338 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



dairy of cows. He lias this year, and for several years past, 

 realized from his twenty-four cows one thousand two hundred 

 dollars per year, or fifty dollars to each cow, which pays him 

 as good a percentage on capital invested as the best stock 

 companies in the Commonwealth. In the opinion of your 

 committee, there is a great failure with most of our farmers 

 in not concentrating their business — turning their particular 

 attention to one department, and making all others contribute 

 to that. Thus he has a home market for all his grain and 

 roots, and the slops of his house to swell the products of the 

 dairy, the sheepfold, beef, or pork. 



Mr. Lincoln's experiment is very full, and shows him to be 

 master of his business and successful as a dairyman. We think 

 his recipe for making cheese as good a one as we have ever 

 met with, and worthy of commendation. 



Mr. Dresser's experiment on making butter is a very good 

 one. He made in June about nine pounds to a cow, and in 

 September seven and one-half pounds to a cow, per week, with- 

 out extra feed. His cows were the handsomest blooded ones 

 on the ground, and added much to our exhibition. The com- 

 mittee would have been highly pleased, if, accompanying his 

 statement, there had been a full account of his process in 

 making butter. 



In closing this report, we cannot refrain from alluding to the 

 importance of still greater improvement in this department of 

 agriculture. The products of the cow add much to the neces- 

 saries and luxuries of life. Milk and butter are indispensable in 

 the department of cooking; and upon the table there is nothing 

 sought for with more care, and enjoyed with better relish, than 

 good milk, butter, and cheese. Berkshire has been celebrated 

 many years for her good butter and cheese ; but there has been 

 a marked improvement the last twenty years, both in quantity 

 and quality. There has been an increase from three hundred 

 to five hundred pounds and upwards to a cow. There is more 

 system in manufacturing cheese, more care in raising good 

 milkers, and greater attention to learn the best manner of 

 management, so as to derive the greatest possible profit. 

 Much depends upon the feed, and as much in the manner of 

 feeding. A good milker will always repay the extra feed and 



