826 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
Dec.  17 
IS  THERE  ANY  PROFIT  IN  GRAIN? 
ARK  ENSILAGE  AND  CLOVER  ENOUGH  ? 
A  number  of  good  dairymen  are  Baying  that  with  good  ensilage  (con¬ 
taining  plenty  of  corn  eaiB)  and  plenty  of  clover  hay,  their  cows  do 
not  need  extra  grain.  They  call  this  the  most  profitable  ration  they 
can  give,  and  say  that  the  Increased  yield  of  milk  or  butter  caused  by 
adding  grain  to  It  would  not  be  made  at  a  profit.  Does  your  experi¬ 
ence  coincide  with  that? 
I  have  had  no  experience  in  this  line,  as  I  have  al¬ 
ways  been  short  of  either  one  or  the  other,  and  fed 
one  to  replace  the  other,  always  with  grain.  Although 
it  might  not  be  a  perfectly  balanced  ration,  yet  the 
combination  is  so  good  that  I  doubt  whether  enough 
increase  could  be  obtained  to  pay  for  the  grain  at  the 
present  prices.  A.  L.  WALES. 
The  Combination  Needs  a  Little  Help. 
I  have  the  kind  of  ensilage  mentioned  but  have  no 
pure  clover  hay.  My  hay  is  a  mixture  of  early  cut 
grass  —  two-thirds  Timothy  and  one-third  clover. 
After  several  trials  of  feeding  such  ensilage  and  hay 
without  a  grain  ration,  I  concluded  that  it  was  more 
profitable  to  mix  with  the  ensilage  a  light  feed,  com¬ 
posed  of  wheat  bran  and  linseed  meal.  I  have  also 
lately  added  a  small  amount  of  cotton-seed  meal  say 
two  pounds  twice  each  day.  I  get  more  milk,  and  a 
smaller  number  of  pounds  of  milk  make  a  pound  of 
butter,  when  this  addition  to  the  ensilage  is  fed.  Dry 
cows  do  not  need  the  extra  grain  ration.  I  could 
show  from  my  books  that  the  extra  grain  ration  paid 
a  fair  profit.  I  had  hoped  that  ensilage  made  from 
corn  well  eared  would  be  sufficient,  but  found  the 
cows  would  not  do  what  I  wanted  without  the  extra 
grain.  A.  deveraux. 
It’s  a  Question  of  Grain  Price. 
I  plant  10  quarts  of  corn  per  acre  now  where  I 
formerly  planted  20  to  30  quarts.  I  believe  it  is  eco¬ 
nomical  to  grow  all  the  ears 
for  the  stock  rather  than 
go  to  the  expense  of  husk¬ 
ing,  shelling  and  grinding 
for  them.  Clover  hay  fed 
■with  such  ensilage  makes  a 
cheap  feed,  and,  when 
ground  feed  is  high,  it  may 
not  pay  to  feed  it.  I  feed 
much  less  of  it  than  for 
merly,  but  am  confident  it 
pays  me  to  feed  shorts  at  the 
present  price  ($13  per  ton), 
when  butter  is  worth  25 
cents  per  pound.  The  pres¬ 
ent  price  is  30  cents  f.  o.  b. 
The  position  taken  by  the 
dairymen  spoken  of  may  be 
correct.  It  depends  on  the 
relative  prices  of  feed  and 
butter.  An  Illinois  dairy-  *  , 
man  can  afford  to  feed  grain  •  ^  | 
when  a  New  York  or  New  ^ 
England  dairyman  cannot. 
It  is  an  interesting  ques¬ 
tion,  and  every  dairyman 
should  know  whether  it 
pays  or  not.  There  is  no 
doubt  of  the  economy  of  having  plenty  of  palatable 
and  digestible  fodder,  such  as  corn  ensilage  cut  with 
the  ears  dented  or  beginning  to  glaze,  and  early-cut 
clover  hay.  I  think  it  a  mistake  to  let  the  corn  ripen 
to  such  a  stage  that  the  cows  will  not  digest  it. 
H.  B.  GURLER. 
One-Half  the  Former  Cost. 
