The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-10-24
The Dairymen's Association.

aid of its current expenses. 1t would
seem ridiculously absurd to suppose
that in a legislature composed so largely
of farmers such modest application
would encounter any serious opposition;
but we understand that some nervous
ness exists in regard to the NATTER
based, perhaps, upon the astonishing
vote in the last legislature, which came
so near abolishing our state board of
agriculture. AT time when the agri-
cultural interests of the state need such
serious attention, one would suppose
that every influence likely to promote
them would have the hearty sympathy
of all, except perhaps the few cranks
who are "agin everything" that men
of sense and patriotism may advocate.
For the information of those who
may not have given much attention to
the work of this association, it may be
well to recall something of its record
since its institution in the winter of
1S69-70, and of the contemporary
progress of the dairying interests of the
state. At that time the reaction from
the high prices and flush times of the
war was beginning to be painfully felt,
and the manufacture of both butter and
cheese, while perhaps not absolutely
declining, was certainly in depressed
condition. The old small-pan method
of dairying was still practically uni
versal, and the dairy herds of the state
were almost entirely made up of the
dnimproved common stock. The pur-
pose of the organization was declared,
in its constitution, to be the &" Improve
ment of the Dairy Interests of Yer
mont" and to that work it devoted
itself. That the need of such improve
ment was clear was evidenced, from
the first, by the large attendance upon
its meetings of the best dairymen from
all parts of the state; and the impetus
given to the progress of the dairy in
dustry was almost at once made mani
fest. The best practical dairymen from
abroad, and especially from the dairy
districts of New York, were secured to
address the meetings and to give prac-
tical and detailed instruction, while
dairy apparatus of the then best
known kinds was exhibited, and its
working illustrated. AT that time Yer
mont had very little to show in this
direction. The old-fashioned dash
churn and the small tin milk pans were
in universal use. A very few dairymen
were experimenting with new methods,
such as deep setting and large pans,
but this only on a very limited scale.
There was not factory of dairy appa-
ratus in the state; in fact there was no
use for such factory, since in the
modern sense no such apparatus was in
existence. 1t seems impossible to be-
lieve in the immense change which has
taken place in the eighteen years since
our dairymen inaugurated this general
effort for mutual improvement and the
development of their industry. The
facts are very striking.
The first meeting was held in st. AL
bans January 10, 20 and 21, 1870. The
second meeting was at Montpelier, Oc-
tober 26 of the same year, when the late
X. A. Willard of New York delivered
an address in representatives. hall on
Milk and its Products. AT that time
cooperation in dairying was limited to
factory cheese making. The regular
winter meeting followed at Burlington,
January Is, 10 and 20, 1871. At the
time of these meetings, and especially
in the advertisements inserted in the
published reports, there was absolutely
no evidence of the existence of
any new and improved apparatus for
dairying except in cheese fac
tories, and even the most advanced
dairymen, such as Mr.. Willard, Mr..
Arnold, and Mr.. Lewis, proposed moth
ing in the way of improved methods of
butter-making, but limited themselves
to advising the more careful appli-
cation of those long in practice. The
first appearance of anything new
in this line was the "Orange County
Milk Pan," advertised in the third an
nual report, 1872 an improvement "
now hardly remembered at all.
What have we seen since then? We
will not say that to the Vermont Asso-
citation is due all that has been gained
in that brief time, but we do say that
to the stimulus given to thought, inves-
tigation and experiment by this and
kindred organizations, is chiefly due
the almost complete revolution and
transformation of the butter indus
try in the following fifteen years.
What do we now see, right here at
home? The method of raising cream
has been entirely revolutionized, and
we have in the state some of the largest
manufacturing establishments in the