THE  BHRAL  HEW-YOBKEB. 
c 
Jliurg  gusliairtru. 
A  VITAL  QUESTION  IN  DAIEYING. 
TitEKK  art)  many  sootionH  in  tbo  dairy  difltricts 
where  the  growing  of  stock  for  dairy  purixises 
has,  for  many  years,  been  abandoned.  The 
time  will  soon  1)6  at  hand  whdn  the  dairyman 
must  determino  whether  ho  is  to  coutiiino  the 
old  practice  of  slaughtoritig  all  his  calves  in 
spring,  or  wliether  ho  will  commence  raising 
stock  by  selecting  from  his  best  cows.  The 
practice  of  buying  anything  and  everything  that 
is  offered  for  tilling  up  the  herds  cannot  be  suf¬ 
ficiently  deprecated.  Many  of  the  animals 
bought  from  droves  at  high  prices  do  uot  pay 
the  cost  of  keep,  and  the  opinion  1ms  come  to  bo 
pretty  general  that  the  best  way  to  secure  good 
cows  is  to  raise  them  on  the  farm-  The  dilll- 
cnlty  in  obtaining  superior  milcli  cows  to  supidy 
the  many  and  large  herds  in  tl»e  dairy  districts 
becomes  greater  from  year  to  year,  and  this 
diOloulty  renders  stock  raising  desirable,  at 
least  with  those  who  arc  trying  to  excel  in 
quantity  of  dairy  i)rodnctH.  Wliy,  then,  should 
not  tlio  raising  of  dairy  stock  on  dairy  farms  bo 
the  rule  rathcj- Uian  tho  o.\ccption.^  Tho  main 
reason  is  because  it  is  supposed  to  cost  moro  to 
raise  a  cow  Ihaii  it  does  to  jmrehase  ono  in  the 
market ;  but  granting  this  to  be  true,  when  wc 
come  to  strike  tho  difTcrence  between  tho  good 
cows  raised  by  judicious  breeding  and  tho  poor 
ones  bought  from  tiroves,  it  will  bo  found  far 
more  proli  table  for  dairymen  to  raise  and  edu¬ 
cate  the  animals  on  the  farm,  under  their  own 
immediate  supervision,  than  to  depend  on  pur¬ 
chasing. 
Grade  oattlo  from  good  milking  families  of 
Short-IIorus  are,  on  aoesjunt  of  size,  regarded 
with  favor  by  many.  When  failing  in  milk, 
they  take  on  llosh  rapidly  and  can  bo  turned  to 
good  account  for  beef.  A  cross  of  Hhort-Hom 
grades  with  Ayrsblrus  Is  also  hold  in  high  esteem 
by  some  as  productive  of  all  the  milking  quali¬ 
ties  of  the  Ayrsliiro,  with  an  improvement  in 
size  fruui  tljo  Short-Horn.  The  principle  of 
like  producing  lilie  will  generally  hold  good  in 
brooding  for  the  dairy.  Heuco  great  attention 
should  bo  had  to  breed  from  good  milking 
families,  aud  the  parents  on  both  sides  should 
be  from  stock  noted  in  this  respect. 
As  tho  production  of  milk  in  largo  quantities 
is  luoro  or  less  exhausting,  sound  constitution 
and  healtli  are  p(jints  to  bo  considere<l.  An  old 
and  feelde  cow  will  not  ho  us  likely  to  breed  as 
vigorous  stock  as  younger  animals  in  high 
health.  Mr.  1'ini4EV  Dun.v,  in  a  prize  essay  on 
the  llorcditury  Disease.'*  of  Cattle,  published  in 
the  Journal  of  the  Itoyal  Agrlculturdl  Society  of 
England,  enumerates  diarrhea,  rheumatism, 
scrofula,  consumption,  dyscnteiv-,  malignant 
tumors  and  alfeclions  dci>euding  on  a  plethoric 
state  of  the  body,  as  the  most  imi>ortaut  hered¬ 
itary  diseases  of  cattle.  Among  others,  ho  gives 
tho  following  charactoristics  which  cattle  should 
possess,  in  order  to  perpetuate  in  theii-  offspring 
a  healthy  and  vigorous  constitution,  viz.; 
“  The  head  sniiill ;  muzzle  lino  aud  tapering : 
nostrils  large  and  open ;  tho  oyoa  full  and  lus¬ 
trous  ;  the  ears  small  and  not  too  thick ;  the 
head  well  sot  on  tho  neck ;  tho  distance  between 
the  ears  aud  tiio  angle  of  tlie  jaw  short,  hut  the 
width  holiiud  tho  ears  coiisiderahle  (no  dairy 
cow  should  have  a  short,  thick  ucolt) ;  the  chest 
wide  and  deep ;  tho  girlli,  taken  immedi.ately 
behind  the  shoulder,  should  corrospoud  with  the 
length  from  behind  the  cars  to  tho  rise  of  tho 
tail ;  tho  carcass  of  a  baiTol  shape,  tor  a  thin, 
flat-ribbed  animal  Oats  largely,  thrives  badly, 
aud  is  usually  liable  to  diarrhea ;  there  shoidd 
ho  but  little  space  between  the  promiuenco  of 
tho  hip  and  the  last  rib  ;  the  quarter  lai'go ;  the 
measurement  from  tho  prominence  of  the 
haunch  backwaid  to  tho  rise  of  the  tali  aud 
downward  to  the  hock  as  groat  as  possible ;  the 
lower  part  of  tho  haunch  thick  and  broad ;  the 
hide  thick  and  iihant ;  smallnesss  of  bone  is  a 
sure  indication  of  early  maturity  and  aptitude 
for  fatteuing." 
