NATURAL RESOURCES OF QUEBEC
The number of cattle was increased by the French Minister, Colbert,
under Louis XIV, who sent some ‘“‘of the best dairy cows of Normandy
and Brittany’ to New France. DeTracy also brought some cattle from
France when he came at the head of the famous Carignan-Salieres regi-
ment in 1665. Many of the cows in the existing herds of Quebec, and
particularly the French-Canadian breed (which is the only registered
pure breed that has been developed on this side of the Atlantic), have
descended from these original stocks. ‘As a matter of historical interest,
it may be mentioned also that the first centrifugal cream separator on this
sontinent was used in the village of Ste. Marie du Beauce in 1882.
From these beginnings the dairying industry has become well estab-
lished in all the settled parts of the province; nearly every parish has
‘ts cheese factory and creamery. In 1925 there were 577 cheese factories;
715 butter factories, 307 combined butter and cheese factories in the prov-
ince. The production of creamery butter in the province in’ 1927 was
56,724,357 pounds, valued at $20,640,548. The production of factory
~heese amounted to 37,585,999 pounds, valued at $6,819,022. Quebec
produced in 1927 over 31 per cent of all the creamery butter, and over
27 per cent of all the factory cheese produced in all Canada for that year.
Favourable Climate.—The climatic and other conditions through-
sut Quebec are extremely favourable for the production of butter and
cheese of superior quality. Eastern Township butter has been the Cana-
Jian standard of quality for many years. Cheese made in parts of the
province has a peculiar quality not found in the cheese from any other
part of Canada. Lake St. John district is noted for the fine quality of
the cheese it produces.
Government Supervision.—The Provincial Government, through
its department of agriculture, maintains a well-organized service to give
nstruction to the operators of cheese factories and creameries. Through
its inspection service, the Government carefully supervises the dairy pro-
ducts and their derivatives, thus helping to maintain a uniform quality
of products, which is necessary for foreign markets. The Department
of Agriculture at Ottawa also employs special officers in order to give
sverv assistance consistent with federal functions.
Co-operative Marketing.—An important movement in the province
»f Quebec in connection with the marketing of cheese and butter is repre-
sented in the Quebec Federated Co-operative. Under the rules of the
