In the dairy house I found an Oneida county vat, Young's compound curd knife, and other approved apparatus for manufacturing. I witnessed the manufacture of cheese till it was put into the hoop. It was made a la Herkimer, except salting. This was done while it was in the whey. A pailful of whey to about 20 pounds of curd was left in the vat, and salt enough was dissolved in it to salt the curd by standing a certain length of time. In this way it was claimed that the curd was salted more evenly than when salted dry, and that a saving of one pound in sixty was made by avoiding any working to prevent its sticking together, and by the adhesion of sediment that would otherwise be drained off. The salt whey was fed to the cows. It was interesting to see how closely (with the exception of salting) his intelligent wife had copied the Herkimer mode of manufacturing, and I felt a little pride when I learned that she had obtained most of her information from the Dairy Farmer and the Essays on Agriculture. In respect to rennets and curing, they were not as well posted. Several were spoiled by the use of tainted rennet, and a large number by bad curing, or rather by not curing. Every cheese in the dairy was entirely spoiled for the eastern market by one or the other of these causes. If sent to New York they would have found their way into the dock. They would never have been sold. Lattice work on opposite sides of the curing room had been kept open day and night, from the first of May to the 27th, the cheese not having cured in the least in that length of time, and from the obliquity of the shelves, and from not being greased, they were ill-shaped and badly cracked. The curing room was well arranged for heating, and I directed it to be kept as much of the time as possible at 70 degrees, and described the necessary treatment while curing; sorted out the bad rennets and showed how to save new ones, and made as many other explanations as I thought could be distinctly impressed at one time, and returned home wondering what would come of the seed I had sown. Nothing was heard of the dairy till July, when I received a sample of cheese which was not only good, but excellent. I have seen samples of cheese from this dairy for two years past. Excepting those that are injured by tainted. rennet, the cheeses are very hard, though the salting and scalding are both light. It is a characteristic of the dairy.

Dairy No. 2 is on the east side of the lake, the same distance as the first from the lake and from Ithaca, twenty-five cows on a pasture of gravelly loam. Cheese well made, well cured and good. Apparatus in the manufacturing room-an Ohio vat and Kendall's press and tin curd cutter. A good curing room was located 10 rods from the manufacturing room. Witnessed the whole process of making one cheese. It was well done and a nice curd was produced. The scalding was not firm enough for Herkimer. After the proprietor considered it scalded enough, he prepared to keep up the heat till it was cooked the same as in Herkimer. He did so, and treated a few others in the same way. They were all too hard when cured, and were evidently injured by over scalding. This dairyman is a man of unusual intelligence and enterprise. He has for many years kept a tip-top butter dairy, and has made a good many experiments in the manufacture of both butter and cheese. Repeated trials have been made

by him to ascertain the exact amount of butter and cheese that may be made from a given quantity of milk. A certain quantity of milk, in these trials, was weighed out and set for butter. The next day the same quantity was made into cheese, and the pressed curd and curd cheese weighed. The milk set for butter was churned at the proper time and the butter weighed. In the first experiment made, the milk required to make 19 pounds of butter made 61 pounds pressed curd and 57 of curd cheese. Other trials have made a little greater difference in favor of cheese.

Dairy No. 3 was separated from No. 2 only by the highway. It consisted of 40 cows fed upon a large creek flat, soil muck and gravel, low and wet all summer. It was conducted by an old, experienced dairyman. The process of manufacture was a model from which No. 2 was copied, but the curd was cooked more than in No. 2. A Watertown vat, a tin curd cutter and Kendall's press were the furniture of the dairy room. For the sake of convenient comparison, I will classify a few facts that appeared in these dairies. The treatment of the milk, the time of curding, the fineness of the curd, the time of working and heating up, were very nearly alike in the three dairies. No. 1 salted highest; 2 and 3 salted alike; No. 1 scalded lightest; 2 scalded more than 1, 3 more than 2; No. 1 made the hardest cheese, 2 softer than 1, and 3 softer than 2; No. 1 was too hard, 2 about right, and 3 too soft. I could see no way of accounting for this singular difference, except from the difference of moisture in the soil. As I have before said, No. 1 had a dry, gravelly pasture, watered by a single spring. No. 2 had a lower gravelly loam pasture, watered by living streams. No. 3 had a still lower, alluvial and wet pasture, watered by living streams.

