1875.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i89 



respectfully represent tluit the ehani;e in tlie postal 

 law matle at tlie late sexskmofeniisresR, whereby the 

 rate. of poKtai;e on thinl-elass nnitter was iloulileil, 

 was not desired nor ealled for liy any elass of eiti- 

 zens, exeejit those en^raireil in express transportation, 

 and that tlu'y verily believe such eliance has been 

 made under the iiislii.'a1ioii and secret inlluenee of ex- 

 press eompani<'s lor their own jirolit, ami contrary to 

 the interests of the irreat body of the people. 



'• Your petitioniTs \\ould further represent, that in 

 a country Hki' the I'nileil States, the postal ajeney 

 of goveriUMint furnishes the oidy means wbiTi'by the 

 remote and sparsely settled districts can lie furnishi'd 

 with small packajres of se<'ds, euttins;s, bulbs, roots, 

 cions and other matter which may be declared mail- 

 able liy law, and that the latcehaiiire in the law eon- 

 cerninir third rale mailer is an unneeessary and un- 

 called for burthen upon our homestead settlers and 

 other remote eommunilies, with no commensurate 

 advantai;e to the government; and we therefore ask 

 that the late rates upon third-class postal matter he 

 immeilialely restored; for which, as in duty hound, 

 we will ever pray." 



The question proposed at a former meeting by 

 Ephraim Hoover, 



•"WHAT IlEHDS OF CATTLE AHE THE MOST I>ROKI- 

 TAIII.E 



to he raised by Lancaster county farmers ?" was now 

 open li>r discussion. 



Mh. HoovKii said as he proposed the question, it 

 woulfl be wi'll ii" he would say a w»ird or twi>. He 

 had been in the habit ol raisinir cattle for a nnndjcr 

 of years, and after experiment ing for several years, 

 he found more irood qualities in the Durham than in 

 any other. From the Alderney we iret a lari;cr jier- 

 eentaire of rich cream and butter and nnlk than from 

 any other. The Devons wvvv also spoken of as beini; 

 next in this respect. But Mr. Hoover thought when 

 you take all into consideration, the Durhams would 

 surpass all other cattle that have been bred. They 

 mature at an early age, and stand first and above all 

 others. From a recent rciiort he learned that out of 

 a herd of grazing Durham cattle one of the bullocks 

 at the age of three years weighed l;>47 pounds' An- 

 other bullock of the same breed, herd and age, 

 weighed VAit pounds. The same report gave an ac- 

 count of the Devousof the same age and raised in the 

 same way, the best of which weighed 1200 iionnds. 

 The Alderneys were also referred to. Being of the 

 same age and raised in the same manner, they 

 weighed less than 10(10 pounds. Thus said the speak- 

 er, it will be seen that 



THERE IS A DIFFERENTE OP SOME 200 OR iiOO 

 POUNDS IN FAVOR OF THE DURHAMS. 



Another advantage gained in the Durhams is that 

 they lose less weight in shipping than an» other 

 kind. They can also be kept in better condition, and 

 fatten with less feed than any other cattle. They are 

 also noted for their milking qualities. There are two 

 kinds of Durhams. The one is noted for its milk- 

 ing qualities, the other for the bulk of beef they ac- 

 cumulate. You cannot fatten a good Durham milker. 

 By feeding her for that purpose you can reduce the 

 flow of milk, hut you cannot fallen the animal, lie 

 doubted very niueh if a good fresh milking Durliam 

 could be founil that M'as fat. For all purposes he 

 preferred by far the Duiham stock. 



Mr. Grossman did not think it was profitable to 

 raise any kind of cattle in this part of the county, 

 where all the farming land was nice and clean. In 

 the lower end of the county, where the farmers have 

 niu(di wet land tluvt cannot be plowed, it is more pro- 

 titahle. The grass there feeds better than ours. As 

 regards the raising of cattle at any place, he 



PREFEKKEI) THE ALDERNEY AS THE MOST PKOFIT- 

 AIILE. 



