Vermont Dairymen's Association. 123 



to come over and visit its you may see some of the results of this 

 meeting put into effect. 



President Bruce : — The next paper is "Some things science 

 has done of late for dairying," by Prof. J. L. Hills of Burling- 

 ton. 



SOMK THINGS science: HAS DONE OF I.ATE FOR DAIRYING. 



Mark Twain in his inimitable "Roughing It," tells us of a 

 revolver which " if it didn't get what it went after would fetch 

 something else." Concerning it he further remarks that when 

 fired "there was no safe place in all the region round about but 

 behind it." 



Now my talk to you this morning bids fair to be somewhat 

 like this "dismally formidable" weapon. It is a scattering dis- 

 course, and there is "no safe place in all the region round about 

 it;" for it is aimed at the man beside the cow who milks her 

 and the man in front of the cow who feeds her ; at the man who 

 separates her milk, and at him who churns the cream ; at the 

 cheesemaker, at the creamery manager, and at the maker of market 

 milk. You are all in line with its muzzle, but luckily it is not 

 loaded with fault finding, but with facts. What I have to say 

 breathes of optimism rather than pessimism. The message of 

 modern science to dairying is helpful and inspiring, though it 

 often lays upon the individual a greater responsibility because of 

 increased knowledge. 



What are some of the things which science has done of 

 late for dairying? Let us at the outset get a clear conception of 

 the meaning of the word science. The last generation of farm- 

 ers almost to a man balked at it, and many to-day look askance 

 at it as in no way allied to or helpful in the pursuit of their 

 calling. This attitude seems in part due to misunderstanding 

 as to what science is and does. Science indicates the results at- 

 tained in the search for truth, grouped in such a manner as will 

 aid in showing their relationships. Science, in other words, 

 is "an orderly arrangement of v^ell ascertained facts." Certain 

 results of research may seem at times to have absolutely no 

 practical bearing. But we should remember when tempted to 

 style any such work as useless that that which is d4erided by one 

 generation as impracticable, or, indeed, false, often becomes an 

 everyday affair in the next. For instance, the inventor of photog- 

 raphy was placed in an insane asylum because he claimed he 

 could transfer his likeness to a tin plate ; Franklin's notions as 

 to the nature of lightning were laughed at ; and Galvani was called 

 a fool and "the frog's dancing master" because of his study of 

 galvanic electricity. 



