1876.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



tlie meeting this year will bo ni'>re than usu- 

 ally interesting. We c;in hardly realize that 

 it is already seventeen years sinee this society 

 was organized, here in the. c.ily of Lancaster. 

 "We were present at its christening, and also 

 at several other meetings, and we liave always 

 regretted that our peculiar inlirniities have 

 disciualilied us for an active participation in 

 its proceedings. It is Tiot i)articiilarly pleas- 

 ant at a gathering of any kind where we can- 

 not hear what has l)eeu transacted. Our 

 various specialties now also prevent us from 

 preparing essays on subjects allied to horli- 

 culttUH', and our vocal weakness disables us 

 from reading one when iue|)ared. We never- 

 tlieless feel an interest in all that relates to its 

 general efficiency and its onward progress. We 

 sincerely hope that tlie imiclical " fruit grow- 

 ers " of Lancaster county will duly honor 

 their foster-child on the present occasion. 

 Let the meeting in all respects be a credit to 

 our county and a litting initiation to our 

 Nalioiud Centennial. 



TIME FOR READING. 



*'I have no time to iTaO,'M8the coininon complaint, 

 especially of women, \vlio.se occupations are sueli as 

 to prevent continuous hook perusal. They seem to 

 think, because they euniiot ilevote as much uUenlion 

 to books as they are eoinpelleil to devote to their avo- 

 cations, that they eamiol reaii jnythini^. Bui this is 

 a great mistake. It isn't the hooks we finish at a 

 sittins which always do us the most good. Those 

 we devour in the odd momeuts, half a do/en pages 

 at a time, often give us more satisfaction and are 

 more thoroughly dii;ested than those we make a j)ar- 

 tieular etVort to read. The men who have made their 

 mark in the world liave generally been the men who 

 have in boyhood formed the habit ofreadini; at every 

 available moment, whether lor live minutes or live 

 hours. It is the habit of reading rather than the 

 time at our command that helps us on the road to 

 learning. Many of the most cultivated persons, whose 

 names have been most famous as students, have given 

 only two or three hours a day to their books. If we 

 make use of spare minutes in the midst of our work, 

 and read a little, if but a page or a paragraph, we 

 shall find our brains quickened and our toil lightened 

 by just so much increased satisfaction as the book 

 gives us. Nothing helps along the numotonous daily 

 round so much as fresh and striking thoui^hts, to he. 

 considered while our hands are busy. A new thoujjfht 

 from a new volume is like oil which reduces the fric- 

 tion of the machinery of life. What we remember 

 from brief glimpses into books often serves as a stim- 

 ulousfo action, and becomes one of the most precious 

 deposits in the treasury of our recollection. All 

 knowledge is made of small parts, which would seem 

 iusignitieant in themselves, but which, taken togeth- 

 er, are valuable wcai)ons for the mind and substantial 

 armor for the soul. " Read anything eontimiously," 

 says Dr. .Johnson, *' and you will be learned." The 

 odd miimtes which we are inclined to waste, if care- 

 fully availed of for instruction, will, in the long run, 

 make golden hours and golden days that we shall be 

 ever thankful for. 



We believe in the above, and it is in sub- 

 stance just what we have been preaching 

 through the columns of The Faumer and 

 elsewhere, these seven years or more. A great 

 many people who think they have no time to 

 read just now, but at some future period they 

 will give their attention to reading, are labor- 

 ing under a fatal hallucination; because, in 

 nine cases out of ten, that time is not likely to 

 ever come. It is impossible to put olf reading 

 to some future period, and begin it then with 

 a view of "reading yourself up." You must 

 /or»t a /u(6(7 of reading, no matter how little 

 or how much you mtiy be able to read ;it a 

 time. You must form a habit of reading jtist 

 as you may form a habit for using snuff, tobac- 

 co and cigars; or for using alcolndic stimu- 

 lants ; or for gossiping and idleness; or for 

 frequenting cock-iiits, bull-baits, dog tights, or 

 other disreimtablc and demoralizing places. 

