The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-12-18
THE OLD ANDNEW.

The following paper was read before
the Iowa State Dairymen's Association,
by Mrs. Carrie Coffin Kutledge:
In this fast age of ours we soon be-
come so accustomed to new things, that
we are apt to forget that they are new.
We forget that the generations before
us have not had the benefit of all
these things, which seem so necessary
to us.
Could we walen Rip Van Wrinkle
from his twenty years nap it would be
matter of no small interest to us to
hear his expressions of wonder at what
are to us very common everyday
affairs. The telephone and photograph
would seem the effect of some magi-
clans art; while the typewriter, twine-
binder, cream separator and butter
extractor would appear no less mar
velous. In like manner it is very diff.
cult for us to realize what this world
was like, and how men lived and worked
without these latter day inventions.
We stand in open-mouthed wonder
when our grandfathers begin to tell
of the old times of the stage-coach,
sickle and household loom. Some
times it is well for us to stop and com
pare the old with the new, that we may
better appreciate the present ways and
means, and be stimulated to still greater
advance.
The object of this paper is to point
out some of these comparisons as seen
in the dairy world. 1t may be observed
that this same dairy world has very
hating gait. One foot steps off with
long decided strides, willie the other
drags YEARLY along ''stuck fast mid toll
and turmoil"
The creamery, has perhaps been the
longest step out of the old into the new.
1t has lightened the work of the farm
wife by half. 1t has brought the deep
can set in cold water; it has taken first
the cream, then the milk itself from oul
doors, and given us money to be indie
pendent with when we went to town To
trade. 1t has taught us to skim the
cream before it spoiled, to have sense
enough to stop churning before we
spoiled the butter, and has. made it pos,
sible for the fresh butter man to help us
out, when the creamery was out OF Oul
reach If we will only stop to think OF
all it has brought and taught us, there
will be wave of thanks rolling uI
to the creamery from all over the
State.
IL mas ever been the advance foot in
the dairy world march. 1t has demon.
strated that butter making is trade to
be perfected only by close study and ex,
perience. 1t has encouraged invention
in all its departmeuts,a and is not afraid Ia
own that the summit has not yet been
reached. we can afford to be patient
while milk tests ripen and other disputed
points are under trial, knowing that the
end in view is the heaviest dealing with
every patron.
Before its advent where were we? Dc
you know Rip Van Wrinkle left large
family of daughters, who have inherited
his proneness to heavy slumber? We
find one once in while out on our own
Iowa farms, going her daily rounds,
still sound asleep. She carries her milk
down cellar, strain it into heavy gallon
crooks, or four-inch-deep pans, reaches
apOve her head to set them upon shelves
let's the milk stand until it thickens, and
the cream begins to spot with green
mold, then she offers it to her poor
scrawny calves, but has to feed it TO the
pigs. When her churn is full she puts
in the dasher, and pounds away until
her arms and the butter both break.
Still she pounds on until she can put in
her hand and take out the ball Of butter.
Then she salts and and sets away, to
work again some other day. When John
goes TO town she she sends it to the
grocer he don't want it, but finally gives
JOme some tobacco and few groceries,
and he goes home complaining that
farming in this country don't pay, and
he is going South just as soon as
he can get enough out of debt to
leave.
Oh Mr.. President, hope this conven-
ton may make such laundering that
she and all her sisters shall be awakened
from their slumber.
But it would be wrong to suppose the
most of our farmers asleep. Those who
are not already wide awake are rubbing
their eyes.
Under the old idea, COW was n COW,
and the question was never asked,
whether she payed her way or not.
Farmers are beginning to say COW
must give so much for grain and hay or
they Twill not sell to her You know
politicians have way of becoming very
much interested in the farmer and labor
ing man about election time. Much the
same principle was followed with the
COW. When butter began TO advance in
the fall she was worth attention, but il
has been found that both the COW and
the voter give better returns if given
attention all the year round.
Under the old rule the milking was all
done in the summer when both the
farmer and his wife had the most work
to do, when it took the most work to
make the butter, and when it was the
most difficult either to keep or deliver in
good shape, and when it brought the
lowest price.
The result was, we worked very hard
for little money, and were tired and dis
couraged. Our boys and girls were
digusted with farm life and left the first
opportunity. We are beginning to see
that the cows can just as well come in
in the fall; that we can make plenty of
good butter with little work and better
pay and not be so tired or discouraged.
Our boys and girls begin to take an
interest in those nice, slick, calves, which
We're never offered sour milk or pestered
! to death with flies. They have reapect