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


to declare that "these diaries are not
quoted in the market reports, and their
number we are made to understand is
very small, and the demand for such
class of butter so very small as to offer
little or no inducement for Compel
itors." Wishing to be perfectly explicit,
we will say that by the first grade of
butter we mean that grade made by
our first-class private diaries, of such
quality and such uniformity that it
finds a market the year around at
prices above that of average creamery
butter. That the amount of this is
small, compared with the whole product
of the state, was our own statement
We calculated that both it and the best
grades of creamery taken together do not
quite equal one-fourth the whole product
of the state. But even that would
amount to six million pounds, and on
that six millions we believe more than
half of all the real net profit made on
butter in Vermont is received This
must be within bounds, for nobody de-
MES that the most inferior grades are
made at loss, shown in the great de-
cline in the value of the farms upon
which such butter is made; while as re-
CARDS the third grade, being sweet but
ter of fair quality now quoted in the
state at twenty cents and under, there
can be but very small margin left to
the producer.
Now consider these facts, and remem-
Der that however much or little the
railroads may do to help the dairyman,
the chief help to them must come from
a slow improvement in home manufac-
ture, or from the extension of creamery
manufacture. Creameries are only
practicable where good many cows
are kept within limited area. This
will hardly apply to more than half the
state, and in the remaining half there
is but small fraction of the private
diaries getting first-rate prices. Not
that first-rate butter is not made there
but that most of those making it, not
having the opportunity to reach the
right class of buyers, have to sell their
frSt-clasS butter at third-claSs rates.
We are now buying and using just that
grade of butter for our own table, get
ting it at twenty cents pound, while
the village stores will pay for it only
sixteen to seventeen cents in trade.
Now, then, Brother Towle, to come
down to hard facts, what do you pro-
pose to do for this class of farmers,
nine-tenths of whom would sell out and
get out within year, if any one could
be found to buy them out? We should
really like to hear what any man can
propose for their relief other than what
we propose ourself. We belong to that
very class of small farmers, keeping at
one time three or four cows to eat up
the waste garden stuff and small amount
of other feed produced in our grounds,
and selling the surplus butter at the
stores. Having nearly every foot now
under tillage, we keep no cows, and buy
our butter. We grow what we can sell,
fruit, seeds and vegetables, mostly, and
at every turn we are met by the high
fence put up between us and market by
the railroad and express companies.
Home competition has reduced the price
of small fruits twenty-five per cent, and
at the same time the express companies
have raised rates forty per cent, so that
we ship almost nothing in that line,
and have abandoned strawberries alto
gether. We have often tried to find
market for seeds at wholesale, and if
we could get reasonable rates we would
buy more land, and 60 into it largely,
for our reputation as skillful grower
is admitted by many large city dealers.
But even in carloads the rates are ex-
cessive, while but very few buyers take
such large quantity, from one grower,
any way. In smaller shipments, the
rates are absolutely prohibitory. Strange
to say, they are made purposely so, and
dealer in the village told us that on
lot of Sanford corn sent to him, and
marked " seed-corn," he was charged
double the rate of common corn-which
excess he charged back to the party
who grew the seed. In small lots it has
until recently cost 1925 per barrel to
ship apples or potatoes out of or across
the state. This cuts off the seed potato
trade, except by the carload; and even
at the present rate of seventy-two cents
per barrel to Boston, the prices Of
fered do not pay. To compete with
other sections on an equality, the freight
per barrel for potatoes and apples should
not exceed fifty cents to any station
between northern Vermont and New
York city.
Now there are, in Vermont, several
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