284 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



JAN. 8, 1840. 



AND HORTICDLTDRAL REGISTER. 



Boston, VVErNE.= nAY, January 8, 1840. 



To the Trustees of the Massachusetts Society for Fromotirtg Agri- 

 culture. 

 Tlje Comniillee appointed to examine the claims and 

 award tlie prfiniums on butler nnd cheese, exhibited 

 in I'ostun on ihe 3d and llh of December, 1839, 



REPORT. 

 That, judging from the very diminished competition 

 for the liberal premiums on boih these articles, they are 

 forced to conclude that ihe interest of the agricultural 

 coinmunitj in this exliibilion has rery much decreased. 

 In iliB exhibition of December, 1631, thire were 54 

 entries of butter, and 16 of cheesc,the amount of butter 

 being estimated at thirty thousand pounds. On the late 

 occasion there were 13 entries of butter and 8 of cheese, 

 the quantity of butter being probably about 5000 pounds 

 only. 



In this absence of competition the Committee thought 

 it their duty to fix, as a standard of excellence, that qual- 

 ity of butter which their experience has taught them 

 may be nltained ; and keeping this in view, tliey were 

 not satisfied that any of that presented was of first rate 

 excellence. They believe that they have seen and last- 

 ed better dairies than any which came before them, and 

 they therefore determined, under the standing rule of 

 the society relative to premiums, to withhold the first 

 premium of one hundred dolhir.s, and to award gratuities 

 to two very gtmd lots of butter after distributing liie 

 second and third premiums. Tliny proceeded on a 

 similar principle in regard to old cheese, of which only 

 two lots were presented, both in their estiiualion very 

 respectable, but not superior. 



After thoroughly examining and remarking upon the 

 several lot:?, in which they were kindly aided by the 

 experience and judgment of Messrs. John JIurd, Elijah 

 Cobb, and N. A. Thompson, they unanimously awarded, 

 to William Dachop, of Barnet, Vt., the second premium 

 of fifty dollars for his lot of bulter No. 10; to Luther 

 Chamberlin, of Westboro', Mass, the 3d premiuii of 

 thirty dollars for his lot of bulter No. 8 ; to Daniel 

 Chamberlin, of Westboro', a gratuily of twenty dollars 

 for his lot of butter No. fi: and to Richard Hildreth, of 

 Sterling, Mass., a gratuity of fifteen dollars for his lot 

 of bulter No. 3. 



The premium of thirty dollars on neio cheese the 

 Committee unanimously awarded to Timothy P'islier, of 

 Burke. Vt., for his lot No. 5 ; and a gratuity of twenty 

 dollars, to the same person, for his lot of old cheese 

 No. 6. 



To David Lee, of Barre, they awarded a gratuity of 

 fifteen dollais fir his lot of old cheese No. 4; and to 

 Ebenezer Tidd, of New Braintree, a graluity of fideen 

 dollars for his lot of new cheese No. 7. 



From the remarks of the Committee on the several 

 lots qf butter, it appeared, that in each there was more 

 or less of neglect or error in the making or in the pre- 

 servation of it. A very prominent neglect in making h 

 that by which butter milk in any quantity is sufiered to 

 reirtain in the butter. It is a well settled principle that 

 tliis is fatal to its preservation. No quantity of salt can 

 prevent that substance from becoming sour and causing 

 the butter to grow rancid. It can be all separated from 

 the butter and it undoubtedly ought to be. 



A very prominent error in preserving bulter arises 

 from the excessive use of salt. No more of this need 

 be added to well made butter than is sufiicient to make 



it palatable ; but as this standard varies with the taste 

 of different individuals, it is perhaps safest to use it 

 sparingly, since no quantity can repair tiie evil of de- 

 fective making. 



The use of sugar in curing seems to be sanctioned by 

 the best writers on the subject; but the Committee are 

 of opinion that it should be employed in smaller quan- 

 tities Ihan is usual. When it is distinctly tasted it im- 

 pairs the natural sweet flavor belonging to good butter, 

 and is, in all cases, a poor snbstilulo for it. It is also 

 highly probable that in time it may become acescent. 



On the whole the Committee cannot but exhort their 

 agricultural friends to aim, at a higher standard— to exert 

 more care in the making as well as in the preservation 

 of bulter and cheese, persuaded that it is a branch f)f 

 industry which will well repay the labour bestowed on 

 it. For the Committee, 



DccemheT 14, 1839. H. CODMAN. 



We have the pleasure of laying the foregoing report 

 before our readers, and of ji.ining in the regrets which 

 It expresses, that the competition for the munificent pre- 

 miums of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society is very 

 limited compared with what it should be. 



