20 



BULLETIN 109, V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



REVIEW OF THE 1916-17 COLD-STORAGE SEASON FOR AMERICAN 



CHEESE. 



The Bureau of Markets began issuing reports on American cheese 

 on September 1, 1916. This month's holdings represented practically 

 the total quantities stored by the 290 storages which reported. They 

 showed a total stock of 45,069,014 pounds, which was about 3 per cent 

 Jess than the quantity stored in the previous season. However, this 

 was the first report issued by the bureau. regarding the stocks of this 

 product, and the cooperation of all the cold-storage warehouses had 

 not yet been secured ; therefore this percentage may not be as accurate 

 as the percentages secured in later reports.. 



The accompanj^ing tabulation (Table 6) shows the holdings of 

 September 1, segregated by sections, and the percentage of the hold- 

 ings that were stored in each section. It will be observed that the 

 Middle Atlantic States held 33.5 per cent of the total holdings. This 

 section includes the great producing district of New York State and 

 the holdings of the great distributing center of New York City. The 

 producing district in the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota is divided 

 between the sections of North Central east of the Mississippi River 

 and North Central west of the Mississippi. The great difference 

 between the holdings of these two sections is accounted for by the 

 quantity held in Chicago, as the warehouses in that city held 16.7 per 

 cent of the total holdings. 



Tarle 6. — Cold-storage lioUJings of American cheese as reported on Sept. J, 1916. 



Section. 



New England 



Middle Atlantic 



S.uth Atlantic 



North Central (east). 

 North Central (west) 



South Central 



Western (north) 



Western (south) 



Total 



Storages 

 reporting. 



Pounds. 



.368, 958 

 019, IXA 

 090,844 

 348, 859 

 111,458 

 623,411 

 917,071 

 088, 149 



Percent- 

 age in each 

 section. 



11.9 

 43.5 

 4.6 

 20.8 

 G.9 

 1.2 

 2.0 

 9.1 



100. 



The accompanying chart (fig. 8) shows the relative holdings on the 

 first of each month during the season, using 100 per cent as the base 

 representing the holdings of September 1. It shows that the cheese 

 was placed in storage during the months of May, June, July, and 

 August. More was stored during July than in any other month, 

 about 40 per cent of the season's total holdings being placed in storage 

 during that month. One- fourth of the holdings Avas stored during 

 June and one-eighth during the month of August. The distribution 

 of the stock extended over the months of September to April, inclusive, 



