Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-01-15
The Butter Market Of 1879,
ANn Its EssONs

At this time the prevailing prices OIL
dairy products, especially butter, are lit.
tie more encouraging than during the spring
and summer, when there was general feel.
ing Of depression and disirust throughout
the entire dairy regions. Probably this
feeling has been little more intense among
the butter makers than among the cheese
makers We cannot avoid the conclusion,
however, that it was not well founded in
either case, for it is undoniably the truth
that good butter and cheese have been as
remunoratiye as any Of the other great sta
pie products Of the country; aud, yet, SO
very profitable had their production been
for whole decade, that dairymen had come
to look upon high prices as au unquestioned
prerogatyo Of theirs.
IL is true that. for little while at a
time, there have been periods Of doprcs-
sion in prices, but not for many years has
there been one Of such lcngih without a
single rebound
In 1871 the production Of butter, es-
pecially in New England, was far more
profitable than that Of cheese The effect
was to cause q very considerable number Of
our large dairymen to abandon cheese max
log in favor Of butter making, and as is
nearly always the case with those farmers
who pursue a fuctuating course, this year
they have hit wrong.
In times Of high prices and quick sales
it does hot make nearly as much difference
with the agents who make the purchases in
our country market, what the quality Of
the product is, so that they get enough of
the better quality to cover she less on the
poorer When it gets into the city mar.
kcts, aud they Often pay nearly the same
price for every grade Bu in periods Of
depression, and with an abundant stock
upon the market, they discriminate much
more closely, and, Of course give much bet
Ter satisfaction to their principals.
There has been a greater difference iu
The prices of butter this year than ever be-
fore 10 our recollection, aud this is due not
so much to the fact that there is O greater
difference between the two extremes Of
quality than heretofore, as the fact that the
best qualities are becoming more apprecia.
ted year by year, and that in seasons Of
abundance and low prices, the lower grades
accumulate more rapidly. 1t is most as
tonisiing feature Of the business, that pro.
duccrs cannot be made to see that the de-
mand for the best, the rery best, has never
yet been half supplied, and that the demand
comes from such a source that it matters
but little what price is put upon il, so that
it does not SAVIOR Of sheer extortion. With
an average price of about twenty-five cents
pound for good, fair staple article, many
diaries have this year brought from spring
to fall, right through the worst summer
weather, forty cents pound some others
have sold at sixty cents, some ieS at seyety-
five to eighty cents, anu others for still
more. But what shall we say Of those which
have brought only ten cents, and up to
twenty-five cents2 Any person who has
kept the run Of any of the large markets
does not need to be told that this division
is By no means meagre in quality.
We would not be understood To say that
there is more poor butter produced at the
present time than heretofore, but that the
improvements in the manner of manufic-
turo do not keep pace with the demand ior
a better quality than has heretofore an
swered the requirements Of consumers.
One great fact that consumers overlook
is that the standard Of excellence among
consumers Is not stationary. No sooner is
their standard Of to-day reached by the in
telligent aud pains taking producer, than
they are prepared to ask for something
better still, and moreover, they are willing
to meet the producer half way, and pay
him for it. 1t is most c0nsummate folly
for the producer to undertake to dictate OF
control the public taste. Call it fancy, or
iastidiousness, or folly, or what you may OF
will, it is infinitely better to cater TO it
than to attempt to establish any other stan
dard, and bring the public to accept it.
THE FAULT is IN TIE MANUFACTURE.
1t has been said that the mass Of pro-
ducers are incapable Of making the highest
grades Of butter This is partly true, but
it is 50 Of necessity By means. OF
course. good butter can not be made with
cut facilities which many dairymen do not
possess at this time it can not be produc.
ed without intelligent painstakiug which
many dairymen are unwilling to give it f;
but that it can be far more generally pro-
dueed than has been supposed is susceptible
of most positive demonstration. The old
theory, that only here and there little tract
OF pasture is suitable for the production of
good butter, is thoroughly exploded by the
experiments of practical dairymen in all
parts Of this country, and by the more cx-
act experiments Of scientific men in various
European countries. There is no excuse for
the production of poor butter on count
of defects 10 pastures; the fault is not of.
ten there, though il may sometimes be in
the very bad quality of the water, and
sometimes, thong we must believe more
rarely, in the presence Of noxious or un-
sayory weeds and even more rarely still
in Inherent peculiarities of the COWS
But the great prevailing difficulty is IN
unskiliul manipulation il makes no dit.
ference how good the milk is, it will not
make good butter unless it is properly
treated. In the present condition CT the
labor supply of the country, it is probably
next to impossible for all dairymen to get
such help as will enable them individually
10 reach the highest standard Of excellence
as butter makers. The new systems Of
setting milk, by which the labor is much