848 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
DEC. 5 
six pounds of middlings for a gain of one pound of pork, 
or giving 16% pounds of pork for 100 pounds of middlings; 
with a 200-pound pig the comparison would be more strik¬ 
ing, as it would require nine pounds of middlings for the 
production of one pound of pork, giving but 11 1-9 pounds 
of pork for 100 pounds of middlings eaten. The feeding 
of steers for beef production follows the same rule. 
All exercise requires the expenditure of energy, and food 
is consumed to produce energy; hence all exercise is at 
the expense of food. This being true, it follows that every 
-geo or motion of the steer beyond what is necessary for 
the maintenance of health, is made at the cost of food, and 
consequently with an increased consumption of the same, 
or a corresponding decrease of growth of meat. A careful 
study of experiments shows that a horse or ox working 
hard requires nearly twics as much food as the same ani¬ 
mal idle, so that there can be no question on this point, 
and the only thing to be decided is to give the feeding ani¬ 
mals only so much exercise as is absolutely required for 
health, which will be found to be no more than they will 
get if tied by the neck to a manger with an ordinary 
cattle tie. 
Under the most favorable conditions, fully 80 per cent of 
the maintenance ration is used in keeping up the requisite 
temperature of the body. No matter what the temperature 
of the air, the bodily heat must be kept at 98 to 100 de¬ 
grees in order that healthy digestion and assimilation c an 
take place. This warmth is maintained by the union of 
the oxygen of the inhaled air with the carbon of the foods 
in the blood, and as a matter of course the lower the tem¬ 
perature surrounding the animal, the larger amount of 
carbon must be supplied to the blood for combustion. 
This is the reason why the Laplander and Esquimaux 
drink their fish oil with perfect impunity, and why stock 
eat so much more voraciously in cold weather than in 
warm and also why they fatten so much more rapidly in 
warm weather and warm quarters. 
From the foregoing considerations it will be rightly in¬ 
ferred that to make money in feeding steers in this State, 
young, thrifty animals should be selected, and they should 
be constantly kept in warm stables with no more exercise 
than they will get tied by the neck. J. s woodward. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. 
CHEMICAL OR CHURN TEST FOR BUTTER? 
In addition to the opinions printed on page 801 in regard 
to the best way to test the competing dairy cows at the 
World’s Fair, the following statements have come to 
hand. It will be remembered that the contest is between 
the actual churning of the cream and the chemical analy¬ 
sis of a fair sample of the milk. 
The Churn Test Entirely Impracticable. 
The objection which we have to a churn test at the 
World’s Fair is the fact that it is not so accurate as the 
chemical test, and, besides, it is entirely impracticable. 
The proposition of the Columbian Dairy Association, as 
it now stands, is to have a six months’ test of 300 cows, 
which in itself is impracticable. Each cow, or at least a 
large number of each breed, will probably be tested indi¬ 
vidually, and please conceive the spectacle of testiDg this 
number of cows, or even ODe fifth of the number, daily for 
six months, by the churn test 1 Any thinking person can 
readily see the impracticability of such an undertaking; 
and even if it were practicable, all scientific men we be¬ 
lieve now agree that the chemical test is much more 
accurate, and is taking the place of the old fashioned 
method. Why, then, not adopt it ? The butter extractor 
we think is not yet generally accepted as being sufficiently 
accurate for such a test, and on this account we think it 
would not be acceptable to exhibitors. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. smiths & powell. 
Objections to the Extractor. 
If the cows were to be tested by breeds, that is, if the 
milk of the whole 50 Jerseys were put together and churned 
by itself, and that of the 50 Holsteins all together by itself, 
there would be no objection to using the butter extractor, 
though it is somewhat doubtful if at the present stage of 
perfection of the machine there wouldn’t be much trouble 
from running the milk all through the same separator and 
testing the milk from it as soon as drawn or after ripen¬ 
ing. The only valid objection to the use of the extractor 
would be in the handling of the milk from single cows, or 
from any number of cows less than 10 or 15. The extractor 
is a large machine and less than 100 or 200 pounds of milk 
could not be run economically through it; that is the los 3 
from stopping and starting in the filling and emptying of 
the can would be too great on small quantities of milk, 
though thought advisable as a factor of the work on large 
quantities. The milk of single cows could not be made to 
run through the extractor. There would not be enough 
to fill the bowl. Even the smallest size of the Baby 
separator is not small enough to be economically used for 
the creaming of single cows. w. w. cooke. 
