CHEESE FACTORY SYSTEM. 11 



variety of soils. Its draught has been made easier, and in 

 workmanship, finish and durability, great progress has been 

 made. The harrow has been improved to a still greater 

 extent, and some new forms have been invented, like the 

 Shares', and the Nishwitz, that are an incalculable advance 

 over the harrow of twenty years ago, since they enable us to 

 mellow and pulverize the surfiice after the plough, without 

 disturbing or tearing up the old sod. Planters and secd- 

 sowcrs, drills and cultivators, — in fact a long list of the smaller 

 tools, — have either been wliollv introduced within that time or 

 have undergone such improvements as to make them much 

 more efficient. 



The cheese-factory system has grown up entirely within 

 twenty years, and in the middle and western parts of the 

 State, beyond the line of the milk supply for the city of 

 Boston, it has proved to be a great step in advance upon the 

 former methods of economizing; the milk on a laro:e number 

 of farms, relieving the farmer's household of the care and 

 drudgery attendant 'upon the manufacture of cheese in pri- 

 vate dairies, securing, a better method of manipulation and 

 thus Commanding a higher and more remunerative price. 

 The concentration of this business at some central and con- 

 veniently accessible point, presents all the advantages of 

 division of labor, so favorable to success in all industrial 

 pursuits. It secures far greater uniformity of jjroduct, 

 while the application of a higher degree of skill and scien- 

 tific knowledge has resulted in a higher average standard of 

 quality, and hence enhanced the value of our cheese and 

 given it a reputation as an important article of export. 



The plan of operations adopted by the Board for the first 

 time m 1864, contemplating a regular public meeting in 

 different parts of the State once a year, at which lectures 

 and discussions should be interspersed, has met with so much 

 favor among the people that it has been continued ever since, 

 and is believed to have been productive of much good. 

 These meetings have generally been well attended, though 

 better in strictly rural districts than in larger towns. The 

 lectures and discussions have constituted a leading and im- 

 portant feature in the reports, where they have been widely 

 read. The last country meeting was held at Barre, and not-. 



