20% for cheese-making, and the remaining 33%
consumed in the household as fresh milk. A ton of milk is
estimated to produce 80 ℔ of butter or 220 ℔ of cheese. A
gallon of milk weighs 10.33 ℔ (1013 ℔). The probable effects
of each season upon the production have been taken into consideration
in making these estimates, and it will be noticed that
owing to the terrible drought of 1893 a reduction of 9% is
made from the average. Accepting these estimates with due
reservation,[1] it is seen that the annual production of milk varied
in the decade to the extent of nearly a million tons, the exact
difference between the maximum of 7,667,505 tons in 1894
and the minimum of 6,712,004 tons in 1893 being 955,501 tons.
The decennial averages are 7,906,874 tons of milk, 83,992 tons
of butter, and 141,412 tons of cheese.
Table XII. furnishes an estimate of the total consumption of butter in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1891 to 1900. Whilst the estimated home production did not vary greatly from year to year, the imports from colonial and foreign sources underwent almost continuous increase. The ten years’ average indicates 37.6% home-made, 7.3% imported colonial, and 55.1% imported foreign butter. But whereas at the beginning of the decade the proportions were 45.4% home-made, 1.5% colonial, and 53.2% foreign, at the end of the percentages were 32.8, 14.7 and 52.5 respectively. It thus appears that whilst the United Kingdom was able in 1891 to furnish nearly half of its requirements (45.4%), by 1900 it was unable to supply more than one-third (32.8%).
into the United Kingdom for the Ten Years ended 30th June 1900.
| Year ended 30th June. |
Home Production, estimated. |
Imported Colonial. |
Imported Foreign. |
Total. |
| Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. | |
| 1891 | 84,961 | 2,883 | 99,598 | 187,442 |
| 1892 | 86,022 | 6,323 | 101,796 | 194,141 |
| 1893 | 84,078 | 9,408 | 105,712 | 199,198 |
| 1894 | 79,196 | 15,550 | 107,534 | 202,280 |
| 1895 | 82,168 | 17,807 | 116,730 | 216,705 |
| 1896 | 83,640 | 12,949 | 133,249 | 229,838 |
| 1897 | 79,734 | 18,111 | 138,800 | 236,645 |
| 1898 | 83,039 | 17,732 | 141,426 | 242,197 |
| 1899 | 87,326 | 22,443 | 142,193 | 251,962 |
| 1900 | 83,760 | 37,534 | 133,957 | 255,251 |
| 10 Years’ Average | 83,392 | 16,074 | 122,099 | 221,565 |
The rapid headway which colonial butter has made in British markets is shown by the fact that for the five years ended 30th of June 1900 the import had grown from 12,949 tons to 37,534 tons per annum, or an increase of 24,585 tons. It is during the mid-winter months that the colonial butter from Australasia arrives on the British markets, while that from Canada begins to arrive in July, and virtually ceases in the following January. The bulk of the Canadian butter reaches British markets during August, September and October; the bulk of the Australasian in December, January and February.
It appears to be demonstrated by the experience of the last decade of the 19th century that the United Kingdom is quite unable to turn out sufficient dairy produce to supply its own population. In the year ended 30th of June 1891 the total import of butter was 102,500 tons, and for the year ended 30th of June 1900 it was 170,700 tons, which shows an annual average increase in the decade of 6800 tons. This growth was on the whole very uniform, any disturbance in its regularity being attributable more to the deficient seasons in the colonies and foreign countries than to the bountiful seasons at home. Twice in the decade the import of butter from colonial sources fell off slightly from the previous year, namely, in 1896 and 1898, while only once was there any decrease in the foreign supply, and this occurred in 1900. In 1896 the colonial supply fell off by 5000 tons, principally owing to drought in Australia, but from foreign countries this deficiency was more than made good, as the increased import from these sources exceeded 16,500 tons. In 1900 the position was reversed, for while the foreign import fell away to the extent of over 8000 tons, the supply from the colonies exceeded that of 1899 by 15,000 tons, thus leaving a gain in the quantity of imported butter of nearly 7000 tons on the year. Table XII. shows that over the ten years, 1891–1900, the import of colonial butter was augmented by 34,600 tons, and that of foreign by 33,600 tons, so that the increased import is fairly divided between colonial and foreign sources. If, however, the last five years of the period be taken, it will be seen that the increases in the arrivals of colonial butter have far exceeded those from foreign countries. Between 1891 and 1900 the Australasian colonies increased their quota by 13,400 tons, and Canada by 11,100 tons. Of foreign countries, Denmark showed the greatest development in the supply of imported butter, which increased in the ten years by 28,678 tons. Next came Russia and Holland, with increases respectively of 7207 tons and 6589 tons. Sweden, which made steady progress from 1891 to 1896, subsequently declined, and in 1900 sent 1400 tons less than in 1891. France and Germany are rapidly falling away, and the latter country will soon cease its supply altogether. Up to 1896 it was 6000 tons annually; by 1900 it had fallen to 1850 tons. France, which in 1892 sent to the United Kingdom 29,000 tons, regularly declined, and in 1900 sent only 16,800. Among the countries sending the smaller quantities, Argentina, Belgium and Norway are all gradually increasing their supplies; but their totals are comparatively insignificant, as they together contributed in 1900 only 6400 tons out of a total foreign supply of 134,000 tons. The United States was erratic in its supplies during the decade, and up to 1900 had not made butter specially for export to the United Kingdom, as all the other foreign countries had done. Consequently it is only when supplies from elsewhere fail that American butter is sought for by British buyers. The large amount of salt in this butter, although suitable for the American palate, prevents its becoming popular in the United Kingdom.
