HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY. 279 



others, without water ; and by others, with sweet milk. 

 Which is preferable ? Experiments will furnish the most satis- 

 factory answer, and the statements, accompanying the butter 

 at the annual cattle show, will disclose it to the agricultural 

 community. 



The salting process is of no small consequence. " To salt 

 to suit the taste," or with half, or three fourths of an ounce of 

 salt or more to the pound, are some of the methods. So vari- 

 ous are the rules of good housewives, that we can easily 

 account for all the differences, in the quality of their butter. 



Notwithstanding the utmost skill in the process of butter- 

 making — from the milking of the cow to the moulding of the 

 yellow lumps for the table or for the market — it will be found 

 that one quart of milk from some cows will yield as much or 

 more butter, than two quarts from others. The cow that yields 

 the greatest quantity of milk, may not yield so good a quality 

 of milk for butter, as another. Hence, it is for the interest of 

 the farmer, who is about to purchase cows for their butter-mak- 

 ing qualities, to test their milk. And here it may be proper to 

 state, that although the breed imported from the county of 

 Ayr, in Scotland, is celebrated for great milkers ; yet, the most 

 productive cow in butter, found in England, by the late Mr. 

 Colman, was a North Devon; she made 21 pounds of butter 

 per week, for several successive weeks, without extra feed. 

 An imported hull and cow of the North Devon breed, are in 

 possession of this society, at the residence of the president, for 

 the convenience of the farmers of this region. 



Sixteen parcels excellent cheese were presented for inspec- 

 tion. The statements are satisfactory, although they might 

 have been more extended. May the day soon arrive, when 

 our dairies shall become to old Massachusets, all that the dairies 

 of New York are to the " Empire State." The average annual 

 product, in 1846, of the dairies of Herkimer county, ranged 

 from 500 to 650 pounds of cheese per cow. A Mr. Rottier, of 

 Jefferson county, N. Y., in 1849, produced from 26 cows an 

 average, of from 125 to 150 pounds of butter, and from 300 

 to 400 pounds of cheese, per cow. 



