Ay6.  2S 
MOORE’S  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
43S 
4. 
Bairi)  |)usbaui)riy. 
A  CHEESE  FACTOET  IN  CONNECTION  WITH 
THE  MILK  TRADE. 
The  proper  manner  of  managing  the  city  milk 
trade  has  been  a  question  that  baa  long  agitatdl 
tlio  milk  farmers,  aa  well  aa  thoHO  engaged  in  the 
sale  of  n\ilk  afto  it  loaves  Uio  farmer’s  hands. 
According  to  the  general  testimony  of  those  who 
prodneo  mUk,  great  abuses  liave  boon  practiced 
from  time  to  time  upon  the  milk  fai’mers  by  the 
milk  contractors,  or  those  who  take  the  milk 
from  lirat  hands  and  who  viitnally  control  the 
city  ^milk  trade.  It  is  claimed  tlrat  these  co:i- 
traoUirs  unite  together  to  control  pricoB ;  that 
they  do  indeed  fix  the  rates  at  wliich  the  farmer 
shall  sell  Ids  milk,  ami  often  the  price  is  made  so 
low  as  to  leave  producers  but  a  slender  mnrgiu 
above  the  actual  cost  of  production.  Now,  the 
questiou  may  occur  here  aa  to  whether  the  same 
privilege  of  combination  docs  not  obtain  among 
fai'mers  as  with  contractors,  and  hence  the  fai'*. 
mers,  having  the  pnxluct  in  tlieir  own  hands, 
have  not  altogether  the  advantage  in  fixing  tlio 
rates  on  their  milk.  Many,  at  first  thought, 
would  bo  more  ready  to  charge  the  farmers  witli 
combinations  than  the  conti’actors.  But  how¬ 
ever  planwihlo  in  theory  tliis  may  seem,  it  does 
not  prove  to  work  well  in  practice.  The  milk 
prodneers  are  many,  and  they  do  not  readily 
form  coniljinations  or  Lokl  togotlier.  Individual 
intorosta  and  jMjeuliar  circumstances  siirrouiidiiig 
the  former  and  iiLs  calling  arc  powerful  levers  to 
break  up  the  best-arranged  combinations,  wliilo, 
on  tbo  other  baud,  the  contractors  are  few  ;  they 
have  one  Interest ;  they  have  control  of  tbo  milk 
roiitos;  they  are  familiar  with  the  trade;  they 
.  are  directly  on  the  ground  of  operations  and  are 
too  strong  for  the  fanner,  who,  with  the  mnltir 
plicity  of  his  avocations  at  home,  his  need  of 
ready  money,  and  bis  fear  of  losses  on  a  most 
jiorishable  product,  all  make  him  yield  to  tlio 
situation.  Of  coiuso  he  grumbles  lustily,  but, 
seeing  no  safe  way  out  of  tlio  troul<le,  is  obliged 
to  submit.  But  tbo  fixing  of  prices  Is  not  the 
whole  of  his  troubles.  When  there  ts  an  over- 
supply  of  milk  in  the  mai-ket,  the  contraetora 
begin  to  complain  of  bad  milk,  the  suriilus  beiug 
often  returned  or  dumped  in  tlio  city  sewers  and 
the  loss  charged  against  the  producer.  There 
are  other  potty  amioyancos  to  wliich  the  milk 
farmer  is  subjected,  and  from  wliich  relief  is 
sought.  Indeed,  the  Imrdou  of  all  tlieso  timihles 
has  l>ccomo  so  onerous  of  late  years  that  the  milk 
farmers  have  hold  conventions  from  time  to  time 
and  various  plans  have  been  suggested  to  obviate 
the  grievances  ooraplaiucd  of ;  but  little  good  has 
coma  from  them. 
Recently  wo  bad  an  interview  with  Mr.  A.  K. 
Gove,  of  the  lirm  of  Paiok  A  Govii  of  Boston, 
who  are  wholesale  dealers  in  milk  in  that  city. 
