The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-23
BUTTER DAIRY.


BOARD, uPoS THE
BUTTER DAIRY.
Too much time would be consumed i
should consider this subject ip an ex
haustive manner, only some Of the mort
prominent points will be touched. Such
suggestions as are prscticed in all part
of the state will be presented. A grea
majority Of the dairymen of Vernon
have not advanced near enough to per
lection in the quantity or quality of the
products as to be at all satisfied with the
results. What stands in the way of sue
cess l.? How may we improve the means
now at hand and add to our facilities
arc questions l will ask you to consider
with me at this time, and the general dis
cussion of these questions will it is hoped
throw light upon this subject, in which
SO many of us are practically interested.
If one can only get the brain power en-
listed, the work is half accomplished.
The greatest obstacle 10 the way of ad.
vancement is prejudice against improve.
ments, The careful. scientific farmer
presses science into his service, the mass
are prejudiced against it as impractical.
Really what is most scientific is most
practical. The time is coming when the
dairyman will conduct his work as the
chemist does work in the laboratory, in
stead Of in the present haphazard way. To
ensure this there is no need Of every one IS
becoming a practical chemist, but the
work will be conducted with more careful
reference to the end to be accomplished.
1t is no wonder that there is prejudice
against patent rights, but, we must re-.
member that we are indebted to the
thought and labor of inventors for some
of the most useful utensils we use. There
is much clamor against the dealers, is it
not our fault that they do not always
give us the maximum price for our
butter? Are we as good judges as they
whether they are to lose money on what
they buy?
There is, also prejudice against special
breeding COWS for the dairy. That there
has been no cause for prejudice is more
than is claimed, but we should investigate
and reject the worthless and hold fast to
thst which is good. All are aware the
dairy does not pay too well. Large ones
pay better than small, but this has crowd.
ed out too many of our sons to leave the
state. Some districts are nearly depopu.
lated of what we're. formerly, excellent
neigbbors, and class of less desirable
foreigners have taken their places. who
are only DESTROYS to get rich at the ex.
peuse Of every interest, social, moral and
religious. To make the dairy pay, our
lands have been too much run over and
impoverished. Occasionally dairyman
is finding out that three acres, carefully
husbanded, is more profitable than eight
or ten left to ITSELF Mr.. Obed Whipple,
of Pomfret, w., on sixty.two acres Of
land, of average Vermont fertility, is
keeping twenty COWS, high grades and
pure Jerseys, pair Of horses, and in
winter some young stock, and yearly sells
more than 5000 pounds of butter at 60
cts. per pound, amounting in the aggre.
gate to over $4,000 annually. This fact
should make US dissatisfied with the re.
suits we generally obtain, and cause us o
investig gate and learn how it is done.
While. perhaps, all cannot accomplish
quite as much, nearly all can approx.
mate to nearly as good results But be.
fore this can be done we must have a
more intelligent appreciation of the prin.
ciples involved, and their application.
This is one of the works the board of
agriculture is laboring to do, Now if
the present meeting will tell us what
they know in exchange for what informa-
ton we bring them a good work will be
accomplished and We can carry so much
more information to the next meeting
The first thing that must be done is to be
more careful to breed and select better
COWS than we have done, None of our
past work has been done with 80 little
care as this. Good cows are as essential
for a good dairy as good foundation for
q heavy tower or a suspension bridge.
This fault has not been so much the want
OF knowledge OF tho fact, as the want of
careful, comparative trial of the COWS we
have kept. Some COWS that may be
worth an hundred dollars for the cheese
dairy, are worth little for the butter
dairy. Some cows that have been con.
sidered BEST when tried by themselves,
have proved worthless In contrast to
one Of these, a COW of Mr.. Whipple's gave
262 pounds of butter in six months, and
over 400 pounds in the year. This COW
would yield net profit of over an hund.
red dollars, while some poor ones would
make loss Of the amount of their keep.
ing. When we calculate the immense
difference in the value of the progeny
bred from these COVE, the result in the
future will be an immense difference. All
these thing show that we may labor early
and late, but with poor COWS we can &C.
complish little,
DO the best we can to secure good COWS
at reasonable cost, for good ones may cost
too much, but poor ones always do at any
price. We cannot all have full bloods,
but by crossing with thoroughbred stock
our native COWS, believe blood will tell
and we can secure good results.
10 select the best out of our present
herds. glass tubes, that oost but little,
should be used. To make these tests cor.
rect we should supply the COW with suf.
hciency Of good, rich, butter making food,
and they should be kept in a place of
comfort. ease and quiet.
MODES OF MANUFACTURES.
While one would use only deep pans
another thinks shallow ones the best
One uses water around the pans. another
thinks it not essential. Good results may
be reached with either practice, if all
ether conditions are favorable, but with.
out an observance of these conditions,
with any poor product would result.
Cream will rise from any denth. If The