^airir Husbamlnr. 
DAIRY MATTERS IN RUSSIA. 
We recently were favored with a visit 
from Paul Winogradoff of St. Peters¬ 
burg]), a very intelligent Russian gentle¬ 
man, who comes to this country for the 
purpose of examining our dairy system and 
obtaining a knowledge of the best methods 
of factory cheese making. We learn from 
Mr. W1NOGRADOFF that sixteen cheese fac¬ 
tories are at present in successful operation 
in Russia. They are located between St. 
Petersburg!) and Moscow, and around the 
latter place, say within a radius of one hun¬ 
dred to one hundred and fifty miles. The 
factories in Russia are upon ttie plan of the 
co-operative dairies of Switzerland. Indeed 
the buildings and tho machinery are all 
modeled after Swiss patterns. The factories 
vary in size, the number of cows from which 
milk is delivered ranging from two hundred 
to four hundred. 
The first factory in Russia was introduced 
during the year 1866, by NICHOLAS Vic- 
RF..ST0UAUU1X of St. Petersburg!). Ho had 
made himself acquainted with tho co-opera¬ 
tive dairy system of Switzerland, and was 
induced to make the experiment of estab¬ 
lishing a factory in Russia purely from 
philanthropic motives, in order to promote 
the prosperity and well being of the peas¬ 
ants. Possessed of large wealth, and under 
the old system the owner of serfs, he felt 
desirous for the advancement and progress 
of this class under their newly acquired 
freedom. lie believed tho system of co¬ 
operative dairies to be one of tho moans in 
accomplishing the object sought, and so far 
it has proved eminently successful. Up to 
this time, wo are informed, the Russians 
have followed pretty closely the various 
systems of cheese milking as practiced upon 
the continent of Europe. Even in t ho de¬ 
livery of milk at the factory the peasants 
owning but few cows carry the milk in pails 
to the manufactory, while the more wealthy 
have It deposited in barrels, which are 
slung upon hand-barrows, and in this way 
the men deliver the milk. 
The varieties of cheese made at. the facto¬ 
ries are the Edams, a small, ball-like cheese 
weighing some five or six pounds, "Switzer 
kase," or Swiss cheese, is also quite com¬ 
mon; the Llniburgor and (Jruyero and 
Schabzeiger, and other European kinds, all 
of which find a ready market in St. Pcters- 
burgh and other Russian cities. 
Earra dairying is carried on in Russia to 
a Considerable extent, the dairies some¬ 
times numbering from 100 to 150 cows. 
At the factories patrons receive from the 
sales of cheese in proportion to the quan¬ 
tity of milk delivered, and the expenses 
for manufacturing are also shared among 
them in tho same proportion. In this re¬ 
spect there is little difference between their 
system and that of America. 
In the sale of cheese they have an admi¬ 
rable arrangement which is worthy of adop¬ 
tion in Other countries. They have co-op¬ 
erative stores where the cheese is received 
and sold, on account of the patrons, eight 
per cent, on sales being charged to cover all 
expenses for conducting these establish¬ 
ments. All the transactions are for cash, 
and as soon as sales are made the money js 
transmitted to the factory to be divided 
among patrons. Under this system it will 
be seen the cheese does not pass through 
the hands of dealer after dealer as with us, 
and consequently the patrons get the whole 
profits on sales instead of dividing them up 
with the middle men, as under our system. 
The best grades of cheese sell at tho co-op¬ 
erative stores at an average price of from 
15c. to 18c. per pound, but badly made, in¬ 
ferior or damaged cheese often goes as low 
as from 5 to Gc. per pound. 
Cheese making at the factorios com¬ 
mences about the 1 st of April and closes in 
October, except in certain factories where 
it is made the whole year round. Cheese 
makers are imported from Switzerland and 
Holland, and are paid in proportion to their 
skill. A good cheese maker and his wife as 
assistant got about 8500 per annum and 
board. The latter being provided in the 
raw state, that is to say, a certain quantity 
of wheat, of pork and beef, of butter and 
cheese, together with a vegetable garden 
being gi ven, sufficient for cue maintenance 
of the family. 