The proprietor of No. 3 formerly owned another farm on which he kept a dairy. He says he manufactured his cheese then as now, except that he scalded less on the old farm than on the present one, and yet his cheese on the present farm is the softest. Upon inquiry, it appeared that his former farm was on dryer ground.

I have made a few small cheeses this summer. My pasture being dry and gravelly like No. 1, I have taken a hint from the foregoing observations, and worked as rapidly as I could without injury, heating up quickly to 95 or 96 degrees, and scalding at that temperature 20 to 30 minutes, according to the condition of the milk. Used one oz. of salt for 3 to 3} pounds of curd. Cheese good, though a little less scalding would have been better for some of them. In Herkimer, I used to determine the amount of scalding by the following rule: Take up a handful of curd and squeeze it by closing the hand. If, on opening the hand, the pieces of curd spring apart, it is scalded enough; if they stick together, continue the heat. To follow that rule here would spoil every cheese that was so treated. It would make them as hard as bricks.

These facts go to show that the treatment which will make good cheese in one locality would make bad in another, and vice versa, and, in my mind, they raise the query whether the best quality of cheese may not be produced in any soil if the treatment of the milk is properly varied, and hence the territory on which good cheese can be produced be only limited by climate or other circumstances than quality of soil.

The cheeses I made this summer were made right in the dryest time of the season, yet some of them are as good as any I ever made in Herkimer, or ever ate. Perhaps they tasted better to me, for I was pretty cheese hungry.

The best butter dairy in the State is about 10 miles from me. I made arrangements to visit it last summer, but sickness in the neighborhood. prevented. I intend to do so next summer.

My bees have multiplied well this summer, but have not produced much honey. Bee pasturage is not near as good here as in Herkimer. The soil is gravelly and so dry that white clover remains in bloom only about three weeks. I have made some advance in apiarian science by way of an improvement in hives. I will explain some future day if you wish. The management of bees has occupied my attention a good deal since I came here.

Excepting oats, our crops have been good this year. They are just half a crop, being 25 to 30 bushels to the acre.

I shall be very glad, as I was before, to hear from you whenever convenient. I hope it will be convenient before long. Please remember me kindly to the club. I often think of the pleasant social discussions I enjoyed with its members, and could heartily wish there was an organization of the kind here to supply its place. Those friendly meetings will never be forgotten. Respectfully, L. B. ARNOLD.

BARNS.

The erection of improved barns and out-buildings is beginning to occupy the attention of our farmers. The old style of out-buildings, common in the county, consists of separate buildings, arranged near each other or apart, as accident, or supposed convenience at the time of building, might govern in the matter. Many of them are very old, and with additions and more modern structures on the premises, often indicate the progress made, step by step, toward improvement, and adaptability to the leading business of the farm. They evince plainly that there was no definite idea of what was best or most convenient to fulfill the demands for which they were intended, but rather a groping of mind in the dark, making trials by way of experiment. But now the dairy farmer pretty generally understands what he needs-conveniences for unloading and feeding fodder quickly and with the least labor, good stables, lighted and ventilated, a receptacle for manures, and the whole in a compact, substantial form. The style of barn now being built in this county is meant to cover all the points above enumerated. The basement is of stone, and is arranged for stabling, surmounted by a wooden structure with posts 18 to 20 feet high, and covered with matched siding, and provided with ample means of ventilation. These buildings are some 36 feet wide by 100 or 150 feet long, as the necessity of the farm may require, and are designed to be ample enough for housing all the stock, and everything that may be grown on the farm for their keeping. They are provided with manure cellars, either below the stables. or adjoining them, the whole being erected at a cost of about $2,000 for each barn.

One observable feature looking toward improvement among our farmers

is, that more care is taken to protect and economize manures.

There is yet great waste of this material, but every year adds more and more to the number of those who watch carefully the saving and application of manures and composts, and who find their account more than balanced in the increased crops resulting therefrom.

GRASS AND GRAIN CROPS.