When  I  first  became  a  dairyman,  and  for  a  long 
time  afterwards  it  was  my  custom  to  have  as  a  stand¬ 
ard  winter  feed,  hay  and  corn  meal,  with  bran  equal 
parts  at  a  cost  as  follows  :  20  pounds  of  clover  or  old 
meadow  hay,  5  cents  ;  10  pounds  of  corn  meal  bran, 
10  cents  ;  total  cost  of  the  daily  ration,  15  cents.  Now, 
after  much  experience  in  feeding  various  feeds  and 
compounds,  I  have  discarded  all  others,  and  feed  50 
pounds  of  good  ensilage  made  from  a  small-stalked 
variety,  nearly  ripe,  the  corn  being  all  left  on.  It 
costs  5  cents,  and  10  pounds  of  hay,  clover  or  old 
meadow,  cost  2 %  cents,  making  a  total  of  734  cents,  or 
just  half  the  former  cost,  and  the  results  are  decidedly 
better.  I  do  not  think  I  could  add  any  kind  of  grain 
with  a  corresponding  result.  Isaac  budlong. 
Cooked  Ensilage  Needs  No  Grain. 
The  grain  ensiloed  with  fodder  as  it  comes  from  ti  e 
field,  is  of  as  great  value  for  butter  fat  production  as 
any  food  I  have  tried.  I  would  advise  feeding  about 
4  )  pounds  of  corn  ensilage,  mixed  with  an  equal  part  of 
first-class  clover  hay,  placed  in  a  cooker  and  brought 
to  a  steaming  state,  and  fed  while  warm.  The  cows 
should  be  provided  with  good,  warm  and  clean  stalls, 
pure  well  water,  and  I  much  prefer  to  warm  the  drink¬ 
ing  water  through  the  winter.  I  believe  the  time  has 
passed  for  feeding  milch  cows  a  full  grain  ration  for 
butter  value.  "w.  pierce. 
HOW  TO  SECURE  “HEAVY”  CREAM. 
The  production  of  cream  for  commercial  purposes  is 
becoming  more  of  a  business  each  year.  By  com¬ 
mercial  purposes  I  mean  any  use  other  than  for  but¬ 
ter  making,  whether  at  home  or  in  a  factory.  A 
good  deal  of  cream  is  used  by  summer  hotels,  restaur  ¬ 
ants,  ice  cream  makers  and  in  connection  with  soda 
fountains.  Notevery  farmer  is  located  near  enough  to 
the  right  kind  of  a  market  to  warrant  him  in  engaging 
in  the  production  of  cream  for  commerce ;  yet  many 
are.  Mr.  H.  H.  Weeks  of  Oconomowoc,  Wis.,  has  for 
several  years  been  producing  cream  for  the  hotels  of 
that  popular  summer  resort.  For  a  time  he  practi-ed  set¬ 
ting  his  cream  in  cold  storage  for  several  hours  after 
it  had  been  raised,  in  order  to  secure  a  more  complete 
separation  and  make  it  thicker.  He  believed  at 
that  time  that  the  desired  thickness  of  cream  could 
be  obtained  in  no  other  way.  For  that  purpose  he  had 
some  tin  pails  made  with  faucets  near  the  bottom, 
through  which  the  milk  that  settled  could  be  drawn. 
But  in  a  letter  received  from  him  last  August,  he  wrote 
that  he  no  longer  used  the  pails,  as  he  had  found 
that  24-hour  cream  filled  the  bill.  By  this  it  is  to  be 
understood  he  is  letting  his  milk  stand  24  hours  before 
producing  the  final  separation,  or  what  would  be 
6kimming  were  it  not  that  he  draws  the  mi’k  from 
under  the  cream,  ne  does  not  let  it  stand  24  hours 
because  it  is  necessary  in  his  case,  in  order  to  secure 
all  the  cream,  as  he  practices  the  Swedish  system  so 
thoroughly  that  his  cream  is  doubtless  all  up  in  five 
hours,  but  he  does  it  to  secure  the  desired  thickness  of 
cream  for  his  trade. 
