235 
OCT. 8 MOORE’S RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
JatJIg Hushttdrg. 
NOTES from: otjr dairy editor on 
MINNESOTA. 
St. Patto, Minn., Sept. 17, 1875. 
We reached St. Paul on the 14th insfc., 
crossing the State of Wisconsin from Mil¬ 
waukee on the northern division of the Mil¬ 
waukee and St. Paul Railroad. The city 13 
at the head of navigation on the Mississippi, 
and has a population of about 35.000. The 
main portion of the city is nearly 100 feet 
above the river, and some of the higher bluffs 
are occupied by private residences, which 
command charming views of the city and of 
the river. The place has a substantial and 
thrifty appearance, a large share of the 
buildtngs being of brick or stone. Lime¬ 
stone and granite for building purposes are 
found in great abundance in the immediate 
vicinity, and the Custom House, Churches 
and other public buildings are beautiful 
structures. 
Minne-otais noted as a great wheat-grow¬ 
ing State, and the crop the present year has 
been the largest ever grown in the State. It 
is estimated that from 20,000,000 to 25,000,000 
bushels of wheat have been raised this year 
above home wants, and notwithstanding the 
injury to the crop from bad weather during 
harvest, at least from 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 
bushels can bo furnished for export. During 
the early part of the harvest line weather 
prevailed, but for the last few weeks rain 
has been frequent, and farmers have had 
great difficulty in securing the crop. There 
are various estimates in regard to the per¬ 
centage of damage which the wheat crop 
has sustained throughout the State, but per¬ 
sons who have been recently over the State, 
and who are abundantly competent to judge, 
state that from 10 to 15 per cent, will cover 
all loss. The majority of those with whom 
we conversed put the damage at 10 per cent., 
and 15 per cent, was the highest estimate 
given. 
Spring wheat is almost exclusively grown, 
as, on account of the light fall of snows, 
winter wheat is apt to kill out. The some¬ 
what recent introduction of an improved 
process for grinding Minnesota spring wheat 
produces a flour that is unsurpassed for its 
excellence, and Minnesota flour now leads 
the market. 
I was sho vn in one of the mills of St, Raul 
specimens of cracked wheat far surpassing 
anything heretofore seen in this kind of food. 
The process of manufacture is a new one, 
and as the product far excels that usually 
on the market, it must soon be extensively 
introduced, and eventually supersede the 
common article. 
The Fair grounds are located about four 
miles out of the city, or nearly half-way be¬ 
tween St. Paul and Minneapolis. The grounds 
arc extensive uud well laid out, having a One 
track for driving horses. The Grand Stuud, 
built in the form of an amphitheater, will 
seat saverul thousand persons. The stalls for 
horses and cattle are ample, and are located 
on the outer edge of the grounds. Various 
buildings are placed over the grounds for the 
reception of article* to be exhibited. 
The bad weather previous to and during 
the Fail’ undoubtedly had its influence in 
deterring farmers from bringing forward 
their products; but the show in several of 
the departments was excellent. The Veget¬ 
able Department was particularly notewor¬ 
thy for the flue quality of vegetables shown. 
The Department of Farm Machinery was 
well repi'esented, and there were some flue 
horses and cattle of different breeds on the 
grounds. The show of fruit, though rather 
small when compared with similar shows in 
the older States, was exceedingly creditable, 
especially in grapes. 
THE DAIRY. 
Cheese was mainly represented by one fac¬ 
tory, but the quality compai’ed favorably 
with much that is made in New York, thus 
showing that the natural grasses of Minne¬ 
sota are capable of yielding a product that 
is meaty and pure in flavor. 
From what we saw and learned concern¬ 
ing the character of lands in the State and 
its water, we have no doubt the State is well 
adapted todairying, and the time must come 
when this interest will be largely developed 
here. 
Minnesota has been sometimes called the 
“ Lake State,’' on account of the great num¬ 
ber of small lakes distributed over its sur¬ 
face. The water is clear, sweit aud cool, 
and with the nutritious grasses and natural 
meadows in certain locations dairying could 
even now be easily prosecuted. 
