Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-01-29
Vermont Dairymen's Association.
WEDNESDAY FORENOON.

HUH Ian 1IIlGIl AcSbCltlIOil WIS bJtI'N
in the large dining hall of the Pavilion
Hotel in Montpelier, at To-: 45 A. NJ, or
Wednesday, the 22d inst. The association
finds itself more than usually well domi
ciled in this fine hall, seated with nice cane
seated chairs.
The meeting was called 10 order by
President Mason. who said:
Ladies and Gentlemen ofthe association:
l feel most profoundly Il sense of CRATE
full recognition of the divine mercy anC
bounty which have marked the history q
our beloved state since we last assembled
What domain is embraced in this com
monwealth; what variety of resources
what multiplicity of tender inerents-
many Of them of such Il nature as sympa
thize with the slightest touch of violence
and harm. And yet, nowhere III all tht
broad expanse Of Vermont are the heart
of the people in mourning over an aitlct
i've providence, and most of those treuho
which do weigh heavily upon our minds ar
directly chargeable to Tic mlsfeasance o
the malfeasance of man himself.
Then let us,as becomes dignilied Chris
tian community, reverently thank God fo
that benignant care He has taken of us,ant
NJ OluCi OUl lives tS W SNGhlt Lio bltSolH2
in the future. fefore proceeding TO bust
ness, let us unite in giving thanks for pas
mercies, and asking the Blessing of Got
upon our deliberations. Rev. DR.. Hull il
requested to lead in prayer.
After prayer, Mr.. lIuse, Of Montpelier
welcomed the association TO Montpelier
and said he hardly knew in whose b hall
he spoke, whether of those in the village
whose interest lay in the buying and CON
suming good butter and cheese, or of the
farmers whose interest was found in the
Improvement of their manufacture Of these
products, both were equally interested
But he recognized the appropriateness OF
his speaking 10 an assembly Of farmers
and he would close by again welcoming
the association to Montpelier. President
Mason next gave his opening address.
PRESIDENT MASON
said, no doubt, gentlemen Present had
marked the invidious criticisms which
followed the labors and sessions Of such
body rs this. lawyers and doctors held
their conventions and nobody objected
to them. In the opinion of all, il was
meet and proper that the two interests al
luded to should have all the aid which co
associated mind and effort could do fol-
them; but when it comes to the turn Of
The farmer, we constantly hear the covert
sarcasm, if not open rebuke, whon lie goes
into convention with his hrothrrs, and
makes the attempt to focaiize the scattered
lights which might so bless ana advance
his interests, if they were property use
For ten years he had hcpn president OF
this body, and to-day he bore vii ing tes-
timony to the marked and h'nrtciaI i'm
preston their labors had made on the
public, hut there was yet much TO accom-
plish. lie spoke of the anxiety of boys
to leave the farm and Of many men who
were waiting for better times whch would
enable them to dispose of their farms ut Il
livin~ rate, so they could leave the bust
ness. He thought our farming was Of 10;
low Il grade under tile most favorable
circumstances no man could afford to WORK
Il sterile acre, 1t is no harder to cultivate
an acre of rich land than an acre of poor
and often at less expense, and the profit
WAS double or treble. Experts assure Us
that large part of the butter brought tc
market is casse,l us grease, and sold ut {;
low price; if it were fairly good it woulC
DIlHH WlCc Will ltic NlGlGllGtl SUN lliIlI
AS material for slushing down the masts o
ships. 1t must be confessed that larg,
share of our butter is below first class
and is unfit for use. A hundred miliiot
dollars slip through the farmers fingers il
consequence of bad butter. Sour, bite
cream, from dirty vessels yields butte
depraved from the churn. We Should
learn there is such virtue rs cleanliness
Poverty is not diseraceful but nastness is
Think of these things, brethren, and hay,
them reformed. An increase of one -fourtl
in quantity and price would make % differ
ence of nearly three millions of dollars il
our dairy product of Vermont yearly,
The conclusive fact in agriculture is
rich soil; how to keep our lands up to
remunerative point of fertility is the great
ever-recurring problem. lie spoke of thu
speculation and eXtravaganco Of wal
times, and of the change after the crash -
and hard times followed. From these W,
must be lifted by the produce of GU
farms which the world wants in exchange
for gold.
Dairymen and farmers, extravaganza
fast living, speculation have held the
sway; our country awaits 4 change; sh,
needs your economy, your common sense
your simple habits engrafted in her legis
lation; she needs less expensive expert
ments, less impracticable men. Farmers
are you not ready and willing to engraf
your local thrift, economy and slow hu
steady success on the legislation of tn,
nation? Are you not prepared to lie
spectators. politicians, theorists an,
spendthrifts stand aside, and put bette
men in their places? We have strugglut
long with evil times. In vain have W,
tried all the schemes and devices engen
dered by discomfort and distress; and nov
that we have to return to the soil, we be
gin to feel new life cour-ing along tn,
veins of commerce, and the strength il
the muscles of labor which mother cart
ever gives to her children when they seet
from her abundance and prosperity. lh
farmer occupies the most useful IN,
the most important station in sOcie
ty. 1t is TO his eXertions that the sup
port, the food, the employment of ever,
other rank is owing. 1t is the surplu
produce of the farmer which starts manu
features and commerce, gives eduuatiol
10 students, ministers to religion, that sup
ports the crowded city, that lends TO gov
eminent its resources, its energy and it
very being.
Mr.. Bliss said he had the figures Of tn
department Of agriculture which gave tn
number of cows in Vermont as 2l7, so
and valued at Sc 370,650. Mr.. Bliss stat
ed that it Was of the utmost importanc
that Vermont should be represented ut tn
next international dairy exhibition. a
the late exhibition in New York, Vernon
had but a single exhibit of these, and h
moved the appointment Of II committee {
three by the chair, which was voted, VIII
should have the matter in charge.
The secretary announced that during tn
afternoon session u paper would be rea
on the improvement of dairy farms an
the produce of butter, by Thos. Whitaker
Esq, of Needham, Mass. after which th
association took recess till 2 o'clock I
NJ.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION
was opened by Secretary Bliss reading
paper on Making and Packing Butter
which was prepared and contributed b
Mr.. J. M. Hale, of Georgia, Vt. He ad
vocated cleanliness in the dairy, care i
packing and shipping.
Mr.. Thos. Whitaker, of Needhan