STATE FARM AT MONSON. 119 



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winded. I belong to tlie short-winded class now, because I 

 have a very bad cold, and if I should seem likely to get into 

 the other class, of long-winded, you, Mr. Chairman, are there 

 to call me to order. My main purpose in coming here was to 

 hear my friend Dr. Allen, because I have known him for a 

 long time, and knowing the great interest he has felt in this 

 subject, knew that he would discuss it ably, and I have been 

 exceedingly interested, as every other gentleman who has 

 heard him here to-day has been. It has been said by Prof. 

 Agassiz that we differ because we are ignorant. Now, in my 

 ignorance, I can tell you what I have done, and if you can 

 profit from it, whether it is bad or good, you will have the 

 advantage. 



I have the care of one of the farms belonging to the State. 

 I went on to it by an order from His Excellency Gov. Bul- 

 lock, about five years ago. I found it then keeping about 

 twenty-five cows,— natives, grade Ayrshires, and grade Short- 

 horns. I now have about forty cows, and every time I milk 

 them, I have about four hundred mouths ready to open and 

 swallow every drop of it. The question with me was, how I 

 could make the most out of those twenty-five or forty cows ; 

 how best I could fill those four or five hundred mouths. The 

 first thing I determined upon was to take a record of every 

 cow, and see how much she gave at every milking, and then 

 I should know whether she was a good or a poor one. I had 

 four different kinds, — three grades and the natives. I num- 

 bered my cows, Nos. 1, 2, and so on. I have a man who 

 takes charge of the milk, and he puts down the quantity 

 against each number, and every night he brings the record to 

 my office. I know every day what each particular cow gives, 

 and if there is a falling off of one or two quarts, I can inquire 

 what is the matter with that cow, or why she is shrinking in 

 her milk. At the close of every month a report is brought 

 to me, and I know what each cow has given during the 

 month ; and at the close of the year I know what each cow in 

 the herd, and what the whole herd have given for the year. 

 After looking at tliis subject about two years, I became satis- 

 fied that grade Ayrshires were giving me more milk, in pro- 

 portion to the amount of food consumed, than any other 

 animals we had. We do not make butter ; we do not make 



