The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-09-05
WHAT HOWARD WILLETTS'S
FARM PRODUCTS COST HIM.

-. Chickens ..........$ 35 pail
Cows $500 to $500 each
After investing fully a million dol
lars, to show the world just how
dairy ought to be conducted. Howard
Willetts, the famous sport sman ant
White Plain millionaire. has decide,
to quit fancy farming and dairying
Not only is he going to give up pur
veying milk to those who can affort
to pay Is cents a quart, to be sure il
= was MIXED by man in white duck
suit who has first washed himself
and bathed the COW, but he is going
out Of the horse business. the prize
pig business, the fancy chicken bust
ness and all the other lines of breed
ing which have made the White
Plains farm noted
Notice was served on the hundred
or more employees of the Gedney
garms, as the Willetts place is known,
the first Of this month that thei,
services would be required no longer
than Dec. !. The high-priced super
lntendents. the various assistants, the
farmers. foremen and all the other
men who have helped make the place
known the world around, will all 60.
Although Gedney farms was the
breeding station of Hetherbloom.
champion high-jumping horse of the
world. and of prize winning horses.
chickens, pigs and cattle without
number. it was the dairy farm which
made it famous
Famous the World Over.
The farm has been visited by learn
ed bodies from all over the world.
Boards of Health the world around
nave pointed to It as the model milk
producing establishment. Milk pro-
ducers have been urged to adopt Mr..
Wflletts ideas. regardless of the fact
that few milk raisers are million
aires.
Mr.. Willetts is millionaire a half
dozen times over. The Gedney farm
Is one Of the historic spots in this
neighborhood. 1t was the headquar-
tiers at different times of both the
American and British armies during
the Revolutionary war. Mr.. Willetts
owns about 800 acres of the original |
land, which comprises a square mile |
OF the choicest land in Westchester |
county.
1t is the highest land in the coun-
ty, and the magnificent colonial resi-
dence where the owner lives all the
year around stands on top Of the
Westchester County watershed. From
the front porch may be seen the
waters Of Long Island sound. where
the owners yachts have won as many
victories on sea as his prize stock
has won on land.
Several years ago Mr.. Willetts de-
cided to go into the dairy business.
believing that enough persons would
pay sufficiently high price for milk
to make it worth while.
Models Of Cleanliness.
The cow sheds are built entirely
of concrete and are in no wise con.
nected with the feed barns. They ara
big and roomy. well lighted and the
walls. sides and ceilings are all &c.
ment plastered The corners are
rounded. and every day, as soon as
the cows are turned out of them, the
walls, ceiling and floor are scrubbed
down. There is not crack or GREY.
Ice OF any kind in which dust may
lodge.
The dairy is always open to visit.
Drs. but one class of persons is strict.
ly barred. That is. people afflicted
with tuberculosis in any stage. Equal
care is taken to guard against the
milk product being contaminated with
the germs Of any other disease.
When milking time comes a little !
army OF men in white duck suits
seize milking stools which have been
scrubbed and steamed. Their white ,
luck suits are Numbered every day
md are used only for milking. The 6
are provided with bathrooms
md must battle before beginning to
milk. The cows have already been
;urried and brushed until their coats
hine.
Immediately after the milk is milk. i,
d into patent buckets which will adj. !
nit no dust it is taken to the pasteur- :
zing department where it is treated :
nd bottled ready for the consumer. \
One of Mr.. Willett's EMPLOYEES
oughly figures that. counting in the
alue of the dairy buildings. which
ost half million dollars. the cows.
'hich cost from $500 to $500 each Il
nd all the labor and other expenses y