126 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



place of its consumption ; let us be duly thankful. But, 

 although our home markets are more or less supplied with 

 these articles from without the State, the value of the milk 

 and butter sold by Massachusetts farmers far exceeds that 

 of any other article of food produced by them. Farmers of 

 Massachusetts, bow down to Queen Cow ! 



As of Old England, so of New England. Dairy farming 

 will prove to be the sheet-anchor of agriculture in this 

 section and in this Commonwealth. 



Let us examine, with some care, the dairy interests of 

 Massachusetts and the prospects of dairying in this State. 

 The following table (I.) has been compiled to show the 

 relative value of dairy products (milk, butter, and cheese, 

 sold and used) to the other agricultural products of the 

 State. 



Table I. — The Agricultural Products of Massachusetts, from the State 



Census of 1875. 



Dairy products (number of cows 126,034) 



Milk, 1 35,698,159 gals 



Butter, 7,922,431 lbs 



Cheese, 3,067,017 lbs 



Hay of all kinds .... 

 Animal products other than dairy 



Potatoes .... 

 All other vegetables . . 



Apples 



All other fruits 



Corn ..... 

 All other grain . . 



Tobacco 



Manures 



All other agricultural products . 



Total value 



J5.939.141 



2,747,878 

 405,293 



{2,349,815 



2,450,692 



L, 450,252 

 736,980 



$1,006,384 

 680,310 



$9,092,312 



10,660,26S 

 3,934,748 



4,800,507 



2,187,232 



1,686,694 



1.032,262 

 2,321,373 



1,881,470 



$37,596,866 



1 "Whatever errors there be in counting milk, the value of which is also 

 given as butter and cheese produced from same, is offset by products of 22,361 

 cows " not on farms," which must be at least $1,200,000. 