Last  summer  a  correspondent  of  mine  made  an 
inquiry  in  regard  to  cream  for  whipping.  Not  being 
able  to  answer  it,  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Weeks  and  received 
the  following  reply  : 
An  English  Jersey  Cow.  Fig.  314, 
“  They  want  very  heavy  cream  for  whipping,  which 
can  be  readily  made,  simply  by  holding  the  cream  in 
the  cans,  say  36  hours  before  or  after  skimming,  to 
allow  the  milk  serum  to  separate  or  ‘  settle  ’  out  of 
the  cream,  which  will,  of  course,  reduce  the  bulk 
somewhat.” 
Of  course  Mr.  Weeks  is  very  thorough  in  all  his 
dairy  practices,  and  cleanly  to  the  extreme,  as  any 
dairyman  must  be  who  expects  to  make  a  success  of 
producing  commercial  cream,  or,  in  fact,  any  dairy 
product.  F.  W.  MOSELEY. 
*  *  * 
One  cent  will  carry  this  paper  to  your  friend  in  any 
part  of  North  America  after  you  have  written  your 
name  on  the  corner  to  show  whom  it  is  from. 
A  PRIZE  ENGLISH  JERSEY. 
The  cow  shown  at  Fig.314,  Chestnut  2nd,  has  won  the 
gold  medal  at  several  English  farm  shows.  She  is  a 
good  example  of  what  they  call  a  good  Jersey  cow  on 
“  the  other  side.”  This  cow  is  five  years  old.  She 
gave  122  pounds  of  milk  in  three  days,  from  which  were 
churned  6  pounds  15  ounces  of  butter.  Her  best  single 
day’s  test  is  2  pounds  14  ounces  of  butter.  In  one  day, 
119  days  after  calving,  she  gave  28 %  pounds  of  milk — 
thus  showing  the  characteristic  long  milking  power 
of  the  Jersey.  Such  a  cow  in  this  country  would  be 
considered  good  but  nothing  remarkable  by  the  side 
of  our  various  Jersey  “  queens.”  She’s  “  English  you 
know.”  The  English  have  not  quite  learned  that 
“  beef  ”  is  of  small  benefit  to  a  dairy  cow.  Most  of 
their  Jerseys  are  big  and  beefy,  but  this  one  looks 
more  like  our  ideal  of  a  butter  cow.  A  Jersey  has  no 
use  for  fat  on  her  ribs. 
MORE  ABOUT  “FREE  WOOL.” 
IT  WILL  MEAN  A  NEW  SHEEP. 
“  Wait  for  the  Turn  of  the  Tide!” 
My  business  is  breeding  stud  sheep  and  a  breeder  of 
any  kind  of  stock  should  have  firm  and  steadfast  con¬ 
victions  and  breed  to  them  regardless  of  any  outside 
influence,  and  while  I  am  a  Republican  and  a  firm 
believer  in  the  McKinley  Bill,  I  think  that  if  the 
Democrats  can  stand  free  wool  I  will  be  obliged  to  take 
my  chances  with  the  minority,  and  while  believing 
that  free  wool  would  be  very  disastrous  to  the  fine 
wool  interests  of  the  country,  I  shall  keep  the  best  of 
my  sheep  and  breed  a  smaller  per  cent  of  my  ewes 
and  stock  up  for  the  next  Republican  Administration 
to  bring  me  a  market.  I  was  unable  to  sell  through 
Cleveland’s  Administration,  and  had  a  large  stock 
when  Mr.  Harrison  came  into  office,  which  I  have 
sold  out,  so  that  my  stock  is  low  at  present. 
Ferrisburgh,  Vt.  c.  A.  chapman. 
Free  Wool  Will  Make  a  Freer  Market. 
