Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1884-01-30
Dairymen's Association.

Dairymen's Association.
Tho Fifteenth Annual Meeting of this
association was held at Music Hall, (the
old North church, in St. Johnsbury the
% and q instant, and was most success
ful one in point of numbers and interest.
The butter show of the association was
a great success. We hoped to get so sam,
pies, and over 80 came; embracing one
tron New Hampshire, two from Mas
saclnsetts, and one from Texas. Some OF
these came without name, and we are un
able 10 trace their owners. By coming
without name. we mean neither package
or description had the makers name.
The method of exhibition was as fol
lows: Tho packages were opened and
placed on IL shelf and under them paper
on which was the number of the contribu-
ton. The descriptions were given the
same number, and given the secretary
When all had been mum bered the judge
F. A. Harris, Esq, Of Boston. go: to work
He had no guide or hint of the maker. OF
method of making, to aid or prejudice
MIN in his verdict. He asked what basis
he should make for his judgment, and
what he should consider. He was told tc
consider the samples as he would if be
had an invoice of each lot to buy, an,
mark as No. l. such lots rs would rank in
market equal to western creamery, or "
butter which would be classrd rs "bes
butter'' or First class" outside of fancy,
which sells at about 40 cents per pound in
Boston at retail.
He was to put any not 30 good as that,
as No. 2, and make lower grades, if neces
sary Mr.. Harris went at his work, Dor
ing every package aud testing from its
middle, as the samples. in small packages
had been long exposed to the effects of air
in coming. In beg ming he said he pre-
sumed he should offend great man,
butter makers, as he expected to End blu
little which he could put rs No. /. Fl,
had not bored more than half dozel
samples before he began t. express hi.
surprise at the excellence of the result ann
the evenness Of quality, which favorable
opinion grew stronger as he went on wi b
his work. The secretary only was with
him in the room during the examination
and with paper and pencil took the rating
of each sample by number as it was pass
ed-neilher knowing the maker of the
samples. The examination was not fin,
ished Wednesday evening, there being
some half dozen lots left
Thursday morning there had been sew
eral samples taken away, though there
were about 70 remaining, of these 40 were
classed as No. l., l6 as No. 2, 8 as No 8
l as No. 4, and one as fancy, which
would probably command 60 to Is cents
per pound at retail in Boston. This was
found to be made by Geo. B. Williams
Esq. of Walpole, N. H., live member Of
the association, and an attendant at each
annual meeting since heioined some years
since.
The exhibition largely exceeded our e1
pectation, and came evidently from the
more enterprsing and wide awake dairy
men of our state. This is indicated by
the general excellence of tho exhibit. No
2 was by no means poor butter, some be
ing set aside in that class for poor color,
some for coarse and too much sailing, one
or two samples for too high coloring and
some which were "off" in flavor, which
might come from;too long keeping, or from
some inherent fault of making or feeding,
(of course. at this early writing, the day
after the meeting it is too early TO ascer,
tain whether any lesson is to be learned
from the descriptions, rs one has had no
time to tabulate the statements accompany
ing the samples. AS we have mentioned
the fancy sample, so we must mention the
poorest. 1t came in a coarse box, and
dirty brown cloth, which In character.
color and texture, resembled dish.cloth,
with holes, bad smelling. repulsive, and
the butter was poor in all respects, except
color. 1t was poor grain, poor flavor,
rankin short. poor butter.
We often hear dealers telling the effect
of attractive packages, in selling butter in
market.
There is more in it than that. A per-
son who would put up butter in that shape,
as Just described, will lack in care and
neatness at other stages of The process.
and its lack will show in the quality of
the product as well as the shape it is pre-
pared for market. The butter was mostly
first class in preparation, clean, white "but
ter cloth covering it, and the butter class
ed as I'd, The judge said, would sell for
but two or three cents per pound less than
No. l No. was what would be classed
as poor, and would have to sell for five Or
eight cents per pound below No. 2
We shall write more on this subject as
soon us we can collect and arrange the
statistics.