In Proverbs, 30th chapter and 33d verse, he exclaims: "Surely, the
churning of milk bringeth forth butter." Isaiah, in the 7th chapter and
15th verse, declares of the coming Immanuel, that "butter and honey
shall he eat;" and again (22d verse) that "for the abundance of milk
that they shall give he shall eat butter."
IN SOUTHERN EUROPE.
Chambers says: "In ancient times, the Hebrews seem to have made
copious use of butter as food; but the Greeks and the Romans used it
only as an ointment in their baths, and it is probable that the Greeks
obtained their knowledge of the subject from the Scythians, Thracians,
and Phrygians, whilst the Romans obtained it of Germany." This would
indicate that the Germans at that time were engaged in dairying. But,
even now, in Southern Europe, butter is sparingly used, and in Italy,
Spain, Portugal and Southern France, it is sold by apothecaries as an
ointment. Dairying is now extensively carried on in all the countries
of Northern Europe.
IN AMERICA.
When the early settlers of America crossed the Atlantic, they brought
with them their favorite domestic animals, including the family cow.
But dairying for a long time, in this country, appears to have been
confined mainly to producing supplies for the family of the dairyman.
It was not until quite a recent date that dairying sprang into
commercial importance. But, to-day, dairying cannot be considered
second to any other industry as to either magnitude or importance; and
it is a patent fact that, in those sections where dairying is most
extensively and successfully carried on, the farming population is the
most prosperous and happy.
Within the last twenty years, since associated dairying has been
introduced, great progress has been made in the dairy--but not greater
than in many other occupations, nor out of proportion with the growth
of population. The growth of the dairy will probably never exceed the
growth of population so long as the present heavy tide of immigration
continues to set toward our shores.
FIGURES FROM THE CENSUS.
Let us refer to the census of 1880, and note the development of the
dairy during the previous 30 years:
By the census of 1850, we had 6,385,094 cows, and produced 314,345,306
pounds of butter, and 105,535,893 pounds of cheese--a total of
418,881,199 pounds of product.
By the census of 1860, we had 8,585,735 cows, and produced 459,681,372
pounds of butter, and 103,663,927 pounds of cheese--a total of
563,345,299 pounds of product.
By the census of 1870, we had 8,935,332 cows and produced 514,692,683
pounds of butter, and 162,927,382 pounds of cheese--a total of
677,620,065 pounds of product--and this notwithstanding the war of the
rebellion came in this decade.
By the census of 1880, we had 12,443,120 cows, and produced 803,662,071
pounds of butter, and 243,157,850 pounds of cheese--a total of
1,049,819,921 pounds of product.
GROWTH IN THIRTY YEARS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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