860 READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



An establishment somewhat different in character is the factory 

 of Lepelletier at Carentan, in Manche. This factory treats up to 

 30 tons of butter a day during the summer season, but very 

 much less in winter. Much of this butter they put into cold 

 storage, counting on a rise in price from summer to winter of 

 about 1 franc a kilo (8|- cents a pound). They count the cost 

 of cold storage as 5 centimes a kilo per month, or about 4 cents 

 a pound for eight months. They say that this is not done enough 

 to change the price. This establishment deals in all sorts of 

 milk goods, such as pasteurized cream, " homogenized " milk 

 for invalids, and also in fancy butter made at their special 

 creamery. So far as the bulk of the trade goes, however, it is 

 exactly the same as the Union des beurreries. 



The Bretel Brothers at Valognes in Manche do a business 

 very similar to this, but they deal almost solely in butter. Their 

 business is even larger than that of Lepelletier. 



Each of these three butter factories sells its product to Eng- 

 land in a different way. The Union des beurreries has a branch 

 office in London. Lepelletier's factory sells through an agent in 

 London who sells to wholesalers. The Bretel Brothers sell 

 through a large butter house in London (Lovell and Christmas), 

 which sells to wholesalers, retailers, and also to agents who sell 

 to wholesalers. Each of these three London houses is sole agent 

 for his particular butter in England. 



Very little, if any, French butter is sold outside of London, 

 however, for the Danish butter has practically monopolized the 

 rest of the country. These three London houses meet once a 

 week and decide at what price their butter shall be sold to the 

 grocer. Two of these houses (the Union des beurreries dc France 

 and the agent for Bretel Freres, namely, Lovell and Christmas) 

 sell both to retailers and to other wholesalers. When they sell to 

 retailers they charge their fixed price, say 1 2 s. a dozen pounds, 

 but when they sell to other wholesalers they give a rebate of 3 d. 

 on each dozen pounds bought, thus the wholesalers can make a 

 profit of only 3 d. a dozen pounds when they sell. 



We were able to find out the commission price to only one 

 of these firms. Lovell and Christmas get 3 per cent on the 



