34 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



took, on the average, 20.9 lbs. of milk to make a pound of 

 butter. In 1864, the statistics of 425 cheese factories in the 

 State of New York gave the proportion of milk to the pound 

 of cheese as 9.11. 



In the statements I make, I reduce butter and cheese to the 

 milk valuation by allowing twenty-five pounds of milk for a 

 pound of butter, and nine and a half pounds of milk for a 

 pound of cheese, which will certainly' be fair. 



I find, then, that according to the census of Massachusetts, 

 in 1865, the amount of milk sold from each cow was 691 quarts. 

 In "nine towns in the Hoosac Valley, with 7,480 cows, the aver- 

 age yield, in 1865, was 1,179 quarts per cow. The average 

 premium dairy of seven cows in Essex County, is reported, in 

 1865, to have given about 1,750 quarts. Another dairy of 

 nine cows, in Danvers, in 1856, is reported to have given 

 about 2,000 quarts per cow. Another gentleman from Sud- 

 bury, who feeds daily five quarts of a mixture of rye, corn and 

 cotton-seed meal to his herd, reports a sale of 2,274 quarts per 

 cow for one year. Another premium herd of six grade Dur- 

 hams reports 2,460 quarts a year. 



The only returns of yearly yields of single cows that I find 

 in the Massachusetts Reports are four native cows, four own- 

 ers, 3,189 quarts per cow, and forty-four native cows, in four 

 herds, 2,160 quarts per cow; — that is the average of the herd, 

 counting all as in milk. 



These arc the records of premium cows and competing 

 herds, with but one exception, and must manifestly be far 

 above the averao'e. 



I now go outside of the State of Massachusetts, having ex- 

 hausted all the definite facts that I can find in our Reports, to 

 the State of New York. I will not give the particulars from 

 which I draw my conclusions ; I will state it as probable, and 

 have you take it upon trust, that the average yield of dairy 

 cows in the State of New York, is not far from 1,300 quarts. 

 The average of the best dairies in the State, 1,800 quarts. 

 The possible average which can be attained by the best far- 

 mers, with their best herds, 2,300 quarts. Here, jon will 

 notice, there is a common difi'erence of 500 quarts, between 

 common, best and superior dairies. I speak not of the yield 

 of individual cows, but of the average of a herd of cows. 



