59 



transforming the sweet herbage of her hillsides into milk 

 and butter, which so readily find a market in our adjacent 

 villages. 



Massachusetts has nearly two hundred thousand cows 

 valued at some seven millions of dollars, while our county 

 of Essex has fifteen thousand, valued at six hundred 

 thousand dollars, an average of i40 per head. 



The sale of milk, cream and butter for this state amounts 

 to nearly fifteen million dollars annually, more than any 

 other single agricultural product. Of more value than the 

 combined hay and grain crop and nearly one third the 

 value of all farm products taken together. 



That this great industry, so vital to the welfare of the 

 farmers of New England, should be fostered, passes without 

 controversy, and of the numerous methods for so doing, 

 none can be more productive of good results than such 

 methods as shall encourage a desire to learn more fully the 

 details of the business. 



Our experimental stations are doing a noble work in 

 this direction which must be productive of grand results 

 during the coming years, the more important of which 

 are the testing of the different breeds of cows, the value 

 of different kinds of fodders and their compounding, in- 

 vestigation of the process of butter making, etc. 



A hardly less important work is that of having these re- 

 sults adopted by the farmer, and to popularize the work of 

 the stations is, I believe, one of the large fields of useful- 

 ness for our agricultural societies. 



To this end our societies should offer premiums tending 

 to draw out the thought of the exhibitor, as well as the 

 product of his labors. 



Your committee found eight samples of butter entered 

 for their consideration, and it is, perhaps, needless to state 

 that all of the samples were well made ; were we to criticise 

 we should suggest more attention to the extraction of the 

 buttermilk and a more even salting of the butter. 



A neat and attractive print should also be considered as 



