122 TF/5(70iV^/S'/iV^ STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
DAIRY BUSINESS —HOW TO MAKE IT PAY. 
BY F. C. CURTIS, ROCKY RUN. 
The subject before us is one susceptible of a wider range than I 
am able to give it in this paper. How to make the dairy business 
pay in dollars is the first query naturally propounded, and a very 
diffcult one fo answer satisfactorily to those in haste to become 
wealthy. In fact it is hardly susceptible of such an answer. I 
think it is good advice, to start with, in this question of paying, to 
first pay our debts as fast as practicable. For my own part, I ac¬ 
knowledge a great indebtedness to the soil I have occupied for thir¬ 
ty years, the first twenty of which but little payment was made in 
return, but for the last ten I have gradually worked into dairying, 
and feel confident that the same course, judiciously pursued, will 
eventually pay off my obligation to this soil, so impoverished by 
the force of circumstances, and in the meantime I feel confident 
that I am making it pay in dollars more surely than any other plan 
that I can devise. Just how to advise others as to the best course 
to pursue in dairying is quite difficult, as circumstances, soils, etc., 
differ so widely. At the outset, the farmer should have a clear 
conception of the object he wishes to accomplish. He should con¬ 
sider the character of his soil, the nature of his farm, the quality, 
abundance or deficiency of pasturage; the seasons of the year he 
can have plenty of food, or a probable deficiency; accessibility to a 
cheese factory, or ability to provide the necessary conveniences for 
butter making, and suitable help to make the butter and carry 
out the details. 
The various features of the case differ so widely that I shall not 
attempt advice only by giving my way of management, or what I 
might do under different circumstances. 
Of cheese making I know but little, but if 100 pounds of milk 
will produce ten pounds of cheese, and net 10 cents per pound, the 
product would be $1.00. If the same milk would produce four 
pounds of butter, and net 25 cents per pound, the result would be 
the same. The difference would be between the expense of car¬ 
riage to the cheese factory, and work in making the butter. The 
sour milk for feeding calves or pigs would be much more valuable 