That the competition from other States is not greater, 

 arises from several reasons— the first jirobably is that the 

 offers of premiums are not generally known in other 

 Stales ; or if heard of, it may not be known as general- 

 ly that the competition is open to ail persons. Another 

 reason is, that distance prevents a competition from the 

 srcat dairy Slates of New York and Pennsylvania, be- 

 sides that their home markets furnish a quick demand 

 for all the dairy produce which they make. It is Hue 

 there have been claims heretofore from both these states ; 

 but this was rather accidental, the farmers who made 

 the claims having had personal friends in Boston or its 

 immediate vicinity, to take charge of samples when sent- 

 Why the competition is not greater from Massachu- 

 setts is owing to other reasons. Berkshire county may 

 be considered as the principal dairy dislr.ct in the com- 

 monwealth. But the commercial relations of Berk- 

 shire county are almost exclusively with New York ; 

 and there their bulter is sent weekly, and their cheese 

 with as frequent dispatch as the nature of the article 

 will allow. The distance of the principal dairy portions 

 of Berkshire county are little more than a half a day's 

 journey from Hudson on the Hudion. Heie the far- 

 mers convey their produce as often as it is in condition ; 

 it is then put on board the boats, and is in New York 

 niarketin excellent order the next morning ; and sold 

 and the boxes returned for a commission of one or two 

 cents a pound. It is to be considered, likewise, that the 

 dairy husbandry of Berkshire county has been greatly 

 reduced from what it formerly was by the introduction 

 of sbi'ep; and by another reason felt all over the coun- 

 try, the impossibility of procuring dairy women. The 

 country is actually ftrlpt of this portion of its population 

 bv the various factories, by the demand from schools for 

 female teachers, from the cities for dress-makers and 

 servants, by the traders for strawbralders and slioe bind- 

 ers, and by oilier occasions of demand ; so that a female 

 domestic or dairy maid is almost as rare as a cucumber in 

 January. Tliere seems to be no getting them upon any 

 terms short of direct proposals of marriage ; and at pre- 

 sent we see no remedy in prospect, unless our Legisla- 

 ture in its parental concern for public comfort, should 

 revive the good old patriarchal custom of polygamy, 

 when Abraham had not only his Sarah but his Hagar 

 also! We dare not advocate such a proposition, and 

 feel that there may be some peril in even making the 

 suggestion. 



In Worcester county, which next to Berkshire, is tl 

 principal dairy county, the dairy products are sent 

 market as frequently as the case will admit; the butt 

 every week and the cheese as often, and as soon as it 

 dry enough to hold together. It brings then as good 

 price: as at any time, and the greener it is the heavier 

 weighs. Under these circumstances, few fanners a 

 willing to come into a competition where so large a sat 

 pie as three hundred pounds is rcqiiired of the claimar 

 They cannot do it in many cases without disappointii 

 their customers of their weekly supplies, which is a s 

 nous evil to both parties Nor can tliey doit (unle 

 they should obtain the premium,) without an actual p 

 cunlary loss. For example, two of the competitors tl 

 present year could have sold the butter which they pri 

 .sented, every week at 33 and 37 l-'i cents per lb. W 

 know that the bulter from these dairies brought thes 

 prices through llic season ; and the supply did not equi 

 the demand. Now taking into consideration the increai 

 ed trouble and expense ol packing their butter for keej 

 ing, the disappointment of their customers, the uncei 

 tainty of.obtaining the premium, and then too of th 

 price which ihey may ob;«in for their butter at the put 

 lie salo after the exhibition, which, If we remember coi 

 rectly. In ihe two cases referred to, was only iiS cents, i 

 will be Seen that the motives to competition are vcr 

 much diminished. The same remarks apply in a de 

 grce to the cheese, which in general is sent to marke 

 onco in thice weeks; and which cannot therefore b 

 kept by the farmer for exhibition but at a loss, unles 

 he should be fortunate enough to gain the piemium, an. 

 then he may not be fully indemnified, though the dis 

 tinclion may not only gratify his honest pride but giv 

 a celebrity to his dairy, which m.iy afterwards be c 

 much use to him. 



The size of the premium, though expected to operat 

 a directly contrary effect, has a tendency to discoura" 

 competition. A premium of one liundred dollars is 

 large afTair in the eyes of most of our farmers. The 

 are discouraged in the attempt to compete for it, froi 

 some undefined notions of the impoBsibility of obtainin 

 it. To divide it therefore into three or four, would ten 

 greatly to increase the number of conipelitors, withou 

 at all lessening the pains which would be taken to gai. 

 it In the preparation ofihe butter or cheese. The ad 

 vantages of the honor in the sale of the butter or cheea. 

 are a sufficient compensation for any eitra trouble. 



We respectfully suugest, therefore, to ihe Trustee 

 the expediency, for reasons above g, veil, of dividlnir ih 

 premiums into a larger number, so as to encourage 

 wider competition ; and to reduce llie quantity require 

 for exhibition, so as to open the competition to a clas 

 of farmers, who, for circumstances above named, no\ 

 decline It. It is not the quantity produced that is th 

 object of the society in the oflier of premiums ; but thi 

 quality of the product and the best modes of exeellin, 

 in this matter ; and these points would be reached b 

 specimens of from fifty to one hundred pounds, as cei 

 tainly and as well as by three hundred pounds of tli 

 dairy product. 



"I'he principles and views of the report perfectly at 

 cord with our own views. It must not be inferred, how 

 ever, that the butter of Mr Hildreth, Mr Bachop, an 

 the Messrs L. and Daniel Chamberlin was not of an eif 

 cellent quality. But we do in our own name, as th- 

 committee have done in theirs, enter our absolute ani 

 uncompromising protest against allowing any butter 

 milk to remain in the butter; against using salt too pre 

 fusely; against using any saltpetre; against sugar ii 

 any measure whatever; and against any coloring mat 

 ter, especially a painter's drug or any thing unices it b 

 the simple juice of the carrot. We say ihis pariiculai 



