St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-12-16
QUESTIONS FOR FARMERS
Facts to be Determined at Hearing
in st. JOhnsbury, Dec. so.

in ST. JOhnsbury, Dec. so.
The cost to the Vermont farmers
of producing a quart of milk and
the problems pertaining to the pos
sible reduction of this cost will be
the subjects of investigation at a
hearing to be held at ST. Johnsbury.
Dec. 80, under the auspices of the
United States Department of Agri-
culture, Vermont department of
agriculture, the State Agricultural
college, the state grange, the Yer
mont Dairymen's Association and
the Boston Chamber of Commerce.
1t is hoped that the determining just
how much it costs each farmer to
produce his milk day by day, facts
relative to the business of milk pro-
duction will be collected, and when
these facts are boiled down and put
into disable form, the farmers will
be given the opportunity to benefit
by the experience of those of their
number who are producing milk on
the lowest and most profitable basis,
and 1t will be ascertained If pres
emit prices are too low to afford
reasonable profit to the producer.
The New England Milk Producers
A6SOCAaIAOA ICCCAlAy dShSQ TIC OO0-
ton Chamber of Commerce to look
into the milk situation with view
to making recommendations as to
how the situation could be bettered.
On July 1, meeting was held in
Boston by the chamber of commerce
at which were present representa-
tives from the state department Of
agriculture agricultural colleges and
rr1~ea .NR oh kr-Ao LII 4
States department Of agriculture. 1t
was voted to hold hearings in each
state to collect statistics on which
recommendations for the improve
ment of dairy interests and the
preservation of the New England
cow might be made. Hearings sim
liar to those to be held here have
occurred all over New England
throughout the fall.
The milk situation in New Eng
land has changed greatly during this
past Is years. In New England
there are 21O cities and towns of
over 5000 population with a total
population of over 100000 persons
Fifteen years ago most of the cities
and towns received their supply of
milk from the immediate vicinity
Now throughout New England the
railroads handle 60 cars of milk ?
day, or over 100000 quarts of milk
some of it coming from a distance
OF over 200 miles. Transpo- tatior
charges, icing, together with more
modern demands for pasteurizatior
and more Clearly methods in the
handling and production Of the com
modify. required by the state boards
OF health, have created a problem
IN management and accounts which
many OF the farmers and consumers
do not understand.
Fifteen Yeas ago practically no
milk was bottled or pasteurized.
NOW, practically none Of it escapes
either process. The ordinary indi-
Vidual does not believe that it costs
the farmer money to daily remove
the piles of manure which before the
present day regulations went into eff
feet could stand for a season, or to
ice the milk, or to pasteurize it or
p Divide modern equipment of va
rious description. Perfect pasteuri
zation means heating the milk anS
holding it at 143 degrees for % min
utes to half an hour.
Under the old methods it was a
easy matter for the
farmer to keep his cows and milk
them and then sell the milk with
little or no regard for what it wae
costing him for feed. One hardly
needs to be told now, however, that
in these days when food stuffs are
mounting higher and higher in price
1t is vital that the farmer know ex-
actly what it is costing him to pro
duce his milk per quart, that he may
adjust his expenses to work profit
ably and economically. This is ar
age Of scientific management when
every item Of expense must be placed