1877.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



29 



AGRICULTURE. 



A Successful Farm Operation — Deerfoot Farm. 



Mr. Edward Burnett Is proprietor of :i furm in 

 Southhoro', Mass., with tlie above fanciful name. It 

 contains '■W^ acres, and is like the averufre of farms 

 In Massachusetts. Mr. Burnett Is a vounfr man, just 

 started in life, as one might say, and a few years ai;o 

 seriously entertained the idea of eniiirratinL' to some 

 point West, to emhark in some sort of farming there. 

 Other counsels prevailed, ami instead he iiroceeded to 

 occupy " Deerfoot," makinir its possession and work- 

 in?, however, second in the line of operations he 

 adopted. Mr. Burnett had a likiiis for and believed 

 In fine stock, particularly tlioroUL''hbred pl^rsand cows. 

 Moreover, he had such insiirhl Into the principles of 

 trade that he thoui^ht he saw plainly the fact that in 

 an article so " uncertain," in a particular sense, as 

 pork, combiniuij under this head all the various 

 forme which piff takes in marketinir, much was to be 

 gained by huildinc up a trade which should have for 

 its first element the establishment of thorough eonti- 

 denee, sustained by the very best article possible to 

 produce. The idea was a definite supply for a definite 

 want, prices to take care of themselves. 

 The First Essay. 



So, with his farm and a stock of six pigs, Mr. Bur- 

 nett commenced business five years ago. By show- 

 ing the iKtsition this year the two exiremes will be 

 contrasted. Mr. Burnett has now on hand 400 pigs; 

 will kill iJOO the present year, and bis commodities 

 are already famous. 



The pigs raised and killed at Deerfoot are of the 

 Berkshire, Essex and small Yorkshire breeds. Mr. 

 Burnett believes in thoroughbreds for pork, because 

 such fat more quickly, have smaller stomachs, and 

 do not eat so much as coarser varieties, have a thin, 

 clear skin and make better looking pork, which is a 

 recommendation if they had no other good qualities. 

 In the Berkshire a larger streak of lean meat is 

 found in the bacon than in other varieties; the Essex 

 is peculiarly adapted for thick pork at seven or 

 eight months old, cutting five or sx inches on the 

 back, and three inches on the helly, the meat being 

 also very firm. The xniall Yorkshire has the princi- 

 pal characteristics of both the above breeds, besides 

 being white and more attractive, the fresh pork be- 

 ing unusually fine. 



About the Pens. 



At Deerfoot the pig liecomes a handsome creature, 

 and there is a pleasure in looking at him wliich 

 forms part of a surprise at the contrast he offers with 

 the animal as usually seen. The largest piggery 

 here is a succession of pens under one roof, ranged 

 on either side of a long passageway, the building 

 warm, neatly painted, and as clean as a corn crib. 

 By the way, cleanliness is the great desideratum at 

 Deerfoot. From beginning to end, in every depart- 

 ment, absolute and immaculate freedom from nasti- 

 ness is insisted upon and enforced far beyond 

 the bounds generally thought possible. Five pigs 

 occupy a pen, usually, though sometimes more are 

 allowed. The whole are fed three times a day regu- 

 larly, one feed being cracked corn, and the other 

 two of warm hasty pudding, with a few oats thrown 

 in. For the big piggery mentioned above, JiOO gal- 

 lons of this mush is given out every day, and about 

 600 gallons in all. The inevitable consequences of 

 such feed and such feeding as this will be seen at 

 the slaughter house. The pork is as hard and as 

 clear and fine-grained as can be accomplished by the 

 Ingenuity of man, working with and assisting nature. 

 The commodity thus produced is as distinct from 

 that usually seen as is the fine-Heshed, melting, lus- 

 cious pear of the grafts from the scrub swamps. 

 Here the first requisite is compassed; the pork is 

 made desirable, the perfection of meat. 



Characteristics of the Business. 

