AYRSHIRE COW'S MILK. 115 



Perhaps my aim is too high for this generation ; if so, the 

 object sought is only postponed. It must be attained some 

 time, for people are not always going to buy water for milk, 

 nor eat poor cheese and raucid butter as a rule rather than 

 as an exception. 



But to-day we must take things as we find them. If agri- 

 cultural products are low, are we sure they are not as high as 

 the great body of consumers can afford to have them? If so, 

 then we must continue to produce at present prices, or we 

 drive our customers to the necessity of becoming producers 

 of their own supplies, and, possibly, rivals in our own field. 



Then let us imitate the example which competition has 

 obliged every manufacturer to set for us, and endeavor, like 

 him, to produce our goods at the lowest possible cost. But 

 we cannot do this by running our works on half-time, nor by 

 letting half our capital lie idle and unproductive ; but we 

 must study our business more, must know it better, and must 

 stop all the leaks. Then we shall have removed some of the 

 needs of the dairy farmer of Massachusetts. . 



Mr. Gold of West Cornwall, Conn. My friend, Mr. 

 Cheever, invited me to make any criticisms upon the essay 

 he was about to read that I should see fit to make. It is 

 a very admirable one indeed, but there is one point to 

 which I should take exception. He holds the idea that 

 the farmers of New England are going to breed from our 

 native and mixed stock, a class of cows that shall be adapted 

 to all their wants, and that shall be superior to the different 

 breeds that now prevail. In making his argument, he took 

 for granted one point where the exception lies the strongest, 

 that the Ayrshire milk was the poorest in quality and most 

 abundant in quantity of any of the breeds that he named, and 

 of course selected by the milk farmer to furnish his supply of 

 milk for his customers. The Ayrshire breed has been raised 

 for the purpose of having a class of cows that would give an 

 abundant supply of milk of very satisfactory quality for a 

 certain purpose, the manufacture of cheese, and it has been 

 found, in connection with that, admirably adapted for the 

 production of milk to be sent to market. And why ? Not 

 because it is wanting in the caseine, or in the butter, or the 



