440 
©EC. 26 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
laiim Ihishndrtt. 
N. Y. STATE DAIRYMEN’S CONVENTION. 
[We conclude the report of the meeting 
of the Association, a portion of which was 
published last week. We are compelled 
to omit much that we would gladly publish 
because of lack of space consequent upon 
the publication of the index. —Eds. Rural.] 
FIRST DAY—EVEMINQ SESSION. 
Binghamton, Dec. 9, 1873. 
S. P. Lummis opened the proceedings with 
an able address, of which the following is a 
synopsis: 
That which interests dairymen most is the 
right kind of cow ; live kinds will be put 
forward as best, but the best is the kind you 
like the best, because you will take the most 
care of it. In feeding, give your cow the 
food she likes best. Some men feed the cow 
sour milk which she must be persuaded or 
forced to eat. Don’t educate her taste but 
cater to her natural appetite. One of the 
important elements of the success of the 
Dairymen of the Delaware Co. region is their 
climate. The cow must, have an equable 
temperature. The shock of climatic changes 
results in lighter products and poorer health 
to the cow. Where, the temperature is not 
provided by nature, do it by shelter and care. 
The climate of the Delaware Co. district has 
as much to do with its reputation as its grass¬ 
es. That soil which produces largely of 
native grasses is the best for the dairyman. 
Some weeds do not give any objectionable 
qualities to the milk, among which arenettles, 
as is known by actual experiment. 
A, Campbell, of Oswego, spoke well upon 
the subject of pasturage and grasses. 
Mr. J. H. Real of Philadelphia, read an 
excellent paper. He asserted that dairying 
has progressed more rapidly t han any other 
agricultural industry, and than many of the 
manufacturing interests. Our cheese and 
butter is bringing as large prices in foreign 
markets as the best grades produced any¬ 
where. While we produce much of the in¬ 
ferior article we must and shall improve 
constantly. Cheese should become an article 
of more general consumption in this country 
and the time will come when Americans 
will learn to eat bread aud butter and cheese 
instead of bread and butter and beef or pork. 
As the. demand tor pork is increasing it will 
pay better to turn all skim milk into pork 
than to make of it counterfeit cheese. Better 
cheese and butter can be made in winter 
than in summer, beside which you have your 
summer in which to do your work. We 
should protest against the half-skimming 
system in cheese making which is the great¬ 
est mistake now exist lug except the watering 
of milk, which amounts to a crime. Another 
humbug is Oleomargarine which we should 
condemn at once and always. However 
pure and clean it may be made it is not and 
cannot take the place of butter. 
Its introduction places it in the power of 
unscrupulous persons to impose upon the 
public with diseased fat instead of butter. 
Let us spend all our time and energies in im¬ 
proving the genuine article instead of the 
counterfeit grease. Avoid all systems of 
adulteration of cheese, for with such 33'steins 
comes a downfall of our foreign reputations 
and prices. 
D. H. Bl'UIULL of Little Falls, related an 
incident of the shipment of poor skim cheese 
and its disastrous effects upon our cheese 
market. 
Hon. John Shattuck related his experience 
in cheese as an indorsement of the remarks 
of Mr. Real upon the question of skim 
cheese. 
Mr. Munson of Delaware defeuded skim¬ 
ming by showing that the skimming process 
would net a greater profit to the producer 
than to “ creamate ” the cheese. 
A very lively discussion followed in which 
the representatives of numerous dairy-dis¬ 
tricts took active part and in which some 
good natured heat was exhibited. Among 
the debaters were Mr. Northrup, Mr. Bur- 
rill, Mr. Crocker, Mr. Blandy, Mr, Haw¬ 
ley and Mr. John Cole. 
SECOND DAY-MORNING SESSION. 
Flint Blanchard of Clmtauqua in chair. 
J, V. H. Sooytll of Oneida County read a 
paper on “ The Experimental Farm,” which 
he illustrated with a carefully drawn map 
and statistical table. After an excellent de¬ 
scription of the different experimental farms 
with practical hints as to individual experi¬ 
ments on a small scale, Mr. ScoviLL called 
upon this Association and upon all Agricultu¬ 
ral Societies for an appropriation with which 
to establish experimental farms in this State. 
Prof. Roberts of Cornell University, dis¬ 
cussed the quality of salt used in dairying. 
No law for experimental farms in this State. 