1897–1900.
| From | 1897. | 1898. | 1899. | 1900. |
| Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | Cwt. | |
| Denmark | 1,334,726 | 1,465,030 | 1,430,052 | 1,486,342 |
| Australasia | 269,432 | 228,563 | 366,944 | 509,910 |
| France | 448,128 | 416,821 | 353,942 | 322,048 |
| Holland | 278,631 | 269,631 | 284,810 | 282,805 |
| Russia* | .. | .. | .. | 209,738 |
| Sweden | 299,214 | 294,962 | 245,599 | 196,041 |
| Canada | 109,402 | 156,865 | 250,083 | 138,313 |
| United States | 154,196 | 66,712 | 159,137 | 56,046 |
| Germany | 51,761 | 41,231 | 36,953 | 36,042 |
| Other countries | 272,312 | 269,645 | 262,331 | 141,231 |
| Total | 3,217,802 | 3,209,153 | 3,389,851 | 3,378,516 |
| % | % | % | % | |
| Denmark | 41.5 | 45.6 | 42.2 | 44.0 |
| Australasia | 8.4 | 7.1 | 10.8 | 15.1 |
| France | 13.9 | 13.0 | 10.5 | 9.5 |
| Holland | 8.7 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.4 |
| Russia* | .. | .. | .. | 6.2 |
| Sweden | 9.3 | 9.2 | 7.2 | 5.8 |
| Canada | 3.4 | 4.9 | 7.4 | 4.1 |
| United States | 4.8 | 2.1 | 4.7 | 1.6 |
| Germany | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Other countries | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 4.2 |
| Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| * Not shown separately in the Trade and Navigation Returns prior to 1900. | ||||
The sources whence the United Kingdom receives butter from abroad are sufficiently indicated in Table XIII., which shows the absolute quantities and the relative proportions sent by the chief contributory countries in each of the four years 1897 to 1900, the order of precedence of the several countries being in accord with the figures for 1900. Denmark, as a result of the efforts made by that little kingdom to supply a sound product of uniform quality, possesses over 40% of the trade, and in the year 1900 received from the United Kingdom upwards of £8,000,000 for butter and over £3,000,000 for bacon, the raising of pigs for the consumption of separated milk being an important adjunct of the dairying industry in Denmark, where butter factories are extensively maintained on the co-operative principle. It is worthy of note that some at least of the butter received in the United Kingdom from Russia is made in Siberia, whence it is sent at the outset on a long land journey in refrigerated railway cars for shipment at a Baltic port, usually Riga. The countries not specially enumerated in Table XIII. from which butter is sent to the United Kingdom are Argentina, Belgium, Norway and Spain—these are included in “other countries.”
In Table XIV., relating to the estimated home production of cheese and the imports of that article, the ten years’ average indicates a home-made supply of 555.3%, imports of colonial cheese 24.2%, and imports of foreign cheese 20.5%. Comparing, however, the first with the last year of the period 1891–1900, it appears that in 1891 the proportions were 58.6% home-made, 17.2% colonial and 24.2% foreign, whereas in 1900 the percentages were 50.3, 28.9 and 20.8 respectively. Hence the colonial contribution (chiefly
- ↑ A special committee appointed by the council of the Royal Statistical Society commenced in 1901 an inquiry into the home production of milk and meat in the United Kingdom.
