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AN EXPERIMENTAL DAIRY FARM. 
For some two years past, or more, the 
question of an Experimental Dairy Farm, to 
be located in the State of New York, has 
been agitated at the conventions of the Na¬ 
tional Dairymen's Association. Various sug¬ 
gestions have been made as to the manner in 
which such an establishment should be eon- 
ducted, the buildings and appurtenances 
needed, and the scientists to be employed in 
making the necessary experiments and inves¬ 
tigations. All these, it is unnecessary to say, 
cost money and a good deal of it, and State 
and National aid is to bo asked, not only to 
inaugurate the concern, but to keep it in run¬ 
ning order from year to year. There is no 
doubt that much of the dairy management, 
both at the farm and factory, is conducted 
very loosely. Many of the experiments made 
are not exact, and wrong conclusions ore not 
unfrcquently drawn from false premises. 
Wild theories are continually being advanced 
by writers and speakers on dairy matters 
which lead astray those who attempt to fol¬ 
low them, and thus progress is retarded. 
It is only a few weeks ago that vve heard 
a well-known cheese manufacturer say of a 
certain writer and speaker on dairying, and 
who had once managed a factory, that it 
was impossible to make a good cheese after 
the plan the speaker was recommending; 
that ho had often looked over the factory 
run by this person, and had never known it 
to contain a first-class product, “And yet 
this man, incapable of making good dairy 
products, set himself up os a teacher, urging 
with plausible reasoning, on paper, what 
could not be. demonstrated in the vats. - ’ 
No one will deny, however, that American 
dairymen have learned a great deal in dairy 
management during the last few years. Wo 
have invented numerous checso and butter 
making appliances of great value, whereby 
the labor of manufacturing is lessened and 
simplified ; but for all that, wc have not been 
able to make any better pioduct than was 
made in Somersetshire, England, ten years 
ago. Only our boat manufacturers have been 
able to reach the point of excellence attained 
by the best English manufacturers some 
years ago ; and now in our effort to advance 
the cost of manufacture, wo are not utifro- 
quently led astray and set backward by 
adopting specious theories that can not bo 
earned out, in practice. Wo have known 
good cheese makers to so niter their hand, by 
striking out upon these theories, that their 
product fell from first to second da : •. Nor 
were they able, for some considerable time, 
to get back to the olcl method. Dairymen, 
therefore, say an Experimental Dairy Farm 
and Dairy arc needed, with men properly 
educated who a re able to make experiments 
and note results with accuracy. Tho time 
has come when empiricism in tilings pertain¬ 
ing to the dairy should Vie no longer tolerat¬ 
ed. Our advance and progress should not bo 
imperiled by grasping alone, in tho dark, at 
the. suggestion of men who are mere theor¬ 
ists. Let science and practice go hand in 
hand, and many of the knotty questions 
which now beset the dairy farmer and dairy' 1 
manufacturer will soon bo satisfactorily 
solved. 
These are the leading arguments which wc 
hear urged by tho advocates of this project, 
and while they are quite generally admitted 
to bo sound, considerable difference of opin¬ 
ion is expressed in regard to tho manage¬ 
ment of the proposed establishment. With 
some the suggestion urged is to connect such 
Experimental Dairy Farm with soma known 
college or university, as by this means the 
cost of maintaining a corps of trained scien¬ 
tists would be lessened, if not entirely saved. 
Since all needed experiments could bo car¬ 
ried on in connection with said college or 
university, and to the advantage of the stu¬ 
dents as well as to tho dairymen. It is claim 
ed that under this arrangement only a small 
quantity of land would he needed, and that 
an appropriation from Government would 
be more likely to be obtained than by' the 
other method. 
Again, it has been thought that the man¬ 
agement of such proposed establishment 
would be more judiciously conducted in 
every respect than even if made an institu¬ 
tion by itself. We do not know how near ac¬ 
complishment this project has been brought, 
but that the advocates of an Experimental 
Dairy Farm are persistent and many we 
have no reason to doubt; and tho latest ex- 
liibitionof this persistence, is the following, 
which we cut from .lie proceedings of a re¬ 
cent meeting of tho Central New York Farm¬ 
ers’ Club : 
Resolved, That, believing an Experimental 
Dairy Farm would bo a very efficient means 
of disseminating much useful information 
and of testing the value of many new expe¬ 
dients in dairy practice, we therefore com¬ 
mend the subject to the consideration of the 
State Agricultural Society at its annual meet¬ 
ing in February next. 
