St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-10-01
HORTICULTURAL DEPRESSION -
THEN.

|
THEN.
In these days, the farmer has many
grievances of which he did not know
a generation past. The newspapers
and the stump-speakers tell us of the
| farmers wrongs, and from time to
time huge alliances are formed to set
them right. l go back to the old
farm in New York on which l was
born-the farm my father won from
the forest, and on which he lived in
| freedom and independence, knowing
no master, dreading no tyrant.
With poorer tools than are now
used, poorer buildings, inferior facil-
tiles for transportation. lower prices,
and uncertain markets, still he knew
nothing of agricultural depression. :"
When crops were small and prices
low, he simply worked the harder.
l find on that farm today tenants
who barely make living, Igoover
the farm. see unpruned fruit-trees,
wasted forest-trees, farm-im elements
rusting in the rain and sun, falling
gates, broken wagons-evidences of
wasted time and unthrifty labor. |
wonder whether the oppression of
the farmer is the fault of the times,
or the fault of the man. President
D. S. Jordan in the October Forum.
BUTTER MAKING--A PRIZE ESSAY
Below will be found the prize essay
written for the Mirror and Farmer
by Mrs. Oscar Brown of St. Johns
bury Centre. Mrs. Brown did not
decide to enter this contest until the
eleventh hour, and is to be congra tu
the palma prize of $50
THE ESSAY
Thirty-fve years ago we moved in
to our little hillside farm, l having
been a farmers daughter, yet know
ing very little in regard to butter
making.
We decided that our farm was best
adapted for grass growing; therefore
a dairy would be the most profitable
for u.s.
AS we commenced at the beginning,
unlearned and unskilled, we very
soon saw the wisdom of getting
more light, or we might always re-
main at the beginning.
Our first effort was to find the best
butter makers and learn their meth
DDS; next, to get the best dairy pa
pers, always keeping as our watch
word, progression. And we know by
actual experience that the dairy man
or woman who knows it all" is sure
to be left
No method that we have yet found
is not open to criticism.
Not many years ago, while making
a visit, the master Of the house made
the remark: This butter was made
last June by Mr.. S., noted dairy
man, and it is just as good now as
when made six months ago When
the fact was that very butter was
rank, made so by keeping, and the
poor wise man in eating from the
same every day had not discovered
it. Only one who was in the
habit of eating daily from fresh made
butter could detect difference.
Therefore l believe the only reason
why people wise scientists some
times tell us that we are not making
good keeping butter-that we have
sacrificed the keeping qualities, for a
hne-havored, bookkeeping ARTICLES
this: Times have changed, and nice
fresh butter is demanded and persons
who are able to pay for fresh butter
will in every instance prefer it.
l believe that the butter never was
made that in keeping for six months
or six weeks did not lose something
of its nice aroma, whether made in
the year 1850 or 1890.
am no scientist and cannot tell
why certain things, from scientific
point of view, will produce certain
results, but by actual experience and
test l know it is so. l like to
read or hear of a nice ine-spun
theory; then | am the one that likes
to test and prove results, showing it
either to be true or false.
And as there are so many practical
dairymen, like ourselves, depending
wholly upon their dairy product for
a livelihood, am sure the method of
drawing out practical efforts from
practical dairymen will result in un-
told good to the dairy world.
First, the kind of dairy herd-Our
COWS are all young, under Z, high
grade Jerseys, reared from selected
stock, from COWS that would make
the greatest amount of firm, close
grained, solid, golden butter that
needs no artificial coloring, whether
it is made in June or January; and
this point alone has been of great
value to us.
Second, butter that will retain its
solid shape and ship well in the hot