1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
447 
opposition from those producers who have been bending 
all their energies to obtain quantity of milk regardless of 
its quality. But I believe that they will soon realize that 
public sentiment is strongly against them, and that justice 
refuses to be longer cheated and outraged as in the past, and 
that the new dispensation has come none too soon to save 
our dairy interests from utter ruin. I am firm in the be¬ 
lief that the Babcock test alone is an equitable way of fix¬ 
ing the value of milk, and that the patrons of those fac¬ 
tories where it is being used are securing justice where it 
cannot be obtained under the old system. 
2. We know that fat is one of the inconstant qualities in 
milk and is subject to a much greater variation than 
casein or any of the other solids, and varies in different 
cows and dairies as well as in different seasons. Casein is 
more constant and more uniform in the individual cow as 
well as in the dairies, and is less subject to variation by 
excitement, care, environment, etc. Notwithstanding 
this, I do not believe the divergence becomes so great as to 
preclude the justice of fixing the value of the milk upon 
the basis of its butter fats. 
3. I can only repeat, in part, what I have already said— 
that the butter fat is the valuable solid, exceeding by a 
large per cent the value of all the other solids, and for that 
reason I believe it should be adopted as the potential fac¬ 
tor for determining the value of milk. It is also the only 
solid that can be tampered with by the unscrupulous pro 
ducer or dealer. I do not consider it absolutely essential 
that the exact amount of casein should be known to de¬ 
termine the commercial value of milk. I believe the day 
is not far distant when commercial milk will be sold upon 
the basis of Its butter fats, and when that time comes the 
consumption of milk will largely increase. Taking the 
THE BABCOCK MILK TESTER 
At the request of several new subscribers we reprint the 
pictures of Dr. Babcock’s milk tester, which were given 
last year. The machine is not patented and is made by 
several of our dairy-goods manufacturers. In a few weeks 
we shall describe another test much like this one, but sim¬ 
pler and cheaper. The object of this test is to determine 
the amount of fat in a given sample of milk. All there is 
to the test is the addition o* 1 an equal quantity of sulphuric 
acid to warm milk. This holds the sugar and casein so 
that when the milk Is rapidly whirled or churned the fat 
easily rises to the top of the vessel in which the milk is 
placed. The long-necked bottle at the left in Fig- 166 holds 
the milk and acid. It is marked with a scale at the top 
for measuring the fat. At the center is a pipette for meas¬ 
uring the milk which is sucked sap into it to the black 
mark on the long neck. The other vessel holds the acid. 
An exact measure of fresh milk from the cow is placed in 
the long-necked bottle and a measure of acid is added. 
The bottle is then put into the machine shown at Fig. 167 
and rapidly whirled about. It is then filled to the neck 
with hot water and whirled again when the fat will be 
found at the top where it can be measured by the marks 
on the neck. The machine is quite simple. A side view 
with sections is shown at Fig. 168. A hand crank turns 
a large wheel so arranged with suitable cogs that it com¬ 
municates a horizontal motion to a round tin box in 
which the bottles are placed. Sections of this box are 
shown in the smaller p'ctures. This rapid whirling about 
gives the milk in the bottle a thorough shaking and drives 
the fat to the top. 
Young chicks thrive during a drought. If one doesn’t put 
all his eggs in one basket he will get some benefit from a 
drought. The prices for dairy products are very unsatis¬ 
factory owing to competition wirh “oleo.” L. w. l. 
East Berlin, Pa. 
Utilizing Garden Wastes —It is very difficult to find a 
man who has actually used a silo for storing the wastes of 
canning factories or market gardens. It seems as though 
there should be no trouble about such a plan, and we hope 
it will be tried this year, but it is hard to learn of actual 
instances where it has been done. For example, we were 
told that Cbas W. Garfield had practiced this plan success¬ 
fully. Of course, we wanted to know all about it, but Mr. 
Garfield could send only the following : 
“At one time, out of pure curiosity, I investigated the 
methods of utilizing the waste by burial preservation in 
the earth, used by the French gardeners and the small 
farmers of Holland, and gave an epitome of my informa¬ 
tion at some rural gathering while commenting on the 
wasteful methods in our agriculture, saying, among other 
things, that any other business in the world would be 
swamped by the practice of the same careless methods, and 
asked the question why the silo could not be utilized to 
save a large amount of green stuff now wasted, in the same 
way that the waste of the beet sugar factories was made 
to contribute to the profits of sugar making, by sealing it 
in the silo and utilizing it as cattle food. 
“ That’s all. I am putting in a little silo ‘ just for fun’ in 
connection wi h my ‘herd of two Jersey cows.’ ” 
Kent County, Mich. c . w. garfield. 
