42 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
livered to factories in this state during the months of May, June, July 
and August, did not bring to the dairymen, on an average, over 
four cents per gallon. Dairymen must do better than that or quit the 
business, if they wish to avoid bankruptcy, for milk cannot, without 
loss, be produced at that price. 
Prices, I am aware, were low for good cheese last summer but 
were they so depressed as to account for such low dividends ? A 
gallon of pure milk is sufficient, under the most favorable circum¬ 
stances (and dairymen should carry on, or cause to be carried on, the 
business under the most favorable circumstances), to make a pound of 
first-rate, full-milk (or cream, as it is called) cheese. Such cheese 
could have been sold on the board of trade, during the months of 
June, July, August and September, at an average of at least eight 
cents per pound, as I am advised by a gentleman thoroughly con¬ 
versant with the transactions on the board of trade. The charge for 
making, boxing and marketing cheese say was 2£ cents per pound ; 
deduct this from 8 cents (the market price) and there is 5| cents left 
—that is 5| cents per gallon for the dairyman for his milk, for the 
months of May, June, July and August. This is 1} cents per gallon 
more than was received for probably two-thirds of the milk furnished 
the factories during those months. Dairymen need not be told that 
a difference of 1J cents per gallon is an important matter to them. 
A pound of good butter can generally be made from gallons of 
pure milk. I am advised that during said months such butter, on the 
average, could have been sold on the board of trade for 23 cents. 
Deduct from this 5 cents for making and marketing, and there re¬ 
mains 18 cents ; that is 18 cents for 2 \ gallons, which is 7^ cents per 
gallon. These calculations, based upon correct data as I think, dem¬ 
onstrate that even at the low prices of last summer dairymen did not 
realize what they ought for their milk. A just estimate of the loss 
sustained by them would astonish even the most thoughtful dairy¬ 
man. Now why this loss ? 
It may be difficult, if not impossible, to assign the true reasons 
for it. The main reasons are probably as follows : 
1. The milk was defective. 
2. The handling and manufacturing it was uneconomical and 
wasteful. 
3. The products were deficient in quantity. 
4. The products were deficient in quality. 