Mr.  Gove  gives  ns  the  general  plan  on  which  his 
firm  conducts  ojierations,  and  by  wliich  it  is 
claimed  the  milk  trade  can  bo  operated  ^v•itll 
more  satisfaction  to  fanners,  and  in  fact  to  all 
parties  interested.  TIio  firm  contracts  for  milk 
direct  from  the  producers  and  sells  to  the  milk¬ 
men,  w’ho  supply  cuKtomers.  Tlie  milk  conics 
largely  from  Now  Hampshire  and  is  put  up  in 
8>^-qaart  cans,  which  are  packed  in  ice  on  the 
cars  and  are  received  at  the  depot  in  East  Gam- 
bridge,  near  which  the  firm  have  a  choose  factory 
for  worluTig  up  all  surplus  milk.  The  milk,  being 
packed  in  ice,  arrives  in  good  order,  and  is  sold 
on  the  arrival  of  the  cars  to  tlie  milkmen,  who 
run  their  various  milk  walks  and  supiily  their 
regular  customers.  All  surplus  nulk,  or  that 
which  cannot  bo  sold,  goes  to  the  factory  and  is 
there  converted  into  cheese.  This,  it  will  be 
seen,  avoids  loss,  since,  if  the  milk  was  returned 
to  the  producer,  it  could  only  be  vised  as  a  feed 
for  hogs,  and  w’ould  not  much  more  than  pay  for 
the  trouble  of  handling. 
Baioe  a  Govb  receive  daily  about  COO  cans  of 
milk,  or  Bomewbero  near  1,200  gallons.  Their 
contract  witli  the  farmers  is  for  six  moritlm,  as 
follows;— In  April,  29  cents  per  can  of  qiiartfl 
is  paid ;  during  MAy,  27  cents ;  in  July,  2(1  cents ; 
ill  August,  30  feuts;  iu  September,  U1  cents. 
The  contract  also  makes  allowance  for  suritUis 
milk,  or  for  that  worked  up  at  the  factory,  since 
in  turning  the  milk  into  eliuoeo  it  nets  considera¬ 
bly  loss  than  when  sold  direct  for  consumption. 
The  firm  gets  on  all  milk  sold  about  10  cents  per 
can  more  than  the  price  paid  to  producers,  wliich 
is  not  considered  more  than  a  fair  romuncration 
for  rents  and  other  expenses  connected  with  the 
business,  together  with  the  risks  of  bad  debts, 
the  contractors  of  course  selling  Gio  milk  on 
their  own  account. 
We  are  told  that  this  plan  gives  general  satis¬ 
faction,  and  indeed  it  seems  to  be  a  groat  im¬ 
provement  over  tbo  old  way,  as  it  relievos  the 
milk  farmer  from  many  of  the  annoyances  con¬ 
nected  with  the  business  when  thus  conducted. 
Of  course  the  fixing  of  rates  is  tne  moat  serious 
point  to  be  adjusted,  and  when  the  contractors 
axe  disposed  to  pay  the  farmer  fair,  living  prices 
for  his  milk,  there  can  bo  no  further  difloroncea 
to  bo  settled. 
Tlie  prico.s  agreed  upon  under  the  contracts  of 
Paioe  &  Gove,  it  will  bo  seen,  are  not  far  from 
3}.<  cents  per  quai-t.  Tliis,  perhaps,  by  most 
milk  producers  would  bo  oonsidorod  low,  stiU  it 
is  fully  one  cent  per  quart  more  than  the  choeao 
dairyman  is  realizing  from  his  milk,  and  the  de¬ 
cline  ill  prices  must  bo  taken  into  aceonnt. 
