l60 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



cents, and the uncolored in exactly the same shade of color pays 

 a tax of 1-4 cent per pound. I know there is an effort to break 

 down this barrier. I know also that there is a tendency among 

 our creamerymen to work away from a high color, and men in 

 close touch with the creamery business know that. But there 

 lies the danger Une, so far as the dairy interests are concerned, 

 as true as you live. It may be all right to reduce the color, and 

 I do not believe in putting in poisonous color, but I believe there 

 should be some color that can be introduced into butter that will 

 not be injurious to the public health, which will not allow an 

 inferior product to be placed upon the market to be sold in com- 

 petition with butter, and sold without the knowledge of the 

 consumer, as it is in a great many cases, on account of this very 

 thing. It is the ruling of the Secretary of Agriculture in 

 Washington now that every package of oleomargarine must bear 

 inspection. That is going to help out wonderfully but the sale 

 of oleomargarine in imitation of butter is a serious matter for 

 the dairy interests. It is a question in which the dairymen all 

 over the country are interested. I may not know the whole 

 situation but I know the organized grocers in the West, and the 

 organized wholesalers, will make a determined effort to break 

 down the oleomargarine laws, — reduce the tax or make some 

 change, to secure the most favorable terms for the meat packers 

 in the making of oleomargarine. 



P. W. LiBBY, St. Albans. 

 I see that you have been calling on the different creameries 

 from all over the State, but you have not mentioned any of tl'C 

 producers. I am going to rise as a producer of milk and cream, 

 because I think I can get down with the producers and have 

 more effect than the creamerymen. I have no reason to com- 

 plain, but perhaps I can say just a little that will help my brother 

 farmers to take more interest in their work. I will say in the 

 first place that lots of the men who ought to be here and listen 

 to the talk we have been hearing never get out on such occa- 

 sions. The gentleman says you can write papers and send 

 around to them, but half of them will not take the pains to read 

 them. How you can touch such men is the conundrum to all 

 of us. If they could open their eyes and see that it is to their 



