STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 5 17 



Tour Committee would be glad to be able to say that in their 

 judgment there had been a corresponding advance in the quality 

 of our first class dairies. These, though excellent in most respects, 

 are certainly susceptible of improvement. Wliere we now find 

 here and there a dairy that is entirely sweet, with no bad tubs or 

 churnings, that as a whole is fit for family use, we ought to be 

 able to find numbers. 



It is entirely practicable in tliis climate, when butter is once 

 properly manufactured, to keep it perfectly sweet and sound for 

 an indefinite period. That this can be done is proved by the fact 

 that we often find single packages thus kept, and sometimes 

 whole dairies. A dairy thus manufactured and thus kept is just 

 as good for fancy price as a nice lot of fall made butter. We 

 suggest to our butter makers the propriety of experimenting in 

 this direction, and especially that of trying a double set of pack- 

 ages made considerably larger, for the outside, the space between 

 being filled with salt or pickle, somewhat after the California 

 shipping style. These of course could be kept from year to year. 



Several of the dairies examined by us, though otherwise excel- 

 lent, are altogether too salt. The prevalent rule, one oz. to the 

 lb., when the butter is washed and worked but once, and imme- 

 diately packed, as is generally the case, makes the butter full 

 salt enough. 



Your committee think three-fourths to seven-eights of an oz. 

 per lb., of pure rock salt, sufficient at all events. No more salt 

 should be added than the butter will readily and entirely dissolve. 

 More than this injures the flavor, and is of no possible benefit. 

 We are perfectly aware that this is an old story to most of our 

 dairymen, but your committee's experience convinces them tliat 

 these remarks are not uncalled for. 



The dairy to which we award the 1st premium, D. M. Totld, 

 East Rodman, contains 1 1 cows — is washed and worked once 

 only — salted three-fourths oz. Ashton salt per lb., and packed at 

 once. The salt and butter are uniformly weighed. Tlie cream 

 is kept at a })roj)er temperature by means of a cooler let down 

 into the well. This dairy is not only well manufactured but 

 beautifully kept, and gives evidence of being systematically, care- 

 fully and tidily managed. Average yield 135 lbs. per cow. 