Resolved, That the Hon Samuel Camp¬ 
bell, Hon. Harry Lewis and Oscar B. 
Gridlry, are hereby requested to introduce 
the same to the attention of said Society, 
Some of the leading politicians of the State, 
we are informed, are earnest advocates for 
an appropriation from Government for an 
Experimental Dairy Farm, and it is not un¬ 
likely that the end sought will, at no distant 
date, bo attained. 
Ipiscffutture. 
DAIRYING IN KENTUCKY. 
Mr. Henry Smith, a well-known factory 
cheese maker of Herkimer Co., N. Y., in a 
recent conversation, gives us an account of 
hi.s experience in Kentucky at tho daily 
business. In 1871 he managed the Winches¬ 
ter factory, near Winchester, Ky,, which 
received the milk of about 400 cows. Win¬ 
chester is about I S miles from Lexington, and 
this section is in tho blue grass region, which 
Mr. Smith thinks is well adapted to dairying. 
The soil is a rich loam, and toward the Ken¬ 
tucky river has considerable clay in its com¬ 
position. The water hero is abundant and 
good, there being numerous springs or small 
streams. Tile water from the springs is not 
unfrcquently conducted into artificial reser¬ 
voirs or ponds, which thus afford plenty of 
water for stock at all seasons of tho year. 
The temperature of this section iu summer is 
not much wanner, if any, than in New York 
— indeed, no trouble is experienced in mak 
iug cheese on account of the weather. 
Mr. Smith says he has never seen any grass 
better adapted to stock or for the produc¬ 
tion of milk than tho blue grass of Kentucky, 
and the only hindrance to tho production of 
an extremely fine product is the prevalence 
of rag weed in soma of tho pastures. Tho 
deleterious influence of rag weed is not so 
much felt when grass is luxuriant and abun¬ 
dant for tho wants of cattle, since at such 
times they pass it by, leaving it untouched ; 
but as dry weather comes on and feed be¬ 
comes scanty and less : uccllloat, the cows 
crop the mg weed anil it carries a bitter 
taint to tho mill - .. This bitter taint is often 
very plainly discovered in both the butter 
and tho cheese, and of Course affects the 
quality injuriously. During the summer of 
iSfi’J drouth prevailed through the blue grass 
region of Kentucky, and the dairy products 
of tho country were seriously injured on 
account of tho rows cropping ragweed in 
tho pastures. Mr. SMITH says the Kentucky 
farmers regard rag weed as difficult of exter¬ 
mination from pasture lands, and wero it 
not for this weed the blue grass region would 
be unsurpassed for dairy purposes. 
There are several factories in tho vicinity 
of Winchester and Lexington and the stock, 
which is mostly thoroughbred, or with a i 
large proportion of Shorl-IIom bloud, will 
average at tho rate of 400 to 450 pounds of 
cheese per cow during the ordinary cheese 
making season. 
RAISING 0REAM. 
I MILK 38 cows. 1 use tho patent pans, put¬ 
ting each milking into a pan. Wo are from 
1 to 1 1 hours milking, according to circum¬ 
stances ; we strain tho milk as wo milk k, 
consequently, we are from I to 1}^ hours 
straining the milk. Now, do 1 get as much 
cream as I would if the milk was strained 
in one-half or less of that time 1—W m. Clark, 
Oswego ■, N, Y, 
We have never made exact experiments 
to test tlie question propounded by our cor¬ 
respondent, but should say that no difference 
Of importance would result from either of 
the methods named. If it were practicable, 
we should of course prefer the. intervals be¬ 
tween the different strainings of milk should 
not be so long as to allow the cream to 
rise in any portion of the milk In the pail. 
But in the case referred to, where the strain¬ 
ings must occur every few minutes, wo can 
not see that much of any loss would be sus¬ 
tained when the milking was carried over 
the time named. 
If any of our readers have tested the points 
involved in the question, and have found a 
different result from that which wo have 
expressed, wo should bo glad to get their 
statements for the benefit of Mr. Clark and 
others. 
-- 
Butter Loss in N. Y. State.— At the 
meeting of the American Dairymens’ Asso¬ 
ciation, Mr. Hawley is reported as saying 
I that there is a useless loss of $20,000,000, by 
\ dairymen in this State from not making 
butmr properly, and Mr. Blanchard assert- 
I ed that il' every dairyman in the Sta te would 
live up to his knowledge, every mortgage on 
I every farm iu the State would be raised. 
