318 Transactions of the American Institute: 



of the butter, and a thin laying of salt on the cloth. It is then put 

 in the store-room, where it is kept until shipped. Our milk-room is 

 kept well ventilated with pure fresh air. It is impossible to make 

 good butter in a close room ; the animal heat should be removed from 

 the milk as soon as possible after straining. In summer the windows 

 are open through the night and morning; in cold weather at mid-day, 

 and the temperature kept up with fire. We churn three or four 

 times a week, making an average of 200 pounds a week during ten 



months of the year. 



Adjourned. 



October 24, 1871, 



Nathan C. Ely, Esq., in the chair; Mr. John W. Chambers, Secretary. 

 Ditches and Ditching. 



A visitor asked for information on this subject, especially, as he 

 said, with a view of ascertaining the most expeditious and profitable 

 way of opening ditches in land having a clay subsoil. 



Mr. C. D. Bragdon — I have made miles of ditches, and found no 

 practice better than that of following the surface plough with a sub- 

 soil er. 



Mr. F. D. Curtis — The plan is a good one. 



Professor "Whitney — The use of the plough to loosen the soil for 

 the shovel is the only way to make a good ditch. At all events, 

 among many inventions for ditching, I know of none that will work 

 successfully in our strong eastern soils. If made simple and cheap 

 they will not work, and if complicated they are costly and soon get 

 out of order. 



Feeding Meat Scraps to Fowls. 



A member desired information from his colleagues as to the pro- 

 priety or otherwise of giving poultry meat scraps, such as are pressed 

 and for sale at the agricultural warehouses. He has heard that these 

 cakes are carelessly made up ; contain refuse matter not only of no 

 value often, but evep poisonous. 



Dr. J. Y. C. Smith — It has been demonstrated that fowls require 

 animal food of some sort to keep them in condition and supply albu- 

 men for their eggs. During spring and summer they feast on insects, 

 and supplying them with the scraps in question is equivalent to giv- 

 ing them animal substances out of season. 



