60 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[April, 



For The Lancaster Fabmbb. 

 WHAT CAUSES HONEY-DEW ?* 



There has been much speculation about 

 honey-dew, and as yet no settled conclusion 

 arrived at. There has been seen falling from 

 above a moisture or a dew which is sweet to 

 the taste: hence its name, honey-dew. As it 

 cannot come from nothing, we conclude it is 

 the result of sonieiliinfj, and below will be found 

 what seems to the writer as a probable cause. 



It is a well known law of nature, that vapor 

 is constantly arising from the surftice, and 

 ascends to a colder strata of air, when it be- 

 comes condensed and falls in the form of rain 

 and dew. It is also well known that tlowers 

 of the fields, forests, gardens, and widespread 

 prairies, are constantly throwingoff an aroma, 

 a line etherealized essence, which no doubt 

 arises and becomes condensed like the vapors, 

 and falls, the same as rain and dew. 



We cannot conceive from whence comes its 

 sweetness, unless from this cause. — A. Allen 

 iVoe, Lancaster, Pa., March 10, 1876. 



OUR PARIS LETTER. 



Farming on the Continent of Europe. 



CorrespondeDce of The Lancaster Farmer. 



PAitis, April 1, 1S76. 



INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATUBE ON MILK AND 

 BUTTER. 



M. Tisserand having visitpd the dairy districts in 

 tlie vicinity of tlie Baltic, draws attention to the ad- 

 vantages to be gained by the conservation of milk, 

 the preparation of butter and tlie making of cheese 

 at lower temperatures than what are generally em- 

 ployed. France, and perhaps other countries as well, 

 fail to enjoy all the advantages in butter-making that 

 the farmers of Denmark and Sweden reap by the 

 adoption of a lower scale of temperature. In France 

 It is believed that, in order to obtain good cream and 

 good butter, the temperature ought to be maintained 

 between 5:^ and .55 degrees Fahrenheit ; below this, 

 the cream, it is alleged, will not mount. M. Tisser- 

 and has experimented on milk, fresh from the cow, 

 at temperatures varying from 41, 5U and ilo degrees, 

 pemiiug 'M and liG hours, and found that the cream 

 rose most rapidly as the temperature approached 

 most to o3 degrees ; that the volume of cream ob- 

 tained was greater, the yield of butter superior, and 

 the quality of cheese and butter peculiarly fine. 

 There is nothing surprising in all this ; it is only 

 natural that cold should act on milk as it does on 

 beer, wine and sueli fermentable liquids, by conserv- 

 ing and ameliorating, them, by preventing those 

 changes due to the action of the agents of fermenta- 

 tion. The excellence of Vienna beer is owing to its 

 being faljricated at a very low temperature. In the 

 north of Eurojie milk Is kept at a temperature very 

 low by means of ice, and the ice is preserved in 

 trenches for summer use. Thus there is not a little 

 ceouomj' in dispensing with fuel and its apparatus 

 for heating. Milk cooled down to 37 or 39 degrees, 

 by means of a running stream of spring water, will, 

 according to M. Tisserand's experiments, yield 10 per 

 cent, more butter than when maintained at a tem- 

 perature of 57 degrees. M. Dahl, of Norway, ob- 

 tains 17 ounces of butter from 13 quarts of milk, 

 churned at 37 to 39 degrees, while 13 quarts were re- 

 (juired to produce the same quantity of butter when 

 the temperature was maintained at (ii degrees. It is 

 owing to this peculiar method of preparation that 

 Denmark is enabled to export butter to China and 

 Japan . One drop of milk contains 45,000 globules of 

 various dimensions, the largest being fewest in num- 

 ber. These globules, consisting of fatty matter, re- 

 semble a sky clustered with stars, and only occupy 7 

 or 8 per cent, of the volume in which they move ; be- 

 ing lighter than the serum in which they float, they 

 mount to the surface, the largest globules first, and 

 form cream. In Denmark the milk is placed in 

 block-tin vases twenty inches deep and sixteen iu 

 diameter ; these are placed in a reservoir, where 

 water is constantly running, and to which ice can be 

 added. 



THE GOVERNMENT SHOW OF FAT STOCK. 



The Fat Stock Show just held in the Palace of In- 

 dustry, under governmental auspices, marks a not- 

 able progress over that of last year, both in general 

 entries and the symmetry of the animals. The first 

 cattle show iu France dates from the year 1S44. The 

 display of sheep was above all remarkably excellent. 

 This year, also, bulls, rams and boars were admitted 

 for the first, time, and although no prizes were 

 awarded, the ela.ssification by a tried jury must tell 

 by drawing the attention of breeders to those points 

 recognized as superior, embodying thus sound ad- 

 vice for all whom it may concern. There were some 

 excellent specimens of the White Cliarolais and the 



"See page 49 of this uumber of The Farmer. 



Red Breton, as well as of that splendid race, both as 

 to form and finenessof skin, the Charolais-Nivernais. 

