Valley itself or in other parts of Arizona. Some butter goes to points 

 in New Mexico, to El Paso, Texas, and even as far as San Antonio 

 and Houston. Occasionally carloads of cheese have been placed in 

 Los Angeles, while in 191 7 two carloads of cheese went as far East 

 as Philadelphia. The principal market, however, for butter and cheese 

 is within the State borders of Arizona, and of that sold within State 

 borders about two-thirds of the butter and one-half of the cheese is 

 sold outside the Salt River Valley in the mining centers of the State. 



One of the heaviest charges which the dairymen in the Valley 

 have to pay is that for the collection of butterfat. More than half of 

 the milk and cream which is handled by the creameries and evaporating 

 plants is gathered on motor trucks operated by these plants. As might 

 be expected, with plants doing a competitive business, the various col- 



