SWOOBE’S BUBAL NEW-YORKER 
E. Seward, Marengo, Ill., in 1871, received 
|70 per cow; in 1872, $73, and in 1873, $80 per 
cow for milk sold to butter factory, calves 
fed on sour milk and pork properly credited 
to the sour milk. 
Mr. Boies gave a statement of the herd of 
O. S. Tanner, Marengo, Ill., the milk from 
which was furnished his factory from 40 
cows during 1873. The whole amount of 
milk delivered was 288,491 pounds, an aver¬ 
age of 7,212% pounds per cow. He was paid 
$3,225 98 or an average of $86.64 per cow. 
To this $60 for calves or $150 per cow should 
be added. 
These figures will be of interest, we think, 
to Eastern dairymen as showing what, may 
be done In the Northwest. If they do not 
compare favorably with the receipts of East¬ 
ern dairymen, we are very much mistaken. 
--- 
NEW CANDIDATE FOR DAIRY H0N0R8. 
The European Buffalo (Bos bubalus) was 
shown at the Vienna Exhibition last year, 
and from a statement made in the Journal 
of the Royal Agricultural Society of Eng¬ 
land it would appear that Buffalo milk is 
esteemed above aU other kinds in Hungary, 
on account of its richness. Buffalo milk, it 
is said, is an ingredient in the Transylvanian 
national dish (Indian corn, groats and buf¬ 
falo milk,) which canpot be dispensed with 
upon all great occasions. 
Buffalo cream makes good butter when 
sour milk is first udded, a precaution wliich 
must not be neglected, since without it, the 
cream contains such an excess of fat that 
butter Is not easily made. On the authority 
of M. PaOKt, buffaloes are celebrated for 
giving a richer milk than is yielded by any 
other animal. In South Hungary and Tran¬ 
sylvania no gentleman considers his break¬ 
fast complete without buffalo milk with his 
coffee. Good milkers yield about six quarts 
of milk per day. 
The buffalo (Bos bubalus) must not be con¬ 
fused with the bisons (Bos bison and Bos 
American us), which arc easily distinguished 
by their highly developed dorsal vertebra*, 
giving them an extraordinary bight at the 
withers, and also by the long hair which 
covers the anterior portions of their bodies. 
The European buffalo is in color completely 
black, hair, skin, hoofs and horns all part-ak 
ing of this sable hue. The limbs arc short 
and thick, the body massive, the head large, 
the forehead arched and narrow, the muzzle 
large and black, horns low, placed trian¬ 
gularly at base, furrowed across and directed 
backward and downward, finally turning 
upwards towards the point. The buffalo is 
indigeuous to Asia, and is also found in 
Africa. It was introduced into Hungary 
by Attit.a in 433, and into Italy by King 
Agilulf in 691*616. It was carried into 
France in the twelfth century, ulthough it 
never came into general use. In 1807 the 
Emperor Napoleon introduced the buffalo 
in the hope it might {trove useful upon the 
“landes” of the West, The animals were 
neglected and left to themselves, mid at last, 
becoming almost wild, would speedily have 
been exterminated by fire arms had not M. 
Lalane interfered in time to save a few of 
them. Upon the low lands on both sides of 
the Danube and Theis, in lower Hungary, in 
Transylvania, in Greece, in Piedmont, in 
Italy and in Spain, the buffalo is found and 
esteemed as an animal of draught. 
In 1870 there were in Transylvania, 58,310; 
in Hungary, 14,568; in Slavonia and Croatia, 
263, and 12 hi the military boundaries, mak¬ 
ing altogether in the Hungarian dominion 
73,157 head. The buffalo is said to possess 
two excellent qualities; he is immensely 
strong, and his wants are easily satisfied. 
The strength of a pair of buffaloes is consid¬ 
ered equal to that of four horses or six 
oxen. They are quite satisfied with the 
roughest fodder, that even poorly kept oxen 
refuse, and the cow will give remarkably 
good milk upon even this coarse fare. With 
necessary food and good treatment the Eu¬ 
ropean buffalo is said to be quiet and good 
tempered, so much so that a herd of them 
can be managed by a boy; but when ill-used 
and roused to anger they are rough custom¬ 
ers and can inflict a terrible blow with 
their heads. Under the law of kindness 
they are easily managed, but will not bear 
bad treatment. We give herewith a cut 
showing the general form of the male ani¬ 
mal. At the Vienua Exhibition they were 
constantly surrounded by an admiring 
crowd. We do not suppose it would pay to 
import buffaloes for the dairy, still it may 
be of interest to know that the milk of these 
animals surpasses that of the Jersey in rich- 
* ness, and those who are fond of a variety in 
the stock line, both as to form and milk, 
will find their taste gratified in these animals. 