Farmer’s sons are slow to take up the idea of 
agricultural schools. The farmer’s boy of 
the present day is hotter educated than of old 
and he soon learns that agricultural labor, is 
the poorest paid in the world. We want to 
use our brains to produce more butter to the 
acre in order to pay our labor better instead 
of importing foreign lialf-paid labor—direct 
our efforts to increase products and profits 
instead of crowding down the price of farm 
labor. 
A general discussion upon experimental 
farms took place, participated in very ably by 
Messrs, Soovill, Hawley, Roberts and 
Lummis. 
Flint Blanchard of Chautauqua, read a 
paper on “The Coming Dairyman,” contain¬ 
ing numerous excellent practical hints as to 
the management of the farm, care of the 
stock and manufacture of butter and cheese. 
In the discussion which followed, Mr. 
Hawley endeavored to impress upon the 
convention the necessity of washing all dairy 
implements with boUiny , not scalding water; 
alBo as to the excellence of Onondaga salt 
once more. 
Mr. Real of Philadelphia, maintained that 
our American Salt manufacturers, by their 
tariff, are compelling us to pay larger prices 
all the time for our salt than we should other¬ 
wise do. 
AFTERNOON SESSION. 
Desultory discussion upon salt till the con¬ 
vention was thoroughly pickled when one of 
the members moved that the process of salt¬ 
ing be stopped or some water be brought in. 
The Committee reported suitable resolu¬ 
tions upon the death of J. Stanton Gould 
after which Prof. Wickson addressed the 
convention upon “ The Commercial Outlook.” 
(We are sorry we have not space for even an 
abstract of this paper, which was one of the 
best read before the Association.— Eds. Ru¬ 
ral.! 
Ten minutes were devoted to the examina¬ 
tion of daily products. 
8. E. Lew 1 ,sof Chenango County, started on 
his address upon butter making, when lie was 
interrupted by the reading of a communica¬ 
tion from the Mayor of Binghamton con¬ 
gratulating the convention on the special in¬ 
dustry which it represents, which was replied 
(-0 by Hon. Mr. Shattuck of Chenango Co. 
on behalf of the officers of the Association 
after which Mr. Lewis continued. He p ave 
the different tests of milk in a glass ten inches 
deep and their results, tests which are aceu 
rate and within the means of every farmer. 
Experiments of different kinds should be 
made at the same time and in the same 
at mosphere. Creams of different kinds should 
not be immediately churned but should be 
allowed to stand until assimilated. Butter 
will stand three times the working after the 
salt is added that it will before. 
Then ensued a general discussion develop¬ 
ing some valuable liiuts drawn from indi¬ 
vidual experiences. 
A resolution for the appointment of a 
committee to make recommendations rela¬ 
tive to an experimental station within the 
dairy distinct of this State, was then passed. 
EVENING SESSION. 
Mr. Lummis opened t he proceedings with an 
eloquent speech upon the dignity of agricul¬ 
tural labor—also gave some excellent hints 
as to the management or rather destruction 
of the Colorado Beetle. He recoin mended 
Paris Green. 
Mr. Flint Blanchard said that he desired 
to warn everybody that the bugs are cer¬ 
tainly coming and gave a very vivid descrip¬ 
tion of the onslaught of the enemy in Oliu- 
tauqua County. 
Committee on establishment of experimen¬ 
tal Farm was announced as follows : J. V. 
Seovill, Oneida; Josiah Shine, Herkimer; 
E. J. Wickson, Oneida ; Flint Blanchard, 
Chatauqtia ; Gen. E. F, Jones, Broome. 
Dr. Crafts gave his experience of Potato 
Bugs in Broome—they did no harm. 
Resolution of thanks to the Committee of 
arrangements for the excellent manner in 
which they have performed their duties, was 
then passed. 
The following report of a Committee on 
Dairy Implements was made : 
The special Committee on milk pans, have 
to report that there was on exhibition by 
Bunnei.l & Brown of Guilford, Chenango 
Co. N. Y., the Iron Clad Milk Pans, by t he 
Orange Co. Milk Pan Co., of Franklin, N. Y., 
a pun manufactured by them; also the 
Jewett Milk Pan, sold by the ageucy, at 
Delhi, N. Y. The Committee are only able 
to report from appearances, anti from these 
it would seem that the Iron Clad Milk Pan, 
is superior in many particulars, to the othei-s 
on exhibition ; but the Committee, are well 
aware that no reliable judgment can be 
arrived at, except by actual tests. Commit¬ 
tee—J. C. Truman, Wm. Blanding, R. Day. 
dated Dec. 10, 1874. 
