SIP!. IS 
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CORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Jaitpj gttslmndrg. 
NOTES ON THE SIERRAS. 
THE DAIRIES OF LAKE TAHOE. 
As we approach the Sierra Nevadas it is 
cooler, and the change from the hot, arid 
alkali plains is a great relief. In the vicinity 
of Reno the hills are loftier, and are covered 
with pine forests. Immense quantities of 
lumber are annually beiug swept away by 
the ax of the lumberman, who find here in 
the mountains a rich harvest in the magnifi¬ 
cent pines, straight as an arrow, and mar¬ 
velous for their perfection of form and 
beauty. It really causes a. feeling of sadness 
to see these noble trees going down before 
the woodman’s ax, despoiled of their beauty, 
and being converted into vulgar logs and 
timber. AU along through the mountains 
bordering the railroad we see flumes often of 
vast extent for floating the timber down 
from the steep declivities, while numberless 
shutes constructed of logs channeled and 
placed one after the other up the steep moun¬ 
tain side, and down which the timber from 
the top of the peaks is swiftly plunged, leav¬ 
ing a long line of smoke in its track. Tha 
quantity of wood and timber required in the 
mines of Virginia City and Goldhill alone is 
so vast that it would seem almost incredible 
to one unacquainted with the facts. If the 
consumption of timber increases in the same 
proportion that it has during the past few 
years, the forests of the Sierras, along the 
line of the railroad, will soon be swept away, 
detracting much from the charming scenery 
now belonging to this region. 
Twelve miles west from Reno the eleva¬ 
tion is 5.000 feet. Onward we go up the 
Truckee River,with its foaming current now 
on our left, first on one side then on the 
other, the road crossing it on truss bridges. 
The mountains tower up on either hand. 
Sometimes sloping and covered with timber, 
in others precipitous, with masses of black, 
broken rock. Occasionally strips of meadow 
land are. seen close to the river’s edge, but 
too small and rocky to be of much use ex¬ 
cept for grazing. 
THE EXCURSION TO LAKE TAHOE. 
We reached Truckee City on the morning 
of July 15, It is about 1,700 miles from 
Omaha, and near the eastern boundary of 
California. The elevation here is 5,800 feet, 
above sea level, and is near the point where 
the river bends from its northerly course, aud 
runs eastward along the line of the railroad. 
The Truckee rises in Lakes Tahoe and Donnor, 
which lie at the eastern base, of the Sierras. 
Prom its source in Lake Tahoe the main 
branch runs north for about twelve miles, 
when near Truckee City it unites with Little 
Truckee, the outlet of Donner Lake, and 
turns to the east until it reaches the Big 
Bend, thence north for about twenty-live 
miles, when it discharges its water into Pyra¬ 
mid Lake. The water is remarkably clear 
and pure, and affords good fishing-ground 
for the sportsman. Truckee City is a lumber 
center, and large transactions during the 
year are made in this material. Prom this 
point we take singes for Lake Tahoe, twelve 
miles distant. The road follows along up the 
Truckee River, the mouutainson either side, 
sometimes approaching near together, leav¬ 
ing scarcely space for the roadway and the 
river, and then widening into lovely patches 
of grass lands with shrubs and trees border¬ 
ing the mirror-like pools, in which all the 
surroundlug scenery is reflected as in a glass. 
Nearly the whole distance the road Is in the 
shade of waving pines, while the noise of the 
foaming water as it rushes down the canyon, 
the wooded slopes of the mountains, with 
here and there bald, rocky peaks, often in 
fantastic shape and rising to a great hight, 
all give a charm to the scenery which must 
be seen to be duly appreciated. 
Here, also, the lumberman is busy with 
his ax, and the stream in places is filled with 
floating logs. Frequently we pass the shutes 
leading directly up the mountains, and 
crossing the carriage-road to the stream. At 
one point our stage barely escaped destruc¬ 
tion. The horses, on a gallop, were about 
passing a shute when a huge log let loose 
from the top of the mountain came swiftly 
plunging down the shute, and had not our 
driver at the very “ nick of time ” hauled up 
his leaders, we should have inevitably been 
crushed, as the smoking log leaped across 
our track and plunged into theriver. Usually, 
" e were told, a sentinel is placed at the lower 
end of the shute to give warning when tim¬ 
ber is being shot down the mountain ; but by 
some negligence no warning was given in 
this instance, and it is only by raie good 
ortune that our stage escaped destruction. 
