The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-04-24
Fich,eeu hundred and seventy,

Eighteen hundred and seveniy-eight
dawned upon the farmers OF Somerset
county with as hopeless an outlook as any
OF the preceding years since the crisis oil
1873. Other dairy localities have recently
msae such marked progress both in extent
of production and in improvement of
piices. in the branch which begins with
the culture OF fragrant pastures, gathers
the sweet milk and losses il about in care
fully arranged temperatures. and with
necessary machinery. stores il ia pack
ages as naiur fills an egg, aud places il at
length in a silver dish ona city table. fresh
the fragrance OF the mountain. While
such is the service OF the dairyman in 9TH
dairy localities. IN Somerset county the
reports of sales of Glades Butter hang
like a cloud over these mountains, obscur
ing the few rays of the light that strug
g.es through the dark riffs OF the old
time churning in farm houses, and the
rude curdling and the ruder pressing in
which our g~rand-mothers achieved a rep
~Hta,ion. Nothing to give hope &c the ex-
pectant farmer who slowly and unwilling
ly turns his attention to other productions,
TO crops that are uncertain in these oun
tuins. In other dairy districts methods
have been devised with almost scientific
perfection in the system of making and
marketing dairy products; and its success
has brought prosperity, almost unknown,
Yet Somerset county seemed
SO deep that only a removal
10 the prairies, lying beyond the Missis-
is looked upon as the only help and
hope Tor relief from the unsuccessful toll
ing in the fields where labor is unpaid.
Somerset county, with a thousand andpHe
over any prairie Stale, sends
forth hundreds of her best farmers to the
west, in order to better their circumstan-
ces in life. At last a few of the farmers,
who had a knowledge of the great natu-
advantages they possess, determined TO
the f~ore-runneIs, the John
Baptists, in a great reform movement.
They did not offer to sell their farms and
emigrate TO Egypt, or to Go West" to
hogs and honiny, bat they called a
meeting TO take steps to improve their own
productions. Those meetings will mark a
new era in the history OF the county.
The discussions at the meetings held
showed that butter was mostly held I'm
tall for market; that it was packed
in rough kegs entirely unfit for the pGr-
pose; that it was sent away to the eastern
on commission to parties who SEM
agents here TO solicit consignments, at
great expense, but who would not pur-
chase; that butter sold at all prices down
10 eight cents per pound; that all the ope-
OF the dairy were rude and unde-
veloped; that everything was done by
guess, and that there was no order, no sys-
tem, and no science in conducting opera
lions; that the work was severe and in
that the life of farmers wives
and daughters was hard and the cares in
tense; and that the pay was less on an av
than farming III the surrounding
counties.
While this system has been continued
here, a con 7enient arrangement was in
vented in Oneida county, New York, which
has revolutionized the system OF butter
and cheese making. and is known rs the
American System of Dairying.' As
farmers knew OF this system, but
were not skilled in its manufacture, they
a wise plan. They invited sever
Il of the largest and most successful manu-
lecturers in the State of New York to
come here and to erect factories in this
Their invitation has been accept
ed by two firms, Whitman, Burrell & Co,
md \. +. Sage 81 Co. Five buildings
have been erected and will be finished
the next thirty DAYS, and will then
be ready TO receive milk. The effect OF
his new system upon the county will be
marvellous. The men who keep the most
and receive for their,milk the price of
he best products, will have fuller purses
han they who toll in grain fields. And
ret, some regard the newly found road to
wealth with doubt and suspicion. 1t is
altogether new. Ii seems broad and
imooth, but no one can tell where il will
cad OF how soon men who set out upon it
be forced to return and take again
@ the old way that has only brought toll
md poorly paid efforts to get OUT of the
Id rut. One of tie great fears is an over
I'VE will wait and see, 3" is con-
idered the wisest course by the d~istrustful.
is the croakers' harvest time. The fac
in this county will be among the
in the United States; the prices paid
0 farmers will be fully double the av-
amount realized OF their milk in the
years. The demand for cheese will
%ontinue and increase, as il is the English
meat. Ii is concentrated food of
,reat sustaining power. with his thick
lice of bread and cheese and pots of beer,
he English mechanic and common labOrer
laugh at the elevation OF prices which
come to butchers supplies. The
demand for cheese is constantly
Increasing. This is the surety OF the
american dairy mems success. Here is
he road to wealth, here is the fountain
hat will cover the hills of Somerset c0un-
V with continuous verdure.