236 BOARD. OF AGRICULTURE. 



to forty minutes. The strength of the rennet can be judged of 

 by one trial, and the quantity regulated as required. Rennets 

 improve by age, and ought never to be used till one year old, at 

 least. 



The question as to the relative value of milk for the different 

 purposes for which it is used, has heretofore been considered, and 

 I think it is a conceded fact that fresh milk, when it can be 

 readily marketed, is more remunerative than when manufac- 

 tured into either butter or cheese. This, however, depends 

 upon the quality of the cheese," as materially affecting the price. 

 The difference, however, -v^lien the producers dispose of it to 

 milk companies to retail, is not so great as when they distribute 

 their own, but they save the labor of manufacture, which, as 

 now practised, is an item of consideration. 



The next most profitable way for disposing of the milk is to 

 manufacture it into cheese, experiments showing that, from the 

 same amount of milk, from two and a half to three pounds of 

 cheese, to one of butter, can be obtained. But for making but- 

 ter, certain conveniences must be had quite different from those 

 for cli(^e, both, however, under any circumstances, requiring 

 much care and labor from those who have the superintendence 

 of them. 



I have before spoken of the factory system being substituted 

 for that of private dairies. 



During the last year, seven cheese factories were in operation, 

 and an eighth, part of the time, in six of the largest cheese produc- 

 ing towns in Worcester County, — one in Warren, two in Hard- 

 wick, two in Barre, one in Petersham, one in New Braintree, 

 one connected with the milk condensing factory in West 

 Brookfield, — and two in the western part of the State. There 

 were fifty-five contributors of milk to the factory in New Brain- 

 tree, and the aggregate amount of milk received was 1,780,473 

 pounds. The size of the cheeses made was about eighty-five 

 pounds, that being considered the most convenient size for 

 handling in the curing room, and for market purposes, acceptable. 

 The factory system of making cheese has several advantages over 

 that of private dairies. 



In the first place, it relieves the female part' of the household 

 of a labor and care which has been by them already too long 



