16 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



in the successful raising of nice calves and pigs. In addi- 

 tion to the creameries there are very many private dairies, 

 using the improved separators, having a ready market for 

 all the butter they can produce. And still another class of 

 consumers, hy no means small in numbers, who demand the 

 butter made in the good old way, believing that there is a 

 something in the touch of the dairy-maid's hands in working 

 the butter which gives it just the flavor desired. 



The manufacture of cheese in the county is fast becoming 

 one of the " lost arts," there being but one exhibit at either 

 of the agricultural fairs in the county the present year. The 

 exhibitor was Mrs. George W. Patterson of Colrain, who 

 still persists in making large quantities of cheese of tine 

 quality every year, to the delight of her epicurean custom- 

 ers. 



The tine oxen, which were once the pride of nearly every 

 farmer in the county, have quietly glided away and been 

 supplanted by horses for general farm work and driving 

 purposes, causing the large increase in numbers within the 

 the county, as indicated in the table above quoted. 



The decrease in the number of horses in the county will 

 commence, if it has not already, when electricity is used to 

 a large extent for travellins^ and freiijhtinof to and from 

 market. 



It is a pleasure also to note that during the period from 

 1875 to 1890 the number of sheep in the county increased 

 from 11,318 to 12,361, notwithstanding there were killed by 

 dogs, during the year 1889, 539, which is about the average 

 yearly ration for the dogs of Franklin County. There were, 

 according to the census returns of 1890, 9,177 lambs 

 dropped in 1889, and of this number 5,222 were fattened 

 and sold as spring lambs for consumption. It is with some 

 degree of pride that the farmers of " little Franklin " peruse 

 the increase of sheep husbandry as compared with other 

 counties in the Commonwealth. The county of Berkshire 

 possessed in 1890 14,158 sheep; lambs dropped, 9,777; 

 Franklin County, in 1890, 12,361 sheep; Iambs dropped, 

 9,177. Pounds of wool shorn in Berkshire, 65,171; 

 pounds of wool shorn in Franklin, 67,876. I make these 

 comparisons with our great and only competitor, to show 