Some  such  plan  as  that  described  could  bn  ad¬ 
vantageously  introiluced,  it  would  seem,  for  con¬ 
ducting  the  milk  trade  in  other  cities  than  Bos¬ 
ton.  Possibly  an  improvement  on  tliis  plan 
would  bo  for  tbo  milk  farmers  of  a  district  to 
form  an  association  and  erect  a  factory  on  their 
own  account  and  thus  trade  directly  with  the 
milk  peddlers  through  an  agent  or  salesman  ap¬ 
pointed  by  and  under  tlie  control  of  the  associa¬ 
tion.  They  conkl  then  dictate  a  higher  rate  for 
thoir  milk.  Bat  this  plan  also  would  have  its 
drawbacks,  siiico  it  would  involve  a  more  com¬ 
plicated  machinery  in  tlio  business,  while  the 
liability  of  mismanagement  by  tho  agent  and  the 
loss  from  selling  to  irrospoiisiblo  parties  mnst  bo 
considered.  In  fine,  as  the  whole  business  would 
not  lie  likely  to  ho  managed  so  closely  and  profit¬ 
ably  by  an  agent  as  by  men  who  wero  directly 
iutorestod  in  tbo  sale  of  milk  on  llioir  own  ac¬ 
count,  the  net  profits  might  bo  no  better  tliau  on 
the  Paioe  A  Gove  olan. 
There  is  no  trade  that  demands  a  more  thor¬ 
ough  reformation  tlian  tho  city  milk  trade. 
Consumers  have  rights  as  well  as  fanners ;  they 
should  have  a  good  article  at  fair  rates,  and 
wlicthor  tho  trade  bo  managed  on  the  plan  of 
Paioe  A  Gove  or  tbrongb  an  association,  as 
snggosted,  it  is  tho  duty  of  those  having  coiitool 
to  SCO  that  tho  rights  of  consumers  bo  protected. 
W’o  are  opjiosed  to  all  exorbitant  and  excessive 
prices  for  farm  products.  Tlio  fanner  and  tlie 
merchant  should  bo  fairly  remnnerateil,  but  all 
Combinations  to  extort  unroasonablo  values  from 
tbo  consumer  should  bo  discom'aged  aud  brokeu 
up. 
Wo  should  1)0-  gind  to  hear  from  cur  friends  in 
New  England  conceniing  tlio  Paioe  A  Gove  plan 
of  conducting  tlio  milk  trade,  and  will  onr  cs- 
teeined  friend  Wetiieuei.  of  tlio  Boston  Onlti- 
viifor,  who  has  boon  guarding  the  Boston  milk 
trade,  toll  us  how  the  plan  named  is  working  ? 
- - 
HOT  WEATHER  MILK  AND  FLOATING 
CURDS. 
The  intensely  hot  weather  of  the  past  few 
days  is  causing  trouble  at  tlie  chooso  factories, 
and  floating  curds  are  not  iinfuequent  even  in 
tho  best  regulated  establishments.  Wo  enjoin 
upon  dairymen  tho  necessity  of  moro  than  ordi¬ 
nary  care  during  this  hot  weather  in  cleansing 
dairy  utensils,  and  in  every  department  of  tho 
dairy  extremo  neatness  should  lie  observed.  Let 
no  foreign  matter  fall  in  the  milk  wliilo  milking. 
Let  tho  pails  and  cans  be  llioronghly  washed 
after  use  with  boilinf/  water,  and  see  to  it  that 
there  arc  no  accumulations  of  dried  milk  in  tho 
corners  or  crovicos  of  these  utensils,  because 
those  particles  of  filth  are  active  ferments  which 
develop  with  wonderful  rapidity  imdor  the  high 
tomi>craturo  of  tho  weather  wo  aro  now  having. 
But  especially  let  dairymen  have  a  care  in  driving 
cows  leisurely  to  the  stable  at  milking  time.  A 
great  share  of  the  (loating  ciurda  now  making 
their  appearance  may  be  traced  to  tho  rapid 
driving  of  some  herd  or  herds,  thereby  overheat¬ 
ing  Gio  cows  aud  rondoring  tho  milk  feverish 
and  bail.  Tlio  milk  of  fom'  or  five  cows  wliich 
havo  been  raced  iu  tho  pasture  by  dogs  just  pre¬ 
vious  to  milldug  will  set  COO  gallons  of  milk  in 
active  fonnont  and  will  cause  the  curds  to  float 
during  this  intonscly  liot  w'cather,  oven  though 
precautions  bo  taken  iu  cooling  down  tho  milk  at 
night. 
