ANNUAL DATRY SHOWS. 
biiaueNtloiiN In Rcgnrri in an Annual Show 
ol' Unify I’rmlitclH. 
For somo years past il law been the prac¬ 
tice in Greut Britain among tlmscs interested 
in the dairy and its products, to have an 
annual festival and cheese show. Home of 
these shows, particularly those inaugurated 
in Scotland, have been very successful, and 
have resulted in much good to the dairy in¬ 
terest of the country. The general features 
of the exhibitions are in some respects simi¬ 
lar to those at our fairs, except l hut I lie show 
is confined to the products of the dairy. 
Premiums are offered for the heat cheese, 
and competition is open lor all manufactu¬ 
rers throughout the United Kingdom. Not¬ 
ed experts are chosen as judges, and large 
quantities of cheese from different sections 
ure entered for premiums, and the competi¬ 
tion, of course, is sharp. These shows are 
largely attended by all classes of people— 
the Nobleman ns well as Commoner, and 
the “after dinner” speeches are enthusiastic 
and full of interest. 
Now the practical result of these shows is 
that a large number of cheese-makers are 
brought together and their goods placed 
side by side, where they can he compared 
and their merits or defects pointed out. It 
is quite difficult lor cheese-makers to keep 
pace with the improvements that are being 
made unless brought face to face with the 
manufactured article and knowing precisely 
in whal the improvement consists. You can¬ 
not well describe the color, texture, flavor 
and quality of a cheese so as to give, that 
perfect knowledge of its character which an 
act.iini test by cutting with the iron at once 
indicates. In discussing the good points of 
a choose, or in comparing two samples, 
words are not alone sullicienl to impress 
one with the true character of their quali¬ 
ties. The goods must he present, under the 
eye and the baud, and then one may lie con¬ 
vinced of imperfections or shades of differ¬ 
ences which more words could not so easily 
or effectually define. 
We have often seen this illustrated in the 
open market where the dealer, who is an 
expert, when he cannot convince the pro¬ 
ducer of faults in flavor or quality in certain 
samples of cheese, offered fin - sale, will take 
liia customer to some fancy lot of goods and 
by introducing the iron, he at once points out 
tho deficiency by placing the two samples 
together under the eye and taste. Not long 
since some, skillful cheese makers from an 
adjoining county called upon us and in dis¬ 
cussing the merits of certain “ fancy fac¬ 
tories,” were tin willing to give the latter their 
just duo, charging that, the extra price which 
these factories were obtaining was not. on 
account of any real superiority o! t he. cheese 
over that of their own make. Bill after tak¬ 
ing a tour among these factories, and testing 
the cheese upon the shell they came hack 
and admitted to us the error under which 
they were laboring and the inferiority of 
their own manufacture. 
We give these facts to show the impor¬ 
tance of bringing the best samples of cheese 
together from all parts of the country in a 
cheese show so that their merits may he 
fully tested and comparisons made in presence 
of the manufacturers. These shows have 
been of very great benefit in Great Britain 
and we think they should be introduced into 
this country, where they must prove no less 
profitable than they have abroad. 
We have now several Stale Dairy Asso¬ 
ciations that hold their annual meetings in 
the winter. The American Dairymen’s As¬ 
sociation, which is intended to he national 
in its character, also holds its annual session 
in the winter. Here dairymen, manufac¬ 
turers, dealers, shippers and others interest¬ 
ed in dairy matters, collect together for dis¬ 
cussion and improvement. But it, is often 
quite difficult to come to any conclusion 
concerning the dairies of improved manu¬ 
facture, unless the samples of goods are 
present to show that these claims are hilly 
borne out. In other words, It is desirable to 
know what Standard of excellence lias been 
taken. The manufacturer or local dealer 
may have a much lower standard than the. 
expert. It, is quite nalural for chouse 
makers to overestimate the (futility of their 
own goods. If we are to accept the opinions 
of manufacturers indiscriminately, we shall 
probably get a half dozen standards of excel¬ 
lence, and some of them will he very low. 
