Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-09-15
The Vermont Dairymen'sl Association
Eighth Annual Meeting.

Inc elghth annual meeting OF the
Vermont Dairymen's Association for the
election of officers and the transactions Of
business, will be held in the Agricultural
Committee room Of the Capitol at Montpelier,
on Wednesday, October 25, 1876, at
O'Clock, p. IN. X. A. Willard, A. NJ, presi-
dent of the New York State Dairymen's AS.
sociaton aud Board Of Trade, will deliver
the annual address at O'Clock p. m.
A full attendance is most earnestly de-
sired as business of much Importance will
come before the meeting. The importance
Of the association Of the agricultural inter-
ests of the state is no longer questioned ex-
cept by q few individuals whose interests
and projudices run contrary to 1t. Though
much restricted in its operations for want of
means, il has accomplished very large
measure Of good-far greater in proportion
to the money expended upon it than any
other organization devoted to the same or
similar objects within our very wide acquain-
tnnce. This is not an unmeaning boast, but
u fact Of which there is the most indubitable
proof. The field of usefulness open to the
association was never broader than at the
present time the necessity Of Its earnest
and intelligent labor if we would sustain our
old time relations as producing state to the
market and the people Of the world, is even
greater than at any former period.
The business of dairyiug is in a transition
state. The very broad margin for profit
which it has heretofore afforded has drawn
to it the attention of the people of the world,
NOT only to those who produce, handle aud
consume the goods, but Of very large class
Of speculative characters who see in the
active efforts to adapt the business to every
climate aud soil, their opportunity for ad
vancing their own personal interests Ap.
pearances now indicate that more of the real
principles OF successful and economical dairy
ing will be developed in the next ten years
than any yet known. This development
will not be limited to the processes Of manu-
facture aud the marketing of the products,
but will extend to the details Of tilage breed
ing, etc., etc., embracing all the arts in any
manner subsidiary TO the dairy. Exact
knowledge of the principles and the effect Of
various practices is what we need and must
have in the place Of vague theories and uu-
founded opinions.
All down through the bisotry of the asso-
citation we have spared no pains to get the
very best assistance in conducting our meet
iugs, and we have been able by discussion to
throw out very much light upon the various
prevalent theories. Many vague opinions
| have been discussed aud their absurdities ex-
posed, and many practices have been much
modified and improved. But at every point
the need of more positive knowledge such as
can only be adduced by careful and exact ex-
perments conducted on practical scale, has
been forced upon our attention. Many Of
our discussions have not been founded upon
sufficient absolute data to ever establish a
principle, if pursued till doomsday. We
j have made many efforts to induce persons ap-
parently favorably situated for conducting
experiments to attempt them, but without
avail. Farmers are not favorable to such
efforts. They have not the time, not the
means, the practice or the training necessary
to the conducting Of exact experiments, and
they prefer TO accept the testimony of the
veriest quack to investigating for them
selves
While the association should not relax
any of its efforts to elicit information from
any and everybody as in the past, it should
at once establish an experimental dairy
farm completely stocked and equipped, upor
which a thoroughly competent practical mar
may by careful and exact experiments sit
every theory which may be fairly supposed
to have in it modicum Of truth, bearing
upon the material prosperity of the people
of the state. Such farm may at the pres
ent time be bought, stocked and equipped fo
$4,000 to $4,000, and would be worth tt
the dairymen and farmers of Vermont many
times its cost every year. There are tel
thousand dairymen in Vermont who can bet
ter afford to pay $40 each to establish suct
an institution this year, than to have it
establishment postponed till next year whel
somebody else will have stolen the marcl
upon as. There are a thousand men in tn
state, owners or otherwise interested in rea
estate though not practical dairymen, VIII
can better give 500 each than that the as
sociation should not go promptly forwar'
with The work.
: Vermont has prestige as dairy state
which it is alike her interest and her duty I,
: sustain To do this demands of her every ef
fort she is capable of putting forth. At thi
junction in the affairs of the world a singl
} seasons relaxation of her efforts cannot bu
be perilous to her interests.
, The Vermont Dairymens Association no'
stands at the head Of the column Of kindre
institutions. All down the column that fac
is felt and appreciated and many an amb
tious aspirant is girding on armor to col
test our claim to the position. The late'
accession to the list, is the Californi
; Dairymens Association among the MOI
/, active promoters of which are several SOL
of Vermont. Its secretary, formerly a
: esteemed corresponding member of our a
sociation is among the most intelligent an
: jealous workers in the cause of dairyprogres
j and that association is destined to become
9 power in the land. Mother England and h
! p. O., dependency on the north of us, hay
\ each established new association this yea
: neither of which will lack for means and
will to do all in its power. Sweden, De
Q mark and others Of the countries Of Contine
q tai Europe, and indeed the people Of Il
d whole world are moving in the matter.
0 We have no time for delay for us not
60 forward, and with gigantic strides, is
y fall behind in the race. 1t rests with I
u dairymen of Vermont to decide the quest
D. for themselves. They must if they desire
. perpetuate the association, place it upon
II sound financial basis and take upon thel
l. selves large share of the burden of its su
a port. 1t should have 5000 members inste
i Of 300 There is not dairymau in VermO
Q entitled to take rank as such who has \
!. already received more benefit from the I
70 sociaiton than it costs to become life me-
to ber We earnestly hope on its eighth birthd0
ID to see it rendered efficient for all the 60
b work required OF it, by mighty accessi
DC to its membership, and by contributions frC
others who have been and are being benefit
IN by its labors and Investigations.
a o. S. BLISS, Secretary,
=; Georgia, dug. 30, 1876.