42 Jffousatonic Agricultural Society. 



best butter counties are Worcester, Franklin and Berkshire. Sheep and wheat 

 raising ought to be given more attention. The benefits arising from improved 

 machinery, increased knowledge of the chemistry of agriculture and farmers' 

 clubs was dwelt upon. 



At the conclusion a hearty vote of thanks was given to Mr. Grinnell for his 

 able and interesting paper. 



James H. Rowley, of Egremont, wished to know something in regard to silos 

 and ensilage, and the comparative value of green and cured com. 



Mr. Grinnell replied that he had no personal experience in the matter, but 

 the best authorities give from fifteen to seventeen per cent. loss. If corn could 

 be cured as carefully as hay, better results would follow. Silos are filled with 

 great trouble and some expense. He had not seen any experiment for any length 

 of time with ensilage for butter or milk. He considered com best for feeding 

 while in the milk. 



Mr. Goodman inquired for the average price paid for farm labor. 



J, A. Kline, of Egremont, thought about |20 per month and board, for eight 

 months of the year. 



Replying to an inquiry about the best means to prevent sheep from being 

 disturbed by dogs, Mr. Grinnell recommended bells, using one bell for every ten 

 sheep, as he had never known of flocks being distm-bed where bells are used. 

 Barbed wire fencing sometimes had done harm to the fleeces, but might be used 

 to advantage where stone walls are, to run wire a foot above it. To the question 

 of what class of sheep to raise, he recommended some one of the Downs ; South 

 Downs and their grades. Some use Cotswold rams for size, but h^ did not ap- 

 prove of them. Get at Albany, (which is a good market,) what we caU American 

 Merinoes, and use South Down rams with Merino sheep. 



The meeting was then dissolved. 



EIGHTH INSTITUTE. 



The Society held the eighth institute at the Town Hall in Great Barrington, 

 on Tuesday, October 25th, 1881. Owing to the small and tardy attendance, the 

 meeting was not called to order until 11:30 a. m., by President Henry L. Smith, 

 As the Secretary of the Society was unavoidably absent, he has taken the follow- 

 ing account of the meeting from the columns of "The Beekshibe Coukier" and 

 " Pittsfield Journal :" 



Before taking up the subject for the day the question of what the discussion 

 should be at the next meeting was debated for a few moments. One gentleman 

 suggested silos, and another desired that the question of what causes disease upon 

 corn stalks, or com fodder, as rust or smut should then be brought up. This 

 gentleman gave his experience in com raising, and mentioned a preventive for 

 smut, which was to soak the com in a preparation of sulphate of iron, coperas 

 and lime water. 



Merrit I. Wheeler, of Great Barrington, the society's delegate to the 

 State Board of Agriculture, then opened the discussion upon the topic as- 

 signed, viz : " CREAMERIES AND CO-OPERATIVE DAIRYING." He thought 

 that important changes in the methods of farming are now-a-days forcing them- 

 selves on the attention of farmers, and it behooves the latter to thoroughl}' inves- 

 tigate these changes, one of the most important of which is- the co-operative sys- 



