Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1870 [PAGE 395]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

381

York firkin of butter, is a better article than a good Illinois firkin, and that the scale is so arranged, that dealers understand GOOD Illinois to be a very indifferent article, and poor New York State to be a more desirable commodity. I think it quite likely there is some such design in the arrangement* of the scale, but were we looking for an argument more cogent than any we have offered to prove our correctness, this, (which is the very one reporters would furnish us), is that which I should select, that is that the scale is so arranged as to deceive. Another objection to quoting dairy products of the west by the State or section from whence they come, is the very important one that they are often wrong with regard to the average quality of the make in the different localities. If we are to have quotations by States, counties, etc., (which we protest against), the least we can expect is, that they show some measure of correctness. I noticed last summer that some of the weekly circulars issued in different eastern cities, quoted Illinois and Wisconsin butter at the bottom of the list—the poorest and the lowest priced. All the States west of us took a higher rank in this article, according to some few of the " wise menof the east." Now, we know that in the whole territory west of the great lakes, there is no richer country in fine, sweet grasses, and pure water, than theKock River Valley. We also know that in this Rock River Vail ey, we have farmers from New York, New England, and from Europe who are pre-eminently that class of people noted for making good butter and cheese. We know, that enterprise, intelligence, and untiring industry, have been at work for years making improvements in, and developing this magnificent industry; that we have more butter packed in the dairies, and less stone packed than in any other dairy country west of Buffalo, and that our cooperage, to say the least, is as good as that of any western State. To-day, in the cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, and many other places, the sign " Rock River Butter" over the produce dealer's door, is constantly to be found, and is a valuable advertisement. That a large portion of our butter is poorly handled, and much of it poor when it is first made, we do not deny, but the facts I present I hope show the absurdity of sectional quotations. I will farther illustrate the point briefly by some of my own personal expe. rience. I had a connection with a large butter and cheese house in St. Louis for some years. The house bought and sold butter from many of the dairying States of the Union, and on some occasions I remember when the house had bought New York State butter to supply its most fastidious customers, we have inspected the stock and selected out our choicest Rock River packages, putting them aside for those who were very difficult to please, and holding them a little higher than New York dairies. This, doubtless, will sound very trange to New York produce reporters, but yet it is nevertheless so. I would also remark here, that a factory of Illinois cheese sent to the same house during the fall of 1868, was held higher, and sold for more money than New York and Ohio factories purchased at the same time. One of the causes influencing the present mode of quotations is, that when New York State dairymen do not like to accept ruling prices, (and being gen-