At  the  Old  Fairfield  factory  yesterday  (Aug.  8) 
wo  saw  Mr.  EArnciuxus'  method  of  treating 
“  floaters."  No  chatnjo  in  the  process  of  manu¬ 
facturing  from  that  employed  for  cheese  made 
of  good  luilk,  except  in  the  development  of  iwiid, 
which  is  carried  along  considerably  fiu-ther  than 
for  ordinary  clieoso.  Mr.  F.  says  lie  wants  the 
acid  developed  so  far  tliat  the  cimls  will  “  f>pin  ’’ 
from  an  inch  and  a  qaartox  to  an  inch  and  a  half 
imdor  tho  hot  iron  tost.  Tlion  lot  tho  curds  lie 
exposed  longer  after  salting,  aud  after  pressing 
for  a  time,  remove  tho  hoop  and  allow  them  to  be 
exposed  to  the  atmospliere  a  short  time  ;  then, 
on  returning  to  tho  hoop  aud  imdor  press,  an 
additional  quantity  of  wlioy  will  bo  expelled, 
which  otherwise  would  not  come  out  until  fer¬ 
menting  hi  the  dry  room. 
Mr.  F.  has  been  quite  successful  in  bi-s  treat¬ 
ment  of  floating  cords  tliis  season,  and  be  showed 
us  several  cheeses  made  from  very  bad  milk. 
Those  cheeses  had  cured  down  nicely  and  were 
of  very  close  toxtiore,  and  though  not  equal  in 
flavor  to  those  masio  from  perfect  milk,  yet  with 
no  strikingly  marked  poculiai'ity  to  aixost  the 
attention  of  dealers  or  cause  tliom  to  suspect 
that  tho  curds  hiidbeen  “  lloators."  It  is  always 
well  to  know  how  to  treat  floating  curds,  but  it  is 
bettor  to  take  tho  proijor  steiis  to  have  niillc  in 
good  order,  so  as  to  avoid  its  making  a  lloatino 
curd.  Floatiug  curds,  it  may  bo  roraarked,  are 
salted  a  little  higher  at  the  Fairfleld  factory  tliaii 
ordinary  curds.  Siich  chooses  may  at  a  certain 
ago  pass  in  the  market  without  serious  olijeotion, 
but  they  lack  keeping  qualities,  and  aro  siuo, 
sooner  or  later,  to  sliow  tho  clovm  foot. 
- <  » » 
CUTTING  CHEESE  ON  THE  COUNTER. 
Oiku'ERS  that  sell  chooso  by  tho  pound  object 
to  those  of  large  size  on  account  of  the  waste  in 
cutting  on  the  coniitor.  Iu  tho  usual  m.mner  of 
cutting,  each  piece  separated  from  the  cheese 
has  a  sharp  angle.  A  portion  of  this  wedge  is 
apt  to  break  into  ommbs,  wliilo  the  whole  sharp 
angle  is  not  in  the  right  shape  to  make  a  nice 
apiioaranee  for  the  table.  This  defect  has  always 
been  noticeil  by  consumers,  and  especially  by  re¬ 
tailers,  wlio  cut  and  sell  small  qnantitios  of 
choose.  Those  accustomed  to  buy  choose  at  tho 
counter  in  small  quantities  will  havo  observed 
how  ihfiloult  it  is  to  carry  homo  a  thin  wedge  of 
choose  without  brealdng  a  portion  into  eriimbs, 
thus  rendering  it  unsightly  for  the  table  and  en¬ 
tailing  loss.  In  England  this  is  a  sorioiiH  objec¬ 
tion  to  large  chooses,  and  hence  tho  demand  for 
tliOHo  of  smaller  siiso,  which  may  be  quartered 
and  then  subdivided  in  an  opposite  direction, 
which  is  tho  usual  method  of  cutting  oheeso  on 
the  block  in  that  country,  to  avoid  crumbs  and 
waste.  A  grocer  of  our  aoipiaintance,  who  is  an 
extonsivo  dealer  of  cheese  at  the  counter,  sug¬ 
gests  a  method  of  cutting  cheese  to  obviate  tbo 
dilliculty  referred  to.  He  has  practiced  it  during 
the  past  two  seasons  with  entire  siiccoss,  and  its 
adoiitiou  may  bo  of  oilvantage  to  retail  dealers 
generally.  The  plan  consists  in  cuttuig  into  tho 
cheoHO  half  Way  from  oireumforenco  to  center, 
and  from  tins  point  turning  the  knife  and  cutting 
at  right  angles  partly  across  Uio  clieoso,  and  thou 
turning  tho  knifo  again  and  cutting  to  tho  outer 
edge,  taking  out  about  an  eighth  of  tho  chooso. 
