The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-09-15
The Crops and Dairy Interest in
Vermont.

In the Boston journal of Saturday Mr..
Forbes furnishes summary of the reports
sent to him from all parts of the state in re-
gard to the yield of farm crops, etc. The
total hay crop is estimated at 1,135,675 tons.
(For Orange county, 10000 tons; for Wash
ington county, $500 tons). Every county
but Grand Isle, Essex and Caledonia report
the crop above the average. The yield of
oats is reported five per cent above the aver
age; wheat the same; barley ten per cent
above; rye an average crop. Corn is eX-
pected to be about an average crop. The
potato crop will be failure in some conn-
ties-the general condition throughout the
state indicates about eighty-two per cent of
an average yield. Buckwheat will be no
more than an average crop. The fruit crop
is hardly more than fifty per cent of an av-
erage yield. The dairy interest is thus dis
cussed:
Vermont produces more butter than any
other New England state and stands ninth
in order among the states of the Union in
the amount of its dairy product. 1t is esti-
mated that there are at the present time
900 milch cows in the state, which pro-
duce some 100000 pounds of butter and
100000 pounds of cheese annually. For
many years a large portion of the dairy
product of the state has been shipped to the
Boston market, where it has commanded
the highest prices. From Franklin county
alone over 100000 pounds of butter was
sent to Boston last year. Dairy farming is
in very discouraging condition and less
butter will be produced this year than last.
In reply to the question as to the condition
of the dairy interest, ninety-ive out of one
hundred responses received from leading
dairymen in the state are to the effect that
it is very much depressed and that prices
are ruinously low. The outlook is reported
as being anything but encouraging, and a
number of dairy farmers are reducing the
number of their cows. Several dairymen
a "a lint at
profit for less than twenty cents per pound.
The ruling market price this season is about
fifteen cents. The quality of the dairy
product in Vermont has gradually improved
from year to year. and while there will
probably be less butter made this wear i'm
the state than in former seasons the product
will be of a better quality than ever before
In some towns farmers are selling their
cows and replacing them with young stock.
Creameries are favorably spoken of wherever
they have been established, and it is asserted
that the practical result of this improved
system of butter-making has been to add
to the material wealth of the dairymen
adopting the cream-gathering plan. Yer
mont dairymen were somewhat encouraged
at the outset of the agitation of the cleo
margine fraud in congress, and were hope.
full that law would be enacted which would
be of material benefit to the dairy interest
There is quite diversity of opinion among
dairy farmers as to the effect of the bill
passed by congress on the butter market
A large number of farmers believe that il
the original bill had been passed, which i'm
posed tax of ten cents per pound, il would
have been of considerable benefit. Out oil
eighty prominent dairymen who have eX-
pressed an opinion on the subject, fifty-twC
state that they do not believe that the
law will be of any advantage to dairy farm
ers Twenty-eight others are encouraged tC
believe the law will be beneficial to them, al.
ur1 i,,ly .l,. L,