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r. 
384 
MOORE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER 
JUNE4S 
Haim Vni.'ibaiulri). 
AGITATING MILK AFFECTING CREAM 
MORE ABOUT ABORTIVE COWS. 
Mr.Munson (proprietor of the" Franklin 
Creamery”) has stated in public that mod¬ 
erate agitation of milk does not lessen the 
amount of cream; that if we disturb it, say 
skim it every four or six hours, all the cream 
in the milk will Jind its way to the surface. 
Our experience is to the contrary. He asks 
me t.o tell the reason why. Can Mr. Wil¬ 
lard help ineS 
We are troubled with abortive cows in¬ 
creasing. One of m.y neighbors has brought 
in a quantity of “ pure bone dust ” to si.*)|, 
and feed to cows to prerout (as lie claims) 
abort ion. Will “ bone dust. ” prove a cure? 
1 had supposed it contained a large per cent, 
of lime, and gave to t he soil milk and but¬ 
ter properties, and did not feed the bone 
of cows or calves. Have the Farmers’ Club 
of Little Falls determined the cause of 
abortion? -1\ G. Nohtuup, Franklin, l)cl. 
Co., N. V 
Milk designed for butter making, as a 
rule, should be agitated as little as possible 
until the cream has risen. Wo cannot say 
that such a moderate agitation of the milk 
as would arise simply from ski mining, as 
above described, would lessen the quantity 
of cream; but any excessive agitation has a 
tendency to diminish the quant ity of cream. 
This has been abundantly proved by exper¬ 
iments made on milk, a portion of which 
has been retained at the farm, and the rest 
sent by wagon and rail to the city. In nu¬ 
merous instances, where a careful test of 
such milk has been made, the milk which 
has been less disturbed threw up most 
cream. 
Voelcker made the following experi¬ 
ment:—He took 100 measures of uew milk 
and set it aside for 24 hours at a temperature 
of 62° Fahr., when it gave 12 per cent, of 
cream by measure, while at t he same time a 
like quantity of the same milk, after having 
been gently shaken in a bottle, threw up 
only 8 per cent. of cream. This shows that 
the shaking to which milk is subject, when 
carried long distances in wagons, or by rail¬ 
way, lias the effect of breaking some of the 
cream globules, in consequence of which 
either the fatty matters remain suspended 
in the milk, or more probably the cream 
thrown up gets richer in fat. We are in¬ 
clined to think that milk that has been 
thoroughly agitated during its transit to 
the factory and there experimented upon 
to see whether such moderate disturbance 
as skimming would affect the quantity of 
cream, is not a fair test of the principle 
stated. We have made no direct test of 
milk under such circumstances, and there¬ 
fore cannot speak positively in regard to it. 
We are not prepared to say that the feed¬ 
ing of bone meal to Cows is a cure for abor¬ 
tion, or, indeed, that it. has much or any 
influence in arresting that disease. We 
have had some experience in feeding bone 
meal to cows and in boning our pasture 
lauds. And while we are ready to admit 
that during those seasons In which we sup¬ 
plied our herd with bone meal no abortions 
occurred in the herd, still we did not be¬ 
come folly satisfied that the freedom from 
the disease was to be attributed to the bone 
meal. Some years ago Levi Bakti.et of 
New Hampshire, widely known as an able 
writer on agricultural topics, informed us 
that in some sections of his State the cattle 
were terribly afflicted with bone disease 
consequent upon feeding upon lands which 
had been long devoted to milk-farmiug. 
The cows in that district were often so bad¬ 
ly affected with the “bone disease” as to 
fall, yet abortions did not occur and this 
bad habit there was unknown. The feeding 
of bone meal was a benefit to the diseased 
animals aud was resorted to as a specific for 
“bone disease.” 
In our experience we commenced feeding 
bone meal in Summer, and we found that 
animals which had aborted during the 
Winter previous appeared excessively fond 
of the meal, while a few animals of the herd 
did not care for it- Some of the young 
calves which were being raised on the farm 
would eagerly eat of the meal before they 
had been weaned. These experiment® were 
sufficiently satisfactory to us that bone 
meal was of advantage to those animals that 
took it of their own accord. In feeding 
bone meal it was always kept apart from 
the salt, which was supplied in separate 
boxes, where the cows could have daily 
access to either, as desired. 
