The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-25
Aoritultural.
State Dairymen's Association.

The annual meeting of the Vermont
State Dairymen's Association opened at
Capital Hall, Montpelier, last Wednes-
day afternoon and closed on Friday,
President O. M. Tinkham presiding.
There was good attendance of promi-
nent Vermont dairymen and New
Hampshire and Massachusetts were
well represented. Prayer was offered
by Rev. II. f. Hill, and an address of
welcome was given by General Stephen
Thomas, who said he thought the asso-
citation should begin at first principles
and tell what was the best COW, now
that COW should be kept and fed and
how her product should be handled to
secure the best result. He believed
that we have the pastures, the water,
the pure air to secure the best butter,
and that we should produce it.
The president responded, thanking
the people for the welcome extended
to the association, and hoped that much
good would result from this meeting,
which he believed was true of former
meetings. He instanced farmer who,
some thirty-five years ago, made the
then remarkable amount of one hun
dred pounds of butter per cow from
four cows. Since that time the same
man, by improved breeds of cows and
better feeds, had made three hundred
pounds of butter per COW from ten cows.
He believed the Dairymen's Associa-
ton had contributed to the improved
condition of the dairy interest in YER
mont, and Vermont feed and water,
backed by Vermont intelligence, would
be able TO equal the best results at
tanned anywhere. He stated that three
quarters of the improved dairy imple-
ments are of Vermont invention and
manufacture.
Hon. William Chaplin of MiddeseX,
member of the Board of Agriculture,
read paper on the Merits and Faults
of Jersey Cows" Among the faults
are these: First, their small size :;
second, their lack of hardness: third g,
their nervousness and wildness; fourth,
their precocious and premature de-
velopment; fifth, the unfituess of their
milk for the food of infants and in
valids. Other faults, however, might
be named. The Jerseys are small al
ways. Naturally small COW, they lack
toughness and hardness and are liable
to be ailing from some trouble or other.
They are also shy, nervous and easily
agitated. For starting suddenly, step
ping constantly and general uneasiness
they are unequaled. The merits of
the Jerseys are chiefly that they are al
ways good butter COWS, and on our
small, isolated farms they are Just what
we want The butter of the Jerseys is
of superior flavor, of fine texture and
sells at a high price. Although they
are not beef breed, he had never
tasted tenderer, jucier, sweeter beef
than that from a Jersey heifer. Mr..
Chaplin continued: Sin spite of all
their peculiarities, the Jerseys have
enabled many farmers to get out of
debt and some to get rich, and they
have friends all over the state. /
venture to state that in the thirty or
more diaries which make three hun
dred pounds to the COW yearly you will
find at least ninety per cent of the COWS
are full-blood or high-grade Jerseys,
and in the thousands or more making
two hundred pounds per COW the Jersey
blood is largely interminged. From
1860 to 1870 the butter product of Ver-
mont increased from 100000 to H.
100000 pounds; from 1870 to 1880, from
1900, 000to % ,000, 900 pounds. think
large portion of this increase is to be
credited to the general introduction of
the Jersey cow" A lively discussion
followed, which was participated in by
Mr.. F. d. Douglass Of Whiting, Mr.
Hazen of New Hampshire, Mr.. Cheever
of the NeU England Farmer, Mr.. Ken
nerson of Peacham, General Thomas,
DR.. Hoskins and others.
On Thursday evening Lieutenant
governor Fuller was introduced and
addressed the meeting as follows:
Mr.. President Permit me to con-
graduate the Dairymen's Association
upon their very hattering exhibit of dairy
products. Your exhibition has brought
together the results of the efforts of
many in many communities, emphasz-
ing in marked degree the prominence
and extent of this the largest branch
of the leading industry of the state and
nation. Horace Greeley said, many
years ago, " Go West, young man, and
grow up with the country" But the
forests of Michigan, the prairies of
Illinois and the plains of Kansas have
become peopled. Even to the Pacific
slope eastern energy and skill has
asserted itself and the openings Greeley
pointed out have become so well filled
that the minds of the thOuobtful are