South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-11-03
The Milk and Butter Business.

Uncle John is one of those farmers
who always take a healthy and cheer
jul view of the agricultural s;tuatior.
and herein he differs widely from We.
~ many other farmers. IL things do
not exactly suit him one wear lie
hopes and expects better. luck next
year. Whatever is is right with him.
~ healthy complexion and good ma.
tured smile always irradiatc his face
All this is preliminary To saving that
Uncle john regards this rs a mayni.
hcent year for the farmer. He speaks
IN glowing terms of the corn and the
bountiiul condition of the pasture
fields. why, thcn,' we asked. ia but.
ter SO dear!' Because hired helm ia
SO scarce IN the country SAID he. and
the women of tile house do not care
to undergo the drudgery of milking
and churning.' Therefore the farm
ers are keeping fewer cows than
formerly. The girls who 90 ont for
domestic service prefer to come Ia
town, bnt an liner eased number. us
compared with former DAYS. do not
go out at all Their families prefer
to have them stay at home.
Ii Will be remembered bv some Of
oar readers that Col North. of the
Richland district, made this same Oh.
servation earlier in the year, when
asked why pasture was so plentiful
and yet butter so NATURALLY scarce
and dear. lie too gave ms the cxpla.
nation the difficulty OF getting good
girls IN the country any longer, and
the reluctance OF farmers wives and
daughters TO milking and churning
beyond the necessities of their own
households. Aud thus it happens
that IN extra good year in the way of
abundant pasture witnesses a hiuh
price $50 to 3j cents Tor butter.
Is there a remedy for this state of
things? The people want butter. bnt
only limited number want it mt 30
ana thirty-hve cents. Ii Is with but.
ter rs it was with beef, when tho lat.
ter WAS SO high n few months ago
The price seriously curtailed con.
sumption. 70 such all extent did
the consumption fall off that witt, an
actual dhlmution in tho Simply of
cattle, beef gradually became plen,icr
and the price declined 70 LAY it is
TO be had at HE old price Of "a sl,il,
ing Icund, or, i'll lIainer words, at
III cents.
This dc>!ine in meat provides an
offset to the ,icmand FOR butter in
many households. Llrd is who'll,
nsed for cooking purposes by them.
Meat takes tie place of bn,ter. And
yet, despite this curtailed demand in,
butter, The price of it still keeps M.
ana 1t seems az IT rich plstnres an,l
an abundance OF hay were not able
to effect change, but that we are
gong into Tie winter season 1T We.
~ high Starting point for one OF the
necessities OF life. AL all b.:ils sc
there Is MT d,nestic hc'a @
nongh III the country tu IA AXE butter
sufficient to meet tie t,eniand.
he contrast between iieso DAYS
and former days is striking enough
a generation ago butter WAS supplied
III abundance at q 10 5 cents per
pound, brought Ia town ut that bv tie
women OF the lanl, an | exchange
Tor calico at the rate OF three pounds
ot butter Tor one yard OF calico. Nov
The tables are completely reversed.
and more than re, crscd. for it takes
five 10 six yards ot' calico To bay
pound OF butter
We presume flat milking and
churning were us hard work IN those
days as i'll .hese latter DAYS, and IN :.
thing, little harder, far these are
the days ct patent ciprl,5 inclu ire
dog chnrns and there Is now Il pat
cnt conirivancc for squeezing the n,
dcrs and eXuding the i.icteal fluid y
But still the number OF dliry maids
aud matrons dinjuishes as il would
seem, and per consequence the mum.
Der OF COWS What is DE nse in cows
aud nobody to- mix them? Therefore
!hey are tA.teucd tor t.ie STALL OF The
butcher, and wc arc forced to utilize
them in a Sold instead OF lqui.i way
Is II any wonder that some old,fash-
toned people speak cf these DAYS as
degenerate days, ard love to contrast
them with the days when tie.
"soys used 10 resp and NOW,
And The girls cit and sew
And likewise milk aud churn)
Ga tie b .nks Of tic bio
The question arises, have the farm
ers got 50 well off raising sheep aud
wool that they don't care to bother a.
boat COWS any more? Aud have cal.
icoes and dUlaines and uluslinj and
WOODEN wear got SO cheap, arid the
fashions and eXtravaganccs OF the
day so exlcting, that country maids
and matio ns have no time lett from
the sewing machine for the oId-fash.
toned occupations of milking aud
chGrniug? Is it true, as Mark Twain
SAYS, that everything il cut bias aud
stitched double these days, AMI that
raising babies anil calves are among
the lost arts'l So it would seem.
all pvpufs wa ara i,,t,ross,,I ,,.t,f