Vermont Dairymen's Association. 31 



THE CREAMERY MAN AND HIS PATRONS. 



F. L. SMITH, FLETCHER, VT.. 



President Bruce : — The next speaker is a practical farmer 

 and a practical creamery man. He understands thoroughly the 

 creamery business and the creamery man, as well as those things 

 which come up between the creamery man and the patrons to 

 cause trouble. He will address you upon the subject of the 

 creamery man and his patrons. I take great pleasure in intro- 

 ducing Mr. F. L. Smith of Fletcher. 



It is admitted that the prosperity of our State depends upon 

 its farmers. Our president has just told us that the prosperity of 

 the whole country depends upon its farms. It is also true that 

 there is close connection between the prosperity of our Vermont 

 farms and the success of our dairies ; and everyone who keeps a 

 dairy, whether he makes butter or cheese on the farm, or patron- 

 izes the creamery or factory, is helping to increase that pros- 

 perity. 



It is often said, particularly in the papers, that while there 

 has been great improvement in other industries, there has been 

 but little advance in farming methods. This is a libel upon the 

 Vermont farmers. One has but to look back twenty years and 

 compare the dairying of 1886 and 1906 to realize its falsity. I do 

 not claim that we have reached the goal. Many are far behind, in 

 the old rut, stuck in the mud as it were, but I do say that as a 

 whole we are on the upward path. 



The dairymen of today are far more prosperous than they 

 were twenty years ago. They have the necessities even the lux- 

 uries of life. They come to the Dairymen's Association, and have 

 been known to tip waiters at the banquet with five dollar bills. 



Now, if there is one thing more than another that has helped 

 to bring about this state of afifairs, I believe it is the creamery. 

 Not simply the creamery men, but "the creameryman and his 

 patrons." I never saw a successful creamery without patrons. 

 In fact, when the patrons commence to drop ofif, the creamery 

 begins to go down. 



Where two parties have to work together as the creamery 

 man and his patrons do, they ought to work in harmony for the 

 upbuilding of their mutual interests. They ought not to feel that 