Some of the pines growing along this canyon 
are very massive in their proportions, often 
rising 250 feet or more, straight, smoothly 
rounded, and without a limb for the first 100 
feet. The trees alone, in their variety and 
grandeur, and with th eir dark green foliage, 
are a never ending source of pleasure to the 
beholder. 
About half way on our drive we stop to 
examine an extensive trout-breeding estab¬ 
lishment, where thousands upon thousands 
of the Lake Tahoe trout are in the ponds, 
and in all sizes from those just hatched to 
specimens weighing ten or more pounds. 
According to the survey of the State line, 
Lake Tahoe lies in two States and five coun¬ 
ties. The line between California aud Nevada 
runs north and south through the lake until 
it reaches a certain point therein, when it 
changes to a course 17 degrees east of south. 
Thus the counties of Eldorado and Placer, iu 
California, and Washoe, Ormsby and Doug¬ 
las, in Nevada, all share in the waters of 
Tahoe, Where the line was surveyed through 
the lake it is 1,700 feet deep. 
The lake is sixteen miles wide by thirty- 
three miles long, and has au elevation of 
6,500 feet above sea level. It is supposed to 
be the crater ol’ an old volcano, the moun¬ 
tains around presenting unmistakable evi¬ 
dence of volcanic formation. The water is 
cold, aud clear as crystal, pebbles being seen 
with distinctness at a diepth of 100 feet 
under water. It lies in the midst of moun¬ 
tains which rise to the hight of 3,500 feet. 
Job’s Peak, seen at the north, is 10,000 feet 
above the level of the sea, and large bodies 
of snow are in the distance. 
We embarked on the little steamer Gov. 
Stamford, and steamed up the lake to Ben 
Haluday’8 place, which looks out on 
Emerald Bay, a beautifully-pluced inlet two 
miles long, and which seems to hide itself 
among the pine-clad hills. It is not over 400 
yards wide at its mouth, but widens to two 
miles inland, forming a most lovely land¬ 
locked harbor. 
The scenery all about the lake is grand 
and imposing, and, witli the clear crystal 
waters, changiug from the darkest blue to 
the loveliest. green as the boat approaches 
Emerald Ray, it forms a picture that is 
charming beyond description. Iu some parts 
of the lake the water is said to be 2,700 feet 
deep, while in others no soundings have as 
yet been found. The air here is deiightfully 
cool and bracing, and as a Summer resort 
this gem of the Sierras has wonderful attrac¬ 
tions. 
THE DAIRIES. 
But it was of the dairies that we had pro¬ 
posed to speak, and these are located in Lake 
Valley, which is one of the loveliest to be 
found among the Sierras. The whole val¬ 
ley, from the mountain slope to the lake, is 
one continued series of verdant meadows, 
dotted with milk randies, where the choicest 
butter is manufactured. Around this part 
of the lake the lands are generally level for 
some distance back and interspersed with 
pine, fir and balsam. The valley is 15 miles 
long by 8 miles wide, and as many as 13 
dairies were enumerated to us that would 
average 150 cows each. The cows are not 
wintered here, as the snow falls deep aud the 
Winters are prolonged. The herds are driven 
up the mountains and reach the valley 
about the last of May, and they are kept 
here until November, when they go down ou 
the plains for Winter quarters. The clean, 
sweet water, the nutritious grasses, and the 
low, even temperature of Summer give re¬ 
markable advantages for producing a fine 
quality of butter. There is a good wagon 
road from Lake Valley to Carson Valley, and 
considerable profits are made in butter dairy¬ 
ing, as the home markets are good, prices 
averaging from 40c. to 50c. per pound, nearly 
the whole product going to Nevada. 
There are very flue hotel accommodations 
to be had on Lake Tahoe, and horses can 
always be had at Truckee and the Summit 
for driving to Tahoe and along the shores of 
Lake Dounu, and it is here that you get the 
first taste of the “ break-neck ” speed of Cal¬ 
ifornia staging. 
■-*+-♦--— 
DEEP SETTING IN MINERAL WATERS. 
Ma. X. A. Willard :—I have just re¬ 
ceived from New York your two books, 
“Practical Dairy Husbandry” and “Prac¬ 
tical Butter Book.” I have read them with 
great pleasure and profit, and wish I had 
fifty copies of your smaller work to send to 
parties iu this county. I am Orange County 
bred, have farmed it there, but moved West 
iu 1857, before the system of creameries and 
cheese factories was inaugurated Lu the 
State. 1 am anxious to see something done 
in that line in this State, especially in Pike 
Co., and when I have my plans matured I 
shall start one or two factories here. 
