The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-07-09
vERMoNTERs LOSE MONEY,
Because of Unscientifc Marketing of
Their Products

Burlington, July o. Speaking at the
! first rural life conference in Vermont
yesterday afternoon, State Commission
er of Agriculture Il. s. Brigham dis
cussed the question of marketing farm
products. He said that the marketing
OF products has lately assumed the i'm
portance OF great national question
due to the increase in the cost of food
during the last ten years and to the
fact that the movement from the farm
to the city shows that agriculture must
be made more profitable than IL is now
if it is to hold its own with other pur-
suits. In the year OF 1912 the Vermont
farmer sold his milk at an average of
three and two-tenths cents per quart.
Careful estimates show that the cost of
producing a quart of milk in the East is
not far from four and one-half per cent.
if labor. depreciation, housing and 9TH
er items are considered in the cost of
production. 1t follows then the Vermont
farmer must perform his labor at a
much smaller rate of income than is
found in other industries.
The principal defect in rural economy
is the waste that comes annually through
unscientific marketing Of food products.
The remedy must come through making
the middleman the farmers servant and
not his master. There should be CO.
operative creameries operated in Yer
mont, the apple crop should be picked
graded and marketed with scientific CO.
operation of the fruit growers. The de-
partment Of agriculture of the state has
placed four county organizers in differ
ent parts of the state whose duty will
be TO train farmers to grade and sell
their eggs more scientifically. Co-opera
ton and scientific management in the
marketing Of produce must 90 hand in
hand, If farming in Vermont is to be
made attractive as well as profitable.
In the afternoon the delegates and visit
ors of the conference visited the govern
ment Morgan horse farm in Weybridge,
where they were shown about the build
ings and grounds by Superintendent
Hammond. Miss Alice Davies of the
department Of agriculture, Washington,
closed the session of the day with an
illustrated lecture on the importance
Of Good Roads to Rural Communities
supt. Barss Spoke.
Tuesday morning the program opened
with an address by Supt. J, \. Barss of
the state industrial school, Mr. Bars
called attention to the difference be-
tween depletion, dtcadency and degen-
eracy. His experience has been that the
youth of urban communities
are more aggressively bad than those
from rural towns On the other hand,
the urban youth may turn his energies
in the right direction with admirable re-
suits. Mr.. Barss made an analysis 0f
the cours OF depletion and decadence
in rural communities He advocated es
peciaHy corporation among farmers in
order to control their production and
market and the development Of organ
zad sports for the Young people The
intense indiyidualism of the farmer
must be overcome in order to secure the
lesired results both in getting a living
md in Living.
Professor SPragae sp6ke on Correct !
ye Measures in RGral Communities,
irving most OF the time 10 the control
if iawlessness in the towns and country
lie. He maintained that these features
ii our rural civilization are not due TO |
my innate badness or evil tendencies in |
,ur Young people but to the lack of well |
lirected and organized opportunities for
LAY and the working off Of surplus en-
rgies. Constructive and progressive or
.anzation and direction of the young |
,aople are necessary for a normal con-
ition, and unless thi, is done destruet
We operations by the boys may he ex
,ectel
Professor isprague maintained that
ruit stealing in the thicker populated |
egons of New England is serious
andicap to horticulture and estimated I
hat If we had the observance Of law
0rmed in Prussia where fruit would be
afe, oar annual income would he mil
ons Of dollars more than it is. because
evelopment would take place in thou-
ands OF places where it is now imprac
icable.
He advocated an extension Of state
olice which has been formed 50 efficient
a Canada and Pennsylvania for con
rolling lawlessnsss at large and break
" up rural slums and dangerous set
ements The local constable is often
elpless because he must live and own
roperty among the people. hut the dis
lterested representative OF the state or
,unty government woud Eat be under
his handicap.