The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-06-13
THE CAPITOL CREAMERY.
Facts of General Interest to the Farmers
of Washington County Obtained by a
Recent Visit to this Establishment,


Facts of General Interest to the Farmers
of Washington County Obtained by a
Recent Visit to this Establishment.
About year ago Francis Batchelder, of
the firm of Francis Batcheder x Co., COM
mission merchants on Blackstone street,
Boston, and the present mayor of the city
of Everett, Mass, advanced the necessary
capital to put in creamery al Montpelier.
1t was largely in the nature of an expert
ment, and, in the financial depression that
prevailed at that time, was considered by
many to be foolhardy venture, that sooner
or later would prove to be a failure. But Mr..
Batchelder asked no assistance from any
one, and stated that if the venture proved a
success his firm would be entitled to reap
the benefit; if it turned out to be a failure,
no outside help would be asked in making
good any losses.
Under the well-drected management of
| A. w. Slocum, local agent for Mr. Batchel-
der, the building was completed and
equipped throughout with the best and
latest improved butter-making machinery,
and late in the fall was opened for bust
ness. Truman ellison, an experienced but
! ter maker and chemist, was engaged to
have charge Of the manufacture Of the but
ter, and the business started under favor
able auspices, although at an unfavorable
season of the year.
With view to finding out whether the
business thus far had been as large as the
mar agement had anticipated, and also to
ascertain, if possible, whether such an en-
terprise is really benefit to the farmers of
| Washington county, a representative of The
WATCHMAN visited the creamery last week,
and, through the courtesy of Mr.. Slocum
and Mr.. ellison, obtained much Information
that, it is believed will be of interest to the
valued farmer constituency of this paper.
When the building was equipped, last
fall, it was thought that the machinery then
put in would be amply sufficient to do the
work for years. So fast has the business in
creased since the sprirG opened, however,
that within the past two weeks it has beer
necessary to put in an additional churn, of
1000 pounds of butter capacity, t,To large
additional cream watts, and steam hoistpg
arrangement for the easy hsudling of the
milk. Separators have been put in at East
Montpelier, Plainield, Marshield, East
CALAIS, East Roxbury, Washington and
Middlesex, and others are contemplated in
the near future. From these stations the
cream is shipped daily to the creamery at
Montpelier
At points where no feeding stations have
been put in, or in localities somewhat re-
mote from the creamery, such as Worcester
Corner, Shady Rill, West Berlin, and 9TH
ers, the farmers in these places pay eight
cents per hundred pounds to have their
milk hauled to the creamery daily by
parties who make that their business. This
seems to be a great advantage over the way
it is done at many other creameries in the
state, where every customer takes his own
milk The Capitol Creamery has at pres
ent the milk from 800 diaries, and the farm
ers who are obliged to pay for hauling their
milk there consider their time Of more
value at home, and willingly pay the
charges OF transportation.
The milk, as it comes to the creamery, is
all tested by the Babcock tester, on which
perfect reliance is placed. If any farmer is
so disposed, he can send a sample of his
milk to thelexperiment station at Burling
ton to be tested. If it should test higher
there, the management OF the creamery will
60 by that test; if lower, they go by the
Babcock tester, by which the amount of
butter belonging to each patron is figured.
II a surplus is found at the end of the
month, every farmer gets his share, proper
toned upon the quantity Of milk he has
brought to the creamery during the month.
Every patron is paid promptly on the 18th
of each month.
1t having come to the notice of the re-
porter that some farmers had advanced the
idea that the Boston market for butter is
not as good as some others, particular in
quiry was made as to this. 1t was learned
that the owner of the Capitol Creamery
guarantees to pay as high as any creamery
in Vermont, with the same test. The but
ter manufactured at the Capitol Creamery
goes to the extreme southerly coast of
Florida, to the mountains, and TO almost
every large town and city in Massachusetts.
The average test for April was 4,60-larger,
it is believed, than that OF any creamery in
this section. The Moretown creamery, for
instance tested 3.97 for the same period.
This test of AGO gives every farmer one-h half
pound of butter extra for every hundred
pounds of milk.
Butter for family use is furnished to the
farmers who take their milk 20 the cream
cry, at the net price, with no charge for
making. Cooley cream and separator
cream are tested the same as milk. The
testing is wholly in charge of Mr.. ellison.
This gentleman shows with no little pride
several diplomas he has received as but
ter-maker, including two from the manage
ment of the Worlds Fair at Chicago.
Another point that some farmers do not
stop to consider is that what they realize
from the creamery is net cash, nothing out
for tubs, cloths, packages, boxes, salt, but
ter color, etc. aside from the saving of la
! Dor. Those who are foolish or ignorant
I enough to say that creamery butter is dirty,
and not fit to eat should make one visit to
the Capitol Creamery. They would never
. be heard of afterward
, Cans are furnished to customers for one
| or two months on trial. without charge. II
t at the end of that time they are convinced
: cans are sold to them at actual cost deliv,
cred. The farmers can carry their skim.
. milk home with them II they choose, and
: as it is perfectly sweet, it is excellent fol
growing calves.
The Capitol Creamery is at present
} making about ton of butter per day, al
though, one day last week, 3,4OO pounds