406 



NEW ENGL.VND FARMER. 



Sept. 



temporary, and hoped that upon the cessation 

 of strife, prices would at once tumble down to 

 old rates, if not fall below them. But the 

 yeomen soldiery have been back to their farms 

 four years, and the prices of other products 

 are gradually receding to former rates, while 

 butter sells readily at an advance of 100 to 

 150 per cent. 



What are the causes of the high rates ? Are 

 they found in increased exportation, unwonted 

 speculations or severe drouths? These sev- 

 erally and combined have helped to raise the 

 prices ; but they have only a temporary influ- 

 ence upon the market, and do not account for 

 the continuation of high prices. 



The real cause lies beyond, and is of a more 

 permanent character. It is found in the 

 changed relation of production to consump- 

 tion. In looking for this change, it should be 

 remembered that while we are multiplying 

 farms through the forests and over the prairies 

 of the West and South, at unprecedented ra- 

 pidity, good dairies do not multiply at the 

 same rate. The manufactire and sale of but- 

 ter requires an amount of neatness, care and 

 labor, to which the conveniences and habits of 

 the pioneer, grain producer and stock raiaer 

 in our new country are illy suited. It is no 

 rare occurrence for farmers in Texas and 

 throughout the South, who count their cattle 

 by fifties and hundreds, to buy northern but- 

 ter. The best dairies are confined to the 

 older t^tates. In them, fifteen and twenty 

 years ago, butter commanded prices which 

 returned small profits to the producer ; it paid 

 smaller profit than other products which re- 

 quired less labor and care. Farmers in Ver- 

 mont could get as much for one pound of 

 wool as for four and five pounds of butter. 

 Dairymen saw that the butter market was 

 over-supplied, and began to turn their atten- 

 tion to other things. To htlp on this change, 

 the young men and women began to leave the 

 farms for the cities, the villages and the Wv.'st, 

 in such numbers that farmers' wives could not 

 do the work of large dairies without dependmti 

 upon hired help ; and the common run of for- 

 eign help, which only could be obtained, made 

 very indifFt:rent dairymaids. Deficient in 

 help both witbin and without the house, there 

 was a two-fold reason for not increasing the 

 dairy. 



But the figures show an actual decrease in 

 some States. By the census of 18G0, New 

 Hampshire produced 20.29:i pounds less than 

 she did in 1850. Massaclmsetts made in 1845 

 nearly four millions pounds of butter more 

 than she did in 1865 The next census will 

 exhibit a marked falling off in many oher lo- 

 calities, for during the present decade, means 

 for disposing of the milk at the farm have 

 largely increased. The rapid growth of the 

 villages and cities calls for a larjje amount of 

 milk, and which is annually increasing. Cars 

 and whole trains are now loaded with milk in 



towns and counties where butter was formerly 

 made. 



The quantity of milk used in the cctndensing 

 establishments is no small item. But the 

 greatest check to increasing the, quantity of 

 butter will be found in the cheese factories, 

 which are so successfully going into operation 

 in the best dairy sections of the couniry. 

 Where the multiplication of cheese factories 

 will end, it is impossible to foretell ; but since 

 cheese can be made with less labor than but- 

 ter, it is pretty certain the cheese factory will 

 take precedence to the butter factory, even 

 should butter be made upon the factory sys- 

 tem. 



While these means are operating to prevent 

 milk to be made into butter, the number of 

 cows is increasing slowly, — by no means at a 

 rate to meet the wants of a rapidly increasing 

 population. Farmers still prefer to keep 

 sheep, raise colts or cattle, fatten stock, sell 

 hay and grain, — do anything rather than in- 

 cumber themselves with the labor and care 

 of a large dairy. In 1860 New Hampshire 

 showed a gain of only 603 cows for ten years. 

 In 1865 the leading dairy county of Massa- 

 chusetts, — Worcester, — returns a decrease of 

 3890 cows and heifers, and the whole State, 

 although abounding in local markets, chows a 

 loss of 9624 for the same period. 



Thus the production of butter has received 

 a decided check, while the consumption is in- 

 creasing at a tremendous rate, 'ihtreisthe 

 natural increase of our native population, 

 swelled by dady accessions from foreign lands, 

 rhese emigrants, it is true, have not been 

 accustomed to rich living. To the majority, 

 perhaps, butter has ever been a luxury ; but 

 they quickly come to regard it as a prime ne- 

 cessitv. The freedman, too, must now be 

 reckoned with the consumers ; for he is fond 

 of good things. Having (he right of cutting 

 his own bread, he will desire to see a little 

 butter upon it. Then the fact that Americans 

 are yearly becoming more luxurious in their 

 tastes and given to high living and conse- 

 (juently greater consumers of this article, must 

 not be overlooked. The consumption is in- 

 creasing faster than at any other period, and 

 it need not occasion surprise if the market is 

 always active, whatever prices may prevail. 



With this view of the subject, it is evident 

 that good butter will command high prices for 

 some time to come. It may be made upon 

 the factory system, or farmers' children may 

 be persuaded to remain at home, fully con- 

 vinced that work about the farm and in the 

 dairy room is just as healthy, improving and 

 respectable as weaving, spinning, binding hats, 

 stitching shoes, and the like. The fathers' 

 and mothers' hands thus strengthened, large 

 dairies may be more common. Whatever 

 course the high prices stimulate farmers to 

 pursue, it will re(|uire a vigorous, general, 

 and continued effort to make the production 

 keep pace with the consumption. 



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