 These pigs are all killed young, seven or eight 

 mont'.is being extreme old age with them. The pork 

 is all "pig pork," no specimens killed weighing over 

 2.50 ]K>unds alive, put all being in thorough con- 

 dition when brought to the knife. The pork 

 house contains a slaughtering room, in which the 

 pigs are bled and dressed, and in various rooms and 

 apartments the work of curing and packing the pork 

 in every part is accomplished. About >00 pounds of 

 lard arc made weekly, and packed in tins, weighing 

 5, 10, and iS pounds. Like all good lard this is not 

 perfectly white, the latter being a production often 

 resulting from the addition of mutton tallow; but the 

 excellent quality is incontestable. The hams aud 

 sides are cured, the latter dry-salted and packed in 

 cloths. The jowls are smoked and are very much 

 in demand. Four hundred pounds of sausages are 

 made daily, the meat chopped, not ground. The 

 feet are nicely pickled. Every part of the creature 

 In fact, is utilized hi the manner with which all are 

 familiar. A peculiarity of the thoroughbred pigs 

 thus raised is the almost entire absence of bristles, 

 so that by a careful scalding, performed just right as 

 It is, not a vestige of hair is left in the rind of the 

 pork, which is clear as parchment. The .'arae re- 

 gard for cleanliness is observable in the |K)rk house 

 as elsewhere, and the most fastidious ladies may 

 and do witness the operation of pork-packing here, 



in all its departmente, without the slightest repug- 

 nance. 



The Market Supplied . 



Now for the practical result of this plan of opera- 

 tion. It must be fairly understood at the outset that 

 .Mr. Burnett receives lor every pound of his pork thus 

 raised, in no case li'ss than 3.5 per cent in advance on 

 market prices for the articles as usually sold. His 

 sales are made without solicitation, and iic has never 

 been able to supply the demand. The Astor House 

 and Fifth .\ venue Iioti^ls order largely of hs sausa- 

 ges and smoked jowls weekly, and will have no 

 other. Parker's and Young's hotels, in Boston, use 

 his products everyday, to the extent of several tons 

 in a year. His lard is in such demanil — the prices 

 must be borne in mind— that it Is ordered from as 

 far away as Detroit, .Michigan, parlies having seen 

 his articles at the great hotels becoming customers. 

 Numerous visitors who have heard of his establish- 

 ment, call al Deerlbot to satisfy curiosity and verify 

 reports. The whole enterprise is as successful as 

 success can make it, antl proves the position alluded 

 to at the commencement of this writing. Pork must 

 always lie had, and such pork as this will always sell, 

 no matter what the state of the market, whether 

 glutted or otherw se, and retain an independent place 

 as regards prices, at the control and option of the 

 producer. Is there no incentive to productive in- 

 dustry in these facts ? 



Other Details. 



Only about 200 of the pigs here are raised at Deer- 

 foot. From a stock sent sometime ago into Vermont, 

 Mr. Burnett now obtains a supply of grade breeds, 

 having a man to watch their growth and feeding, 

 aud transfer them to Deerfoot for the finishing of 

 their pork. Nothing but the best ever arrives here, 

 and the pigs' last days in life are spent in reveling, 

 according to a pig's ideas, whatever may have been 

 his former life. No deterioration or variation from 

 the strict rules is ever allowed. Everything is meas- 

 ured by the standard, and nothing found wanting is 

 passed. 



The Dairy 



But thus far no mention has been made of another 

 principal feature at Deerfoot. The dairy is as im- 

 portant and as characteristically managed as any of 

 the departments shown. 



