1870. 



NEW ENGLAM) F.AHJklER. 



405 



EXTRACTS AJSTD EEPLIES. 



CHEESE FACTORIES. 



Will you of some of your readers give me some 

 information regarding cheese factories. We live 

 in a good dairy town, but on account of help be- 

 ing so scarce we think the labor might be done 

 cheaper at a factory. What we want to know is 

 the capital required for a hundred cows, the usual 

 way of conducting factories, &c. H. M. Fales. 



New London, N. H., June 27, 1870. 



Remarks. — No one can expect success in a 

 cheese factory, or any other factory, or, indeed, in 

 any business, — even in milking a cow, — until he 

 learns how by experience. Still some general 

 idea of the business may be obtained from books, 

 and papers and speeches. In the first place, Mr. 

 Willard, who is authority in these matters, says 

 that his experience shows that a cheese factory 

 •with less than 300 cows will not pay expenses. 

 Still there are quite a number in the country with 

 from 100 to 250. He puts the cost of buildings for 

 a factory at f 3000 to #10,000. Machinery for fac- 

 tory with 600 cows at $1200 to $1500. Skilful 

 workmen command high wages, — men from 1^800 

 to $1200 and board for the cheese season, as super- 

 intendents; women are sometimes paid $100 per 

 month ; ordinary skilled help, less^ but still good 

 wages. Four or five miles he considers as far as 

 milk should be carried, and puts the average dis- 

 tance in New York at not over one mile and a half. 

 About ten pounds of milk is allowed for a pound 

 of cheese. Large factories charge three-fourths 

 of a cent a pound for manufacturing and care of 

 cheese till sold. Smaller ones charge one cent, 

 and very small ones two cents a pound. Some of 

 the factories claim the whey as a perquisite ; at 

 others it is delivered to farmers in proportion to 

 the milk furnished ; in others it is fed at the fac- 

 tory to hogs belonging to those who furnish milk ; 

 and recently, butter is made from the whey at a 

 few factories. 



Mason's Factory, Richmond, Vt., with only 80 

 cows; Hill Factory, Middletown, Vt., with 100; 

 "Valentine's, Tinmouth, Vt., with 125 cows, are 

 mentioned in the last report of the American 

 Dairyman's Association. Perhaps some one con- 

 nected with these factories will answer more fully 

 your inquiries. We should be very happy to pub- 

 lish such information. 



METHOD OF GETTING HAY. 



By a little more careful reading of my article, 

 on "A method of getting hay," "Inquirer" will 

 see that I aid not advocate the method, but was 

 really as much of an "inquirer," as Inquirer him- 

 self. I was disappointed that the editor did not 

 make a few remarks on the subject. I shall try 

 the experiment only on a limited scale, and with 

 care. 



I would state the man's name alluded to in my 

 first article, were it not for the fact that I alluded 

 to his personal circumstances, which are not to be 

 thus advertised. This allusion, and the one con- 

 cerning his stock, were not made as arguments 

 for the method, but as reasons why I thought we 

 might properly investigate the subject. 



His time of cutting hay is not as late nor per- 

 haps as early as some. I think he finishes haying 

 before the 4'h of July. He has grass whioh yields 

 from one to two tons per acre ot hay, and enough 

 to keep (as he does) eight or ten hend of stock. 

 The looks and smell of his hav are all right. 



The hay being cut with a machine, no f^prpadin<» 

 is required nor many workmen. What he does in 

 the forenoon, besides turning, I don't know. I 

 presume it would hardly be necessary to do need- 

 less work in order to keep the time occupied If 

 so, a game of "odd-or-even" might answer the 

 purpose, and be less wearing than heavier exer- 

 cise. However, perhaps loquirer will see that the 

 afternoon work is not so great as would seem. 

 What is mowed Monday, P. M., is not raked — it 

 only lies. Tuesday, P. M., it is r.iked and got i:i, 

 and more hay mowed for Wednesday. I have al- 

 ways cut my hay in the forenoon, einAraked, cocked 

 and trimmed in the afternoon, — the hay cut the day 

 before being raked and secured, — notwithstanding 

 which, we of course admit, the work is moreirreg7 

 ular than by the old way. 



I have an article cut from a Farmer of July or 

 August, signed K. 0. in reply to rtmarUs of S. 

 Edwarc's Todd, before the American Institute Far- 

 mer's Club, New York city. Mr. Todd argues 

 that hay which heats in the barn becomes mow 

 burnt, dusty and mouldy. Mr. K. 0. has repeat- 

 edly put scarcely wilted hay in the mow or stack, 

 cut when in full blossom, and mentions in>.tances, 

 with good success. He refers to a man who 

 houses all his hay the day it is cut, and has the 

 best, j'ldging from smell and looks, anywhere 

 seen. K. 0. advocates cutting hay when entirely 

 free from external moisture, and housing when 

 scarcely wilted, and seems to advocate the doc- 

 trine tliat a pound of sap is less injurious than an 

 ounce of water. He thinks it better adapted for 

 milch cows than for team feed ; for the latter he 

 would probably cure more. I have lost the paper 

 containing my article, but belive I made a little 

 mistake in this: I think the man I sp .ke of gets 

 his hay in, and does his mowing afterwards, as a 

 too early mowing would cause the nay to l)lackea 

 with dew. All hay ought to be got in, if not tit 

 before, soon as possible after noon, and if the time 

 occupied is not too long, the machine can do a 

 good piece of work then. I would he very thank- 

 ful to the editor for his opinion on the sui ject, as 

 I am as much in need of enlightnient as our Es- 

 sex county friend, who will please bear in mind 

 that K. O. and others not only consider ic unneces- 

 sary to dry out much of the sap Irom grass, but 

 consider that the heating of hay in the barn, 

 caused by the sap, not by water, helps make the 

 hay. John, 



Franklin, Mass., June, 1870. 



Remarks. — This whole subject of making hay 

 was very fully discussed in these columns last 

 winter in the reports given of Farmers' Conven- 

 tions in this State, Maine, New Hampshire and 

 Vermont. 



Our own practice in curing the grasses is very 

 nearly that which our correspondent describes 

 above as his practice. We cut the grass just at 

 night or in the morning ; wilt it as thoroughly as 

 we can until one or two o'clock, then cock and 

 put caps on. The next day open after the dew is 

 off, turn twice before 2 o'clock, then get in. This 

 course is for favorable weather. 



In making clover, cut as before stated and wilt, 

 then carefully gather into cocks, put on caps and 

 let it remain two nights even if the weather is 

 favorable. Open the cocks, shake out heavy 



