CD 
lie jjonltrn-ljarti. 
POULTRY CONVENTION, 
To Fix an Aniuricun Standard of Excel¬ 
lence, 
[Continued from paste 250, last No.J 
White llaunmm. 
The President — “White Bantams.” 
There is a chance to put in the knife. In the 
action of this Convention wo shall gel a great 
deal of blame and a good deal of credit. iStir 
up a lillle controversy about this, and it will 
be the best thing that can be done. 
Mr. Halstead—T he thing has been agi¬ 
tated for four years. I have agitated it off 
and on in tbe Country Gentleman for sever¬ 
al years. 
The President—I presume I have bad 
fifty letters about it, criticising the standard 
as a defective one, and saying that the Amer¬ 
ican Standard is a mere copy of the English, 
and, in fact,a plagiarism, and that was equal¬ 
ly defective. All these things will certainly 
be corrected in time. I recollect having a 
long correspondence with a gentleman in 
Ohio about it, and he rather appealed to my 
own judgment in the matter. I read some¬ 
thing about, it in the Poultry Bulletin, or else 
the Rural New-Yorker, I have forgotten 
which, and the answer was rather waived, as 
much as to say they were not ready to an¬ 
swer that yet. I was speaking on that very 
point with Major Lewis, who twenty years 
ago was a breeder of Derby fowls, and who 
really lias good ideas on the subject, and I 
found lie was pretty much of the same opin¬ 
ion with regard to it. 
Mr. Halstead —In the Black African 
Bantams, the ear-lobe must be white. In the 
Red Bantams, it must be red or white, red 
being preferable. There are a great many 
who breed White Bantams, but they vary so 
much Hint, we can hardly find two alike. 
The President—So in breeding the Afri¬ 
can Bantams. We have had no staudard of 
breeding here. It is only now and then that 
we get a bird passable. 
Mr. Halstead—I have seen in the Phila¬ 
delphia Show, three premiums given on birds 
with red ear-lobes and imperfect combs. 
The President —Suppose we rule out the 
words “ White Bantams.” 
Hindi African ISittnains. 
Mr. Halstead—M ake it Black African 
Bantams. 
Col. Weld—N o; African Bantams 
The President — There are no other 
colors known but black for the African 
Bant atns. 
Mr. Halstead— I will read the descrip¬ 
tion of them, (Reads description.) The 
eyes are generally black. 
The President —Would you say brown 
or black ? 
Mr. Simpson—I s it best to say anything 
about the color of the eyes ? 
Mr. Halstead— “ Back, very short; sad¬ 
dle feathers long.” That is a point I would 
leave as ii is, and for this reason:—I find a 
great many breeding the same style of sickle 
feathers that some parties introduced in the 
Leghorn, ouh^pivrlially curved, two or three 
leathers sticking right up with a slight curve 
in them. 1 think it is one of the virtues of 
the American breed that the sickle feathers 
are well curved; and that is what this de¬ 
scription puts on paper. 
Mr. Halstead— Now, we come to the hen#. 
(Reading.) “ Comb —Same shape as that of 
the cock ; but very much smaller. Head — 
Small, round and neat. Beak —Small. Eye 
—Full and quick. Deaf-far —Flat and 
even on the surface. Wattles —Small. Neck 
— Short and taper; carried well back. 
Breast —Round and prominent. Back— 
Short. \Vi>igs —Ample; points drooping. 
Tail —Full, expanded; carried rather up¬ 
right. Thigh#— Short. Legs— Short, clean 
and taper. Carriage— Upright and strut¬ 
ting. ” N ow we come to the color of African 
Bantams. (Reading) “Comb, face and 
wattles.—Rich bright red.” 
Mr. Bestor—I s it a fact that the corah is 
a bright red ? 
Mr. Halstead —Yes; a cherry red,—my 
birds always were so. Tbe birds that I took 
tbe first premium with were very rich—very 
handsome. 
Mr. Bestor —All right. It has been some 
years since 1 had any Afrieau Bantams. 
Mr. Halstead— (Reading.) “Beak— Dark 
horn color, or black. Deaf-ear —Pure white. 