At Deerfoot, a herd of 35 Jerseys are milked the 

 year round, and from the milk from 100 to 175 

 pounds of butter are made weekly. These cows are 

 well worth looking at. One of them gave '-0 quarts 

 daily during June last; and a half dozen others give 

 from IB to is quarts daily. These are valued at 

 from $400 to $800 each. Their heifer calves bring 

 from 8100 to $ 00 each, at one year old. They are 

 bred on the farm. The degree of excellence is in- 

 infiexibly applied here as in the pork establishment, 

 and the results are apparent in this ; not a pound of 

 I'Utter brings less than 75 cents to the farm at any 

 season of the year, and during the winter not less 

 than HO cents. Fifty pounds of butter at 90 cents 

 for every pound, was lately ordered from Detroit by 

 one man. In the liarnyard stand a herd of grades 

 from Vermont; which are for sale rather than home 

 use. 



So the enterprise has become established and grows 

 stronger. It is no longer alone, finding imitators in 

 sundry places throughout the State. Is there not a 

 hint in it of possibilities for hundreds of young men 

 of the present generation ? It cannot be accomplish- 

 ed without work, nor can anything, excepting, per- 

 haps, speculation, and the prefeent state of things 

 does not illustrate that as being a very satisfactory 

 occupation. Mr. Burnett works. The farm has 75 

 acres under cultivation, though no fancy crops 

 are raised. Only such things as contribute to the 

 departments we have mentioned receive attention. 

 Four thousand bushels of roots are harvested, and 

 1-5 tons of English hay. But the round of work is 

 unceasing, though it brings its reward, and gives as 

 substantial and decided a social position to its direc- 

 tor as any man could wish, since it is both honorable 

 and lucrative, and besides, it will stand every test of 

 commcm sense, morals and economy. — Cor. Boston 

 Herald. 



HORTICULTURE. 



Cultivation of Chiccory. 

 During 1K75 we imported 818,000,000 worth of 

 chiccory. We have land in every Stale In the Union 

 on which it may be profitably cultivated. If our far- 

 mers in Illinois and Iowa and other States would each 

 devote annually a few acres of gooil, rich soil to the 



! cultivation of chiccory, they would not oulv find It a 

 profitable crop, but save the lountrv millions that 



j now go to (iermany, France and other countries for 

 an article of everyday use. 



The Stockton, Cal., Independent has the following 

 interesting observations on chiccory, its character and 

 uses : 



" The production and manufacture of chiccory for 

 Its use as an ailulteration of cofl'ee Is carried on quite 

 extensively in this country, the factory where it is 

 ground and put into marketable shape being located 

 on the bank side ol the San Joaquin river, a few 

 miles southeast of Stockton. A large area of land in 

 that vicinity is yearly devoted to the growth of chic- 

 cory, and the rich alluvial soil seems to be particularly 

 well adapted to its luxuriant growth. The chiccory 

 grows in wild profusion along the lanes and byways 

 in England and most parts of Europe. It is a species 

 of dandelion, or rather it beloiigs to the same Ijotan- 

 ical family as the dandelion, and there is a great re- 

 semblance in the shape of the leaves of the two, al- 

 though those of the chiccory are much the larger, 

 coarser and darker color. The root of the chiccory Is 

 fleshy and milky, and grows about the size of a pars- 

 nip or carrot. They mature in October, when they 

 are taken Irom the ground and spread out to dry on 

 raised platforms. A few days' exposure to the hot 

 sun makes thcni suflicicntly dry for the roasting fur- 

 nace, w hich is made in the shape of a cylinder sus- 

 pended over a hot fire and kept revolving until the 

 roots are parched to a crisp. This and the drying 

 process reduces them about one-fourth in bulk. After 

 roasting, the roots are put through a mill and ground 

 like cotfee, then barreled anil sent to market. There 

 seems to be a good demand for all the products of 

 the factory of which we speak, and it is no doubt a 

 profitable and remunerative speculation. The bever- 

 age made from pure chiccory is unpleasant to t he taste 

 a though chemical analysis proves it to possess few 

 of the elements in common with collee and very little 

 of the nutritive properties commonly ascribed to It. 