The cause of abortion as a disease now 
so prevalent in the central counties of New 
York, still remains a mystery. In a re¬ 
cent article in the Rural New-Yorker of 
March 23, page 195, we give what are claimed 
to be some new features concerning the 
disease, referring to the microscopical in¬ 
vestigations M, Bkouleu and other distin- 
guised scientists of Europe, in which the 
disease is attributed to animalcul®, or liv¬ 
ing vegetable organisms. We have no settled 
theory regarding the disease. We have had 
t heories, but during the long and patient in¬ 
vestigation of the Farmers’ Club of Little 
Falls to solve the mystery, in which we took 
an active part, wo found the facts abundant 
to overthrow all theories suggested, except 
the one above alluded to. At the instance 
of the (Tub aud the dairymen of Central 
New York, we brought the question before 
the New York State Agricultural Society 
in an address at the annual meeting of the 
Society at Albany (see Transactions 186'), 
page 214), and asked the Society to appoint 
a commission to investigate the subject, 
etc. As is well known, the Society took 
the matter in hand, aud the Legislature ap¬ 
propriated several thousand dollars to de¬ 
fray the expenses of the Investigation. The 
reports of the Commissioners appointed to 
conduct (hb investigation are printed in 
the Transactions of the State Ag. Society, 
and are in many respects valuable; but (lie 
Commissioners, in our opinion, came no 
nearer solving the mystery than did the 
Farmers' Club. The facts, however, gath¬ 
ered by the Commissioners very conclusive¬ 
ly dispose of various theories in the minds 
of farmers as to the cause of the disease, aud 
as wo have several communications from 
correspondents attributing the disease to 
these exploded theories, we must refer them 
to t he Reports of t he Commission. 
But while we do not wish to detract from 
the labors of the Commissioners or their 
reports, we think a mistake was made in 
not making a thorough microscopical inves¬ 
tigation o. the aborted calves and the ap¬ 
pendages expelled, together with a more 
thorough examination of the diseased cows 
at the identical time abortions were taking 
place. 
The New England Farmer, in comment¬ 
ing upon the art icle in the Rural of March 
23d, quotes from reports of the Commis¬ 
sioners showing that two cows were dissect¬ 
ed and portions of the blood and other 
parts subjected to examination uuuer the 
microscope, but without discovering any ap¬ 
pearance of cruptO(ja moxi8 spores or other 
form of microscopic vegetation, etc. The 
statement, appearing as it does without ex¬ 
planation, seems to imply that there was no 
lack of microscopical examination, while it 
is well known that this line of investigation 
was scarcely entered upon by the commis¬ 
sioner. So far as Herkimer and the ad join¬ 
ing districts are concerned, the invest iga¬ 
tion was conducted at a season of the year 
when there was little or no chance of seeing 
abortions lake place. Whereas, if the 
month of February had been selected the 
assistants sent out would have had ampler 
opportunity to have seen cases occurring 
almost daily. Of the cow dissected by Dr. 
HalbtkD he says:—“Of the calf I know 
very little, it had been thrown with the 
manure into the barnyard, and was not in 
lit condition to form any judgment upon.” 
Transactions 1868, p. 8!). Again, lho Com¬ 
missioner says in same report, page !H), as 
follows:—“ There have been few opportuni¬ 
ties offered to rbe inspectors, in which to 
make actual examinations of the foetus as 
expelled, but their limited investigations, 
aud the general observations of farmers 
unite in describing nothing inflammatory, 
or otherwise abnormal in the external ap¬ 
pearance of the foetus; but it is usually 
dead.” We are unable to state what is to 
be established by a thorough and exhaust¬ 
ive microscopic investigation; but much 
is hoped from such investigation, and we 
have referred to the matter in the hope 
t hat investigators will turn thuir attent ion 
in this direction. 
In conclusion, we may remark that Pro¬ 
fessor Law of Cornell University has re¬ 
cently examined the after-birth from a cow 
soon after aborting, and the microscope re¬ 
vealed living organisms which, there is 
reason to suppose, might cause disease. 
We give these facts as a uew feature con¬ 
cerning a most terrible scourge that has 
long afflicted, aud still continues to afflict, 
the dairy districts of New York, and the 
cause of which iB shrouded in mystery. 
-- 
REPORT OF NORTHWESTERN DAIRY¬ 
MEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
We are in receipt of the Sixth Annual 
Report of the Northwestern Dairymen’s 
Association, from the Secretary, Mr. G. E. 