 In rams, the Merino took the lead, and perhaps next 

 its crosses. The Shropshire-dowu and the Disbley- 

 merino had very fine representatives, some weighing 

 200 iJounds, and exhibited what is considered the 

 ideal of form — absence of horns, short neck, and con- 

 sequently chest well developed. The display of 

 poultry was very beautiful, and a cock and five hens, 

 belonging to the Crevecoeur race, which obtained the 

 prix (V?tonnenr, looked superb in their jet-black 

 plumage and tuft. The dead poultry were monster 

 masses of grease. In fat stock, a Charolais-Durham, 

 etc., weighing IS cwt., .and aged 34 months, obtained 

 the first prizes, as did also a lot of three sheep, aged 

 S months and 15 days, weighing collectively 4'.2' cwt. ; 

 in pigs, a Yorkshire-Berkshire-Normand animal, 

 aged 10 months, weighed 4J^ cwt. 



THE STANDARD FRENCH CATTLE SHOW. 



The principal fat cattle show in France is that which 

 has recently taken place at Nevers; it is, in a way, 

 the standard for the country. What the breeders 

 and reai'crs seek, is not an animal excessively fat, for 

 such would be objectionable, but an increase in tlie 

 saleable meat, of good quality, tender and juicy, with 

 the fat spotted, as it were, throughout the lean. In 

 place, as formerly, of having only a yield of 50 per 

 cent, of meat, as much as 65 and even 70 per cent, is 

 now obtained, the skin, tallow, offal, &e., being thus 

 reduced to 30 [ler cent. This will not diminish, how- 

 ever, the price of meat, because persons who for- 

 merly eat it but twice in the year, consume it at pres- 

 eut every day. In the neighborhood of Nevers, the 

 rent of pasture land has risen nearly flve-fold in 

 twelve years — what was fr.l2 per acre is now 60. 

 The locality has a special race of stock, the Nii'crnain, 

 which is the product of successive crossings of the 

 white Charolais with white Durhams. There is a 

 large business carried on in the fattening of cows, a 

 proof that the prejudice against that kind of meat — 

 never a rational one, is on the decline. As a general 

 rule, animals of a mean size are preferred by French 

 butchers ; large races do not bring so high a price as 

 average ones ; and three sheep, weighing 90 pounds 

 each, are more profitable than one of 330 pounds. 



TELLIER'S new process of preserving MEAT 

 FRESH. 



It is in this month that the company formed to work 

 the Tellier process of preservation of meat in a fresh 

 state, will despatch its first specially fitted up ship to 

 La Plata. The process is this : The germs of de- 

 composition are killed by a temperature of 32 degrees, 

 and live only between one varying from 43 to 48 de- 

 grees. Tellier, by means of inethylie ether, h.as con- 

 served meat perfectly fresh and savory, save a loss of 

 10 per cent, in weight, for .57 days, the ether main- 

 taining the temperature at the freezing point and dry 

 by the aid of ingenious generating cold machinery. 

 France consumes 4,000 tons of fresh meat daily, and 

 the company expects to add thereto by 100 tons, so 

 the competition cannot frighten farmers, for the pres- 

 ent, at least. The voyage from La Plata to France 

 is expected to he m.ade in at most 30 days. The ani- 

 mals will cost but fr.70 at the port of shipping, near 

 which they will be slaughtered. 



SUBSTITUTE for CLIPPING HORSES IN AUTUMN. 



M. Veterinary Surgeon Felizet recommends that 

 instead of clipping working horses in autumn, a good 

 shining coat, free from skin dust, can be secured by 

 giving the horses, from the middle of September, 

 either alone or mixed with their evening feed of oats, 

 one-tenth of a quart of bruised hemp seed, and the 

 same quantity of buckwheat in its natural state. 



ECONOMICAL FEEDING OF STOCK. 



Very minute attention is being given to the econo- 

 mical feeding of stock. For their sustenance only, 

 the food ought to be in proportion to the one-sixty-sixth 

 of their weight. It must also be borne in mind that 

 the consumption is not so much in relation to the 

 animal's weight as to the capacity of its chest, and 

 that two animals, each 600 pounds in weight, will 

 consume a little more than a single animal of 1,200. 

 In the ease of draught animals, their rations ouglit to 

 be doubled for every twelve hours of work, taking 

 hay as the type of nutrition. Of course, a dietary 

 wholly consisting of hay is not to be thought of, but 

 grains substituted pro rata. In the case of growing 

 animals, in addition to their sustenance ration, they 

 will require 14 pounds of forage to add one pound to 

 their weight. For fattening, 10 pounds of hay added 

 to the ordinary feed, will prodpee one pound of meat, 

 and a sujipleinental ration of one pound of food will 

 yield an increase of one pint in the milk, provided the 

 cow be of a good milking breed ; if not, the aug- 

 mented food will only fatten. A point not to be over- 

 looked, is to have a trustworthy cow herd, who will 

 possess some clear ideas respecting the necessity of 

 feeding animals at fixetl hours, and duly measuring 

 their rations. He ought to exclude all damaged food, 

 or adopt the usual means for ameliorating it, never 

 forcing an appetite. 



THE PRESERVATION OF GREEN FODDER. 

