No. 85.] 215 



ty been equal to that of Mr. Vail, he would have been entitled to 

 the premium. 



STATEMENT OF MR. VAIL. 



The undersigned appropriated six Durham cows on his farm, about 

 two and a half miles from this city, for the purpose of testing the 

 dairy qualities of Durham cows, by ascertaining iheir yield in butter 

 for 30 (lays. Three of these cows were put on trial from the 27th 

 day of May, to the 25th day of June, inclusive, being just 30 days. 

 Their produce in butter was 146 lbs. 2 oz. The other three cows 

 were put on trial from the 8th day of July, to the 6th day of August, 

 inclusive, being just 30 days. The produce of these latter three 

 cows was 116 lbs., 7 oz., and the total produce from the six cows, 

 in 30 days, was 262 lbs., 9 oz., being an average for each cow of 43 

 lbs., 12 oz. of butter, in 30 days. One of these cow's milk was kept 

 separate from the others, and the cream churned by itself, and the 

 produce from this cow, in butter, for 30 days, was 52 lbs. 9 oz. In 

 order to test accurately the quantity of milk drawn in one day from 

 these six cows, during the above trial, the milk was carefully measur- 

 ed and weighed. The result was as follows : the milk weighed 265 

 lbs., 10 oz., and measured one hundred and thirty-four quarts, aver- 

 aging about 22i quarts in one day. These cows were in only ordi- 

 nary condition, and fed on •pasture only-^-i\i\s being, as I conceive, 

 the <iVL\y fair way of testing dairy stock. The trial of the last three 

 cows was in July and August, when the weather was warm, and the 

 pasture had suffered from the drouth, or their yield doubtless would 

 have been considerable more in butter. 



The method of making and preserving the butter was as follows : 

 the milk was strained and put in tin pans, holding from 8 to 10 

 quarts, and allowed to stand till the milk became sour. The cream 

 was then allowed to stand about 48 hours, and then churned in an 

 old fashioned dash churn, by hand power. The butter was then re- 

 moved from the churn, and well worked with a ladle in a common 

 butter tray, and salted with clean ground rock salt, and the tray was 

 set on the cellar floor, surrounded with ice, to preserve the butter 

 hard, and thus allowed to stand about 24 hours. It was then well 

 worked with a ladle the second time, and the buttermilk well worked 

 out, and then packed solid in stone jars holding 27 lbs. The pots were 

 filled with butter within about one inch of the top, and then spread 

 over with a clean white cloth, and the space between the cloth and 

 the tin cover of the pot was filled with clean fine salt, and packed so 

 as to exclude the air. No article whatever was used to preserve the 

 butter, except the salt, as above described. The butter thus packed 

 in pots, was set on the cellar floor. A pot of this butter is presented 

 for the inspection of the Committee ; and then tendered by the un- 

 dersigned to the efficient and highly respected President of the New- 