Unless  history  and  statistics  be  false,  the  conditions 
of  the  wool  market  will  be  better  when  wool  is  on  the 
free  list,  because  more  wool  will  be  used;  it  will  enter 
into  the  clothing  of  the  common  people  instead  of  the 
shoddy  now  used,  and  as  there  is  very  little  of  the 
imported  wool  that  is  used  for  cloth,  except  what  is 
known  as  lambs’  fleece,  mostly  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  fine  underwear.  When  wool  is  put  on  the  free  list 
the  tariff  on  the  manufactured  product  will  be  revised, 
in  some  instances  to  such  an  extent  that  our  rich 
people  will  buy  their  fine  clothes  in  America  instead 
of  buying  them  in  England  while  they  are  visiting. 
Is  it  right  that  the  common  people  of  this  country 
must  go  about,  like  their  children,  clothed  in  cotton 
and  shoddy,  while  wool  is  selling  from  first  hands  at 
from  20  to  23  cents  per 
pound?  I  believe  that  when 
Congress  puts  wool  on  the 
free  list  the  tariff  on  manu¬ 
factured  goods  will  be  ad¬ 
justed  so  that  wool  will  sell 
for  more  money  and  more 
of  it  will  be  consumed  and 
worn. 
The  foundation  of  my 
flocks  was  the  South  Down. 
For  the  last  three  years  I 
crossed  with  high-grade 
Shropshires,  so  I  think  that 
my  present  flock  is  fully 
three-fourths  of  the  latter 
blood.  I  select  for  keeping 
and  breeding  those  that 
show  it  the  most,  because  I 
think  it  profitable  to  breed 
for  medium  wool  and  mut¬ 
ton  at  the  same  time,  and 
I  have  many  imitators 
here  in  Miami  County,  O., 
as  I  very  seldom  have 
lambs  enough  to  supply  all 
orders  for  breeders.  This 
year  I  bought  for  the 
head  of  my  flock  a  grandsire  of  True  Type,  a 
thoroughbred  Shropshire.  Having  55  ewes  to  b  eed, 
I  bought  another  lamb  that  is  15-16ths  Shropshire, 
and  divided  my  sheep  between  the  two.  In  trav¬ 
eling  over  Northern  Ohio  this  fall  in  search  of 
a  buck,  I  saw  some  very  fine  lambs  of  a  Shropshire 
and  Merino  cross.  They  were  well  covered,  blocky 
and  of  good  size.  I  should  think  this  a  very  good 
cross,  if  the  wool  will  pass  for  medium.  It  makes  no 
difference  what  one  breeds,  if  he  doesn’t  take  care  of 
the  animals,  he  can’t  expect  to  reap  great  results.  If 
one  wants  lots  of  wool  and  fine  lambs,  he  must  keep 
his  sheep  out  of  the  cold  rain  and  snow,  keep  them  dry 
and  clean  underfoot,  but  let  them  have  plenty  of  fresh 
air  but  no  direct  drafts.  I  stable  or  shed  my  sheep 
about  the  same  time  I  do  my  cows,  as  soon  as  heavy 
frosts  appear  or  cold  rains  come  in  the  fall.  I  feed 
corn  fodder  or  mill  feed  in  the  fore  part  of  the  winter, 
and  later  clover  hay  and  a  little  corn.  There  is  very 
little  need  of  the  latter,  as  it  pays  me  best  to  have  my 
sheep  fat  before  December  1.  A  fat  sheep  at  this  date 
is  half  wintered.  My  lambs  come  from  March  20  to 
April  15,  or  as  near  that  date  as  possible.  Four  weeks 
before  lambing  I  cease  feeding  grain,  but  they  get  bran 
and  a  little  oats  Where  a  man  is  fixed  to  take  care 
of  lambs  in  January  and  February,  I  am  satisfied  that 
it  will  pay  better  to  have  them  come  at  that  date. 
Ohio.  DARIUS  ROSS. 
“Special  Legislation ”  for  the  Mutton  Breeds. 
The  effect  of  a  free  wool  bill  would  be  to  lower  the 
price  of  the  staple.  I  cannot  see  any  other  result. 
Wool  from  the  sheep  which  I  have  imported  from  Eng¬ 
land  has  sold,  for  two  years  past,  at  from  six  to  eight 
cents  per  pound  higher  here  than  in  Shrewsbury,  Eng¬ 
land,  and  this  difference  in  price  is  about  what  we 