Milk is sold iu St. Petersburgh and other 
cities on the co-operative system at the 
stores. It is packed in bottles holding about 
two quarts each which are set in cold water 
while being carried to the store, and are 
also placed iu cold water after delivery. 
Those desiring milk go to those stores and 
procure their supply from day to day. 
There are also butter factories iu Russia, 
the butter being made cm the Holstein plan, 
and by manufacturers brought from Hol¬ 
stein especially for the purpose. The 
skimmed milk is sometimes made into skim 
cheese, but more frequentlj' it is fed to 
swine, provision being made at the factory 
for the disposal of the whey or milk in this 
manner. 
Mr. Winogradoff expresses himself 
greatly pleased with the superiority of our 
dairy system and our manufacture over all 
others. He has been greatly interested in 
the perfection of our cheeso making ma¬ 
chinery and appliances, and proposes to in¬ 
troduce them into Russia. He states that 
various papers from our pen have been 
translated into the Russian language, and 
that there is much interest manifested 
among his people to obtain the best infor¬ 
mation respecting the American dairy sys¬ 
tem, and that he might see and learn prac¬ 
tically that system he undertook the jour¬ 
ney to America. He brings letters of intro¬ 
duction showing tho object of his mission, 
and from his intelligence and keen faculty 
of observation we have no doubt he will 
carry back to Russia very much that will 
be useful to that people. 
■* * * -- 
FORMATION OF FAT IN MILK AND 
CHEESE. 
Commissioner IIikschhero, in a commu¬ 
nication to the Milt'li Zcilunq , makes the 
following interesting remarks concerning 
the formation of fat in milk and cheese. 
He says: Subsequently to Herr Vow’s de¬ 
monstration that fat avisos from the decom¬ 
position of albumen in living organisms, 
Herr Kkmmehhh satisfied himself that the 
same process goes on in albumen after it 
lias been removed from the body. He 
found that the fatty matter contained in 
milk increases in quantity fora few days 
after it. is drawn, while the amount of albu¬ 
men becomes less. But the formation of 
filt iu milk freely exposed to the air is con¬ 
ditional on the development of fungi. If 
their germs are deranged by the milk being 
raised to a temperature of ISO Eahr., or if 
means are purposely taken to prevent the 
admission of fungus germs to it, while the 
access of air is still permitted, tho fatty 
contents of the milk diminish; the existing 
fat is oxidized by the air, and no new com¬ 
pensatory supply is formed. 
Exactly nnulngous processes attend the 
formation of fat iu cheese. Here, also, the 
existing proportion of butter is diminished 
by the atmospheric air on the one hand, 
while on the other a fresh supply is formed 
by the influence of the fungi which are be¬ 
ing developed. According to the prepon¬ 
derance of one or the other processes the 
fat contents of old cheese will rise or fall in 
amount. 
“Practically,” sayH Ilorr Kemmehich, in 
concluding his paper cm this subject in 
Ptiuger’s Archives of Physiology, “ the 
method by which we can regulate the for¬ 
mation of fat in ripening chooses to any de¬ 
sired degree has long been known to us. 
If we wish to produoe extremely rich “ haml- 
choeses,” above everything, very cool and 
not too dry cellars are required, and care 
must be taken to puck small cheeses very 
close together, so as to prevent, iu some 
measure, the access of air.” 
The philosophy of curing cheese is imper¬ 
fectly understood, at least in America. 
Many dairymen, as well as cheese dealers, 
do not believe that fat in cheese can bo pro¬ 
duced iu any other way than by the cream 
which is in the milk. And yet it has been 
proved over and over again, that cheeso 
properly cured, though made from milk 
partly skimmed, is often more mellow and 
rich-tasting than cheese made from whole 
milk, but not so well cured. Perhaps our 
cheese makers will get an idea from the 
above communication that may be turned 
to some practical account ill the curing of 
cheese. 
•-♦♦♦- 
Floating Curd;— Dr. Stone at N. W. 
Dairymen’s Convention said the floating 
curd arose from various causes. It might 
arise from disease in cows. Milk that is pro¬ 
ductive of this curd has a sweety, sickish 
taste. Such milk don’t develop acid fast 
enough; mix lag a little sour whey with such 
milk is profitable. Flouting curds are not 
plenty and can be generally avoided by cool¬ 
ing and airing the milk. Thu doctor used a 
rake in stirring milk, but it had clean teeth. 