TROUT BREEDING. 
Frederick Mather, in Poultry Bulletin, 
gives the following directions for handling 
spawn When spawn is received packed in 
boxes, or is taken from the screens, it should 
be washed be.foro depositing it in the troughs; 
for although the moss in which it has been 
packed was washed before tho eggs were 
putin it, there will still be considerable sedi¬ 
ment attached to it, and the screens always 
have plenty of dirt on them. My method is 
to pass the eggs through a screen, which will 
remove everything larger than themselves, 
and then wash them on a finer screen, which 
will allow all that is liner to pass. 
These screens must bo kept under water, 
bearing in mind that it may kill an egg to 
fall an inch or two in the air, even if it should 
strike Llio surface of the water; but it. will 
not bo injured by falling leu feet in water. 
Having got rid of all particles that are finer 
or soarscr than the eggs to get them free 
from ull else and perfectly clean, put them in 
a milk pan with water enough to cover 
them ; they can then be feathered on one 
side and tho refuse left to bo syphoned off ; 
or by getting eggs and dirt all on one side, 
that side can bo elevated and tho eggs al¬ 
lowed to roll gently down, while the dirt is 
kept back with tho feather. A trout egg is 
but a trifle heavier than water, and, there 
fore, sinks slowly, and is not injured by fall- 
iug in it. 
After the eggs are clean and ready to bo 
put in the troughs, tho water should be 
raised to the depth of three inches, then dip 
the edge of the pan in the water and let the 
eggs flow out; they are then evenly distrib¬ 
uted with a feather and tho water let down 
gradually. They should not bo allowed to 
lie in heaps, nor on top of each other, as then 
the lower ones do not get their share of 
oxygen. 
All dead eggs should be picked out, as 
their decay generates a fungus which will 
kill the rest ; they turn a milky white and 
are readily seen ; the live ones arc amber 
colored. 
1 have found a pair of whalebone nippers 
as handy us anything for this purpose. Take 
a stiff piece of whalebone about nine inches 
long, and bend it around a block with a 
round end and tie. it last, leaving the legs 
about three Inches long; round the ends of 
these hollow them spoonRhajicd, and you 
have a handy implement to remove dead 
eggs, moss, or stones. Some uso a strip of 
steel bent as described, and others prefer a 
bulb syringe, or apiece, of fine wire with a 
loop in the end, like a small spoon. 
A stream of pure water running over 
gravel will hatch the eggs, and all the at¬ 
tention they require is to see that they do 
not get covered with sediment, are not de¬ 
voured by rata, moles, or anything else ; are 
kept free from decaying eggs or other ani¬ 
mal matter, and that the sun does not shine 
on them at any time through a knot-hole or 
crock. 
It in a very simple matter to hutch them, 
for they batch themselves—in fact,, if placed 
under favorable conditions, and are pro¬ 
tected from their enemies, tho greatest of 
whieb are the sun, fungus, sediment, sudden 
jars, animals, fish, ducks, etc. 
My troughs arc fed by a wooden eider- 
faucet, which does not run full head until 
after the fish are hatched ; such a stream is 
largo enough to hatch twenty thousand fish 
with. 
means at the disposal of the Commi .donors 
are too small to justify the attempt to deliv¬ 
er fish at the expense of the St ite. To avoid 
jealousy and dissatisfaction, no exception 
will be made to this rule. Tho expense of 
the person coming for the lisli will be fifty 
cents, at Caledonia, and two dollars at 
Rochester, for cartage, besides their travel¬ 
ing expenses. 
Young whiteSsh arc in condition to trans¬ 
port from the first to the tenth of February ; 
salmon trout, from the tenth to tho 
twentieth. 
Oswego bass, strawberry bass, white bass, 
rock bass, black bass, yellow perch, pike, 
perch or wall-eyed pike and bull heads can 
be delivered at Rochester at any time during 
the winter months. Application to be made 
at Hi Mortimer Street. 
Milk cans are used to carry all kinds of 
fish. A live gallon milk can will hold two 
thousand whitefish or one thousand salmon 
trout; or from ten to twenty of the other 
lish above named, according to their size. 
