480 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



eight of these. This forms a place on each side 

 lor one animal lo leed, and they cannot throw out 

 ihe straw or hay, which is all put in the box, when 

 the cattle are fed in the yard. 



1 have been thus particular, because 1 do believe 

 it an important arran^em-nt. 



Some raise the sugar beet lor winter use. 



Now lor the butler making. The milk is strain- 

 ed in pans or onken tubs, holding two pails lull. 

 Every thing is done in the cellar. The milk is 

 not meddled with until ii coagulates, when each 

 day's or each half day's milk is put in the churn, 

 with nearly an equal quantity of cold water in 

 summer, and warm water in autumn or winter, to 

 bring it to the proper temperature, which is from 

 55 to 66 degrees ot Fahrenheit, 



The churn is made in the barrel form, of oak, 

 hooped with iron, with a wooden hoop three inches 

 wide at top, in which the cover rests. For six to 

 ten cows, the churn should hold 30 gallons — and 

 in that proportion lor a larger number. 1 believe 

 they rarely exceed two barrels, as in large dairies 

 they preler to churn several times a day, to the 

 use of larger vessels. 



Churning is never done by hand, except for a 

 single cow. In small dairies it is done by a dog 

 or sheep, on an inclined wheel, propelling the dash 

 by very simple gearing. Those larger, have liorse 

 or water power. The motion can be communicat- 

 ed to the shalt and arm, elevating and dep'eeeing 

 the dash a convenient distance from the moving 

 power, by two wires. For a dog or a sheep, [ihe 

 latter is prelerred, both from economy and efficien- 

 cy,) a wheel 8 leet in diameter, is inclined about 

 22° with the horizon, on which the animal is 

 placed, having cleats nailed on to prevent his 

 slipping. No 01 her harness is required than a 

 strap around the neck. His weight is sufficient to 

 move the machine. On the upper side of this 

 wheel is fastened a cast iron cog wheel or circular 

 racket, 3 leet in diameter, which carries a pinion 

 and crank. The wheel is olten out door — some- 

 times in the cellar. It may be in a barn or shed, 

 and the motion communicated by wires, as belbre 

 stated. 



When the butler begins to curdle, as it is 

 called, all is washed down with another pail of wa- 

 ter, and the motion continued till the butier ga- 

 thers. Let it be remembered the butter is nnver 

 touched loith the hands. All is done with a short 

 ladle, the blade of which resembles in shape the 

 clam shell, and is five inches across at the end. 

 The handle about five inches long. 



The ladle and tray are always kept filled with 

 cold water, when out of use, to prevent the butter 

 from sticking to them. 



The butter is worked and salted with the ladle 

 in a tray. When it has stood long enough to be- 

 come firm, after salting, all ihe buttermilk is work- 

 ed out, and it is packed down solid in tubs of 40 

 or firkins of 80 lbs. If it cannot be made solid 

 by the ladle, a pounder is used. When one 

 churning is put down, a cloth is put on, covered 

 with salt. This is taken off" at each addition and 

 replaced, until the tup or firkin is almost full, 

 when half an inch of strong brine is poured over 

 the cloth. Salt is never left between the layers. 

 They prefer blown to ground salt, because it is 

 finer, and diffuses itself sooner and more perfectly 

 through the mass; it requires a greater measure, 

 but the same weight. 



A churn used daily is cleansed twice a week. 

 The tubs are prepared of oak or ash, and when 

 wet rubbed thoroughly with as much fine sail 

 as will stick on the inside. 



Butter thus made ami cured will keep for years 

 in a cool p'ace, and sells on an average fifty per 

 cent, higher than butter made in the usual way in 

 our state. 



Cows average from 150 to 200 pounds a year, 

 and the buttermilk is estimated to make 100 

 pounds of pork, which when it brought ten cents, 

 paid all expenses of making the butter — now, 

 only half. 



Some churn over the buttermilk alter standing 

 one diiy and pouring oH' the water. One man 

 who had ten cows, told me he made all the butter 

 used in his lamily in this way, and had 20 lbs. on 

 hand. 



This letter may appear both too long and too 

 minute. The subject is a most important one, and 

 I insist on the truth of my assertion last winter, 

 "ihat the same number of animals now kept, if 

 the dairy were thus managed, would produce in 

 this state 200,000 dollars more than they now do." 



James Bates. 



NorridgeioocJe, September 28, 1840. 



SOWED CORN. 



from the New England Farmer. 



In 1839 and '40, I sowed corn in drills for green 

 fodder. The last and the present year, sowed 

 southern white corn broadcast, followed by the 

 harrow and roller. August 6fh, with a careful 

 hand cut and weighed the corn on one square 

 yard. The product gave at the rate of 52 tons 

 and a fraction to the acre. August 19ih, (or the 

 purpose of testing the correctness of the estimate 

 made on the 6th, and also ol satisfying myself 

 what might be expected (rom ground in proper 

 condition to plant for the grain — with a careful 

 and judicious person to assist, we measured and 

 weighed wiih much care, and found the produc- 

 tion was at the rate of 65 ions and a fraction to 

 ihe acre. 



August 22d, cut and weighed - 229 lbs. 



Sept. 28ih, the same weighed - 71 " 



Loss, 158 



or 69 per cent. ; giving, say 20 tons of dry fodder 

 to the acre — which if well cured, is considered by 

 some equal to 10 tons upland hay. 



' From one half acre I cut the second crop, which 

 was estimated of sufficient value to defray expense 

 of seed and labor for same. 



Three bushels of seed, allowing some for the 

 crowe, is sufficient 



It may be said that (he quantity of ground 

 measured was too small to make a correct esti- 

 mate. I called (he attention of my assistant (o 

 this point, who was satisfied that it gave a fair 

 result, and one within the reach of any farmer. 



Geo. Denny. 



Westboro\ October 6th, 1842. 