 These habits, whether good or evil, becotne 

 the predominating principles of the mind, and 

 are controlled by tlie yearnings of the affec- 

 tions, without which no rtdHiabit can be form- 

 ed. If the alVeetions are perverse and evil, 

 there is no remedy more efficacious than tlic 

 expulsive ]>iiu;cr of a neiv afTiction; a ijnod alTeo 

 tion that is in opposition to the evil one. Un- 

 der such an impulse a habit for reading and 

 writing may be formcdas sinely asanoi)pi)site 

 one. This htibit must become a (lartofthe 

 daily life, and then, if ever the time comes 



when the subject is able to relincpiish th(! oc- 

 <n|)ations of physical labiu' altogether, he will 

 be in a proper condition to pursue his love of 

 reading with jirolit and contentment, in ol)e- 

 dience to the liabits and attections he has pre- 

 viously formed. Xo man who gives his whole 

 mind and life to money-making, or any good 

 or evil specialty, will ever be contented in do- 

 ing anything else, especially if he has grown 

 old in the pursuit of such specialties. There 

 is an old "saw " to the elfect, that " if a man 

 is not healthy at forty, wealthy at lifty, and 

 wise ;it sixty, he never will hcheallliy. wealthy 

 and wise.'' And tilthough there may be e.x- 

 eel)tions to this as a ride, yet in its general 

 application and its most obvious meaning, 

 there is much truth in it. It means that if 

 the proper habits to aceoniplish these ends 

 have not been formed :it the periods named, 

 they are not likely to be ever formetl. As to 

 the ki}id of reading a man ought to do, will 

 depend somewhat on his occupation or pro- 

 fession, anil whether it will be compatible or 

 incompatible with said occupation, erne thing 

 is certain, that men and women could lind 

 more time to read atid write than they do, if 

 they (inly tiiiiliil it. Look at the many frivo- 

 lous things in the domain of fashion which 

 might be ilispensed with, and let tlii' time 

 and money spent therein be devoted to things 

 less conventional and more useful. 



For TuE Lancastkb Farukr. 

 A PLEA FOR THE CHICKEN-HAWK. 



In the discussion of the biril (|uestion at the 

 hust meeting of the Lancaster County Agricul- 

 tural and Ilorticiiltural Society, while it was 

 agreed that all other birds should be protected 

 by law from the gunner, the society seemed 

 unanimous in their verdict that the chicken- 

 hawk should be the target of every rille and 

 shot-gun in the country. At one time I enter- 

 tained similar views in regard to the chicken- 

 hawk, but I have not shot one for years, be- 

 ing fully convinced that he is a friend of the 

 farmer. 



Darwin shows how, in many cases, the crop 

 of clover-.seed is dependent on the supply of 

 cats in the neighborhood. Humble-bees dis- 

 trilnite the pollen on theclover-blooom ; field- 

 mice destroy the young humble-bees; cats 

 ctitch the mice. But tlie chicken-hawk is a 

 better mouser than the eat. Nothing hurts 

 the eye of the farmer worse than to see great 

 bare spots iti his grass fields, wh.'re lield-mice 

 have worked under the snow ;md destroyed 

 the roots of the clover. 



I have a fine large hawk that every day sits 

 for hours perched on a horizontal dead branch 

 of an old chestnut tree in the field. lie forms 

 a fine, clear cut picture against the wintry sky 

 as he sits there motionless as a statue. Xow 

 and then be swoops ilown and takes up a 

 mouse, with, perhaps, .some dead grass, in his 

 talons. I would not exchange liim for the 

 best game cock or the best Braniah in the 

 country. True, he sotnetimes catches a rati- 

 bit or a partridge, or l)ears olf a pullet for his 

 crop, but he is fully entitled to these ;is part 

 pay for his services as a mouser. 



it is true that, viewed from a sentimental 

 sttmdpoint, birds of i)rey alVord but few traits 

 to challenge oiu- admiration. But science 

 teaches their use, and when science and sen- 

 timent come in conflict, we are bound to ac- 

 cept the surer results of the foriiu'i". 



The crow is also a mu(-h maligned l)ird. 

 Thanks to his sagacity, this ■• bird of ill omen" 

 generally escapes the shots of his [lerseeutors. 

 The crow is reiu-esented as living to a great 

 age. Tennyson alludes to this in the sonor- 

 ous line — 



"As the many wintered crow that leads the clang- 

 ing rookery home." 

 The crow has a decided taste for "grubs," 

 and does good .service in the corn field in early 

 spring. 1 have known this bird to hook cut- 

 worms out of a hill of corn with its beak, and 

 leave the grain imtoiiched. 



