1880.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



25 



pigs fatten readily, while others can only be 

 made fit for the i>ork barrel with great ditli- 

 culty and expense. In order to lay on fat 

 (jiiickly, the pii; must b(! a jjood eater and 

 have plenty of substantial food. I'lach farmer 

 with stock on luuul will soon learn from a 

 "lad or sorry experience if he has a breed 

 capable of being economically prepared for 

 the slaughter-house or not, and each farmer 

 can consei|neully profit by the result of the 

 next two months. If the present lot prove to 

 be of the kind that cat voraciously without 

 giving paying returns in meat and lard, the 

 owner will be wise only if he change the 

 grade, at least, if not tlie breed of his new 

 stock. 



No one of the domestic animals is so easily 

 moulded as the hog. Much may be done by 

 the swine-grower in perpetuating desirable 

 qualities by simply observiTig individual ex- 

 cellence, whatever the breed may be. In 

 every litter one or more pigs can be selected 

 that Will prove very much better tlian the 

 others, with the same care and keeping. The 

 breed known as the Poland-China possesses 

 all the constituents of hardiness with won- 

 derful powers of a.ssimilation. These hogs 

 may be bred in any size desired, and can be 

 fatted readily for market at any age ; they 

 are also proliiic and are looked upon by many 

 feeders of the west as among the very best of 

 "pork-making machines. " 



The Berkshires, which have become so 

 numerous and which are constantly im- 

 proving, combine many good qualities favor- 

 able to their popularity. Crossed with Po- 

 lan<l-China they maki^ excellent feeding hogs, 

 fattening readily and quickly attaining rea- 

 sonable size. The sows are unequaled for 

 prolificacy and as careful nurses, while the 

 pig's are strong and active. 



In Georgia where pork-packing for home 

 consum\)tion has largely increased within the 

 past few years, forty-one per cent, of the 

 growers rei)ort the Berkshire breed n)ost pro- 

 fitable. The Berkshire is also reported as 

 the favorite breed to cross upon the common 

 stock. The Poland-China is regarded highly 

 by the few who have experimented with this 

 breed. In Virginia, where grades are em- 

 ployed ior pork over pure breeds, the Berk- 

 shires are also preferred for crossing on ordi- 

 nary stock. 



The Suffolks, a popular breed in England, 

 and there known as '• the English nobleman's 

 hog," from tlie fact that it is always in condi- 

 tion to kill and gives meat of fine quality and 

 llavor, is not popular among the majority of 

 the farmers here. The objections to hogs of 

 this breed are. their comparatively small size 

 and tender jskin, in addition to which may be 

 said they are unsatisfactory breeders and 

 nurses. 



Essex swine are bred in a limited way in 

 some localities, being perhaps better known 

 in Kentucky than elsewhere. They seem to 

 be essentially the same as the Suffolk except 

 in their black color ; they arc also less liable 

 to skin diseases. While a valuable standard 

 breed, there is small probability that the 

 Essex will ever become a prevailing one, its 

 small size among other things being against 

 it. — iVf!" Yorl- World. 



AMERICAN CHEESE IN ENGLAND. 



The Live Stock Journcil, an English period- 

 ical, in a notice of a fair in England, has the 

 following in regard to English and American 

 cheeses : 



"Our regret is on the score of quality — of 

 mellowness of texture; cleanness of flavor and 

 of general richness; for in these points the 

 American cheese is better on the average 

 ' than it was last year, while our own is wor.se, 

 and the judges declare that without excep- 

 tion the American cheese is lietter than ours. 

 We have on previous occasions pointed out 

 that we in England were losing ground in the 

 race, and that America was gaining it, and 

 that the difference was owing to the improved 

 methods and ajipliances that are in general 

 use in the latter country; and the disparity is 

 only less marked because tljp soil, the herb- 



age and the climate in this country are each 

 and all belter than those in America for 

 cheese making purposes. Ft is puicly a ipK^s- 

 tion, then, of practical ability; superior man- 

 agement, and we say so advisedly. Ten nr a 

 dozen years ago the quality of American 

 cheese .sent to this country was such as to 

 cause our own cheese-makers to smile; but 

 now the smile is on l\w other side of the face. 

