1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
in  cases  and  goes  to  the  cooling  room,  where  it  cools 
slowly  down  to  50  degrees,  thence  it  goes  to  the  cold 
room,  where  it  goes  down  to  38.” 
“  Do  you  work  your  butter  more  than  once  ?  ” 
"  As  a  rule,  no.  But  there  can  be  no  iron-clad  rules 
in  this  business- — much  depends  on  the  powers  of  ob¬ 
servation  and  the  shrewdness  of  the  intelligent  butter- 
maker.  Butter  comes  sometimes  in  such  a  condition 
that  it  must  be  worked  twice,  and  here  is  where  brains 
come  in.  You  may  churn  10  times  a  day,  and  notable 
variations  will  manifest  themselves  at  every  churning 
— all  will  vary.  Some  butter  needs  washing  in  much 
colder  water  than  others.  Of  course,  we  have  our 
general  rules,  but,  after  all,  very  much  of  our  success 
depends  on  the  fact  that  every  stage  of  the  process  is 
carefully  supervised  by  the  best  skill  we  can  procure.” 
‘  ‘  What  salt  do  you  use  for  your  butter  ?  ” 
“  The  English  salts  only — Ashton  and  Higgins — just 
as  our  patrons  prefer;  some  like  one  best,  some  the 
other.  In  such  matters  we  lay  our  prejudices  aside 
and  work  to  please  our  trade,  just  as  we  do  in  the 
matter  of  ripening  cream,  etc.  It  does  not  pay  to  be 
dogmatic  in  matters  of  taste.” 
The  print  butter  goes  to  market  in  ice  chests.  On 
the  1st  of  April  next  this  enterprising  firm  will  put  on 
their  own  refrigerator  cars,  so  that  their  butter  will 
be  delivered  in  New  York  in  the  very  best  possible 
condition,  no  changes  in  temperature  affecting  it  in 
the  least.  1  his  will  give  them  a  decided  advantage  in 
their  trade.  There  are  many  useful  suggestions  to  be 
acquired  from  a  study  of  such  an  enterprise.  From  a 
modest  beginning,  they  have  reached  the  summit— 
they  are  probably  the  largest  butter  manufacturers 
in  the  world.  They  have  been  of  great  advantage  to 
Tioga  County,  and  indirectly  to  the  dairymen  of  the 
State  at  large.  Much  of  the  milk  which  they  now 
manufacture,  would,  under  other  circumstances,  be 
coming  to  New  York  to  overflow  a  market  already 
overdone.  They  have  helped  to  spread  knowledge 
among  dairy  farmers— better  methods,  better  stock 
and  better  feeding.  They  are  teaching  and  emphasizing 
the  oft  repeated  lesson  from  the  agricultural  press  to 
the  effect  that  only  the  best  products  of  the  dairy  can 
bring  satisfactory  prices.  And  it  is  a  notable  fact  that 
those  of  the  patrons  of  this  establishment  who  are 
students  and  readers  of  the  agricultural  press  are 
those  who  are  most  prosperous.  Mr.  Thompson  said 
on  this  subject  substantially  as  follows  : 
“  If  I  could  induce  every  patron,  who  is  not  already 
so,  to  become  a  subscriber  to  three  or  four  of  the  best 
agricultural  journals,  I  am  sure  that  I  would  be  doing 
him  a  most  substantial  kindness.  A  single  hint  or  bit 
of  experience  from  a  practical  man  often  proves  to  an¬ 
other  that  some  one  of  his  practices  is  wrong.  Many 
do  not  study  the  feeding  problem  and  doubtless,  while 
feeding  the  best  of  materials,  are  so  combining  them 
that  a  large  part  is  wasted.  Every  trade,  business  and 
art  has  its  trade  journals  and  none  need  them  more 
than  does  the  farmer — none  are  slower  to  avail  them¬ 
selves  of  their  help.  But  things  are  brightening — 
farmers  are  awakening  from  their  Rip  Van  Winkle 
nap  and  we  shall,  without  doubt,  make  more  rapid 
progress  in  the  next  10  years  than  we  have  ever  done 
before  in  a  similar  period.” 
QAbortion  in  Dairy  Cows. 
the  “scourge  of  the  dairy  herd.” 
1.  To  what  cause  have  you  generally  traced  abortion  in  cows  ? 
2.  How  does  it  appear  to  spread  through  the  dairy  ? 
3.  Do  you  think  the  bull  can  convey  it  from  one  cow  to  another  ? 
4.  What  foods  have  you  found  most  conducive  to  It  ? 
5.  What  treatment  have  you  found  most  effective  In  “  stamping  It 
out  ”  or  preventing  its  spread  ? 