Thus  wo  got  a  block  of  cbeeao  free  from  tho  ob¬ 
jectionable  angle  and  which  may  be  subdivided 
into  pieces  as  dosircil.  Tho  same  course  is  to  bo 
observed  in  taking  out  other  sections  of  tho 
chooso,  aud  when  tho  whole  outer  portiou  has 
been  removed  there  remains  tho  coutor  piece, 
which  is  in  an  octagon  shape  and  can  bo  cut  Into 
pieces  as  desired  without  loss.  Tlio  suggestion 
appears  to  bo  a  good  one,  and  can  without  doulit 
bo  adopted  witli  advantage  to  cutter  and  cus- 
louior. 
SHEEP  AND  SHEEP  HUSBANDRY. 
1’apeu  road  at  a  meeting  of  the  Vermont 
Board  of  Agriculture  by  A.  R.  rERKiN.s  of  Bom- 
fret.  Vt. 
Tlio  possession  and  keeping  of  any  of  the 
choice  and  valuable  varieties  of  sheep  will  bo  of 
little  avail  unless  it  is  accompanied  with  good 
sheep  husbandry. 
It  is  essential  to  good  .sheep  husbandry  for  tbo 
owner  or  sbeiiherd  to  believe  that  only  by  good 
care  and  attontion  to  the  sheep  ho  can  succeed 
well  in  tho  business  or  make  it  pay.  Tho  sheiJ- 
liord  should  bo  a  person  who  ia  fond  of  sheep, 
and  it  should  bo  his  deliglit  to  care  for  them. 
He  sliould  believe  tliat  tho  tune  spent  in  caring 
for  and  the  food  given  them  is  neither  lost  nor 
wasted. 
Another  essential  jKiint  in  good  sheep  hus¬ 
bandry  is  to  keep  tho  sheep  iua  tbriving,  lioalthy 
condition  in  all  seasons  of  the  year.  If  our 
sheep  are  losing  flesh  aud  nniuing  down,  wo 
can,  during  such  time,  get  but  little  pay  for 
keeping  them.  At  such  times  tho  wool  grows 
but  little,  and  it  is  weak  and  unsound.  To  ex¬ 
pect  to  raiso  a  good  quantity  of  good  wool  upon 
a  sheep  that  is  poor  in  flesh,  is  like  toying  to 
raise  a  goodaop  of  grain  upon  poor  soil. 
Good  sheep  hu.sbandry  coats  loss  than  poor, 
and  pays  threefold  more.  Good  sheep  husband¬ 
ry  oonsists  in  a  great  measure  iu  doing  tho  right 
work  at  tho  right  time.  Thus,  if  wo  shear  shooii, 
do  it  la  season ;  do  not  let  them  wear  thoir 
fleoiHi  a  month  after  it  has  become  burdensome 
to  them.  Juno  is  one  of  the  best  mouths  in  the 
year  for  sheep  to  thrive  if  they  aro  shorn.  It 
costs  less  to  house  a  flock  of  sboeii  that  are  just 
shorn  before  a  storm  tliaii  it  dous  to  cart  them 
to  tore  barn  when  they  arc  benumbed  and  chilled. 
