312 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Sheldon gives the product as follows : — 



For the first three days of the nine months from December 1, 

 2,230 lbs. 2 oz., or 927 quarts 1 pint of milk, yielding 134 lbs. 

 15 oz. butter. The whole product of the season, to September 

 1, was 983 lbs. of butter, 215|^ lbs. of which, manufactured from 

 the 1st of December to the 1st of June, he sold at 25 cts., and 

 the residue, from June 1, at 30 cts per lb. Of the process of 

 manufacture, he gives but a meagre and wholly uninstructive 

 account, confined to the simple statement, that " the milk was 

 strained into tin pans, set in a room above ground, and the 

 dates of the several churnings," (which he gave in a table,) 

 " showing how long the milk was kept." On recurring to this 

 table, it appeared that the churning in June was, on an average, 

 about once in three days ; in July and August, once in about 

 two days, and in the cooler months much less frequently. It 

 might well have been expected from a competitor, whose whole 

 product of the dairy was in the manufacture of butter for the 

 market, at high prices, that his mode of preparing the milk and 

 cream, selecting and preserving his dairy utensils and vessels, 

 process of churning and working the butter, and the economy of 

 his dairy room, would afford much useful direction to the good 

 management of others, and if his answer may be considered as 

 satisfying the letter of the interrogatory in the proposals, it may 

 be truly said, that it is, at best, but a poor compliance with the 

 spirit and object of the inquiry. In regard to the manner of 

 keeping the stock, Mr. Sheldon is more explicit. He states, 

 that his cows were turned into a back pasture as early as the 

 middle of April, and into a good pasture the first of June. 

 Since he commenced digging potatoes for the market, they have 

 eaten the small ones, when he had them to spare, and wheji not, 

 they have had green corn fodder. From October to May, tlieir 

 food was principally meadow hay, with husks and stalks, and 

 one peck of turnips or carrots per day, to each cow, until they 

 were all used. After this, they were fed with meadow hay cut, 

 and fine feed mixed witli sweetened water, each cow being 

 allowed three pounds of fine feed and half a pint of molasses 

 per day ; while they were in the back pasture in the spring, they 

 had the same allowance. 



The greatest quantity of milk from either of Mr. Sheldon's 

 cows, in the three first days of either montli of trial, was 49 



J 



