136 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



get the benefit of this contest. We owe Secretary Pattee and 

 the New England ^lilk Producers' Association a debt of grati- 

 tude, and 1 trust that before we close this session we will 

 unitedly express that sentiment to them. We did help out a 

 little in a financial way, as you will see by the report of our 

 treasurer that I authorized him to send twenty-five dollars to 

 their treasurer. 



I note with interest that the dairymen who ship milk into 

 Portland are asking five and one-half cents a quart, delivered 

 in Portland. They should get it. Everyone present who is pro- 

 ducing milk knows that the margin of profit will be small at 

 that price. 



Now, from all this strife and turmoil over one of the great- 

 est industries of our state, what may we learn ? Just this : 

 That we need something and need it badly, and that is organ- 

 ization. The reason this need has not been more apparent in 

 the past is, that Maine has been more fortunate than other New 

 England States in having a corporation like the Turner Center 

 Dairy Association to do business with. The Hood or Whiting 

 Company have to pay Maine farmers a fair price because they 

 are obliged to meet the Turner Centre price. If you will but 

 compare the prices these companies have been paying Maine 

 farmers during the past ten years with the prices they have 

 paid in sections of Vermont, where they had no competition, 

 you will recognize the truth of my statement. I am not throw- 

 ing bouquets to Mr. Bradford, but in justice to him I will say 

 that I consider his method of buying by paying for the butter- 

 fat and the skim-milk separately, and also having the milk or 

 cream of each man's herd sent in his own cans so that each 

 man's lot has to stand on its own merit, the fairest method yet 

 devised by any creamery company. But while we have, in most 

 cases, no reason for any complaint, I believe that we, as farm- 

 ers and dairymen, should have just as strong an organization 

 as the Turner Center, the W^hiting or the Hood Company. It 

 would not be my purpose to use such an organization to antago- 

 nize the contractors or creamery companies ; on the other hand, 

 it should be used to bring about a better understanding between 

 the producer and the dealer and consumer. The producers of 

 milk and cream supplying the Turner Center know almost 

 nothing as to the cost and methods of handling that cream 



