THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 21 
2 48 
ery, or on the further road to the consumer’s mouth. 
Not for this seeker, but for some others who may read 
this, allow me to say that modern appliances and well- 
named stock are desirable factors in butter making ; 
but for all that, with proper care and surroundings, 
just as good butter can be made by the old method as 
by the new, but not so much of it, and many times the 
surroundings are beyond our control. My experience 
ranges from small, shallow pans to a separator run by 
steam; from a few cows to 10 times that number; 
from a small dash churn to a power Davis swing. I 
have either discarded or outgrown six churns. I have 
set milk in small, open pansf in large tin pails, in a 
Ferguson Bureau creamer, in a Cooley Cabinet, and 
in a Cooley Elevator, and now am chasing the cream 
out by steam. The milk is aerified as soon as drawn, 
and I have a Babcock tester, etc. G. w. h. 
Rochester, Mass. 
There’s A Bad Cow in the Herd. 
I do not dare to answer questions like this in the 
“Yea and Amen” style, but only to suggest. Suppos¬ 
ing that the fodders fed by II. M. C. are all sweet and 
well cured, and that he is not feeding an excess of 
cotton-seed meal (more than three-quarters of a pound 
per day per cow) I think that his trouble is due, 
possibly, to some one or more cows giving milk of bad 
flavor, owing to lateness of the period of lactation, or 
individual peculiarity. But more probably it is due to 
some error in ripening the cream, presumably in keep¬ 
ing it at too low a temperature. I would, at milking, 
taste separately the milk of.every cow, and if any¬ 
thing is seriously wrong there, he will have no trouble 
in detecting it. I have frequently found the milk of 
cows a couple of months before calving to be perfectly 
nauseating in flavor. 
I think there is no doubt that 58 to 60 degrees is too 
low to ripen cream. It takes too long at this tempera¬ 
ture. If n. M. C. will hold his cream at a low tem¬ 
perature (cooling it quickly if he uses a separator) 
until he has enough for a churning, then warm it up to 
70 degrees and churn as soon as acidity appears, which 
ought to be in about 12 hours, I would feel quite 
sanguine that he would have an excellent product. 
Perhaps he would better take some milk from a new- 
milch cow, ripened at 90 degrees for 24 hours and 
added one part in 50 to the cream as a starter. Were 
I troubled with bad flavors, I would bring the milk 
into butter as fast as possible. Making one churning 
from new, sweet cream, ought to show whether the 
bad flavors crept into the cream before it was ripened 
or not. The greatest skill of the butter maker con¬ 
sists in ripening his cream. No man can make a fine 
article of butter from improperly ripened cream, but 
the poorest dairyman will make from properly ripened 
cream, a product, which whatever it may lack in tex¬ 
ture and grain, will be of fair flavor when first made. 
Ilillside Farm. jared van wagenen, jr. 
Water, Hay or an Old Cow. 
Certainly there is nothing about the feed to give 
this taste to the butter, presuming that the feed is 
clean and sweet. But I suggest that he look sharp 
after his water supply, even if he does use the Buckley 
device ; this will not purify impure water. And then 
let him look after his hay. If this is stored over the 
cows, and the gases from the cows and manure are 
allowed to pass upward into the mow, this will 
certainly cause trouble. Especially is this so if he is 
nearing the bottom of the mow. Or, on the other 
hand, it might be that the cows have been long in 
lactation, or the cream is allowed to stand too long 
before churning. It is merely guess work for any one 
to say from the outline given what ails the butter. 
H. P. CARLE, 
POPULAR APPLES—EARLY VARIETIES. 
Lists of good early apples ; what varieties for home or 
market ? Need of such a list 
It seems to me that there must be a great many 
readers who would be benefited by a somewhat de¬ 
tailed account of various classes and kinds of apples, 
so as, in some degree, to guide their choice aright in 
setting out garden trees, or small family orchards for 
home use, intending to sell the surplus to unprovided 
neighbors. My experience in this work now covers 
over 50 years; partly spent in New England and 
partly in the Ohio Valley, I have planted and grown 
tree fruits quite extensively during nearly all that 
time. I know very well that, as a young man, I would 
have been vastly benefited by the information which 
I shall now try to impart. 
