233 
CHURNS AND QUICK CHURNING. 
Please be so obliging as to inform me of 
the best cheese dasher, and the least possible 
time butter can be made with it.—M rs. H, 
B. Robinson, Blount Springs, Blount Co., 
Ala. 
Me cannot undertake to say what churn 
is best.. It is said the Pa tent Office records 
show that patents have been issued for 8,000 
different devices for churning. Among this 
number we have personal acquaintance and 
experience with only a few. At the butter 
factories the old-fashioned dash-churn is per¬ 
haps the moat popular, though in some sec¬ 
tions the revolving barrel or box-churn is 
preferred. The latter wo believe is largely 
employed by the butter makers of Vermont. 
In respect to the dash churn, it may be 
remarked that no device has been invented 
that will surpass it in making better butter. 
The Grange Co. butter makers say they pre¬ 
fer the dash-churn to nil others, since they 
can regulate the stroke of the dash so that 
the cream may be churned in a proper time 
—the butter coming neither too last nor too 
slow. The only objection that can bo urged 
against the dash-churn is the labor involved 
in its operation. That it does its work well 
and produces the very finest quality of but¬ 
ter, is not disputed. Doubtless there are 
many other churns that will do their work 
quite as well as the dash-chum and with a 
less expenditure of labor, and among these 
we might name the Blanchard, which agi¬ 
tates the cream by means of revolving floats. 
It is very substantia lly made, not liable to 
get out of order, and is easily cleaned, Whip¬ 
ple's rectangular churn is an improvement 
on the revolving box-churn, inasmuch as it 
is hung on the diagonal corners of the box, 
thus rendering it of easy operation. The 
butter forma in coarse grains. It has neither 
dasher, floats nor agitators, the cream acting 
only upon itself and the inner flat surfaces 
of the churn. 
As to the least possible time In which a 
churn will do its work, that will depend in a 
great measure upon the rapidity with which 
it is worked and the greater or less agitation 
of the cream. Quick churning is no recom¬ 
mendation to any churn. To do a churning 
in three minutes may bean important saving 
of time ; but the gain in time is at the ex¬ 
pense of the butter. The best butter makers 
say that at least from one-half to three- 
quarters of an hour should be occupied In 
churning. 
We have seen the Blanchard churn, when 
operated rapidly, turn cream into butter in 
five minutes, and with other churns in less 
than three minutes—but we should never 
recommend a churn on that account. On 
the other hand, if a churn were so constructed 
that it must ordinarily do its work in that 
time, we should not advise its use, because 
we believe that such a churn, if introduced, 
would do great damage to the butter pro¬ 
duct of the country. We might name seve¬ 
ral other churns that we know to be good for 
butter making, but we do not know as our 
correspondent’s questions would be any more 
fully answered than above. 
---- 
MAKING GOOD MILK. 
Will vou ask, through the columns of your 
paper, the best kind of grain or food for a 
cow, (kept for family use,) where quality of 
milk is more desirable than quantity *—E 
W. Smith, Boston , Mass. 
To obtain the best milk, the cow, in the 
first place, should have an abundance of good, 
■sweet grass from upland pastures, with plen¬ 
ty of clean spring water. Some contend that 
there is nothing superior or equal to good 
fresh grass to produce milk of t he best qual¬ 
ity. Quality, when applied to milk, lues dif¬ 
ferent meanings with different- persons. To 
some, quality means simply milk with a 
large proportion of cream or butter in its 
composit ion ; with others, quality means not 
only a goodly proportion of cream in the 
milk, but it must have that delicious flavor 
and aroma that come only from cows that 
are in perfect health and are fed upon the 
best food. 
Then again, extra richness (butter) hi milk 
depends more upon the peculiar organization 
of particular cows, or upon certain breeds of 
cows than upon any special kind of food fed, 
in addition to a full supply of grass. Thus, 
for instance, the Jersey and Devon, as a 
breed, will give richer milk than the Short- 
Horn or Ayrshire, each being fed with an 
abundance of the same kind of food. We 
have owned some cows that no amount of 
extra feeding would enable to make rich 
milk. However well fed, they still would 
iWOOfSE’S RURAL ME W-¥©BKER, 
continue to give milk with a less proportion 
of butter in its composition than average 
millc. All experienced dairymen have had 
more or loss to do with such cows, ro that 
when we talk about getting rich milk—or 
milk of desirable quality—by feeding certain 
kinds of grain, %ve must consider whether 
the animal is capable of yielding good milk. 
