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TWO DOLLARS .A. YEAJRJ 
“ PROGRESS A2STI3 IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SrNTGS-IEBJ INTO. TOUR CKNTS. 
Y0L. 1. NO. 23.1 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-F0R THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1859. 
1 WHOLE NO. 491. 
* 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN ORIGINAL WEEKLY 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D, T, MOORE, 
"With an Able Corps of Assistants and Contributors. 
All communications, and business letters, should be 
addressed to D. D. T. MOORE, Rochester, N. Y. 
For Terms and other particulars, see last page. 
BUTTER MAKING. 
The Art of Making Butter is but imperfectly 
understood over a large extent of the Union, if the 
products of manufacturers of the important staple 
are taken as a criterion. If not one of the lost 
arts, it is certainly sadly neglected, to the great 
disadvantage of producers, and disgust of con¬ 
sumers. The little thought and attention given to 
the subject by the great mass of farmers, has long 
been matter of surprise to those who appreciate 
the difference in the value of a good and inferior 
or worthless article — and yet, though there is 
scarcely any branch of husbandry which has been 
more reliable or steadily profitable for the past ten 
years, little brains and pains are devoted to the im- 
nrovemeut and perfection 
Dairy. True, there are limited districts in which 
rienced and successful Butter and Cheese makers 
to contribute to the pages of the Rural the most 
approved modes of manufacture. Meantime we 
give the following extract from an article in a re¬ 
cent number of the New York Tribune, furnished 
by Drew & French, Commission Merchants, who 
deal largely in dairy products. It contains some 
valuable suggestions in regard to the making and 
packing of Butter for the New York Market: 
While local characteristics are prominently marked, 
the difference in quality resulting from different degrees 
of skill and care in the makers of the same section is no 
less striking, some dairies bringing, in the same state 
of the market, 2 to 8 cents per pound more than others 
from the same neighborhood. 
Much has been said and written on the art of Butter¬ 
making. We trust some good has resulted from these 
efforts, but still a very large proportion of the butter 
sent to market is of inferior quality, and sells at low 
prices, though more labor may have been bestowed 
upon it than upon the very best 
Nothing pleases commission merchants more than to 
receive a strictly fine dairy of butter—sweet, yellow, 
rosy to the smell, and delicious to the taste. It sells 
readily at a satisfactory price, and everybody is pleas¬ 
ed, from producer to consumer. Common and inferior 
butter sticks, notwithstanding its greasiness, at every 
stage, causing dissatisfaction and trouble from begin¬ 
ning to end. It is either colorless, milky, sticky, over- 
salted, under-salted, strong, rank, or rancid, or all these 
combined-at any rate, it is not what it should be. 
Without pretending to a practical knowledge of but- 
ter-makiDg, we herewith condense such of the principal 
conditions and requisites for making first-rate butter as 
we have been able to gather from various sources. 
We will thank any first-rate butter-maker for addi¬ 
tional hints or criticisms of what we have herein stated. 
a prime article is produced, but wo do not believe, 
as many affirm, that it is solely or mainly attribu¬ 
table to the fact that such districts are well adapted 
to dairying,--but that good buiter and cheese may 
be made in other sections (not to say all,) by the | 
exercise of proper care, skill and judgment. The 
high reputation of Orange County Butter, for in¬ 
stance, is owing in a great measure to the manner 
of its manufacture, packing, &c.; and the same is 
true of Philadelphia butter, as well as of that of 
other sections which have acquired a reputation 
in the leading markets. 
We apprehend that the uniformity of the man¬ 
ner of making and packing has been the great 
secret of the success of the butter dairymen of 
certain localities, and hence that many other sec¬ 
tions could successfully vie with them in the pro¬ 
duction of a superior article, by adopting proper 
and unifomn rules in manufacturing. As good 
butter is made in this County, as in Orange or 
other famous butter making districts, yet not over 
one producer in twenty makes a good article. And 
why ? Simply, we apprehend, because they do not 
know how, nor care to learn. This having been a 
grain growing region, few have given special atten¬ 
tion to either butter or cheese making; and now 
that more attention is necessarily turned to dairy¬ 
ing, (in consequence of the failure of wheat,) the 
great mass of farmers seem to lack knowledge as 
to the requisites and modus operandi. A few seem 
to understand the business, and their butter sells 
readily at from 2 to 5 cts. per lb. above the market 
price—but, as already intimated, most of the butter 
brought into this market seems to have been made 
by guess work or at hap-hazard. Each dairy- 
woman has her own “notions” about making 
butter, and very few, we fear, understand the cor¬ 
rect process, or do not “ take pains ” to produce a 
fine article. 
