35^ AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



In the matter of ice, some use it, some do not. By no mean^ 

 could a man consume more than five cents' worth of ice to each 

 hundred weight of milk. That is very little addition to the 

 cost, and this is the time of year to prepare for ice. Dr. North 

 told lis about grading milk in New York City, A. B and C 

 grades, and then he or someone else said, "You have got to 

 test your milk before you get to grading it." Tliis means 

 increased cost, and then you want more price. That is the 

 riglit spirit ; you should produce the milk first, and then insist 

 on the price. So many good people have been taking pains to 

 have their milk clean, and then it has been mixed in with others' 

 that is not so good. I suppose I ought to be more careful about 

 it. I have thought of this for a number of years. We have 

 over four hundred farmers and over fifty towns where the 

 milk comes from, and I would like to know whether Farmer A 

 does this thing better than Farmer B ; suppose we should have 

 a card system, and pay A more than B. It means a lot of work 

 to keep these cards and get them right. Suppose these cards 

 were not right, then the fellow that was getting the lower price 

 might say : "Look here, doesn't everybody around here know, 

 that my cows, my bam and my products are just as good as 

 the other fellow's, and they are paying him more?" If I know I 

 am right I can stand a good deal of punishing, but when I don't 

 know, I am afraid. I think that is a poor policy for our not 

 having made a distinction between the milk that is sent in. I 

 could not set any hard-and-fast rule that would not be trouble- 

 some. If I could get a certificate from the veterinary who 

 says that a man is authorized to do testing in this state, and I 

 get Dr. Ness' or someone's certificate, from some authorized 

 inspectors, why, then I can give that fellow more, but this other 

 matter is a difificult one. I want to hear a discussion from other 

 creamery men in relation to these questions, and any others they 

 may wish to inject, and I want to hear from some farmers. 

 No farmer can speak too frankly and plainly for me, as long 

 as he tells the truth. Ever since I was a young fellow, a good 

 while ago, I would say about a proposition, "What is right 

 about that?" And that is all I want to know, if I am the only 

 fellow on that side. I know that so well, that it does not phase 

 me to have somebody tell me that I am not right. I am not 