 M. Gotfart, who is one of the apostles of the move- 

 ment in favor of the preservation of green maize for 

 winter and spring feeding, asserts that he has received 



thousands of letters from his countrymen and foreign- 

 ers, testifying to their success, and craving for more 

 information. A few items on this important topic. 

 The Giant Maize, or Caragua, though the seed has 

 never been imiiorted from Nicaragua, is the variety to 

 sow. It yields as much as 70 tons per acre. M. 

 GofTarl cuts his green maize into lengths of four 

 inches, by steam and hand machines. He has sup- 

 pressed the angles in the trenches, and since the ends 

 of the pit are oblong, the maize suffers less deteriora- 

 tion. He has also employed portable doors, when the 

 pits are opened, to take out the forage. This plant letter 

 excludes the air. He pitted two tons of chopped green 

 rye the 8th of last May, and opened the pits the fol- 

 lowing September, when the cattle eat the rye the 

 same as green maize then supplied to them. All green 

 fodder can be similarly preserved in an uncut as well 

 as in a chopped state. 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



Much conversation has since a year taken place 

 relative to the Telliez process for cultivating pota- 

 toes. The tubers were planted iu August, and were 

 ripe in .January. The agricultural society deputed one 

 of itsmembers to test the experiment. He followedex- 

 actly the instructions of M. Telliez, and with the tubers 

 supplied by him, planting others in a like manner. 

 The sample tubers vegetated, and the produce from 

 six tubers just raked up, was less than half a pint, the 

 potatoes not being much larger than hazelnuts. The 

 other tubers planted did not vegetate at all. 



As liay is scarce this year, farmers substitute cut 

 straw, steeping it with some bran for twelve hours 

 with ordinary cut roots. When potatoes are employed, 

 such ought to be either cooked or fermented. 



The subject of planting trees, chiefiy poplars, on the 

 roadsides, is strongly opposed in many localities by 

 the owners of property in the vicinity of the trees; the 

 roots stretching into the neighboring land feed in a 

 soil where they have no right. The state, on an ave- 

 rage, nets one franc per annum by the prunings on 

 each tree — proprietors estimating their loss at two 

 francs. 



OUR FARMERS IN COUNCIL. 



Proceedings of the Agricultural and Horticul- 

 tural Society — Cultivation of Wheat — 

 Selection of Fruits — How to 

 take Care of Our Lawns. 



The regular monthly meeting of the Lancaster 

 County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was 

 held in the. rooms of the Athen«um on Monday, 

 April 3rd, inst., the President, Calvin Cooper, in the 

 chair. On account of the weather the attendance 

 was very small. 



Tlie committee appointed by the chair, at the last 

 meeting, to report the best variety of apple trees for 

 planting, made their report. Tlie committee con- 

 sisted of M. D. Kendig, of Manor; H. H. Engle, of 

 Marietta, and Casper Hiller, of Conestoga. The re- 

 port consisted of two parts, the following being writ- 

 ten by Casper Ililler, who was unable to be present, 

 and the latter by the other two members of the com- 

 mittee : 



Best Variety of Apple Trees for Planting. 



The task that has been laid on your committee is 

 by no means an easy one. Thirty years' experience, 

 to a close observer and experimentalist, might enable 

 him to say pretty conclusively what is worthy of plant- 

 ing on his own patch ; but, if he has also been a close 

 observer, he has noticed that what is good with him 

 is often worthless iu another part of tlie county, and 

 often so on his neighbor's land. Different soils, dif- 

 ferent elevations, different exposures, &c., make 

 much difference in varieties. The list lierewith pre- 

 sented may, from these causes, not prove satisfactory 

 to all, but embraces such varieties as have a general 

 reputation for good, or have proven satisfactory to 

 your eoniniittee : 



Early Su.vimer Varieties : All Summer, Red 

 Astracan, Sine Qua Non. 



Late Summer Varieties: Benoni, Mellinger, 

 Jeffries, Townsend. 



Fall Varieties : Gravenstein,Hubbardston None- 

 such, Smokehouse, Jersey Sweet. 



Winter Varieties : Baldwin, Dominie, Falla- 

 water, Greist's Wiuter, Belmont, Smith's Cider, York 

 Imperial. 



Tlie committee appointed at the last meeting to 

 report on some of the best varieties of apples for 

 cultivation in this vicinity, would recommend the fol- 

 lowing as our choice, in order of precedence, confining 

 ourselves to six varieties of each as being ample : 



Summer — All Summer, Mellinger, Strawberry, 

 Duchess of Oldenburg, Garrettsou's Early Primate. 



Fall — Fall Pipjiin, Jeffries, Gravenstein, Porter, 

 Mai'len's Blush, Smoliehouse. 



Winter — K. I. Greening, Hubbardston. 



Best Keepers — Smith's Cider, York Imperial, 

 Golden Russet, Creek. 



There are others of equjil value, but would dis. 

 courage running into too many varieties, except for 

 the purpose of testing. 



On .account of the slim .attendance, Mr. MeComsey 

 moved that the reports be laid on the table for dis- 



J 



