BUTTER DAIRYING. 119 



find them huddled in fence corners, or seeking shelter beneath the 

 branches of some isolated tree ; and as the season advances they 

 are still turned out in the early morning, to graze the Trozen grass 

 that breaks under their feet like icicles, and contains about as much 

 nutriment, there to remain, raia or shine, until they are wanted for 

 the night milking ; and this course goes ou until the snow of winter 

 hides the last leaf of grass from the sight of their ai'aricioiis owners. 

 During winter they are kept in cold, dark barns, in dampness and 

 filth, varied by standing all day in the open yard, and eating their 

 dinner of straw or over-ripe hay from off the muddy ground or 

 knee-deep snow. 



Gentlemen, you maj' claim this statement overdrawn, but take the 

 State together, from the coast to the northern border, and there are 

 still too man}^ such examples to be found. 



It is not my duty at this time to extol the qualities of an}- one 

 breed of cows, to the detriment of others, for butter of good quality 

 is made from all the breeds and also from their grades. Some cows, 

 or families of cows, are especially adapted to its production, while 

 others are worthless for that purpose, and it is onh' by actual tests 

 that their value can be ascertained. The records of careful tests of 

 a cow and her ancestr}-, are of much more practical value than a 

 ver}' long pedigree. It is claimed that not more than one or two 

 pounds in one hundred of the whole amount of butter made, is of 

 good qualit}', and rciilW fit to eat. While this statement seems in- 

 credible, and reflects upon our intelligence and skill, and wounds 

 our pride, 3'et, if the whole product could be put upon the wholesale 

 market and sold upon its merits, it is doubtful if a larger percentage 

 than is indicated would sell as a really first-class article, while the 

 great bulk of it would go as fair, ordinary, poor, and — grease. Yet, 

 while so small a proportion of it is good, it is probablj' in keeping 

 with the number of consumers that know the difference between a 

 fine and common article. But the public taste is being rapidly edu- 

 cated to a higher standard, and the demand is made by the masses 

 for a better article than they have previously been satisfied with. 

 The time is not far distant when poor butter will be forced from the 

 market b}' a better, more satisfactory, higher priced article, the re- 

 sult of greater skill in manufacture, and more fastidiousness ou the 

 part of consumers. 



Butter has been slow in arriving at a high degree of perfection in 

 qualitj- ; and it is only within a few years that the firm, fine-grained. 



