13G BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The Dairy Interests of the United States. 



BY MA.J. HENRY E. ALVORD, CHIEF OF THE DAIRY DIVISION, U. S. 

 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Seventeen years ago to-daj' the State Board of Agricult- 

 ure, at its last winter meeting held at this place, accorded 

 me the honor of presenting some considerations upon " The 

 dairy interests of Massachusetts." At the same time I had 

 the pleasure of superintending the first butter show held by 

 the Board in connection with its winter meeting. It is a 

 great privilege to me to now return to my native town, and, 

 in response to the courteous invitation of the same Board, 

 contribute to another " dairy day" a similar paper, on the 

 broader field of " The dairy interests of the United States." 



Again the Board has chosen this famous butter-making 

 county of Franklin as a suitable })lace for an exhibition 

 illustrating the best dairy products of the Commonwealth. 

 And a successful show it is, well patronized, well managed, 

 with displays of high average quality, and altogether in 

 several respects a truly noteworthy exhibit. 



It seems appropriate on this occasion to compare the con- 

 ditions under which dairying was carried on in New England 

 and elsewhere at the time mentioned with those which now 

 dominate this great industry in America, and endeavor to 

 discover some practical ways for continuing in the future to 

 a reasonable degree, the very rapid advances made in dairy 

 husbandry during the last fifteen or twentj' years. 



The exhibition in the hall below, in December, 1879, was 

 exclusively of farm dairy butter. There were one hundred 

 and twenty-five entries of butter, nearly all made in this 

 county, and the implements shown were all for use in facili- 

 tating the dairy work upon the private farm. There was 



