No. 4.] DAIRYING. 45 



DAIRYING. 



BY HON. WM. R. SESSIONS, SPRINGFIELD. 



It was with great reluctance that I accepted the urgent 

 invitation of your secretary and committee to address you on 

 this subject. It was not because the subject lacked importance, 

 or was untimely, for dairying is easily the most important 

 branch of agriculture in Massachusetts, if not in the United 

 States. It was because, from my limited experience in days 

 gone by, I feared I would be able to throw no new light upon 

 a subject that has been treated before this august Board, within 

 the last few years, by the foremost experts of this country 

 and Canada. I have, as you know, in the past had some- 

 thing to do with making up programmes and securing speakers 

 for your annual public meetings ; and I accept the invitation 

 as a compliment from you on my success in providing you 

 with speakers, from time to time, who have interested and 

 instructed you and the dairy farmers of the State in matters 

 pertaining to the various phases of the dairy question. This 

 subject has been treated, by one and another, on almost all 

 points ; and I may be pardoned for saying that in the annual 

 volumes of "Agriculture of Massachusetts," for the last 

 twelve years, may be found a library of instruction on dairy- 

 ing that will well repay the careful study of every man who 

 keeps a cow. 



Importance of the Industry. 

 As I have said, dairying is much the most important branch 

 of agriculture in this State. By the last State census the 

 value of the agricultural products of Massachusetts for the 

 census year was $52,880,431. Of this total value, one-third, 

 or $16,234,049, was that of dairy products. More than one- 

 third of the remainder, or $12,491,090, were hay, straw and 



