Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-11-09
IS MILK SELLING TOO Low?
Washington County Agent Gives
O.
Data to Prove 1t.
Low Price and Inc Efficiency of Farmers
Is Driving Dairy Business Ont of
New England, says y. II.
Abbott.

Barre. Nov. 5.--The movement among
Vermont dairy farmers to get better prices
for their milk is obtaining Roadway IN
Washington county. +. II. Abbott, county
agricultural agent, gives M the larger
share Of his circular letter, just issued, To
the topic
THE fact that the Hood company has
offered the farmers 80 cents an IL quart
can at Boston" he says, lis ample proof
Of the justice of such demand and
recognition Of the power of the farmer, il
he Will only act in a cooperative way by
means of associations"
| Following a summary OF the productions
! from six different herds he writes Note
! that the average production of the lis
/ cows concerned was 5,35i pounds of milk
/ In order TO make the production Of milk
| pay with such cows, surprising we got
/ g. per cwt Tor milk, It would have been
3 necessary to ret iN'5 pounds from each
con-, or nearly 20 per cent. increase. In
stead, We accept s1Sj for the milk and go
ON with the same old cows. working for
the manure and milking for the fun OF it,
what is the solution? Local milk pro-
/ ducers associations meeting with the
purpose Of studying ONT such items as
above. Cooperation with the milk deal
erH % arrange living price and allow the
farmer money to improve his plant and the
quality of his product
"'rhc farmer who is ahead Of the game
or above the average should not sit back
with a contcnted WELL | am all right.
puvWay.' but should lend his aid in form
ing associations and organizations that
will help ont the man. who is below the
average in production and profit. Coop.
GRAFTON and ne Golden Tevt' will work
wonders IN tbs direction
"a certain amount of efficiency" h.
says. lis absolutely necessary i'm order
to maintain the farm as a paying prop
usition
There is plenty Of evidence of this
in the fact of so many failures. farm
crs who arc selling out their dairics t.
give them time to put in upon some
better paying project. Tho enormous
decrease in the number of dairy cows in
New England, in the past rcw years. /,
a point of evidence that cannot be dis
REGARDED. In other words. farmers ar,
being driven out of tire dairy bushes.
because Of two main reasons. First
because they have not received a pric,
for their product in Keeping with tn,
prices on other commodities, and, soc
Ond, because they have not paid enough
attention to the methods of improvinl
the dairy herd and the quantity an,
quality of the product
Recent inquiries reveal the fact tina
! two farmers in every hundred keep
strict account Of their farming opera
} tions. About - in ono hundred koe)
partial accounts by means of inventor
les and checking accounts 1nvariabl.
it is noticed that the men who keel
, these accounts are the most success
full ones. The one who knows hoy
. much his potatoes cost per bushcL HOY
) much his pork costs per pound and hoy
t much his milk costs pcr hundrcdWcigh,
: or butterfat pcr>pOund. is in position
to improve his business to a create
n extent than the man who at the end q
! the year knows only that he has s
l much money or SO many bills to pay"
The following is the summary Of Re
suits from six herds
g lbs COWS produced S45,G5G lbs. milk.
Total cost of same. $l9,05lS9.
" or. $29j pc" 100 lbs.
\ Total acreage of farms. 1850 acres.
Average acreage OF each farm %
acres.
Total value of COWS, Sl4.235.
ID Average Valu" cows, $1,000
Average distance to market 3 milo
Average cost OF hauling per leo lbs
ID $.OG>
Average labor cost. per COW. $2o.55.
Avcrag" Erain cost, per COW. $l9.5
u Average rouShagc cost, per coy
'r $6i.5G.
~ Average interest and insurance O
- buildings per COW. S7.eS.
~ Average other items. Sl0.S3.