40 Housatonic Agricultural Society. 



quite as good in every particular as any he had been buying for eighty cents, but 

 who positively declined purchasing when it was offered him at half that price, be- 

 cause, as he explained, it must have been made from cheap cows, fed on cheap 

 fodder and poor land, or it could not be afforded at that price, so it must be poor 

 butter. Prices of butter ought to be based on its own merits, and not on the 

 reputation of the maker. He gave some of his own expei-ience, but considered 

 it nothing to be proud of. His cows have to be driven half a mile on the high- 

 way to pasture. In 1880 he had ten cows and had added three heifers. From 

 twelve of them he had made a little over 2,700 pounds of butter, and had sent it 

 at the rate of one or two tubs every Friday to a commission merchant in Bridge- 

 port. His total net proceeds were $666. 11, averaging 2%^ cents per pound for the 

 year. In June he made the most. In June it brought only twenty cents, some- 

 times it brought eighteen cents, at others thirty-three cents. If kept on hand he 

 considers it would be at a risk or speculation. He did not know the value of the 

 skim milk, but is satisfied it may be worth one cent a quart to feed to pigs. If 

 the milk is sold, it takes away all the fertilizing qualities ; if butter, none. In 

 Boston there is a buttei factory using milk brought from Vermont. They put the 

 milk into hot water in the process. In reply to a question, he said he thought on 

 an average that twenty pounds of milk should produce a pound of butter. This, 

 at twenty-six cents per pound would give two cents and six-tenths per quart be- 

 sides the skim milk. He believes in feeding hay with corn meal. He uses 400 

 pounds per week, or about four pounds clear corn per day to each cow. He ha.s 

 used linseed meal with corn meal, but did not notice any change in butter or 

 milk, (used about two quarts Unseed with two quarts corn meal per day.) He 

 feeds now about a peck of sugar beets to each cow. He doubts whether it is of 

 any benefit to the butter, but considers it for the health of the cow. He has 

 never fed green corn, but considers nothing better than corn meal for butter. 



John C. Munson, of Van Deusenville, said he had given skim milk to his 

 cows and calves with good results, and considers it of as much advantage to them 

 as for pigs. He had found an increase of milk, and got about a pound of butter 

 from a quart of cream. 



Leonard Tuttle, of Sheffield, tried different kinds of grain for his cows. He 

 first fed eight pounds corn meal, then added two pounds wheat bran, and then 

 two pounds rye bran, next he tried clear wheat bran, and afterwards clear rye 

 bran, but found no difference in results from any of the trials. He got quite as 

 much milk whether he used rye bran, wheat bran or corn meal. He considers 

 wheat healthier food than corn, and that turnips increase the flow of milk very 

 materially. His milk, which has been sent to the New York market, has brought 

 him something over two and a half cents per quart for the last year, 



S, W. Wright, of New Marlboro, has tried feeding large quantities of apples 

 with good results. He found he could not make as good butter, but better cheese. 



Richard Goodman, Jr. , of Lenox, remarked that there is nothing about apple 

 juice that has any quality for butter making, but as a stimulant it may be of 

 benefit. 



James S. GrinneU, of Greenfield, was requested to give his opinion on the 

 subject. He expressed himself unhesitatingly in favor of feeding apples. As he 

 has an apple orchard of l,r>00 bearing trees, he has been in the habit of feeding 

 apples to his cows. He began with two quarts and increasing to half a bushel, 

 and finds his cows will give more milk and better butter, also that sour apples are 