My object in writing to you is to find out 
whether a spring, the water of which is 
slightly sulphurous, or one strong of lime¬ 
stone, will do for factory purposes. I have 
near my house a limestone spring of largo 
volume, the water of which is pleasant to 
the taste when taken fresh, but if allowed 
to stand becomes putrid and nasty. Would 
such water do for deep can setting f Are 
good factory superintendents, understanding 
the making of both butter and cheese, easily 
procured ia your vicinity, and, If so, at what 
wages ? Chas. H. Sharpe. 
Louisiana, Pike Co., Mo. 
Remarks.— We have seen one or two fac¬ 
tories on the deep setting plan, where the 
water In the pools was slightly sulphurous 
and no trouble was had ou account of setting 
the cans of milk in such water. This mine¬ 
ral water, however, was not used to wash 
the butter, good, sweet, spring or well water 
being used for that purpose. 
Milk absorbs taints very readily, and we 
should hesitate to set the cans in pools where 
the water becomes “putrid and nasty.” 
Possibly if the water was kept constantly 
flowing through the pools this putrid condi¬ 
tion would be avoided. Ordiuarily, water 
impregnated with lime, if otherwise sweet 
and clean, is not objectionable for pools in 
which to set milk, but water liable to be 
affected with putrid taints, like that referred 
to, we fear would cause trouble, since more 
or less water dropping upon the floor or ad¬ 
hering to the cans might iu some way com¬ 
municate a taint to the milk aud cream. 
Good factory superintendents can usually 
be obtained in New York at the commence¬ 
ment of the dairyiug season. The best time 
to engage such persons is in January and 
February, during the time of the Dairy Con¬ 
ventions. After the Spring work com¬ 
mences, and parties here make their engage¬ 
ments for the season, the number of persons 
seeking situations is comparatively small. 
Prices range from *50 to *100 per month, ac¬ 
cording to the skill of the operators and the 
work required to be done. 
-- — •» » » 
DAIRY QUESTIONS. 
I have your work on “ Dairy Husbandry,” 
and study it, as I am only a hegiuner. Am 
just putting up another factory. Exceed¬ 
ingly anxious to excel, and believe I am 
doing it; yet there is one fault—my cheese 
is somewhat crumbly, Heat at 08“ to 100“; 
does not exceed latter; rennets good, acting 
iu 40 minutes; curing ordinary; all cheese 
are sold when cured. 1 put to press warm 
(have no curd mill). I behove the non-ad- 
hesiveuess ia caused by some of the patrons 
not cooling their milk at nights ; yet they 
pass muster at the wcigh-can. Do you think 
that is the cause. I make 8 lb8. choose, as 
per page 414 of your book (first iu this part), 
only 1 use a strong box, 20x10, under ordin¬ 
ary press, and cut curd with snarlug wire 
instead of saw, arid like it better. I want a 
gang press, but do not understand the band¬ 
aging part of its working. Four factories in 
this county (all under 200 cows). Wages for 
cheesemen about $60 and board. Season 
five months. 
Au answer to the crumbly cheese question 
would greatly oblige, and kindly inform me 
of any new work relative to the business. 1 
will gladly gather information or statistics 
for you, if ueeded, as 1 am your debtor. 
New Providence, Iowa. T. J. Ashby. 
Remarks. —The cause of non-adhesiveness 
or crumbling of cheese may be, and is prob¬ 
ably, due to carrying the acidifying process 
too far, or possibly to lack of pressure of the 
curds when put to press. There is no trouble 
in bandaging the cheese when the gang press 
is used. On the confcmry, the work is very 
expeditiously performed. The bandage is 
plaoed in the hoop and the curd3 are then 
filled into it. The whole matter is so simple 
that it hardly needs to be described. 
The latest work on the subject of dairying 
is “Willard’s Practical Butter Book,” re¬ 
cently issued from the press of the Rural 
Pub l i sh ing Co., 78 Duane st., New York, and 
which will be sent from the office of this 
paper, postpaid, on receipt of $L We should 
be glad of statistics in reference to the con¬ 
dition and progress of dairying in Iowa. 
To Prevent Abortion in Cowb.— Dr. Mc¬ 
Clure’s remedy to prevent abortion in cows 
by giving tone and strength to the system, 
is Powdered sul. of iron, 2 drams ; ginger 
and gentian each half an ounce ; mix, and 
give one dose night and morning for a week 
then delay a week and commence again. 