The good judges of cheese are comparative¬ 
ly few. That which suits one’s own par¬ 
ticular taste may he very far from vvliat is 
demanded in the market. 
it lakes a long experience in handling 
cheese and an intimate acquaintance with 
the taste and quality of a variety of samples, 
to ho aide to judge concerning that which 
is best adapted to I lie markets. The Coun¬ 
try dealers are not all experts. In fact 
Shippers complain that not one in ten of the 
country dealers are really competent to se¬ 
lect cheese for the foreign market. AInch of 
IL 
the fancy cheese is now bought on orders. 
Whenever a factory is found to make cheese 
most suitable to the English market, orders 
are sent out from England for Unit factory. 
The cheese is tested by experts in England 
or by experts in New York city, rather than 
by the judgement of the Country dealer, who 
receive his orders to buy certain brands at 
certain prices. This is not always the ease, 
hut it is frequent, and is becoming more and 
more so from year to year. 
Now, what the dillcrcnt factories want is 
to know the exact standard for limey cheese 
so as to work up to that standard. They 
want, the samples and the methods of manu¬ 
facture to compare with their own processes 
and their own make. And we believe if 
Cheese shows could he inaugurated in con¬ 
nection with the cheese conventions, im¬ 
provements would lie more rapidly reached. 
There is always a good allendanee of ex¬ 
perts at these conventions. They should he 
employed as judges of the cheese on exhi¬ 
bition, and by selecting the host and point¬ 
ing out. the inferior grades, not. only munm 
lnclureiw hut country dealers would he able, 
to see more dearly what the trade require* 
than under the present, system, in which the 
standard is indefinitely described in words. 
We believe that handsome premiums 
should he offered by the various Associa¬ 
tions for the best goods, on the same plan as 
at. the English and Hcotch shows. It may 
tie urged, perhaps, that winter is an un¬ 
favorable time for such an exhibition, on ac¬ 
count of the injury that might result to the 
cheese from freezing when shipped at this 
season. If t hat should prove to be an ob¬ 
jection to winter exhibitions, the conven¬ 
tions and shows could he held earlier, or 
Indore Cold weather sets in. 
We deem it important for the dairy inter¬ 
est of the country that the cheese product 
he brought to a high standard of excellence, 
and these cheese shows would not only 
stimulate manufacturers in their efforts for 
improvement, but by giving the various 
methods of manufacture with the samples as 
a result much would be learned that now 
passes over from year to year without notice. 
We should he glad, also, to see a premium 
tillered for the best cheese from fainted milk 
or floating curds. And by an exhibition of 
the cheese and subjecting it to a test with 
the iron, its quality would be satisfactorily 
shown to all. Nor would wo confine these 
shows wholly to cheese. Butter should he 
exhibited iii various forms of packing as 
adapted to the different markets. Many 
people are still ignorant of wlmt constitutes 
good butter, and hut few, comparatively, un¬ 
derstand how it should be packed to meet 
the best sales. These things can ho more 
Indelibly impressed upon the mind by an 
exhibition of samples than by any mere 
oral description. That il good cheese exhi¬ 
bition cun bring about, important results, 
we need only refer to a recent conversa¬ 
tion on tlie subject with a noted Western 
cheese buyer. In 1805, it will he remem¬ 
bered, there was an immense show of cheese 
at the State Fair, and this cheese dealer, re 
(erred to, urged some of the best cheese 
makers in his county to exhibit, promising 
to pay their expenses ill case they should 
not feel satisfied with what could he seen 
and learned from this exhibition. These 
terms were accepted, and the Western 
cheese makers when they got to the fair and 
saw how far behind their own samples of 
cheese were to those of other sections, and 
how necessary il was to improve, aeknowl 
edged themselves well paid for their trouble. 
They found that, while they had been re¬ 
maining idle, under the supposition that 
their product was of superior quality, other 
sections had struck ahead in the race of im¬ 
provement to such an extent that these 
samples of Western New York cheese were 
of quite inferior character, The lesson was 
SO valuable that the dealer was not called 
upon to pay expenses, Ac., of the trip. We 
ure quite confident that an annual show of 
dairy products, under the auspices of the 
American Dairy Association, would prove 
ol great value, and we hope to see it iniuigii- 
ruted by the Society. 
