COST OF BUTTER AOT) CHEESE MA DTP. FROM CORN. 273 



this article per cow is much larger than that of butter, 

 and the relative value proportionally less. It is found 

 that on the same amount of feed, a cow will produce 

 from two to three times more cheese than butter. 

 This ratio is not uniform nor constant, but varies with 

 the breed of the cow, etc. On a general average, it 

 is estimated by many farmers, that a cow will give 

 two and a half pounds of cheese for one pound of 

 butter. Some others make the proportion about 

 two to one. If we assume the latter to be the 

 true proportion, it will bring the cost of cheese to 

 three and one-fourth cents per pound, when the 

 farmer charges his corn at one dollar per bushel, and 

 the stalks at six dollars per ton, or to two cents per 

 pound, when the corn and stover are charged at the 

 cost of production. After a fair allowance for the 

 expense of labor in preparing the feed, making the 

 cheese, etc., it would probably be found that the cost 

 of the latter would be about four or five cents per Ib. 



The above estimates for butter and cheese are 

 based on the methods of making them usually prac- 

 tised by farmers. But recent improvements have 

 been introduced, and plans adopted, that have a ten- 

 dency to modify and reduce the cost of production in 

 the case of these articles. They are now extensively 

 made by associations that have proved remarkably suc- 

 cessful in producing both cheese and butter, especially 

 the former, at a great advantage and with diminished 

 expense. 



The foreign demand also that has recently sprung 

 up for cheese made from skimmed milk cannot fail to 

 12* 



