The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-18
Dairying in Vermont.

Farmers Give Up Dairying?" Mr.. Towle
of the st Adams Messenger criticises
some observations of ours in a recent
issue of the VermOnter in reference to
one of Mr.. Douglas articles in the Rut-
land Herald. 1t is great pleasure to
us to see sufficient interest awakened
in the condition of Vermont farming
to elicit such articles as have recently
appeared in several leading state news
papers. In fact, the situation is getting
so serious that all our farmers are be-
coming interested; and that the Mes
Senger, everywhere understood to be
the home organ of the Central Yer
mont railway managers, should admit
of anything approaching fair and can
tainly encouraging. Notwithstanding
the persistent assertion that The Rural
Vermonter was foe to the railroad in
terest, this willingness to discuss the
matter with us indicates that the charge
is not seriously made, and that our real
desire to convince the railroad man.
ayers themselves of the necessity for
better rates and facilities for our farm
ers to reach their customers is recog-
nized. We should much prefer to see
spontaneous change in rates, based
on obvious justice and necessity, rather
than forced one, gained by popular
agitation, ending in legislative action.
1t would be better all around.
1t can hardly be expected, at the out
set, that the contestants in this dis
cussion should exactly understand each
others position. Mr.. Towle is, we be-
lieve, thoroughly honest and fair
minded man, as anxious for the pros
perity of the farming interests of the
state as we, or any one, can be. But
the title he gives to his article shows
that he misses the point we make,
ers shall give up dairying," but whether
all Vermont farmers must be forced into
dairying, for lack Of proper facilities for
getting other farm products to market
at paying rates. This is the question,
and we should like to have Mr.. Towle's
views upon it, In regard to dairying
in Vermont, the propositi tons we laid
down were: Q) That only very good
butter will pay living profit to the pro-
Queer. (2) That anything less than
very good butter is so improbable that
the class of farmers who are unable to
produce it are leaving the state in great
numbers. (3) That justice requires
a reduction in the freight of all other
farm products, whether sent in carloads
or less quantity, which will admit of
successful competition with the farm
ers in other sections who seek the same
markets. In other words, that the rail-
roads should cease forcing the farmers
all into dairying or into emigration. 1t
seems to us that this position should be
easily understood, and fairly contro-
verted-if it can be.
Mr.. Towle, after quoting two para
graphs from our article, says that
there are some things brought out
above that are so manifestly unfair,
and we think unjust, when applied to
the leading industry Of our state, that
we can not forbear offering a most ear
nest protest against their PRONUNCIATION
in an industrious, thoughtful and in
telligent community of agriculturists.
What are those things? 1t certainly is
not, as he seems to assume, any state
ment that dairying is not the leading in
terest with our farmers. We claim that
it is not only the leading, but about the
only interest. 1t is not, as he also as
sumes, that great progress has not
been made in it; for very recently we
stated that more progress had been
made in Vermont dairying in the last
eighteen years than in all its previous
history; and this statement is going
the rounds of the agricultural press,
with due credit given, so that Mr..
Towle must be aware of it. What,
then, did we bring out?" We de-
clared, firstly, that vermont agricul-
ture is being smothered by the inabil-
ity other people to market proftably
almost every one of their farm prod
ucts ercept butter" Secondly, that
" butter is an article of luxury, re-
curing for its production much skill, ,"
a skill that is far from being universal,
and likely not to be so for long time
to come. Thirdly, that " no one claims
that one-fourth of all the butter made
in the state ranks as high as the second
grade in quality" Fourthly, that
"while improvement is possible it
must be Slow" and the situation is so
pressing that this improvement can not
be waited for. Filthy, that " it re-
quires immediate relief, so far as the
expense of getting to market is con-