In the morning the cream is taken off and the steam is let into the vats, until the whole is warmed to 88 or 90 degrees, when the steam is turned into a vessel containing cold water, which is heated for washing and other uses. The morning's milk is added to the milk of the previous night, and the cream that was taken off, is then warmed and put into the milk. The rennet is then put in with the annatto, and the whole suffered to stand for one hour or more; then it is cut with a wooden knife into small pieces, and left to harden for 30 minutes. It is then carefully broken up by hand, and is again warmed to 94 degress, and left to settle for 15 or 20 minutes, the whey is then taken off to the curd. Then I commence to break it fine by hand, using a gentle pressure to separate the whey from the curd, and after it is evenly and finely broken, the steam is let on and the heat raised to 102 or 105 degrees. The whole is kept moving while heating. The steam is then taken off and the curd remains in the scalding whey for 30 minutes, or until the whole is sufficiently scalded, which is known by feeling or tasting. The remainder of the whey is then taken from the curd, and the curd is left to cool for 10 or 15 minutes; then it is taken into the sink, where the salt is worked in at the rate of one pound of salt to 50 of cheese, (the imported Liverpool salt.) It is then put into the hoop and pressed for 24 hours. A pressure is applied of from 7 to 8 tons weight to each cheese. Nurseries.-The two nurseries examined, were both worthy of much praise and commendation. The one to which your committee have awarded the first premium, is situated about one mile from Watertown, south on the railroad, and called the Jefferson county Nursery and Garden. It occupies some six acres of land, and is well and tastefully arranged. It has some 50,000 trees of different varieties of fruit; besides a choice variety of ornamental trees, shrubs, roses, hedge plants, &c. The second is awarded to Edward S. Salisbury, of Ellisburgh. Mr. Salisbury has also a large and choice variety of fruit, ornamental trees and shrubs, which look well and thrifty. Too much cannot be said in praise of the value of these nurseries, lately established in our county. Many are learning that they can raise good and choice fruit, with proper care and attention, where they supposed they could not. And these nurseries afford them facilities heretofore not found in our county; and we are happy to state that as taste is begetting itself in the planting of trees, our forests abound with a second growth of the sugar maple and elms, which want thinning out; and we say to you farmers plant them. Plant them around your dwellings, and on the road side, they will form shady bowers for those who may come after us. In short, if you would make your homes happy, and your children love them, adorn them with trees, with shrubs, and with flowers. Let them be watered and nurtured by the hands of our fair country women, and if we are not paid with dollars and cents in our pocket, we shall be doubly paid by the cheering smiles of our misses, our mothers, and our daughters. In conclusion, permit me to congratulate the Society upon the abundance of the harvest, upon the prosperity of our society, our State and our nation. We are a link in that great chain which binds together all societies, kindreds, nations and tongues. And while we mingle our congratulations, on this, our happy festal day, may our hearts flow out in gratitude, to the Supreme Author and most bountiful giver. JOHN A. SHERMAN, Report of M. R. Patrick, President, in answer to the President's circular: Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., December 15th, 1851. Dear Sir:-Your circular letter of 4th ult., calling for statistics of Agriculture in this county, was received on the 10th, and communications immediately addressed to the superintendents of railroads, and collectors of customs at the various ports within the county, asking for statements of produce transmitted through these channels during the season From some of these gentlemen, I have answers already, including the month of November, and promises from all. Lest my delay, however, be the cause of delaying you in making up your statement, I will answer some of your queries now, to the best of my ability, and when my ability shall be increased by the returns alluded to, I will forward a supplement. 1. Jefferson may now be regarded as a dairy county, decidedly. 2. And has increased its manufacture of butter and cheese, in a very considerable degree, within the present year. 3. Our dairymen allow from 2 to 3 acres per cow, but the number of cows, or number of acres, employed in the business, I can find no means of answering correctly. As to the quantity per cow, there has been a gain within the year, and as to the quality of Jefferson co. butter and cheese, the records of the State Fair say all that is necessary. 