---- 
SKIMMING THE NIGHT’S MILK IN 
CHEESE MAKING. 
Wotri.T) you he kind enough to inform me. 
whether in any of the cheese factories with 
which you are acquainted they partially 
skim the cream oil'the milk •which has been 
standing in the vat all night, when cheese is 
made but once a day, before pouring in the 
morning’s milk? Should this he done, 
would it, in your opinion, materially injure 
the quality and sale of I he cheese so treated V 
If you can give me any information on the 
subject, I will be much obliged.- 11 . Hamij. 
ton, Kiiif/nton, (jUihuIh. 
Tine question of skimming milk at fac¬ 
tories is of no ordinary importance, It 
touches a point upon which there is great 
difference of opinion. If we say that the 
quality of cheese is injured by removing any 
portion of the cream from the milk, we ex¬ 
press the popular opinion; and the preju¬ 
dice against “skimmed cheese” is not with¬ 
out, foundation in fact. If, on the other 
hand, it he ulttrmed that milk cun be robbed | 
of part of its cream and yet the cheese made 
from it tie as acceptable to consumers as that 
ma le from “ whole milk,” ami that the 
skimming is not detected under the cheese 
taster’s iron, when in the hands of experts, 
we stale facts that have been verified "over 
and over lignin.” 
We cannot, recommend, however, the 
skimming of the night's milk, at factories, 
as a general practice; because, under such 
practice, there would he great liability of 
removing too large a quantity of cream 
from the cheese, and as a consequence, more 
or less depreciation in the quality would re¬ 
sult. it is important for factories that a 
reputation lie established for “ fine goods.” 
We have already a superabundance, of “ poor 
stulI” in the markets, and it nlfords no profit 
to producers. It the skimming of the milk 
will depreciate the quality of cheese, then 
we say, do not skim. But il a manufacturer 
he skillful in his art, and understands what 
quantity of cream to remove from the milk 
without injury to the cheese; or, in other 
words, if lie knows how to manipulate the 
curds from the skimmed milk, and in what 
manner to cure the cheese so that it cannot 
he distinguished from the best of that made 
from “ whole milk," then we say skim, and 
take the extra profit from such skimming. 
When there is skill in manufacturing and 
in curing the cheese, skimming the night’s 
milk has been adopted at certain factories 
and at certain farm dairies, and the cheese 
has sold at an average price with neighbor¬ 
ing factories and dairies which did not. skim. 
When this plan is to he tried, however, 
due caution should he taken not to skim too 
much. The night’s milk may he set in the 
vats and cooled by allowing water to flow 
between the vats during the night. Then in 
the morning the thickest portion of the 
cream may he taken oil', but the strata of 
thin cream lying immediately below the 
thicker or upper layer of cream should not 
he removed. In other words, the thin cream 
mingled with the upper portion of the milk 
should not he dipped oil' for butter making, 
as is sometimes done, because in such cases 
the cheese w ill be very likely to show a lean 
quality which the expert will have no dilli- 
culty in detecting. 
Again some judgement should he excer- 
cised by the manufacturer as to the richness 
of the milk under his charge. If the milk is 
thin and poor, skimming should not be at 
tempted. Usually from the middle of July 
to the end of the season the cows yield a less 
quantity of milk than earlier in the season, 
hut as the yield decreases the milk improves 
in richness. A portion of the cream during 
the latter part of the season may therefore 
he removed without detriment to the cheese 
if 'lie curds he properly handled. Cheese, 
made from milk partially skimmed can he 
cured in a higher temperature than when all 
the cream is retained in the milk. 
Cheese rich in cream should he cured in a 
low, even temperature, not above 70", Fa hr. 