Sufficient rennet should be used to bring the 
curd in 15 minutes, or say 80 minutes. Ren¬ 
nets bad different degrees of strength, and 
cheese-makers should try their strength 
when using them. 
SHEEP ON COTTON FARMS. 
D. Wyatt Aiken of the Rural Carolinian 
believes in sheep for cotton farms just as 
Northern farmers do for wheat farms. His 
process for joining Wool growing to cotton 
growing is, substantially, after this man¬ 
nerAnnually, in September or October, 
two, three or a half dozen acres of laud are 
thoroughly prepared by deep plowing and 
heavy manuring, and sown either in barley 
or rye. If the fall is late and the grain 
grows too rapidly, it is eaten down by my 
sheep until about Christmas. When the 
time arrives to shear the sheep the lambs 
are properly marked and trimmed, and 
turned upon this rye or barley field, to re¬ 
main until they are weaned. The ewes are 
daily driven to pasture and at night are 
hurdled. All the straw and chaff of the 
grain crops should be carefully saved for 
Winter fodder for the sheep. Three acres 
of good land, well manured, broken up and 
cross-plowed and nicely harrowed, In tho 
latter part; of May, will yield a sufficient 
crop of crab-grass hay to feed fifty ewes 
during an ordinary Winter. 
Cotton fields may bo sown to rye or red 
oats, at tho last plowing, and would pro¬ 
duce luxuriant pasturage for sheep from 
the first of October till the tenth of March. 
The manure dropped by the sheep would 
benefit tho land, and the remains of the 
green crop, to be turned under at the April 
plowing, would be so much the better for 
the next crop of cotton. 
By the first of October the oats sown in 
the cotton fields in July are high enough to 
pasture the sheep upon. If the cotton is 
picked out so as to prevent its being knocked 
out by the sheep as they pass through it 
while grazing, they will pasture off the oats 
close to the ground before eating a boll of 
cotton, or Injuring it In any way beyond 
stripping the luxuriant, stalks occasionally 
of their too heavy foliage. This is bene¬ 
ficial, for It admits heat and light to the 
hidden bolls, thereby hastening their ma¬ 
turity and preventing their decay. Usually 
this programme may be followed l o the let¬ 
ter. I have seen fields, just after the first 
freeze in the fall, white with cotton, pre¬ 
senting tho beautiful picture of being 
gradually darkened by the hands picking 
rapidly the snowy fleece whilst trampling 
amongst the luxuriant oats or rye. half leg 
high, and at the same time a flock of indus¬ 
trious sheep deployed across this blackened 
area, rapidly converting into mutton and 
manure what would otherwise be lost. 
Broomsedge, that bane to Southern farms, 
can be most economically utilized for Winter 
feeding of sheep. The 4th of September, 
1871, I mowed two acres of brooiusedgc. In 
24 hours it w as completely cured and housed, 
making a pretty, lively-colored, greenish 
hiiy. Four hundred pound* of t his hay were 
baled and exhibited at our State Fair, in 
November, and sold conditionally—if noth¬ 
ing would eat it, no price; if eaten, same 
price as the other bales of clover and crab 
grass sold to the same man. He has since 
informed me his cow made no distinction, 
but ate from the three bales with equal zest. 
The remainder of this broomsedgo hay was 
fed regularly during the Winter to my sheep 
and calves, and eateu voraciously. This 
broomsedgo had taken possession of a plot 
that had become “clover sick.” and looked 
ho luxuriantly greau when about shin high, 
that the experiment of harvesting was sug¬ 
gested, and I have no cause to regret having 
made blip experiment- 
A ny broomsedge old field burned off about 
February 1st, will diuw a green coat sooner 
than any other summer grass, and serve 
admirably as early Spring nipping for sheep, 
some time before cows can eat it. Indeed, 
sheep will fare well during the Winter on 
broomsedge fields alone, for in every tuft of 
the grass, even in mid-Winter, there are one 
or more sprigs of green grass, which sheep 
soon learn to burrow for, and, hence, find 
nutritious food on the very land that would 
impoverish and ultimately starve a cow. 