It  costs  less  to  raond  tho  fence  before  tho  sheep 
get  in  tho  habit  of  being  unruly,  aa  wo  call  it.  It 
costs  less  to  cut  and  cure  the  hay  in  season  and 
when  tho  sun  shines  than  it  does  to  do  it  out  of 
season  and  in  rainy  weather.  If  from  any  cause 
our  hay  is  poor  it  costs  loss  to  feed  some  grain 
in  season  than  it  does  to  let  them  lose  flesh  and 
get  poor  aud  then  spend  our  time  m  nursing 
and  doctoring  them.  1  think  there  is  a  proverb, 
whicli  is,  that  good  food  is  choai>ertlian  doctors. 
Without  pursuing  this  subject  further,  I  repeat 
tliat  good  Bheep  husbandry  costs  loss  than  poor, 
and  pays  threefold  better. 
A  flock  of  sheep  require  but  little  care  during 
the  summer  mouths  except  that  they  have 
plenty  of  good  feed  and  salt,  and  are  seen  to 
that  none  of  them  are  sick  or  diseased.  Tho 
principal  work  to  bo  done  iu  this  season  is  to 
raise  a  suitable  quantity  of  roots,  etc.,  and  cut 
in  tbo  proper  season,  and  euro  well  aud  store  the 
necessary  supply  of  hay  aud  grain.  Hoots, 
apples  and  pumpkins  aro  necessary  to  some  ex¬ 
tent  for  tho  sheep  in  winter,  not  only  on  account 
of  tho  nouriabmont  they  contain,  but  to  supply 
tho  lack  of  green  food  and  to  keep  the  shoop  in 
a  healthy  condition. 
The  cutting  of  the  hay  in  proper  season,  and 
cui'ing  well  and  storing  tJio  same,  is  one  of  tho 
oHsontial  points  of  good  sheep  husbandry.  If 
from  any  canso  wo  fail  to  do  this  onr  sheep,  the 
next  spring,  aro  usually  poor  and  weak,  and  wo 
havo  bad  luck  in  raising  lambs,  tho  sole  cause  of 
which  is  that  tho  shoop  during  tlio  winter  havo 
boon  eating  jioor  hay,  and  vainly  endeavoring  to 
obtain  from  tlio  satiio  thoir  nccossiiry  amount  of 
nourishment,  which  the  hay  did  not  contain. 
Gonrso  and  rank  timothy  makes  fair  shcop  hay  if 
it  is  out  a  few  days  before  it  begins  to  blossom 
and  is  well  cured.  i 
Nearly  ail  kinds  of  low  lands  aud  swamp  hay 
is  good  shoop  liay  if  cut  in  season  and  well  cured. 
Sheep  prefer  a  variety  of  good  hay  instead  of  be¬ 
ing  ooiilined  to  one  kind  only. 
IiainbH  should  bo  weaned  when  Uicy  am  four 
months  old  and  turned  into  good  feed.  I  f  they 
are  fed  daily,  in  addition  to  good  grass  and  hay, 
one  pint  of  oats  and  sliorta  apiece  until  they  ai-o 
turned  out  to  grass  tho  next  spring,  tliey  will 
have  a  gorsl  start  toward  making  a  shoeyi  with  a 
good  constitution.  I  belive  it  to  be  a  fact  that  if 
we  would  raise  sheep  with  good  constitutions, 
we  mnst  snpjily  thorn  liberally  during  thoir 
growth  with  that  kind  of  food  tliat  will  furnish 
thorn  with  the  necessary  amount  of  bone,  muscle 
and  strength. 
Sheep,  and  lambs  in  particular,  slimild  bo 
housed  during  cold  storms  in  tho  fall  and  be  fed 
with  liay,  which  they  ahonld  learn  to  eat  before 
they  are  entirely  deprived  of  grass.  All  kinds  of 
sheep,  and  breeding  ewes  in  particular,  should 
come  to  the  bam  in  good  condition  iu  the  fall. 