Vermont Experiment Station. 
A Contest Between Cows, Not Buttermakers. 
There are many reasons why it is better to have the 
butter contest settled by the tests of the butter fats in the 
milk than by any other method : First, this is the most 
accurate method; second, it is well known to practical 
buttermakers that in handling milk for practical butter¬ 
making and in handling and churning cream, somewhat 
different methods have to be adopted for different cows, 
and should be, to a certain extent, for different breeds, in 
order to obtain the best results. Every practical butter- 
maker knows that there is some luck in the churning, too; 
that one mess will give trouble in coming, and another 
will not, often without any apparent reason. Besides, 
there will be such a large number of cows in the tests at 
Chicago that the different messes would have to be 
churned at different times in the day and under the super¬ 
vision of different experts, so that, to a certain extent, 
the conditions would not be identical; and, to a limited 
extent, instead of its being a contest between cows, it 
would be a contest between buttermakers. 
Lorain Co., Ohio. c. w. HORR. 
Testing Milk for the Fat. 
Science is of no value except as it can be applied to prac¬ 
tical purposes; and in regard to the testing of milk for 
the purpose of estimating its actual value for making but¬ 
ter or cheese, the actual churning or making of the curd 
would seem to be the most satisfactory. It is of no conse¬ 
quence to the dairyman how much fat there may be in the 
milk of his cows if he cannot get it out of it in the butter. 
Do cows differ as much as has been alleged in respect of 
the loss of fat in the churning ? If so, it is as important 
to discover what cows make the least or the most loss in 
this way, so that if any breed exceeds others in this respect 
its consequent decrease in value may be known. I have 
been led to doubt very much the reports of the large losses 
of fat in the milk, that have been made in some of the bul 
letins, and especially in a recent statement by one of 
the Swedish experimenters to the effect that the losses 
amounted to as much as 9% per cent in some cases. 
I have been making butter, in a practical business way, 
but with all possible scientific accuracy and tests of re¬ 
sults, for many years, but I have never been able to per¬ 
ceive any such losses as have been reported by the scientific 
experimenters of late. In either the deep cold setting, or 
the shallow pan method, there has been no appreciable 
loss of butter, except when the milk of each cow was set 
and churned separately. Then there is a varying loss due 
to the special character of the individual cow, and the 
special nature of the butter globule. But when the milks 
were mixed the losses disappeared. Farther examination 
long continued, led me to believe that these losses were 
due to the difference in the size of the butter globules 
which varied considerably in different cows of the same 
breed, more than in cows of different breeds, and also in 
regard to the hardness or softness of some of them. That 
is to say that this difference is due to individuality and 
not to breed. And the mechanical difficulty of gathering 
the fat when it consists in great part of globules as small 
as the 4,000th part of an inch is much greater than when 
the globules are three or four times that size, and the 
harder the fat the more this difficulty is exoerienced. 
Now, in testing the value of a cow, is not this difficulty 
to be considered in the light of a disadvantage ? What 
matters if the milk is rich in fat. if the fat cannot be got 
out of it ? And there is nothing but the churn, or the ex¬ 
tractor, which is to all purposes a churn, that can be relied 
on to fix the exact value of a cow for the only purpose for 
which she can be of any value, which is the quantity of 
butter she will produce. If the dairyman could, or should, 
be able to make a strictly scientific analysis of the milk, 
the knowledge would be useless to him. He wants butter, 
and to know that he is losing it at every milking and 
churning is no help to him, except that he may get rid of 
the unprofitable animals, and this he finds out for himself 
in the most satisfactory way that is possible, by the churn. 
