BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 177 



Contribution from the Bureau of Crop Estimates, L. M. Estabrook, Chief. 

 February 15, 1915. 



THE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY 



PRODUCTS. 



By Eugene Merritt. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



The changes in the geographic distribution of the population, in the 

 centers of agricultural production, and in the methods of transpor- 

 tation have had marked influence on the locahzation of the dairy- 

 industry. In early days the dairyman supplied demands within a 

 restricted area, but the development of railroads and refrigeration 

 has had considerable effect on the character of the dairy industry and 

 its locahzation. As a part of the agriculture of our country, dairying 

 has had to compete with other types of farming. Since the products 

 of the dairy may be consumed in the form of milk, butter, or cheese, 

 there is a Competition among them as to what form the consumption 

 will take. It is the purpose of this bulletin to caU attention to the 

 influence of the various factors mentioned above. 



PRODUCTION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



THE GENERAL SITUATION. 



In the last 40 years great changes have taken place in population, 

 in agriculture, and in the various phases of the dairy industry of 

 the United States. In 1870 the total population of the United States 

 was 38,600,000. By 1900 it had nearly doubled and by 1910 lacked 

 a little of being 92,000,000. The number of dairy cows had increased 

 from 9,000,000 in 1870 to nearly 21,000,000 in 1910. The rate of 

 increase for improved land was even greater than that of the popula- 

 tion or the dairy cows; in 1870 there were 190,000,000 acres, and in 

 1910, 480,000,000. The increase in the total butter production had 

 ])een even more marked, from 514,000,000 in 1870 to neajly three 

 times that amount, or approximately 1,020,000,000 pounds, in 1910. 

 (Jheese production, however, did not even double; the increase was 

 from 103,000,000 to 321,000,000 pounds. There have been marked 

 variations in the rat(!H of increase and th(^ relative importance of the 



Note.— This bulletin outlines the changes in the RcoKraphic distriljution of the dairy industry and gives 

 fnforni;itionfonr«minK the consumption of dairy i)roductson farms and incititw. It is of special iiitcrcstio 

 thfjsc enKa(,'''d in ;iny phikse of dairying or in the dLstrilmtion of liairy products. 

 731 W -Hull. 177-15 1 