All communications must be addressed to 
tho undersigned, and must describe particu¬ 
larly the waters to bo stocked, giving their 
names, locations and size, and stating 
whether the ponds have rocky or muddy 
bottoms, or have eel grass, flags or pond 
lilies. Tho wall-eyed pike, roelc bass, white 
bass, black bass, whitefish and salmon trout, 
are suited to clear waters with rooky bot¬ 
toms where tho crawfish is to be found, and 
Oswego bass, perch, strawberry bass and 
bull heads will only live on muddy bottoms 
with flags and pond lilies. It should also be 
stated what kinds of lisli are found in the 
lake. 
It is almost useless to stock rivers which 
overflow their banks and flood much, extent 
of country, as the fish are stranded by the 
receding waters anil get into pond holes 
where they perish in dry weather. 
All fish should bo deposited ns near the 
head of the lake as possible, so they will not 
go into the outlet before they become famil¬ 
iar with the waters, The young fish should 
be deposited during tho night, when most 
largo fish do not food, and will find hiding 
places before morning. 
(Seth Green, Superintendent. 
Office, 1(1 Mortimer Street, Rochester, N. Y. 
♦ - 
THE ARCHER FISH. 
This singular fish, which we do not think 
has over been introduced into this country, 
derives its name from the manner in which 
it secures its prey. Not being possessed of 
the slender form and marvelous muscular 
power which enables the trout to leap into 
tho air after flies, it is obliged to resort to 
strategy. When it observes a fly hovering 
above the water, it slowly approaches tho 
surface and so directs its course that, when 
its nose rises above tho water, it will be iu a 
direct line with its prey, and at this instant 
it discharges a drop of water with such force 
as to bring down the insect, even at a dis¬ 
tance of three feet. That its aim should bo 
so accurate, notwithstanding tho refractive 
power of tho water, is certainly remarkable. 
This fish is found in tho fresh water lakes of 
Japan, audit is said is easily domesticated, 
and will practice its art in tho aquarium. It 
seldom exceeds six inches in length, anil is 
known to naturalists as Te.xotes jaculator. 
re 
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VI 
STOCKING PUBLIC WATERS WITH FISH. 
Beth Green, Rochester, N. Y., has issued 
tho following circular, which explains itself : 
To any parties in the United States or 
Canada wishing to experiment in hatching 
salmon, trout and whitefish, spawn will be 
sent, a few hundred spawn on receipt of fifty 
cents, to pay for the package, by addressing 
the undersigned. I think that every lake, 
river or pond can be made to abound with 
fish, os was their wont. 
Directions .—In delivering spawn and living 
fish from the State hatching house, the fol¬ 
lowing rules have to be obeyed exactly : 
Only public waters, and no private ponds 
can bo supplied. 
The impregnated spawn of salmon, trout 
and whitefish van be sent, in October, to 
such places as liave conveniences for hatch¬ 
ing it. Living salmon trout and whitefish 
can only he delivered at Caledonia, and all 
persons wanting living fish of any kind, 
must send a man for them, as there, are six 
hundred and forty-six lakes in this State, 
not to speak of streams and rivers, and the 
PIG-PEN PAPERS. 
Swine — Breeds at the West —The Western 
Farmer says We have before us tho cards 
of 45 breeders of swine in eight Western and 
Northwestern States. Of these, 24 breed 
Berkshire*, 11) Poland-Chinas or Magics, 9 
Chester Whites, 8 Essex, and three “scatter¬ 
ing.” Of the 45, there are S3 who confine 
themselves to one breed. Wc nro glad to 
say no one advertises more than three breeds. 
Of course, th is is not at ull a full list. It is a 
noteworthy fact, that in & largo collection of 
cards of Western breeders of Short-IIorn 
cattle, wo find 2D announcing themselves as 
also breeders of Berkshires ; D of Poland- 
Chinas ; 3 of “ Choshires 3 of Chester 
Whites, and one of Essex. 
Lancaster Swine. —I saw in a late Rural 
New Yorker inquiry about Lancaster swine, 
imported, and where from. I attended the 
Swine Breeders’ Convention at Indianapolis 
last full. No such swine were represented 
there. I have found none under that name 
anywhere in the history of swine in any 
country.—T. WuOt*. 
Pork Raising Unprofitable. —The Gunpow 
dor Agricultural Club, Baltimore Co., Mil., 
decided at its Dee. meeting that “ the hog is 
unprofitable for our farming,” except grow¬ 
ing enough for home use. 
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