It should, however, be well understood, that nearly 
every sort of tree fruit is more or less local in its 
character; and, as such, cannot be depended on to 
show its best qualities fully in every place. Apples 
which succeed well on the low lands, near the sea 
shore, or along the great lakes, cannot, as a rule, be 
depended on to prove equally adapted to inland plant¬ 
ing ; and the opposite is also true, that varieties 
originating inland will often prove not so well suited 
to a marine or a lacustrine climate. I shall therefore 
note these points, as well as others relating to the 
vigor and productiveness of varieties. Strictly for 
family use, one would quite often like to have a tree 
or a few grafted branches, of a variety which it would 
be quite unprofitable to attempt to grow for market. 
In these notes I shall avail myself freely of the writ¬ 
ings of skilled pomologists like Downing, Thomas, 
Warder, Budd and Barry. I shall begin with the 
early summer apples, most of which are, indeed, 
spring apples in the Gulf States. Our list of useful 
early apples is considerably lengthened by the recent 
introduction of Russian varieties, which have proved, 
quite unexpectedly, to have decided value in the South, 
where their superior resistance to fungous disease 
almost or quite equals their resistance to the severe 
cold of the extreme north. 
Hightop Sweet (Sweet June). —This is one of the 
comparatively few New England apples which have 
succeeded in the middle West. Beyond the Mississipi, 
it is not sufficiently hardy north of latitude 38 degrees, 
except in favored spots. It is round, smallish, light 
yellow, very sweet and rich. The tree is upright and 
productive. 
Golden Sweet is a larger and later apple, always 
fair ; tree a good grower and productive. It thrives 
well in the Southwest, and is of good, though not high, 
quality. Its productiveness makes it valuable for 
feeding stock. Straw color, and above medium in size. 
Aromatic Carolina. —A very superior Southern 
apple ; productive, medium in size, tender and rich. A 
good grower. 
Carolina Red June. —A great favorite in the middle 
West. Early, but keeps well for a summer fruit. 
Medium size, high color; tree a free, erect grower, and 
productive. Juicy, mild acid. 
Early Joe. —Of New York origin; rather slow 
grower, but a profuse bearer of small fruit of superior 
quality, juicy, sub-acid, spicy. It is a late summer 
apple in the North ; not often successful in the West, 
or in northern New England and Canada, except south¬ 
ern Ontario. 
Yellow Transparent. —A profitable summer apple, 
of medium size and quality, handsome and fair, straw 
yellow, very productive, and good for all uses. Fine 
for canning. Russian. It succeeds well far north, 
and also far south, where it ripens very early. 
Early Strawrerry. —Small, medium early, hand¬ 
some, pleasant flavor, a good grower, and productive. 
Foundling. —A choice New England apple, and 
hardy far north, whei e it becomes a fall apple of good 
size, and rich, sub-acid flavor. A striped apple, with 
yellow flesh. Productive. 
Sops of Wine. —One of the few English apples suc¬ 
ceeding well in America. Large, dark red, flesh 
stained with red lines, spicy, aromatic, mild acid, pro¬ 
ductive. Succeeds about as far north as Foundling, 
which, however, is a better keeper, being a fall apple 
in Canada. 
Summer Queen. —A striped apple, red on a yellow 
ground ; rather large, acid, spicy and rich, which 
makes it fine for sauce. Pretty hardy ; requires a 
warm soil. 
Summer Rose, —A smallish apple, round, red- 
streaked ; tender flesh, fine grained, juicy and very 
good. 
Williams’ Favorite. —This apple is much like Sops 
of Wine in appearance ; more conical, rather larger, 
but not 60 tender or good. They both require garden 
culture. For profit, as market fruit, Williams’ Favor¬ 
ite is preferable ; but for home use, Sops of Wine. 
Early Harvest is an apple once very profitable to 
grow; but fungous disease has so badly affected it 
that it is now rarely planted. Yellow Transparent 
being taken in its place. But by spraying. Early Har¬ 
vest can be grown quite fair ; and is then always very 
marketable. The tree is tender in its wood, subject 
to injury by wind, and not long lived. 
Primate. —This is a late summer apple in the North; 
the fruit is of good size, greenish yellow, with slight 
blush. It is a very good fruit, and marketable wher¬ 
ever known. The tree is not very hardy against 
winter cold. 
Red Astrachan. —This is one of the early importa¬ 
tions from Russia, by the way of Sweden and England, 
and it has attained a widespread popularity, from its 
fine size and color. Its quality for eating fresh is not 
high ; but it is a good culinary apple, and very mar¬ 
ketable everywhere. It is large, smooth, roundish, 
white-fleshed, tart, and excellent for cooking. The 
tree is the least hardy of any of the Russian varieties, 
yet can be grown almost anywhere in the southern 
half of New England, while its range extends even to 
Louisiana and Texas. It is one of the best cooking 
apples of its season, and a desirable one for canning. 
