Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-01-25
adjourned until 9 o'clock Friday morn

Prof.. Cressy held an audience in the hs
before the meeting opened, to answer que
tlons respecting Veterinary and Agricultu
al Science. A large number were presen
When the Association was called to ordt
at y.l5, Rov. Mr. Guernsey. OF Milton otfel
ed prayer.
Mrs. Woleott, accompanied By Mrs VII
ters, sang The Dir hSg Cabin 10 th
Dell"
Col. John B. Mead. OF Randolph, theI
spoke on ''The Education of the Farmer.
| COL. MEAD's LECTURE.
These meetings are inspiring, for in tint
past no audiences could be gathered to lister
to these subjects. Formerly the farmer had
only to tickle these virgin hill sides and
they would laugh in splendid crops. But in
course OF time. the basis of the grains, the
phosphoric acid and potash, has been
carried OF in the crops, and now farmers
nave TO pay attention to these subjects
they formerly neglected and de-plsed.
Farmers should educate their boys for hom
lite instead of sending them out of the State.
The State owed to its children the largest
amount OF culture possible. Our present
system OF schools is expensive as regards
! results. Instead Of small, scattered schools
he would have at least one graded school IN
town, where the natural sciences could be
taught and boys prepared for our colleges
which are ready to give them the educa-
tion the farmers need. The town school
would thus be the feeder to our colleges,
which stand inyitingly open.
Col. Mead spoke well and was listened to
with close interest.
Mr.. Nathan Skinner, of Piainield, VT,
who called himself an "obscure farmer, +"
then read valuable paper, relating his own
experience in dairying. The following is
substance of it.
Mr.. sKINNER's PAPER.
l have no theories to propose; but there
But | will first state results. We have kept
dairy twent-si1 years; but kept it at 'spoor
dying rate" until the last few years. The
results of of the last three or four years will
be sufficient for this occasion. They will
exhibit the difference between the "old
ruts, and the new highway, or in other
words the difference between the dairy
methods as formerly practiced land which
are still practiced to a deplorabls extent),
and the methods recommended by this As
ISOLATION. and the State Board Of Agri-
culture.
During the year 1874 We kept IS COWS, sold
3, ,535 lbs. Of butter at 80 cents per pound,
amounting to 81 ,2T .25, an average of l4l4
pounds per cow. or an Income of $40. So per
cow. These were native cows, except one
or two little despised Jersey grades, that
had crept in by force of circumstances.
But there was so strong an influence
brought to bear upon our minds that we
concluded to change all our dairy to Jerseys,
as we made butter exclusively. As the re-
suit of that change, in the year 1876 We
MIXED IS cows, sold 4 1865 lbs. of butter a.
IS cents per pound. amounting to 81 ,527.-
81, an average of 242i lbs, and an income
Of SS4.75 per COW.
During the past year we sold from the is
cows 4.S42 lbs. the price averaging 80
cents per pound. This gives an average of 269
lbs., or an income of SSS.T per cow "a diff
ference between the income of the
year 1874 and that of 1877, of S42.O74 per
cow, or an aggregate in dairy of 25 cows,
OF l,05l SD although the market has de-
clined so that butter sold at , cents per ID.
less than in 1874. Now, | should feel un-
der some obligation to divide this increase
OF income with the members of this AssOcia-
ton, and those of the Board Of Agricul-
ture, not forgetting Prot Arnold IN the
dividend, il | did not believe that You
would ali approve of my method OF invest
ing every dollar of it in the education of
nv children.
But these figures do not represent all the
difference
The 25 cows kept in 1874 were nearly all
OF mature age; whereas the majority of
those kept the last two years arc heiiers.
Besides what we have sold, We have sup
piled a family OF ten per5ons during the
last year with butter and milk.
Nor is this total amount near what it
might have been. with better feed and
more vigilant care. E. K. Skinner, OF run-
bridge, brother of mine. sold from five
one year, besides supplying his family of
three persons. No other one either fed or
milkeG his cows during the year. and their
feed and care was the very best
| am well satisfied with the Jersey breed
of cows for butt er purposes only. But |
am dissatisfied with many theories which
have been set ah1at a. claims for their mer-
its. And am astonished that these t.eo-
ries have originated with scientific men
men to whom we are indebted for a great
amount of practical knowledge. few
years ago. | read a statement in the Boston
Journal Of Chemistry that lit Is not prac-
ticable to attempt to increase the cOlOring
matter in butter by supplying peculiar foots |
to cows" Ii gives the Jersey cows and |
their grades" all the credit for the rich col |
or of butter often found in the market.
Yet. that same excellent Journal will |
teach that even the bones Of animals can be |
colored by feeding them certain materials. |
The most humble farmer. that owns a COW,
can test this theory of colOring matter in |
butter by feeding her alternately on straw
and early-cut hay and corn meal. This no
BILE quality of color, which does exist in the
Jersey cow. is not An entirely fixed prine
pie. but is dependent on conditions.
Buta writer who Is well known through |
out the country, and who has done much for
the dairy interests, says: Il do not think |
that the richness or poverty of the cows
food will make any pcrceptible difference in
the yield of milk. No change of food.
Is from rich to poor. or vice versa,
can alter the richness or quality of the
milk" He further says: Il know it is a
very common idea that COW will give |
richer milk when fed on corn meal than she
will when fed on hay or straw And TO
prove the fallacy, as he seems to consider IT,
Of food making any difference. he advises
lnquiring parties to use the percentage
: lass little more in the light OF modern
in testing their milk and the dif-
ferent breeds OF COWS, and appears to think,
that, by so doing, they would be convinced
Of the correctness of his theory. But again:
there Is another theory exactly the opposite
Of this, argued by the opponents of the Jer-
seys and other thOrOughbreds. that all re-
suits depend apon the food and not at all
upon the breed.
They claim earnestly, and sometimes with
IN exhibition OF impatience, that the native
,ow is as good. il not superior u all others,
provided she is kept as well. They con.
cast aside. AS WORTHLESS, the two
hundred yeais of patient and intelligen,
.oil, which breeders have bestowed upon
he Jersey cows in order to turn their pro-
iuction into a certain channel. Now it
amounts to almost calamity to the dairy
interests to be caught up between these
conflicting vlsws. and wh:rled into eOnfu-
ion. But the humble and unpretending
arner finds consolation in the text which
las been used on a former occasion, and
which hope will bear repeating here, viz
1t Is good thing to know something, but
t is better not to know anything, than it is
o know hat isn't So"
1t We turn from theories to Nature, and
onsult her laws, We notice that all pres
mt forms of life and production are such
My as existing conditions permit; and
hould the conditions change, the forms
nd productions would change. These
ondtions are embodied in two great prin
iples, which underie all growth and de-
both in the animal and vegeta-
lie kingdom, viz; vitality and nourISh-
ient: and they are as lnseparably cou-
ected in their established operations as
ny OF the laws which govern the universe.
.Ich food inSariably stimulates, and
rges into active operations the predOmin-
ting qualities of every breed, and while
hese leading qualities are thus active. they
ut all Others under contribution To them
, a. to absorb them into the same channel
ut poverty of food weakens the lead
lg qualities the most, while 1t furnishes Il
ltbclent nOGrIshment to the less active ,
ualitles, so that they draw the leading
uslIty thus weakened down to their own |
vel, or absorb 1t. Proper selection, aud ;
nd rich food are the conditions of sueds-s. /
he cow Is appropriately ternG4 q machine ~
At we do nOt II Sc tina. au.ouut oi ltsrretinn ,