1817. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
235 
DAIRY MANAGEMENT. 
In* our August number of last year, we gave some 
account of the dairy and farm of Mr. B. H. Hall, of 
New Lebanon, Columbia county, N. Y. Mr. H. re¬ 
ceived the first premium of the New York State Agri¬ 
cultural Society, last winter) for the best butter dairy. 
We congratulate him on his success, and are confident 
it is deserved. There are but few farms and dairies in 
the country which are managed more economically and 
profitably than Mr. Hall’s. He commenced opera¬ 
tions under circumstances which would have discou¬ 
raged many men, but which have beeii completely 
overcome by his energy and perseverance. A gen¬ 
tleman who has long been well acquainted with Mr. H., 
observes, in relation to his course of farming— u His 
has been a venture which few but a. gentleman farmer of 
wealth would have dared to undertake. I recollect well 
the predictions of many, that f hiring so much help ’ 
would ruin him; but what has been the result ? While 
they have jogged along in the old way, little more 
than paying their expenses, he has, by the addition of 
labor, rendered the nett income of his farm double that 
of any one in town, of the same number of acres. 
u The fear of the expense of labor, is the rock on 
which many of our farmers have been stranded. They 
will only hire help enough to raise just sufficient for 
the wants of the family, leaving no surplus to lay up 
for a wet day , never .thinking that an additional hand 
for six or seven months, would add, if judiciously em¬ 
ployed, fifty per cent to the productiveness of the farm, 
and then leave a handsome sum to be laid by at the end 
of the year. It should be impressed on the minds of 
farmers that the principle of the success of our large 
manufactories, is the over production beyond the sup¬ 
port of the families engaged in them. Hence, if they 
only do just enough for their support, there can be no 
income.” 
We copy from the Transactions, Mr. Hall’s state¬ 
ment, as follows: 
My farm is located in the valley of New Lebanon, 
Columbia Co., in about 42^°; contains about 180 acres 
of improved land, which is composed of a variety of 
soils,viz: an alluvial clay loam on the flats, (about one- 
third of the whole,) which are generally kept in mea¬ 
dow. The other portions are gravel loam and slate 
and gravel, with the exception of some twenty acres, 
which are wet clay and gravel pastures, with a hard 
subsoil, bearing the variety of grasses usual on wet 
pastures. The other pastures used, are plowed and 
cropped in their rotation, say two years in every five, 
and are stocked with clover and herds grass. Hay 
used, clover and herds, with a slight mixture of red 
top on the low grounds. 
My dairy is composed of 16 cows; 3 three years old 
heifers, and two two years old. Cows of native breed, 
one full blood short-horned heifer, the others half 
bloods; the full blood heifer suckled her own calf and 
another, a half blood, through the season. One of my 
best cows lost her udder before the 1st of August, by 
the kine-pox, which disease very much injured the 
whole dairy for ahout five weeks. I also parted with 
one cow the last of September. 
Estimating the four heifers to be equal to three 
cows, I had no more than nineteen cows through the 
whole season. Add to this the hottest weather ever 
experienced for the same length of time, and a severe 
drouth for some five weeks, and I believe I have enu¬ 
merated all the disadvantages under which I labored. ' 
The feed of the cows was hay, grass, and dry corn 
stalks, with the exception of 30 two-horse wagon loads 
of pumpkins. The product was as follows: 
3,180 lbs. of butter, sold in the Boston mar¬ 
ket, at an average price of 19| cents per 
lb., which price perhaps is a fair criterion 
by which to judge of its quality, . $621 84 
20 calves sold and two raised,. 91 50 
Cream and milk used in a family of ten per¬ 
sons, at 15 cts. per day,. 54 75 
Skimmed milk and buttermilk fed to the hogs 
215 days, at $1.30 per day, .. 279 50 
$1,047 59 
The average quantity of milk from each cow per 
day, for 215 days, 26 lbs. Aggregate quantity for 
each cow, 5,590 lbs. Quantity of butter to the 100 
lbs. of milk, 3 lbs. 3 oz. Gross quantity of milk and 
butter, 109,395 lbs. 
Method of making. —Room used, kept as near a 
temperature of 60 degrees as may be. 
Milk strained into a large can placed in the 
milking yard, which adjoins the milk room, inside of 
which it is drawn by means of a conductor and faucet 
into the pans, usually about eight quarts in each pan; 
it is drawn over ice placed in the can whenever the 
temperature requires, consequently the cream rises in 
much less time than when cooled in the ordinary wav. 
It ought to stand 36 hours before being skimmed, but 
this time must be varied occasionally, as the weather 
changes. It should be skimmed when the milk is 
slightly changed, and before it is coagulated. The 
cream is put into stone jars and placed in a refrigera¬ 
tor in contact with ice, until it is churned, which is 
done every second or third day. Churn used, a cir¬ 
cular one with revolving arms or paddles, framed 
into a shaft of wood ; cream should never come in con¬ 
tact with iron. The motive power is a platform wheel 
turned by a small horse. The butter is salted with 
ground rock salt, passed through a fine sieve, that 
there may be no lumps or particles that will not 
dissolve. (How often have you had your teeth set on 
edge by coming in contact with a lump of salt, in 
otherwise good butter?) It is salted to suit the taste, 
and the market, (which requires it very mild unless it 
is designed for keeping a longer time than usual;) it is 
then placed in the refrigerator and kept cool until it is 
taken out, worked on an inclined table with a break, 
packed in new tubs containing 25 lbs., and sent to mar¬ 
ket, which is done every week, always using ice in 
every part of the process, the weather requiring it. 
The committee will be better able to judge of the 
value of the milk and buttermilk, for hog feed, when I 
state that I have sold pigs, pork, and lard, to the 
amount of $1,063.09, at an expense of $667.00, for 
purchase money and feed, other than milk, and that 
my hogs have made, of the feed and materials given 
them to work, near 300 half-cord loads of manure, the 
value of which every farmer ought to know. 
Dairy Statistics. —The committee appointed by 
the Society to .award premiums on butter dairies, of 
which Hon. Mr. Denniston was chairman, appended 
to their report some interesting statistics, showing 
the great value, and importance of this department of 
husbandry. We invite attention to their remarks, 
which we herewith copy: 
