Several people have asked for the text of the talk I gave at Bovina Farm Day this past September 3, so here it is in all its glory (it's a bit long, so don't say I didn't warn you!):
Bovines of Bovina. So it seems obvious that it is the bovine
that gave Bovina its name.
Not exactly.
The gentleman who named Bovina, Erastus Root, did not see an
abundance of bovines in the town. They were there, but the animal that more
likely stood out was the ovine – the sheep. Root’s suggestion for the name was
an allusion to the town’s fitness for grazing.
But let’s talk about cows, for Bovina certainly had them
from its earliest history. Ulysses Prentice Hedrick, in his 1933 book on the
History of Agriculture in New York State wrote that “whether our bovine
servants were first domesticated for the strength of the bulls or the milk of
the cows, we shall never know.” He went
on to note that the species is the most adapted to domestication and then had
some rather nasty things to say about the bovine: “A cow or an ox is stupid,
and man does not have the affectionate relations with them he has with the
horse, camel, or elephant. A cow is little more than a passive producer of
milk, almost devoid of emotions – she lives to eat, drink and reproduce. In
neither sacred nor profane literature are there stories of the cow tending to
show the existence of emotions approaching those of human beings that the books
of the ages record for the horse.” There are a number of folks around here who
would take issue with Mr. Hedrick.
We do not know how many cows Bovina had in its early days,
nor do we really know what kind. The earliest collection of any cow data came
in the 1845 state census, when Bovina had 1959 cows. That same year, there were
6700 sheep. But as the years progressed, the number of sheep began to drop,
partly due to competition from the west and partly because they were getting
more wool per sheep. In 1855, the sheep population dropped in half. It did so
again 10 years later and again 10 years after that so by 1875, there were only
677 sheep, vs. 2304 cows. A reminder of all those sheep in Bovina can be seen
occasionally in the stone walls. If there are a row of stones on top of the
wall sitting sideways, that likely was to keep in sheep.
Bovina was producing butter in its very early days. A decent
quantity was being made in the 1840s, 50s and into the 1860s without anyone
really remarking on the quality. Bovina being a town of Scotch Presbyterians,
many of the farmers determined that their hardworking cows had to keep the
Sabbath too. The town passed a resolution on Feb 11, 1862 “that the people of
Brushland be required to keep their cows in the stable on Sabbath days.”
In 1863, a newspaper was reporting Bovina was producing 126
lbs a year per cow. 126 pounds was chump change when compared to a decade later
as farmers began experimenting with different breeds – all of them foreigners,
by the way (meaning the cows in this instance). In the 1860s, farmers like John
Hastings and Andrew Archibald started bringing in Alderneys. They are noted for
their butter production. Around this same time, other farmers were trying the
Ayrshire.
The Alderney was a breed of dairy cattle originating from
the British Channel Island of Alderney, though no longer found on the island.
The pure breed is now extinct, though hybrids still exist. Ayrshire cattle are
a breed of dairy cattle from Ayrshire in southwest Scotland. They are known for
their hardiness and their ability to convert grass into milk efficiently. The
breed's strengths today are traits of easy calving and longevity.
A letter to the editor of the Delaware Republican, written
in 1872 and signed only "T.L.D.," sang the praises of Bovina farmers and their cattle:
Within the last ten
years the farmers of Delaware Co. have perhaps made greater progress in the
improvement of stock for dairying purposes, than in any other branch of their
industry, and in this improvement the little town of Bovina will compare very
favorably with other and less secluded localities. Many of the farmers of this
town have, with much care and at considerable expense, procured a stock of
cattle, that for their fine appearance and profit to their owners, in producing
both quantity and quality of butter, are unsurpassed in any other section of
the state.
Among our most
prominent owners and dealers in thoroughbred cattle in this town, may be named
Mr. Thomas Miller, who has imported stock from Europe, and who owns a large and
fine dairy of thoroughbred Ayrshires, dealing only in Ayrshires. Mr. Miller is
now the owner of the celebrated bull “Lord Cuthbert,” one of the finest
Ayrshire bulls ever brought into Delaware county. He received the first premium
at the recent State Fair at Albany, is two years old, of a beautiful red and
white color…
Mr. James G. Ormiston
is a dealer in both Ayrshire and Alderney cattle, his dairy consisting about
equally of each, and is one that would attract the attention of everyone who
might have an opportunity of seeing them by their neat and thrifty appearance.