A great deal of time and labor has been lost in this test¬ 
ing of breeds and individual cows, for no useful purpose. It 
has not raised or lowered the value of any breed, nor has it 
led to any useful knowledge that had not been previously 
in the possession of practical dairymen. But it has left 
confusion worse confounded, and no guide has been 
afforded to the dairyman better than that of his own 
practice, which is regulated by the churn. Thus the churn 
becomes the only ultimate and valuable test for the quality 
of the milk and the character of the cow. H. STEWART. 
Macon Co., N. C. 
SCRAPS. 
A New Crop.— I have marketed at the Erie market, 
95 bushels of German prunes which I raised myself. They 
averaged a trifle over $2 per bushel. p. w. 
Erie, Pa. 
Cost of an Irish Potato Acre.—T he Dablin Farmers’ 
Gazette gives the following estimate of the average cost of 
growing an acre of potatoes in Ireland. 
Autumn cultivation of land.U 
Spring cultivation of land.0 
35 tons dung reduced by mixing with half rotted sods 
3s, 6d. a ton. 6 
Kainlt.0 
Seed. 1 
Spreading dung.0 
Cultural operations during growth.0 
Lifting with horse digger and removal. 1 
If wlth.'epade labor, extra.0 
s. d. 
18 6 
18 6 
15 0 
10 0 
5 0 
10 0 
0 0 
15 0 
Total. 
12 14 6 
Or a total, in our money, of $61.90. 
This is for drill culture. This cost would stagger an 
American grower. If he grew 250 bushels the cost would 
be a fraction less than 25 cents per bushel without consider¬ 
ing the cost of planting, which is not figured in the above 
statement. The “dung” was ordinary stable manure 
mixed with sods, road dust, etc. It is valued at only 85 
cents per ton—a ridiculous price compared with the actual 
value of good manure. At the time this statement was 
made, potatoes were selling in the London market at $14.40 
to $19.20 per ton of 2,240 pounds—or. In our measure of sell¬ 
ing, at about $115 to $1.55 per barrel. 
Flax Seed for Feed.— Throughout the West flax seed 
is very low in price as compared with grain, while oil-meal 
can be bought for less than $24 per ton. Prof. W. A. Henry 
tells the Breeders’ Gazette that rather than haul flax-seed 
to sell at 67 cents per bushel, he would feed at least part of 
it. The best way to feed it is to boil it either separately 
or with other feeds. From a gill to a pint is all that should 
be fed to an animal at one feed. Oil meal is what is left of 
the flax seed after the oil has been all taken out. Unless 
the price of the flax seed is very low the meal will prove 
the more economical feed—at present prices it is about the 
most economical feed on the market. 
It Is curious to watch the actions of the balky horses 
on the streets and ferries of this city. The animals are fre¬ 
quently loa ed down too heavily and when they get to a 
slippery place or to a steep incline leading to a ferry, many 
of them “quit” and refuse to pull. It is not always a 
genuine “balk”—where the horse is ugly and won’t try 
anyway—but sometimes the horses become bewildered 
and lose confidence in their drivers. If there is an empty 
wagon with big horses near at hand a rope is generally 
hitched from the back of it to the pole of the balky horse. 
Then he has to go, and after being forced a block or so he 
is ready to go on alone. The other day two noble-looking 
horses were struggling with a heavy load. They were 
bewildered and lost their heads and did not pull together. 
A man on the sidewalk began to clap his hands in regular 
time for their feet. It Is a fact that they fell in with the 
sound like soldiers marching to a drum and pulled together 
successfully. _ 
Farm Politics. 
Here it is proposed to discuss with freedom and fairness, ques¬ 
tions of National or State policy that particularly concern farm¬ 
ers. The editors disclaim responsibility for the opinions of cor¬ 
respondents. The object is to develop a true and fair basis for 
organization among farmers. Let us think out just what we want 
and then strive for it. 
“TAX REFORM” HAS THE FLOOR. 