4. Ours is not a wheat county, though we raise both winter and spring wheat for our own consumption, besides supplying our neighbors with limited quantities. The rye crop was very good, and so were oats, but corn unusually light, owing to the continued rains of early summer. Potatoes have felt the blight with us, less, I think, than last year. Within two or three years, more barley has been raised than formerly, and large quantities have already been marketed this season. In some parts of the county considerable quantities of maple sugar are made in the proper season; and our proximity to the lake, causes some of our small farmers to devote an acre or two of their land to the cultivation of onions, for the Canadian market. The failing of the corn crop has caused a corresponding diminution in the amount of pork made. 5. It is the opinion of those best acquainted with the county, that a greater number of acres are now under cultivation than at any former period. 6. Our dairymen keep the best Native cows that can be procured, as a general rule, with occasional dashes of blood from Canadian; but of late, some of our enterprising farmers are spending time and money freely, in the selection of pure bloods, both Short-horn and Devon, and one gentleman of our Society has just imported a cow and bull from Ayrshire. Of course, as the dairies increase, a greater number are kept than at any former time. Of Sheep, we have only a few good flocks, but within the last 18 months some splendid specimens of both long and fine wooled sheep, have been brought into the county, and the process of improving the best flocks is entered into with spirit. As for swine, I can say that there are better hogs in my own yard and the yards of my neighbors, than I saw at Rochester last fall, but we have quite too "racers "" many on every course in the county still. In my boyhood, the horses of Jefferson were unequalled in the State; but for some reason, the stock greatly deteriorated for many years, and it is only within some three or four years that improvement has again commenced, and our young horses promise nobly. Why are not mules used in this State? 7. We have very few, perhaps I might say no scientific agriculturist who is a practical farmer in the county; but when a few more years shall have passed away, the answer will be very different. We have farmers who are both students and working men, and these are the men on whom we must rely. I am no more a believer in the theories of the many agricultural writers than I am in the conservatism of old clodpolls who only tread in the exact steps of their progenitors; and I have seen much evil result from attempts to reduce unmanageable theories to practice. In this connexion allow me to say, that we should be extremely careful what books receive the sanction of our State and County Societies. I have, this day, had my attention directed to the subject, and a request made that I would introduce and recommend to the farmers of my county, a work that I have never seen, never heard of, and whose author is unknown to me. In this county a large number of agricultural papers are taken of late, and in passing through the greater part of its towns last fall, I observed that they were read and had been the means of introducing other works on farming. 8. To this question I am happy to reply. On an average through the entire county, farms have risen in value full 10 per cent. within one year. This may be attributed to the increased facility of market, which our railroads and plank roads afford, as well as to the fact that capitalists are now opening their eyes to the vast mineral resources, agricultural capabilities, commercial advantages, and exhaustless water power within our boundaries. I should be happy to answer your questions more explicitly, but have not the data, and am myself a tyro in these matters. My term of office will expire next week, and I trust that my successor will know a little more of what he should do than the present incumbent. Your letter I shall turn over to him, and request him to give his views to you as early as possible. LIVINGSTON. REPORT. CHARLES COLT, PRESIDENT The Annual Fair was held at Geneseo, on the 2nd and 3d days of October. The cattle show was attended by great crowds of our intelligent and enterprising farmers. The exhibition of stock in every department was very fine, surpassing in extent and quality any preceding exhibition within our county. The display of agricultural implements was highly creditable to our mechanics. Heretofore the exhibition in this regard, has been very meager, but an interest seems to be infused in our mechanics in exhibiting the works of labor-saving ingenuity. In domestic manufactures the ladies of our county pride themselves, and possess a laudable ambition to make manifest their works before the world. Much attention is being paid at the present, to the cultivation of fruit, and our fair evidenced that fact. The receipts and expenditures of our society for the present year, are as follows: Balance on hand from last year,............ $37 10 |