Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-08-01

Saul also among the Prophets.
At a meeting of the Butter, Cheese and
Egg Association held at Chicago, Mr.. G.
S. Bliss delivered an address in which he
made some remarks upon an ideal dairy
cow" as he called it, with some record OF
her unusual yield of milk. The COW gave
90 ~ lbs of milk per day for $50 days
and the milk WAS of the richest quality
Another COW of the Ayrshire breed pro-
dnced milk during the year which made
28S Clio lbs of butter. According to the
census, the number of cows in the United
States is $685., 1902, which produce 225, 500,
500 gallons of milk, 514,096,2S3 lbs. Of
butter and 49, APO, l53, lbs. of cheese. The
average yield of butter to every COW was
10 lbs and fraction. The largest aver
age yield from a single COW was in New
York, 1876 lbs. the second from Vermont,
IFS lbs, the third from Massachusetts, III
lbs; the fourth from Connecticut and so
on.
This is quite important, and all very
well, but is as cross and ashes compared
with what follows. Which, as Mrs. Grunp
would say of the same it is the education
and elevation of the daryman by which,
only, can the dairy interest be advanced.
The farmer must be educated to Il better
system of breeding, and an infinitely better
one of manufacturing.
How great the chance for improvement
is we can cipher out very readily. The
average COW makes 10 lbs. of butter per
year, the Ayrshire, not the ideal COW,
2S8 Clio lbs; II respectable fraction over
four times us much. The ideal COW gave
30 1-2 lbs. of milk per day; the av-
.erage COW gave about 2-3 of u pound per
day. What chance for improvement,
and how the dairy interest shall thrive
when the farmer is educated up to the
system of breeding which shall give the
deal COW to take the place of the average
COW, and we get four or five times as much
butter and forty times rs much milk. And
when he has thus increased the quantity
by being educated up to better system OF
breeding, think of the additional benefits
flowing in from the infinitely better sys-
tenn of manufacturing. Verify, we have
but to arise and take our heritage.
But-what is this? a great danger is
that of over production. This gives
another color to the question. With our
present low average, an average giving
less than one fourth of the production of
butter which the Ayrshire (not the ideal
cow has made, q great danger of over
production.
Thus the question logically comes to
this; How the dairyman can be SO cdu-
Gated and elevated to "a better system of
breeding and an infinitely better one OF
manufacture" so the ideal COW shall re-
place the average one, and the increased
production, which is our great danger"
be avoided?
Mr.. Bliss is probably able to grapple
with this question successfully; he ought
to he; he used to keep a COW; perhaps
does so still, and is, besides, Secretary of
the Vermont Dairyman's Association, and
he appreciates the farmers great need of
education and elevation.
And there are multtudes MORE who
want the farmer educated and elevated. |
Indeed, it is astonishing to see the num-
beers of persons who, from the great height |
of their mental ability and intellectual at
tainments, preach down to the poor farm
ers below, and exhort them to come up
higher, to learn of us and be educated and
elevated. Such talk has always been con-
sidered safe. 1t is taking high grounds to
bewail ignorance, and to commend educa- |
ton, but the great mass of such talk is |
bosh and elap-trap, and is no proof either
of the ignorance of the farmer or of the
higher knowledge and superior intcll-
gence of those who assume to be SO well
able and entirely willing to teach them.
Of how little such talk is the result of
careful thought, of just appreciation of
what farmers need-and an intelligent and
well-consilered idea of how that need is
10 be met, the want supplied-Mr. Bliss
address may be taken as an example. In
this matter there are few general ques-
tions to be settled; first, is the farmer, as
rule, inferior in natural ability and in
tellect to those in his locality engaged in
other pursuits? Second, is he more def
cient than they of acquired intelligence, of
understanding and knowledge of his bust
ness?
Until these questions are afiirmatively
settled we shall protest against being sim
gled out, as class, to be lectured at from
high moral grounds in safe general way
on our Ignorance and degradation.