United States Milling Industry. 395 



article in question. This identity will be preserved and pro- 

 tected in the case of all renovated butter hereafter exported, 

 as far as the jurisdiction of the United States extends. 



Importers and merchants in other countries who may handle 

 this class of butter are respectfully solicited to co-operate with 

 the United States Department of Agriculture in preserving and 

 protecting the official markings, and thus to assist in this effort 

 to secure honesty in trade in this particular line of dairy 

 products. 



Milling Industry of the United States. 



The most rapid increase in the establishments engaged in 

 milling cereal products in the United States took place in the 

 period 1860-70, when the number rose from 13,868 to 22,573. 

 Between 1880 and 1890 there was a very marked decrease in 

 the number (from 24,338 to 18,470), due, not to any diminution 

 in the importance of the industry, as appears from the amount 

 of capital invested, but rather to the tendency to combine many 

 of the smaller mills into single large establishments. During 

 the last decade, on the other hand, there was again a large 

 increase in the number, the total in 1900 standing at 25,258. 

 Not only were many larger mills built, but there was also a 

 considerable increase in those of smaller capacity. 



The capital invested, calculated at ^45,565,000, showed only 

 a small increase over the previous investigation, while the 

 number of wage-earners and the total wages paid diminished 

 very considerably, owing, principally, to improved processes 

 in handling the grain and products, which lessened the amount 

 of manual labour required. The average wage, however, showed 

 a rise. The average number of wage-earners in employment 

 was 37,073 in 1900 as compared with 47,403 in 1890. 



