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THE FARxMER'S MAGAZINE. 



I esteem to be well worthy of your serious consideration, and 

 its dispassionate discussion cannot give otFence in any 

 quarter. I particularly mention it because, after thorough 

 draining and sufficient buildings, there are few subjects of 

 greater importance. Some farmers there are, I know, who 

 would not if they could break up any of their pastures, and 

 others who would rather not have their land drained. The 

 arguments that may be brought forward in support of these 

 views would be curious and may be instructive, but they 

 must be very strong and very peculiar to convince me. We 

 are most of us very much interested in dairy management, 

 in which of late years several attempts at improvement 

 have been made. A discussion on this will afford much in- 

 formation ; iudeed, there are very few questions likely to be 

 brought before us, from a due consideration of which I anti- 

 cipate a greater amount of benefit to the members. From 

 the introduction of Keevil's machine improvement has deci- 

 dedly been stimulated. The principal lesson it teaches is 

 the importance of extreme gentleness in the manipulation or 

 handlingof the curd, especially whilst in its tender condi- 

 tion. The drawing oft' of the whey through a cork hole near 

 the bottom of the cheese tub, which is an old practice, or by 

 means of a syphon, as more recently introduced in Scotland, 

 is a decided improvement over the old method of lading it 

 out with a bowl, both because the operation is more easily 

 effected, and the curd is much less disturbed. Cockiug's 

 apparatus, which is used very successfully by Mr. Harding, 

 of Sanigar and Mr. Rickett's of Cape Hall, Frocester.or the 

 more simple cheese tub used in Scotland, with an outer 

 casing to admit of hot or cold water being poured in, is pro- 

 bably a very great improvement, which might be very ad- 

 vantageously introduced into this district. The mode of 

 preparing the rennet, and the after-management of the 

 cheese, are subjects for most interesting and profitable nter- 

 change of ideas. There is undoubtedly very great room for 

 improvement even in our very best dairies, and to prove to 

 you that such is not mere assertion, but really the case, I 

 am permitted by Dr. Voelcker, who is now engaged in an 

 investigation of cheesemaking for the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, to mention a few general results at which he has 

 arrived. The investigation he finds extremely interesting, 

 and he says that it in a great measure confirms the result I 

 arrived at from a study of my own dairy produce (which is 

 appended to a little work, " Morton's Hand-book of Dairy 

 Farming"), viz., that nearly 25 per cent, of the casein and 

 butter which go to form cheese pass ofFin the whey ; in fact 

 that could we completely extract therefrom the whey, where 

 we make three cheeses now we should nearly make four — 

 of course the pigs would suffer ; but the cheese would be much 

 more valuable could it be extracted as food for man, than, 

 as now, in the whey for pigs. Dr. Voelcker says, further, 

 he thinks it may be extracted. At any rate it is something 

 gained to know that there is such a loss, and Dr. Voelcker 

 is the man of all others to work the problem out 

 sirccessfully, for he is well known as a most experienced and 

 exact chemist, and I can answer for his being a most patient 

 and pains taking investigator. The results of Dr. Voelcker's 

 experiments will probably show, that as there are very many 

 different methods of cheese- making, so are there amazing 

 differences in the composition of the cheese made. At the 

 end of September he had analyzed forty-eight different 

 cheese, and he found the quantities of water in them vary 

 as much as IG per cent., and the maximum quantity about 

 4-lOths of the whole. He has found as much difference 

 as 16 to :2n per cent, in the quantity of water in the curd, 

 when finally ready to place in the press, and there is little 

 doubt that this great difference considerably affects the 

 quality of the cheese when fit for market. Besides the 

 question of cheese-making and ils composition, there are 

 nnrnerous other points calling for investigation, such as the 

 influence of the geological character of the district upon the 

 quantity and quality of the milk, and on the quality of the 

 cheese ; also the etiect of various artificial manures, com- 

 pared with each other and farm-vard manure, upon the milk 

 produced from tho land to which they are applied. There 

 is, probably, no district in England which affords in so 

 small a compass so favourable an opportunity for such an 

 investigation as that contained within the limits of your 

 association. It would be quite possible to take a cow from 

 farm to farm, and keeping her in abundant pasture, deter- 



mine the relative value of the herbage for producing milk 

 grown on more than half of the known geological strata; 

