347 
V 
MOOSE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER. 
DAIRYING IN ILLINOIS. 
We have a letter from J. W, West, Onarga, 
Iroquois Co., Ill., in which some description 
of that section is giveu and its adaptation 
and capacity for dairying. We condense 
and re-arrange some of the information pre¬ 
sented, in order to show dairymen at the 
East what portions of our country are suited 
to this branch of farming. The impression 
has generally prevailed among dairymen of 
New England and the Middle Htales that 
there is but little laud elsewhere that is 
adapted to the dairy, and henco that the 
area of dairying was not likely to be much 
further increased. A right understanding of 
the soils and climate of different sections of 
our extensive national domain is important 
to the welfare and success of our farming 
population. With this view we recently 
gave, in these columns, soma account of the 
soils nnd climate of Colorado and Utah as 
adapted to the dairy, gathered from per¬ 
sonal observation ; and we have yet to speak 
of Virginia, Kansas and other States, through 
which we traveled during the past summer. 
Mr. West says the region about Onarga— 
say from 15 to 20 miles in length and from 12 
to 15 miles in width—is unsurpassed for dairy 
purposes. It is a prairie country and fully as 
fertile as the average of Western rich prairie 
loam. The surface of the country is rather 
level but sufficient fall to admit of thorough 
surface drainage, which is inexpensive. It 
produces abundant crops of clover, tiructliy 
and millet, fair oats, but is unsurpassed for 
corn. The great feature of this section, and 
which distinguishes it. from other parts of 
this groat prairie region, is its water. It is 
the artesian region of Illinois. He says : 
“From sixty to one hundred and twenty-five 
feet below the surface are three strata of 
sand and coarse gravel. By boring with an 
auger to those and by inserting a tube or gas 
pipe, clear cold water flows in a constant 
stream from one or the other of the strata 
referred to. There seems to bo an unfailing 
supply of it, and hundreds of those wells arc 
now flowing, in fact wherever you choose to 
bore, the water comes, and in some places 
so strong is the flow that a three or four-inch 
auger hole is tilled to its utmost capacity, 
Tliis water is always of the. same tempora- 
turo, about 50* Fah, In the coldest of 
weather, from a strong well, it Avill flow a 
quarter of a mile without freezing. It is 
slightly impregnated with lime and iron, 
not so much so as to be injurious, and it is 
very healthy for man and beast.” 
The cost of these wells, Mr. West says, 
varies from fifty to one hundred dollars, ac¬ 
cording to the depth, Ike tubing being the 
principal expense. Three hands, with the 
necessary machinery, will bore and insert 
the tubing for a well in from one to five 
days. In some spots, which lie above the 
water flow, the water comes so near the sur¬ 
face that it is easily pumped by hand or 
windmill ; and many farmers are erecting 
mills at a cost of from $15 to $50, which arc 
found to give an almost constant water flow, 
for the supply is so abundant that it is never 
exhausted. 
The market facilities of tliis region, Mr. 
W. says, are good, being within eighty miles 
of Chicago, with the Illinois Central and the 
Chicago and Danville Railroad running 
through the artesiau region and the Peoria 
and Toledo Railroad miming cast and west, 
thus giving an outlet north, south, east and 
west. 
From the description given of this region 
as to water and its adaptation to grass, we 
should say cheese dairying could be success¬ 
fully prosecuted, and perhaps butter dairy¬ 
ing, though it is possible the water, on 
account of its impregnation with mineral 
matters, might have some influence on the 
flavor of the butter product. 
It appeal's that dairying has not as yet 
been introduced into this region, and Mr. 
West asks the following questions, viz t 
The [probable cost of a cheese factory and 
appliances, with capacity for working the 
milk of from COO to 1,000 cows ? The best 
mode of starting such a factory—whether by 
joint-stock or private enterprise ? Can ex¬ 
perienced men be had to manage the fac¬ 
tory, and at what price ? The* cost per 
pound for making cheese ? The jjrcbable 
yield of common cows per season ( How 
many cows could 1)6 kept on eighty acres of 
land ? Can calves and hogs be raised in con¬ 
nection with cheese dairying, &c. 
Most of these questions have been answered 
in previous numbers of the Rural, New- 
Yorker, but we may briefly go over the 
ground again : 
1. The cost of factory and appliances will 
be from $5,000 to $8,000, according to cost of 
material, labor, and the manner in which the 
structure is finished and fitted up. 
2. Probably the best mode of starting a 
factory in new districts is upon the joint- 
stock plan, since it makes a number of per¬ 
sons more directly interested in the enter¬ 
prise, thereby securing reliable patrons. 
