VERMONT DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 59 



not it true that farmers do not know how much it costs them 

 to produce the large amount of milk? 



Mr. Higbee. One of our highest testing - butter cows is the 

 high grade Jersey, but the man who has her does not get any 

 where near as much money as the other man who has grade 

 Durhams and Holsteins. I do not know as either of them has 

 figured out the entire cost, but I do know the man with the 

 large cows gets the most money; and when he turns his cattle 

 into beef he gets more money; and he gets more money all the 

 time. When he turns off the veal calves they weigh some- 

 thing, whereas some of the rest weigh just about as much as 

 a barn rat. Now this man I do not suppose worries very much 

 about how much his feed costs him ; he has got enough money 

 in his pocket. 



A Member — Is not the high testor likely to give a relatively 

 small amount of milk? 



Mr. Vail. As a rule. 



A Member — Let one young man start out at twenty-one 

 years of age with ten good cows and let another with ten poor 

 cows, in twenty years one will have succeeded and the other 

 have failed. I am running a private dairy with good success. 

 There is generally from three to five cents difference between 

 the dairy and creamery butter in the local and city market. 

 I could not agree with the gentleman in my experience with 

 the low testing milk. 



As to private dairying and securing customers, I would say 

 that it is very common for people to claim they cannot sell 

 butter if they make it. If they are not good sellers the next 

 best thing must be the creamery; but any one blessed with 

 reasonable talent has a fair chance in a local market. When I 

 started in anew in 1898 to hunt up customers I found difficulty 

 in getting a standing. Those whom I importuned said we have 

 tried dairy butter, tried it quite a good deal" and they would 

 hardly listen to me, one has to have a good deal of courage not 

 to get down hearted. I made something like 2809 pounds from 

 nine cows in 1898. Last year I did not do as well ; but after 

 getting a little started I have had no trouble in selling the 

 goods. I believe that the poor butter of private dairying is 

 damaged mainly between the skimming and the churning. I 

 believe there is no better time for the separation of the milk 

 than when it comes from the cow, and that if the private 

 dairyman will take pains there is no reason why it should not 

 be better than other butter. It requires however, some inter- 

 est and insight and knowledge. 



A Member — I want to ask Prof. Hills if he takes the same 

 sample of milk, he can by the way he manipulates the test, 

 make it vary? 