T. H. HOSKINS. 
Where is your contribution for the Ephraim W. 
Bull fund ? ^ee editorial page. 
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writer to Insnre attention. Before asking a question please see If It Is 
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TO REDEEM A REPUDIATED VIRGINIA FIELD. 
What is the most economical, and, at the same time, 
the least laborious method of reclaiming, for pasture, 
a red clay field, once a wheat field, but for many years 
run to Broom sedge ? It is said that by simply letting 
horses graze it, it will turn to grass. Will simply har¬ 
rowing in grass seed, without any plowing do any 
good ? c B. 
Charlottesville, Va. 
South Carolina Phosphate, Oats and Grass. 
C. B should plow his run-down field about three or 
four inches deep, thoroughly pulverize the soil early 
in spring, and sow with a drill IX bushel of oats, with 
250 pounds of S. C. phosphate to the acre. Follow this 
with grass seed, say, one bushel of Orchard to two 
quarts of clover, to the acre, immediately before it 
rains, as the rain will put the seed in deep enough. He 
should be sure to sow the grass seed before it rains on 
the loose land. If a good season, the oat crop will 
pay for the fertilizer. I would burn off the Broom 
sedge before plowing. The cultivated grasses would 
not catch by harrowing in the seed, as the Broom sedge 
would crowd everything else out. The latter will 
never turn to grass by pasturing with horses or any¬ 
thing else. Red land is naturally adapted to Orchard 
or Randall grass, and, when well set, will last for 
many years. B f. mo re head. 
Newbern, Va. 
Burn and Use Bock and Grass. 
If the sedge (?) stands thick enough for fire to run 
readily, I would first burn the tops of it off ; then, as 
soon as the soil is in good condition, I would plow the 
field with a good-sized, two-horse plow, five or six 
inches deep, harrow one way and broadcast 200 pounds 
per acre of high-grade South Carolina rock. I would 
then cross-harrow and seed with whatever grass might 
be preferable for pasture, using plenty of seed. I 
often sow Red clover here, as late as April 15 on a 
well prepared seed bed and always get a good stand. 
Denton, Md, j. w. kerr. 
Japan Clover and Constant Grazing. 
Scatter seed of Lespedeza striata or Japan clover all 
over the sedge—four or five pounds per acre, and if 
there be any horse manure to spare, scatter it ever so 
lightly over the surface. Keep the Broom sedge con¬ 
stantly grazed, and don’t let it run up tall and tough. 
It will make good pasture if kept down, and gradually 
he will find the Blue grass and White clover coming in 
with the .Japan clover. In a little while there will be 
no sedge at all. By giving an annual top-dressing of 
bone dust, the pasture will improve annually. Where 
the land is hilly, and is now in Broom sedge, this plan 
is much better for getting up a permanent pasture 
than to risk its washing by breaking it. w. f massey. 
Disc, Lime and Sow Cow Peas. 
I have had no practical experience with red clay 
soils or with land on which Blue grass is indigenous. 
There are soils that will naturally grow grass as soon 
as the plow is kept away, and I am told that grazing 
will improve the grass and thicken the sod. I very 
much question the power of the grass to overcome the 
Broom sedge ; however, C. B. might give the plan a 
trial, as by burning off the old sedge it will give him 
an early pasture that with us is considered good. He 
might run the Cutaway harrow over the land, and his 
grass seed would likely germinate. But an ordinary 
toothed harrow would be of no use on sedge land. I 
have a piece of broom sedge that I want to reclaim for 
cultivation, and I shall treat it as follows : First, cut 
the sedge thoroughly with a disc harrow, then turn 
with a two-horse plow, lime and cut again with the 
harrow, and sow from 1 to 2X bushels of cow peas per 
acre, broadcast. By this plan I can get a crop of hay 
the first year, and thoroughly eradicate the Broom 
sedge. The field will then be ready for any crop I 
want to plant. t. b. Parker. 
Goldsboro, N. C. 
Fitting the Land for Permanent Pastures. 
The least laborious way would be simply to burn 
the old Broom sedge. Thousands of head of stock 
thrive and depend wholly for their support on just 
such fields during the warmer months At a certain 
stage of its growth. Broom sedge is itself very highly 
nutritious. The statement that grazing with horses, 
as opposed to cattle, will turn such a field to grass, 
verges on the incredible, but is readily explained by 
the fact that the horses are more liberally fed on hay, 
as a rule cut later than it should be, while the cattle 
