DAIRY MEETING. 211 



and raw material. Let us consider the market. We have a 

 market for dairy products that cannot be excelled, for within 

 three hundred miles of Bangor are centres that are distribut- 

 ing dairy products to about five millions of people. This does 

 not include the market of our own State, for within the State, 

 last year, were consumed seven millions of dollars' worth of milk 

 and cream, not mentioning the large amount of butter, some of 

 which was shipped into the State, of which there is no record. 

 The home market is growing larger each year, owing not only 

 in the increased amount consumed by our own population but 

 to the attractiveness of our summer resorts, which are draw- 

 ing thousands of people from other states each year. Last 

 year the total income of all dairy products in our State was in 

 round figures $14,000,000. I said there is a market of about 

 five millions of people within three hundred miles of Bangor. 

 Should we ever outgrow this market, by going less than two hun- 

 dred miles farther we could find a market of over six millions 

 more people, making a total of over eleven millions, all within 

 shipping distance. You see, Mr. Dairyman, you do not have 

 tc seek a market, for the market is seeking you. The zvay you 

 reach this market or the market reaches you is through the sev- 

 eral creameries of our State which are returning to their pa- 

 trons, an average of two to four cents per pound more for but- 

 ter fat than creameries in most of the other northern states. 

 This should be an inducement to dairymen to keep more and bet- 

 ter cows. 



I have told you about the market and how it is reached. Now 

 I come to some of the opportunities you have for the production 

 of raw material. I do not know as I can tell you anything new 

 on this part of the subject but I will speak of a few well known 

 facts. We have, here in Maine, good productive soil ; in fact, 

 Maine leads New England on per acre yield. Our soil is well 

 fitted for the growing of clover hay and you should sow more 

 clover, for clover hay fed with the silage and concentrated feeds 

 makes one of the cheapest feeds for milk production. Clover 

 is not the only crop to which our soil is adapted for there are 

 several, but I will mention only one and that is corn. Corn can 

 be grown in most of our counties and all dairymen should plant 

 corn and have a silo. We have good pasturage. There are 

 thousands of acres of pasture land in this State without an ani- 