ORCHARD GRASS. 
There seems to be no limit to the demand 
for information concerning this grass. Judg¬ 
ing by the inquiries the Rural New-Yorker 
receives concerning it, the information we 
have so fully given from time to time has 
only whetted the appetites of our readers 
for more. On the Kirby Homestead in Sar¬ 
atoga Co., N. Y., last summer, we saw fine 
meadows of this grass, hence know that what 
Col. F. D. Curtis (the owner of said Home¬ 
stead) says about its merits and management 
hi the New York Tribune, is said by one who 
knows practically what he is talking about 
—lienee we copy whut follows : 
Orchard grass (DactyTrts glomc.ruta) is one 
of the most valuable grasses, on account of 
its nutritious quality and universal adapta¬ 
tion to different soils and climates. It has 
an erect stem varying in hight according to 
the richness of the land in which it is grown. 
The leaves are da rk green, wide, flat, and of 
great length, which gives the plant the ap- 
pearunce of coarseness when, in fact, it is 
only rankness, which is one of its most val¬ 
uable characteristics. It is perennial, and in 
the climates of Central and Western New 
York will ripen in June. On account of this 
early maturity it is not so well adapted for 
meadows, because it matures before the sea¬ 
son of haying fairly begins. This is the only 
objection, and when the farmer is prepared 
to cut this grass, however early it may ripen, 
it is no objection but, on the contrary, a ben¬ 
efit, inasmuch as the second growth will be 
much larger. It should always be cut when 
in blossom, and then it makes good hay ; but 
if left longer, rapidly ripens, and the stalk 
becomes woody. 
No grass is suited to be sown with orchard 
grass except early clover, which will be 
ready to cut at the same time. Early or 
June clover will always be sown with it, 
from the fact that orchard grass at first 
makes a tiny start and requires at least three 
years to complete its full growth. It is in¬ 
clined to grow in bunches or tussocks which 
spread and enlarge from a single seed or root¬ 
let to the size in rich land of a peck measure. 
Close cropping has a tendency to prevent its 
bunching up. It will bear the el dest feeding 
of any grass, and in the growing season, in 
lands of good fertility, a fresh bite will be 
reproduced in from three to live days. The 
reason why orchard grass makes such rapid 
and vigorous growth and is not affected by 
drouth is because it throws out a mass of 
long, fibrous roots, which extend directly 
downward to a great depth. 
In its growth and roots it is entirely differ¬ 
ent from couch grass or quack, with which 
it is often confounded (botanical name Triti- 
Cum repens,) which has short, straggling 
stems and leaves, the leaves narrower, and 
not so uniform as the orchard grass. The 
stems are jointed and so are the roots ; the 
latter creeping and confined to the surface 
with sharp, horny ends. The flower and seed 
head of quack is long, slender and erect, 
while that of orchard grass grows in a half 
dozen or more dense clusters, the whole head 
resembling somewhat the foot of a cock, 
hence it is sometimes called “cocksfoot.” 
Drouths affect orchard grass the least of auy 
known grass, nor is it much injured by frost 
or by the heaving of the ground, on account, 
in the first place, of its deep rooting ; second¬ 
ly, the mass of foliage, which is naturally 
self-protecting. 
There is no bulb or crest to the roots to be 
injured by frosts or exposure, but each root¬ 
let is independent, self-sustaining, and of 
great length. Farmers have only to see orch¬ 
ard grass growing to observe t he marked dif¬ 
ference between it and either quack grass or 
timothy, and to understand from its nature 
that it must be a vigorous and lasting grow¬ 
er. On this account for pasture and exposed 
situation it has no equal. All kinds of stock 
are very fond of it. It is less exhausting to 
the surface of the soil than any other grass, 
unless it is clover. It will do well in the 
shade, hence the name. 
The seed is readily gathered by cradling 
off the tops and binding them into small bun¬ 
dles, to be set up in shocks and left in the 
field until thoroughly dry, when'the seed 
can be easily threshed off with the flail. A 
bushel of seed usually weighs 12 pounds, and 
not less than two bushels should be sown to 
the acre. The best time to sow the seed in 
the State of New York is t.he last of August 
or the first of September, either a lone on a 
'yell-prepared soil, or with rye or wheat. In 
the spring from four to six quarts of clover 
seed should be sown. A good seeding can be I 
had with orchard grass when sown in the 
spring with spring grain, if the season is fa¬ 
vorable. The. growth at first is very delicate 
and slow ; lienee the dry weather of the 
summer will try the young crop. In this 
respect it is more tender than timothy, as 
the germ is feebler. It is safer to sow in the 
fall. The seed should be covered lightly with 
a brush-drag or a roller. Considerable chaff 
or husk being attached to the seed unfits it 
for self-covering like the smooth, round seed 
of timothy or clover, and on this account 
the surface should be in fine tilth and the 
seed slightly covered. 