Plumage— Rich black throughout. Legs — 
Black, or very dark leadeu-blue." 
Mr. Bestor —We have now got down to 
Black Bantams, aud that is what that 
description was written for. All we have to 
do now is to arrange a scale of points, make 
disqualifications, and then make a distinct 
description for White Bantams. Here is 
something that strikes me as being to the 
point:—In the first place, size-, it is called 
“ smallness ” here, (referring to a book In his 
hands.) 
Mr. Halstead —Make it “ size." 
Mr. Bestor—“ Size, 25.” 
Mr. Halstead —It is not enough. 
Mr. Simpson—T hat is changing it from 
the way it stands here—putting the most 
important things first—putting size first. It 
is all mixed up here, (referring to book in 
his hands.) 
Mr. Halstead—I should follow a system 
all the way through. 
Mr. Bestor—W hat would you have first? 
—size? 
Mr. Halstead —Yes. Comb next; deaf- 
ear next; purity of color next; symmetry 
next, and then condition. 
Mr, Bestor—T hen say size, 25 ; comb, 15 ; 
deaf car, 20 ; color, 15 ; symmetry, 15 ; condi¬ 
tion and appearance, 10. 
Mr. Halstead—T hat is good. Would you 
make deaf-c< r ur more prominent than color? 
Mr. SrMPsoN— Deaf-ear Is of almost as 
much importance in this case as it is in the 
Spanish. 
Mr, Bestor—T he next business is 
Disqualifications. 
Mr. Halstead — How about the size of 
blacks? 
Mr. Simpson —I would leave the size for 
white and black the same as they have got it. 
Mr. Halstead—D eaf-ear, “any other 
color than while ;" how will that wording 
do ?—“ deaf-ear other than white V” 
Mr. Bestor— Yes, sir. 
Mr. Halstead—T hen 1 want to call yflur 
attention to this:—In Black Bantams, es¬ 
pecially, 1. have seen birds given a premium 
with feathers oil their legs more than in any 
other variety of Bantams. Would it. he 
proper to put that in among the disqualifi¬ 
cations? IIow would you express that? 
Mr. Bestor—W hen you come right down 
t.o it, the Game Bantam and the African 
Bantam are the only two pure Bantams. 
Let us see :—“ Feathers on legs.” Now we 
come to while —what will we say about that? 
Mr. Halstead—T he White Bantam does 
not carry the head so upright nor the tail so 
upright as the other ; the tail is not so full, 
and the head and tail don’t, come so near 
together aB in the other. 
Mr. Bestor—F irst comes “ smallness of 
size." 
Mr. Halstead—T hat varies so much in 
White Bantams that you will have to make 
that fully as large as Sebright. Would you 
make that 24 to 20?—would you say any¬ 
thing about the size other than to enumerate 
it in the points? Make the disqualifications 
20 to 24 ounces—Eh ? 
Mr. Bestor—S mallness of size—suppose 
we say about the same as Gold or Silver Se¬ 
bright. 
Mr. Halstead—T he same as Sebright? 
Mr. Bestor—“ Comb, rich scarlet red.” 
Mr. Halstead — Yes, “bright red” I 
should say would express it. Comb, single. 
Mr. Bestor—N o, sir. 
Mr. Halstead —Then you must allow 
both, single or double, because they are both 
red. 
Mr. Bestor — If you put that “ Rose- 
comb ” you will do away with a lot of 
scrubbage. 
Mr. Simpson—W hat, the While Bantams ? 
Mr. Bestor—Y es, sir. 
Sir. Slupson—T hey must have a rose- 
comb. 
Mr. Halstead—V ery well. 
Mr. Bestor — Color— Rose, a bright red. 
Deaf-ear —red. Color —Clear white, pure 
white, free from tinge of yellow. 
Mr. Halstead—H ere is another question 
about “ deaf-ear " A good many judges al¬ 
low a yelloiv cream color; that they call 
" white.” 
Mu. Bestor— White is one color and yellow 
is another. 