8. Experienced cheese makers can lie had 
from New York, and a good factory manager 
can be had at from $80 to $100 per month of 
the cheese making season. 
■1. Cheese Is new being made in New York 
at the factories, all expenses being paid by 
the company or factory manager at $1.00 to 
$1.75 per 100 pounds of cheese. 
5. The probable yield of an average fair 
lot of common cows will be, say, from 050 to 
100 pounds per cow for the season. 
6. Three acres of good land ought to keep 
a cow for the year. It often takes more and 
sometimes less. It depends upon the natural 
titness of the land for grass and the manner 
in which it is managed, the season, &«\, &e. 
Wo can give no more definite answer. 
7. Calves and hogs can lie kept. In connec¬ 
tion with cheese dairying, and the whey 
very advantageously used for tliis purpose. 
-+-♦-*- 
STEAMER FOR COOKING COW-FODDER. 
On page 295 of your estimable work on 
“ Dairy Husbandry ” is an illustration of 
what would seem to be a cheap as well as 
useful steamer for cooking food for stock. I 
wish to gel a boiler that will generate suf¬ 
ficient, steam to cook the feed of fifty milch 
cows ; and 1 will take it as a great favor if 
you will advise me what make to buy—con¬ 
sulting economy in price, also economy of 
time, fuel, &c.,‘ in doing the work, and the 
name of the party manufacturing the same. 
If convenient, give price. An answer through 
the Rural New-Youkeu will be duly appre¬ 
ciated, -Napoleon Gentry, Lillie Jioc.k, Ark. 
When' hay and other fodder is expensive, 
there cannot be much doubt, but, that farm 
ors can often use a good steamer to advan¬ 
tage in preparing food for stock. Of late 
years a number of devices have been brought 
out for steaming fodder. Among tho best 
for this purpose we should name “ Ander¬ 
son’s Agricultural Steamer,” which wo be¬ 
lieve is manufactured by P. P. Mast, Spring- 
field, O. It Is made of wrought iron, has a 
self-acting, water-feeding apparatus, safety- 
valve, vacuum-valve, and water-gauge cock, 
making it secure against explosion. It is a 
portable steamer and is peculiar i* construc¬ 
tion, being one complete double boiler within 
another, tho two communicating with the 
other and the fire space is inside this — thus 
giving a large amount of tire surface in pro¬ 
portion to size. It is made to set on a cast- 
iron base, and is thus as .secure from lire as 
an ordinary stove. Those who have used it 
say it is easily managed and that it is very 
economical of fuel. VVe do not know as to 
the price at the present time, hut, Inst year, 
when we had occasion to examine this 
stoamet in order to giva it a place in our Re¬ 
port of Machinery exhibited at the New 
York State Fair, the price was unified by 
manufacturers at $120. 
We have seen quite a number of these 
steamers In operation at cheese factories and 
at other places, and those using them have 
always spoken of them in high terms of sat¬ 
isfaction. Whitman & Burrell, Little 
Falls, N. Y., we understand are now manu¬ 
facturing this steamer of extra heavy 
wrought iron, and wo presume they can give 
specifications as to consumption of fuel, 
durability of steamer and ether facts con¬ 
nected with it, which we have not at b»md 
at this writing. 
Referring to our notes of the Fail 1 above 
alluded to, we find the following description 
of the Kagle Steamer and Caldron, shown 
by E. E. Sill, Rochester, N. Y. It is com¬ 
posed of two caldrons, or sections, one of 
which is set within tlie other at such dis¬ 
tance as to afford sufficient water and steam 
space between to constitute an efficient 
generator. The outer and nether one is 
formed with a depressed annular extension, 
largely increasing the Are surface and bring¬ 
ing it close to the fire. The inner one may 
be used as an open caldron for drying, boil¬ 
ing and evaporating, and in such cases per¬ 
forins tlm offices of a jacketed kettle. It is 
protected from tins ordinary'air currents not 
only by its internal position but also by 
a loose cover, which at Limes, when the 
steamer is employed as a caldron, may be 
used or not, but which at other times serves 
to preclude tho air more perfectly atld pre¬ 
vent loss of heat by radiation. The sections 
are bolted together through flanges at their 
rims, and set over a fire-box and supported 
by the flange of the upper one vesting up*n 
a wrought-mm jacket which Hurrouims both 
the flre : box and the net her section, A safety- 
valve. for preventing excessive pressure is 
provided ; an automatic regulator for supply 
of water is attached. The apparatus is a 
stcum generator and jacketed caldron com¬ 
bined. It can be employed both as a gener¬ 
ator of steam and an open caldron, at the 
same time, or as a generator or caldron, and 
no detachment of pints is required to change 
one to tlui other. The cost is about the same 
as for Anderson's, 
We have not seen the Eagle Steamer in 
operation, except at the Fair, and, therefore, 
cannot speak so decidedly as to its merits as 
of the Anderson. 