Western New York is becoming, to some con¬ 
siderable extent, a grazing and dairying region, 
and it behooves our farmers to give this branch 
increased attention. We do not say that they can 
successfully compete with the celebrated dairy 
sections, but we know they can produce butter and 
cheese profitably, and believe that in time an envia¬ 
ble reputation might be established in the large 
markets—such as has already been acquired by 
certain producers and localities of Western New 
York. To aid so desirable a consummation, we 
propose to give, during the season, such informa¬ 
tion as we believe will tend to the result. In 
former volumes of the Rural, we have published 
much on the subject of making butter and prepar¬ 
ing it for market, yet as the matter is one of in¬ 
creasing importance, and as every year brings us 
thousands of new subscribers, it becomes necessary 
not only to recur to the subject but to discuss it 
somewhat thoroughly, annually. In a few weeks 
we shall publish a valuable and original Prize 
Essay on Butter Making, which discusses the whole 
subject—including the Best Breeds of Cattle; In¬ 
fluence of Feed, Exercise and Shelter; Dairy Salt; 
Milking the Cows; Dairy Apartment; Care of 
Milk; Winter Care of Milk; Churning; Working 
the Butter; Final Packing. We also invite expe- 
THE RTJ.TAAXTS PREWITTM S aARIST.— ISTo. III. 
Conditions Requisite. — First: Cows of good milk¬ 
ing quality; some good butter-makers think selected 
natives the best. 
Second : Food—One of the most experienced and 
host butter-makers in the State, recommends a mixture 
of gras s»i, such as ret j au( j w j,jt 0 c ] 0 ver, timothy and 
blue grass. Ketp the *rec-num mm an'-i 
strongly flavored (weeds. Pungent roots and vegeta¬ 
bles, such as turnips and cabbage, "will injuriously 
flavor the butter, and injure its keeping qualities. 
Pumpkins and carrots are the best vegetable food when 
the season of grass is over, and give a fine color to the 
butter; but ground feed, such as the bran of wheat, 
rye, and corn, or ground oats, is believed to be best in 
Winter, as it keeps the cows in thriving condition, with¬ 
out too much increasing their fat, and makes the best¬ 
keeping and best-flavored butter. 
Third: Keep the cows quiet, particularly during the 
warm weather. The milk from cows when in the peri¬ 
odical fever, or when heated from any cause, will not 
make the best-flavored or best-keeping butter, and should 
be rejected from such use. 
Fourth: Keep the atmosphere of the milk-room 
perfectly fresh and pure, and at as even a temperature 
as possible—it should not be warmer than G5 deg. Fah. 
As soon as the milk coagulates, or just before this 
change occurs, it is ready to be churned, or skimmed. 
Some of the best butter-makers churn the milk with 
the cream, others skim and churn only the 1 cream. 
When skimmed, the cream may be kept in the cream- 
jar six to twelve hours, occasionally stirred, hut never 
covered. Tin pans are commonly used for setting milk, 
hut tin pails, holding twelve quarts, are preferred by 
some of the most skillful 
Fifth: The contents of the churn should he at the 
temperature of 64 deg., and the dash should he moved 
at the rate of about 50 strokes per minute; neither hot 
nor cold water should be turned into the churn to regu¬ 
late the temperature. Setting the churn in hot or cold 
water is a better way; hot water turned into the churn 
injures the color and grain of the butter. Soft water is 
indispensable for washing butter to the best advantage. 
If you cannot get soft water otherwise, save rain water 
and cool it with ice. The water from ice is always soft. 
When thus washed it is ready for salting. When the 
conditions are right the butter will “ come” in 20 to 30 
minutes. When done, the butter should he taken 
from the churn and thrown into a smaller vessel, 
partly filled with water, at 42 to 44 deg. Fall., and the 
buttermilk forced out with a small dash or ladle; then 
put in trays and wash until the water used ceases to be 
the least discolored with buttermilk. The great point 
to he attained in washing or working butter is to expel 
all tlie buttermilk without overworking the butter, 
which spoils the grain, and renders it sticky or greasy. 
After the butter has stood in the trays about twenty- 
four hours, and been worked lightly three or four 
times, it is ready for packing. Some good butter- 
makers do not work so many times. It should never 
be -worked in a dry state or without water, as that 
would injure the grain and damage the flavor at once. 
After the firkin or tub is filled the butter should be 
covered with a thin piece of muslin, and the whole 
covered with strong pure brine, -which must not be 
allowed to evaporate or leak out. 
Over-salting is one of the most common faults of 
butter-making. Not uncommonly coarse salt is used 
in such quantities, and with such treatment, that it re' 
mains undissolved, and will grate in the teeth. Such 
butter must be sold from 3 to 6 cents per pound lower 
on that account. 
Herewith we give the Barn Plan to which the 
Committee awarded the Rural’s third premium. 
