Generally they were operated as co-operative concerns, and quite as generally, due to lack of proper management, were unsuccessful. As a consequence they were either abandoned or passed into the possession of private parties and were no longer used exclusively for manufacturing. More money could be realized by shipping milk. Only such as could not be disposed of in this way was turned into butter and cheese.
This Crystal Run factory was the progenitor of the present day shipping stations from which the New York market now receives approximately ninety-eight per cent, of its milk supply and practically all its cream.
Prior to the foundation of the New York milk exchange, in October, 1887, the price paid for milk delivered at these factories, or shipping stations, was determined by the highest market price of butter. Stockholders in the co-operative factory were paid whatever might be earned, but when milk was purchased outright the producer received the price of one pound of butter for every twelve (or 12-1/2 as might be agreed) quarts of milk delivered.
When the milk exchange began to announce prices (which prevail until otherwise announced) the stations accepted these as a basis and bought at a discount that ranged from ten to twenty cents per can of forty quarts. Later these discounts were lowered from time to time and now range from ten cents to nothing.
Nearly all of these stations are now operated by dealers who use them as a source of supply for their city trade, the balance conducted by parties who have no interest in the city business, but supply such dealers as do not care to operate a place in the country.
In the county of Orange are (including its three condenseries) seventy milk shipping stations, every township being represented by from one to twelve. Mount Hope has the one, Warwick the twelve.
In addition are two cheese and one butter and cheese factory, the latter the celebrated Neufchatel cheese factory of William E. Lawrence & Son, at Chester. In 1906 this establishment turned out 7,000 pounds of butter, 600,000 pounds of Neufchatel and 273,000 pounds of square cream cheese.
From January 1st to December 31st, 1907, the daily average output of milk in the county approximated 9,400 cans of forty quarts each. This was disposed of about as follows:
| Shipped to the New York market | 6,000 cans, | 40 quarts each. |
| Consumed in the county | 1,850 " | " " " |
| Condensed | 750 " | " " " |
| Turned into butter and cheese | 400 " | " " " |
| Skimmed or cream | 400 " | " " " |
| ______ | ||
| Daily average production | 9,400 cans, | 40 quarts each. |
For milk shipped from 1842 to 1854 or 1855 producers received the following prices: