20 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



I pass on to Bulletin No. 32, from the Massachusetts 

 Experiment Station. In this bulletin Dr. Goessmann gives 

 the results of certain tests which he has been making, with 

 which you are much more familiar than I am, with reference 

 to the production of milk and the relative economy of differ- 

 ent cows. I have condensed the whole of it. Here is the 

 excess of income over the cost of food. That is, taking the 

 cost of the food of each cow for a given length of time, and 

 the total income from the milk, I find that the best cow gave 

 an excess of income of $93.25, and the poorest cow showed 

 a deficiency of $3.97 ; that is, $3.97 worse than nothing, 

 besides all the time spent in taking care of her. Now, the 

 question for Massachusetts farmers, — and I want to say 

 right here that it is equally true with us in New Hampshire, 

 — the question for Massachusetts farmers to consider is, how 

 many best cows they have, and how many of the poorest. 

 I want to say to you that if you will study the bulletin of 

 Dr. Goessmann you will be bound to study the character of 

 the cows you are feeding, in order to be able to answer that 

 question. I find that there are about two of the poorest to 

 one of the best. We want to find the cows that are worse 

 than no cows at all. How are you to do this ? Right here 

 is where the experiment stations have aided the farmers of 

 the country. They have given to every farmer the means 

 of finding out what his cows are worth, because they have 

 put into the hands of every farmer methods of determining 

 the percentage of fat in his milk. Now, it is not expected 

 that every farmer will become a chemist, and be able to 

 analyze his own soil and find out just what should be applied 

 to it, in order to raise a given crop ; but it is possible, by the 

 simple methods of milk analysis, now so numerous, for 

 almost every one, with a little care and experience, to make 

 very accurate determinations of the butter value of milk, 

 both of herds and individuals. Of the numerous methods, 

 the simplest seems to be that of H. F. Beimling of 

 Philadelphia. Its superiority for general use is that only 

 about ten minutes' time is required to complete a test of six 

 or twelve samples, according to the size of the machine. 

 Babcock's test is also a promising one ; while Parsons, Short, 

 Patrick, Cochran and others have methods each of which 



