The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-03-14
Decline of Dairy Products.

Sixth Annual Meeting at Utica, N. Y,
Massachusetts,, Vermont, Ohio and other
States and localities have dairymen's asso-
cations with organizations more complete,
meetings more interesting, and action
more efficient than has been attained in
any other branch of agricultural industry.
Throughout the dairy belt Of our broad
country, the improved system of dairying
is extended in all directions. Nor is it
confined to our country. Even John
Bull with all his conservatism and self
esteem, is inquiring into the American
system, and the Yankee cheese factory is
actually working up the milk of the cows
of the Good Old English Gentleman. In
fact, dairying is rapidly becoming a speci-
alty-a fever. Farmers and farmers
wives and daughters, have clarifying on
the brain" Cheese factories, butter fac
tories, condensing factories are to relieve
the indoor and outdoor drudgery of the
old system, and to make farm life more
attractive, profitable and scientific.
But while thus congratulating ourselves
on the success Of progressive agriculture
in the dairy line, and anticipating the
time when like improvement and NELL
Grafton shall be effected in other depart
ments Of farming,a note Of alarm is sound
ed, shrill and clear in the Ohio Farmer.
We alude to an article written by Mr..
Bartlett, President Of the Ohio Dairy
mems Association.
He assures "that there is cause, or
perhaps more causes than one, at work
which will ultimately ruin the dairy in
terest." He fears that the dairy business
will, "like the culture of tobacco in the
South, leave comparatively barren reg
ion behind it, and seek new and virgin
fields for its Development" He says that
statistics show that Geauga county, Ohio
produced, in 1864, 100000 pounds Of
cheese, and in 1868 only 100000; in
1864 Herkimer county, N. Y produced
in round numbers II 100000 pounds, and
in 1868 about 14,500,000,-a decrease
Of 100000 pounds in Geauga, and Of
100000 pounds in Herkimer. Pres.
Bartlett then says -
1t will be found, on inquiry among old
dairy regions and old dairy men, that in
majority of instances, the same farms
which twenty years ago would carry 40
cows, now have great difficulty in carry
ing 80, and in some instances 30 even is
too heavy stock on the same farm where
forty were kept with ease fifteen to TWEEN.
ty years ago other farms are found on
which there used to be twenty or twenty
five cows, which will not carry now more
than three-fourths as many. Another thing
these same farms generally do not pro
duce as much grain to sell as they for
merly did, and furthermore, there ha:
been no increase of other stock, and nc
; more nor as much waste land. Nor are
such instances isolated cases, we find then
all over our Oldest dairy regions, ant
within our own personal acquaintance VIZ
can cite scores Of instances corroboratin(
q the foregoing statements.
. How can we account for this state o
f things? There can be but one answer
the land has become impoverished thi
b. constant drain Of the elements which g
Y to make the butter and cheese begins Il
!, tell, and there being no return to the sol
/. of these elements, the supply is becoming
o exhausted: and as nature always ant
4 everywhere insists upon compensation, tn
Q failure is perfectly natural and no NOR
t than ought to be expected, from thi
r course Of constant depletion without re
J. turning anything to the soil, or anything
t that will compensate for the heavy drai
8 made from it, for every ton of cheese con
n tains from one hundred to one hundre,
t and twenty-five pounds Of ash or inorgani
f elements hence, the cheese produced b
d a dairy of thirty COWS during single sea
n son, will subtract from the soil some 81
l. hundred pounds, mostly phosphates. N
% trogen is an element which enters largel
,c into the composition of cheese, and whe
v we view the vast amount of fertilizin
n matter thus yearly transported from on
IT dairy farms out Of the country, we ceat
!. to wonder at the deterioration Of thos
r. farms. 1t is the same with this as wit
" other branches Of husbandry, constar
n cropping without compensating the soil
a. the elements Of fertility, inevitably pr
D. duce exhaustation.
re If this view Of the future prospects
Ne this important interest is correct--of whiC
ID we express no opinion-it is subje
Or that demands the most careful consider
Is of all dairymen. And Mr.. Bartlett SUI
:. gests that a committee be appointed
n. investigate the matter, to collect informs
, ton as to the fact and cause of the d
IF cline in dairy products, and to try expe
NJ iments as to the kinds of fertiliz ers Whit
ID can be used to supply the drain Of Il
10 dairy on the soil. He also recon ends tn
is each farmer should pay more attention
,e making and saving manure, and to IL
us cultivation of forage crops, such as col
of fodder, Hungarian grass Sorghum, ~
to be used when grass in the pastur
yn fail And for the encouragement Of Q
III forts in these directions, he says that
ht knows of individual farmers who ha'
ID kept up the fertility of their land, al
IN whose farms instead of depreciating a
at carrying larger number of cows no
Il than they formerly did. This class
h. adds, are what some would call actual
i'd penurious in making and saving manure
lv everything that will add to the size
"a value of the manure heap is careful
IS. husbanded the manure thus saved is j.
an diciovsly applied to the land, instead
allowing its fertilizing qualities to
e. wasted by exposure to sunshine and ra
n freezing and thawing; and they raise GRO
al for green fodder. He also cites the u
pe of bone dust by English dairy farmers,a al
of liquid and other manures by those
he Holland, Ken, E. Farmer,