Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-03-02

FOR me Jonrp
Maltsfleld Farmers' Club.

snd during the fall and winter seasons since
that time weekly meetings have been held till
the present time The FIRST winter the meet
ings consisted Of discussions, occasionally en-.
livcncd by paper read by some Of the ladies,
who usually attended the meetings once in
two or three weeks. Last winter we had the
addition Of an essay once in two weeks, usu-
ally, and ive.minutes extcmporaneous speech
At the commencement Of each meeting, by some
member Of the Club,--the President naming
the subject and the speaker at the time.
Thi. winter We have had no essays or papers
as yet, but hope to have them soon.
The Club was organized in District No. !,
and the meetings FOR the most part have been
held here since that time, and majority Of
the working members are from this district,
although at different times efficient aid has
been received from others.
The numbers Of the Club arc not so large
as Of many similar organizations, but there arc
few members who have attended constantly,
with a determination to keep it alive at all
hazards.
DISCUSSION, FEBRUARY IT,
The President called upon j. G. PRESrss
to speak upon the subject Of" Butter-making.
Mr.. Prentiss spoke of the importance Of making
good butter, citing the difference in prices be.
tween fancy article and common one in
the markets, and giving something of the
tqodiS operaadi of man near Philadelphia
who sold his butter for Is cents per pound
lie said that it might not be practicable for
all Of rs to 60 into the nicely Of the thing q,
much as this man did, but that we might by
pains-taking make much better butter than
we now do He then gave, as requisites loi
making good butter,--frst, pasture with a
plenty Of good, sweet lecd-then a proper
place to set the milk-skimming at the right
time, and churning at proper times, and with
the cream at the right temperature.
The regular question then came up, viz
Would ii be for the adrantage of his com,
mipity 10 establish Cheese Factory2
The discussion was opened by o. G. VII
DER, who said that some four or FIVE year.
ago this subject was agitated somewhat anC
he, with one or two others, went,to the nortl
part of the State to examine the workings O
the system where it then existed and be theI
tu.o,a.Ial 20 .ooJ ,o,,o ..a...t;oa 4. 90, g..
the books Of one of the factories which h,
visited which he claimed proved that the ne
profits TO those farmers who carried their mill
to the factory was greater than the entr,
sales would have amounted to if the milk haC
been made into butter He said that through
the warmest part Of the summer, cheese coulC
be made to much better advantage than but
ter, and factory cheese always commanded
the highest price in market. Also, that ther,
were many items Of expense saved by tn,
factory system that farmers were not apt tC
think of-that of wood, for instance il
would not take over oue-half as much Woo
to do his work in the summer time, if it wer,
not for the dairy
ID. G. BARNARD spoke on the negative II,
said that the figures presented by Mr.. Wilder
looked large, but we must remember that they
were taken when dairy products bore the very
highest prices and he thought that the milk
made into butter would have brought nearly
as much money; and when the sour milk wal
taken into account, it would have been ever
more profitable
c. l.. HARRrSGroN spoke in favor ofcheesC
factories, and J. MuRPHEy against them, say.
ing that when we came to lug our milk to
the factory, we should find that it made work
instead of saving it,
] j. G. PRENuss said that ifiarmers expect
ed to make anything they must work for it
We had altogether too much machinery, anC
We could not afford to hire our milk worked
up, and our other work done by machinery
while we played the gentleman and rode about
Also that if we carried all or, milk to tn,
cheese factory, stock raising would be out Of
the question.
Il. A. FISK said he thought that good calye,
might be raised on whey, especially if enough
oat meal was added to make it as good as
sour milk Also, he would like to ask the
gentlemen who opposed the factory system
why it was that many new cheese factories
were established every year, and few or non,
discontinued, it, as they assert, it could moi
be made profitable.
o. c, WILDER spoke again in favor of the
factories, showing the saving in labor, and
giving additional statistics in regard to the
profits. He said il was an age of improve.
ments and he would like to ask Mr.. Prentss
why he hired his wood sawed by machinery
instead of chopping it up as our fathers used
10 do.
ID. G. BARNARD closed the discussion. lie
said that the great reason that we failed to
start a cheese factory in this place at the time
the subject was agitated was, that not enough
milk could be collected at any given point
without carrying il so far that il would make
it Improbable. Also that the Club had al
ways maintained that, in order to preserve
the fertility Of our farms, as much of their
products as possible should be fed out upon
them, and cheese factory would deprive us
Of sour milk which we now had and even
If we brought back the whey, which was at
tended with many difficulties, it was of much
less value; and if we raised calves upon it,
drovers would not tell Us las they now did,
that this valley produced the best stock to be
found in Vermont.
The Club then elected 0rs WALLIS presi.
dent for the next four weeks.
| For the Journal
Breaking Steers.