Morroiv of Madison, Wis. It is an octavo 
pamphlet of 100 pages, containing the ad¬ 
dresses aud proceedings of the late Conven¬ 
tion, in January last, at the city of Elgin, 
Ill. The various dairy associations, through 
their annual reports, are presenting to the 
public a large amount of valuable informa¬ 
tion; and the Northwestern Association 
now cont ributes its quota of interesting and 
useful matter in this report. We have no 
space to give an extended notice of the vol 
ume, but may ment ion among the papers of 
special interest and value, the following: 
“Grasses for the Dairy”—an address by 
Prof. W. J. Beal of Michigan Agricultural 
College; an address on the “Principles of 
Breeding,” by l’rof. W. W. Dani ells of 
Wisconsin University; address on the 
“Condition and Prospect® of the Dairy In¬ 
terests of the Northwest,” by G. E. Mor 
bow of the Western Farmer; a paper on 
the “Size and Shape of Cheese, and Best 
Method of Manufact ure,” by S. Favillic of 
Wisconsin. The report contains statistics 
of the quantity of milk shipped to Chicago 
during the year 1871 from ton stations, ami 
1 lie. amount of freight paid the Northwest¬ 
ern road therefor. A statement from the 
Illinois milk-condensing company shows 
that 1,881,721 quarts, or 470,1303^ gallons of 
milk, have been received by that establish¬ 
ment during the year 1871. The Secretary 
regrets that only a meager collection of 
statistics as to the dairy produce of the 
Northwest in 1871 can be given, but the 
same may be said of the reports of other as¬ 
sociations. They are all faulty in this re¬ 
spect. Some well organized effort should 
be made by the Associations to obtain am¬ 
ple and trustworthy statistics. These 
would give increased value to the reports, 
and the defect of the present system is felt 
to be u serious loss by every one engaged in 
the dairy interest. The Secretary, Mr. 
Morrow, seems to have discharged his du¬ 
ties creditably in putting the matter of the 
convention very clearly before the public. 
HOUSE FURNISHING vs. HOME MAKING. 
Poor people think if they were rich they 
could then make their rooms beautifully 
home-like and comfortable; while people 
who are rich fall into the notion of suppos¬ 
ing that so much expended on furniture of 
such and such qualities aud quantities, 
answers the demands of flue furnishing. 
If there is anything I have a horror of, it 
is a “regulation” room, one of these put 
up affairs with a Brussels carpet, so many 
chairs of t he same pattern, a Bofa, pictures 
ou the wall in geometrical precision, an 
image on each end of a mantel with a clock 
between, and everything deathly prim. 
There are some things the poorest, who 
have any desire to emulate cosiness and 
comfort, can have and enjoy. For instance, 
they can saw' off their chair legs, and have 
seats of various bights, and when they buy 
their chairs they w ill exercise much better 
judgment in choosing odd ones, even if at 
second hand, than hulf a dozen all alike. 
Then, for comfort, there is nothing like the 
old-fashioned chairs, upholstered at home, 
covered, perhaps, with Ann’s old dress, 
re-dyed, or Fanny's jk/.sh'C shawl, or grand¬ 
mother's cloak. Footstools and ottomans 
may be brought into existence in the same 
economical fashion, aud they fit in notches 
when nothing else can. 
In ranging pictures of anj' sort, let them 
be within the liue of the eye where one is 
standing. Five feet from t he floor is usually 
quite high enough lor pictures of ordinary 
size in ordinary rooms. Book shelves 
should not be so high that one cannot easily 
read their labels. Spaces in the walls may 
be filled in with books or curiosities, while 
the top forms mantels, on which statuettes, 
vases, easels, etc., may be placed. Brackets, 
little upholstered shelves, and various sorts 
of fomiiiiuoish fixtures give a room a most 
loving look. Then instead of one large table, 
I would hat e three or four smaller ones, low 
and with sure footed legs. On these would 
be books, small pictures, newspapers, writ¬ 
ing materials, games, etc. Absolute cleanli¬ 
ness is essential, but a certain amount of a 
oertain kind of disorder, is very wholesome. 
Flowers in windows are good for the flow¬ 
ers, but usually not pleasantest for the room 
or its inmates, unless the window can be 
well spared. Running vines in pots or 
brackets, or fragrant plants on mantels or 
shelves are agreeable. Pressed vinos fes¬ 
tooned about frames against a light wall, 
look beautifully. Three or four bright 
autumn leaves which have been pressed and 
oiled, pinned in clumps on the wall under 
pictures, brackets, etc., lend brightness 
and piquancy to an apartment. A room 
that has an air of being inhabited, is always 
more agreeable than one that is uot. 
