230 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



5 . 8 and 6 . per cent, of fat, 

 6.1 and 6.2 i)er cent, of fat, 

 6.4 and 6.8 per cent, of fat, 



3 per cent, of samples. 

 3 per cent, of samples. 

 2 per cent, of samples. 



[Above the standard, 73 per cent, of samples] 



Samples of cream tested have ranged from 14.6 per cent, 

 to 20 per cent, of fat. The buttermilk tested averaged .3 

 per cent, of fat, and the skimmed milk ranged between .8 

 and .6 per cent. 



In one instance a visit was made to a farm whose proprietor 

 was havino- trouble w'lih. the Boston milk contractors because 

 the milk produced by him was below the standard. Each 

 cow in the herd was tested, with the following result : — 



The average of the mixed milk of the herd was 3.1 per 

 cent. 



The Bay State Agricultural Society in June offered a' 

 prize for the milch cows which would produce the greatest 

 amount of milk solids in two days. The testing was to be 

 done at home, free from the distracting influences of the 

 average cattle show. This was a decidedly advance step in 

 agriculture, and one in keeping with the aims of the Bay 

 State Society. The Massachusetts Society for Promoting 

 Agriculture offered to help out on the expense of the pre- 

 miums, and the assistant executive officer of the Dairy 

 Bureau offered to do the work of testinor the milk. This 

 novel and educational offer did not attract as much attention 

 as its merits deserved, and it was hard work to secure five 

 entries ; only one was ready for examination during the 

 summer and fall before the executive officer's increasing 

 duties of the early winter precluded the attention to this 

 extra work. The Guernsey herd of Herbert Merriam, Esq., 

 of Weston, was tested, with the following result : — 



