184 
Mepoj-t on the Cheese Factory System ; 
100 lbs. more to work up milk under this plan, then, ns a cow will make 
400 lbs., which wonkl make the additional expense 1 dollar per cow, the 
saving to the farmer would be 1 dollar 50 cents on each cow, which, with 
other advantages mentioned, would throw the argument in favour of the 
branch system. 
" In conclusion, I will say to those who are about to build, imless you 
adopt the branch system, do not build too large. I have been on the road for 
the last three months, and have exchanged views on this point with a large 
number of manufacturers. It is the prevailing opinion that the day of drawing 
milk long distances is rapidly coming to a close. From a mile and a half to 
two miles is as far as it will be found feasible to draw it. This, as a general 
thing, will get together the milk of from 200 to 300 cows."* 
The foregoing extracts show with tolerable clearness the 
salient points in the economy of cheese-factory management, 
but as there still remain unexplained several points of detail in 
the organisation and working of a cheese-factory, I endeavoured 
last February to obtain the required information from practical 
men in America, with regard to one or more well-managed fac- 
tories with which they might be acquainted. In my letters I 
asked for information on the following subjects : — 
1. Number of cows (average). 
2. Size of buildings. 
3. Cost of buildings. 
4. Cost of machinery. 
, 5. Capital invested. 
6. Workpeople employed. 
7. Quantity of milk received. 
8. Distance (maximum and average) from which the milk is 
brought. 
9. Pounds of cheese made per annum. 
10. Charge for making — 
(«) the factory being owned entirely by the patrons. 
(b) the factory not being owned by patrons. 
11. Disposal of the whey. 
12. Average dividend to proprietors if other than the patrons. 
The following letters from Mr. X. A. Willard, Mr. A. L. Fish, 
Mr. J. R. Chapman, and Mr. A. Bartlett contain very valuable 
information on these points ; and I particularly desire to draw 
attention to Mr. Willard's admirable exposition of the par- 
ticulars required, as it seems to cover nearly the whole ground 
required by those who desire to attempt the establishment of 
cheese factories in England : — 
Little Falls, Herkima, County New York, March 19, 18G9. 
Dear Sir, — I now take up your letter of February 10, and 
will try and answer your enquiries in the order in which they 
* In England it would pet together the milk from about 600 to 1000 cows at a 
moderate computation. — II. M. J. 