These,  among  other  characteristics  and  quali¬ 
ties  enumerated  by  Mr  DnsN,  indicate  tho  pos¬ 
session  of  a  vigorous  and  healthy  constitution 
and  freedom  from  all  inlierent  disease.  In  rais¬ 
ing  stock  for  tho  dairy,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  calf  should  have  generous  feed  and 
good  care  and  treatment  in  every  rospeot,  for  a 
scrubby,  dwarfed  aud  pinched  calf  cannot  be  ex¬ 
pected  to  mutiu'o  into  the  best  cow.  Care  must 
be  takou  also  that  it  bo  not  overfed,  so  as  to  be¬ 
come  dainty,  hut  kejit  in  a  healthy,  growing 
oouditiou. 
Extra  feed  should  he  given  when  gi-ass  is 
scant  and  of  poor  quality.  Koots,  oatmeal  and 
the  best  of  early-cut  hay,  fed  regularly  during 
winter,  with  well -lighted  and  well  -  ventilated 
stables— all  will  amply  repay  tho  breeder,  in  the 
better  size,  condition  and  prospective  value  of 
tho  animal  for  the  dairy. 
The  education  of  the  animal  for  the  dairy  is 
'  also  of  prime  importauco.  DocUity,  good  tom- 
I)or,  quiotuesH,  all  of  whicb  are  necessary  in  a 
good  miloh  <hjw,  are  the  result,  in  a  great  meas¬ 
ure,  of  kind  treatment  and  early  education. 
JIany  a  flue  animal  lias  been  in'eparably  mined 
by  coarse  and  brutal  treatment,  for  no  cow  tliat 
trembles  from  fright  or  exhibits  great  nervous¬ 
ness  diu-lng  udlking  will  yield  her  greatest  capa¬ 
city  of  milk. 
Calves,  from  Ihe  flrat,  should  bo  fondled  and 
marie  familiar  with  persons;  never  frightened  or 
worried  by  dogs,  beaten  or  cruelly  treated ;  tlicy 
shonld  liave  no  fear  of  their  aftendants,  bnt 
rather  express  pleasure  in  their  jjreHcnce  and  a 
willingness  to  bo  potted  and  handled ;  and  when 
tho  heifer  “  comes  in  niiik  ”  the  utmost  kind¬ 
ness  aud  tenderness  sliould  he  shown  In  her 
management  until  tho  animal  is  thoroughly 
broken  and  shows  no  more  nervousness  at  being 
milked  than  in  tho  suckling  of  her  own  calf, 
lloifors  that  have  been  well  kept  will  begin  to 
come  in  milk  at  two  years  of  age,  and  are  re¬ 
garded  as  making  bettor  cows  than  when  coming 
in  milk  at  a  later  age,  since  tho  capacity  for 
giving  milk  is  vjiried  by  habit,  aiul  an  oai'ly  de¬ 
velopment  in  this  regard  stimiUales  secretion  of 
milk  and,  us  foimd  by  oxpiericnce.  Is  productive 
of  better  ro.su]  ts. 
