22 6 THE BUTTER INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES [450 



Table no. 25 shows that more than half of the total 

 amount of oleomargarine is produced in Illinois. Ohio is 

 second; Kansas, third, and Rhode Island fourth. The 

 greater part is of course produced by the packers. The 

 greatest number of retail dealers are found in New York 

 state, showing that this state consumes a large amount of 

 oleomargarine. Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey, and 

 Wisconsin also have a great many retail dealers that sell 

 oleomargarine and some of these are pronounced dairy 

 states. According to a statement 1 prepared by the U. S. 

 Treasury Department the amount of oleomargarine shipped 

 into the various states during the fiscal year ending June 

 30, 1899, shows that Illinois received 18,638,902 pounds; 

 Pennsylvania, 11,433,341 pounds; Ohio, 8,830,969 pounds; 

 and New Jersey, 5,875,975 pounds. Indiana, Rhode Island, 

 Missouri, Michigan, and Massachusetts also received from 

 two to three million pounds each. The records indicate 

 that most of the oleomargarine is consumed in parts of the 

 country well provided with transportation facilities and 

 that it is not principally consumed by " lumber jacks " or 

 in frontier regions. Oleomargarine is a food product that 

 is apparently steadily gaining favor with the masses every- 

 where. In 1887, over 21,000,000 pounds was produced in 

 the United States, and by 1914 the amount produced ex- 

 ceeded 141,000,000 pounds. 1 



WHOLESOMENESS OF OLEOMARGARINE 



Mege's process made use of carbonate of potash in ren- 

 dering oleo oil, and later American patents also used at 

 various stages in the manufacture in the oleomargarine such 

 acids as sulphuric, nitric, benzoic, salicylic, etc., and such 



1 Senate Report no. 2043, 56th Congress, 2d session, p. 90. 

 * Report of the U. S. Internal Revenue Commissioner. 