Dr. Day, in his report of the State Fish 
^ Commission, says: — “A careful estimate 
taken from township maps of the State 
shows that Minnesota has of inland lake sut^ 
face (exclusive of rivers and of the portions 
of Lake Superior and Pepin) within her bor¬ 
ders no less than 1,(501,340 acres of inland 
lakes alone. Assuming that the State con¬ 
tains 83,500 square miles, or 53,<140,000 acres, 
it will be seen that we have nearly three and 
p, third acres of water to every 100 acres of 
land.” The capacity of this vast water sur¬ 
face for modifying the temperature and 
supplying good, healthful water for stock, 
in addition to the numerous streams and 
springs, must give unusual facilities for the 
successful prosecution of dairy husbandry. 
To carry on d airying successfully clean, sweet 
water is of the first importance, and it should 
be located so as to be convenient for stock. 
Many of the lakes are small, and occupy only 
a few acres, but the shores are firm aud 
pebbly, and the waters are cold and clear as 
crystal, and Just such as would adorn the 
grounds of a suburban residence. 
The s til of Minnesota is deep and fertile, 
and the cultivated grasses grow in great 
luxuriance wherever they have been intro¬ 
duced. At present va9t quantities of hay 
can be cut from the natural meadows or 
moist bottom lands. Tho grasses on these 
meadows are nutritious, uud the yield not 
unfrequently is from two and a half to three 
tons and more per acre. 
Wa are satisfied from what wo have seen 
of the natural grasses of the West that they 
arecapablaof producing an excellent quality 
of milk—milk of good flavor. The idea has 
generally prevailed, and especially at the 
West, that it is necessary to have the ‘‘tame 
grasses” to get good milk, aud when faulty 
milk is found tho blame is commonly at¬ 
tributed to the feed. In most cases, how¬ 
ever, which have come under our observa¬ 
tion the cause of imperfect milk in the new 
States comes from bad water—t hat standing 
in swales uud boggy places, where stock are 
obliged to wallow in the “ mud and mire” 
to quench their thirst.” It is true the food 
which a cow eats has much to do in con¬ 
trolling the flavor of her milk, but there Is 
nothing in the natural grasses of the West 
that is objectionable. Where the wild onion 
prevails, or other strong-scented weeds tiro 
eaten by stock, they will of course impart a 
taint to the milk, but not so of the prairie or 
wild grasses, a3 we have repeatedly verified 
in our experience while traveling extensively 
over tiie States west of the Mississippi. We 
allude to this matter Ifere in order to correct 
some erroneous impressions among our Wext¬ 
ern friends, many of whom seem to think 
thatthe “ tame grasses,” oreultivnted grasses 
of tho East, arc all essential in producing 
good butter uni cheese. It may be profit¬ 
able to Introduce cultivated grasses in many 
localities, but where tho natural grasses of 
the West are productive and nutritious we 
‘ should not udvise a change. 
There arc vast tracts of land in Minnesota 
that lie open to the commons, and can be 
employed for stock. 
The winters in Minnesota are cold, but the 
dryness of the atmosphere enables one to 
endure a much lower temperature than in 
the more humid atmosphere of New York. 
There is much less snow titan to New York, 
and in the vicinity of -St. Puul it is not un¬ 
common to have good wheeling during the 
greater part cf the winter. And unlike some 
of the Western States further South, we are 
told there is less mud, the roads drying off 
with great rapidity. This feature we espe¬ 
cially noticed when riding out in the countiy 
after heavy rains. 
FISH CULTURE. 
Wo were glad to see at the State Fair a 
fine exhibition of fish, and to leant that a 
lively interest is taken oy prominent nten in 
the State to introduce fish culture. Dr. Day, 
of St, Paul, Chairman of the Fish Commis¬ 
sioners of Minnesota, in his report to tho 
last Legislature says, “On the 14th day of 
Angust la3t (1S74), we assisted in depositing 
8Q,0U0 young shad fry in the Mississippi at 
St. Paul and at the loot of the rapids at 
Minneapolis. These fish were put into our 
waters without expense to the State by Prof. 
Baird, of the IT, S. Fi3h Commission. The 
commercial value of the fry deposited in our 
waters as delivered here is about $5 per 1,000, 
or $400. 
“ On the 7th of October last there arrived, 
consigned to our care, 100,000 CaUfornia 
salmon eggs. Previously to their arrival we 
had asked parties in the State having facili¬ 
ties for hatching, to take and hatch them. 
To this proposition the Hon. E. Rice ol’ St. 
