JEFFERS0N-C0UNTY DAIRY FARMING. 
331 
JEFFERSON-COUNTY DAIRY FARMING. 
It would greatly surprise some of the west¬ 
ern and southern stock farmers, who boast of 
their favored climate and rich pastures, to visit 
this rock-bound county upon the shores of On¬ 
tario and the St. Lawrence, to see how much 
more money is made by the produce of cows in 
a climate of six or seven winter months, than 
in regions where it is very mild or frost quite 
unknown. 
In my late flying trip to Watertown, N. Y., I 
had the pleasure of a visit to the farm of Mr. 
Moses Eames, about seven miles from the vil¬ 
lage, 600 feet elevation above it, and 1,200 
feet above tide water, and north of latitude 44°. 
The surface is quite hilly and stony, with un¬ 
derlying rocks, and would be thought by 
strangers cold and unproductive. Now, Au¬ 
gust 21st, is the season of harvest of wheat, 
oats, barley, and grass. Mr. E. keeps forty-three 
cows, and makes a cheese every day that will 
weigh, when ready for market, 90 lbs., worth 
six cents a pound at home, or $5.40, besides a 
liberal supply of milk and butter for a large 
family. And better butter and cheese, I never 
tasted; nor did I ever sit at a better table than 
in this farmhouse—this American farmer’s 
home—Ah, “ Home, sweet home,” indeed. 
Milking the Cotvs. —These are driven from the 
pasture long enough before night to enable the 
laborers to finish by daylight, without haste. 
From the lower yard, about half are driven in¬ 
to a commodious stable, and fastened in a long 
line by “ stanchions,” composed of two upright 
pieces of wood about five feet long, one of 
which is fast in a sill, and in a girder at the top, 
and the other moveable so the top falls back to 
give the cow convenience of putting her head 
and horns between, and is then closed with a 
catch, almost as fast as a man can walk along. 
Cows soon learn to take their places without 
any confusion. As soon as all are fast, the 
milkers commence, each being seated upon a 
stool, or chair, with a sort of back attached for 
the convenience of handling, and a great con¬ 
venience it is. The milking is done with both 
hands, as rapidly as possible, as the owner has 
found that a dribbling milker will deteriorate 
the best cow in a very short time. As soon as 
all are done, the first section of the herd are 
turned out at another door, which opens into 
the upper yard, and then the second section is 
brought in, and when all are done, they are 
driven again to pasture. In the morning, the 
same course is repeated. 
The Advantages of Stabling to Milk , are, that 
all the cows are sure to be milked—all stand 
quiet while milking, and there is no hooking 
and running one after another, and upsetting 
milk and milkmaid. If it is rainy and muddy, 
all are sheltered and upon a clean floor, and 
men and beast are better tempered, and give 
and get more milk, and save a deal of scolding, 
much time, and more money ; insomuch that a 
herd of forty cows will pay for a shelter in one 
season. Putting in one half at a time, is 
an advantage; for twenty are easier managed, 
with less huddling in the stable than forty, and 
are only confined half as long, make less drop¬ 
pings, and only require half as much stable 
room, and each section has an opportunity to 
drink in the yard while the other is in the 
stable. 
Disposal of the Milk. —The milk pails are car¬ 
ried as fast as filled to the milkhouse, and 
emptied into a vat of suitable size, say 7 by 4 
feet, and 2 feet deep, made of wood, lined with 
tin, having a space between, into which cold 
spring water is drawn at night to cool the milk 
and promote the raising of the cream. This 
vat is elevated upon legs for greater conveni¬ 
ence, so that the top is some feet high. When 
the morning milk is added, the water is drawn 
off and a conducting pipe from a small boiler 
fills the space with steam to scald the curd, 
which is made in the same vat. The steam is 
then turned into a barrel of water and heats 
that ready for cleansing utensils without the 
least trouble. 
Taking off the Whey. —Another vat of a smaller 
size, with rollers in the legs, is placed along the 
side,and surface whey dipped off', and then it is 
rolled to a spot where a conductor, opening 
through the floor, receives the contents and car¬ 
ries it down to the pig pen. The curd is next 
dipped into a strainer in the small vat and the 
whey drained off, and then it is rolled along 
side of the press, and put into the hoop upon a 
sliding board, so the whole is done without any 
hard lifting. The press is one of Mr. Eames’ 
own make, and with a small weight, will give 
seven tons’ pressure. In turning the cheese in 
press, a small wheel table is rolled along side, 
upon which it is done .with ease. Upon the 
same, it is conveyed into the cheese room, where 
the cheese are kept upon long tables, and turned 
by rolling upon edge and over, which is gen¬ 
erally done by Mr. E. himself, but without 
great exertion of strength. 
The next process after placing upon the ta¬ 
ble, is, to bandage with thin muslin, made on 
purpose and costing only three cents a yard. 
The strips are cut two or three inches wider 
than the cheese is thick, and the edges turned 
over the corners and sewed, so that it is impos¬ 
sible for a cheese to spread or flatten down as 
they formerly did before bandaging came in 
fashion. 
The Temperature of the Cheese Room is kept 
cool and dry by using a stove to drive off damp¬ 
ness, and then it can be frequently washed with 
cold water. 
The Average Product of Dairy Cows, in this 
county, is from $25 to $35 each, per annum, and 
the average value per head from $20 to $28. 
Wintering Cows. —Two tons of good hay is 
the amount estimated for each cow, besides 
straw and other coarse feed. If giving milk, 
grain or roots are added, as everything extra 
fed is paid for in extra milk. The cows are, 
generally of the common breed, but look re¬ 
markably fine, not only upon this well-conduct- 
ted farm, but upon hundreds of others of the 
same sort in this rich farming county. 
Buying Curd. —I was told of one man, in this 
county, who buys the curd of five hundred 