Itecji gusktulrg. 
WINTERING LAMBS. 
The following seasonable article was writ¬ 
ten by an experienced sheep breeder und will 
be found profitable for Its suggestions just 
now. it appeared about a year ago in the 
Ohio Farmer:—It is a custom with quite a 
large majority of sheep farmers to delay 
graining their iambs until the approach of 
spring, when they arc sometimes far gone in 
poverty. Is this wise ? Would it have been 
thus if they had been grain-fed at the begin¬ 
ning and through the early part of the win¬ 
ter ? Is it not better to begin as soon as this, 
in order to furnish thorn with the necessary 
stamina to withstand tho severity of northern 
winters, which is always greatest in tho 
months of January and February ? Put them 
early in a condition to pass through those 
terrible months, and subsequently all will lie 
well. 
The grass at the beginning of November 
loses much of its nutrition from repeated 
freezing; therefore at this period the lambs 
should be assembled and classed relative to 
size and condition, divided into flocks, about 
one hundred each, and feeding them with 
grain should forthwith commence. As it is 
sometimes impracticable to call them into 
tho sheep folds without considerable trouble, 
the feeding troughs should be removed to the 
field in which they are confined ; then the 
flock master may begin feeding them about 
four quarts of oats daily, which he should be 
careful to distribute the entire length of the 
trough. They will be very shy for a day or 
two, but. the example of approaching them 
by the tame shpep which were placed among 
them at. weaning time will be the means of 
soon overcoming it. After the lapse of a 
week, the quantity of grain may be gradually 
increased to half a bushel, which should be 
the minimum quantity for the residue of the 
season. When tho major [portion lnivo par¬ 
taken of the oats, tho troughs may bo re¬ 
moved back to the sheep yards, and the time 
fixed for feeding should bo about sundown, 
after which they can retire to tho shelters 
(should tho weather require it. At this time, 
a little hay should also be given early in the 
rooming, which pract ice may be pursued un¬ 
til circumstances doinand a ehungo wholly to 
fodder. 
About the middle of December, or before, 
let tho feed be somewhat changed, by mixing 
with tho oats a portion of pea meal or wheat 
shorts ; at all events let it bo meal of some 
kind which they may faucy, for in order to 
induce them to eat potatoes it will bo neces¬ 
sary to cut them into delicate pieces and 
sprinkle the meal well over them. If sheep 
are wholly unaccustomed to potatoes their 
aversion to them will not be overcome with¬ 
out tho adoption of this course. Beets and 
ruta bagas may be substituted for the nota- 
L.jbri ; but. tho reader has been informed that 
ttie.y are better adapted to the purpose of 
the sheep fattener. If it is our wish to grow 
wool and not fat mutton, it will be wisest in 
us to use those means which will afford the. 
largest returns. Half a bushel of potatoes 
given at intervuls of twice a week will be the 
right quantity, which it will be well to con¬ 
tinue to sprinkle with meal, as well as with 
a small quantity of salt. On other days the 
pea meal and oats may be fed. 
'Hie hay given thorn should be of fine stalk 
and of the choicest quality; but in its place 
may be substituted once or twice a w'eek for 
a single foddering, oat or barley straw. If 
the lambs are thus provided through the 
win tor and have the benefit, of warm shelters, 
their size at shearing time will equal the 
majority of two-year-olds whose treatment 
has been only ordinary. 
--♦-*-♦- 
THE SHEEP MAGGOT. 