tVe  have  enumerated  some  of  tho  leading 
points  to  ho  observed  in  raising  stock  for  tlio 
dairy,  and  wo  urge  tho  question  upon  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  dairymen  at  this  time  beoauso  they  have 
now  leisure  to  think  the  matter  over  aud  lay  out 
plans  for  the  future.  Superior  cows  nro  not 
nnfrequently  raised  tiy  selecting  calves  from 
deep  -  miUong  natives  which  cannot  boast  of 
“royal  Idood"  in  their  veins,  and  we  should  not 
hositate  to  raise  stock  from  such  animals  in  case 
no  provision  has  boon  made  to  cross  with  thor- 
ougbhre<ls.  We  should  l^o  glad  to  see  more  in¬ 
terest  taken  by  dairymen  in  breeding  stock  for 
the  dairy.  We  ought  to  get  bettor  rolurns,  both 
of  choose  and  butter,  thiui  wo  do,  and  this  ob¬ 
ject  can  never  bo  successfully  accoiuplishod  uu- 
losH  dairymen  go  back  to  tho  boguming  and 
breed  tbou'  own  stock.  We  need  cows  that  will 
turn  off  (iOO  pounds  of  cheeso  auauully,  or  from 
250  to  300  pounds  of  butter.  This  prodnol  can¬ 
not  ix)  obtained  from  the  cuUb  picked  out  of 
droves.  If  wo  are  to  reap  a  good  profit  from 
dairying  aud  malte  it  a  grand  success,  it  must 
come  fj-om  having  deep  milkers,  and  tho  sui-est 
way  to  secure  these  is  by  Judicious  breeding 
upon  Uie  farm  where  they  arc  to  be  used. 
- - - 
DKYING  OFF  THE  COWS. 
tho  oowng.xin  comes  in  milk,  we  find  this  foreign 
substance  acting  as  an  irritant,  inducing,  not 
uiifrequently,  violent  inflammation,  and  wo  have 
“  swelled  bag,”  garget,  or  some  disease  of  tho 
udder  which  causes  trouble.  Often  particles  of 
coagulated  milk  iill  up  Uie  milk  duct  at  the  base 
of  tho  teat  or  lower  down,  causing  a  stoppage 
of  milk  through  the  duct,  and  hence  spoiling  the 
teat  for  further  use.  Of  late  years  a  largo  num¬ 
ber  of  cows  throughout  tho  dairy  districts  are 
found  which  liavo  lost  the  use  of  one  or  more 
teats,  and  th<'y  are  generally  among  the  best 
cows  of  tho  lierd.  The  cause  is  largely  owing  to 
neglect  ill  properly  “  drying  off." 
Cows  cannot  ho  dried  of  their  milk  at  once, 
and  some  cows  continue  to  socreto  milk  in  small 
cinautilies  for  a  long  time.  But  In  all  cases 
where  the  animal  has  ceased  to  give  milk,  or  is 
what  Is  termed  “dry,"  she  should  have  her  ud¬ 
der  examined  from  time  to  time  and  tho  teats 
tried  to  see  if  any  milk  can  bo  drawn.  At  flrst 
the  trial  should  bo  mado  at  intervals  of  two  or 
tlireo  ilays,  and  if  there  is  a  particle  of  milk  in 
tho  bag  it  should  he  all  thoroughly  drawn. 
'J'hou  the  trial  may  ho  made  at  longer  intervals. 
When  cows  are  supposed  to  he  completely  diy, 
t.ho  rule  should  bo  to  go  through  the  herd  every 
week,  making  trial  of  the  teats  to  see  if  any  milk 
can  be  drawn.  And  this  work  cannot  safely  be 
intrnsted  to  “hiied  help."  but  must  be  per¬ 
formed  under  the  “  eye  of  master."  Many  jier- 
Bons  are  uot  aw.are  of  tlie  imixirtance  of  drying 
cows,  aud  Jiii'ed  help  often  think  it  a  piece  of 
folly  to  try  to  draw  milk  from  a  dty  cow.  We 
have  had  such  men,  and  they  wore  good,  honest 
men,  too,  and  they  would  insist  that  certain 
cows  veru  perfectly  dry,  hut  yet,  when  put  to 
the  tost  under  our  rule  of  trying  the  teats  once 
a  week  dining  winter,  wo  have  found,  in  numer¬ 
ous  instances,  that  small  quantities  of  thick 
milk  or  a  watery  fluid  could  bo  drawn  from  the 
udder. 
We  have  lost  the  use  of  valuable  cows  by  in¬ 
trusting  this  work  to  jiersons  In  our  employ,  and 
there  is  scarcely  a  dairyman  in  New  York  who 
cannot  trace  trouble  in  his  herd  to  either  his  own 
neglect  or  that  of  others.  Indeed,  so  large  is  tho 
loss  every  year  from  improperly  ilrying  cows  that 
there  Is  scarcely  a  subject  connected  with  dairy 
management  of  moro  vital  importance  than  tins. 