This Barn is owned by James Whitney, of Big 
Flatts, Chemung County, N. Y., who furnishes 
the following description: 
Messrs. Editors :—I have the name of having 
the most convenient Barn mourpartofthe country, 
and accordingly have made a draft to the best ef 
my ability, being nothing hut a farmer. I think, 
however, I understand the wants of farmers better 
than the mechanic or architect can. You will dis¬ 
cover I have an elevation of ground nearly eight 
feet, which is some fourteewrods north of east and 
west road, and slopes t<t”jBs the south-west. I 
have cellar under boincpA^east shed, the north¬ 
east corners in the ban k E ast and north stone 
v-i l for b:u . and that for shed is 
six feet high: 
5 
upper floor, thrash with a self-cleaning machine, 
and have straw-carrier attached, so that I can run 
the straw in either shed I choose. I have two good 
Bays without incumbrance from stabling or gran¬ 
ary, and spouts or conductors marked, correspond¬ 
ing with halls in granary beneath, to conduct the 
grain where I wish; and this, when thrashing, 
saves at least one man’s labor. Two men are suffi¬ 
cient to take care of straw from a good eight-horse 
machine, and it is all secured from wind or storm. 
ciod 
I I t 
N 
0 
imrT 
GROUND PLAN OF LOWER STORT. 
. Standards for tying cattle. F, Lower Feed Room in 
front of cattle, 4 by 64. G, Bunks for Cattle, 9 by 64. 
II, Doors. I, Manure Cellar under east shed, 16 by 
24. J, Open Shed. K, Horse Stalls, 10 by 30. L, 
Horse Bunks, 2 by 28, (hay from above, and grain in 
front of horses, by falling doors in ceiling.) M, Stairs. 
N, Halls in Granary. O, Root Bins. P, Cleaning 
Floor and Weighing Room, and Feed Room for horses, 
which does not freeze in winter, 13 by 24 
I enter the barn from the north with team on 
PLAN OF UPPER STORY. 
A, Stairway to Stable. B, Space for letting hay down 
to story below, for horses. C, Trap Door, to throw 
manure down from cattle sheds. P, P, Openings to 
let feed down. D, Floor for storing fodder, 25 by 64 
E, West Bay, 19 by 30. F, Upper Bam Floor, 13 by 
30. G, Cattle Stalls, 9 by 24 and 9 by 32. H, West 
Bay, 13 by 30. I, Loft of Lean-to, 16 by 20. 
My Basement is dry. Sills two feet from ground. 
My grain has never musted nor wet, and feed 
never frozen in winter. I have twelve Grain Bins, 
so arranged that I can get to any one of them 
when I wish, capable of storing over 3,000 bushels, 
and four Boot Bins, which will store about 800 
bushels, where they can be seen to at any time. 
My stone wall is laid in mortar and pointed; the 
frames are all made of square timber and joist; no 
round timber anywhere about; outside, all planed 
and painted. The Basement Story is eight feet; 
barn posts 18 feet long; the Long Sited is 25 wide, 
64 long; posts 20 feet. East Shed posts nine feet 
long. 
The cost of Barn without sheds $400, including 
board of hands; can be built $50 cheaper without 
planing or painting. Sheds cost $430, including 
board of hands, and can be built for $400 without 
planing or painting. 
My mode of fixtures for tying cattle is much 
cheaper than the ordinary way, besides being much 
more comfortable for the animals—it is as follows: 
first, I set my standards four feet apart, have a ring 
made of three-eights or half-inch iron about six 
inches across, put over the standard, and then put 
the bow through the ring and over the animal’s 
neck. The operation is shown in the engraving. 
Have a piece of hard wood for a latch one inch 
thick and eight inches long, inch hole at one 
end, and one inch at the other. The bow needs a 
Know on one end and katch in the other. This, I 
have also endeaved to show in the engraving. The 
rings will slip up and down to suit the animal’s 
convenience. They can lay down and turn their 
heads around on their side, and they can lay much 
nearer than if fastened in any other way, and if you 
have an animal that is inclined to be masterly you 
can make him keep his head on his own side, by 
putting a board on one side or the other to suit 
a 
Co 
h 
a, Bow, attached to ring. 5, c, Ends of bow. d, Hard 
"Wood Latch, showing holes for ends of bow. 
your convenience. Thus you can control the most 
vicious of animals, and make them perfectly sub¬ 
missive. I have adopted four feet apart for my 
standards, but they will do much nearer for small 
animals. 
straight staves, largest at the top, with cover or lid shut¬ 
ting over and strapped down with pieces of leather or 
tin, are much used in some sections. They are very 
convenient for the domestic trade. They are commonly 
made of ash, which is next to white oak for this purpose. 