Caused  by  Hooking  and  Straining. 
The  few  cases  of  abortion  that  we  have  had  in  this 
herd  have  been  caused  by  the  cows  getting  hooked. 
We  water  our  cows  in  the  barnyard,  and  while  fighting 
around  the  trough,  occasionally  a  cow  will  get  hooked 
and  lose  her  calf.  I  always  turn  the  cows  soon  due  to 
calve  out  to  drink  alone,  and  always  have  a  man  on 
guard  while  the  animals  are  drinking.  Another  year 
I  want  to  water  the  cows  in  their  stalls,  and  think  I 
shall  then  avoid  abortion  almost  entirely.  Cows  in  calf 
should  not  be  allowed  with  cows  in  heat.  If  they  are, 
they  will  frequently  strain  themselves  enough  to  bring 
on  abortion.  When  abortion  comes,  I  separate  the 
affected  cow  from  the  rest  of  the  herd,  and  keep  her 
away  until  the  discharges  cease,  and  do  not  breed  her 
until  the  womb  seems  to  have  become  normal  again.  I 
disinfect  her  stall,  and  wash  out  the  vagina  daily  with 
a  solution  of  carbolic  acid  :  one  part  acid  to  50  parts 
water.  Some  years  ago  I  was  with  a  western  herd 
when  abortion  broke  out,  and  took  almost  every  calf. 
Everything  was  tried  that  a  skilled  veterinarian  could 
suggest,  but  without  effect ;  and,  finally,  we  adopted 
the  treatment  given  above,  but  without  much  success. 
Most  of  the  calves  were  lost  for  two  seasons,  and 
then  the  trouble  stopped  almost  as  suddenly  as  it  came. 
II.  M.  COTTRELL,  ELLERSLIE  HERD. 
The  Bull  can  Convey  the  Disease. 
1.  To  slipping  on  frozen  ground  and  getting  hurt  in 
various  ways.  2.  It  has  never  been  contagious  in  our 
herd.  3.  \  es.  There  was  a  well-defined  case  in  point 
in  a  neighboring  herd  where  a  valuable  bull  had  been 
purchased  to  head  a  herd  of  Short-horns.  A  large 
percentage  of  his  calves  in  his  owner's  herd  were 
dropped  at  seven  months.  Other  breeders  also  used 
him  with  the  same  results,  though  no  calves  begot  by 
other  bulls  w'ere  lost.  Not  satisfied  with  one  year's 
experience,  they  tried  him  next  year  with  the  same 
results,  and  he  Was  finally  slaughtered.  4.  We  never 
feed  oil  or  cotton-seed  meal  for  three  months  before  a 
cow  is  due  to  calve,  as  we  think  it  dangerous.  5.  We 
have  had  no  experience  in  this  line.  s.  spencer*  son. 
Caused  by  High  Grain  Feeding. 
I  feel  confident  that  most  of  the  cases  of  abortion 
come  from  a  system  of  high  grain  feeding  that  most 
of  us  indulge  in.  The  first  cow  in  a  herd  to  abort 
may  abort  on  account  of  some  injury  or  some  other 
cause,  and  afterwards  the  disease  seems  to  go  like 
wildfire  from  cow  to  cow,  and  I  surely  think  the  bull 
can  take  the  affection  when  serving  cows  that  have 
aborted,  and  carry  it  to  other  cows  that  have  never 
been  affected.  But  I  honestly  think  that  nearly  all 
our  diseases  are  caused  by  a  continued  feeding,  year  in 
and  year  out,  of  high  grain  rations.  geo.  e.  peer. 
Successful  Remedy  In  a  Jersey  Herd. 
1.  I  have  never  been  able  to  trace  back  to  any  cause 
for  abortion  in  cows.  2.  Any  cow  is  liable  to  abort, 
though  the  same  cow  rarely  aborts  more  than  once.  3. 
George  Truman  ;  a  Pioneer  Butter  Buyer. 
Fig.  88.  See  page  149. 
1  feel  confident  that  the  tendency  to  abort  is  mostly 
conveyed  to  tk*  «6>r  through  the  bull,  after  he  has 
served  a  cow*fc*$  h«*aborted.  4.  I  feed  almost  all 
kinds  of  food.  I  thfWc  feed  very  rarely  causes  it.  5. 