Shepherding in England requires a care 
ful counting twice everyday, more particu¬ 
larly in July and August, for tile black beet 
les there strike the same as the fly ; and the 
maggots are striped along the back with a 
black mark ; they arc so large and voracious 
that they soon get into the poor sheep’s in 
sides and cause death. In showery and sul¬ 
try weather, in summer, the beetle trill 
strike in any damp place in the wool, espe¬ 
cially if soiled with t he sheep’ll own dung or 
by lying down on cow’s droppings. A shep¬ 
herd becomes practised so that he can detect 
the place where “fly blown” or blown fly 
beetles before maggots have begun to worry 
the sheep ; and, by applying some lotion 
(mercury water) which he generally carries 
in his pocket when the animals are in many 
fields, as they generally are, the evil is check¬ 
ed at once ; but when au oversight has giveu 
time for . the maggots to begin gnawing at 
the skin, the animal struck will be very un¬ 
easy, lying down and rising again directly, 
running fast some steps and then stamp ; 
and if it has sought some private corner, 
or other place out of sight, it. has become 
sick from the continued worry, and the shep¬ 
herd finds it* as soon as, on counting, one is 
seen to be missing. However, a shepherd 
fools himself disgraced when the maggots 
arc allowed to get this headway before being 
discovered ; hence, every careful shepherd 
will, w i tli the assistance of his dug, trail the 
flock in every field, steadily along, ho that 
lie can look closely' into the wool on each 
sheep as they file past, him or as ho slowly 
goes by them ; anil after viewing one side, 
lie goes round and examines tho other; or 
when ho lias a first-class dog, that sagacious 
creature will make the whole number length¬ 
en out so that they can bo clearly looked all 
over in a few minutes. Tho shame felt by 
the shepherd when maggots get large enough 
to break tlio skin badly, is because tho wool 
comes off and tho mark remains till after the 
next shearing. A Working Farmer. 
Horseman. 
CORN STALKS FOR HORSES. 
I saw an inquiry in the Rural New-York¬ 
er asking if corn stalks were good for horses 
when dry or cured; also, how to cure the 
sowed corn. T thought a few facts from the 
experience of au old former might be of ser¬ 
vice to tho inquirer, and might benefit, some 
others. I would say :—You may cut up 
your sowed coni with a corn cutter, or you 
cun reap it with a sickle, or you cau cradle 
it with a short, stiff cradle, or you may slush 
it down with a reaper and self-rake, which 
works well. Let tile stalks lie to wilt; then 
bind in small bundles and set eight bundles 
iu a shock ; then bind them together at the 
top ; in good weather they will cure iu about 
four or five weeks, ready to draw in. Such 
corn fodder is tho best food for horses 1 over 
used. Tho horse’s wind is always good ; they 
are not so subject to disease, and I think 
will stand a longer drive. .Should the horse 
have the heuvoH or a cough, feed corn and 
corn stalks; in a short time ho is free in 
breathing and can stand work. If tho horses 
should refuse to eat the stalks and cause too 
much waste to please, then wet and put on 
meal and shorts in proportion to the animal’s 
want. A Friend. 
--—- 
NOTES FOR HORSEMEN. 
Buckwheat and Data for Homes. — A 
“Reader” asks, these questions which we 
shall be glad if meu of experience will an¬ 
swer:— “1st, Will buckwheat, heavilly 
mixed with their oats, have a bad effect upon 
horses ? 2d, Is corn us good for horses us 
oats.” We have no experience with buck¬ 
wheat as a feed for horses. If wo were to 
choose between corn and oats for food for 
horses, we should choose oats ; but we prefer 
for horses that work hard the meal of corn 
and oats mixed half and half. What say 
our readers ? 
Horse With Thumps. —I have a horse 
troubled with what horsemen here call 
thumps. He stands with his feet slightly 
apart and seems to have some pain in the 
bowels, accompanied with a jerking, down¬ 
ward motion of the back aud sides, just for¬ 
ward tho hips—sometimes so severe as to 
almost throw him from his feet; he has also 
a slight dry cough ; eats but little at the 
time of the attacks, which are irregular in 
i.l in a and length. Can you give a remedy ? 
— J. C. II., Ml. I'leascwU, Iowa. 
Colic in Horses.—Tell 1’. G. to give his 
horse twenty drops of oil of peppermint iu 
half pint of warm water and he will find him 
getting better soon. This I have used when 
’tlier old remedies had failed ; and I use it 
in colds and coughs for myself. To stop a 
cough, take a small lump of sugar and drop 
two or three drops of oil of peppermint, and 
let it dissolve in the mouth ; then swallow 
it and you will feel bettcx\—A. Donald. 
Treatment of Overheated Horses. — Tho 
Secretary of the Society for Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals recommends the follow¬ 
ing preparation for animals suffering from 
being overheated :—To one pint of water 
put one ounce of chloride of ammonia, one 
ounce sweet spirits of niter, one dram of 
tincture aconite ; give a tablespoonful every 
nonr or two. 
Horse, With Swelled Lens.—I write, for 
information concerning my mare. Tliis 
spring she was taken with a cough and I 
gave her medicine which cured that ; and 
now if she stands in the stable over night 
her limbs will swell very badly. I wish to 
know a remedy or how to stop this swelling. 
—L. S. M., Crystal Springs, N. Y. 