Tills  Is  necessary  in  order  that  they  may  bo  able 
to  well  develop  thoir  lambs.  All  kinds  of  sheep 
should  ho  allowed  to  run  out  upon  tho  ground 
dally  In  the  late  fall  and  early  winter  as  long  as 
the  ground  is  bare.  This  is  ucccHsary  for  tlioir 
exorcise,  whicli  promotes  health,  strength  and 
vigor.  A  reasonable  amount  of  exorcise  is 
necessary  for  sheep  during  tho  ontiro  winter  aud 
spring.  Sulphur  and  ashes  should  bo  fed  to 
sbeoi)  with  their  salt  daring  tlio  winter.  Sulpliur 
is  bealtliy  for  tbo  shoop  and  is  offensive  to 
vermin. 
Tlie  ashes  are  also  healthy  and  arc  essential 
forbmoding  ewes.  I  prcsmiio  that  some  of  you 
have  seen  lambs  that  when  they  were  first  droji- 
ped  were  strong  ;  thoir  dams  gave  a  goixl  quan¬ 
tity  of  milk,  yet  in  a  few  days  tho  lambs  would 
bogin  to  droop  and  finally  <lio.  If  you  wore  to 
open  the  Btomaebs  of  such  lambs,  iu  some  cases 
you  would  flud  thorn  paeliod  and  distended  with 
iiard  curds  which  wore  tho  cause  of  thoir  death. 
Tho  remedy  for  this  is  to  food  tho  brooding  ewes 
with  some  kind  of  a  mild  alkali  like  ashes  for 
Bomo  time  previous  to  tlieir  lambs  boing  droiiped. 
Hlioop  sliould  be  turned  out  upon  the  ground 
daily  as  houu  as  there  is  a  spot  bare  that  Is  large 
enough  for  them  to  stand  npon,  for  the  au*  in 
tlieir  pens  ainl  stables  is  generally  impure,  and 
no  amoiiiit  of  good  food  will  mipply  tbo  lack  of 
good  air  and  exorcise. 
There  are  various  diseases  which  sheep  and 
lambs  Huni'stimes  have,  and  troubles  to  encoun¬ 
ter  iu  breeding  sheep.  There  are  causes  for  all 
of  tboBO,  It  should  be  one  of  tho  studios  of  the 
sheep  brcoiler  to  learn  what  those  causes  are  and 
and  avoid  theni ;  when  we  do  that  wo  shall  have 
good  luck  in  sberqi  husbandry. 
Brother  sheep  brecderB  of  Vermont,  we  have  had 
of  lata  a  dark  night  of  dopression  iu  our  busi¬ 
ness.  During  this  time  Victor  Wright,  Edwin 
Hammond,  Judge  Golbuni  and  Nathan  Cushing 
havo  passed  beyond  this  life.  They  were  some 
of  tlio  pioneers  and  landmarks  to  us  iu  sheep 
brooding.  We  remembor  thoir  many  acts  of 
kindness  with  gratitude.  Thoir  loss  we  deeply 
deplore.  Theii'  flocks  of  sheep  havo  to  some  ex¬ 
tent  been  scattered— some  of  them  have  been 
sold  and  gone  to  ilistant  lands,  carrying  with 
them  a  good  reputation  for  Vermont  sheep. 
Other  Hocks  of  sheep  havo  during  this  time  gone 
down  because  of  iiogleot  ami  and  false  theories 
of  breeding.  Other  flocks  of  slKsip  havo  been 
scattered  becaase  their  owners  lia<l  not  much 
depth  or  root  within  themHclvcH,  and  when  tho 
liOur  of  adversity  and  reproach  came,  they  with¬ 
ered  and  gave  up  tho  business.  There  are  many 
persons  who  havo  in  the  past  and  who 
will  in  the  future  stand  by  tho  biisiness. 
Brothers,  be  not  discouraged,  for  the  night,  al¬ 
though  long  and  dark,  is  disappearing.  Al¬ 
ready  anmistaUable  signs  of  returning  prosper¬ 
ity  greet  us  on  evci'y  bund.  Lot  ns  rally  to 
om'  work,  which  is  to  sliow  the  world  by  onr  acts 
and  deeds  that  the  lino  wool  sheep  breeding  of 
Vermont  is  neither  waxing  cold  nor  disappear¬ 
ing,  but  tlmt  its  course  is  onward  iu  tho  march 
of  improvement. 