Mr. Halstead— 19 it not better to specify 
that in the African Bantam, to go back aud 
specify “ white, not cream color” in deaf-ear, 
or “ cream color not desirable?” 
Mr. Bestor—W ell, go hack to the Black 
Bantam; “ deaf ear, pure white,” that cov¬ 
ers it. 
Mr. Halstead—Y es, we know what it is, 
but others may not. A great many judges 
will say that a slightly cream color is white; 
but let us say “ not cream,” and then they 
will not. 
Mr. Bestor—W hat will yon say with re¬ 
gard to the symmetry of the White Ban¬ 
tam—“very upright and strutting?” 
Mr. nAL stead—Y es. 
Mr. Bestor —Instead of “symmetry,” I 
will say “ carriage ”—“ carriage very upright 
and strutting.” 
Mr. Hale—T hat is good. 
Mr. Bestor—A nd you may put “ condi¬ 
tion.” 
Mr. Halstead—A re we not getting the 
“shape ” and “ color” mixed ? 
Mr. Bestor— 1 don’t think we are. 
Mr. HALSTEAD— General shape - 
Mr. Bestor — These are “ conditions.” 
Now, then, wo want to recapitulate. We 
give five points in the White Bantam. 
Mr. Halstead—W e speak of “ condition” 
in the African Bantam. 
Mr. Bestor—W ell. I like to have a good 
bird,—in a good healthy condition. 
Mr. Hale— Give “ condition” 10. How 
is the scale of points on the White Bantam ? 
Mr. Bestor— 20, right through. 
After considerable discussion pro and con 
between several gentlemen present, it was 
decided that the disqualifications should 
read:—“Legs not matching in the pen; 
feathering on the legs; cocks more than 
twenty-four ounces, or hens more than twenty 
ounces ; combs, other than rose; legs, other 
than white or yellow. 
Mr. Bestor— Now, 1 think that in that 
Black and White Bantam business we have 
done a good deal of work, and creditable 
work, too!—[To he continued. 
-- 
POULTRY NOTES AND QUERIES. 
Non-LuyinR Hens. 
J. S. W., Suspension Bridge, N. Y.—Your 
liens are too fat to lay well. Feed them less 
fat-making food, and allow them plenty of 
exercise. _ 
Hem* Laying Soft Shell Erkh, <fcc. 
D. A. W., Binghamton, N. Y.—You should 
give your hens more gravel and rubbish, old 
plaster, &c., and feed less soft and animal 
food. Pounded oyster shells should he given 
them freely. _ 
How io Pulverize Bones. 
B. B., Branleboro, Vt., w ishes some one 
to tell him how to pulverize bones for his 
fowls. He says“ What can be used, that, 
won’t take more strength to get them to 
pieces than a small hoy lias?” Who will 
give him the information sought? 
Itoupy Fowls. 
A. B. Mason, Black Hawk Co., Iowa. 
Your fowls have the roup, and unless you 
take the disease in hand at its first stages it, 
in nearly all cases, proves fatal. You will 
find this disease fully described and the 
proper treatment of birds affected with it, in 
“ The People’s Practical Poultry Book. ’ 
Keeping: Err* Tor Hatching. 
F. M. A., Greenwich, N. Y*.—The eggs 
you desire to keep for hatching should be 
placed in a cool place; hut we should not 
recommend you to set. eggs over two to four 
weeks old. Eggs laid a longer time than 
that may hatch, but we think the chances 
are against it. 
Catarrh in Fowl*. 
D. A. W. is informed, judging by tbe de¬ 
scription given of bis fowls, that they have 
the catarrh. Take finely pulverized, fresh- 
burnt charcoal and new yeast, of each three 
parts; flour, one part; pulverized sulphur, 
two parts; water, sufficient to mix well,and 
make into boluses of the size of a large pea, 
and give one three times a day. 
ChittniroiiK Fowl*. 
L. McG., Eariville, Ohio.—There is such 
a breed of fo ^-??r^Cliittagoug8. They are 
quite leggy, in appearance ; have showy 
plumage, of various colors. An ordinary 
pair will weigh from sixteen to eighteen 
pounds. The flesh of this breed is delicately 
white. They are full as hardy as any of the 
Asiatic breed of fowls. 
