St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-04-16
PRESS COMMENT


A DulIeLln OF notable interest and
value just published at Washington
is devoted to a "cow census" This
census work is inaugurated for
the reason that there was nowhere
to be found a basis of fair and COM
prenhensive calculation as to the eco
nomie relation of the dairy farmers
of the United States TO their bust
ness. The farmers kept no records.
There were no bureaus of statistics
that thought it worth while to look
into these conditions. Neither the
Federal Government nor the States
established agencies of inquiry aud
analysis. Everywhere, from the
farmer of the State and General
government, it was guesswork and
only guessWork as to the actual re-
lation of the COW to the farmer.
Serious discomfort was felt in the
dairy ranks everywhere. Some
thing was wrong. 1t was believed
by eX.-Gov. w. D. Hoard of Wiscon-
sin, who originated the idea. that
thorough investigation would show
that the lack OF profit in ordinary
dairy farming was due TO the fact
that farmers as a rule did not COM
prehend what dairy farming really
meant-that they did not compre-
bend rightly the forces that must
be put in motion TO bring financial
success.
This "cow census work was
started as a private entOl prise, to
get at the real facts Experts, who
thoroughly understood dairying,
dairy cattle, and right dairy condi-
tions, were employed to do the work.
They would visit the farmer and get
hold of all the facts at the farm end
first. Then they would visit the
creamery, where an accurate record
was kept of the milk yield of the
herd and of the returns in cash. One
! squared by the other told the stOry.
Many conclusions have been worked
out of this great mass of data and
these are given in the bulletin.
The one great and paramount con-
clusion, overlapping al others, Is
that loss of profit in dairying is oc-
casioned in nine cases out of ten by
a lack of sound dairy intelligence on
the part of the farmer VINO is be-
hind the COW.
The results of the canvass of a
hundred herds of cattle in central
and northern Vermont are summar-
lied in the bulletin. Here are some
of them:
OF the II owners of dairy type
herds, Z feed silage, read dairy
papers, reads general farm papers,
1 reads none, and 4 are not reported
as to reading. OF this group 8 have
excellent stables, have good
stables and four are not reported as
to stables.
Herds of dairy type return for
each dollars worth of feed A. cents
- ho IL
canvass.
OF the 6 owners of excellent
stables, all have herds of dairy type
except 1, and that herd is of grades
of dairy breed; use silage, ) read
dairy papers, L reads a farm paper,
and 2 are not reported as to reading.
OF the 8 owners of good stables,
have herds of dairy type, 3 feed sill
age, read dairy papers, 2 read
farm papers, 1 reads nothing, and 1
is not reported as to reading.
Of the IL readers of dairy papers,
6 have herds of dairy type, 8 feed
silage, 3 have excellent stables,
have good stables, 1 has a fair
stable, and 3 are not reported as
to stabling.
Men who read dairy literature
earn with each dollar spent in feed
As cents more than men who do not
read.
OF the 10 most profitable herds,
all are grades of dairy breeds, 8 are
of good dairy tpye; owners feed
silage, read dairy literature, A
have excellent stables, have good
stables.
Of the 10 least profitable herds
none are of good dairy type, are
grades of dairy breeds, are of mix
ed breeding, only L owner reads ag-
ricultural literature, owners read
nothing; 1 feeds silage, have poor
stables, and the stabling of is not
reported.
Seven herds average $40 or more
profit per cow per yeal. All these are
of dairy type, are fed silage,
have excellent stables, 4 owners
read dairy literature.
Twenty-One heads lose an average
of $40 or more per cow per year.
Only 1 of these nerds is fed silage,
none are of dairy type, none of their
owners read dairy literature. Five
read agricultural papers, IL read
neither dairy nor agricultural pap
ers; none have either excellent or
good stables, has either a fair
stable, have poor stables.
The man who secures only the
average returns has a herd of I'M
certain type, reads general farm
papers (not dairy papers), and has
only a fair stable.
These conclusions speak for them |
selves. They emphasize the fact |
that the farmer must keep up with |
the times in every respect in order
to make a success of his occupation |
and of his life. The day of ignorant, |
slOvenly agriculture has gone away |
forever.-[ Burlington News.
Who Pays the Taxes
Nothing is so unjust or exasperat-
ing as criticism of a mans motives |
in his advocacy or opposition of any |
public measure which involves the |
expenditure of money merely on the !
ground that he is only a poll tax
payer 1t is a common faIlacY eS-