332 ANNUAL KEPORT. 



liave moulded it into blooming flowers, with delicate tracery, as 

 with the chisel of a Phidias. There are about one hundred 

 creameries in ojieration, many of which are large establishments. 

 The butter product of 1883 was about 22,000,000 pounds, and of 

 cheese 750,000 pounds, yielding a sum of fully .i<l,000,000. 



The butter prizes taken at this exposition mark an era in the 

 liistory of our State. They are but resulting incidents of great 

 fundamental facts. There was no element of chance in these 

 awards. They flow from certain prerequisite conditions — the 

 quality of grasses, the purity of water, climatic conditions and 

 skill in manufacture. Butter is now as scientifically tested as 

 sugar. There can be no mistakes. In the taking of this sweep- 

 stakes premium our butter came in competition with the first 

 premium butter in every class, including creamery, dairy, local 

 and all otheis. The competition was abundant and severe. The 

 judges were expei'ts from all parts of the country, and satisfac- 

 tory to all exhibitors. The packages examined were stripped of 

 •every mark of identification and the severest tests were apiilied. 

 l»V^hat we won Ave won upon merit. And it is here worthy of 

 Temark that the only other package claiming almost equal merit 

 was also from Minnesota, presented by X. Olsen, of Spring Val- 

 ley, and which lost the sweepstakes prize by only half a point. 

 To W. H. Patten & Co., of Le Seuer, belongs the distinguished 

 lionor of receiving the grand sweepstakes prize, with a gold 

 medal and $150 in cash. The stimulus which this great result 

 ^'ill give to a growing and noble industry in our State will alone 

 amply comi)ensate for all the money we have expended in this 

 exposition. The total amount of dairy premiums awarded to 

 Minnesota was -$1,589.50. In cheese we took four premiums, 

 with only two factories represented. 



The timber interests formed one of the earliest and most solid 

 interests of our State. It employs millions of capital and thou- 

 sands of men. It has built up parts of the northern portions of 

 Minnesota with energetic and prosperous towns and villages. It 

 has inspired the building of railroads. We have not less than 

 two hundred and forty-five sawmills in the State, and many of 

 these are among the largest in the world. Some idea of the ex- 

 tent of this industry can be had, when I state that in 1883 we cut 

 more than one billion of feet, and very nearly the same in 1884. 

 This does not include the enormous output in shingles and lath. 

 The total value of this yield is put at $17,000,000. 



Nor is Minnesota wanting in true mineral wealth. She pos- 



