DIGEST OF STATE REPOETS. • 387 



two Others on the cows until thirteen weeks old. The result was, that 

 the hniid-fed calves so far outgrew the others that he had hard work to 

 keep theui from the butcher, while the others lie did not want. The 

 hand-led ones kept constantly ahead of the others, and at two years 

 old the smallest one came in as a cow, and measured more than feet, 

 while the best one fed on the cow was only 5 feet, both having had the 

 Rame treatment after weaning. Like results followed other experiments 

 of a similar character, and proved beyond question the value of whey 

 and skimmed milk as feed for calves. Whey alone fed to pigs had 

 proved that it was worth saving for this purpose. 



The lectures by Professor Arnold on " Needs of the Dairy " and on 

 '' Cheese-Making," form valuable contributions to a correct understand- 

 ing of an interest which seems to be making more progress than any 

 other productive industry in the State. A careful study of these papers 

 must prove of great practical benefit to dairy-farmers, whether in Maine 

 or elsewhere. 



The points in a paper by Mr. S. G. Foster on the management of a 

 private butter-dairy are reported as follows : 



Mr. Foster stated that there was no royal road to success in the matter of butter- 

 making. While first-class butter sells for 45 cents per pound, aud a fancy article at 

 from 50 cents to $1.25 per pound, the great mass manufactured sells for an average of 

 only about 20 cents per pound. If a choice article of butter is desired, care must be 

 exercised from the time the milk is drawn till it is ready in the finished article for 

 market. The causes of poor butter are numerous. There are many points upon which 

 more light is needed, and this can be eliminated only by careful experiments conducted 

 with nice and accurate instruments. Nothing should be done without careful weights 

 and measures, and careful thought. Good butter is not produced in ignorance ; it is 

 the result of skill and common sense. The quantity of milk given is made the test of 

 the value of the cow by too many, rather than the quality of the milk. There is no 

 breed but produces good cows ; no breed but produces some poor ones. He next spoke 

 of the necessity of cleanliness in everything pertaining to the stable, the milking, and 

 the care and keeping of the milk. The manipulating, the packing', and the storing of 

 the butter all require good common sense, skill, and cleanliness. In a discussion 

 which followed, Professor Arnold said the experience all over the country was that the 

 best cows for producing milk were one-half, three-fourths, and seven-eighths grades, 

 and, so far as his own experience and observation went, it was not true that extra- 

 ordinary milkers reproduced their own qualities in their offspring. 



Among the contents which have not been noticed are interesting 

 articles on "The Influence of Education upon Labor;" "Labor upon 

 Capital;" "Agricultural Education;" "Aims and Methods of the State 

 College with respect to Practical Education;" "Specialties in Farm- 

 ing;" "Success in Farming;" "A State Industrial Exposition ;" "Fish 

 and Crops and Fish Guano;" "Management of Grass-Lauds and 

 Pastures;" "Planting an Orchard;" "Sheep-Husbandry aud Legisla- 

 tion for its Protection ; " "Raising Neat-Stock;" "Associated Dairying 

 in Maine;" " What the Dairy Cow is, and whence she came;" and other 

 papers of minor importance. 



The semi-annual meeting was held at Calais, Washington County, in 

 November. Much of the time of the first day was taken up in the read- 

 ing of cqunty reports. At the request of the farmers of the county, 

 fruitgrowing, dairy-farming, and sheep-husbandry formed the leading 

 topics of the papers read and the discussions which followed. 



During the progress of the meeting Mr. F. W. Shepherd, who had 

 used menhaden as' a fertilizer for many years with varying results, gave 

 an account of a recent experiment with which he was highly gratified. 

 He had secured the best results by making them into a compost in con- 

 nection with yard-manUre, loam, ashes, and piaster in the proportion of 

 one cord each of loam aud manure, ten barrels of menhaden scrap, 

 (eleven barrels to the ton,) one bushel of plaster, and from eight to 



