ILLINOIS DAIRYMBNS ASSOCIATION. 97 



found upon the tables of the rich and poor as butter, and the same should 

 be said of cheese- 



Dairy products are indispensable to our people and should be classed as 

 necessary luxuries. When our people are informed as to the comparative 

 value of cheese and meat, and appreciate the fact that one pound of average 

 good cheese contains as much nutriment as two pounds of fresh beef, there 

 should be such an increase in the demand for cheese in Illinois that the 

 facilities for making it would have to be largely increased to supply the 

 demand in this State. The taste of our people is influenced somewhat by 

 the condition of their finances but more by fashion or custom, and fre- 

 quently prejudice and habit has much to do with our preferences and appe- 

 tites. All present can remember the effort made to acquire a taste for cer- 

 tain articles of food now highly relished, and such a wholesome, palatable 

 and economical article of food as cheese should be no exception to this rule. 



It is, however, the exception when a person is found that does not like 

 cheese. The small quantity of cheese consumed per capita is evidence that 

 the citizens of this State are not patronizing this home industry, much to 

 the disadvantage of health and our pecuniary resources. 



The home demand for cheese can be largely increased by a systematic 

 effort on the part of the Illinois Dairymen's Association and friends of this 

 industry. 



It is suggested as a means of calling attention to this matter, that a num- 

 ber of short, crisp articles on this subject be prepared and sent to the papers 

 of this State, say one each month, with a request from this Association that 

 the item appear. A systematic effort in this direction in due time would 

 have the effect to largely increase the demand for cheese, and add largely to 

 the importance of this industry in Illinois. The supply of cheese can be in- 

 creased to meet any paying demand, and the important question is, the cre- 

 ation of a larger and more profitable market for this product. 



The majority of our people are not very much interested in statistics and 

 soon tire in the work of examining long columns of figures, and for these 

 reasons the statistical part of this paper has been retained for the finale. 



The extent of the dairy interests of this State can be determined for the 

 closing year by an examination of the following table, which gives the quan- 

 tities of butter, cheese and milk reported in each county in the State, as 

 shown in the last census. The estimated values are approximately correct. 



The increased interest in this industry, from year to year, will enable all 

 interested to estimate the larger product for the present year. 



The returns show that Illinois had 865,913 cows, and was exceeded in 

 number only by New York. 



The number of pounds of butter made in this State in 1880 was 53,657,943, 

 which amount was exceeded that year only by the States of 'New York, Penn- 

 sylvania and Ohio. 



The number of pounds of cheese made in Illinois in 1880 was 1 ,035,069. 

 This amount was less than that reported for California, Iowa, Maine, New 

 York, Ohio, Vermont and Wisconsin, 