Orchard grass will produce three times as 
much feed as Blue grass (Poa pratensis) ex¬ 
cept on strong lime soils..us in Eastern Ken¬ 
tucky. It will do well on wet land, “ where 
clover mid timothy will heave out,” but if 
the land is very wet, red-top, sometimes call¬ 
ed herd’s grass (Agrostis vulgaris) will do 
better. This is a natural swale grass and is 
perennial. It is much later than orchard 
grass, and although the hay is somewhat 
soft and light, it is valuable, and makes a 
permanent, strongs ward. 
I should not advise a farmer to sow orch¬ 
ard grass where his last year’s seeding lias 
failed ; but if he is anxious to get it into 
grass as soon as possible, to plow up the land 
and put on oats or barley, and seed this 
spring with orchard grass and June clover. 
If his sod ground is not too heavy, and he can 
bring it into a fine tilth, it will do to sow on 
spring grain with orchard grass and clover 
this season. A better way would be, if he 
desires to get a good, permanent seeding and 
can spare the land, to summer fallow his sod 
ground, and sow it with rye or wheat the 
last of August, and seed then with orchard 
grass. Two plowing* would be sufficient— 
one early ill June and the Other the last of 
August. By following this plan, consider¬ 
able pasture 1 or hay could be obtained, the 
weeds killed, and a very desirable seeding 
could be had. Orchard grass, like any other 
crop, will do best when sown early in spring, 
so that as large a growth as possible can be 
made before the summer drouth. 
There is no grass, unless it be clover, which 
furnishes so satisfactory an after-math as 
orchard gross. For soiling it is admirable, 
as several cutt ings can lie made in one sea- 
son. To secure a thorough seeding of this 
excellent grass is worth the most careful 
painstaking, for when once done it will prove 
a permanent and profitable investment, and 
for years yield a bountiful and satisfactory 
harvest. 
-- 
CORN vs. COTTON. 
A correspondent of the. Rural Suu has 
been “calculating” upon tli£ relative profit 
of com and cotton, putting the price of com 
at that for which it has sold for years, and 
giving cotton what he calls a “ big figure.” 
He t hinks lie lias put the cost of corn culture 
above the real figures and that of cotton cul¬ 
ture at whut he pays. Here is his showing : 
Kent of 46 acres corn land.$400.00 
Cultivating same.200.00 
Housing same... 60.00 
liy 2,000 bushels corn, $1 — 
Net. {infills. 
(Or. $38.75 per acre.) 
Rent of 10 acres cotton land 
Coat of cultivation. 
Picking 10 bales. 
Bagging and ties. 
Ginning and labor . —.— 
$050.00 
. 1,350.00 
. .$ 100.00 
.. 200.00 
.. 150.00 
88.00 
... 65.00 
$550.00 
By 10 bales at $80 per bale. 800.00 
(Or, $25 per acre.) 
■-- 
FIELD NOTES. 
That Acre of Potatoes — I am surprised 
that Rural readers should doubt the state¬ 
ment of a large crop of Peach Blow potatoes, 
250 bushels per acre, of large and small. The 
facts are as stated, aud this is not. the largest 
stoiy I could truthfully telL But I forbear. 
Perhaps when my critics farm as they 
should a few years and grow larger crops, 
their faith in heavy yields will be increased. 
The land by measure lacked one row of being 
a full English acre, or was reallv but tliirty- 
niue-forticths.— Western New York. 
Non-Bearing Stalks of Porn—A corres¬ 
pondent of the Fanners’ Union thus tells how 
to distinguish non-bearing stalks of corn 
from the productive ones :—“ You will find 
the silk to make its appearance before the 
blossom matures enough to shed its pollen, 
and there will bean enlargement at the joint 
uf the bearing stalk where the silk will ap¬ 
pear inclosed in case, which will be easy to 
discern.” 
Watch the Growing Oops.—It is to be 
hoped that our readers who have farms will 
have made arrangements for noting every 
stage of their progress—and thus be able at 
the close of the season to give net cost and 
net profit in detail. Such information will 
benefit the man who gives it as much as 
those who receive it. 
|3:tiromi of gjiuskiulrg. 