The btdl calves shonld be .sold to the butcher as soon 

 as they arc old enough. The heifer calves he would 

 keep, and after they were weaned he would give 

 them slop with bran and shipsluff for awhile, and 

 and then bran to lick daily. He wouM also keep 

 them in good pasture. In the winler salt should 

 never be Ibrgotten. At this season of tlie year they 

 should be fed on tine hay and one or two quarts of 

 bran and eornmeal mixed together. If attended to 

 in this manner they will thrive, and at the age of two 

 years tlu'y will calve, ami a tier that they w ill pay well 

 for their feed in milk and butter. After the third or 

 fourth calf they generally bring a good price. We 

 can get beef cattle from the west cheaper than we 

 can raise them. 



IN HEFERUINU TO THE MATTER OF THE OAIRV. 



discussed at the last two meelini;s, Mr. Gross.man 

 said that in his part of the county — Warwick and 

 Manheim townships — it would not pay as well as 

 raising grain. We are too far away from the city to 

 sell the milk, and the makinsr of butter would not 

 pay as well as grain. In speaking of Mr. Kussell's 

 large dairy farm, referred to by Mr. McComsey at 

 the last meetiitg, he said that he iiad never seen it, al- 

 though he was within a few miles of it this fall. As 

 large as it is, he did not believe it could be worked as 

 well as our small farms. He had tried dairies several 

 years ago. He had twenty cows, summer aiul win- 

 ter. They did w ell lor a lew years, but he soon found 

 that his land was being exhausted. He bad sowed 



corn to feed green when the pasture was short. The 

 clover kejit sliort all summer. He could not raise 

 good cnnjs liny more. If he put loo much in grass 

 he could not raise enough straw ami fodder to nuike 

 as mn(di manure as he tiught U> have. It is best not 

 to keep BO much slock during the summer. If we do, 

 cows are the most prolitaide. In winler keep as 

 much as <'an be fed well. If he would have fifty or 

 one hundred acresof land likelhat around Conewago, 

 abjoining his, he would keep no oilier kind i>f cattle 

 but cows, summer and winter, and they would pay 

 well and improve the farm. 



Mr. KMii.E said it was a question that depended 

 altogether on the purpose for whiidi we raised cattle, 

 lu his estimation the 



durhams are the best cattle for all purposes. 

 For dairy purposes the Jersey and Alderney cattle 

 are the best. To those who go into slock raising the 

 Durhams are the ones. For milk and butler quali- 

 ties the Alderney and Jerseys arc best. Thi' butter 

 man who gets from .50 ets. to $1 a pound for his "gilt 

 edge" butter, generally has a mixture of Alderney 

 and Jersey cattle. This kind of butter cannot be 

 made without Jersey Idood in the cattle. If he was 

 a dairyman, he woulil have a cross bctweeii the Jer- 

 sey and Durham. Any breed of cattle, if properly 

 seiected, will make good milkers, if the breeder uu- 

 dcrslands his business; the same is true in regard to 

 beef ealtle. He believes in cross-breeding. 



(Jn the question being asked by Mr. I'owell, he 

 said that the Durham milker stands dry lor a very 

 short season. While dry she picks up llesli very rap- 

 idly. He had a cow that woulil give milk only half 

 the time. When she'wasdry she wimld become very 

 fat, and when she gave milk she was very poor. This 

 is the case Willi many other cows. In some, there is 

 no dilhTcnce to be noted in this respect. 



Mr. Hoover agreed with what was said by Mr. 

 Englc. About four years ago he was in a stable 

 where nothing but thorougblircd Durhams were kept. 

 Some were very fat, while others were very thin and 

 skinny. The gentleman who o« ned the herd remark- 

 ed that the skinny ones put all in the bucket, and the 

 fat ones all on their backs. He referred to the former 

 as being a true specimen as to a real good milking 

 Durham. 



miscellaneous husiness. 

 At this jjoint of the |)roceedings, the President 

 asked to be excused, as he wished to take the train 

 for his home in Warwick township. The reipicst was 

 granti'd, and Mr. Henry M. Engle was appointed in 

 his place. 



Mr. Staupfer was called upon in regard to an 

 essay he was to prepare and read before the society. 

 He replied, and said he had prepared the essay, 

 and that it would appear iuTiuc La nc aster Farmer, 

 where all would have a chance to read it. [See page 

 182 of this issue.] 



