1879 .] 
AMERICAN AGARIC ULTURIST. 
377 
any odors from any source, will be quickly absorbed 
by the milk, cream, or butter. Even so slight a 
cause as the urinating of a cow during milking, 
will affect the milk more or less by its absorption 
of the odor. How must it be when cows are milked 
in a filthy barn-yard or stable, where the air is rank 
with foul odors ? Is it any wonder that so much of 
the butter in market is despoiled of its natural de¬ 
licious aroma ? [The Manufacturers claim as one of 
the valuable features of the Perfect Milk Pail, de¬ 
scribed in our Premium List, No. 185, that the milk 
is so enclosed that it is not reached by any effluvia, 
to say nothing of its freedom from filth.] 
Butter Dairy of Lucian Williams. 
July 25th, we visited this place in the town of 
Harrison, Winnebago Co., Ill., where 100 cows are 
kept, mainly grade Durkams, about 30 of them be¬ 
ing dry or near calving, and 70 yielding milk. VVe 
believe he aims to have about 3 out of 5 of his cows 
come in during autumn. The weather being dry, 
and no extra feed beinggiven, the yield of milk was 
not very large. The tally on the black-board showed: 
night milking,720 lbs. milk : morning,625 lbs.—total 
for 24 hours, 1,345 lbs., or an average of 19Vs Ihs. 
per cow—about 10 quarts. The milk-room is cooled 
by Prof. Wilkinson’s process — that is, a passage¬ 
way constructed deep under ground with an open¬ 
ing some 175 or 200 feet distant. The cool ground 
reduces the temperature of the air which rises into 
the milk-room. At the time of our visit, the ther¬ 
mometer inside the milk-room stood at 68°, while 
one outside in the shade of a northern vestibule, 
stood at 80°. Here was a reduction of 12° without 
trouble or expense save the original construction 
of the underground passage. (It is claimed that by 
having proper length and depth, and making the 
air-passage large enough to give abundant cooling 
surface, a sufficient reduction of temperature for 
all ordinary dairy purposes can be secured at much 
less annual expense than is required to provide and 
care for the ice that is thus saved). Mr. Williams 
allows the milk to stand 36 to 48 hours, until it 
turns a little sour, before skimming. He churns 
every second day, using a large, simple barrel churn, 
turned by a single horse-power, revolving slowly, 
and the butter is 1 to II hour in coming, the tem¬ 
perature being between 52° and 55°. The butter¬ 
milk is drawn off, and plenty of water at 50° to 52° 
is poured in and worked with the butter. It then 
stands 15 minutes, when the water is drawn off, 
the butter removed to the working table, and the 
water and any remaining buttermilk are thoroughly 
worked out. Then i ounce to the pound of Hig¬ 
gins salt is well worked in. It stands thus until the 
next churning day, or 45 to 48 hours, when a final, 
thorough working is given, and it is packed in fir¬ 
kins. Care is taken to have everything thoroughly 
neat, no hand to touch the butter, and no odors 
from any source to enter the milk or butter room. 
We tested some firkins of different days’ make, and 
chalked them A1. The butter yield averages about 
1 lb. to 25 lbs. of milk. He calculates on producing 
during the season, 200 ibs. of pork from the skim 
milk and buttermilk of each cow—including the 
pasturage and final corn feeding of the swine. 
J. G. Winslow’s Cheese Factory. 
This is in the town of Shirland, Ill. Mr. Winslow 
resides in Beloit, Wis., 10 miles distant, but gives 
close attention to his dairy farm, the cheese factory 
being under the management of E. S. Kiser, who 
freely answered our inquiries, and showed the en¬ 
tire process. On the farm itself are 126 cows, 
mostly natives, of which 105 were in milk, receiv¬ 
ing no feed except what they gathered from the 
“wild pasture,” as Mr. W. called his fields—not 
very “ wild,” as this region has been settled up for 
a score of years or so, we believe, and the cheese 
produced, was any tliingbut “ wild,” as it was sell¬ 
ing at 6 cents, while many were getting but 5 to 54 
cts. The yield of milk had ranged about 1,700 lbs. 
per day, in May and June, but was falling off in July, 
and expected to fall to 1,100 lbs. during the hot 
month of August, or only 5 to 6 quarts average per 
cow. Besides the home-produced milk, Mr. W. 
receives at the factory all the milk offered, makes 
it into cheese, which the owners take at the factory 
and market.it themselves. They also receive their 
proportion of the whey. The charge for .making 
the cheese varies from 11 to 2 cts. per lb., accord¬ 
ing to the larger or smaller amount of milk furnish¬ 
ed. Owing to the low price of cheese, farmers 
are bringing in much less milk this year than pre¬ 
viously. Allowing 10 lbs. or 5 quarts of milk to 
the pound of cheese, and this netting only 4 c. per 
lb., is not a very profitable business surely, and 
would not be followed if the farmers had not the 
cows and pastures on hand. Raising calves for the 
Western plains, even in competition with Texas 
cattle, would seem to be quite as profitable, so far 
as the cows and their milk can be used for this pur¬ 
pose. But present prices are exceptionally low, and 
can nardly continue long. Either the consump¬ 
tion will be increased by the low rates, or enough 
will go out of the business, to diminish the supply 
and raise the market value. (It is a rule with the 
more acute Long Island farmers, to put in a large 
area of cabbages, etc., in the season following a large 
yield and low rates, because these are just the years 
when the great majority, discouraged by the pre¬ 
vious season’s experience, will go into something 
else, and thus leave the way open for a scant yield 
and high rates. The frequent hints in this direc¬ 
tion, given by the American Agriculturist in years 
past, have been adopted by many others, and with 
gratifying results to our readers.) 
