174 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



(6) The private domestic market. 



(c) Foreign markets. 



(d) Is not dairying in danger of being overdone? 



(a) General Domestic Market. — The bulk of New Eng- 

 land butter and cheese is sold on the general market, and 

 competes here with western-made goods. While this is true, 

 each year a larger proportion of the total New England make 

 is sold in the smaller markets and direct to private custom- 

 ers. There is much to say in favor of this trend of trade, 

 yet there is another side to the question, one which appeals 

 particularly to the dealer. I doubt if I can make this point 

 more clear than by quoting directly and at some length from 

 a letter received by me some time ago from a prominent Bos- 

 ton commission merchant : — 



Quotations and prices are established by large markets. The 

 markets are controlled or affected only by the merchandise that 

 constitute important factors in the daily transactions. Our local 

 creameries each year send a larger proportion of their product to 

 the small markets and what are called private customers. The 

 result is that New England made butter is becoming each year a 

 less important factor in the Boston and other large New England 

 markets. The time is not far distant when Boston will, like New 

 York, quote prices and establish values in reference to western 

 goods only, and the premiums heretofore paid for Vermont but- 

 ter will be a thing of the past. 



Another way of looking at this phase of the subject is this. 

 More and more each year regular wholesale dealers find that their 

 shippers send only such butter as the creameries cannot sell 

 directly. This causes the supply to be very variable and uncer- 

 tain. For instance, last week we received about 1,200 pounds 

 from one Vermont creamery that for several weeks had sent noth- 

 ing. We do not know whether this week we shall receive more, 

 less or nothing ; consequently we cannot plan in advance where 

 to dispose of the goods, and all our other shippers will have an 

 advantage over this one. Then, again, we cannot advocate the 

 merits of a creamery when we do not know whether or not we will 

 be able to supply our customer with that particular brand the 

 next time he has occasion to make a purchase. We can always 

 secure from the great west all that is needed, and of such quality 

 as is desired. This we cannot do with butter of local manufact- 

 ure to any such extent. Thus it is for the advantage of the 



