122 



NEW ENGLAM) FARMER. 



March 



The speaker suggested several subjects for 

 discussion, which were subsequently assigned 

 to disputants. Officers were elected as follows : 



President — Geo. Williams, of Oneida. Vice 

 Presidents — Hon. B. N. Huntingdon, of Oneida; 

 Seth Miller, of Lewis ; M. H. Cochrane, of Canada 

 East; Bradford Stiles, of Madison; Dwiglit J. 

 "Woodworth, Cattaraugus; A. D. Hall, of Ohio; 

 Alanson Slawtcr, of Orange ; A. A. Moore, of Ver- 

 mont; George Williams, of Oneida; Kinney, of 

 Illinois ; C. E. Chadwick, of Canada West. 



Secretary and Treasurer — G. B. Weeks, of Ve- 

 rona, N. Y. 



Government Tax on Cheese. 



A committee of three was appointed to pro- 

 ceed to Washington to see what could be done 

 iu regard to having the tax taken off from fac- 

 tories on the ground of the perishable nature 

 of milk and its productions. In some remarks 

 upon this subject, Mr. Storms of Montgomery 

 said: 



A cheese is in its prime at from one to four 

 months old, according to the state of the 

 weather ; after that time it begins to deterio- 

 rate, and soon becomes too rank for the popu- 

 lar taste. Whether a reduced temperature and 

 an air-tight composition or varnish would main- 

 tain the flavor for a greater length of time, re- 

 mains to be determmed by experiment. We 

 are consequently compelled to seU or submit to 

 inevitable loss by holding on. 



Profitableness of Dairying. 



In relation to the alleged profitableness of 

 dairy farming, the same gentleman submitted 

 the following figures : 



I suppose the average number of acres in 

 dairy farms is about 125, and these should car- 

 ry, one year with another, 25 cows, a span of 

 horses, and other necessary stock. From these 

 cows there should be made 11,500 pounds of 

 cheese, and butter sufficient for the family, if 

 made at a factory. At 15 cents per pound, 

 this amounts to $1,725. Add $100 for sale of 

 pork, and we have $1,825 as receipts. For 

 expense account, we have interest on land at 

 $80 per acre, and $2,000 in stock and ma- 

 chinery — $810 ; a man at $30 per month, 

 eight months; a woman at $12 per month; 

 sometimes, and an extra hand in haying 

 and harvest, one month, $62 ; this amounts 

 to $238, leaving $587, out of which the far- 

 mer must board his help, pay taxes, make re- 

 pairs, and clothe his family. All that remains 

 after deducting reasonable compensation lor 

 his own and his wife's labor, need not astonish 

 any body. If, In view of these facts and fig- 

 ures, any one supposes that dairying Is so very 

 profitatjie, their faith must be marvellous in- 

 deed. 



Purity of Flavor. 



After discussing the expediency of the branch 

 eystem, the convention considered the ques- 



tion. What are the requisites of purity of fla- 

 vor in cheese, and how can It be secured ? 



Mr. G. WilHams, President elect, consid- 

 ed pmity and flavor to be the essentials of 

 cheese. He did not think the quality of cheese 

 depended altogether upon the manufacturer. 

 It depends mainly upon the kind or quality of 

 grass or grain upon which cows are supported. 

 Grass must not only be pure, but everything 

 with it must be pure. No pasture should be 

 used which Is mixed with weeds. Eating these 

 impure articles of food invariably produced 

 impure milk, and no good cheese can be made 

 from impure milk. Cows must be in perfect 

 health. It is the mterest of dalrjinen to se- 

 lect only such cows as will produce pure milk, 

 even sacrificing quantity to quality. Milk 

 must be kejjt where nothmg Impure can influ- 

 ence It. Milk is a very susceptible article, 

 and readil}' partakes of the properties of what- 

 ever surrounds it. Onions in the same room 

 with milk will communicate their pungent qual- 

 ity to it. 



Mr. Farrington, of Canada West, thought 

 there was danger of getting too much of the 

 water out of curd. Where too much water 

 was taken out sour cheese Is invariably the 

 result. Private factories he did not believe to 

 be as good as large factories. He had tried it, 

 and had given it up in disgust. The j^rlvate 

 system could never be carried out and It never 

 would be tried generally again. Concerning 

 purity in cheese, Mr. Farrington said, the impu- 

 rity and bad c^uaUty of cheese during the past 

 year, was owing in a great measure, to the wet 

 season. Mr. F. discussed this part of the cjues- 

 tion from a scientific point, attributing the Im- 

 purity of cheese to the surplus of ammonia In the 

 food of the cows. Upon the question of soil Mr. 

 Farrington agreed with those who held tliat the 

 quality of cheese depends somewhat upon the 

 soil, citing the fact that different localities pro- 

 duced cheese of very widely different quaUty. 



Mr. 'Willard's Address. 

 An able and extensive address was delivered 

 on Tuesday evening by Mr. X. A. Willard, 

 which occupied about two hours. His lecture 

 treated mostly of English agriculture and mat- 

 ters pertaining to the dairy husbandry of that 

 country, although he travelled through Eng- 

 land, Scotland, Ireland, France and Switzer- 

 land. He gave a description of the dairy dis- 

 tricts of England — the appearance of the coun- 

 try, the character of soil, grasses and manner 

 in which farms are generally conducted. The 

 dairy farmers of America had much to learn 

 in the management of farms. English farming 

 was vastly superior to ours. It may be com- 

 pared to our garden culture. AVeeds are not 

 permitted to get possession of the soil. The 

 English farmer uses more capital in his busi- 