PEOCESS OP CHEESE-MAKING. 
The evening’s milk is cooled over night, and the 
early morning’s milk is cooled until 8 o’clock, A. M. 
They are then mixed and heated to 84°, and the 
rennet is added. After standing at 84° for about 
one hourto set, the heat is raised to 98°, and stands 
four to six hours, when the whey is drawn off and 
the curd taken to the press. 24 pounds of salt are 
used to each 1,000 pounds of milk—Michigan pure 
white salt. The curd stands in the hoops under the 
press from 3 P. M. to 7 A. M., and is then removed 
to the packing room. The temperature of this 
room is maintained at 70° and below, by free cur¬ 
rents of air, the walls and roof being made of 
double boarding, with eight inches of sawdust be¬ 
tween .... The Rennets used are the imported 
Bavarian, when obtainable, otherwise the best Eng¬ 
lish. These now cost 11 cents each. They are 
put in whey some time in advance of use, more 
rennets being added from time to time, those ex¬ 
hausted being removed. About one average rennet 
answers for 2,000 lbs. of milk_ Coloring the 
Cheese. —Mr. Kiser prefers to make his own color¬ 
ing matter, which he prepares by using 2 lbs. of 
Annatto (35 cents per lb.); 1 gallon of pure Rain 
Water; 1 lb. Potash (Babbitts’ pure); 4 lb. Sal- 
Soda ; 2 oz. Saltpeter. This, after standing about 
eight days is ready for use—about one gill to each 
1,000 pounds of milk. 
Osage Orange-How far North. 
After examining many Osage Orange hedges in 
different parts of Illinois, some ten years ago, I 
came to the conclusion that this plant could not be 
depended upon further north than about the mid¬ 
dle of the State, or at most not above an east and 
west line running fifty miles or so south of Chicago. 
But to-day I have seen several vigorous Osage 
hedge lines, with few gaps, in Winnebago County, 
thirty-five miles further north than Chicago, or a 
hundred miles above the line previously fixed as 
the limit, in my own mind. Has cultivation, or the 
increased growth of forest trees, as wind breaks, 
modified the climate, or a better understanding of 
the proper treatment, made the difference—or are 
there local qualities of soil or otherwise in Winne¬ 
bago County favoring the growth of the Osage ? 
We will be pleased to have some of our readers in 
the two northern tiers of counties of Illinois and 
Iowa send to the American Agriculturist notes of 
their experience with this plant, as a reliable hedge, 
or their observation of it in their localities. Also 
any notes upon the Buckthorn and Honey Locust 
for the same purpose. I have seen some fine 
hedges of the Buckthorn here and there. In re¬ 
gard to the Honey Locust , we will be glad to hear 
from various localities, to enable us to fix the 
northern limit at which it may be safely used as a 
hedge plant,both in the Eastern and Western States. 
A Simple Stack Protector. 
Throughout the great western prairie regions, 
between Indiana and the Rocky Mountains, there 
are comparatively few barns for storing hay and 
grain. Lumber is too scarce and high, and stack¬ 
ing is resorted to for hay, and for grain when it is 
not threshed in the field or directly from the shook. 
Eig. 1.— STACK WITH COVER. 
The stacks are most frequently long rectangular 
masses, instead of the cone tops generally seen at 
the East. We have noticed some of these single 
stacks from 100 to 300 feet in length. Of course 
considerable hay and grain is lost by exposure to 
beating rains. Near Beloit, Wis., we saw hay 
stacks covered with a simple arrangement of cheap 
boards that might be applied equally well to grain 
stacks, and we made a sketch, shown herewith, to 
illustrate the method. Fig. 1 shows the stack as it 
appears covered. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sketch to 
show the boards and fastenings. The boards we ex¬ 
amined were common rough pine boards, 12 or 13 
feet long,and 10 to 12 inches wide, the edges lapping 
about an inch. To hold the boards in place, a wire, 
say No. 9, is run over the outside as shown, and 
bent down over the lower edge of each board so as 
to run close along the surface of the next board be¬ 
Fig. 2.— END, SHOWING FASTENING. Fig. 3. 
low. Iron staples are driven in as shown, one an 
inch or so above the lower edge of the top board ; 
and another, just below the bend, into the next 
board below. Fig. 3 shows one of these staples of 
exact diameter, size, and form. These appear to have 
been made of the same wire as that running over 
the boards. They can be bought for 2 to 4 cents a 
dozen. When the stack is to be used, the staples 
are drawn out, the same as tacks from a carpet, 
and the boards piled up for future use. Any rough, 
cheap boards will answer, and they can be used 
many years if of pine or other durable wood. 
Though not absolutely water tight, such a cover¬ 
ing will shed off most of the rain and snow storms, 
while the saving of hay or grain will cover the cost 
of the boards every year or two. 
The Potato IEot.— Mr. “ J. F. W.,” Flushing, 
Long Island, brings us a number of potatoes with 
the inquiry : “ What is the matter ?” The trouble 
is a serious one, the true and destructive Potato 
Rot, caused by the parasite fungus Peronospora 
infestans. The fungus first attacks the foliage of the 
Potato plant, which is soon destroyed, when the 
fungus descends through the stem and finally 
reaches the potatoes. The first indication of the 
presence of the trouble is the wet, soft, rot with its 
accompanying disagreeable odor. The vines should 
be watched, and as soon as “ struck ” by the 
fungus—which is known by a frosty covering and 
rapid wilting and decay—the potatoes should be 
dug. In this way a crop may be saved which might 