The  injection  of  one  tablespoonful  of  carbolic  acid 
diluted  with  one  quart  «f  water  into  the  vagina  every 
three  or  four  days  until  all  discharges  cease,  after 
abortion.  I  treat  every  cow  in  the  herd  in  the  same 
way  once  a  month,  until  all  signs  of  the  disease  have 
disappeared.  I  also  frequently  wash  the  bull’s  penis, 
with  the  same  application.  I  have  tried  a  great  many 
remedies  and  think  none  ever  did  any  good  except  this. 
Contrary  to  the  practice  of  almost  every  one  else,  I  see 
that  my  cows  are  served  just  as  soon  after  aborting  as 
the  discharge  has  ceased,  and  they  are  almost  certain  to 
stick  and  drop  live  calves,  whereas  if  five  or  six  months 
elapse  before  they  are  served,  two  out  of  three  fail 
to  hold,  and  are  always  non-breeders,  q.  p.  bailey. 
The  Greatest  Problem  of  the  Dairy. 
I  would  be  very  glad  for  my  own  sake  if  I  knew  the 
cause  of  epidemic  abortion  and  also  any  preventive, 
but  I  am  compelled  to  say,  after  years  of  observation, 
that  I  cannot  account  for  it,  and  also  after  a  trial  of 
numerous  remedies,  that  I  know  of  nothing  that  will 
prevent  it.  Repeatedly  two-year-old  heifers  that  were 
in  isolated  pastures  have  aborted,  sometimes  several 
and  sometimes  only  one  or  two,  the  rest  escaping.  I 
have  known  mature  cows  to  abort,  that  for  years  had 
carried  their  calves  for  the  full  period  of  gestation,  and 
the  next  time  they  would  be  all  right.  Occasionally  a 
cow  would  abort  every  time.  The  only  cure  for  such  is 
the  slaughter-house.  On,.e  a  cow  aborted  during  the 
winter  and  in  two  weeks  the  cow  that  stood  next  to 
her  aborted,  and  two  weeks  afterward  the  next 
aborted.  Isolation  and  disinfection  stopped  the 
trouble,  and  since  then  I  have  at  once  isolated  the  cow 
and  disinfected  the  stable  with  carbolic  acid.  More 
than  once  the  disease  has  broken  out  in  a  dairy, 
the  owner  of  which  has  told  me  that  he  never  had  a 
case,  and  perhaps  one-quarter  and  sometimes  one* 
third  of  the  herd  aborted.  It  sometimes  troubles  the 
herd  for  two  or  three  years  in  succession  and  then 
disappears.  I  don't  know  how  the  infection  is  con¬ 
veyed  :  I  can  assign  no  cause  for  it  and  I  know  of  no 
remedy.  Some  years  since  the  French  government 
sent  an  expert  into  the  dairy  sections  of  France  to  in¬ 
vestigate  the  causes  of  abortion.  His  report  was  the 
most  satisfactory  explanation  I  have  ever  seen.  In 
every  case  of  abortion  he  found  a  peculiar  bacillus  in 
the  calf  and  also  in  the  womb  of  the  mother,  and  in 
no  case  could  he  find  it  in  a  full-grown  calf  or  in  the 
womb  of  the  mother,  but  how  it  reached  the  womb  he 
could  not  tell.  a.  devereaux. 
“Stamped  Out”  After  a  Hard  Fight. 
1.  I  find  that  the  disease  is  due  to  two  causes — acci¬ 
dent  and  contagion.  But  the  disease  arising  from 
the  first  may  be  contagious,  where  disease  of  the 
uterus  ensues.  2.  By  contact  of  diseased  with  healthy 
animals.  3.  I  have  had  no  reason  to  believe  it,  in  my 
experience ;  but  I  can  see  no  abstract  reason  against 
it.  4.  Any  that  affect  the  general  health  injuriously, 
by  stimulating  too  highly  or  by  causing  disordered 
digestion.  5.  I  have  stamped  it  out  after  a  hard  and 
long  fight,  by  separating  aborting  cows  and  keeping 
them  in  a  bunch  by  themselves,  absolutely  away  from 
the  herd,  until  they  produced  living  calves,  and  by  dis¬ 
infecting  the  stables  with  lime  and  copperas,  and  using 
assafmtida  in  the  troughs  and  feed  boxes.  It  is 
wrapped  in  a  rag  which  is  nailed  to  the  bottom  of 
the  feed  trough,  and  I  believe  it  has  done  good,  though 
I  can’t  prove  the  matter.  Segregation  is  the  great 
CAMPBELL  BROWN. 
