Let us again turn to the census of 1880, and see how the factory
product compares in amount and importance with the product of the
private dairy. It appears by the census of 1880 that the number of
pounds of dairy products made in factories was as follows:
Cheese made in factories 215,885,361 lbs.
Butter " " " 29,411,784 "
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Total factory product 245,307,145 lbs.
Cheese made on farms 27,272,489 lbs.
Butter " " " 777,250,287 "
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Total farm product 804,522,776 lbs.
Deduct factory product 245,307,145 "
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Excess of private dairy 559,215,631 lbs.
or considerably more than double the total factory product.
Now, let us make a comparison by values, calling the cheese 10 cents
and the butter 25 cents a pound. We made in factories:
Cheese, 215,885,361 lbs., @ 1Oc. $21,538,536
Butter, 29,411,784 lbs., @ 25c. 7,352,946
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Value of factory product $29,941,482
There was made in the private dairies:
Cheese, 27,272,489 lbs., @ 10c. $ 2,727,249
Butter, 777,250,287 lbs., @ 25c. 194,312,571
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Value of private dairy products $197,039,820
Deduct value of factory products 29,941,482
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In favor of private dairy $167,098,338
In short, the product of the private dairy is between three and four
times larger than that of the factory, and nearly seven times its
value. Important as the factory is and is likely to become, let us not
forget the private dairy nor overlook the home interest in striving for
a little foreign patronage.
Notwithstanding the fault with the census that is found by some, the
census is the most reliable source of statistical information about the
dairy that we have.