420 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



paper for such prints should receive a stamp, from the state com- 

 missioner and no one would be allowed to use such a stamp except 

 by instruction of the state dairy and food commissioner. 



CONDITION OF BUTTER MARKET. 



For the past twelve months the butter market has averaged some- 

 what lower than for the preceding year. Late in the year 1913, 

 large shipments of foreign butter began to arrive which, taken in 

 connection with rather a large amount of storage butter held in 

 freezers, had a depressing effect on trade conditions. The demand 

 for strictly fancy butter remained quite keen throughout the year, 

 undergrades suffering because of the foreign competition. Very 

 little of the butter received from New Zealand, Australia, Argen- 

 tine or Siberia, has been good enough to compete with the best 

 American butter. This condition has caused a wide range of prices 

 between the grades offered and on December 15, 1913, the best 

 butter was quoted on the New York market at 37c while seconds 

 would not sell for more than 27c. 



Creameries receiving poor raw material have found it difficult 

 to operate at a profit owing to the low price received for poor 

 grades of butter. This has resulted in an extraordinary effort be- 

 ing put forth to obtain a better grade of raw material and the out- 

 side competition, which appeared at first as a calamity, will result 

 in an improved quality. Figures received from 506 creameries re- 

 porting indicate that the average quality of butter has again shown 

 improvement over the preceding year. 



The creameries of Iowa manufactured 92,865,921 pounds of 

 butter which sold for $29,513,902.27, an average of 31.78c per 

 pound. For the year preceding, the butter sold for 1.51c more 

 than the average price quoted for extras, while for this year the 

 butter brought 1.81c above the average quotation. This would 

 indicate that the butter, selling on the same basis, was .3c per 

 pound better value than in 1913. This increase seems small but 

 when applied to the entire output amounts to $278,597 which, after 

 all, is a mighty good return for the money and effort expended in 

 securing the better quality. 