It is a conceded fact here that “Jim” knows a good cow as well as a good horse
when he sees one, that he owns both, and that he would deal in no other.
Thomas E. Forrest owns
and deals in the Ayrshire, Alderney and short horn breeds. “Tom” is a lively
farmer, buys and sells freely and of the first quality.
Mr. James M. Hastings
was the first man in Bovina to introduce the Alderney cattle. His dairy
consists entirely of that class. He has been improving it for some years, and
now owns one of the most profitable stocks in the country – His production of
butter is said to exceed 200 lbs. per head; and to bring in market extra
figures on account of its superior quality.
The writer of this article also noted in particular a nine
year old half-blood Alderney owned by Mr. McFarland. “Mr. McF. Feeds her well, and she well deserves it. During eight months
from the 1st of June 1870, till the lst day of January 1871, she produced 454
lbs. of butter, and during the eight months from April 1st, 1871, until Dec.
1st 1871, she yielded 439 lbs. Mr. McFarlane (sic) will give any information in
regard to this animal which may be desired. I understand she is not for sale;
an offer of $400 has been refused for her."
The writer concluded his letter with “And now, Mr. Editor, allow me to say, lest my motives in writing this
article be impugned, that I am not a farmer myself or in any way interested in
cattle, and that the names of those whom I have mentioned I have taken the
liberty to do so without their knowledge or comment; but I do feel that there
is merit in their stock, even though it be owned in the secluded town of Bovina.”
Thomas Ormiston, James G’s son, had more of a preference. He
wrote in the 1890s that while “The Ayrshires were beauties and took the eye of
a Scotchman, they could not compete with Alderneys …making butter.” Hedrick in
his history of NY State agriculture noted the Ayrshire as being the “poor man’s
cow.”
About a decade or so after the introduction of the Alderneys
and Ayrshires, Jerseys made an appearance and ultimately became the prominent
Bovina cow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like the Alderneys and
Ayrshires, the Jerseys were British. William L. Rutherford, on what is now the Weber farm (where Bovina Farm Day is held each year),
likely brought in the first Jerseys. In 1876, he bought six Jerseys, named
Elsie of Staatsburgh, Fanny Frank, Kitty 3d, Daphne of Staatsburgh 2d, Princess
5th and Bertha 2d.
Within a couple of years, a debate sprang up between the
Delaware Republican and the Delaware Gazette newspapers, both based in Delhi,
over who should get credit for bringing in the Jersey. It started with the
Republican and an article called Jerseys in Delaware County, signed with the
pseudonym “Rural Home.” The writer reported visiting Mr. Rutherford’s: "He is a
Scotchman and a farmer, unassuming, and not a man to go into anything without
having a perfect system to work upon. This county owes him a debt it can never
pay, for improving the dairies of this town and many others of this county. He
keeps only the choicest thorough-breds. His herd consists of thirty head,
ranging from two years old to eight. In starting his herd he picked the best
milkers as well as the choicest colors. His cattle are mostly squirrel grey.
One of these beauties is Frolic, eight years old. Bridget, Flora 4th, and
Fairway 2d are fine specimens of the Jersey cow, excellent butter cows, and
also of solid color."
At the end of this article was a note by the Republican
newspaper that stated "While Mr. Rutherford is perhaps entitled to as much credit for
contributing to the improvement of the dairying stock as any of our farmers,
Mssrs. Thos Miller, J.G. Ormiston and many other farms of Bovina and
neighboring towns are little if any behind in the matter. In fact, most of the
leading dairymen of our county are well supplied with full blood or grade
Jerseys-the latter, in quantity as well as quality of milk– in fact, the very
best dairy cows, all things considered, that can be found in the county."
