80 ILLII!^OIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



knowing how much it costs to make a pound of cheese. In giving its cost 

 from our standpoint we shall differ somewhat from others who operate in 

 different locations where fuel, salt, labor, &c., may be higher or lower. Our 

 estimate will be upon one hundred pounds, made in a factory with an aver- 

 age capacity of five hundred pounds daily. 



Labor for making one hundred pounds of Cheese 60 Cents. 



Salt " " '• " 4 



Kennet " " " " 5 " 



Annotto •' "■ " " 2 " 



Bandage" *' " " 63^ " 



Grease and scalehoard " " 4 " 



Boxes for one hundred pounds of cheese 35 " 



Fuel for making one hundred pounds of cheese 12 " 



Interest, wear and tear oncost of factory 16 " 



To guarantee goods that may be poor from unavoid'ble cause 10 " 



Delivery to depot 4 " 



Cost of marketing, collecting and disbursing r.O " 



Insurance on building and contents 5 " 



Total $2,133^ 



In this estimate there is nothing but the actual cost set down. Should 

 the manufacturer get $2.50 per one hundred pounds, which we believe to 

 be the prevailing price, he has a margin of thirty-six and a half cents, 

 which would amount to $1.82i per day, or $666. 12i per year. 



There are some things in connection with the establishment of fac- 

 torys for the manufacture of cheese that are usually over looked, which we 

 will mention as justifying the manufacturer in demanding this profit and 

 even more. 



First, we mention the precariousness of his investment. He is com- 

 pletely in the hands of the milk producers, his buildings and fixtures are 

 good for nothing without milk. Should war or any other unforseen thing occur 

 that would make grain, beef or sheep raising more profitable, the farmer 

 will turn his attention to that, and the factorymen's investment is gone. 

 Should a railroad pass through the neighborhood, creating (as it has in 

 three or four instances in our own neighborhood,) a more central place for 

 a factory the old one must go down. In many instances competing fac- 

 torys are built, encouraged by the farmer, that they may get a place nearer 

 by, where they may take their milk, thus cutting off the supply of milk 

 and reducing the old factory so low that his profits are all gone. This was 

 the case with the Sherwin and Webster factory ; it was the same with 

 factory "A" and factory "B," also the Switzer factory, all within five mil es 

 of this city. And we think could safely say of the thirty-six factorys that 

 are within ten miles of this city that not more than one-half are paying in- 

 stitutions. And, to speak of the men that have been first and foremost in 