What, then, we should advise, would be 
to feed such food as would maintain the ani¬ 
mal in good condition as to flesh and keep 
her in perfect health, and at the same time 
such food as will bo of a character to carry 
no objectionable taints to the milk. In sum¬ 
mer, when the cow is getting a full supply 
of sweet ami nutritious grass, heavy foods 
like that of corn meal should be avoided. 
Corn meal fed iu summer is too heating, in¬ 
ducing, more or less, a feverish condition of 
the system, and hence the milk will be more 
or less affected. We have known the cream 
to be ropy whenever taken from milk yielded 
by cows fed on corn meal in summer. In our 
own experience we have found nothing bet¬ 
ter as an extra summer feed for milch cows 
than good, sound wheaten bran wetted up in 
a masli. Good wheaten bran contains a con¬ 
siderable proportion of flesh-forming, muscle- 
making elements, well adapted to main tam¬ 
ing the strength and condition of the cow 
under the drain she is subjected in yielding 
milk from day to day. Wheaten bran makes 
milk of good flavor, and as it is not liable to 
derange health when used in connection with 
grass, wo should prefer it as a supplemental 
food for summer. In the fall, or as cold 
weather approaches, a mixture of ground 
oats and wheaten bran will be found excel¬ 
lent. In cold weather we have found a mix¬ 
ture of oak- and barley ground together to 
give good results in making a line quality of 
milk, keeping the cows in condition and in 
health. Indian meal, mingled with wheaten 
bran, may be used in winter ; but the quan¬ 
tity of feed, like that of .-.11 heavy grains, 
should be regulated with judgment. 
A great many milch cows are annually in¬ 
jured and often spoiled entirely for milk by 
over-feeding with heavy, stimulating grains. 
Good, weet grass in summer and early cut 
grass, nicely cured, for winter, are the main 
foods to be relied on for making good milk. 
In the production of milk for family use, 
then, tho chief object of the feeder should be 
to keep the animal in good, thrifty condition 
and in perfect health. That infinite mischief 
often results from using the milk of cows 
which are feverish or in some way deranged 
in health by injudicious feeding, there can¬ 
not be a doubt. Some people have the strange 
notion that by feeding very heavily with 
grain, or by increasing the ration nbovo a 
certain point, the cow will continue to yield 
better and better milk. ((rent injury is often 
done to miieh cows in this way, and the milk 
not unfrequontly is rendered unhealthy. We 
believe in feeding liberally with sound and 
nutritious foods, but all Over-feeding with 
rich, oily foods is liable to derange health and 
produce milk of doubtful character. 
-»-«-+- - 
DAIRY MATTERS IN NORTHERN VER¬ 
MONT THE FRANKLIN CO. FAIR. 
We were, recently, in attendance at the 
Franklin County Fair, in Sheldon, Vermont, 
where we saw a largo number of Vermont 
farmers and learned something concerning 
the daily product of the State. A severe 
and protracted drouth has prevailed this sea¬ 
son in Vermont, and the crop of butter and 
cheese in consequence has been light. In 
Franklin and the adjoining counties west of 
the mountains, we were told, thei*e had been 
no rains to thoroughly wet the ground since 
early in spring. The streams and springs at 
the time of our visit were very low, and 
upon some farms water was scarce. Pastur¬ 
age iii many places we found quite poor, and 
the afterfeed in meadows exceedingly light. 
And it was evident, from what we saw and 
heard, that the dairy products of Vermont 
this year will fall much below the average 
make of other years. 
There was a large show of cattle at the 
Franklin Co. Fair, among which were a con¬ 
siderable number of thoroughbred Ayrshires 
mid Ayrshire grades, with a few thorough 
bred Jerseys and Short-Homs. A good share 
of the dairy stock shown came from the 
farms without any previous “fitting up” for 
the occasion, and therefore represented tho 
average condition of milking stock. Some 
of the animals were quite thin ui flesh, but 
iu other respects were good-fashioned dairy 
cows. 
Ayrshires, we were told, are becoming the 
favorite among the daily farmers of Frank¬ 
lin Co., though in some instances an admix¬ 
ture of Jersey blood in the herds is preferred. 
At one time considerable cheese was made 
in Franklin Co.; but of late farmers are turn¬ 
ing their attention more to butter making. 
