425] BUTTER PRICES 201 



ing as the one or the other is encouraged by the farmer 

 through his scheme of farm management for the year. 



In view of the fact that Chicago is the distributing center 

 for the butter produced in the North Central states — the 

 butter belt of the country — the receipts of butter at Chicago 

 must represent the movement of production. Diagram VIII. 

 shows the fluctuation in the yearly receipts of butter and 

 cheese at Chicago. 



As previously stated there is a tendency for the supply of 

 cheese to be more fixed than that of butter, owing to the 

 fact that the supply of butter can be more readily adjusted 

 to the price conditions. The diagram shows a general 

 growth in the amount of butter passing through Chicago. 

 Receipts of cheese increased from 1893 to 1901, decreased 

 from 1 901 to 1907, and after 1907 increased slightly. In 

 America more attention is being paid to the manufacture 

 of butter. The habit of eating cheese is growing in this 

 country but the demand for this product in recent years has 

 been largely satisfied by imports. A marked change in the 

 exports and imports of cheese came in 1902. Prior to that 

 year the exports greatly exceeded imports, but after 1903 

 the imports steadily increased. In 191 3 only a little over 

 2,000,000 pounds were exported while over 40,000,000 

 pounds were imported. 1 This change in the export and im- 

 port trade has an important effect upon the movement of 

 cheese at Chicago, and explains why receipts of cheese show 

 less growth than receipts of butter, in spite of the fact that 

 the per capita consumption of cheese has increased. The 

 following statement shows the relation of these two dairy 

 products both as to per capita production 2 and per capita 

 consumption : 3 



1 Reports of Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United State?. 



1 From Bulletin 177, U. S. Department of Agriculture, by Eugene 

 Merritt. 



3 Computed from Census and Reports of Foreign Commerce and 

 Navigation of the United States. 