There are two things in some fine houses 
1 am afraid of—in the sense of being afraid 
of stuffed monsters. I refer to the fashion- 
aide, inlaid, carved, overgrown cabinets, 
aud the fashionable bedstead, with tower¬ 
ing headboard, aud all sort of heathenish 
heads carved in relief. There is no such 
t hing as having too large a bed. but I think 
the room occupied by beds could be econo¬ 
mized to general advantage. What are 
called “parlor bedsteads," can be put up in 
a parlor, and be entirely unobjectionable in 
appearance. When closed, one sees w*hat 
in apparently a book-case, or cabinet, with 
mirrorsand mouldings. The sofa bedsteads, 
which open and serve for beds at night, and 
with folded wings do duty as sofas in the 
daytime, are all admirable. Then the sav¬ 
ing in work, too! All the bedding “fixlns ” 
pul on just for show no longer are needed, 
and bedding is less soiled. We may well 
learn from nature, which has stood men and 
trees on end, that it is an economizing of 
space, if having no other advantage. The 
parlor bedstead does the same thing with a 
bed, and converts our bedroom into a par¬ 
lor. Mintwood. 
GRAHAM BREAD. 
Your correspondent, J. G. D. (see Ru¬ 
ral, May 11, page 311). should stir her 
Graham mixture until quite stiff, so that 
she can take a spoonful heaped up and drop 
it into the basin that 6he has prepared for 
the steamer. Let it remain in the steamer 
three-quarters of an hour after the water 
commences boiling. The object of putting 
bread over cold water is to heat it gradually, 
thereby giving it more time to rise than it 
would have by at once being set to steam¬ 
ing. A rounded up teaspoonful of soda (not 
heaped, nor even) is always the proper rule 
for a pint, or a common teacup twice full of 
buttermilk. My measuring teacups hold 
just a half pint each. If such a cup is not 
at hand, a pint measure probably is, as 
every housekeeper should have one. I will 
stand between J. G. D. and all the barm 
she receives from eating broad made light 
by using soda, if she follows my rule exact¬ 
ly. Now, in order to prevent any unwhole¬ 
some effects from the use of soda, be sure to 
find just the quantity required, which pro¬ 
portion I have named, probably, is as near 
as can be come at by ordinary measure¬ 
ment. 
A little experience and some observation 
will enable one to use just soda enough to 
neutralize the acid of the buttermilk, which 
is a sufficient test that no more is needed. 
But a new beginner had best measure her 
ingredients, lest she get in an overdose of 
soda, and make iter bread unpalatable, like 
some gold-colored biscuits t hat I have some¬ 
times seen (not on my table), aud her hus¬ 
band be provoked to say:—"These do not 
look or taste like mother’s” 
Let me say here, if buttermilk is too sour, 
heavy or soggy bread is the result. 1 find 
many old housekeepers do not kuow that 
their dumpling*, bread, or biscuit is often 
made heavy by lining buttermilk too sour. 
Summer buttermilk is seldom fit for use 
more than 30 or 40 hours after taken from 
the churn. I do not use it for anything ex¬ 
cept Graham bread, corn bread, aud John¬ 
ny cake. 1 find sweet milk aud baking pow¬ 
der better for line white flour. Cake, bis¬ 
cuits aud pot-pie dumplings are much more 
delicate, aud always light and puffy, when 
made with sweet milk. Graham bread 
made with yeast should become sufficiently 
light, as for baking, before being placed in 
the steamer. The consistency the same as 
buttermilk bread; also steam the same; 
bake, etc. The buttermilk rule is equally 
good for corn meal. s. j. d. 
Painesville, O. 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
Cauliflower Salad.—Boil a cauliflower 
in salted water till tender, but not over¬ 
done ; when cold, cut it up neatly in small 
sprigs. Beat up together three tablespoou- 
fuls of oil and one tablespoonful of tarragon 
vinegar, with pepper aud salt to taste:—rub 
the dish very slightly with garlic, arrange 
the pieces of cauliflower on it, strew over 
them some capers, a little tarragon, chervil, 
aud parsley, all finely minced, and the least 
bit of dried thyme and marjoram powdered. 
Four the oil and vinegar over, and serve. 
Minute Pudding. — One quart 6weet 
milk, three eggs; bent the flour and eggs 
together, aud stir it in the milk while the 
mi lk is hot; keep stirring till it is thick 
enough for puddiug; serve with sugar aud 
cream. This equals the best corn-starch 
pudding.— l. E. k. 
Skippers in Dried Apples aud Cheese. 
—Will some one please inform me how to 
keep skippers from dried apples and cheese ? 
—A Subscriber. 
3 