The show of butter at the Fair was large 
and the quality excellent. We examined the 
long row of butter packages with consider¬ 
able interest, as it gave us opportunity to 
compare the butter made in Vermont with 
New York butter as shown at the various 
Fairs in Now York. We have seldom, if ever, 
seen a better exhibition of butter at a county 
Fair, and it would be to the advantage of 
the dairymen of New York if they would 
take as much interest in the show of dairy 
products and dairy stock as was evinced here 
by Vermont farmers. 
Sheldon is about 10 miles from St. Albans, 
and t he Fair grounds are in the vicinity of 
mineral springs, which have, of late, acquired 
some notoriety. 
We desire to express our obligations to Mr. 
A. A. Moore, President of Franklin Co. Ag. 
Hoc., to Mr. Edward Smith of St. Albans 
and to Mr. Mason, President of the Vermont 
Dairymen’s Association, for information and 
courteous attention given usdnriug our visit. 
MOHAIR AND ITS USES. 
We have frequent inquiries concerning the 
Angora goat and its products. There have 
been frequent efforts made to got up a furore 
in reference to these animals. The fact, 
however, that an interest is felt in them by 
so many people (of which wo have abundant 
evidence) leads us to copy into the Rural 
New-Yorker the following article which we 
find in the Colorado Agriculturist and Stock 
Journal. We by no means indorse the eon- 
elusions of the writer, but publish it because 
of the facts it contains : 
As growing mohair promises very shortly 
to become an important industry on the 
Pacific coast, a few facts and figures concern¬ 
ing that industry may prove interesting to 
some of your readers. Until within tho last 
few years tho production of this clothing 
material has been confined chiefly to small 
districts of Europe and Asia—Angora, in 
Central Asia Minor, being the principal one. 
The world’s production of Angora fleece 
amounts to only about 7,000,00(1 pounds annu¬ 
ally, as shown 113 - statistics, and itis asserted 
on good authority that tho mohair manufac¬ 
turers number but eleven In the entire world. 
A comparative monopoly on tho part of the 
producers has been the consequence, and a 
corresponding monopoly on the part of the 
mamifacturers the result. Hence the fabulous 
prices of all mohair goods. Of these eleven 
manufactories of mohair goods, not more 
than two or three are in the United Stutes. 
The proprietors of one mill In Providence, 
Rhode Island, imported in 1808 seventy thou¬ 
sand dollars’ worth of machinery for the 
exclusive pm pose of working up Angora 
fleece. Within a year after starting they had 
consumed all the fleece that could bebbUiue«l 
in tho country, being the accumulations o£ 
ten years among wool dealers, besides im¬ 
porting 20,000 pounds from Asia Minor, and 
still they were short of the needful supply to 
keep their machinery in motion. Within 
the last three yearn more than fifty different 
new varieties of mohair goods have been 
produced by American manufacturers and 
introduced into the commerce of the world. 
These include watered camlets, possessing 
a beauty and brilliancy of surface unap- 
proaehed by fabrics made of luster wools, 
and barely rivalled by silks, decorative laces, 
buttons, braidings, coat trimmings, light and 
durable cloths of elegant texture and rc.pel- 
lant of water, fight lustrous, rich articles of 
dress for the wealthiest ladies of fashion, 
and possessing an unequaled gloss, softness, 
strength and durability. In France a kind 
of lace is now made which is substituted for 
the very costly fabrics of Valenciennes and 
Chantilly, said to be cheaper, more durable, 
and equally beautiful. Utrecht velvets have 
been for some years made in the same coun¬ 
try, and more recently in England, for hang¬ 
ings, furniture trimmings, linings of car¬ 
riages, fringes, tassels, etc. Ten pounds of 
this hair thus manufactured have been 
known to bring at retail five hundred dollars, 
while the best shawls made in France and 
tho East from mohair warp, using the fur 
for the weft or filling (the hair giving strength 
and durability, and the fur warmth and soft¬ 
ness) sell at retail at enormous prices, from 
8500 to $3,500. The skins of the young goats 
are frequently dressed for furs, colored or 
not, and used for trimmings, for the costliest 
ladies’ dresses, cloaks, etc., and for muffs and 
tippets. A single skin thus dressed has been 
known to sell for from 825 to $ 100 . Besides l 
the fabrics made exclusively from mohair, it 