Curl dr ERR-Eiuina Hem. 
If A. II. Fisher, Adams, N. Y., will keep 
his fowls well supplied with lime and gravel 
or brick layers, rubbish and animal food 
(fresh meat,) in some form, it may prevent 
or cure his liens eating their eggs. Another 
mode is to place in the ljcsts artificial or 
China eggs and let them peck at them to 
their heart’s content. 
Scutes on (be Leas of Fowls. 
Can you or any readers of the Rural 
New'-Yorker tell me the cause; and also 
a remedy for a very troublesome disease 
among my bens. It is a tough, warty ex¬ 
crescence, of a scaly 'whitish appearance that 
forms upon their legs, causing them to be¬ 
come entirely crippled, and utterly worth¬ 
less eventually. — Mrs. M. J. B., Indepen¬ 
dence, Mo. 
Wlml ails 11. W.’s Chickens. 
H. W., Cleveland, O., asks in the Rural 
New-Yorker what ails his chickens, if he 
will examine the Brahma hen he will proba¬ 
bly find she lias an egg she cannot lay. Coop 
the hen by herself, feed on whole grain, and 
by anointing the part with sweet oil lie can 
easily assist the hen to lay the egg. It is 
very necessary the hen should he kept from 
the cook till fully recovered.—II. B. K., 
Milwaukee, Wis. 
Docs Tim ikIit Destroy tbe Vitality of Erics? 
It. A. B., Waynesboro, Miss., writes:—“A 
popular impression prevails in this section, 
that eggs, during the process of incubation, 
are injuriously affected by lightning or a 
heavy thunder storm. Will you favor me, 
through the Rural New-Yorker, with 
your opinion? as I desire to have the matter 
solved. If Hie shook from lightning destroys 
the embryo chick, is there any precaution to 
be observed to prevent same?” 
This is one of those old saws, (like the 
planting of seeds in certain stages of the 
moon,) and has no more influence, in our 
opinion, in destroying the embryo “cluck,” 
than feeding the hen a particular kind of 
food has upon the breed of “ chicks ” brought 
out. At all events, we have never experi¬ 
enced any bad effect on the incubation of our 
fowls, from the influence of “thunder or 
lightning.” 
CHURNING SOUR MILK, &c. 
In churning sour milk, is it. necessary, or tiest, 
to let the milk become so ur or thick belore 
churning? Is the slmpleaqiiaro box, to revolve, 
as good as the dash churn? I propose io u.su 
“horse-power*’ and have a dairy ot fifteen 
cows, and am furnishing an eating house in Now 
York with hotter at a yearly iron tract price, and 
am desirous of learning the best method of 
making a nice article.— Wyatt W. Puerto a, t'er- 
t lennes, Vt. 
It is not necessary for milk to become 
“sour or thick” before churning, to make 
good butter. There is difference of opinion 
among butler makers in regard to the proper 
condition of milk best suited for churning. 
Some contend that milk hut slightly acid 
makes the best butter, others that the milk 
should be allowed to thicken. Good butter 
is made by cither plan, if the milk be good 
and all the conditions for keeping it he 
properly attended to. We know certain 
noted butter makers who insist that the best 
condition of the milk for churning--to get a 
superior quality of butter—is when the milk 
becomes thick and moist on the top of the 
cream. Where this plan is adopted, how¬ 
ever, great care should he taken not to let 
the milk stand too long before churning, as 
in that case in hot weather it becomes too 
sour and the butter will be sour also, and in 
cold weather it. becomes bitter. 
As skillful butter makers make good but¬ 
ter by churning milk when slightly acid, and 
also when it is thick or loppered, we arc 
hardly prepared to decide us to the better 
system of the two. We hold, however, that 
the best system of butter making is to set the 
milk where itmay he kept at an even tem¬ 
perature of about 60° for the cream to rise, 
and which should be taken off before the 
milk sours. The cream then limy be allowed 
to become slightly acid before churning. 
