Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-09
Put Something into Dairying.
UNLESS WE DO SO, WE CAN TAKE
NOTHING OUT.

Il
pleased and glad to accept your cordia
and generous invitation to meet here, il
the city of Lewiston, and neighbor witt
your citizens and your business men.
| We are aware that your busy, hust
ling city of Lewiston is the business
center of the State. We are glad o
your prosperity and proud OF our state
of Maine. We will be we'll paid for the
time and money spent at this convention
il we can absorb some of your hustle
system and business methods, and sci
| them at work on our home farm.
One more year has passed and the
! Maine Dairymen have met again for theil
annual meeting. 1t has been a pleasant,
and We hope prosperous year for the
dairymen of the state.
The question that interests all dairy
men is, how can we better our condi'
tion; in other words increase our profits.
How can we do il? In the first place We
have got to have confidence in our bust
ness. In the second place we have go,
TO put something into that business. We
can not expect to get something out OF
business proposition unless We put
something into that business. We have
got to adjust ourselves TO our conditions,
and havea thorough practical knowl.
edge of our business to the smallest de.
tail, also determination to overcome all
difficulties.
The time has been when dairymen
could buy cows cheaper than they could
raise them; that time is past. There is
no question but what the right kind of a
dairy cow properly handled will make
profit. The question is where and how
to get them. II we have cows some one
has got to raise them. The milkmar
who sells whole milk is not be best fit
ted to raise his own cows, but be is in
position to pay good prices for COWS that
have got quality.
There are hundreds of farms in the
state of Maine that are adapted to some
kind of stock growing, that are practical
ly lying idle at the present time. What
we need most is young men with liking
for the business of farming, and desire
to help build up the agricultural inter.
ests of the state of Maine. The young
men must be equipped with q thorough
practical business training, and knowl-
edge of the work they are to do. lu
other words they must learn the busi-
ness of farming.
The young man who has liking for
dairying and desire to grow up and de-
velop a valuable, profitable herd OF dairy
cows, must remember that 1t will require
years of study and hard work to complete
that task, but it has been done, is being
done, and will continue to be done by men
with a determination to do things.
There is something more needed in this
work. These young men must have
some money to work with.
What has been the condition in our
state in years past? A great many farm
ers by working early and late, and deny
ing themselves and their families every
comfort, have saved few hundred dol
lars or possibly a thousand or two.
What has become of this money? Has
it gone to build up better herd OF cat
tie; to build a silo; to underdrain the
land, or add comforts to the farm homer
No, in the majority of cases 1t has gone
to the savings bank to receive q diVi'
dend of three and one-half or fouri per,
cent, eventually to 60 West or South
and be invested in some great enter
prise 10 some other section of the coun-
try. Under such conditions could one
expect or even ask a bright, able young
man to take up business that his own
father did not have confidence enough in
to invest his hard-earned dollars In pro-
noting and building up that business.
But the scene has changed, and to.
day we see scattered over this grand old
state of Maine, happy, prosperous farm
homes managed by men who have bad
confidence in their business; men who
have found out that farming is a busi-
ness; and in order to get something out,
one must put something in. What has
brought about this change? 10 major
| ity of cases son has taken hold with
his father on the home farm, or has
bought farm of his own, and with the
aid OF new ideas and better business
methods has brought the business up to
point where he can declare dividend
on the amount of money invested.
With the fact before US that there are
less cows in the state to-day than there
were q year ago, and with the demand
there is for good dairy cows, also beef,
| it surely needs no argument to show
that the growing of live stock is good
profitable business in the state OF Maine
to-day.
The problem that confronts us at the
present time, is how to get the money
that rightfully belongs In the state OF
Maine, back into the hands OF good, live,
young men, and set ii to work on some
of our Maine farms; producing some
thing that our markets are calling for,
and are willing to pay q price that will
insure a good profit.
We dairymen and the farmers Of the
state as " hole, regardless Of whether
they are potato growers, fruit growers,
or breeders Of live stock, owe 1t to our
selves and our state, to so educate our
selves and our sons, to the end that We
can 80 manage our business, that at the
end of the year we can stand up and say
from that business we can declare div
idend; and by 80 doing we have not
only been helped as individuals, but
have added to the wealth of our state,
and have helped to make it q brighter,
happier, better state In which TO live.
We have our College of Agriculture.
Able men at the head Of the different
departments are all working to educate
and improve those who come within
their reach. The extension work which
is being carried on in different sections
of the state, by the College of Agricul-
ture, through practical farm demonstra-
tion work, along different branches OF
farming Is bound to be one Of the great
est helps that the farmers of Maine have
ever had. Our Department of Agricul.
ture headed by q commissioner who Ia
not only able, but anxious to do all In
his power to build up the agricultural
interests Of the state; all this help 10 for
the benefit of the farmers of Maine.
Many secondary schoOls are teaching
agriculture, and by so doing are awaken
ing desire for more agricultural knowl'
edge in the minds Of our boys and girls
in the state of Maine.
| With all the assistance We have In
sight at this time, there never was so Ia.
vorable an outlook for the farmers of
Maine, especially the breeders OF live
stock, as there is at the present time.
Aud now, brother dairymeu, when we
separate to 60 to our homes, let US have
faith and confidence in our business,
and q determination to talk dairying
live dairying, and work to promote
dairying, and the breeding Of live stock
until Maine is the leading dairy state 10
the country.