THE 
Agriculture is the most healthful, the most useful, and the most 
noble employment of Man.— Washington. 
VOL. II._NEW YORK, JUNE, 1843._NO. III. 
A. B. Allen, Editor. Saxton & Miles, Publishers, 205 Broadway. 
THE DAIRY. 
As this is the season of the year in which com¬ 
mences the laborious duties of the good housewife 
in the dairy, we have thought it advisable to call 
her attention to a better preparation of the articles 
of butter and cheese. In making butter, the essen¬ 
tial requisites are, to preserve the utmost neatness 
and have everything sweet and cool; a fine quality 
of salt, and just enough of it for good taste and 
preservation, well worked in; every particle of the 
buttermilk worked out—not with the hand, as that 
softens, and consequently injures the butter—but 
with a wooden paddle. Thus prepared, butter 
will keep sweet a long time; bear transportation 
to a foreign market, and command an extra price. 
Very choice table butter is now worth 25 cents 
per pound in this market, and its average price, 
throughout the year, is about 20 cents, while the 
middling good qualities are worth only 13 to 15 
cents. The same general observations of neatness, 
&c., may be made on the preparation of cheese, as 
we have given on that of butter, the choice kinds 
of which sell from 12 to 18 cents per lb. here, 
readily, while good ordinary quality is not worth 
over 5 to 7 cents. Of course, cheese at this high 
price is extra rich. It is put up in the common 
round shape, of about 14 lbs. weight, which is the 
most suitable size for family use. Each cheese has 
a canvass covering, and is placed in a wooden box 
by itself, and then put into casks, is thus sent to 
market, and arrives in the best of order. We do 
not enlarge upon this subject now, as it is our in¬ 
tention to soon visit the best dairy districts of the 
country, where we are promised all information 
regarding the most approved methods of making 
butter and cheese. 
RAISING SILK. 
We beg leave to impress upon our readers, the 
great advantage to the country and themselves, 
that will result from an indefinite extension of the 
silk culture in the United States. In the absence 
of a brisk demand and high prices for the ordinary 
objects of cultivation, we are confident no one arti¬ 
cle will pay better than the production of cocoons 
and reeled silk. We know that in Mansfield, Con¬ 
necticut, and other places, where the raising of 
silk and manufacturing it into sewings, has been 
in existence for 60 years, many of the inhabitants 
I have become comparatively rich by it, although 