II the temperature rims much higher than 
ibis, it is liable to get out of flavor, while 
cheese made from milk partially skimmed, 
retains its flavor tinder a temperature con¬ 
siderably higher than 70". All these points 
are taken advantage of by the experienced 
manufacturer, and enable him to succeed in 
turning olf'a first class product where others 
who pay no attention to these conditions fail, 
and hence the impression prevails Hint no 
cream can at any time he taken from the 
milk w ithout injury to the cheese. 
In skimming the night’s milk at factories, 
it is always well to experiment at first, by 
making cheese one day nf “ wlmlc milk ” and 
tlm next day with milk partially skimmed. 
Place the cheese side by side, hot on separ¬ 
ate ranges, and then as the dealers come 
round to purchase tlm cheese, gel their views 
of the quality and llavor of the samples, with¬ 
out letting them know about the skimming, 
&e. We have seen this method tried, and 
the skimmed cheese was preferred to that 
made from whole milk. A test like this, 
made by an expert, will leave no doubt in the 
mind of the manufacturer as to what he 
should do in the premises. 
-4+*-- 
DAIRY NOTES. 
It ii 11 cr IY1 all luff In Hal Wentlier. 
Wif kn il is very warm and dry, we cool 
our milk room by keeping wet sheets, wrung 
out of cold well water, hung up in the 
warmest part of the room. Pul. a small 
quantity of milk in a pan, and if shelves 
are used, set upon slats an inch or two thick, 
so to let the air cool the bottom of-I he pan; 
lie sure to skim before the milk gels sour or 
thick, in twenty-four or thirty-six hours, 
and sometimes in very warm weather in 
twelve hours. Throw a handful of salt in 
the cream pail, put in the cellar or other 
cool place, and stir all the cream well every 
time more is added. The greatest care and 
neatness in every particular is necessary to 
make a good article of butler.— Vt. Farmer. 
I’oiuloes vs. Cii i-rols lor HI licit Caws. 
ft, A. 11 u nt, Euclid, (), Inis been feeding 
a milch cow potatoes and cum Us with dry 
hay and water, with the Ibllowing results: 
While 30 quarts of carrots were fed daily, 
pound- of milk were received in return; 
Mini while the same quantity of carrots and 
potatoes, equal parts, were fed, fiti pounds 
of milk were given ; and when potatoes 
alone were given, 40 pounds of milk were 
received. 
roncnmi. 
OAT-MEAL—ITS PREPARATION, &c. 
15Y JUI.IA COLMAN. 
Railed Dinties. 
This is an article rapidly coining into use 
among the people of this country. The 
present facilities for obtaining it are excellent. 
Formerly it was all imported from Great 
Britain or Canada, making it necessarily 
expensive; but now it is manufactured here, 
and commonly sold in the New York mar¬ 
ket for five or six cents per pound. It can¬ 
not he manufactured properly in common 
grist mills. When simply ground up in its 
husk and bolted, its flavor is not good, and 
its texture is harsh and uninviting. I have 
seen this in the country and did not wonder 
that those who knew no other oat-meal, 
spoke slightingly of it for the table. When 
properly manufactured it is kiln-dried, then 
hulled and afterward ground. The first two 
of t hese processes require much care, experi¬ 
ence and peculiar macliineVy. I am told 
that there are hut four or five oat mills, 
proper, in the United Slates, though the 
largest of these are as complete us any to he 
found in Europe. 
The oats we commonly raise are not eon 
sidered so good for this purpose as those 
raised in Canada, Boot land <>r Ireland, and it 
is not uncommon for our manufactures to 
import oats from Canada. Norway oats, 
which raised the expectations of many, do 
not seem adapted to this manufacture, 
(trades unit ((mi 11 1 ton. 
We find it in the market in three grades. 
The coarsest, No. 3, which is simply the 
hulled oats, is called “groats," pronounced 
grots, some say “ oaten ’’ groats, blit this is 
superfluous. Sometimes wo find broken 
groats, but these are rare. No. il Is the 
common oat-meal, and since a great, deal of 
a very poor article is palmed oil'on the mar¬ 
ket, we will describe it minutely. It. abounds 
in kernels broken only once or t wice, while 
the other parts are finer, which gives it a 
mixed appearance. It has a soft feeling and 
a uniform grayish color, like shelled oats. 
