136 WISGONSII^ STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
grain had worn off, and the fact began to stare us in the face, that 
instead of farmers becoming rich by raising grain, the land was- 
fast becoming poor. It was this consideration, perhaps, more than 
any other, that led to the discussion of the subject of dairying. 
It was talked about, experimented upon, not always with satisfac¬ 
tory results, for at that time but little scientific knowledge in re¬ 
gard to cheese making had been discovered. Good and poor 
cheese were alternately made, without knowing the real cause of 
either. 
To acquire a scientific knowledge how best to accomplish any 
given object, looks to many persons formidable, and difficult to ob¬ 
tain, but familiarity wonderfully simplifies the process. To illus¬ 
trate: It takes twenty pounds of good hay per day, to supply the 
ordinary cow with nutriment and to keep up the proper animal 
heat, if kept in comfortable stables and properly cared for, but if 
the cow is exposed to cold storms of snow or rain through the day,, 
and forced to shiver in a cold stable through the night, it takes an 
additional amount of hay, which is exclusively used for fuel to^ 
keep up the animal heat. From experiments, it has been proved 
that it takes from ten to fifteen pounds (according to the severity 
of the season) of hay per day extra, to winter a cow on this cold 
and exposed method, than it does on the warm and protected sys¬ 
tem. The one is the hap-hazard and ignorant way, and the other 
is the scientific treatment. You will readily perceive that it takes 
much more time to cut the hay than it does to learn the scientific 
method, besides the latter is much more comfortable for the cow, 
and adds largely to her net profit. Every important feature of the- 
dairy enterprise should be conducted on principles that science and 
successful experiment have demonstrated to be correct. The best 
method of cultivating the various kinds of grasses, soiling food and 
root crops, should be accessible to every dairyman, as they enter 
largely into his profits or losses. The selection and treatment of 
the best breed of cows for the dairy should be definitely under¬ 
stood, as well as what kind of hogs will thrive best on sour milk 
and whey. The most improved method of manufacturing butter 
and cheese, the construction of curing-rooms, and milk-rooms, so as 
to control the temperature, the subject of imparting heat, and the 
necessity of guarding against an excess, are of vast importance, and 
but little understood. A proper understanding of the above men- 
