202 THE BUTTER INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES [426 



19 10 1900 1890 1880 



Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. Pounds. 



Per capita production of butter . . . 17.6 19.6 19.1 16.1 



Per capita consumption of butter. . 17.5 19.4 18.7 16.8 



Per capita production of cheese... 3.5 3.9 4.1 4.8 



Per capita consumption of cheese . 3.9 3.5 2.7 2.3 



It is seen that both the per capita production and con- 

 sumption of butter run almost parallel. Per capita con- 

 sumption rises from 16.8 pounds in 1880 to 19.4 pounds in 

 1900 and declines to 17.5 pounds in 19 10. The figures in- 

 dicate that the production of butter in recent years has not 

 kept pace with the increase of population. The per capita 

 production of cheese has steadily declined from 1880 to 

 19 10, but the per capita consumption of cheese has steadily 

 increased during this period. The excess of consumption 

 of cheese over production has been supplied by imports in 

 recent years. 



In view of the fact that figures showing production of 

 dairy products are not available for a long series of years, 

 it is difficult to show the causes of changes in the yearly 

 amounts produced as well as the exact relation between 

 amounts produced and prices. It is believed, however, that 

 the receipts of butter at Chicago show fairly well the 

 changes in production. Approximately 75 per cent of the 

 butter shipped into Chicago is reshipped and distributed 

 throughout the country. In the North Central states, in 

 19 10, an excess of about 325,000,000 pounds over the 

 amount consumed was produced. About 200,000,000 

 pounds 1 of this quantity was consumed in the North At- 

 lantic states and the remainder in the South and West. 



The receipts of butter at Chicago have therefore been 

 taken to represent the supply, and to present clearly the 

 relation of supply to prices table no. 23 has been con- 



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