 In cases where it is used for a long lime itsetfects are 

 often deleterious, especially upon the nervous sys- 

 tem. One variety of the chiccory is cultivated In 

 England as a salad, the tops having a pleasant, pun- 

 gent Havor, and even the common variety is some- 

 times eaten here when other salads are scarce, but is 

 \'<:ry coarse and strong, and :ather too suggestive of 

 the diet upon which Nebucdiadnezzar was for a time 

 compelled to feed." — CUicitijo Jonrnat of Commerce. 



The Fodder Value of Apples. 



In his investigation of the fodder value of apples 

 Professor Storer confirms the observation of other 

 chemists, to the effect that apples are very poor in ni- 

 trogen. The flesh of Baldwins and Russets yielded 

 15.7-17.5 per cent, of dry organic matter (the rest be- 

 ing water and mineral matters), and only 0. •.'1-0.37 

 per cent, of albuminoids; apple pomaced 23.3 per 

 cent, of dry organic matter, 0.98 per cent, of account 

 the dry matter of the flesh of apples, while the dry 

 matter of potatoes has 8.54 and the pumpkin 17.:i2 

 per cent, of albuminoids. From these facts two in- 

 teresting conclusions are to be drawn. First the 

 small amount of nitrogen explains at least one rea- 

 son for the low value of apples for food and for ma- 

 nure; and to make economical fodder from apples 

 or pumace, food rich in nitrogen should be added. 

 In this way not only the sugar, but also the peetoe, 

 of which apples are largely composed, may be econ- 

 omlcall; utilized as feed. 



Covering Strawberries. 



It is hardly necessary to inform our readers that al 

 strawberries, no matter how hardy they are reported 

 to be, winter better by being covered before the se- 

 vere weather of winter fairly sets in, or even after- 

 wards, if before the first thaw. Evergreen branches 

 have one important advantage— they may be put on 

 before winter begins without any danger of smother- 

 ing the green plants. We have found a very thin 

 covering, if only enough to hide the ground below, of 

 decided licnent, the plants coming out a fresh, bright 

 I green in spring, instead of the dull green or brown 

 when exposed. The crop is earlier, the plant begin- 

 ning to grow vigorously at the first warm weatliftr. 

 The evergreen branches may be placed in regular, 

 even lines, lapping like shingles the branches length- 

 wise with the rows, giving the beds a |>osiJively orna- 

 mental appearance, instead of the rouj;h look caused 

 by the use of straw, litter or coarse manure. (Jn large 

 plantations, evergreens cannot often be used to advan- 

 tage, and straw must be employed. In wbiih case rye 

 straw Is the best, on account of Its stiffness, wlill* 

 soft, flexible straw, as of oats, is ol>jeetionalile, as it 

 settles compactly when wet, and tends to smother 

 the plants. Even corn stalks efl'ect a valuable ser- 

 vice, if spread so thinly that half the surface Is sure, 

 by shielding from sun and wind, and holding the sur- 

 face snow. In providing any kind of eoverin(;,il 

 must be borne in miml that a green growth of leaves, 

 like those of the strawberry, are easily injured by 

 smothering, and that whatever protection is employed, 

 it must be pervious to air. Farmers understand this, 

 as a(iplied to green wheat plants, which are killed by 

 deep drifts of snow. This precaution is not so neces- 

 sary in case of shrubs which have dropped their 

 leaves or of herbaceous perennials or bulbs, the 

 leaves and stems of which ilie down before winter. 



Country residents often have a number of evergreen 

 trees planted about their dwellings that are either 

 extending their limbs too far and interfering with 

 other growth, or else becoming distorted as they in- 

 crease in size. Cutting off portions of these limbs at 

 a fork (so as not to leave a dead stump) will improve 

 them, and afford a quantity of ** brush" which is just 

 the thing forthe straw berry beds. Evergreen screens 

 often receive more or less cutting back, in which case 

 an abundant supply of protecting material may be 

 obtained. 



