CHAPTER XV. 



STATISTICS AND ECONOMICS OF THE DAIRY 

 INDUSTRY. 



The dairy industry in its development has fully 

 kept pace with other industries and with the pop- 

 ulation. The total number of milch cows has in- 

 creased between two and three fold since 1850, 

 though in 1890 there were slightly fewer cows in 

 proportion to the population than in 1850. But while 

 the number of cows has not increased faster than the 

 population, their product has materially done so. 

 This is seen in the average yield per cow and in 

 the increase in the production of butter and cheese. 

 In 1850 the average yield per cow was 166% gallons. 

 This had increased in 1890 to 315.4 gallons, or 

 nearly 100 per cent. The total production of butter 

 was nearly four times as much in 1890 as it was in 

 1850, and the production of cheese slightly less than 

 2% times as much. 



The various details of this development are well 

 shown in the following tables, compiled from the 

 United States Census reports by the Dairy Division 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture :* 



*U. S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Animal Industry, Bulletin No. 11 (Dairy 

 No. 1). 



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