'l8 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



Value of live stock, 1914 $17,691,690 



Value of live stock, 1913 17,220,619 



Increase 471,071 



Number of cows, 1914 130,661 



Number of cows, 1913 135,088 



Decrease 4427 



This same report does not show very much change in the 

 young stock. There must be some specific reasons for the de- 

 crease, which is more marked in some of the New England 

 states than Maine, especially Vermont. Perhaps one reason is 

 the high price of live stock, especially veal calves. In many 

 instances a good veal calf will sell for more than the same ani- 

 mal when one year old. And the high price of cows is quite an 

 inducement to sell, when a good grade cow will bring one 

 hundred dollars and sometimes more. Last year over 5,000 

 milch cows were sold and shipped to Massachusetts. Also, 

 other branches of farming have in some sections crowded out the 

 dairy cow, especially potato growing outside of Aroostook 

 county. But I do not think these reasons are the real cause 

 for the decrease in dairy cows. I think the real trouble is that 

 dairying is not an attractive businessi for the young man nor 

 the hired man. They do not like to be confined to milking and 

 caring for cows twice a day three hundred and sixty-five days 

 in the year. For this reason, if for no other, it should pay a 

 good profit, which is not the case. The Boston Chamber of 

 Commerce is now investigating the entire milk situation in the 

 New England states. I had the pleasure of attending a meeting 

 of the Boston Chamber of Commerce in Boston last July and 

 the matter of an investigation was under discussion. At this 

 meeting there were representatives from the colleges of agricul- 

 ture, departments of agriculture, state granges, and other 

 agricultural associations from all the New England states. The 

 whole subject was thoroughly discussed and it seemed to be 

 the unanimous opinion of those present that the milk producers 

 were not getting enough for their products, and all expressed 

 a desire that the Chamber of Commerce should make an inves- 

 tigation of the entire situation, from the producer to the con- 

 sumer. The Chamber of Commerce was frank to say that they 

 were going into this matter from a purely business standpoint, 

 for, as one of the members of the Chamber said, when the 