Sometimes in a passable article there will 
he specks of the round, black cockle seed ; 
hut when the black oat affects its appear 
mice, the quality is decidedly inferior. The 
best has no black specks, and no appearance 
whatever Of the husk. 
Sometimes it is too much kiln dried. It 
will then appear darker, and though the 
odor may he still pretty good, it will not 
thicken up well in cooking nor preserve its 
sweetness nor its smoothness. Sight, taste, 
smell and feeling should all he brought to 
hear in the selection of oat meal, and even 
then it will require some practice to select 
the best article. Many people are prejudiced 
against the taste of oul-meul because they 
have at some time fallen in with a poor 
quality, and they judge the. whole by that. 
No. 1 has the same characteristics os No. 
2, only that it is ground finer. These two 
grades are commonly manufactured for dif¬ 
ferent localities; for example, the finer for 
the Philadelphia market, and the coarser for 
New York. In truth, however, they are ad¬ 
mirably adapted for the preparation of dill'cr- 
enl dishes in any locality. The proportions 
of water given in the recipes cannot, bo quite 
constant, because some qualities of meal ab¬ 
sorb more than others. 
Wlioli-Moinciu-NN. 
Oat-meal has long been prescribed as an 
excellent food for invalids, mid use proves 
it equally valuable for people in health. Dr. 
LiflTUicnY pays it the unintentional compli¬ 
ment of saying that it combines the best 
qualities of potatoes, cabbage and pork. It 
contains a large proportion of the phospho¬ 
rus so desirable for tho brain ami in much 
better condition than in fish and bean meal, 
where we are so often told to seek it. It is 
therefore a specially good food for literary 
people, and its large use by the hardy Scotch, 
proves it equally valuable for the laborer. 
It is doubtless not equal to whole wheat or 
Wriicnt meal, hut it is much heller than fine 
flour or corn meal. Its free use as food 
is an excellent aid in keeping clear of consti¬ 
pation, that source of ho many ills. Il has 
already become a standard dish in many of 
our restaurants, hotels and better class hoard¬ 
ing houses, and il would he much more largely 
used iii private families if a variety of modes 
of preparing it were better known. As it is, 
porridge, mush or stirabout, as it is various¬ 
ly and indifferently called, is the only style 
in which it is made lip, and sirange as it 
may seem, ladies who have ingenuity to de¬ 
vise many other things,will goon “taking” 
il in that shape without making an attempt 
to prepare it in any other form. As a young 
mother tamely said a few days ago, “ I find 
nothing else so desirable, so nutritions, but I 
gel so tired of il.” Nutritious, no doubt it 
jh,— far better for her than tea or beer or 
slops of any kind ; good and desirable it is 
for anybody, and while she might easily 
have made it so attractive as to be sought 
lor by every person at the table, she did a 
wrong in depriving herself of the gusto with 
which all food ought to be partaken. It j 9 
but fair to add that most people become very 
fond of it when carefully prepared. 
I’orridae unit Stlrnliout 
are in different localities the names applied 
to its most common form of preparation. 
It is made by stirring one pint of Number 
two meal into nearly or quite six pints of 
boiling water. Stir it gently five minutes, 
or until it “ sets”—then cover, and let it 
simmer twenty minutes. When done, it 
should pour out readily ; drip from the spoon 
when ladled, and settle flat in the dish. If 
the meal lie good, this will take the mold 
very nicely. Trim with milk, cream, 
sweets, and eat with bread or crackers, and 
sweet slewed fruits. Very acid fruits do 
not seem to harmonize with oat-meal in 
any shape. A stiller dish, 
()lll-l>ll'lll JIumIi. 
is made in the same manner, only with four 
or five parts of water to one of Number 
t wo meal, and il should cook in all, at least 
thirty minutes; forty is belter. Cure should 
also be taken after il “ sets,” not to stir it at 
all, as It will be slimy and pasty. If it thus 
cooks undisturbed, it will have a jelly like 
quiver, and be as light and porous as raised 
bread, though not so dry. If likely to 
scorch, set it further hack, but do not slop 
its cooking slowly. When taken up it 
should be just thick enough l<> drip from 
the spoon. It makes quite a difl'erent dish 
from the porridge, and more wholesome 
because it demands more mastication. It 
can lie trimmed and oaten like the porridge, 
or with soft, boiled egg, or chop m* steak. 