Levi Keist spoke of the failure of some of his 

 grafti'd fruit trees. The trees seem to dry up at the 

 stump and then die away.. He would like to know if 

 the cold winters or hot summers had anything to do 

 with it. 



Mr. I'.Rit said the same thing occurred to him. In 

 his, the stump would turn black and then the tree 

 would die. The disease first eonimeneed Ijy the bark 

 around the stump breaking open. He thouirht it was' 

 on account of there being too much sap in the tree. 

 In trimming the trees, we should not cut away so 

 many young sprouts. Letthemstand to take up some 

 of the sap. 



Mii. Enole said he lost anumberof his apple trees 

 by a blight similar to the jiear bliirht. If not arrested 

 iii time the tree will die. Sometimes when the tree 

 is allecl ed it will linger for several years before it dies. 

 Mr. EliB al.so noticed this in his trees, but he 

 thought it was caused by insects. 



Mr. Stauffer gave a scientiflc explanation as to 

 the cause. He attributed many of the diseases of 

 fruit trees to inqiropcr grafting. 



The I'ollowing penwuis were proposed and elected 

 members of the society : K. J. Erb, of I'cnii; Jelfer- 

 son (irosh, of Manheim; Jonas B. Xolt, of .Manheim: 

 Martin F'ry, of F^phrata; and Jacob M. Mayer, of 

 .Manheim. 



Levi S. Keist asked a question as to the best time 

 for grafting — early or late spring? 



Mr. Eli n thought grafting should be done before 

 the bud is too full. 



Mr. CiiiiPEU thought the sap should be well uji 

 before grafting. In his expcrieiiee, grafting done in 

 this way had been attemled with the best results. 



Dr. IIiestand and Jacok Stauffek agreed with 

 Mr. Cooper in these views— thi^ latter reinarkinirlhat 

 late grafting was generally acceiited by the authori- 

 ties as the best. 



H. M. F^Niil.E inquired whethiT any one present 

 has been successful in grafting jieacli trees, but met 

 only one response — Mr. Erii remarking that he had 

 seen one variety of peach 6ue<essl"ully grafted ou 

 another. 



The ."ocicty now resolved itself into social inter- 

 course aud'tcslingof fruits— certainly one of the most 

 pleasant parts of the proirrammc. Some very fine 

 varieties of apples and pears were tested, after which 

 Society adjourned to meet ou the first Monday in 

 January, at the Athenseum Uoonis, Centre Square. 



DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 



To Make Chicken Croquettes. 



A lady asks us for a good receipt forinakingchlck- 

 cn croquettes, and to oblige her and perhaps many 

 others we reprint the following from the one furnish- 

 ed U8 a year or two ago by a correBpf>iident ri'siding 

 in (■erinantown, as the Vi'ry best we know, the pro- 

 duct bi'ini: good enoui^h for all the crowned heads of 

 Europe. It is true that If not so complicated or 

 gocMl u croquette Is desired, sweetbread, &c., could be 

 omitted : 



Boil a sweetbread for three minutes, jiut it Into 

 cold water and after an hour take out and drain. 

 Boil a calf's brain for live minutes and set aside to 

 cool. Boil also half a pint of cream, with the sarao 

 measure of fresh bread crumbs, sifted clean of lumps 

 and crust . 



Cut olf from the <liicken8 all the brown meat and 

 reserve for use cither to frieasee, to stew with giblets, 

 or when boiled and mixed with an cijual bulk of roast- 

 ed veal, to make into breakfast croquettes. 



Boil the ebiikcns till lender, in just enough water 

 to cover llu-in. When the lirnlli is cold, skim offall 

 the grease, pour off the clear portion and boil it down 

 to half a pint. Kemove the skin, fat and tendons and 

 chop the white meat as finely as |Hissilile, with the 

 swcettiread and brain, first adding a tablespoonful of 

 chopped jiarsley, the s.'ratcd rind and the juice of a 

 large lemon, one heaping teaspoonful of salt, and a 

 half teaspoonful each of powdered mustard, maco 

 and irhilr pepper. 



