Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-04-13

The Dairy Interest Of the COuntry-lts lmp0r'
lance and Future.
REMARKS OF Mr.. o. S. BLISS, OF VERMONT, Al
THE MEETING OF THE NATIONAL BUTTER
AND EGG ASSOCIATION, AT THE GRAM
PACIFIC HOTEL. CHICAGO, MARCH ~
1877.
In the absence Of Mr.. A. L. Murdock, oil
Massachusetts,, who had been announced to
open the discussion upon this topic. Mr.. o.
s. Bliss, of Vermont, was called upon TO
do so.
Mr. Bliss said he had received no ntima-
ton that he would be expected to take any
part in the discussions on this occasion, un-
til he received the programme of the meet
ing at his home in Vermont, only few
hours before leaving, when be noticed
that he was set down to follow better man
in this particular discussion. lie had had
no time for even so much preparation a.
was neediul for that much less to become
qualified to lead. Unlike his friend Peters,
he had not even been able 10 jOt down q
few heads" and he should be compelled to
speak much at random. lie hoped, how
ever to be able TO hit a head here and there
with his random shots
The Importance Of the dairy interest had
been considered somewhat at length in the
preliminary addresses and the discussions of
the previous day, and he would pass that
part oi his topic over entirely and devote
the little time at his command to the con-
sld,rai:rn of the future Of the dairy. "
Bling neither n prophet. the son OF a
pTuphct. nor a Philosopher, he should be
cuiApel.d to fall back upon and discuss the
lev data Of past experiences. he had been
able 10 the short time given him TO lay his
hands upon. The enormous wastes and
lcnkages IA The business demand the first
consideration ui those interested in the iu-
ture progress and profit of the dairy. His
impression was that no other department OF
rural industry could have sustained itself
with such II dram upon II rs tins has IN the
ehorm us di~propOrtIOn OF poor and IN
profitable COWS. lie believed the improve
mrIt Ui the dairy cow to be absolutely nee
es~sry to the future success OF the dairy in
tercst. lie had hurrIedly gathered into Il
table few fl ures from the census tables
which would indicate more fully and clear
~ than any word of his the necessity for
intelligent and perseyering fort in that d.
rtctIon. lie would, however, before pro-
ceeGlng to discuss the tables attempt to de
pirt Tor purposes Of comparison the ideal
CUN winch tNtll
should ever have in mind and to which he
should ever aspire in all his efforts toward
establishing the model dairy OF the future
Providentially. be had dropped in upon his
friend, the editor of the National Lire
Stock Journal. and in looking over the cur
rent number OF that excellent periodical be
had found an account of real COW which
admirably filled the bill and relieved him Of
the necessity Of drawing upon his Imagina
ton for the purpose of illustration. Con
denstd for the present use it i a. follows
Mr.. Philip Snyder. of Ninelsnd, n. j., in
the latter part of February, 1875, boughta
farrow cow OF large size, supposed, but not
known, II be grade Short-horn She gave,
in the following 2gI days, 5.G93 pounds pi
milk, from which 1876 pounds of butter was
made; went dry 20 days; dropped calf
January ), ls16; her milk was not saved
for tie ntxt ten days but ,he
came in luil service again January 18th A.;
from that date TO the corresponding date in
1877 - 36G days she gave 10, Gle pounds of
milk. of which 1916 pounds was made into
butter. yielding 3g7 pounds, and COS pounds
WAS sold. II the entire milk had been made
into butter the yield would have reached
423 pounds for the year. The amount OF
milk required for pound Of butter was
25.0i pounds. During the traction of the |
previous year, though the COW was farrow,
it required 1919 pounds of milk for n
pound OF butter, a statement to which allu- |
sion may be made farther on if time per |
mits. Although entirely foreign to the OBJ |
ject sought in the introduction of this state |
ment at this time. as a matter of mere in |
terest it may be added that the net profit of |
this COW, though kept on expensive food
and on the sands Of New Jersey, is figured |
out at Sl22 81
On the page opposite that in the Journal.
