38 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



only on paper, is too manifest a blessing- to all interested in 

 the milk market of Boston — except the miildle men — to 

 be permitted to long rem;iin in its present quiescent state. 



But all who produce milk do not send it to Boston, or sell 

 it at all. Many believe, with me, that it should not be sold 

 from the farm. Yet these people wish to keep cows and 

 make milk, perhaps more than now doing. Indeed, half the 

 cows in the St;ite are owned by farmers of this class. To 

 them applies the remaining division of this sul:>ject : — 



III. " If Milk is not sold, what shall be done 



WITH IT ? " 



This is a meeting of the State Board, and there are stran- 

 gers present from distant portions of the Commonwealth, 

 otherwise there would be no need of my now answering this 

 question. 



Agricultural gatherings in the valley of the Connecticut 

 have listened often enough already to my views upon the 

 uses of milk. Most of those here present need not be told 

 that for some years I have allowed no opportunity to pass 

 when I could properly advocate butter-making on the 

 co-operative plan. 



Three years ago this week, at the meeting of this body in 

 my native town (Greenfield), I described the cream-gather- 

 ing plan of butter factories, and explained its advantages. 

 Nothing of the kind was then known east of the Hudson 

 River. The next year the Hatfield creamery was estab- 

 lished. 



In 18<S1 creameries started work in Easthampton and in 

 Lee. This year several more have been organized in this 

 State and Connecticut. 



To-day, standing within a half hour's ride of two butter 

 factories, on the Fairlambplan, in active and successful oper- 

 ation so long as to be well Ijeyond the experimental age, 

 I know you will pardon these personal allusions and justify 

 me, in the most approved platform style, in "pointing 

 with pride " to my record on this subject. 



It will now suffice to briefly recall the chief advantages of 

 the Fairlarab or cream-gathering plan of butter factories, in 

 the light of experience, instead of the forecast and antici- 

 pation of three years ago. 