This is the plan usually adopted by noted 
butter makers of this country and Europe 
who make an extra fancy article and obtain 
lor it extreme prices. 
The square box churn, revolving upon 
axles, is a good churn where power is used, 
and some think it quite equal and even supe¬ 
rior to the dash churn. The dash churn is 
more extensively used, and its efficiency in 
producing a fine quality of butter has never 
been questioned by our best butter milkers. 
In butter making it is essential to have 
good, clean milk, to keep it in a pure atmos¬ 
phere, or at least out. of the reach of foul 
odors—holding it at. even temperatures aud 
getting up the cream quietly. When milk 
is sot in vessels surrounded with cold spring 
water the temperature is more easily con¬ 
trolled, and by getting up the cream on this 
plan and churning it, instead of the milk, 
there is less liability of making mishaps and 
of getting a poor article. We do not say 
but that good butter may be made by other 
processes, hut they require more skill and 
watchfulness on the part of butter makers 
and result in less uniformity of product than 
by the plan named. 
BUTTER-WORKER. 
Is there any g-ood reliable machinery to work 
hotter? Also where such can be seen? Our 
market for milk is limited. Next summer I ex¬ 
pect to have more milk than my customers will 
consume, and wish to determine whether there 
is more money in butter or cheese.—T. L., Sc- 
dalia. Mo. 
There are several devices for working 
butter. That in use among the butter 
factories of Orange Co., is figured herewith. 
It consists simply of a heavy wooden slab, 
four feel long and twenty-five inches wide at 
the broadest part, tapering down to four or f 
five inches at the lower end, where an open¬ 
ing allows the escape of butter milk. At 
this point there is a slot into which a long 
wooden lever fits loosely and allows its 
movement over the entire surface of the 
slab. The slab has beveled sides and is 
provided with legs so as to give sufficient 
inclination for the buttermilk to flow off 
freely. The lever is either square or eight 
sided and hi working the butter is placed 
upon the slab and worked by pressing the 
lever down upon the successive portions of 
it until the whole is worked. The machine 
is not patented and can he readily made by 
any one handy with tools. 
The Eureka, or Corbin Butter Worker, is 
a very good and convenient machine. It 
consists of a bowl and ladle, the latter with 
a lever attachment, and so arranged that the 
butter may be worked with the greatest 
case, while the principle of its operations is 
to work the butter without tampering or 
grinding it like mortar, thus spoiling the 
grain. The bowl sets upon a flame pro¬ 
vided with legs, is arranged to revolve upon 
an iron circle and also to be thrown upward 
to discharge water or the buttermilk. It is 
one of the best butter workers we have seen. 
Tbe inventor is J. P. Corbin of Broome 
county, N. Y. 
In modern bn Iter dairies there are various 
improved appliances for setting tbe milk, 
and for conducting the various manipula¬ 
tions. For butter making, a well regulated 
milk room, where temperature can be con¬ 
trolled, is all important. The plan of setting 
milk iu vessels surrounded w ith cold spring 
water is, without doubt, the most perfect, as 
it is the least expensive way of controlling 
the temperature of milk while the cream is 
rising. 
-- 
ABOUT BUTTER MAKING. 
I am about to commence to churn my mtlk, 
and would like .some lul'orniutioii. Hmv lontr 
to lid. ii set after milking? How mooli water to 
add to the gallon. If any? How high tempera- 
1 u to ? 
How long had It ought to he coming? How 
nniny pounds of tint!nr to tbe hundred pounds 
of mtlk from u good average lot. of cows? The 
best kind of a churn ? The heat plan to set the 
milk, or what to set it iu ?—il. L. W., Essex, Essex 
Co., x. r. 