The following week, the Delaware Gazette took exception to this
addendum, noting that "Now, Mr. Miller is
a late convert to Jerseys, and if he has a thoroughbred cow he must have
purchased it this spring – Mr. Ormiston is another convert to Jerseys, as the
above-named gentlemen, who have bred, till very lately, Ayershires; and Mr.
Miller only last fall sold a farmer an Ayershire calf, claiming the superiority
of that breed, yet bought thorough bred Jersey calves for his own use. The
Gazette went on to say that to Mr. Rutherford is due to say, that he bought
thoroughbred Jersey’s and kept them when the first mentioned gentleman were
discouraging their introduction into our dairies. Justice where justice is due."
The Republican responded thusly:
A correspondent of the Gazette, referring to our commendation of the
efforts of several farmers in Bovina for the improvement of dairy stock, says
that some of them prefer Ayrshire and other blooded stock to the Jerseys, in
which they have not invested. We were well aware of that fact, and it was by
inadvertence that “other blooded stock” was not added after “Jerseys.” We may
add that many others are not satisfied that the Jerseys are in all respects
best adapted for dairying purposes. While the superior richness of their milk
is generally admitted, we have heard their hardihood, keeping qualities and the
quantity of milk given by them freely criticized. And from such testimony, and
what little experience we have, our opinion is that the breeding of full blood
Jerseys, for sale and improvement of other stock, is what is mainly commendable
in those who have introduced it. We are quite ready to admit the claims of Mr.
James M. Hastings and others who may have done much in that direction. We
cannot attempt to recollect or enumerate how many have been so engaged or how
far their efforts for purity of blood have succeeded.
Another debate started in 1879 and W.L. Rutherford himself
weighed in, castigating two men over their statements about their dairies and
butter production, including the above mentioned Thomas Miller:
Editors of the
Gazette: Having read the proceedings of the Dairymen’s Association at Andes, as
reported in the Delaware Republican, there are some statements that are utterly
false and without any foundation of truth, which ought to be exposed; in view
of this, if you will be kind enough to allow me a little space in your valuable
paper, I will try to take the kinks out of some of those lying scoundrels.
Rutherford first took to task statements of a Mr. Davis
concerning how he sold some of his butter along with Mr. Rutherford’s.
Rutherford denies this and says that he can’t even determine who this man was.
The only thing he did know was that he is “an
infernal liar. …I find that we have three different classes of people to deal
with in this old, rough world, viz: God’s poor, the devil’s poor and poor
devils. No doubt he belongs to the third class. So much for Davis." He then went on to speak of Thomas Miller:
Now, with regard to
Hon. T. Miller – He stated that he had Ayrshire cows that made 1 lb. of butter
per day more than the Jersey cow, which he insinuates he paid a very big price
for. I don’t believe that Mr. Miller ever had an Ayrshire cow that made over 1
lb. of butter in a day in his life. If his neighbors tell the truth, they say
he generally takes his butter away under the cover of the night in order that
they may not know how much he has, and that he is sly about it as a cat
stealing candles.
Is that honest and
upright for a man who professes to be a disciple of Christ? We know that he
stands high in the church militant, but if he follows this hypocritical course,
will he ever enter into the church triumphant, to the general assembly, and
church of the first born which is in heaven? I suppose Mr. Miller thinks it is
all decreed so and that it is all glorifying to God.
Where the truth lies in this debate we may never know. We do
know that into the 1880s, Alderneys and Jerseys were both common in Bovina, but
by the end of that decade, Jerseys were winning out. The Watertown Times in
1887 gave a report of the State Dairymen Convention in Middletown, including
this tidbit: “25 years ago in the town of
Bovina there was only 125 to 150 pounds of butter made from each cow. Now when
they use Jersey blood the dairies average 250 pounds, and often run as high as
300 pounds. But the feeding of grain has much to do with this increase.”
Thomas Ormiston in 1896 agreed that the increase in the
production of butter went hand-in-hand with the improvement in feeding and care
of live-stock. Formerly, all live-stock was driven out to a stack and there
fed, every day during the winter, and, when hay was scarce, they were fed on
‘browse.’ No grain was fed, except, perhaps, a little rye bran to a cow that
was a little ‘off.’ Ormiston when on to note that "some farmers used feed, but others did fine without. I know one man
having a small herd who made and sold 215 lb. of butter per cow, without buying
one pound of feed, and nearly all the grain raised on the farm was fed to the
team; but the cows had all the rough feed they wanted."
