The Republican journal., 1886-03-04
Letter from Turner.
AMONG THE DAIRYMEN AND ORCHARDISTS OF
ANDROSCOGGIN.

ANDROSCOGGIN.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Journal
TURNER, Feb. 10Th, 1886. This town, which
will celebrate its centennial on the fourth of
July next is on the west bank of the Andres
coggin river, ten miles above Auburn. The
surface is rather hil!y, somewhat like Thorn
dixie and Knox in our county. There are but
few towns in the State where 50 much attcn-
ton is given to orcharding. one farm has a
fifteen hundred barrel orchard, and there are
large number that each produce from five
hundred barrels upward. man who raises
not more than two hundred barrels is a small
farmer. They show the finest specimens of
winter fruits that have ever seen. Although
apples are selling low, the people are full of
courage and have faith in the future.
Greene on the opposite bank Of the river is
also famous apple town. In passing through
this section the farms are almost covered with
fruit trees. They seem to be marching like
soldiers i'll long lines over the hill tops. up and
down the slopes. and through the valleys. The
enterprise of the people does not exhaust it.
self in orcharding. They take the first rank in
dairying also. At Turner Centre is a butter
factory which makes fifty tons of butter an
nually This is sold to hotel men in Maine and
Massachusetts; and to a long list of family
customers at home and abroad. The sales are
made weekly without much regard to the state
of the market. The lowest price received last
year was 1Sc per lb. The highest was SIC
The average was pc. The milk is set in
crcamers at the farm houses The cream is
collected every day by men employed for the
purpose. The cost Of collection is about 500
per year. After paying this and all other rN-
pcn>e> the average net price per lb, Il
little over 23c for the year. The skinned milk
is fed at home to calves and pigs. Good
calves can be reared on this and oat meal por-
ridge
Jersey cows. either pure blooded or high
grades, are kept, and there has been marked
Improvement in the quality of stock since the
factory started. What is better still the farms
are said to be producing twice as much hay and
grain aS five Years ago
The factory, machinery and appliances cost
@l5O0. The power is furnished bv a small
steam engine. When the cream is brought in
it is placed in 4 large tempcriug tank. and
when iii proper condition it is drawn OF into
large, revolving box churn. somewhat larger
than Il bale Of pressed hay, Churning requires
about two hours. About 200 pounds of butter
is churncd at once. one man does all the
work. Every thing is clean and in order. The
butter is stamped in square cakes and marked
with Il neat monogram or is packed in tubs as
the trade demands. In another part of the
town is cheese factory, one of tho largest and
most successful in the State.
There are also several private dairir> making
from forty to one hundred H. Of butter per
week.
1t is to be regretted that we have not in
Waldo county an established butter factory
Olcomargarint. buttcrine and other limitations
have driven all butter out of the large markets
except a uniform grade of first class article,
We have plenty Of good butter makers hut tine
products of their daircs are handicapped in
Boston markets by the poorer GRADES which
are almost invariably packed with the good by
the merchant shippers. We are practically
shut ouy from all markets except Belfast. The
county IS much too large to do its marketing in
one small city. If we are to sell our products
in another market we must conform to the l,-
mand> Of the times.
1t is true that W. have quite Il number of
private dairymen who have made a permanent
and profitable market elsewhere for their goods.
But the unfortunate fact must be admitted
that tons Of butter have sought and failed to
find market in Belfast within the past three
months.