The hay and grain crops were larger than had been anticipated in the early part of the year. The opening of the season was cold; and dry weather following made it very unfavorable for the growth of corn. Up to the middle of June no more than half a crop was anticipated, but, during the damp, warm weather of July, the plants shot up with great rapidity and vigor, and the fall turning out favorably, the yield on the rich slate lands of the county was more than the average of years past. The great frosts of September, so fatal to crops in the west, was only felt in towns of high altitude and along the borders of the northern wilderness, or among the clearings of the lumber region. The oat crop was much injured from wet weather, inducing a rapid growth of straw, which, lacking strength, was prostrated by winds and rain, rendering many patches of grain scarcely worth the harvesting. Along the low lands of the Mohawk, corn, oats, and other grains, were more or less injured from an excess of water -particularly in spots where there were no provisions made, or no sufficient fall offered for drainage. The hay crop on the uplands and black slate lands of the towns embraced by this club was unusually large, exceeding by many tons, it is believed, the crop of the year previous, which was considered a good one. We have not the data at hand for giving the average yield per acre, (on some farms it reached more than two tons), but, while the crop in quantity was all that could be desired, its quality was more or less injured on account of the wet weather while harvesting, and the consequent late cutting of a portion of the crop. So frequent was the fall of rain during the haying season, which commenced here about the middle of July, that many were unable to secure their crops before September. From inquiry and observation, we estimate the loss from these causes to equal at least one-eighth of the whole crop grown, could it have been secured in prime condition.

The stock of horned cattle to be wintered will not vary much from that of last year; of horses, the number must be considerably less, since purchases have been freely made throughout the county, and the animals shipped for the use of the army. Hay has also been bought and shipped for army use, and in considerable quantities in various parts of the county, at prices varying from $16 to $20 per ton for the article when pressed and tied in bundles.

The following are the market values of some of our leading products at this place for the commencement of the year 1864: Hay, per ton, $16; wheat, $1.38; oats, 75 cts.; corn, $1.20; buckwheat, 85 cts.; potatoes 75 cts. per bushel; flour, $8.50; apples, $3 per barrel; pork, $22.50; cheese, 13 cts.; butter, 25 cts.; lard, 14 cts.; beef, 6 cts. per pound; wood, $4.50 per cord.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES.

The fruit crop of 1863 is believed to be rather below the average of years past. Old orchards are fast dying out, and new orchards are being planted. Some effort is also being made to introduce pear orchards, the largest of which within the limits of the club, and perhaps in the county, is that of Mr. Snell, of Manheim, who has some 1,500 or more trees, a large number of which are in bearing, and who purposes to add to his trees until their number shall reach 5,000. There are many varieties of pears that can be grown here to perfection. These embrace the hardier kinds, such as the Flemish Beauty, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Winter Nelis, &c., while some of the more tender kinds utterly fail, even with the most careful culture.

Of vegetables, there is nothing specially worthy of note except in regard to the potato. This plant began early to show signs of disease from the smallness of the tubers and lack of productiveness; the rot, too, made its appearance especially destructive to the early sorts and white varieties; so that, between the two, there was a general failure of the crop throughout the county of these kinds. The western or northern reds, sometimes called the hemlock potato, escaped, in a measure, the rot, but it is believed. the whole production of the county will be insufficient for the supply of home consumption. During the fall, potatoes were brought by railroad from the east and west, to meet the demands of this and other markets in the county, and it is not improbable that another importation will be needed in the spring, in order to meet the requirements of the planting season.

THE APIARY.

The product of the apiary deserves a passing notice, since the keeping of bees and their management has occupied the attention of the Herkimer county farmer more or less for many years. Bee-keeping seems to be on the increase in the county, for it is by no means rare now to see five, ten, twenty and more swarms to the farm, where a few years ago nothing of the kind was had. The apiary and the dairy match well together, because the vast fields of sweet scented clover serve as a pasturage for the bees and the herds without interference. We are sojourners in the land of milk, why not make it "the land of milk and honey." There are several large apiaries in the county; the largest within the limits of the club is that belonging to Mr. Ford, at Middleville, who has for years past managed successfully several hundred swarms. What was proposed to be noticed, however, in connection with bees, is, that the past year has been extremely unfavorable to the production of honey. The rainy season commenced just about the time the bees were ready to gather in their stores, and, in consequence, they were prevented from obtaining their usual supply.

The crop of box-honey is therefore not only short, but a large number of swarms, I am told, have been taken up, not having provided themselves sufficient food for wintering, while other swarms must be helped out by feeding or lost.

Apart from the profit to be derived from sales growing out of the yearly profit of a well managed apiary, bee-keeping particularly commends itself