Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-15


Vermont Dairymen's association. III con-
vention hero. The attendance was swel.ed
considerably over that of the day before
and the speakers all got down to the real
business cc dealing with the problems
whici; aro botterins the da!rymen to-day.
One fact developed and that is the Yer
mont COW is falling behind in her milk
production End now ranks far below that
o' aomt other States. Discussion of how
TO remedy this condition occupied con-
s,ieraois tine.
Fist in order was the address cf the
president Of the association. F. Fl. Bick
ford CT Bradford. who brought ou. some
facts il connection with the dairy in
dustcy III Vermont that are not generally
known. The address follows, in tu!i:
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
Fifty year. ago last October. the dairy
men ~ Vermont wore invited TO meet at
Montpelier 10 discuss the adwgabiiity
of forming an organization OF Vermont
farmers. The result of this meeting was
the organization known to lis as the
Vermont Dairymen's association Fer
the first few years a business meeting
for the election of officers was held in
October and a winter meeting, where
speaking and discussions on farm prob
lens was in order. was held in January.
For nine years these two meetings were
held At the tenth meeting. il was
voted to change the constitution and
thereafter hold only one meeting year
that meeting to be held the second week
in January. and this law still holds. The
first president was r.. -. Mason of
Richmond. who was reelected for num-
Der of years the first secretary was
o. S. Bliss Of Georgia and he was in this
position for eleven years. There were
three trustees from each county III the
state. their duties being to further the
interests of the association and get now
members. Fifty years is a long time for
any organization to live and flourish and
the men who founded this Dairymen' S
association had vision and exercised
rare judgment and ability in shs sping the
affairs of tho association. From this
small beginning the association has grown
10 he recognized the largest. and most
progressive Dairymen's association in
the cast. if not in the United States. In
the old days the subjects for discussion
were largely dairy COWS and the best
methods of making butter; the exhibits
were butter and cheese. Only twenty
years ago We had over two hundred
samples of butter sent in for scoring
last year there were about forty. This
Is proof that we are fast becoming 2
milk shipping state. I am told that al
the present time over fifty per cent OF
the milk received in Metropolitan Bostor
is from Vermont farms; probably tenth
as much is shipped from the west side oi
the state to help to supply the New
York market.
Inv taI "
dairying and whatever our persona
feelings are in the matter. I believe thu
shipping of whole milk is to continue tt
| increase until the greater part of the
milk produced in the State will be sole
as whole milk. Certainly the milk made
nearest the railroads will be shipped an'
the creameries farther back will be uset
as feeders or for the manufacture o
| commercial sweet cream. The time vii
come when Vermont will be an importe
of butter. This will be determined some
what by the amount of oleomargerin
| the farmers use in their own families.
1t is natural that the Vermont farmer
should be interested in the dairy Gov
| and in her future. There was never ;
| time when the dairymen could ii
afford to care for and feed unproductiv
| cows as now. With the cost OF gran
| around 5000 per ton and labor sskin
$500 per day and found and when neede'
| most, no. TO be found. every COW II
your stable must be q. worker or you ar
bound to have an unprofitable bushes
and a most unpleasant awakening at IN
end OF the year when you balance you
books. l wonder how many oresen
really keep books? If you reniembe
only one thing ] { m sayiag .cay il b
this. 1t is just as importan: that tn
former consider his Iarri. atJCx ar
| equipment as business, and inventor
/ that business each yea, keeping COZ
| rec. account of receipts ana expe:Gi
tuve3 s.nd know whc.hnr you ravo Drsi
ness worth anything or not, whether 1t /
worth continuing and II rot find the hol
in that bu1ih's1 AID "rlug' !: "a an
otner oun.ness man would do. Kno'
you. cows and keen only the nest ones
The department Of agriculture for 1aI
roports there were nearly $1,000, 900 lbs
ot milk produced in this country. Forty
| four per cent. WAS used as whole milk,
por cent. as butter. ~ per cent. as chees'
AZ per cent. as canned milk, per cent. a
ice cream, per cent on the farm and l.
per cent. in waste in the industry. Dul
ing the late war the American exports {
milk increased three times. In 1914 10000
0co pounds of milk left the United States
In the year 1913 the total was $500, 900, ,0
pounds. The 1914 shipments Of 100000
was nearly all butter and cheese. One
half of the 1918 shipments was condense
milk. When the countries of Europe az
just themselves and the call for our dair
products begin to fall off, what are "
to do with this immense quantity of milk
Think it over.
Our labor situation is yet unsolved.
is impossible for the farmer, who is oblli
ed to rely on his farm receipts for tn
maintenance of himself and family.
compete with prices paid at the man,
, featuring centers. We cannot have II
farmer work 16 hours a day to feed tn
laborer on an eight-hour day basis. tt
r boycott of labor and the return of I'll
farm to a family production basis is sur'
r ly a radical solution of the farm labt
, problem. IT seems to be the idea of labt
to-day to receive much and give as II
0 tie as possible in return. The industri,
! are about all operating on an eight-hol
| day basis. They demand still less how
and more pay. their demands so fl
nearly all having been granted with tn
result, higher prices for the necessari'