o 



696 



feeling by several vocalists present, and was heartily cheered by the com- 

 pany. 



THE DAIRY. 



There is no department of agricultural pursuits more important, and 

 none which heretofore have engaged less the attention of the farmers 

 among us, than the daiiy interest. The importance of this interest to 

 the farmers of this country, is becoming every year more apparent. 

 Their lands generally but poorly adapted to the culture of wheat, the 

 great staple of the west, yield but small and uncertain returns for the 

 amount of labor bestowed. The insect, blight and wet, too often ad- 

 monish our farmers of its impracticability and unprofitableness longer 

 to trust to its general cultivation among us as a remuneration for labor 

 and land ; and the attention of the farmer, we think, should now be 

 turned to the raising of the best kinds of stock, and perfecting them- 

 selves in the manufacture of butter and cheese, and thus secure to our 

 dairymen not only the highest price for their product j, but the best mar- 

 kets in our own and other counties. Why should n A these products be 

 articles of exportation with us, as wheat is from this State ? Why 

 should not Monroe county butter and chee.se take the place of the fa- 

 mous Hamburg cheese and Goshen butter, so world-wide known ? 

 There is no good reason. We have lands quite as well if not better 

 adapted to the growing of stock and fine milch cows, and we would 

 not libel our fair country-women so much a, to suppose ihem inferior in 

 any respect, and particularly in the manufacture of these articles, to any 

 other in the known world. The quality of butter and cheese, as well 

 as the price, seems to be yearly improving, and a fact like this should 

 stimulate the exertions of our farmers in this direction. There is no 

 good reason now why the character of our best daries should not be as 

 well known in New York, London and Liverpool, as at home. Inferior 

 butter or cheese should not be sold, but should be classed as it is in Eng- 

 land, with grease, and command no higher price ; and the committee 

 would press upon our dairymen the necessity of care and attention in 

 the preparation of thesej articles. There is no difficulty in producing a 

 good article, and if the requisite knowledge is acquired, and suitable 



