Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-02-06
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1914.
VERMONT PRODUCTS.

Plans have been made whereby the
Maple Sugar Makers Association of
Vermont and the publicity bureau of the
Secretary of States office will work to-
gether to establish high and staple
standard for maple products and to
create and develop market for them.
Maple sugar is large and valuable
part of Vermont's farm products, and
the yearly output might be largely in
creased if guaranteed quality should
insure better market price. Vermont
is not the largest maple sugar producer
in the country, but some qualities of
climate or soil give the Vermont pro-
duct finer flavor in the opinion of ex
perts, than that of Ohio or Pennsyl-
vania, while it has not the coarse, rank
taste and dark appearance of that made
in Canada. The Canadian product is
preferred by the manufactures of maple
compounds or limitations as a given
quality will flavor larger amount of
syrup or glucose than the sugar made in
the States.
Special attempts have been made
to secure standard of quality and to
prevent misbranding. Confidence has
been lessoned by the finding under the
pure food law of a prominent concern
for selling an impure product. There
are several large firms and many indi-
viduals whose carefullness in manufac-
ture and strict honesty in marketing
have given their products high repu-
tation and secured for them a perman-
ent list of customers.
If the State is to give even semi
official Endorsement to the goods of
the association, its members must keep
their goods up to the standard. By
reflex action the membership of the
association may be expected to in
crease and with it will increase the pro-
duction of staple, standard goods.
Vermont is just beginning to realize
the value of the States name for
branding farm products, and there is
a feeling that its use should be appro-
priated and preserved to Vermont be-
fore it becomes trade term that any
one may use.
Vermont developed the Merino sheep,
on which the wool growers of Australia,
South Africa and South Am-rica de-
pend to maintain the quality of their
flocks; produced the Morgan horse which
the federal government is breeding for
cavalry purposes; produces so high a
quality of Jerseys that they are bought
in large numbers every year for the
great dairy States of the West. Yer
mont dairy products have a reputation
that insures the New England market.
Vermont turkeys are the high grade
birds at the Thanksgiving season, Yer
mont apples, of finer favor than the
overgrown product of the irrigated
West, are in such demand that the fruit
of many of the best orchards is bought
on the tree for the New York market.
The soil of the States well-watered
valleys, created or deposited by
glacial action in prehistoric times
is wondrously fertile and pro.
ductive of high class growth. The best
markets of the country lie close to bei
doors. If conscientious effort is devoted
to maintaining high standard of pro-
duction and the name brand is pro
tected so as to be guarantee of quail
ity Vermont may expand wonderfully ir
the prosperity of her agriculture.
The combination of the Sugar Makers
Association and the publicity bureau
the first step should be an object lessor
that will lead to imitation in Other
lines. Boston Herald