During the fall of 1871. 1 housed and salt¬ 
ed and packed away, bright clear straw 
from 175 bushels oT barley, 30 bushels of 
rye, and 1,000 bushels of oats, and about 
two tons of slightly damaged clover hay. 
This provender was supplemented by 
shucks from 850 bushels of corn, 100 bushels 
of cotton seed, and three acres of very tine 
turnips; and the whole quantity was fed 
during the Winter carefully and regularly to 
twenty head of small cattle, three of them 
under two years old. By the 5th of April 
every vestige of this bulk was gone, my 
cattle poor and requiring additional food. 
At the same time Inst Fall I housed the 
second mowing from three acres of clover, 
two acres of crab grass and two acres of 
broomsedge, which was supplemented by 
one hundred bushels of cotton seed, for 
my ewes and lambs in wet weather, and 
the oat fields for them in dry weather. On 
the 5th of April my oat fields manifested 
no injury from being pastured till the 15th 
of March ; the hay nor cotton seed are yet 
cousuined; my 125 grown sheep are in good 
condition, some of them fat, while the 56 
lambs are as sprightly and nimble as cats, 
and growing rapidly. 
The native Southern scrub cow, the har¬ 
diest of horned kino, is as expensive to 
Winter as twenty Merino sheep,(remember¬ 
ing the oats In the cotton fields;) and I 
would rather carry twenty-five Merino 
ewos, and as many lambs through such a 
Winter as tho past, than one Durham cow. 
Such is my experience and practice, and 1 
see no reason why it is not perfectly feasi¬ 
ble on every farm in the South- And not 
only feasible but profitable, and if profita¬ 
ble worthy of adoption. A flock of sheep 
on each and every Southern farm, equal iu 
number to the acres on that farm, devoted 
to cotton, would be valuable adjuncts to 
the crop, ami being of an almost inappreci¬ 
able cost,, would remunerate the Southern 
farmers more handsomely than any other 
possible investment of the same amount. 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
A Congressional Township, Mr. L. 
Whitney, Morris, ill., explains, is a tract 
of land six miles square, containg 86 square 
miles or sections of land, numbered from l 
to 36, as per accompanying diagram: 
6 
5 
4 
3 
o 
1 
7 
8 
9 
10 
n 
12 
18 
17 
16 
15 
14 
13 
19 
20 
21 
«» 
23 
24 
30 
20 
28 
27 
26 
25 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
It is so called because surveyed in this 
manner by direction of an act of Congress. 
The sections are sub-divided into halves 
and quarters so that ft person may very 
easily describe Ills farm by saying that he 
owns the N. E. quarter Of Sec. 6 , etc., as 
the case may be, each quarter of a full sec¬ 
tion containing 160 acres- just tho amount 
allowed to each soldier for a homestead. 
“Shall Wo Go South?”—We find the 
following paragraph in the New York cor¬ 
respondence of the Chicago Evening Jour¬ 
nal :—“A few weeks since thirty families 
in St. Lawrence county decided to form a 
colony and migrate to Virginia. They were 
all well-to-do farmers, and belonged to a 
most desirable class of population. A few 
weeks since they dispatched several of their 
number to select a locality. The latter, af¬ 
ter prospecting extensively, have now re¬ 
turned and counsel an abandonment of the 
scheme. Their principal ground for so 
doing is the fact that they were received 
with no cordiality. Instead of meeting 
with a warm reception, they ruport the 
Virginians gave the cold shoulder to them. 
They found many Northerners scattered 
through the State who generally complain 
of isolation aud social ostracism. The 
scheme has accordingly been given up.” 
Forest Hill, Harford Co., Md.—There 
is a great deal of nice land for sale cheap in 
this State — particularly in Charles Co. I 
have a son near Bryantown, 20 miles below 
Washington, D. C. The Baltimore and Po¬ 
tomac R, It. is nearly finished, running 
through the county. Boantown is the sta¬ 
tion. I have spent several months there iu 
I the last two years, and like it much. The 
I laud is free from stone, easily improved, 
well watered, abundance of timber of dif¬ 
ferent kinds, is healthy away from the Po¬ 
tomac and Pautuxent rivers on which 
steamers run to Washington and Baltimore 
| three times a week.— l. m. v. 