I once was very much amused at one of 

 these ebony birds that found a nest of lien'.s 

 eggs near a neighbor's barn. I saw him roll 



the eggs out of the nest, and then lly otV to a 

 grove near by. Presently two crows returned 

 from the wood, anil had a happy time eatiii); 

 tlie eggs. I judged that one of these was the 

 crow that found the eggs and the oilier was 

 his wife, though 1 ctninol be (|iialilied that 

 such was the fact. Perhaps it Wiu* another 

 crow's wife. If my first conie<'turc in regard 

 to their consjinguinily was right, the bird cer- 

 tainly showed more solicitude for the comfort 

 of \\Ki (til jrnu than smne husbands I know of. 

 I feel kindly towards these black scavengers, 

 and throw the buti'heringolTal wlu'ic they can 

 gel it. They get terribly hungry when the 

 ground is covered with awow.—J. C. Linville, 

 Salisbury, Jaawiry 4, 1870. 



Ftir 'rilK LANCASTRm FAUMSm. 



THE DAIRY. 



I proi)Ose to commence with this nimiber of 

 your journal a series of articli-.s on dairying, 

 for the iM'nelit of sueli as shall avail thein- 

 selves of the results of my observations and 

 expcri(!nce, and also invite the fair criliciiiuig 

 of lho.se who may dill'er with me. 



The importance and extent of this branch of 

 industry is such as will justify not only a 

 UKM'c extended and thorough knowledge, but 

 also closer atti^ntioii in all its departments. 

 One or two facts will justify my a.s.sertion, 

 viz: Theii' is entirely too large a proportion 

 of inferior butler thrown upon the markets of 

 the cotmtry, such a.s cannot gra<'e and 

 should not disgrace the table of any that claim 

 neatiu'S.s. (Jn the other hand, the demand 

 has never Ijeen supplied with a lirst-elass arti- 

 cle. The s.ale of milk ami cream has grown 

 into such an extensive^ business that both sel- 

 ler and buyer shoidd better understainl their 

 mutual rehitions to each other in this depart- 

 ment. 



The manufacture of cheese hits al.so grown 

 into an immense business, but in this section 

 it is scar<:ely attempted, and my knowle<lgo 

 thereof is so hmited that I shall touch it very 

 liglitly. 



I siiall divide my subject as follows: First, 

 the ditlerent breeds of cattle. Second, feed- 

 ing, care :uid management of milk cows, 

 and calves intended for such. Third, the 

 maiuigement of milk and cream suiiplied to 

 customers. Fourth, the making of butter. 

 Fifth, the various kinds of cheese. .Sixth, 

 marketing and general remarks. 



The Different Breeds of Cattle. 



There is scarcely a breed of cattle that has 

 not its advocate, and Justly so, as all have 

 some points of value. The Texas "ranger" 

 is valueil for his horns and hide, if for nothing 

 else. Our native breed has many advocates, 

 but the (piestion arises, where do we find it 

 unless it be that Just alluded to":* Importa- 

 tions from foreign countries have Im-cu made 

 for a long time, but es|wially <Iuring the 

 present century the importation of horned 

 cattle has largely increased. The result is 

 that wherever the resources of our country 

 have been developed, progress and improve- 

 ment have followed, at least to soitie extent: 

 ccmse<pienlly this foreign blood has become 

 diffused to "a certain degree among nearly 

 every herd throughout this broad domain. It 

 is therefore hardly proper to claim a native 

 breed. For convenicn<e sake, however, I .shall 

 (piote them as such. There are unipiestiona- 

 bly iv.s good milkers among our natives as can 

 1h' f<uiiid among any other brei'd. but there is 

 not that uniformity of excellent milkers 

 found in other breeds. The siime is the c;use 

 with shorthornsor Durhams. These, however, 

 have been seli-cled and bri'd more in view of 

 their In-.f than milking (pialities. One a.s,ser- 

 tion I will here make which I would l«e glad 

 to see fairly disproven, i. c, that the best Ix-cf 

 and milking <|ualitie« are rarely (if ever) foiinil 

 in the same animal. That both cpialities are, 

 to a certain extent, generally devclo])cd in the 

 same animal is not denied: and as farmers 

 gen<Tally are alxiiit etiuilly interested in the 

 production of lieef and milk, it is more con- 

 venient to keep stock of this kind than to have 

 separate breeds for the dilTerent purijoses. For 

 strictly dairy purposes, however, cows should 



