”THE WOMAN’S AUXILIARY
TO THE
VERMONT DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION.
EVENING SESSION.
The President of the Woman’s Auxiliary, Mrs. Alvira A. C. Ware, gave the following address :
Mr. President, Gentlemen and Ladies:—A great deal has been said about the farmer, and about the depression of agriculture ; that the farmer was away back in the line of progress ; that he did not keep up with the times, and that if he would make his business a success he must keep up with the times and up to date. I really feel that there has been a great deal of progress on the farm and in the farmer’s family, progress that compares favorably with that made in science, manufacture and other lines too numerous to mention. Many of us can remember back years ago to the time when the earthen milk pans were in common use. That age was f1nally followed by the tin milk pan, and the farmer’s wife, as she washed her big pile of tin pans and carried them out to dry, would give a sigh of relief, and say she was thankful she did not live in the time of earthen pans. After a time the creamery was talked of. This idea was at first met with much prejudice, but in due time the creamery came into use, and with it the improved churn and the improved butter worker, although they require the strength of a man to use them. And as the farmer’s wife stood by she had another season of thanksgiving, that the era of the small tin pan had passed. The separator came soon, and we took very kindly to the separator. Now we are ready for still another machine, run, let us say, by electricity if you like, that will take the milk in the morning and very soon bring back the butter for breakfast.
In the early history of the Dairymen’s Association I recall the discussions upon the breeds of cattle for farm purposes, and it was confined principally to the Durham and Jersey, and if the same discussion was brought up to-day what line of thoroughbred animals would be named. At the Fair this past fall I think I saw there ten varieties of thoroughbred cattle, all very valuable, and every one of them of special value for the farm. The same could be said of everything else exhibited there the horses, swine, sheep, poultry and water-fowls ; also the produce of the farm, garden vegetables, and farm utensils, everything showing progress on the farm and such things as are used in connection with farm life, that could not have been shown even twenty-five years ago. All this, I say, shows very great progress.
At the time of one of those early meetings to which I refer, one of the subjects taken up, and upon which was placed much emphasis, was that of raising food for the cattle to put them in good condition in the winter so they would not come out spring poor. Some of the more advanced farmers recommended feeding a little corn meal to the milch cow and to the work horse.
A paper entitled, ‘ Making two blades of grass grow where one was wont to grow,’ was also read at that meeting. Very few farmers have been able to double their crop of grass since that time, but many of them depend more upon forage crops. More time has been given to the food of farm animals than to any other one thing. This is all right, we cannot give too much attention to this. But can we not give a little more attention to another thing, the food for the human family ? The scientist has given a great deal of information and light on this food subject, telling what combination is desired for this animal and for that animal, for the older and the younger, even to the day-old chicken. Now the farmer has learned a great deal by that, and we hear him talk quite glibly of the well balanced ration for the animal, and of the food standard, but how many of us can tell what is the well balanced ration for the human family ? How many of us can tell what is the proper food to set before the growing child or the adult mother, or the aged father and mother sitting in the chimney corner. One of the most progressive signs of the time is this, that the people are studying with so much care just that thing which will build up the human body and mind, and how they should be fed and cared for.”
Reference Data:
Vermont Agricultural Report, by Vermont State Board of Agriculture, 1897, pages 40-1
Mrs. Ware can probably be credited with Vermont being one of the nations largest producer of dairy products.
Wayne