is used in Irish poplins, Brocades, and in the 
famous Cashmere shawls. In America the 
insufficiency of home production, the exis¬ 
tence of a monopoly on the part of foreign 
manufacturers, and the exorbitant price of 
the raw materia), have all conspired to dis¬ 
courage tho manufacturers. Special ma¬ 
chinery with expert workmen, commanding 
high wages, are required, and these cannot 
be set up, and employed with profit, when 
the price of the raw material is three dollars 
a pound —u price the proprietors of a mill in 
Lawrence, Massachusetts, refused to pay 
only a short time ago, stopping their ma¬ 
chinery rather than submit to the extortion¬ 
ate demands of the foreign producers und 
dealers, and being unable to procure in this 
country an adequate supply. [’> 3 - a. calcula¬ 
tion the natural increase of 5,000 ewes reach¬ 
es in ten years the enormous numher ol’ 
886,718. The sales of wethers and ewes (old) 
made from time bo time during this period, 
amount to 8043,000, allowance being made 
for selling all the wethers, and 10,000 old ewes 
1 tho seventh year; 37,714 tho eighth year, and 
1 39,028 the ninth year. The fleece, counting 
I from the second year, (the first year’s being 
valueless) amounts in nine years to 051,102 
pounds. Its value, estimated low, at 00cents 
per pound for tho second, third, and fourth 
years ; at. 80 cents for tho fifth, sixth and 
seventh years ; and ub $1 for the eighth, 
ninth and tenth years, amounts to a total of 
$877,059.40. Bum up these results and we 
have the following : 
Value of wethers ft ad ewea sold.$(8.1,000 (III 
Value or wool told.. 877 onn 10 
Value of stock on hand touth year (75,Odd 
ewes nt $10 each!. 750,000 00 
Grand total .$2,270,950 10 
Liberal margin has here been allowed for 
expenses, losses, and all reasonable contin¬ 
gencies, first, by throwing oil’ 25 per cent, of 
the natural increase ; second, by deducting 
from the count the 5,009 common goats to 
start with ; and the third, by making low 
estimates of sales of fleece and stock. The 
increase of the Angora is never less than 100 
per cent., often reaching to 150 percent. The 
ewes bear when one year of age, and when 
the practice of “breeding to points” Is 
carefully pursued, each succeeding genera¬ 
tion improves in quality and increases in 
value iu proportion to its grade. Hence, by 
retaining all the females as long as they con¬ 
tinue good breeders, and marketing only the 
males, the rone hero gets the benefit of an 
increase which, in a few years, attains an 
apparently fabulous figure. 
<$It£ j5fflt[tSjmtlt. 
TROUT KILLING ON THE TRUCKEE. 
Op the illegal slaughter of trout in the 
streams of Nevada county, the Sacramento 
Bee gives the following account : 
The Indians and Chinamen stand on the 
banka and snake them out of the stream at 
the rate of five hundred to one thousand 
pounds per day. But, how ? By what they 
call “ grab hooks.” A grab hook is made of 
four hooks placed back to back on a, piece of 
wood or iron, half an inch through, and say 
four inches long, and leaded so as to carry it 
into the water with dispatch. 
The hooks, pointing in all directions, are 
fastened to an eight or ten foot line, and that 
to a strong pole. The grabber standing on 
the bank drops his bunch of hooks into the 
foaming water at the foot of the dam, where 
the trout is known to ho in great quantities, 
and jerks and drops, and drops and jerks 
until he strikes a fish in the side, back, belly, 
gills, or anywhere, and out the flsli hue to 
come. 
Tt, is from this source that the California 
Truekoe trout market is supplied. Look at 
the flsl 1 hi the market and see the hole made 
by the grab-liook—or it ma>' have been 
speared, for the Indians trail tho rivers and 
east the spear with great dexterity. 
All this is against tho law, but the District 
Attorney of Nevada county, whose business 
it is to prosecute, resides iu Nevada City, as 
far from Truckee as lie is from Sacramento, 
and the result is that there is 110 one to en¬ 
force the law, and in consequence of his neg¬ 
ligence, the beBt fish streams are being 
depopulated. 
-■•♦♦♦-- 
To Get Woodchucks out op Stone Walls 
—A New England Farmer correspondent 
tells the bovs that the way to get a wood¬ 
chuck out of a stone-wall without tearing it 
down is to take a piece of wire about three 
feet long, place both ends in one hand, and 
put the curve at the creature’s nose. He will 
usually lay hold, and being unable to let go 
when there is a steady pull he is speedily 
brought to daylight and destruction. 