Cotton for Silos.— Though not everywhere available, we 
have here the perfect silo cover in cotton seed hulls from 
Wkjmh 
per cent of butter fat as a basis for determining the value of 
milk will remove all temptation for the dishonest and un¬ 
scrupulous dairyman, or dealer either, to add water to the 
milk or to skim it to obtain cream for family use. Thus it 
will have fulfilled a double purpose—teaching men to be 
honest, and giving the consumer better milk, thus insur¬ 
ing an increase of consumption. In addition to the jus¬ 
tice which it will accord to all parties concerned, it will 
have an educating influence by directing the attention of 
the would-be progressive dairy¬ 
man to the performance of his 
cows individually. The knowl- 
edge acquired by him in this line 
will be of value to him in ju- y N 
diciously breeding and rearing ' ' • (\ A 1 
the future dairy. He will see the . v j 
necessity of exercising much -.'Yaatfes ^ 'X&j Saa jSr 
greater care in selecting the sire gift* 
for his herd ; and the calves from 
such cows only as can show a ■*< *X.a 
capacity for producing a large 
flow of milk rich in butter fats 
will be reared for future use The 
good results which will come from 
this just innovation will be of in- 
estimable value to future dairy 
interests. It will awaken new in- ^ 
terests, and attract the attention A \\\ * 
of the young dairymen who are \ ‘Ail 
just starting out In life. Warmer 
and better quarters will be pro¬ 
vided. There will be less dogging 
and pounding. The future cow 
will receive better and more 
kindly treatment, and In return will give a larger yield 
of milk which will be richer in butter fats. The attentive, 
observing dairyman well knows that the influences which 
affect the secretions of butter fats are many. Even the 
changing of the cows Into strange stalls, a sudden blow, a 
harsh word will cause a cow to shrink from one to two 
per cent of butter fats. In conclusion, allow me to say 
that tbe Babcock tester has come none too soon. Those 
who have seen the workings of it and are in the least in¬ 
terested in the dairy business are enthusiastic over the 
good results which are sure to follow. A. R. Eastman. 
Oneida Co., N. Y. 
What Canadian Cheese Makers Think. 
1. I think that the per cent of fat in milk is a true and 
fair indication of its value for butter-making. An ade¬ 
quate test showing the percentage of fat contained in 
milk will furnish a basis whereby an equitable distri¬ 
bution of the proceeds can be made among the patrons of 
a creamery. 
2. I am of opinion that while the “solids” in milk are 
its only constituents that have any real or ratable market 
value, the “ total solids ’ ’ would not furnish a basis for an 
equitable distribution of the proceeds from a butter fac¬ 
tory. There seems to be no constant or definite relation 
between the percentages of fat and casein in the milk of 
the same or different cows. A test that reveals the per¬ 
centage of butter-fat, when used in connection with a care¬ 
ful estimation of the specific gravity, will furnish a basis 
for a just valuation of milk for city trade or for table use. 
3. I am not aware that it has yet been determined 
whether the percentage of butter-fat in milk furnishes 
an adequate basis for the valuation of milk for cheese¬ 
making. At several of the branch experimental dairy 
stations, which I am having established in different parts 
of Canada this season, I hope to conduct experiments 
along that line, with a view to settle that much disputed 
point. Some of these experiments will be undertaken 
next month; and they will be continued during the re¬ 
mainder of the cheese-making period of this year. 
Can. Dairy Commissioner. [prof.] j. w. robertson. 
CROSSBRED WHITE PIGS. 
There are many farmers who believe that grade or cross¬ 
bred pigs will make pork faster and more economically 
than purebred stock. Such men do not care to sell breed¬ 
ing animals—they want the pig that will make the best 
use of the swill. They usually select a number of strong, 
large sows, without much regard for their breeding, and 
cross them with a well bred boar of the breed they like 
best. The result is usually satisfactory, the pigs being 
iH 
If® 
A GOOD PROSPECT FOR PORK. Fig. 169. 
strong and quick growers. The pigs shown at Fig 169, are 
out of a high-grade Cheshire sow by a Chester White boar. 
Hundreds of such pigs are to be found on the Connecticut 
farm of Stephen Hoyt’s Sons. Most of them are sold to 
near-by farmers as feeders. The demand is for the “ best 
white pig ” and this cross gives abundant satisfaction 
either for the sty or pasture. They are easy keepers, fat¬ 
ten rapidly, and make good pork. On the Hoyt’s farm the 
pigs are kept In rather close quarters, not being given 
pasturage to any extent. The Cheshires and Chester 
Whites stand this confinement well and are seldom ailing. 
This “white cross” seems to be recognized as the “ best 
breed ” for that section. 
BITS OF TALK ABOUT FARMING. 
The Peach Tomato.— I hope The Rural will secure a 
larger Peich Tomato. I canned some last year and thought 
they tasted better than other kinds. The color is good when 
cooked. The sparrows seem to be leaving us, and other 
birds are coming to take their places. We are just on the 
edge of Pittsburg. M. m. l. 
Munhall, Penn. 