ITEMS FROM THE GRANGES. 
Dancing in California Granges .—The Cal 
ifornia Granger says ;—The Harvest dance 
is not provided for in the Ritual, but in the 
private instructions to Masters—indicating 
that it may be introduced or abolished at the 
discretion of the Master. The impropriety 
of introducing or even permitting that which 
is offensive to a majority of the members is 
so manifest, that, we are persuaded, no Mas¬ 
ter will fail to see it ; and we are happy to 
know that the dance has become a fixed 
feature in very few of the Granges of the 
State. Last Saturday we witnessed the con¬ 
ferring of the third degree upon a large class 
at Santa Clara. At its close it was proposed 
to Indulge in the Harvest dance, as per pro¬ 
gramme; hut the Master (acting) suggested 
that those who did not wish to dance should 
lie seated, whereupon all but eight, one set, 
were excused. A fiddle was produced, and 
a quadrille-not provided for in the Grange 
programme -was executed. As soon as the 
Master had time to recover his equilibrium, 
he rapped it down, in which he displayed his 
good sense. 
Influence of the Order Upon Society.—A 
Southern Patron says :—Suppose the Order 
never accomplishes the leading objects which 
it lias in view; there are other great benefits 
wliich it will confer, ft will foster feelings 
of friendship and sociality among the mem¬ 
bers of tho community. It will afford the 
opportunity, at least, once every 'mouth of 
happy re-unions of the farmers and planters, 
and their wives and daughters. These re¬ 
unions will strengthen the ties which biud 
man to his fellow man. They will promote 
the peace and elevate the moral tone of the 
neighborhood ; fill up the chasms which have 
probably separat ed neighbors for years, and 
Cause them to Join hands in brotherly or 
sisterly friendship. They will keep down 
gossip to a great extent, and thereby prevent 
quarrels; giving to the members of the com¬ 
munity abetter understanding of each other’s 
motives, and the opportunity of correcting 
any misunderstanding which may arise be¬ 
tween them. 
Patrons Do Not Go to Law .—'The Pacific 
Rural Press says :—Farmers have long been 
aware of the folly, and worse than folly, of 
going to law ; but the lack of business and 
social intercourse with their neighbors ofteu 
prevents a proper understanding of right 
and mutual interest, encourages suspicion 
and jealousy, and too often leads them to 
rush into the courts, and sometimes dividing 
the whole neighborhood into active purtizans. 
But, thanks to the influence of the Order of 
the Patrons of Husbandly, this disturbing 
element in farm life throughout the county, 
generally is rapidly disappearing. The Order 
has brought farmers into closer communion 
with each other, and has developed mutual 
confidence and respect; aud without tile 
assistance of any Becret charm litis produced 
a change which is now substituting arbitra¬ 
tion for law. A rbi tration is one of tli e grand 
principles of the Order, aud is already pro¬ 
ducing important material results, as well as 
promoting peace and harmony in many 
neighborhoods. 
Advice to Patrons.—A Patron gives this 
advice to his brethren -.—Do not meddle with 
any business you know nothing of. Have 
order, system, regularity and promptness. 
Do not kick every stone unless they lay 
directly in the path. More miles can be 
made in a day by going steadily ou, than 
stopping by the wayside. Endeavor to a void 
all nard words aud personalities. Learn to 
say No. No necessity for snapping it out 
dog fashion, but say it firmly and respect¬ 
fully. A Grange of honor respects their 
word as they do their bond. They aid, but 
never beg. Pay as vou go. Never fool in 
business matters. Have no confidants, at 
least the fewer the better. Learn to think 
and act for yourselves. Thoroughly investi¬ 
gate before ’going into any business of great 
importance. Keep your tables and stands 
well spread with journals of scientific matter. 
Politicians Snubbed .—The Central Com¬ 
mittee of the Anti-Monopoly Party of Min¬ 
nesota having sent to a Grange a partisan 
political document with the request that it 
be read in the Grange or referred to a com¬ 
mittee for examination, the said Grange 
adopted the following resolutions relating 
thereto : 
lie-solved, That in the opinion of this 
Grange, Patrons who will thus endeavor to 
induce officers or members of a Grange to 
trample on the Constitution and rules of the 
Order, are unworthy to be members of it, 
and do not merit the respect of honest men 
and women. 
Resolved, That we consider said request an 
insult to the officers addressed, and that any 
attempt to make of the Grange a machine to 
further the ends of any political party, is 
sure to work to our lasting injury as an Or¬ 
der, and we urgently request all Granges to 
join us in denouncing any such attempt from 
whatever soux-ce i t may come. 