The Convention adjourned sine die, 
o. a, c, B. 
^tU[m (Bcanomt?. 
CHARCOAL-VALUE AS A FERTILIZES. 
There is not a single element of fertility 
in charcoal; because it is insoluble in water, 
acids or alkalies — vide SiLLlMAN's Chem¬ 
istry, at § 8(52 p. 218-219. Charcoal, it is true, 
contains ash ; but you cannot get ash until 
you burn it, and then it ceases to be char¬ 
coal. Charcoal has the property of absorb¬ 
ing gases, hence its use in agriculture. It 
absorbs arumoniaJ gas to 90 times its own 
volume ; carbonic acid gas to 82 tiroes its 
volume; oxygen to 32 times ; of nitrogen 
1-5 times ; hydrogen, 1-75 time its own vol¬ 
ume. Charcoal from hard wood is tile best. 
Charcoal is also a deoderizer. It retains 
hydrogen very obstinately. It has more af¬ 
finity for oxygen than any other substance. 
Now, it is well known that air is composed 
of oxygen and nitrogen ; water, of oxygen 
and hydrogen. Air also contains a small 
portion of carbonic acid. All these are ab¬ 
sorbed by charcoal and by it held in store for 
the use of plants to make them green. A 
small portion of carbonic acid added to that 
in the air is favorable to vegetation. The 
presence of this gas is indispensable to vege¬ 
tation ; therefore 1-11 or 1-12 of carbonic 
gns should be mixed with atmospheric air, 
und this can easily bn done by charging char¬ 
coal with it at the dung hill and then give it 
to the soil or about the hills of corn when 
the rain and warm sun will set it free from 
the grasp of the charcoal and then plants 
will readily use it in their growth. 
It also absorbs ammonia. Ammonia is 
composed of bydiogeu with nitrogen, and 
this latter gas is indispensable to vegetation, 
und this gas can be easily obta ined by getting 
charcoal or carbon to absorb this gas in our 
privies, horse stablesand dunghills. That 
charcoal absorbs this gas reudily can be 
proved by the following simple experiment, 
viz Take half a bushel of finely-powdered 
charcoal, heat it red hot, keeping the air 
from it; then divide it into two equal parts, 
put half of it in an air-tight box, the other 
half put into a sieve which suspend over the 
manure pile for a few hours, and it will ab¬ 
sorb the ammonia from the odor arising 
from it. Then take it to your corn field, put 
the one around the hills at a distance from 
the other, and the other in another row, anc^ 
you will see at once that the half containing 
the ammonia will cause the corn to grow 
fastest. J. D. Gros. 
Genesee Co., N. Y. 
-*•♦-*- 
CURING HOPS. 
An improvement in the method of curing 
hops has lately been introduced iu England 
by Mr. J. M. Hopkins, a hop grower near 
Worcester, which is said to be of great ad¬ 
vantage to the grower, especially in seasons 
like the present, when prices are so high from 
the light crop. The following is a descrip¬ 
tion of this process: 
“ The hops being gathered, are brought to 
the kiln to be cured. There are three drying 
floors of rafters, covered with horse hair, so 
that the heat and air can pass from below 
through each of them and out at the top, 
where an exhaust fan is kept in motion by 
steam supplied from a boiler hi the basement 
floor of the kiln. The hops are'first put- into 
the top floor, where they remain about four 
hours, unt il the 4 reek ’ is off them, when 
they are dropped, (without handling) to the 
second, and finally to the lower floor, which 
is movable, being, in fact, composed of tvvo 
large trays, which slide in und out of the 
building. The temperature of the kiln never 
exceeds 90°; the fan gives the advantage ol 
drying the hops at a lower temperature than 
by the common process. Thus the arorna 
aud volatile oil which would be driven away 
at a higher temperature are saved. The fan 
system has been tried with success in the 
drying of malt without deteriorating its 
quality. Under the usual system, the drying- 
process in a malthouse occupies three or four 
days ; by the fan syetem it has been done in 
twenty eight hours.” 
--•-•-*- 
EUROPEAN MANURES. 