Whatever Bovina farmers were doing individually,
collectively, it was enough to make Bovina’s dairying noteworthy. It was chosen
by the State dairying association in 1891 for a ‘cow census.’ An official with
the association noted that “the census
report of the town of Bovina, in Delaware county, [was] proof of what might yet
be accomplished, and compared that town, with its rough, hilly location to
other places with far more favorable surroundings, far behind. The cause of
this is that the farmers of Bovina make the dairy their first work. They
studied the cow, they thought of the cow, they made this their one business.
Again, they were wise in selecting a breed of cows especially adapted to the making
of butter, a breed that had been bred for years for that object alone-meaning
the Jersey.”
The Andes Recorder in 1893 noted that “Bovina is noted for
its great butter - pure Jersey butter that is a strong competitor of Elgin,
[Illinois] and is growing in favor with the butter men every year. [Elgin
butter in this time period was sort of the gold standard, sold in the sticks we
see today, once referred to as Elgin sticks.] The paper went on to report that
a correspondent to the paper wrote that:
When we were young 100 pounds of butter per cow was a fair average; now
from 300 to 400 pounds per cow does not satisfy the Bovina dairyman. We expect, if they keep on grading their
stock, by the time of the next centennial the Bovina cow will be giving butter
instead of milk."
Another newspaper, the Plattsburgh Republican reported that:
The greatest butter town in our State is unquestionably Bovina, in Delaware
county. Of the 2569 cows in this town, all except four are Jerseys, or have
Jersey blood in them. In this town creameries are not encouraged, and every
farmer makes his own butter. … The census of the State Dairyman’s Association
shows that the better the animals, the better they are cared for and fed, the
larger will be the profit that can be made from them. According to the bulletin
issued by the above-named association last winter, there was sold from this
town in 1892, 591,325 pounds of butter, at an average price of 25 ½ cts. per
pound, or a total of $150,861.55. The average yield of butter per cow for the
whole town being 230 pounds a year.
Thomas Ormiston echoed the statement that ‘creameries are
not encouraged’ in 1896. He had expressed some concern about establishing them,
arguing that butter made in the home was superior. His argument was supported
by the fact that at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, 20% of all New York
farmers displaying butter came from the town of Bovina. And all the butter was
made in the home.
Agitation for a creamery in Bovina was growing, however. In
1901, a creamery did come. In fact, two creameries were established within a
few months of each other in Bovina. The creameries started mainly with butter
production but this changed and expanded as the 20th century progressed, with
the production of butter dropping off. With more transportation options
allowing dairy products to get to the market faster, butter began to be
replaced by liquid milk. This led many Bovina farmers to change breeds.
For straight-out liquid milk, the Holstein tends to be a
bigger producer, so farmers began to move away from the Jersey. There had been
an earlier attempt to bring in the Holstein in the 1880s, by Robert Livingston,
when he gave a Thoroughbred Holstein bull to David Coulter, to be used by the
people of the town. As Thomas Ormiston noted in 1896, “the farmers did not take
to the Hollander.”
That all changed in the 20th century. In 1919, the Catskill
Mountain News reported that “F.W. Hyatt
of Bovina Center has a grade Holstein cow that this season produced 82 pounds
of milk per day. She has been fed on coarse timothy hay and 25 pounds of grain
per day. The milk tested at the Bovina creamery at 2.9.”
The Holstein is the cow I remember the most when I was
growing up. It still is the definitive cow in my mind – cows to me are supposed
to be black and white. But as several people told me, there were several
farmers in Bovina who still favored the Jersey. Today’s dairy farmers in Bovina
are about split between the Holstein and the Jersey. Jerseys from Cowbella just
recently moved into Bovina.
So who will become the dominate cow in Bovina? The British born
Jersey or the Dutch Holstein? We might not hear the history of this until the
50th Bovina Farm Day in 2058!