This remedy has been quite successful around 
Philadelphia. 
-A 
#ntcrmoliigiraI, 
THE WHITE PINE WEEVIL (PISSODES 
STROBI.—PECK). 
Among what are usually termed “Snout 
Beetles” (CurcuUonuUt) there are many 
species destructive to plants, such, for in¬ 
stance, as the Plum Cm'c.uUo'(Conotrachelu 3 
Nenuphar) and the Apple CUreulio (Antho- 
nomus Crataefff), but there are others which 
attack and breed in the stems of herbaceous 
and woody plants. One of the most de¬ 
structive of the latter is the well-known 
White Pine Weevil, which breeds in the 
young branches or leading shoots of the 
white pine aud several other kinds of ever¬ 
greens. This insect was described by Prof. 
Peck many years ago, and a very minute 
description of its habits'given, still we fear 
that few of those persons most interested in 
its operations would be able to recognize it 
from the many other clcmcly-allied species. 
This pest has probably been a denizen of 
our forest since pine trees came into exist¬ 
ence, but it is only when it attacks our cul¬ 
tivated trees that we are likely to notice its 
depredations. In nurseries it is frequently 
very destructive, the female depositing her 
eggs on the terminal shoots during the spring 
and early summer, and the larva*, or grubs, 
penetrate the soft wood, working downward, 
the stems dyiog as they progress. Trees of 
six to eight years old will frequently be killed 
to the very ground in a single seasou, and 
we have to-day cut down and burned some 
twenty or more white pines, the stems of 
which were completely honey-combed by 
the larval of this snout beetle. 
The grubs and pupa? can usually be found 
in the stems during the last of July and first 
of August in the latitude of New York City, 
the beetles commencing to appear the latter 
part of August, and continuing to come out 
through September. Whenever the leaves 
on leading shoots or branches of the White 
Pine, Norway Spruce, and closely allied ever¬ 
greens begin to assume a yellow color during 
August, it is a pretty sure sign of the pres¬ 
ence of this insect, aud all such should be 
cut off and burned with their contents. The 
beetles hide away under old dead leaves and 
rubbish during the winter, coming out iu 
spring ready for an attack upon our pines 
and spruce ; hence it is quite necessary that 
all infected shoots should bo removed and 
burned if this pest is to be kept in check. 
While this “borer” seldom kills the tree, 
like those which attack the main stem or 
more solid wood portions, still, by constantly 
destroying the leading shoot, trees become 
dwarfed and deformed, being renderea 
worthless for ornament or any practical pur¬ 
pose. 
These Pine Weevils are more or less abund¬ 
ant throughout the country, and our nursery¬ 
men, as well as others who have Infested 
evergreens upon their grounds, should nob 
neglect to make a close examination of every 
dead shoot and branch to be fouud at this 
season. If the Pine Weevil is present it will 
be found iu or upon the dead shoots. It is a 
small, oblong, oval beetle, rather slender and 
of a brownish color, thickly punctured and 
variegated with small brown rust-colored 
and whitish scales. There are two whitish 
dots on the thorax and a white transverse 
band a little behind the middle of the wing 
covers. Its short, blunt snout projecting in 
front of the thorax will enable the novice to 
readily identify it as a member of the great 
curculio or ground beetle family. 
- - -- 
THE CATERPILLAR. OR ARMY WORM. 
While the people of the West are contem¬ 
plating tho terrible destruction likely to take 
place soon from the grasshopper, the farmers 
of the South are all astir about the cater¬ 
pillar, or army worm, so destructive to th® 
cotton plant. 
There is always more or less damage done 
to cotton in various parts of the South by 
this pest. They generally make their ap¬ 
pearance about the first of September, and 
commence dying off as soon as cool weather 
begins. Millions of them may be seen on the 
ground, among the cotton, or near the field. 
Dr. E. H. Anderson of Kirkwood, Miss., 
who has studied the nature of this worm 
carefully and acdentiflcally, thinks he has hit 
upon a plan to destroy the eggs by a certain 
mode and time of plowing the land. His ex¬ 
periments on his own plantation have proved 
entirely successful, and wl ile his neighbors’ 
crops were almost ruined, his had scarcely a 
worm about them. 
We hope his endeavors may prove success¬ 
ful, and thus rid the South of a great plague 
to the cotton plant. e. w. p. 
