Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-09-27
VERMONT DAIRYING.
BIG PROFITS FOR THOSE WHO CON-
DUCT 1T PROPERLY.

New York State Man Tells of His Obser-
yations of the Industry in this state
Diaries Described as n "Good Thing
Hens also Source of Income.
A resident of Buckton (Stockholm)
writes in the Ogdensburg Advance of
the things he saw on a recent trip to
Vermont. In regard to the farmers of
the state he has this to say, writing from
Prosper:
Dairying is the leading industry, with
hens close second; the home market
takes most of the poultry product at
prices above what the general market
affords. A good many of the farmers
have regular customers in the village OF
Woodstock, whom they supply with but
ter and eggs every week. One party L
know gets % cents per pound for butter
the year around, another 20 cents. This
makes it necessary for them to practice
winter dairying. Some have regular
customers in Boston, New York, or some
of the large places east. My daughter
has one in Boston that pays % cents per
pound. Thus 1t is seen that those who
practice private dairying have good
thing, providing always that they have a
good article. Nearly all the dairymen have
separators and such as do not make their
own butter take the cream to creamery,
of which there are two In Woodstock.
The cream is tested as our milk Is and
payment Is made on the basis of the but
ter fat it contains. | am told that the
creamery man retains the overrun as it is
termed, that is the excess of butter made
over the quantity of butter fat in the
cream or milk, for his profit or pay for
making the butter. Good authorities
estimate that to average 1G 2-3 per cent.
The customers or patrons then are paid
the average selling price of butter, for
one hundred pounds of butter for
every one hundred pounds of butter fat
delivered, the creamery owner gets the
16 or II pound overrun for himself.
Practically he gets from to cents per
pound for making. Decidedly, the pat
ron is paying dear, looking at it from a
st. Lawrence county standpoint, for the
making of his butter, and the general
market on which the paying price is
based Is no better than ours. However,
there may be conditions existing that
make it more equitable transaction
than it seems to be. The cows are nearly
all Jersey or Jersey grades, a good many
are thorOughbreds, even among the
average farmers. Here as in our own
state, think there are very few who
can tell the cost of keeping their cattle
or that can make clear statement of
their receipts, consequently don't know
whether they are making a profit or a
loss. My impression is that excepting
such as have private customers, the old
hen has to help them and she can do it
sure. A word as to farm management
The Vermont farmer. when you come to
tillage, is a thorough man; what he tills
is well done, and the land is made rich,
produces well, and every thing utilized
and saved that grows. The larger part
of his land is not available for cultiva.
ton, consequently the temptation to
spread himself over large territory Is
removed and intensive farming is me-
cessity. Right here is where | find the
reason for Green Mountain farmers be-
ing more prosperous, as surely they are,
than our people. How to reconcile the
facts of evident thrift and prosperity
with that other one of abandoned farms
which is as true as the first, is beyond
me. 1t is said by those who ought to
know that the soil is as good or better
than that more favorably located, yet
they are being offered for sale at prices
below the value of the building on them.
About the first question asked us is, Are
you looking for farm: or How large a
farm do you want? And honestly,
believe that young man or young
couple without home and wishing for
one, would do well to come this way. OF
course it requires diligence and thrift
with patience anywhere to succeed, and
one needs to, or at least had better keep
clear of the much advertised land agents
here.
The Potato Crop.