482 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



ter. Prosecution has been started wherever evidence that the law- 

 was being violated could be secured and some of these cases have 

 resulted in fines being imposed on the violators. The number of 

 retail licenses issued for the sale of oleomargarine in this state for 

 the year ending June 30, 1909, was 347. 



The report shows 1,623 licenses issued for the year ending June 

 30, 1910, and 1,277 have been issued during the first four months 

 of the present year. This statement gives a fair idea of the growth 

 of the oleomargarine business in the state. 



CHEESE. 



The last report issued from the Dairy Commissioner's office con- 

 tained a list of nine cheese factories which were in operation. Only 

 five factories reported for the past year and the amount of cheese 

 given is slightly less than 300,000 pounds. 



The cheese factories have never been able to successfully com- 

 pete with butter-making plants in this state, and the make of cheese 

 has steadily decreased for several years. The extreme care neces- 

 sary in the handling of milk for the production of cheese, coupled 

 with the fact that the average farmer depends on skim milk as 

 feed for his calves and pigs, is no doubt largely responsible for the 

 lack of interest in cheese production. 