Vertical  Drainage. 
.The  chief  difficulty  that  presents  itself  to  many  who 
wish  to  tile-drain  is  that  of  getting  an  outlet  at  reason¬ 
able  cost.  On  flat  lands  it  is  often  impossible  to  get 
outlets  without  cutting  expensive  county  ditches,  and, 
in  other  cases,  men  are  hindered  in  their  work  by  their 
neighbors'  unwillingness  to  cooperate  in  cutting  mains. 
Some  of  these  flat  lands  are  underlaid  with  strata  of 
porous  material  at  a  greater  or  less  distance  from  the 
surface,  and  it  seems  very  probable  that  the  value  of 
these  strata  as  outlets  for  tile  drainage  has  not  been 
fully  appreciated.  I n  surface  drainage  they  are  not 
very  effective,  as  the  silt  soon  fills  the  interstices  in  the 
loose  material  that  forms  them.  But  it  seems  possible 
to  prevent  this  by  the  use  of  tile,  at  least  for  quite  a 
considerable  length  of  time,  when  another  outlet  can 
be  made. 
I  have  twelve  acres  of  rich  swamp  land  that  has  no 
outlet  for  tile  unless  one  can  be  found  in  a  layer  of 
loose  gravel  about  12  feet  beneath  the  surface.  Near 
the  top  of  this  gravel  there  is  a  hard-pan  formation 
two  inches  thick,  that  is  impervious  to  water,  and  can 
be  broken  only  with  difficulty.  I  find  that  open  wells 
do  little  good,  and  they  have  been  abandoned.  While 
attending  the  Champaign  County  Institute,  in  western 
Ohio.  I  found  that  some  land  in  that  vicinity  was 
underlaid  with  gravel  at  a  distance  similar  to  my  own, 
and  that  a  Dr.  Barnet  had  tiled  into  it.  He  located  all 
the  slight  depressions  in  the  field  by  throwing  a  fork¬ 
ful  of  manure  from  a  wagon  into  the  center  of  each, 
as  determined  by  the  appearance  of  the  growing  wheat, 
or  the  presence  of  more  than  average  moisture.  At 
each  marked  point  he  dug  a  hole  to  the  gravel  with  a 
post-hole  digger,  the  handle  being  lengthened,  and 
found  he  could  do  the  work  rapidly. 
In  these  holes  he  drove  tile  down  into  the  graved, 
letting  it  extend  up  to  within,  say,  two  feet  of  the 
surface.  The  end  was  closed  sufficiently  well  to  ex¬ 
clude  the  dirt,  and  the  hole  filled  up.  These  tiles  are 
doing  their  work  in  a  perfect  manner,  and  the  ques¬ 
tion  is  only  one  of  permanency.  As  a  tile  in  the 
center  of  each  depression  gives  good  drainage  to  all 
thi,  land,  it  can  be  seen  that  this  method  requires  very 
little  tile,  and  if  enough  silt  gets  in  the  bottom  of  the 
tile,  in  the  future,  to  stop  drainage,  other  holes  can  be 
dug  near  them.  The  two  feet  of  soil  on  top  of  the 
column  of  tile  should  filter  the  water,  especially  when 
the  surface  is  frequently  stirred,  thus  breaking  up  any 
large  pores. 
Even  where  the  land  is  sufficient^  rolling  to  afford  a 
good  outlet,  it  may  be  cheaper  to  sink  the  water  to  a 
porous  stratum  beneath.  A  farmer  near  me,  in  cut¬ 
ting  through  a  ridge  in  order  to  get  an  outlet,  passed 
through  a  bed  of  sand.  After  the  tile  was  laid  and  a 
rain  came,  he  went  to  the  outlet  to  see  the  water  pass 
off.  None  came  out  of  the  tile,  and  he  was  at  first  sure 
that  something  was  wrong.  He  has  now  found  that 
the  sand-bank  was  all  the  outlet  needed.  Time  may 
serve  to  form  a  kind  of  cement  of  the  sand,  water  and 
small  per  cent  of  silt  that  may  be  in  the  latter,  but  it 
will  probably  be  many  years  hence. 
On  the  bottoms  in  the  Ohio  River  Valley  there  are 
wells  in  which  the  water  rises  and  falls  with  the  river. 
In]  Scioto  County  a  man  dug  a  well  that  had  a  good 