Paul, Messrs. Watkins and Bogart of Red 
WiDg, and the Stillwater Trout Brook Co. 
readily consented. They were, upon arrival, 
promptly distributed to the care of these 
gentlemen, and the result is that we now 
have Lorn 40,000 to 50,000 as handsome 
young salmon ready for distribution in the 
waters of our States as one could wish to 
see.” 
An attempt has been made to introduce 
the white fish of Lake Superior into Lake 
Minnetonka, White Bear, and other large 
lakes in the denser populated districts of the 
State, but by some mismanagement the ex¬ 
periment failed, hut the effort will be re¬ 
newed and with a better knowledge of all 
the necessary conditions will, without, doubt, 
prove a success. The white fish of Lake 
Superior make a most delicious food. They 
may he called the shad of t»e unsalted seas. 
When properly cooked, fresh from the 
water, many prefer it even to brook trout. 
Dr. Day says : “Those who have only eaten 
of the salt fish have not had the means of 
forming an estimate of its true quality and 
flavor. It* flesh alono is capable of main¬ 
taining humau life in vigor and health for 
yeais, as those who have voyaged in the 
land north of us can well testify. 
“ It is owing to the presence of the white 
fish that all the northern portion of our State 
is enabled to subsist the population of In¬ 
dians it now does. Nearly 20,00(1 of these 
people live almost exclusively on the food 
supplied from this source alone. They follow 
it in its northwest trend far into the regions 
of British North America. Instead of the 
Indians seeking the more genial climate to 
the southward, they are compelled to follow 
their humble friands clear Into the night of 
the Arctic circle and brave the rigors of the 
climate for the sake of the food which can 
thun be obtained. 
“ The fish is a native of our waters north 
of a lino drawn through Lake Osftkis iu 
Douglas County. Otter Tail, Detroit, and 
Leech Lake, and all the lakes in this latitude 
are natural aud prolific white fish waters. 
The white fish of Red Lake have 1< rig been 
known to be superior to any of this variety 
of fish fouud rise where.” 
We drove out to Minneapolis aud from 
thence to Fort Snelling, crossing the river 
below- the fort, but of this we shall have 
something to say in our next. 
The weather yesterday was raw aud cold 
and there was a sharp frost last night, the 
first of tho season in this locality. The corn 
crop, however, wo are told, is too far ad¬ 
vanced to be injured. In haste, yours, &c. 
x. a. w. 
-- 
‘IMITATION ENGLISH CHEESE. 
X. A. WnvLARTt, Esq : — Will, yon he so 
kind as to inform me what; is meant by “ Im¬ 
itation English Cheese 3 ’ in the New York 
State Agricultural Society’s lint of Premi¬ 
um?.? How arc they made, or is it in the 
shape that they differ from the American 
chae.se l—V> r . H. Sroo-sutt, Haimyra, N. V. 
Remarks.— Imitation English Cheese does 
not differ materially in the process of manu¬ 
facture from tne American factory cheddar. 
One form is to press rather flat, like ti e 
North Wilts, or Gloucestershire, and color 
the outside a deep dark brown. Another 
style is to press about 10 or 11 inches in di¬ 
ameter, and 8 or 9 inches high. The curds 
are worked down firm, and salted* a little 
higher than is usual with American cheese. 
A good many people are caught by a name, 
and cheese made in an unusual style, with 
the rind colored brown aud called “Imita¬ 
tion English,” will often command a better 
price with some persons than our usual style 
of cheese. They imagine the cheese is bet¬ 
ter, and imagination, in some cases, goes a 
long way. We once saw a lot of factory 
cheese made in the Cheddar shape, and a 
part of them had their rinds darkened so as 
to give them a foreign appearance. Tho two 
specimens front the same lot of cheese were 
put side by side, one being called English 
and the other American, and they were 
tested from time to time by various persons, 
and it was surprising to see men, who were 
supposed to be good judges, discourse upon 
the excellent character of the English sam¬ 
ple as compared with the American, The 
gentleman perpetrating the j-.ke had his en¬ 
joyment out of it, and many of these people 
were so enthusiastic in their partiality for 
tho u imported article,*' that it would have 
been hard to convince them that the differ¬ 
ent samples of cheese were made from the 
same milk, iu the same vat, treated exactly 
alike in curing, and only differing in eolcr 
ano name. 
