36o 



Wisconsin Dairy Factories. 



which practically establishes the peonage system just 

 described, although the labourer is free to go where he likes 

 and to work when he likes, provided he is out of debt 



Dairy Factories in Wisconsin. 



In the summer of 1897, the Asfricultural Experiment Station 

 of Wisconsin undertook a special inquiry into the condition 

 of the cheese and butter industry in that State, and the 

 following information has been extracted from the report of 

 the results of this inquiry. It was ascertained that the 

 number of cheese factories and creameries in operation in 

 Wisconsin in 1896 was 2,522, of which 1,571 were cheese 

 factories and 951 were creameries. The investigation of 1897 

 was confined to 156 of these establishments. 



It appears that the Wisconsin cheese factories are for 

 the most part small and poorly equipped. Of 104 visited 

 in connection with the inquiry it was found that 86 

 belonged to private owners, 10 were owned by co-operative 

 societies of farmers, and in six cases the farmers owned the 

 buildings and the operators the machinery. The total number 

 of farmers supplying milk to the 104 factories was 2,837, ^.nd 

 the average daily milk supply was 414 gallons for each 

 factory, some of the smaller establishments receiving only 

 from 100 to 200 gallons daily, while a few others dealt with as 

 much as 700 to 900 gallons daily. The number of cows per 

 factory was not ascertained in all cases, but for 66 factories 

 in which these particulars were known the average was 236 

 cows. The average daily milk yield of the 15,571 cows supply- 

 ing these 66 factories was 172 gallons per cow, the range being 

 from under i gallon to 3 gallons per day. Fifty-six of the 

 factories paid for the milk according to its fat contents, and 

 the milk supplied gave an average fat contents of 3 61 per 

 cent., while in 38 other cases in which the milk was tested, 

 but not paid for according to its percentage of fat, the 

 average fat contents were 3-54 per cent. 



American cheddar is the principal variety of cheese made 

 in the Wisconsin factories, but brick and Svx^iss cheeses are 



