148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



introduced in "Wisconsin, and which is rapidly moving east- 

 ward in its adoption. This is known as the Fairlamb Cream- 

 ery System ; and its chief feature is that the milk is " set " 

 upon the farm where produced, and only the cream taken 

 away. A uniform pattern of can is used, which shows the 

 quantity of cream ; and that is removed, and conveyed to 

 the factory by gatherers sent out for the purpose. The 

 cream is paid for by the inch, as measured. in the can. This 

 system has several advantages besides the one first named, 

 1. Of keeping the skim-milk on the farm ; 2. The owner 

 of good butter-stock gets the benefit of it in more cream 

 sold, which is not the case where all the milk is received and 

 paid for by the pound, without regard to quality ; the ten- 

 dency is, therefore, to stimulate production of rich milk ; 3. 

 The milk is set for cream when in its best butter-producing 

 condition, that is, when fresh from the cow, — conveyance of 

 fresh milk in a wagon, or exposure to climatic influences en 

 route to factory, often reduces the proportionate butter-yield; 

 4. Every dairyman may suit himself as to the method of 

 raising cream, using air or water, hot or cold, according to 

 his own judgment or his home conveniences ; 5. The cream- 

 ery becomes a much simpler affair to conduct, having but 

 the one article, butter, to manufacture and sell. The dispo- 

 sition of the buttermilk will regulate itself. Most of the 

 general advantages of creamery practice are retained in 

 addition to these special features. 



It seems to me that this plan of associated butter-making 

 is especially adapted to those parts of Massachusetts where 

 the greatest quantity of butter is now made, and where the 

 money-returns are least satisfactory. I cannot advise any to 

 join in such an enterprise who make butter at home which 

 has a sure sale the year round at an extra price. As before 

 stated, there are a good many such; and the demand for 

 butter of extra quality is so great, that many more might do 

 the same. But, after all, this "fancy-butter" business has 

 about it a vast deal of favoritism, prejudice, and luck, the 

 prices often having no proper relation to the actual merits of 

 the article ; and so there is an element of uncertainty about 

 it which people naturally shun. To the generality of coun- 

 try butter-makers, therefore, competing in the " gilt-edged " 

 market is not advisable, and they should welcome any system 