During our recent visit to the Yo-semite, 
the power of the imagination was strikingly 
illustrated, in the manner in which the 
guides managed to have everyone satLfied 
with the mule or horse that was to convey 
him over the steep and precipitous mountain 
trafls. Of course, every one wanted a good, 
safe, surefooted animal, and it was only 
necessary for the guides to recommend in a 
low, confidential tone, the wonderful traits 
and points of the particular animal which 
happened to be assigned you, to make every 
one of our party start off in high satisfaction 
at bis good luck iu securing the choice beast 
of the crowd. By-and-by, when we be¬ 
gan to compare notes, we found that wo had 
all been cleverly imposed upon. But the 
mules carried us all safe over the mour tains, 
and past yawning precipices, where a mis¬ 
step or stumble on the narrow trail would 
have resulted in certain death, and so we 
were not disposed to complain. But these 
guides, "We know from the twinkle of their 
eyes that they enjoyed the effect of their 
crafty recommendations, whispered so con¬ 
fidentially in the ears of each of our party, 
indeed, they could nob help noticing the 
self satisfaction with which each one of us 
rode off, believing he was mounted, by par¬ 
ticular favor, upon the best nude of the 
flock.” 
Husbandry. 
LONG WOOLED SHEEP IN WESTERN 
NEW YORK. 
A correspondent of tljo National Live 
Stock Journal, writing over the signature 
“R” from Moneoye, N. Y., is easily recog¬ 
nizable aa one of the most successful wool 
growers in that section. We give below his 
views us to the kinds of sheep that are most 
profitable in his section, which, we think, 
will bu corroborated by the experience of 
most farmers of Western New York : 
There is probably no town in orr country 
where wool growing and sh?ep breeding 
have been made more of a spec'aliby for the 
hist 70 years than the town of Richmond, 
Ontario Co., N. Y. ; or where a better class 
of breeders and flock master* are to bu found. 
Mcrlnoe* Were introduced into this section 
at an early day, and, uutii within the last 
half-doaen years, were kept entirely, to the 
exclusion of ail other breeds. 
Tito tidal wave of disaster to tho Merino 
interest that swept over our country a few 
years since, destroying many valuable flocks, 
demoralizing others and senuing.hundredsof 
thousands of good sheep to the slaughter¬ 
house, to tho tune of a dollar per head, visit¬ 
ed us in all its fury, and many people began 
to look about for some other industry. 
Combing wool was in good demand, and 
sheep bearing such wool were In good repute 
os mutton producers. Our agricultural and 
stock Journals were teeming with articles 
sotting forth their merits, and their adapta¬ 
bility to high-priced lands lying near cities 
and villages, where they could bn sold at all 
seasons of the year as mutton. Thus the 
attention of many were directed to the Lin¬ 
colns, Leicester* and Cote wolds. 
No less than a dozen experienced Merino 
breeders In this immediate viciuty were in¬ 
duced to try lliopc and purchases of each of 
the above varieties according to the taste of 
the individual purchases, were made, each 
aiming at ull times to get good animals. 
Aud some of them were most excellent of 
their kind, and bought at low prices. 
Tho uniform experience of these men, 
briefly summed up, is as follows : 
1st. They will not thrive under the treat¬ 
ment we g ; ve our best Merino flocks. 
They are less hardy and more liable 
to disease, often dying without apparent 
cause. 
3d. They require to be kept in smaller 
flocks, and to have a greater range and 
variety of food. 
ith. When kept for wool and mutton they 
arc not, oven under the most fuvoruble cir¬ 
cumstances, all things considered, as profit¬ 
able us the average of the Merino flocks of 
this section. 
This article is not written to open a discus¬ 
sion as to the merits of the different breeds 
of sheep, nor to deciy the varieties of long- 
wools heroin referred to, they may he Just 
the sheep for some localities, altnough they 
cannot stand the pressure of U1I6 section and 
others we have heard from. Doubtless such 
breeders as T. S. Cooper, Jos. Harris, Ward 
& Son and many o’hers we might mention, 
who sell their surplus stock for breeding pur¬ 
poses, at many times their value for wool 
aud mutton purposes, find it a profitable 
buis .f‘iS fc We also believe that from ten to 
twenty of tfiese sheep could be profitably 
kept on thousands of the dairy farms 
throughout the country, especially those 
lying on river bottoms and the like. But 
that they can ever be made to supersede 
prime American Merinos, in those sections 
devoted mainly to the production of wool 
and mutton, is to my mind a subject of much 
doubt. 
