40" 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEE. 



Feb. 



to produce a crop in favorable season, equal to 

 the bottom lands of the Mississippi. 



THE EXTENT OP COTTON. 



I know of no other attempt in this county of 

 the field culture of cotton ; in fact no attempt 

 could be made, as the government agent entirely 

 disappointed us in regard to seed. The seed 

 used by us was from a lot sent to Sf. Louis two 

 years since, to work into oil, and had been badly 

 heat. On a trial of the seed in the green-house, 

 but a small per cent, would grow ; hence the bad 

 stand. Besides this, the plants were feeble from 

 the low vitality of the seed. At Pana, seed 

 for some twenty-one acres, was obtained and 

 planted at a late day in May, but of the crop 

 we know nothing. A large number of small 

 patches from one to five acres, were planted in 

 Union and Alexander counties, from seed ob- 

 tained at the Gin at Jonesboro. From this want 

 of seeds, we can date the course of the limited 

 acres planted. Had the government entrusted 

 the collection of the seed to the ofiicers of the 

 Illinois Central Railroad as proposed, instead of 

 some incompetent person as was done, thousands 

 of acres would have been planted. Not less 

 than ten thousand bushels of seed t'hould be 

 sent into this State — early in the winter — that 

 farmers may prepare to plant it at the earliest 

 period in the spring. In the south part of the 

 State that will be the last of March, and here 

 the last of April. 



The Patent Cow Milker. 



There was a trial of this machine at Colligan 

 Lodge, Ireland, on the 10th of October, at which 

 a large company were present by invitaiion. 

 The Irish Farmer's Gazette says :— 



The animals for the first time milked with the 

 machine stood perfectly quiet, and were milked 

 ■without any apparent inconvoDience or distress 

 to them, and in a mann er which certainly merits 

 a favorable opinion as to the principle of the 

 machine. 



The machine is very simple in its construction 

 and ccn be conveniently arranged for use. It 

 milks the four teats of the cow at the same time, 

 and requires no adjusting in changing from one 

 cow to another, fitting small and large teats, or 

 those standing at different distances apart. The 

 machine is attached to a Ftout tin pail holding 

 about twelve quarts, and weighs altogether six 

 pounds* The operator sits on a one-legged stool 

 with the view of expediting him or her in the 

 event of the animal getting cross, or attempting 

 to kick the pail, when the back is instantly 

 turned, and the danger of npilling the milk is 

 avoided. The pail is placed between the knees; 



the operetor inserts the four teats in the teat 

 cups, which are composed of India rubber, beau- 

 tiful and soft, aad he works two levers backward 

 and forward like a pair of hand bellows; the 

 milk then flows into the pail. The milk is 

 drawn from the teats precisely like the suckling 

 of a young calf, as near as possibly could be im- 

 itated. The calf draws a quantity of milk from 

 the cow, and then stops to swallow ; so with the 

 machine. As the handles are pressed together, 

 the milk flows into a pump : as they return it 

 passes out through a valve into the pail. The 

 pump is of very simple construction, easily taken 

 apart and put together, which is most essential 

 in keeping it clean. It is washed by pumping 

 water through it ; first cold to rinse off the milk 

 and after hot water for scalding. Then it is ta- 

 ken apart, wiped thoroughly, and set to dry, 

 which is usually done with the ordinary milk 

 utensils. The visitors said from what they had 

 seen, they were of opinion that cows would eas- 

 ily become accustcmed to it, as well as if milked 

 by the hand ; and further stated that the spring 

 of the year, or when the calf is taken away, 

 would be the proper time to introduce the ma- 

 chine into dairies, for it is but justice to add 

 that none of the cows were clean milked ; but it 

 is supposed this will not be the case when the 

 machine is tried on new milch cows and heifers 



Operation. — At the same time the company's 

 agent applied the machine to the milking of the 

 first cow; she yielded her milk freely, and in ap- 

 plying it to the second she milked not so freely 

 as the former, and the remaining number tested 

 milked very fairly. On the evening of the first 

 day it milked much better, and one cow in par- 

 ticular was milked in one minute and forty sec- 

 onds. 



Your correspondent was informed by several 

 intelligent farmers in the locality, having a large 

 number of cows, and having had great experi- 

 ence in dairy experience, that cows, at this sea- 

 son of the year, do not give their milk so free as 

 during the summer. But now, from the late 

 period of the year, it could not be expected that 

 the machine could possibly finish without apply- 

 ing the hand of the milk-maid to complete the 

 work. From what has been said at the testing 

 of the machine by parties of long practical ex- 

 perience in milking, if the cows were regularly 

 milked through the year with it, they would 

 yield their milk more freely, and could be com~ 

 pletely finished without applying the hand. The 

 principle is good, and when fairly and honestly 

 tested at the proper season of the year, there is 

 no doubt but it will succeed in the end. 



The nrowing machine, the reaping machine, 

 the threshing machine, and all other descriptions 

 of machinery, when originally introduced, the 

 inventors had many difiiculties to contend with, 

 but time and experience convinced the public of 

 their utility and importance in the respective 

 uses for which each was designed. On these 

 grounds it is but fair and just to give this novel 

 machine a trial at the proper season of the year, 

 as stated, to ascertain its milking power, and if 

 found perfect in its working, it will find its way 

 into all our Irish dairies. 



-.. AiH 1- K 1 1 in fcirMMiMMMIitwB 