A Paris correspondent of the California 
Farmer has the following interesting in¬ 
formation M. Patermaun, Director of the 
Agronomic* Station of Gembloux, Belgium, 
has made an official report ou the products 
serving as manures as displayed by 197 com¬ 
petitors at the Vienna Exhibition. He deals 
specially with the phosphates, the salts of 
potash, and nitrogenized matter's. It is sat¬ 
isfactory to learn that if the greater part of 
our arable lauds are poor in phosphoric acid, 
the beds of natural phosphates to be every¬ 
where met with, are sufficient to meet all 
wants for centuries to come. M. Patermann 
insists that these commercial preparations 
ought not to be considered as other than com 
pleinentary manures, and that farmers 
should be on their guard against all mixtures 
destined to assure the development of par¬ 
ticular plants, und the recipes laid down for 
all assigned situations. A salt that may 
often contain a deleterious compound is sul¬ 
phate of ammonia. Prof. Marker has long 
ago shown that in its unrefined state it may 
contain oxide of irorn in combination with 
sulphuric add sufficient to destroy germina¬ 
tion aud kill vegetation, and such sulphate 
of ammonia, when mixed witli phosphates, 
renders the phosphoric acid more insoluble, 
as much as to 48 percent. Its effect on plants 
is to cause the leaves to wither and become 
yellow at the extremities; it actB more in¬ 
juriously on barley than on wheat. The 
farmer should avoid the sulphate, which is 
red-brown in color, selecting that only which 
is white or gray. In case the former cannot 
be obtained purified at the gas works, it 
should be mixed well with compost aud fre¬ 
quently turned to admit of the transforma¬ 
tion of the protoxide of iron ; the same 
change is brought about if the sulphate be 
scattered in autumn on that soil intended 
for spring sowing. 
giarg of a pluralist. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Gentleman near New 
York City. 
A WINTER OUT-LOOK. 
Dec. 14.—The general “laying bare” of 
nature in our Northern climate, where de¬ 
ciduous trees predominate, affords an oppor¬ 
tunity of seeing how cheerluss a home may 
look at one season and how cheerful at 
another. As 1 look from my library window 
to the eastward, I see a large farm house 
about a miie distant, situated upon a high 
hill, from which a fine view of the surround¬ 
ing country can be obtained. The house 
referred to, is a very good one, of its kind, 
costing several thousands of dollars, and the 
owner keeps it, as well as all h.s out-buildings 
in excellent order ; but ho will, much to my 
anuoyance, paint his house u glaring white. 
In summer I do not notice it so much, because 
the leaves of the intervening trees partly hide 
it from view ; but when the autumn comes 
with Nature’s nakedness, that white tomb¬ 
stone-like object, flares out in full view, and 
in anything but a pleasing contrast with the 
mellow gray tints of the earth, and bare 
stems of the trees on the hillside beneath or 
above and beyond. For the past two months 
1 have seen that house on the hill every time 
I looked out of my east window ; aud 1 begin 
to long for the snowdrifts which will give 
relief even in inono;ony. 
Before that house was built “oldSol” sel¬ 
dom caug ht me in bed ; but since it came in¬ 
to range with the first peep of that glorious 
luminary I have lost my interest in the 
“rising sun.” My neighbors think it is be¬ 
cause 1 am getting old or lazy, perhaps both. 
The painting of the house white I cau excuse, 
because my friend on the hill may prefer it, 
owing to early education or association ; but 
his neglect of planting evergreens about his 
premises to hide their nakedness in winter is 
too great a negligence to be excused. But be 
is not alone iu this, and many a cheerful 
home in summer looks dreary enough at this 
moment, just for the want of a few ever¬ 
greens which the owner has, and still neglects 
to plant. Evergreen trees planted in belts, 
groups or singly not only give a place the 
appearance of comfort aud warmth in winter 
but actually supply them to some extent. 
I wish every reader of the Rural New 
Yorker would think of this as the cold north 
winds hurl the dead leaves about their dwel¬ 
lings and if the trees are not already planted, 
write down the names of Norway Spruce, 
Hemlock, white and Austrian Pine, and next 
spring see that a goodly number of each are 
planted out and well cared for during the 
summer, as well as in future years. 
We cannot wholly hibernate in winter, 
even though it might be profitable and quite 
agreeable to do so in very cold climates 
therefore why not do the next best thing, and 
make our homes look as cheerful aud sum 
mer like as possible under the inevitable 
circumstances. If such warmth and shelter 
is furnished as evergreens afford, the birds 
will eome earlier and stay later ; and I have 
often thought that some of my feathered 
friends of summer, were beguiled to stay all 
winter, 
