ILLIKOIS dairymen's ASSOCIATION. 59 



Full cream cheese brought satisfactory prices during the summer. The 

 export demand was active during the spring and early summer, but was 

 somewhat checked later by the sharp advance in this country. We find no 

 more stock on hands now thnn will be taken between this and the coming of 

 the new make of next season, and the prices are high and likely to advance. 

 This state of the butter and cheese market I regard as a good omen for the 

 future. I see no reason why it may not be enduring. Nay, more ; I think 

 it can be much improved. Take out of the summer's make sev^^nty-five days' 

 production of skim cheese ^nd it leaves a Urg^ vacancy to be filled with good 

 full creams. And this is not all. Our home consumption, if not at a stand- 

 still, has not increased with our growth of population, owing, no doubt, to 

 the distrust that exists as to the quality of American che«-se. Many families 

 that used to consume cheese now seldom have it upon their tables, owii.g to 

 the difficulty of obtaining a Sitisfactory article. Should this be removed 

 there is no qu^ stion but that our home consumption of cheese could be 

 doubled in a short time. 



This could be done without expecting our people to become equal to the 

 English as a cheese eating population, for such will not be while mea s of all 

 kinds are so cheap in this cou "try. With a greatly increased h- ime co • i sump- 

 tion, and with the <-xport trade standing ready to take a goodly supply when 

 prices are low enough to offer inducements, I see no need of fear of an over- 

 production of good cheese. 



Furthermore, it is conceded that our worthless skims must be consumed, 

 if consumed at all as human food, while they are yet young. This fact cuts 

 off all chance of holding for future use by cold storage. Not so vvith full 

 creams. They can be held successfully from July clear into the winter and 

 come out as fine as a fastidious taste could nsk for. I knov) this can be done, 

 having recently been using upon my own ta'le July cheese made at La Fox 

 by Potter & Barker, which is very satisf dctory. This I consider a strong plea 

 in favor of go d summer cheese. 



The consumptive demand for good butter is continually on the increase 

 in this country, while the poorer sorts are as certainly nes>lected. The high 

 price of the good stands not in the way of its consumption. Our people are 

 no longer poor and comp^^lled to eit cheap butt-r or none. They w^ant the 

 best and are able and willing to pay for it. Taking this fact and putting 

 with it our natural increase of population and adding to that our won- 

 derful immigration from the old world, we can see a magnificent opportunity 

 for the absorption of our dairy products. There certainly can be no danger 

 of an over-production of good butter and good cheese. 



Let us now consider this question : How shall the manufacture of butter 

 and cheese during the summer months be distributed among the different 

 factories ? In discussing this question we must consider the urgent needs of 

 the heavy dairy sections of the northwest in the matter of recruiting the 

 dairy herds. 



It is a constant regret among good dairymen that they cannot success- 

 fully raise the calves from their best milking stock, while they supply milk 

 the year around to butter and cheese factories. At least they inclme to think 

 they cannot do so without loss in dollars and cents, arising from retaining a 

 portion of their milk for their calves. As a result, most dairies in the region 



