Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-11-20

count and manufacture the cheese at O Ger.
tain rate per pound, the patrons in both in
stances holding the cheese 10 their own
right and selling it from time TO time in
bulk together. Sometimes q committee of
three is appointed to act as statesmen and
sometimes only one person is entrusted with
the sales. The salesman usually gets a
small compensation for services. He may
be the factory manager or one of the pat
rons. The person or persons entrusted with
the sale may be sharp business men, well
acquainted with the trade, or they may be
otherwise. If they make poor sale, it is
the patrons loss.
Ii will be seen that this system is some.
what complicated, since it necessitates a di-
vision Of the business into several separate
branches and each branch requires COM
petent agent or manager, to secure which
often takes more money than can well be
afforded. Thus, Tor instance, there is the
factory and its machinery to be seen to and
kept in repair; cheese manufacturer of
skill is to be employed; manufacturing
supples--salt, bandages, annatto, ,rennot and
ice-are to be provided; a competent sales
man must be had, &C., &c. Now, if the cs-
adjustments were organized on a plan by
which the farmer treats directly with the
factory-that is to say, simply delivers his
milk and gcts his pay for it on some basis
Of highest values-there would evidently be
an impro oInent in the system, because it
would relieve the farmer from the machin-
cry entailed on the several branches alluded
to aud there would be less liability to loss.
This is the new plan or change to which we
have referred at the commencement of this
article.
! Responsible parties are now taking hold
of factories and managing them as busi-
! ness. The factories are owned and manag-
ed on the same principle as the manuiacto-
ries Of cotton, wool, iron, &c. The raw ma
terial or milk is purchased at the factory
and the farmer has no further interest in it.
The product manufactured is under the
complete control of the proprietor of the
factory. He disposes of it as he sees fit,
either in the home or foreign market and
having a large quantity and being solely
interested in the sales, he makes it his busi-
ness to keep posted in regard to the mar
kets, and consequently better prices are on
the whole obtained. BY having sufficient
number Of factories to manage the party or
parties owning the property have business
that keeps them regularly employed, and of
course the profits are sufficient to make it
an inducement to manage all the details in
the best manner.
Take, for instance, company with 20
factories. The supplies can be bought by
one person and the cheese can be sold by
one person with vastly more economy than
on the old system, where from 30 to 40 per-
sons are employed to do the work. Again,
the manufacturers and help employed at
the different factories are all under the con-
troll Of one head or one firm which is con-
stantly overlooking their work, hence any
error, waste or extravaganza is quickly cor
rected by an executive that has the power
Of compelling obedience at once without
"dilly dallying" along with committees and
waiting for the slow action of patrons, as on
/. the old system, thus necessitating loss from
inferior or damaged cheeses, as is often the
case. 1t fine, it is attempted to apply the
same principles of economy in massing fac
tories together as has been brought about in
massing the farm dairies of noighborhood
together at one factory.
Now let us see how this plan works, prac-
tically, for the farmers for after all it must
be observed if the farmers themselves are
not to be benefited change of system or
management may be Of doubtful utility
Recently, in our visit to Madison County,
we met Mr. l.. p. Baker, of Earlvill, who
gave us some account of 26 factories in
Madison and Chenango Counties managed
} | On tha MI e.,
ed by Mr.. Baker, IL factories by A. White
& Co. and II factories by w. T. Hatch
In all these factories the milk is bought di.
rect from the farmers. The price paid i,
two cents less than the highest quotations
for "fancy cheese" in New York City fol
every 10 pounds of milk. In other words,
it is assumed that 10 pounds of milk, on an
average through the season, will make ont
pound Of cheese. Hence if the best "lancy
cheese" in New York City is quoted at II
cents per pound the farmers are paid IA
cents for every ten pounds of milk delivered
at the factory. The settlement is made thu
first Of every month and the average Of thu
quotations during the month are taken
Thus, for instance, the May milk would bC
regulated by the june quotations, since i
the May milk was made up on the old plaI
it would not get into market until June
and so on during the several months of thu
year.
At this price it will be seen the farmer
in effect only pay &c. per pound for making
the cheese and the furnishing of salt, band
ages, annatto and boxes, also for the market
ing Of the cheese and its freight to New
York. But it will be observed also tha
the price agreed upon is for the best "fancl
: cheese" The price then would be the sam
as if manufacturer should say to the farm
er: "You shall pay me at the rate Of &c
per pound and | will agree to give you al
average product Of one pound Of 'ianc.
| cheese from every 10 pounds Of your mill
, and place it in New York City where it shal
bring the very highest price or equal to any
thing sold in that market" 1t must be evi
dent that the farmers delivering milk q
: these factories are fortunate and realiz
more money than those delivering milk a
, factories managed on the old plan--at leas
at those factories where cheese is made ex
clusively.
But it may be asked how are these price
t paid ? We have alluded to the create
: economy in running the factories. The
0 there is the advantage Of having iarg
/ amount Of uniform quality controlled by on
firm or person and thus better terms can b
0 obtained. But in addition something ma
d be attributed to the management Of the null
4. and the products made from it.
, In the factories named, butter to SON
extent enters into the work A certni
: amount of cream is taken from tho milk, b.
not enough to leave the milk SO impoverisl
ed that only an inferior cheese can be mac
s from it. The aim is to take off about ii
quantity Of cream that would. under ord