The Primate Apple.— We have 20 trees of this fine 
apple which is among the earliest to ripen. In size it is 
large, in color white and it is very rich and tender and sells 
for the highest price. While young, the tree is a slow, 
very stout and very crooked grower, but in the orchard it 
is fine. I regard this as one of the finest apples for the 
home orchard. Unfortunately it is a shy bearer. Our trees 
have yielded but one fair, and never a full crop, so that it 
hardly pays to grow for the market. The set this year is 
only fair. i. j. blackwell. 
Mercer County, N. J. 
Honey and Poultry. —The bees had a grand time dur¬ 
ing the fruit blossom season ; the honey flowed freely and 
the hives overflowed where there were strong colonies. I 
took a lot of surplus apple blossom honey from my strong 
colonies. Swarming was big. The honey crop is gener¬ 
ally benefited by a drought, for bees will not work in the 
rain and the nectar is then too thin. The raspberry and 
the oil mills. They leave nothing to be desired. They 
soon mat down into a perfectly air and germ-tight cover 
and almost require a pick to loosen them up. After they 
have b-en removed from the silo they are still as good as 
ever for stable bedding and as an absorbent. These hulls 
will bear shipment a little way north of the cotton belt 
and are worth in car-load lots $2 50 per ton. w. F. MASSEY. 
N. C. Experiment Station. 
Strawberries under Muslin. —At the commencement 
of strawberries blooming I made 
a tight board frame one foot high 
„ , round a plot 16x4 feet, and cov- 
J'l-u ered lfc wIfch a thin cold-frame 
VyfM / muslin used for raising early 
}U i f/ *{ )jhj plants. This excluded all insects 
Uf-jL 11 1/ 80 far as 1 could see with tbe 
,, naked eye. The result has been 
BS hL // ‘ 1 that the plants began to bloom 
eariy, and a few flowers yet re- 
‘ main—May 23. I have taken the 
V ' I maslln off to see It this late bloom 
h wI11 set fl ' ulfc: a11 the early bloom 
18 barreu - The length of time 
the flowers lasted was quite 
' noticeable. (By the way, could 
fMmwwnJII if <i not tbls Idea be used for holding 
garden flowers a longer time by 
MhW V ' removing the anthers ?) The calyx 
MY')/"/ D' 1 of these unfertilized flowers closed 
I ' over the embryo fruit while the 
fertilized plant spreads out. Just 
outside of the inclosure there were 
two plants every blossom on 
which has produced a young 
berry. One of these plants is 40 feet from any straw¬ 
berry plants having perfect flowers. From this experi¬ 
ment I draw the conclusion that some perfect plants 
should be set among pistillate strawberry plants. I have 
the Haverland and Idaho plants (some flowers of the 
Idaho are perfect) set this spring, that are bearing some 
fruit. These plants are 80 feet from any plants bearing 
perfect flowers, and the berries appear to be all right. There 
are no wild plants closer than 100 yards. I see several pis- 
tillates among the wild berries of this section. 
Mercer Co., N. J. i. j. BLACKWELL. 
An Agricultural Jubilee. —The Cornell students will 
celebrate their college’s prosperity on June 11 in novel 
style. We are told that : “ The jubilee is to celebrate the 
great prosperity and good fortune of the college of agricult¬ 
ure and to express an appreciation of the wise and liberal 
policy of modern legislators toward the profession of 
agriculture. A few of the prominent features of the cele¬ 
bration will be a menu made up entirely from products 
grown on the university grounds, a programme bound in 
wood cut from the university forest, responses from noted 
agriculturists, and a banquet hall representing in its decora¬ 
tions the various departments in the agricultural college.” 
AN IMPORTED HACKNEY STALLION. 
The animal shown on the first page is owned by P A 
Webster, Cazenovia, N. Y. A great many Hackneys have 
been brought to this country of late and the prospects are 
that the trade will be still further increased. Hackney 
horses and their grades are wanted by the fashionable peo¬ 
ple who take pleasure In driving a stylish team or in 
riding an active, fine looking animal. The Hackneys are 
“ chunky,” cob-like animals, quick and active, with fine 
“ knee action,” upright head and a sprightly, intelligent 
appearance. They are not remarkable for speed or work— 
they are fashionable horses. Just now they are in good 
demand and farmers with well-shaped, “chunky” mares 
will do well to patronize a good Hackney stallion if he is 
within easy reach. The colt will be likely to prove easily 
salable at a good price. 
The modern appliances for the manufacture of butter 
are as much improvement over the old as a Jersey is 
over* a scrub, 
locust are in bloom now and the flow is liberal. White 
Clover will be here in two weeks and with good weather 
the bee-man will be happy. I keep bees and farm too, and 
reduce the work to the smallest amount. 
The poultry is doing well under the “McKinley Bill.” 
If farmers everywhere made a close study of the kind of 
stock belt suited to their circumstances and markets, dis¬ 
regarding all personal preferences and ether considera¬ 
tions, complaints that “farming don’t pay,” as well as 
farm mortgages and abandoned farms would be fewer. 
