FAEMEBS^ IT^STITUTES. 



SEVENTH INSTITUTE. 



The seventh Institute of the Housatonic Agricultural Society vas held in the 

 Town Hall, in Great Barringtou, on Tuesday, February 22d, 1881. The Presi- 

 dent beiug absent, the meeting was presided over by Vice President Lester T. 

 Osborne. The subject for discussion during the morning session was 



*'THE DAIBT INTERESTS OF BERKSHIRE COUNTY." 



M. I. Wheeler, of Great Barrington, thought the magnitude and perma- 

 nency of those interests could be better shown by statistics, of which he 

 had some noted down. There were 128,813 acres under cultivation in the 

 county in 1875, every acre of which needed fertilizing. This could be done 

 more successfully by keeping cattle thnn any other animals. Sheep may 

 be used to advantage, but not to supplant cattle. Commercial fertilizers are not 

 practicable for this locality. In 1875 there were 15,527 cows in the county ; they 

 produced 3,472,084 gallons of milk, 460,817 pounds of cheese, and 1,273,462 

 pounds of butter, worth in all $887,265, averaging $57 to each cow, but the in- 

 flated currency prices of those days were from ten to twelve per cent, above the 

 specie prices of to-day. Although so long accustomed to inflated prices, it may 

 be interesting to quote some : In 1845 butter was 15 cents, and cheese 5 cents a 

 pound, milk 11 cents a gallon ; in 1855 butter was 21 cents, cheese 9 cents a 

 pound ; milk 23 cents a gallon ; in 1865 butter was 36 cents, cheese 16 cents a 

 pound, milk 19 cents a gallon ; in 1875 butter was 35 cents, cheese 13 cents a 

 pound ; milk 17 cents a gallon. 



The returns of the hay crop of the state show it cannot be considered a mar- 

 ket product, but the butter product is double that of any other except potatoes. 

 The producers of milk near Boston get better yjrices than those in New York. As 

 Mr. Wheeler had but little experience in milk or cheese, he spoke chiefly regard- 

 ing butter making. He thought the quality of butter did not depend so much in 

 the way the milk was handled as to other causes. The old plan of setting milk 

 was in shallow pans ; later, large pans, cooled by ice or by other means. Hard- 

 ing used deep cans, and Cooley submerged them. Some of the best butter sold 

 in Boston is closely covered in setting the milk, showing the unreasonableness of 

 the prejudice some have against that practice. He does not believe the fancy 

 prices which some butter brings of from sixty to eighty cents is due to its great 

 superiority, but much depends on the reputation and standing of those who man- 

 age the buying and seUiug. He related an instance where a friend of his pre- 

 sented butter to the buyer for a high-toned club-house, who admitted that it was 