 besides examining the relative value of various manures 

 upon those strata. Suoh an investigation is quite within 

 the legitimate objects of the Royal Agricultural Society, and 

 a local society like yours may be of essential service in aiding 

 the investigation. It would be desirable to take steps to 

 encourage habits of inquiry and observation among the sons 

 of members. Would it not be well, towards this end, to offer 

 prizes for essays on subjects coming under their daily 

 notice 5* Apart from the value there might occasionally be 

 in the essajs, your money would not be thrown away, if it 

 induced a spirit of thoughtfulness, and a desire for self im- 

 provement among the young. The town in which we are 

 now assembled bears witness to the importance of the obser- 

 vation of apparently trival points. What an honour 

 to Berkeley that Jenner, whose name will remain en- 

 deared on the memory of man so long as the world 

 lasts, was born here ! It was here that he pursued his 

 patient investigation. It was here that, notwithstanding 

 the discouragement he received from his professsional bre- 

 thren, and even from his old master the great Dr. Hunter, 

 he brought his investigations, which were to bestow untold 

 blessings on the world, preventing the ravages of the most 

 teriible scourge to which the human race was subject, to the 

 most glorious conclusion. It was here that he was occu- 

 pied in liis anxious labours to diffuse the advantages of his 

 discovery, both at home and abroad, where he was called to his 

 last bourne ; for the purest benevolence, and not ambition, 

 actuated all his labours, and he clung with affection to his 

 native town, losing the lowly and sequestered paths of life — 

 the valley, and not the mountains : with wishes easily satis- 

 fied, he did not wish to hold himself up as an object for for- 

 tune and for fame. Let then the remembrances of the great 

 Dr. Jenner stimulate every member of this Association to 

 endeavour to be useful in his generation, and to be perse- 

 vering in his search for information. 



Colonel Berkeley thanked Mr. Harrison for his very able 

 discourse, observing that the attention with which all had 

 listened to it was the surest evidence of the impression it 

 had made on the minds of those present. 



Major Gaisfoiid advocated the giving premiums to far- 

 mer's sons for wriiing essays, and proposed the establish- 

 ment of a library, which was promptly responded to by Col. 

 Berkeley promising five pounds to commence a subscrip- 

 tion list, for the purchase of books. 



Several members spoke in approbation of the excellent 

 suggestions of Mr. Harrison, after which a vote of thanks to 

 Col. Berkeley, for his kindness in presiding, was proposed 

 by Major Gaisford. 



YORKSHIRE FAT SHOW. 



The fourth annual exhibition of this Society was held in the 

 New Cattle Market, York, on Saturday, Dec. 15, and wa» kept 

 open till last Tuesday. The money and plate given amounted 

 to nearly £300 ; and the entries, both of stock and poultry, 

 were satisfactory. 



The prize for the best ox was awarded to a Shorthorn of 

 Mr. J. Ellison's, AUerton House, near Knaresborough, which 

 was won very cleverly by Mr. D. Repps, of Norton, near 

 Malton. Mr. Booth's once-renowned Queen of the Isles was 

 beaten in her class by a heifer of Lord Feversham's ; but her 

 companion. Soldier's Bride, by Windsor, fiom Campfollower, 

 who is not quite two years old, and in training for the two- 

 year-old heifer classes at the Royal next year, not cnly won 

 the younger heifer prize, but the president's (Earl Fevereham) 

 £20 silver tankard, as the best beast in the yard, as well. 

 Captain Gunter won a special prize, given for the best fat 

 beast fed on food seasoned with Henri's Patent Mixture. 



A very excellent pen of three wethers, shown by Mr. E 

 Riley, of Kipling Cotes, South Dalton, Beverley, very pro. 

 perly received a first prize. Three wethers belonging to Mr. 

 John Wells, Booth Ferry House, showed cross breeding of a 

 class that ought to he more cultivated, viz , between Lincoln- 

 shire ewes and Hampshire down rams. A cross between a 

 Cotswold and Leicester was also commended, and the owner 

 of the pen, Mr. H, Bowser, Faxfieet, Howden, received ft 



