Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-11-12
Milk and Creamery Notes.

A Vermont creameryman who oper-
ates II buttermaking plants in the
Green Mountain state and eight in New
Hampshire informs a New England
Homestead editorial representative that
in his opinion farmers of New England
are not increasing the size of their dairy y
herds in proportion to the growing
population of such cities as Boston,
Portland, Providence, Worcester, etc.
He also says the scarcity of help is q
point to high milk prices for some time.
The Macoma Valley creamery at Leba-
non, N. H., ID. Marshall, superintend-
ent) makes $4,000 pounds butter per
month in the flush season and 1000
pounds in winter. The last six months
it has paid patrons "a 1-2 to 80 cents per
pound for butter fat. The creamery
gathers milk supplies from as far as 80
miles. 1t sells much butter to Armour.
Treasurer Berry of the Portland, (Me.) }
creamery, is firm believer in a cow
testing association. "Many of our
patrons have individual tests made here
at the factory" said he. 81 find that
this is resulting in marked improve
ment in the quality of milk brought in.
Ten years ago the milk we received
ranged 1-2 to 4 l2 per cent butter fat,
while to-day it runs 4 to 6 per cent; l
could cite 20 farmers whose herds turn
out per cent milk or better"
The cooperative creamery at Stuff eld,
Ct., is turning out about $50 pounds
butter per day, against 500 to 600 pounds
in the 'flush" season. Cream supplies
there are running moderate to light this
fall.
One of the biggest cooperative cream
cries in Connecticut is located at Gran
by. Manager Cotton reports the butter
output at 1000 pounds per week, against
6OO0 pounds in the summer months.
The farmers creamery at Turner, Me-,
has not given less than 27 cents per
pound this year for butter fat. The
September price was right at 80 cents.
The past two years the creamery has in
creased it's number of patrons.
The scarcity of milk is forcing local
creameries in northern and central New
England to 60 farther into the interior
for supplies q cream. One Windham
County (Vt.) creamery is getting whole
milk as far as 25 miles from the plant
and claims that each season the increas-
ed cost of hauling is more serious.
President Charles Arnold of the West
minister cooperative creamery informed
The Homestead representative that the
labor problem is by far the most impor-
tant factor cutting into milk productions
in his territory. "It Is almost impossi-
BILE to obtain help at any price," said he.
"As a result many farmers in the hills
west of me are closing out their dairy
herds and taking up with sheep, grow
ing coarse wooled types for breeding
purposes, fleece and mutton. They
claim that sheep are practically no
trouble to handle compared with dairy
COWS and relative profits on that account
are greater"
Some New Hampshire creamerymen,
particularly in those sections off the
Boston milk routes, allege they are more
than holding their own. Buttermakers
at Cornish and Cornish Flats say dairy
ing is on the increase rather than the
decline.
Superintendent E. L. Childs of the
Cornish Flats cooperative plant states
that many farmers in his immediate
section are paying more attention than
formerly to raising milch cows and sell
ing them on the Boston market. "Any
number of our farmers here" he re-
marked, "are reporting good profits in
breeding a large boned animal on the
Holsten type, keeping it until about
four years of age, then selling to Boston
spectators. The past season or so they
have been realizing about $50 per head
f. o. b. for such cows. The tendency is
to steer away from Jerseys and other
small sized animals and breed for frame
and a large milk flow.
This is brought about partly by the
attitude of Boston dealers who fight shy
of small sized COWS and pay more money
for the heavier mixers. 1t is getting to
be cry of more milk, rather than good
milk Personally, I favor we'll sup
ported cow testing association. More
than that believe the state should con-
duct regular milk tests at all dairies and
cream cries. However, it will take lot
of hard, persistent effort and strong
educatio nal campaign to interest ma
jority of farmers in the movement.
With milk scarce, as it is, the producer
is more concerned about getting full
flow than he is with securing rich milk.
The popular COW is the heavy mixer,
for with milk selling as at present, she
is the money maker in the eyes of the
farmern