II I'M which this statement is eliminated, Is
a statement Of the yield Of the Ayrshire
herd Of the Sturtevsnt Brothers, of Wau-
shakum farm, South Framing ham, Mass,
in quarts ard pounds of milk Reducing il
to the butter standard at the rate of a
pound o! butter from p pounds of milk and
)mittlng details, an average annual yield Of
PA pounds is shown from a full herd for
seven years, covering, of course, the period
when dry. absent al fairs and all other con-
.ingencies and draw backs to which any
herd is subject. This, it will be borne IN
mind. Is herd Of Ayrshires-a small breed
few herds of which reach an average
weight of Loco pounds. So much for the
product of the ideal or standard COW which
very dalrSman may well set up FOR him
elf
Turn we now to the real COW Of the c1un-
y the dUerdgc COW as shown By the sta
iStics OF the census of 1870. The census
eturIs give the number of mich cows
he pounds of butter; the pounds of cheese:
be gallons of milk sold. Converting the
ast two items into butter by assuming that
be milk required to produce q pounds of !
heese, or p gallons of the milk sold would
ave made pound OF butter, both Of which q
re unquestionsbly under the estimates.
lough near enough for the present purpose.
re Ind the average annual product of all the
o~- OF the country to be less than 1OI
"; in the State of New York the aver
,s Is l26 lbs; in Vermont llS lbs: in =
assaehusettS liz lbs; in Connecticut IOI y
- IN New Hampshire 50 lbs; in Mime
ia ~ lbs in Wisconsin IS lbs: in Iowa e.
lbs; IN New Jersey Il lbs; in Califur- o
a 90 lbs; Ia Illinois SO lbs; in Indiana 2
lbs; IN h tnses Al lbs; in Missouri 81 a
;. The tables are very lengthy ana We
Q compelled Tor want of space to omit IL
rther extracts from them--ReeOrter ul
There are PROFESSIONALLY many defects al
10 not lew Inconsistencies in the CEN Il
: tables, but making all due allowances Il
these, the evidence IL perfectly cunclu- v
70 that The waste and loss attendant y.
'On this feature Of our dairy system l. "
Ormeus. enough to nearly overcome the II
ont, even at the very favorable prizes of he
E past which We can hardly expect ia m
Llntain IN the future, and it demand. on
IN all interested, the most earnest CON- M
eratl"n. lt Is impossible to reiute or al
abe the somewhat random statement not eii
x since gwen publicity by very COM tn
tent authority that more than half of ALI
cows oil the country are kept at an
'oiute lnss TO their owners, though It he
st be admitted that there is wanting tel
'olute evidence To that effect. i'm
Hardly les Important to the inture of the
nv than that of improving the dairy a.,
OK, and, indeed 1t may well be question ca,
u 1t ~ OF less Importance, is the improve r.,
Of OF the farm dairy practice. Much A. fir,
Deen rsid and written in favor OF the
operative OF associated system of dairy
curing the last twenty years; much as "a, 20
nave all hoped and expected OF ii; I'M "a
'ular a. It may be to take position
Hist II at tins late day even by implica- or
obIy, the conviction L. forcing itself wi
n every candid, studious and rejecting hi
that the hope OF the dairy in the not
ant future L. in the improvement of the 20,
ihiutI luhn In tine CO. pts
ratlVe system. With all the boasting that Nj,
have heard in its favor, the evidence is PHI
lulatIve that the cooperative system vic
not conduce to the highest excellence
be products. &.
mas been shown most cOnciusiyely by 4 tIOi
reputable authority, backed by a IN
Q array OF facts and figures, that the ovi
ct tendency of the system is to discour- had
the breeding Of the better breeds of Go
:, and to encourage the keeping of ter,
% which give a larger flow of mix hin
ign OF the poorer quality 1t encourages inn
opposite system of feeding from that wO
'tlced by Nr. Snyder in the case of the the
el COW alluded to in the introduction civ
1ese remarks, where it was found that by thi
clous feeding the quality Of tne milk cas-
ne new mllcn cpw WAS made ~ rnuch mu
or than that 2iVCn by the same cow even hoF
q Harrow, under 4 different regime. A. In
'oduce pound Of butter from LIS lbs @
MIX n fars reward Tor adultera- .
and various loose and careless practices WIG
inc part Of the Farmer IL opens the po7
WIDE G" tbs dishonest raanuf1r.urrr u'o