 At that period, iu<leed, no one thought for a 

 moment that we had anything to fear from 

 the ([uality, whatever we might have from the 

 volume, of American competition in cheese; 

 but now we are beaten all along the line. 

 And this is not so much because the (luality 

 of English cheese, on the average. Is lower 

 than it used to be, as that the ((uality of 

 American is so greatly im|)roved. Careful 

 in(iuiry into scientific principles, and scrupu- 

 lous attention to details of management, are 

 the means by which our American friends 

 have so greatly improved theirdairy products. 

 .\s the mattci now stands, we have American 

 cheese on the one hand, and Continental but- 

 ter on the other, prominent and pojiular in 

 our best markets, and we have to content 

 our.selveswith inferior prices. IIow long this 

 state of tlmigs is to continue depends entirely 

 on British cheese and butter makers. That 

 there is a si)lendid market open and a rising 

 industry to be cultivated is iiatent to all; but 

 one thing is certain— our competitors will not 

 easily be made to relin(inish the position they 

 have gained. Increased knowledge, (piick- 

 ened energies and incessant activity in adopt- 

 ing and adapting every improvement in ap- 

 pliances and modes of management, will aloiu; 

 enable us to compete with success; but given 

 these, we will back the British dairy farnuu- 

 against the world." 



THE MAKING AND PRESERVATION 

 OF MANURE. 



No part of the fai'mer's vocation requires 

 more knowledge and care than the best 

 method of making manure, and its subse- 

 quent preservation and judicious application 

 to the soil, and no doubt liis success and thrift 

 depend almost entirely upon his skillful man- 

 agement in these jiarticulars. The whole 

 contents of the barn pass through the stable 

 between fall and the advent of the pasturing 

 season. The first re(iuisite in the comfort 

 and good condition of farm stock, at any sea- 

 sou of the year, is judicious feeding ; and the 

 sicond a good sujiply of pure, wholesome 

 water at or near the barn. The cattle or 

 other stock will thrive as well when they have 

 to travel a considerable distance, regardless 

 of the weather, for their supply of water, is 

 now hardly conceded. But the great waste 

 of valuable manure in long watering luues is 

 a serious argument against their use. 'Tis 

 true that the location of some farms is u(jt 

 favorable to a plentiful supply of water at 

 either barn or house, but whei-c wells of 

 moderate depth camiot be had, then cisterns 

 must be resorted to, for they are available! 

 \ipon the highest hills as well as upon the 

 lowest meadows. 



That manure when once made, should be 

 kept in layers or piles of considerable thick- 

 ness and kept tramped or made solid by stock 

 constantlv passing over it is now perhaps re- 

 garded as good management of it. However, 

 if the stock is to be kejit stabled the whok^ 

 time— not let out to iiasture at all — then the 

 manure as it accumulates can, perhaps, not 

 be better preserved than to apply it imme- 

 diately, or as soon as possible to the land. 

 But if this application is impossible then it 

 shcnild be put in ricks or piles of considerable 

 size, there to ferment and decay until tln^ 

 .season arrives fsr its application to the soil. 

 And in every case a sujiply of water to fer- 

 menting manure is indispensable. The es- 

 cape of annnoni;i and many valuable gases in 

 the process of fermentation and disintegration 

 that takes iilaee in all decaying vegetable 

 matter, is allayed and the volatile elements 

 arrested and fixed by a timely and regular 

 application of water, either from the barn- 

 ytird trough or of rain from the clouds. 