Maple, whitewood, and other soft woods, are unfit, as 
they soak largely and impart injurious flavors to the 
butter. Butter may he advantageously kept under 
brine while at the dairy, but when finally closed up for 
market the pickle should he carefully turned off and a 
cloth wet in strong brine spread over the top. The top 
head of the firkin or the lid of the tub should never 
touch the butter. 
ON KEEPING LIVE STOCK. 
Butter Packages.— "White-Oak Firkins, with smooth, 
round hickory hoops, holding about 100 lbs., are most 
largely used, and decidedly the best when the article is 
to be kept a long time—no other can he used for ship¬ 
ping. Half-flrkin tubs, or the regular firkin sawed in 
two, with a flat cover nailed upon the top, is a favorite 
package for choice Butter. Welsh tubs, or tubs with 
Why do we keep Live Stock? The correct an¬ 
swer, doubtless, is, that live stock changes for us 
certain products of the land not marketable, or 
not good for human food, into other products 
available for both those purposes; or by such aid 
we can change products of less value into other 
products of greater value. Of the products which 
we desire thus to change, grass is the chief. By 
the aid of live stock we can convert grass into 
meat and its accompaniments, milk and its pro¬ 
ducts ; or into wool. 
Now, if the answer given be correct, then it fol¬ 
lows that it is the business of stock to consume 
food, and it is for the farmer’s interest to furnish 
it in abundance. The greater the quantity of food 
consumed without waste, the larger the remunera¬ 
tion we receive. Also it follows that the question 
should not be, how many animals will a pasture 
preserve iu life, or how many our winter forage 
will keep with the skins and bones together, but 
how many will consume the unmarketable products 
which our farms yield, to the greatest profit. Ex¬ 
periment will prove that abundant feeding is deci¬ 
dedly for the farmer’s advantage, both in summer 
and winter. When the Western country, where I 
live, was new, the wild wood and prairie summer 
range was almost unlimited, and farmers could 
keep as many cattle as they could winter. Then 
some farmers were particularly adroit in starving 
a large number of cattle on a small quantity of 
fodder—turning them out in the spring just alive 
and not on the lift —“ thin,” as they expressed it, 
“yet in good heart.” Even then, however, it soon 
grew into a maxim that a well wintered two year 
old exceeded in value a poorly wintered three year 
old. The breed of cattle, too, deteriorated under 
this economy. Now that the land is nearly all 
under fence, each farm must depend on its own 
resources, and it is not difficult to arrange matters 
so that the winter keep shall fully equal the sum¬ 
mer in abundant supply for stock, with some to 
spare for village consumption. 
To illustrate the value of grass as an important 
item in mixed husbandry, I will give the following 
facts :—A year ago I had a seven acre lot which, 
in ordinary course, was a fresh clover pasture.— 
On apportioning my stock by estimate for the sum¬ 
mer, I found this field extra, so I purchased some 
thrifty yearling cattle, which had been well win¬ 
tered, partly Durham. I paid for them $8 each. 
Seven of them I assigned to this lot, putting them 
iu as soon as they could get a full bite. During 
the flush season of pasture I turned in four horses, 
but of these I will not take account. Most of the 
time the pasture was very abundant, all of the time 
sufficient. At the expiration of three and a half 
months the conclusion of harvest had furnished 
abundant range for the young cattle elsewhere, the 
bite had become short, and the lot was laid by for 
late pasture for sheep. I then had the cattle valued 
by a competent judge, who said that they would 
sell quickly for $13 each. From which it appears 
that the grass consumed by these young cattle 
| yielded $5 per acre. No rise in the value of cattle 
occurred during the time, but rather a depression. 
The field was an highly elevated, sandy ridge—the 
cattle had water at will, and were duly salted twice 
each week. For this last, the pleasure of looking 
at them and seeing them grow, was sufficient com¬ 
pensation. 
I may add that I have since wintered these cattle 
on hay and corn-stalks. This spring I sold one of 
them to the butcher for $23; another is a cow, 
giving milk, worth $25. The remainder worth 
from $20 to $25. P- n * 
Milan, Erie Co., O. 
“IT WON’T PAY!” 
Among the silliest of silly things, is the indis¬ 
criminate use of the expression, “ It won t pay. ’ 
Uttered with regard to some matters it is wise and 
proper, but relative to many others it is unwise 
and improper, if not wrong. Out in the busy 
walks of life, where men are constantly engrossed 
with the pursuit of money, and where experience 
has given a keen edge to the perceptive faculties, it 
is little wonder that the thousand and one foolish 
schemes that grow with such weedy growth in the 
brains of imaginahve men, should receive a cold 
water extinguisher in the shape of the exclama¬ 
tion quoted. But, that beneficial institutions de¬ 
veloped by oge, by usefulness, by experience, and 
1 