We have received the following letter from the Chairman 
of the Finance Committee of the New York Tax Reform 
Association, of this city : 
“ The new legislature will shortly assemble and a strin¬ 
gent listing property tax bill will be quickly proposed and 
vigorously pushed. Bills of this kind require a sworn list 
of all property, diamonds, bonds, notes, accounts, even if 
untaxable, with their cost and worth ; an Inventory of all 
furniture, pictures, watches, money in bank, all one owes 
and to whom, and the prospective bill in New York will 
doubtless provide for spies, rewards for informers and 
penalties for false oaths. Such laws put every man in the 
power of his clerks. The time is short. The merchants 
must be impressed and united to oppose this. Every editor 
of a country paper must be, if possible, convinced. We 
have convinced many, we can convince the majority, but 
this will require money. We can work only as means are 
supplied. Business men would be hurt first and most by 
such legislation. If each merchant will give $20 we can 
educate such legislation out of the question now and for¬ 
ever. Our officers get no pay, but printers and clerks, and 
workers’ and speakers’ traveling expenses must be paid. 
The names of our trustees guarantee that the money will 
be well used. Will you, sir, see that your concern in some 
way contributes $25 or more ? If not, will you do some 
work ? Our manager will call if requested. This Is busi¬ 
ness, not politics ; insurance, not benevolence only. Ask¬ 
ing at least an answer, I am, yours in the interest of right 
thinking. thomas Berkeley. 
For the benefit of new subscribers we reprint the “ plat¬ 
form ” of this association: 
PLATFORM. 
1. The most direct taxation is the best, be¬ 
cause it gives to the real payers of taxes a 
conscious and direct pecuniary interest in hon¬ 
est and economical government. 
2. Mortgages and capital engaged in produc¬ 
tion or trade should be exempt from taxation: 
because taxes on such capital tend to drive it 
away, to put a premium on dishonesty and to 
discourage Industry. 
8. Real estate should bear the real burden of 
taxation: because such taxes can be most 
easily, cheaply and certainly collected, and be¬ 
cause they bear least heavily on the farmer and 
worker. 
4. Our present system of levying and collect¬ 
ing State and municipal taxes is extremely bad, 
and spasmodic and unreflecting tinkering 
with it is unlikely to result in substantial 
Improvement. 
5. No legislature will venture to enact a good 
system of local taxation until the people, es¬ 
pecially the farmers, perceive the correct prin¬ 
ciples of taxation and see the folly of taxing 
personal property. 
Therefore, we desire to nnite our efforts, in 
such ways as may seem advisable, to keep up 
intelligent discussion and agitation of the 
subject of taxation, with a view to improve¬ 
ment in the system and enlightenment as to the 
correct principles. 
We think the space here given to this matter, at our 
usual advertising rates, will amount to more than the $25 
called for. The platform is excellent for the manufacturer, 
merchant or broker, but what about the farmer ? We 
would like to have some wise tax reformer arise in his 
wisdom and explain section 3, telling us uhy real-estate 
taxes “ bear least heavily on the farmer.” Let him also 
tell where mortgages and capital propose to run to rather 
than pay their just share of the taxes. These two planks 
are too thick for the average farmer to see through. 
A LITTLE TAXATION TALK. 
I have just received my tax bill for 1891. I give the fol¬ 
lowing items for comparison. The county tax is one-half 
of one per cent, bounty and interest .12 of one per cent, 
poor and township the same, State school tax .22, special 
school tax .04, road tax .46, or a total of $1.42 on every $100 
of my assessed property. The assessment figure is about 
two-thirds of the price I should charge for my property 
were I to sell it. I therefore really pay about 93 cents on 
every $100 of my own valuation of my little property. In 
addition to this I pay $1 for the duty of voting and 25 cents 
for the pleasure of keeping a big dog. On the whole, I am 
satisfied that I get nearly value received from all of these 
items, except perhaps the poll-tax. I have no children to 
go to school, and no poor to be cared for, still I don’t object 
to any reasonable amount spent for education or for 
charity, Our bills are a little lower than last year, though 
