closed constantly under lock and key. The cans were all labeled for each cow to correspond with the pails, sɔ no change or mistake could occur. After thirteen hours' setting it was found that all the cream had risen to the top of the milk, but as we did not need the cans to use, it was allowed to remain ten hours longer in the same cold ice water. After twenty-three hours of sitting of all but the last milking, made Thursday night (which only remained in the boxes fifteen hours), the cream was skimmed from the cans by one of our butter-makers, Mr. F. A. Burr, and the six different skimmings were kept in tin cans properly labeled for each cow. Friday morning the cream was all taken from the ice boxes and ripened for churning by our butter-makers, Burr and Hankins. When the proper condition of the cream was reached, the oil-test tubes for each cow's cream were filled, and our oil-churn was set to work. Believing that this test, if valuable at all as a lesson, should be made for butter without any foreign substance, like color, or the holding of caseine by ingenious manipulations for butter to produce a false result in quantity, we procured and used a Wilson barrel-churn, which will make as perfect butter as any known utersil when rightly used. Eleven small messes of this cream were churned for butter. Veraa's cream being so bloody we did not think she stood any chance for quality, and she was drawn from the list, as before stated, by her owner. Our butter-makers would churn each batch at a temperature of 60 degrees, and in every instance but three, the butter would come in perfect granules and as nice as ever could be made. The buttermilk was all washed out of it in the churn with ice-cold brine-water while in this granulated state, the butter then removed and carefully weighed and fine dairy salt added in the proportion of one ounce to the pound of butter. The salt was carefully pressed into the butter, and when finished it was perfect butter, ready for table use, and exactly the same kind of creamery butter we all attempt to make for the trade. It was a mistake to make our churning come upon the last day in the afternoon, and juɛt about the time we placed our test-tubes in the churn the power was stopped and the use of the oil-test churn lost. But we are very certain a fair, honest result has been secured. And while a marvelous result in quantity has not been reached, our people can believe with some confidence that we did produce from those very valuable animals the amounts of butter stated in the tables hereto appended. Weight of cream being one of the conditions, we obeyed the instructions and kept the record, but beg leave to say it is of no material use whatever, so far as results are concerned, and is very misleading as a measurement of the cream, because in our anxiety to secure every particle of cream to make into butter, we would get more or less of skim milk mixed with the cream in each skimming of the milk. I have been thus particular to state this work in detail, so that every butter-maker in the land can see for themselves where the mistakes, if any, have been made. They can then form for themselves some intelligent conclusion. Allow me to suggest the propriety and desirability that cattle-breeders, who are honestly striving to solve the problem as to what breeds will give the best results in milk, butter, cheese and beef from certain kinds of food, shall be given an opportunity at the Ohio Centennial of 1888, to more fully test in public the qualities of their anima's than they have ever yet had. There should be at least ten head cf each kind or breed placed under the supervision of a competent committee, who should administer to them uniform feed in measured quant ties, and weigh the cattle at opening and close of the test, which should last a month or more. These cattle could be selected from miscellaneous herds of this or any other State without regard to ownership, but rather for ability of actual performance under the test. Premiums of sufficient importance should be offered to partially repay the owners for their expense. Each animal should be fed to its full capacity, but in a reasonable manner, and under such limitations as may be adopted by the Ohio Centennial Board, Prizes were awarded as follows: Cow producing greatest amount of butter (a tie), Mollie Anderson and Nora Oatfield, each 4 lbs. 12 oz., half premium to each.. Cow producing best quality of butter, Katinka.................. ...................... Respectfully submitted, .$17 50 35 00 35 00 REPORT UPON THE SWINE EXHIBIT. BY E. C. ELLIS. I have the honor to submit the report of the swine exhibit at the State Fair this year. I entered upon the discharge of this duty with many misgivings. I had been absent from home for two weeks, and the letter of your Secretary did not overtake me until the afternoon of the first day of the fair, and for want of time to investi gate I had to enter upon the work without a well defined idea of its duties. Should omissions or redundancies be found, the Board, I trust, will have the kind. ness to pass over them lightly. The swine department made a large and very excellent display this year, the Largest, perhaps, in the history of the Ohio State Fair. It was an object-lesson of great value to the farmer who has learned the art of seeing. Thousands come to the great exposition, look at the show, and go away without deriving any benefit from it, but other thousands come to see, and to learn, and to them the worth of such a le son cannot be overestimated. It is an ocular demonstration of the high degree of perfection to which their own stock may be brought. The result of the application of intelligence to swine breeding, stands out in bold relief as they look at these grand specimens of thoroughbred animals. New possibilities open up before them; new incentives are awakened; new impulse and resolutions spring into life. They return to their homes full of what they have seen, and before another year "rolls round" evidences that they have studied their lessons well are cropping out in the improvement seen in their herds. Herein lies the secret of the popularity of our State Fair. It is a boon to agricul ture, leading farmers by the influence of its panora na of object lessons, to a higher plane and better work. No other department has responded more promptly to the encourgement thus given, than this one. In no other has improvement been more rapid. Only ten years ago there was practically no classification. At least the classes were designated in the most general terms. In 1877, and for years before, the classes were designated as The class of large White breeds. The class of Berkshires. The class of large Dark breeds. The class of Small breeds. Hon. John M. Millikin, the reporter for that year, makes the pertinent inquiry, Why is the heading Large Dark Breeds continued ?" "What large dark breeds have we in Ohio, or elsewhere, save the Berkshires and Poland-Chinas ?" Instead of the large "Dark Breeds," says he, "There ought to be a class of Polard. |