This at once brings up the question of 

 manure sheds as appendages to barns. The 

 writer is fully aware that it is claimed that 

 shed manure is much more valuable than that 

 made outside which is not under cover, but 

 this argument is ipiallfied in .several particu- 

 lars ; first, if the shed is large and so ar- 

 ranged as to keep the contents ilrt/ during the 

 decaying process, little or no proper manure- 

 making will take place, but only a sourin)^ 

 and burning of the entire mass, and such 

 generally comes out little In ipninlity and 

 poor In quality ; but if the .shelter is narrow 

 and open under, very nm('h moisture will 

 reach the manure by blowing rains and in- 

 clement weather, and in that ca.se slieltered 

 manure may come out in excellent condition. 

 But if the shed Is large, plentiful and fre- 

 quent application of water from some source 

 should be <'ondncted to the decaying mass ; it 

 should always 1)0 kei)t moist to insure best 

 results. 



There is no d(jubt that as our farm lands 

 become cut u)! into smaller subdivisions that 

 more attention will aTid must he given to this 

 subject. Manure will lie husbanded with the 

 utmost economv — our yards and even the 

 public roads will be gleaned of their rich agri- 

 cultmal treasure to swell, the cro|)s and fill 

 the barns of the thrifty farmer. 



In the olden countries rif the world this 

 manure-saving is the most valuable economy 

 the American slght-.^eer beholds— .scraping 

 and sweei)ing and securing in piles this de- 

 cayed produce of the land oidy to be re- 

 a|)plied to successive crops ; it is. as a new 

 principal put to interest every year, which 

 coin|)ounding with the principal constantly 

 enriches the farmer by his steadily augment- 

 ing crops. As this manure saving principle 

 is the success of the farmers where popidathm 

 is dense, so it. in time, will be the greatest 

 economy the farmers of the.se older Eastern 

 States can jiractice. Let not our farmers de- 

 pend on high-priced commercial fertilizers of 

 long-soundini; and learned chemical names. 80 

 much as the pi'oper and iirndent management 

 of the suiiplics that a bouHtifid nature has 

 l)laced within the reach and often upon the 

 very farm of the cultivator. — T. B., in Lan- 

 caster Liquirer. 



THE MENHADEN FISHERY. 



The commercial inqiortance of the Ameri- 

 ican Menhaden is shown by Prof. Baird, 

 Connnissioner of Fish and Fisheries, in his 

 report just i.ssued. The greatest value of the 

 Menhaden is in its oil, the annual vield of 

 which now exceeding that of the American 

 whale fisheries by 2("),(i("i gallons, and In 1R74, 

 nearly e(iualing the yield of whale, seal and 

 cod oil combined. Besids this, the value of 

 the refuse of the oil factories for fertilizing 

 purposes is very great, and the amount de- 

 rived from this source in 1S7.") was estimated 

 to be e(pial to that contained in Cll.(H10,(KM) 

 liounds of Peruvian guano, valued at nearly 

 two million dollars. In lS7(i the yield of the 

 Menhaden Fishery was more than twice that 

 of any other carried on by the fishermen of 

 the I'nited States, and In value of its imidncts 

 it was surpassed only by the cod and mack- 

 erel fisheries. In that year the catch of .Men- 

 haden was 4()2.tM)0.()ll() pounds, valued at 

 S1,<'>.",7,7W) while the catch of cod, •2I.".,000. 

 (JOO, was valued at S4,82.').r)4(l, and of mack- 

 erel, 4',»,0UO,<HXi pounds, was valued at S2,.357,- 

 2(12. 



The Menhaden has a wide range, appear- 

 ing, at various times of the year in all watera 

 of the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, 

 while it has not been known at a distance of 

 more than forty miles from the land, .•ilthough 

 a species resembling it has been found on the 

 coasts of Brazil and West Africa. Menhaden 

 have been plentiful on our coasts from the 

 earliest times; schools forty miles long an<l 

 two miles wide have been seen, while single 

 hauls of .•!0(»,000 and 4liil,n(M) fish have been 

 made. It is still the abundant fish on tlie 

 Eastern coast of the United States, and as 

 there has been no sensible diminution in its 

 numbers during the fifteen years of extensive 