Many American people make this mush 
with one-third corn meal, and cook it ten 
or fifteen minutes longer. This makes a 
very pleasant variety. 
On I -111 cii I (Intel, 
is made by welting two large spoonfuls of 
meal in about (bur of water and pouting it 
into one pint of boiling water, cook gently 
for fifteen minutes. This is the common 
rule, Iml it can be made thicker or thinner 
to suit the fancy. It needs very little sea¬ 
soning. The real taste of good oat-meal is 
better appreciated without it. 
(•1-OlllH 
are not so readily found in the market. They 
are not. much called for, because not much 
known. They usually command about twice 
the price of oat-meal. Look over, wash, 
ami put into a hominy boiler (or into any 
covered dish set into a kettle of boiling wa¬ 
ter) one cup of grouts with live cups of wa¬ 
ter, and boil two and a half or three hours, 
or until perfectly tender. It makes ucharm¬ 
ing dessert, or a light supper dish, or it can 
he molded and eaten cold or steamed for 
breakfast. Trim with milk,cream, sweets, 
or with sweetened fruit juices. For a des¬ 
sert, if desired, Malaga raisins may he added 
in cooking, ut least an hour and a hall be¬ 
fore the grain is done. Broken groats are 
treated in the same way, only they do not 
require ho much water by one third, nor so 
much cooking by half. With care they can 
also he cooked exactly like mush, requiring 
more water, say one part groats to nearly 
four parts water. 
These cooked groats make excellent gruel, 
and they are also very desirable for thicken¬ 
ing soups or tomatoes. 
All kinds of oat-meal are somewhat difii- 
eult ol preservation, unless kept closely shut 
iqi from the time of grinding. They should 
he kept in covered jars or tubs, and procured 
fresh as often ns convenient, say once in 
three months. 
- -• 
SELECTED RECIPES. 
iioicii roirii. 
A wtiitrh in the Plantation says:—“All 
kinds of vegetables, except okril, cut in staid 
pieces, pill. salt, over them and let them Stand 
a day ami night; then squeeze dry as ]\ossi- 
Ific with the hand. To one gallon ol the 
vegetable add one small box mustard, rubbed 
to a paste with half pint of sweet oil; add 
line taldcHpoOiil'iil of each of these spues 
well ground, ginger, allspice, cloves, red and 
black pepper, two clips brown sugar, hall 
pound while mustard seed and two ol hu- 
mcrie. Put all in a jar and add vinegar to 
l.liiu il HO that it will pour; set the put m u 
jar of cold water, let it boil three liouis, 
when cold, add the turmeric, celery and 
mustard se*d. If alter u lew days you mat 
it too dry, boil more vinegar and pmirovei 
it hot. Let the larger proportion ol yoHr 
vegetables be onions, cabbage and home 
radish. Celery is better than the seed. 
An AiU Trap. 
PaoCUUK a large sponge, wash it well aw\ 
press it dry, which will leave the cells qu o 
open. Then sprinkle over it so.hue wl " ; 
sugar, and place it near where the aids a e 
most troublesome. They will *<’<>» ct> . 1,1 
Upon the sponge and take lip then " l >ode 
the cells. H Is then only necessary to Ui 
(lie sponge iii seal ding water, which " 11 
wash them out. dead. Put on more Htigui 
and set the trap for a new haul. 
Doiiu'hiIc Inquiries. (tan any of your roiuh '-s 
(jlvt< os u remedy that will kill the small i" 
nutsV Wo lmvo just, moved into a new house 
<m sandy soil, and are overrun with them , 1 " > 
arc in every thing and every vhero that we no 
not want them in or on. Jo .n T. Adams. 
IVU 
