Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-02-21

The farmers of Hancock county assem-
bled in goodly numbers at Hancock hall
last + iday afternoon, to listen to an
address by b. Walker Mckeen, secretary
of the State board Of agriculture. AT
least seventy-five farmers were present,
together with many business men of the
city who are interested in the proposed
creamery.
John A. Peters, jr., chairman OF the
board OF trade committee on manu-
features and industrial development,
who has been doing much energetic work
to obtain the creamery, presided at the
meeting. He introduced the speaker OF
the day, who in fact, needs but little in
PRODUCTION to the farmers of this or any
other section OF the State.
b. Walker McKeen was born in Frye
burg, November g. 1S49. He was educat-
ed in he common schools and at Fryeburg
academy; spent several years in teaching,
after which he returned to the farm
which he now ownsand operates, making
speciality of the production OF cream
from thoroughbred and grade Jersey
cows.
thinks he has fully doubled the stock
carrying capacity OF his farm by its
adoption. He was supervisor Of schools
in Fryeburg for six years; agricultural
editor Of the Oxford Democrat from 1884
to 1886; secretary OF the West Oxford
agricultural society from 1886 to 1892;
member of the board of agriculture from
~, oil bod
secretary of the board in 1892, and re-
elected in 1895.
Thus it will be seen that Mr.. McKeen Is
we'll qualified to speak to the farmers in
relation to dairying and creameries; he is
not theorist, but a successful practical
farmer who has made an intelligent
study of his occupation.
His talk was thoroughly practical. He
is heartily in favor OF the creamery sys-
| TEN Of butter making, and pointed out
the many advantages of the creamery
over the old way of butter making, and
the benefits OF the creamery to the farm
ers. A few OF the important advantages
was the tightening Of labor in the house,
the steady market the year round, and
his product, to be expended as he saw fit
instead OF taking it out in trade"
He said the number of cows that could
be kept was only limited by the capacity
OF the land. In Hancock county the
land is not worked to near its full capac-
ity at present 1--WE all believe our cows
make the best butter, and il anyone
makes better, perhaps our mothers did.
But the creamery butter being always
the same in color and quality, obtains
the best prices and steady market.
Some farmers-there are very few-make
money by supplying regular customers.
But where there is one successful dairy
farmer there are 500 successful creamery
farmers"
Mr.. Mckeen then described fully the
met of collecting and testing the
cream, illustrating by means of the cans
and creamer on exhibition at the hall.
/ He described fully the Ba bcock test,
which would be used here, showing the
accuracy and absolute fairness of the test.
/ 1t was possible to get from 10 to % per
1 cent. more cream from the milk by this
new method than by the old.
Mr.. Mckeen said that the selling of
cream to the creamery he had found the
most profitable branch of farming he had
yet engaged in, sin fact" he said, 'it is
the only branch which is paying me any
thing at present.
At the close of his address he said he
hoped the farmers of Hancock would go
into this business and stick to it. "Don't
think that you are going to get wealthy
all at once; hat is impossible in any
business. You may perhaps experience
difficulties, but they can be readily over
come. Iou must experiment with cows
and different kinds of fodder. | believe
I that in a few years you will find the pro-
/ ductive capacity of your farms more
than dou bled and you will be better off
financially"
/ Mr.. Mckeen answered many questions
asked him regarding the creamery
method, different kinds of soilng, fodder
and the keeping of it in silos for winter
use.
JUDGE REDMAN'S SPEECH.
] Chairman Peters then called Hon John
b. Redman, for a speech. He needed no
f introduction
Mr.. Redman prefaced his remarks by
the declaration that he was farmer.
t He told how he came to own farm.
"Some time ago | bought farm; there
was no farm house on it. | obtained an
estimate on the cost of building farm
house While | was considering this
estimate another man offered to sell me a
farm with building on it, for the same
amount it would cost to build on the
farm | already owned. So | bought the
second farm. This leads me to remark
upon the sad fact that many of the farms
/ in Hancock county at present are worth
no more han the buildings that are upon
/ them"
He compared the old and new system of