Cut fine two shalotes in' one small onion, fry with 

 four ounces of bulter, add a tables|Kionful oi' Hour 

 and stir till smofith ; transfer it quickly to a saucepan, 

 add the chopped meat, stir briskly, ami as soon as 

 hot add the yelks of four fresh-laid eggs, remove from 

 the fire, and when cool enougli to handle bruise in a 

 choiipiiig-bowl to a paste. Thi'ii spread on a dish 

 and put into the ice-box lo harden and stilfen. 



After two or three hours mix thoroughly and niouUI 

 as follows : Sprinkle a moulding board with sifuni 

 cracker-dust, take a heaping lables|ioonful of the 

 meat paste and form the cniriuelte in the shaiie either 

 of a small sugar-loaf or a roll. When all are done, 

 dip them one by one into well-heaten eggs, roll In 

 finely-sifted bread-crumbs; after an hour dip and 

 roll iigain and set in the ice-box till wanted. Lastly 

 frv in enough hot lard tolloat I hem to a golden brown 

 color, turning carefully while cooking to keep them 

 shapely : serve on a napkin with sprays of parsley 

 and watercress. 



Very acceptable croquettes arc made by using all 

 the meat of the fowl ; in that ease a single chicken 

 weighing six [lounds w ill be required ; but when the 

 white meat only is used they are much more delicate. 



This receipt will make aiioul one and a-half dozen 

 croquettes, which will cost, with chiikens at 2.5 cents 

 a ixmnd, and dediieling the value of the briiwn meat, 

 about one dollar and a half per dozen. — GcniuuUown 

 Telcgra2)h. 



Buckwheat Cakes. 



A lady wriling to the (_'i>imh-y (lenllemim says her 

 experience teaches that not many understand ihs in- 

 expensive delicacy, for delicacy it is. The friend who 

 taught her to niake them, commenced her lesson 

 with— 



" Xot any yeast-made pancakes for me. They are 

 good enoii'ih^ perhaps, but can't compare with a gold- 

 en-hued biitlermilk buckwheat pancake. .See, I takca 

 quart of bulterinilk willioul a drop of water in it. 

 Didn't I rinse down my cliuni? No, I scraped the butter 

 down with a spoon, to keep it rieii, you know. Now 

 I put in a teaspoonful of soda and one of salt; then I 

 dip five handftils of Hour, so bii;, and then stir till 

 mi-xed, and no longer. If you keep slirrinu' and add- 

 ing now a little Hour and then a little more milk, you 

 will find your dough siriuu'y and cakes tough. All 

 kinds of pastry tlial are rcipiircd to be lender and 

 delicate, must be manipulated as little as possible. 

 Don't think of setting the table du.siiig the operation 

 of frving. Have thai all done first, and merely get 

 a good start before you riii:: Hie bell. You need not 

 have a disagiecalile smell of liurnt fat aeconipanying 

 the operation unless you wish lo waste it . A largo 

 square of fat iKirk is best, I Ihiiik.with the rind oh; 

 skim it liglillv over the trriddle. though, ami when 

 tbrough, trim off the soiied-lookin;; part, and it will 

 do inaiiy limes. I never turn a cake over twice, and 

 1 (hm't 111 it g"t e<K)ked through before I turn It. 

 I'op the cakes un ler cover quickly. Sieamiiig them 

 a minute is the cap of iK-rfeetion, but see that the lid 

 does not bear on tliciii heavily." 



Mrs. Pai l. in her " Cociking from Experience," 

 thus tells us how to do it: Take three iiints of buck- 

 wheat meal, two heapinir tables|H>on5fiil of unbolted 

 flour, or one of white flour and one of Indian meal, a 

 teasiioonftilofsalt; stir these toiret her, adding gradu- 

 ally water slightly warm to make a still batter, lieat 

 for fifteen inimiies, Iheii add liulf a eiip of good 

 yeast, a lableslxionful of molasses, and a little more 

 water, beating well together; cover them, aiul set 

 them to rise in a warm place over night, if for break- 

 fast; in the morning:, if yim find them too thick, add 

 a little more water with a saltspoouful of soda dis- 

 solved in it. 



