Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-01-27
SYRUP MAKERS
LEASE BUILDING
Wilmington Association to Put
in Canning Plant
Annual Yield $4,000 Gallons-Contract
with Eastern States Farmers Ex-
change to Handle Years Product.
Especial to The Phoenix.)


With view to improving marketing
conditions the Deericld Valley Maple
Syrup Producers association hns leased
a warehouse here for use the coming sea
son, and il is planning to install plant
for heating and canning the syrup pro
duced by the members. A contract has
been made with the Eastern STATES
Farmers Exchange, of which the asso-
citation is member, to handle the COM
ing crop of syrup.
The average annual production of syrup
hy the present members is 13,OOO gallons
n year, and if the coming seasons plans
work out well doubtless there will be addi-
lions to the membership. which is now
a., and an increased production.
A substantial quantity of grain has
been handled by the association. which
has resulted in material reduction in
the price of grain here, according TO one
of the officials.
The association, after considerable talk
and two meetings for discussion and de-
velopment of plans, was organized mere
last spring as direct result of the low
nrices paid to the farmers for their maple
syrup. 1t is an organization of farmers,
and anyone else who is engaged in the
maple syrup business may be voted into
membership. .--..
The question has arisen as to why it
is called Maple Syrup Producers
association when their present activities
are mostly in connection with buying
grain. This may be explained by the
fact that it was thought best to choose
name that would be appropriate to use
on syrup labels, inasmuch as syrup is the
main crop or article it expects to sell,
although the constitution allows it to buy
or sell anything for mutual advantage,
cooperating. 40
The association was organized with IS
oh 49, ,hnrS ms T.
Boyd, Albert w. Boyd, Roy Capen.
Harry H. Fox, Walter f. White, Fred
A. ii. May, Earl Estabrook, Frank III.
Fitch, Roy Ware, Leslie II. Adams,
Marshall A.. Howe, Harry V: Cutting
Sidney O. Morris, Howard J. Taylor, W.
d. Round, Clifford Harrington. George
Corson and Ernest G. Howe. The pres
ent membership is Al
The constitution provides for an annual
meeting. All other meetings are subject
to the call of the president. Five such
meetings have been held since the asso-
citation was organized. The officers for
the present year are: President, w. D.
Round; vice president. +. b. Boyd: Sec
retary and treasurer Marshall A. Howe
directors, Fred May and Fl. II. Fox.
Beginning last August, up to the pres.
ent time, it has bought seven carloads OF
grain, which has been delivered. One
more, also q carload of fertilizer, is COM
ing.
In regard to the purposes and aims OF
the association, it is claimed that the
prices of syrup paid to the producer last
spring bore no relation to retail prices
paid by the consumer because the high
retail prices of syrup checked the con-
sumption, resulting in very low prices be.
ing paid to the producers. When con-
suited in regard to these matters, an Off
Ger of the association said:
cbipary of diet rihntinn had
been working normally the low price paid
to farmers should have been reflected ut
once in prices to the consumer. which
would have moved the goods; but it was
not. And to avoid being forced out OF
business the association was formed fol
the purpose Of getting syrup to the con
sumers at n price at which they coult
afford to buy it and we could afford tC
make it. The association is not trying t.
establish n monopoly or to obtain extor
tionate prices. We simply want reason
able retail price, which is paid by the con
sumner, minus only the necessary cost o
putting up, handling and transporting tn
goods. In order to do this it is necessar!
for the farmers to control the means o
putting up and selling their syrup them
selves.
Exactly the same conditions apply t
the purchase of grain. Retail prices il
Wilmington were so high that man,
farmers udu ceaSeu DuNlHS anu tHcltioi
ceased feeding grain altogether, and tn
check thus put upon consumption by higl
retail prices resulted in an enormous sur
plus of grain in the West and ruinousl.
low prices to the grain grower.
1.-The associa tons activities in grail
buying has resulted in reduction of iron
90 to 25 per cent in the retail price o
grain in Wilmington. This has consid
erably increased the consumption of grail
and has, therefore, tended to improve tn
market for the western grower.
at is clear that the same principle cal
be applied to many other commodities
but naturally we cannot do it all at once
Plans for the future of the association
are not sufficiently worked out to wal
rant publication.
In answer TO the question as to wha
relation the association bears to the Farr
Bureau, an official said ''As such, tn
association bears no relation to the Farr
Bureau, although as both are farmer:
organizations, working for similar end
they are naturally sympathetic" Man
of the members of the association are ais
members of the Farm Bureau and man
are not