262 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



be placed in competition for premium. The committee coincide 

 in the propriety of requiring a more thorough standard of excel- 

 lence, fully believing that butter Avhich will not bear the age of 

 four, or even six months, without deterioration, is, to say the 

 least, improperly made. 



J. P. Ely, Chairman. 



From the Report of the Committee on Cheese and Honey. 



The association of cheese and honey forcibly reminds the 

 committee of Samson's riddle ; not that they had any very 

 particularly strong cheese presented for examination, but be- 

 cause it is sometimes so manufactured as to be strong, and with 

 honey there is always an idea of sweetness connected. 



Seven samples of cheese were entered, which, in our opinion, 

 were all good ; but it may be well to define our position as to 

 what we consider good cheese. It is that which has a mild, 

 pleasant and rich taste, well cured, or ripe, and which has not 

 been salted, scalded or pressed so much as to be rendered dry 

 and hard. The committee ^411 not here undertake to describe 

 the best of the many methods of manufacturing cheese ; but if 

 some better and more general rule for preparing the rennet, 

 salting the curd, pressing and curing the cheese, were adopted 

 in this county, the general character of this valuable product 

 would be much improved. It is to be regretted that our dairy- 

 men and dairy-women do not take more interest in our annual 

 exhibitions, for it is certain that there are very many fine 

 dairies of cheese, particularly in the western part of the county, 

 where from twenty to thirty-five cows are milked, which, if 

 represented here, would be advantageous to their owners and 

 a credit to the county. 



Some of the specimens on exhibition this year were green, 

 and not sufficiently cured to show precisely what -they would 

 have been if perfectly manufactured ; otlierwise they might per- 

 haps have been considered as "A No. 1." 



W. E. Boise, Chairman. 