When the milk is churned the usual 
plan practiced by good butter makers is to 
allow the milk to become slightly acid, while 
some hold that it should stand until it thick¬ 
ens or becomes loppered. The milk should 
he kept at a temperature of about 60 ° ; and 
this is also about the right temperature for 
churning it. Good butter makers think that 
from forty-five minutes to an hour is, on an 
average, the proper time for churning. If 
the cows are good, and are well fed and 
cared for, twenty pounds of milk ought to 
give one pound of butter. The milk of 
some cows makes more and some less. The 
dash churn, (old fashioned.) the revolving 
box churn, (also old,) and the Blanchard 
churn—none of them patented—are as good 
ns any. The best plan of setting milk is to 
set. in vessels so as to be surrounded by fresh 
spring water. We have discussed this mat¬ 
ter very fully in back numbers of the Rural 
New-Yorker, to which our correspondent 
is referred. 
-♦♦♦- 
MILKING MACHINES. 
T wish to make Inquiry, through the Rural 
Nrw-Yorkeh, concerning a machine for milk¬ 
ing cows. Is there one that lias proved success¬ 
ful? imd if so, where cun it be obtained?—it. II. 
Fkkoukon, Amsterdam , A’. Y. 
Various mechanical devices for milking 
cows have been invented, from time Io time, 
but most of them have proved imperfect. 
The machines that, have come under our im¬ 
mediate notice were either too complicated, 
too difficult to keep clean, or failed “ to 
draw the milk to the last drop” from the 
udder. Some of these objections, il. is claim¬ 
ed, have been overcome in what is known 
as the Colvin Cow Milker, one of the latest 
inventions in this class of dairy appliances. 
We have never tested the Colvin Cow 
Milker, nor have we seen it in operation, and 
therefore cannot speak of its merits or demer¬ 
its. In the dairy districts, so far as we are ac¬ 
quainted, the old-fashioned wav*of drawing 
the milk by hand is in universal practice. 
A machine for milking cows, simple in iis 
construction, easily cleaned, readily operated 
and doing its work thoroughly, would he a 
very great desideratum among dairymen, 
especially at. this time, when labor is high, 
and more or less difficulty obtains in secur¬ 
ing good milkers, who are capable, and to ho 
trusted in the proper performance of their 
duties. 
We do not know where machines can he 
had, and for information of Ibis kind must 
refer our readers to the advertising columns 
of the Rural New-Yorker. 
--- 
DUTCH CHEESE. 
A correspondent wants to know how 
“Dutch Curds are made—We suppose this 
inquiry is concerning the make of what is 
known as cottage cheese, iu some sections 
Called Dutch cheese or curds. It is the curd 
of sour milk drained from the whey, pressed 
into halls or molded In small fancy shapes, 
and eaten when fresh, or soon alter it is 
made. Borne people are very fontl of Dutch 
cheese or curds, and the process of manu¬ 
facture is so simple and so well known, that 
we supposed every “ good housewife ” was 
well posted in regard to its making. 
The milk is allowed to sour and become 
loppered or thick, when it is gently heated, 
which facilitated the separation of the whey. 
The curds are then gathered up, suited, or 
otherwise, to suit the taste, and pressed in 
small molds, or formed with the hand into 
suitable shape, when it is ready for the table 
and may he used immediately. In cool 
weather, when milk does not readily thicken, 
the sour milk may be put in a suitable vessel 
set iu hot water over the range. The milk 
is then stirred for a few minutes, when tbe 
whey will begin to separate, and it is re¬ 
moved, and another hatch may he treated in 
the same manner. 
In summer some use large cans, having a 
spiggot near tbe bottom ; the sour milk is 
placed in these cans, and allowed lo stand 
in tbe sun to thicken. The heat of the sun 
will he sufficient to separate the whey, which 
may then he drawn off through the spiggot. 
The curds are then removed to a sink hav¬ 
ing a slatted bottom, over which a strainer 
cloth Is placed. The curds thrown upon 
this strainer cloth are soon drained of the 
whey, when it is ready to he pressed into 
balls with the hand, or molded into forms. 
Sometimes this kind of cheese is potted 
and left to decompose, and when It has ac¬ 
quired a strong, villainous smell, it is regard¬ 
ed as most delicious by those who have ac¬ 
quired a taste for eating it in this state. In 
some markets cottage or Dutch cheese finds 
a ready sale, and quite a profit is made by 
certain butter makers, in turning their sour 
milk into this product. 
A 
