THE DAIRY. 403 



farmers and farmers' wives will be constant and diligent 

 learners. 



4. We proceeded to our work, experimentally. While en- 

 gaged in this part of our examination, we could but recall the 

 old proverb, so often quoted, " de gustibus non dispiitandum 

 est,'^ which is, being interpreted, " there is no accounting for the 

 tastes." 



George E. Fisher, Chairman. 



HAMPDEN. 



From the Report of the Committee on Butter. 



Your committee would say of the butter offered, that it was 

 very good, yet much of it lacked that firmness and dryness es-, 

 sential to excellence. In view of the vast importance of the 

 article, and of the great proportion of second and third quality 

 that often comes to our markets, they wish to add a few words 

 in favor of great care in the management of dairies. Too 

 much can hardly be said in favor of extreme carefulness ; the 

 good dairy-woman should no more suffer milk or cream to 

 be. slopped about her dairy-room, than upon her best carpet. 

 The dairy-room should be well ventilated, the atmosphere cool, 

 dry, and free from the taint of any sour or decomposing sub- 

 stance. To attain perfection in the article of butter, there 

 must be a good selection of the stock, which should be fed in 

 rather dry and sweet pastures, great care and thorough clean- 

 liness in the management 5 the cream to be churned as often as 

 twice a week in warm weather, the buttermilk thoroughly 

 worked out without so much handling as to make the butter 

 soft and greasy, for it should have the firmness and dryness 

 of wax, rather than the consistency of lard ; the salt used for 

 seasoning should be of the best quality and thoroughly incor- 

 porated. Butter made as above described will keep sweet for 

 years, and always command a ready sale and good price, while 

 much that comes to our markets will be unfit for table use in a 

 week. 



R. E. Bemis, Chairman. 