We  urge  it,  Uicreforo,  upon  the  attention  of 
dairymen,  and  wo  say  to  liicm :  B<)  sure  that  tho 
work  is  done  properly  -trust  no  eye  but  your 
own,  and  when  your  herd  comes  in  milk  next 
spring  you  will  realize  the  value  of  our  advice. 
Illinois,  wc  believe,  mado  no  display  of  dairy 
products  at  tho  Centennial.  Tho  Illinois  dairy¬ 
men,  it  will  be  remembered,  protested  against 
tbc  apjHiiutmont  Of  I’rof.  Aknolu  as  Juror  of 
Dairy  Products,  which  protest  Mr.  Scovim.E  re¬ 
tained  in  his  jiocket  and  did  not  forward  to 
tlie  Commission.  As  the  Ring  management  of 
the  dairy  display  at  the  Centennial  has  resulted 
in  a  complete  failure  and  laughing-stock,  wc  pre- 
snmo  the  discussion  will  bring  ont  the  whole 
matter  for  the  edification  of  Western  men.  The 
Illinois  State  Dairymen’s  Association  is  a  live 
Hocicty,  and  tho  meeting  wUl^  bo  one  of  great 
interest. 
- *■*■■*• - 
THE  DAIRY  RING  IN  A  NEW  ROLE. 
The  season  has  now  come  when  the  herds  are 
to  bo  (hied  of  their  milk,  aud  it  is  one  of  tho 
most  imiiortaut  operations  connected  with  the 
successful  management  of  tlic  dairy.  Immense 
losses  are  sustained  annually  from  an  improper 
manner  of  drying  off  (X)ws.  It  milk  is  allowod 
to  remain  in  tho  udder  oven  in  very  small  quan¬ 
tities,  it  becomes  thick  and  coagulated  and  acts 
as  a  foreign  substance,  producing  irritation,  and 
is  liable  to  affect  injuriously  or  destroy  some  of 
the  parts  of  the  bag  aud  teats.  The  whole 
straoture  of  tho  udder  is  a  complicated  and  deli¬ 
cate  affair.  Tlio  arteries  going  to  Ihe  udder  are 
both  large  aiid  numerous,  and  the  branches  of 
each  vessel  freely  auastomoso  together,  so  that 
no  iuteiTDptiou  to  the  regularity  of  the  siipidy  of 
blood  to  every  part  of  the  gland  may  lake  place. 
Tho  several  vessels  whicb  come  off  from  these 
arteries  iieuetrate  into  the  substance  of  llie  mam- 
mie,  within  which  they  freely  ramify  by  numerous 
divisions  and  sub-divisious.  Ultimately,  by  fur¬ 
ther  splittiog  up  and  consequent  diminution  of 
their  caliber,  they  form  vessels  so  minute  as  to 
be  unobservable  to  the  naked  eyo,  and  which 
have  been  designated  cajiillarios.  They  are  dis¬ 
tributed  to  the  follicles  or  coecal  extremities  of 
the  lactiferous  ducts,  upon  which  they  form  a 
miuule  rclc  of  vessels,  and  furnish  blood,  both 
in  u  Kufticiont  quantity  aud  also  in  a  condition 
fitted  for  the  secretion  of  milk.  From  tho  co- 
ocal  extremities  the  milk,  as  it  is  formed,  finds 
its  way  along  the  minute  excretory  ducts  to 
which  they  are  attached  iuto  largo  lubes,  aud 
tlieucc  into  vaiious-sizod  cavities,  which  are 
termed  reservoirs.  Tho  anungement  of  this 
portion  of  the  gland  may  be  compared  to 
bunches  of  currants  as  connected  with  or  grow¬ 
ing  upon  their  foot  stalks.  Tho  fruit  would 
here  represent  the  milk-secreting  foUiclos,  aud 
the  stalks  the  tubes  by  which  it  is  conveyed 
away. 
It  will  bo  scon  from  the  above  that  a  structure 
so  complicatod  aud  delicate  is  liable  to  become 
deranged  in  some  of  its  parts  by  improper  usage, 
and  thid  it  cannot  well  maintain  its  lutegrity 
when  milk  is  allowed  to  accumulate  aud  remain 
to  decompose  and  become  rotten,  as  it  often 
does  when  there  has  been  neglect  in  properly 
“  dicing  off"  the  animal.  When  cows  begin  to 
fail  in  their  milk,  the  supply  of  blood  to  the 
glands  becomes  less,  and  when  inUk  is  left  in 
tho  udder  a  portion  of  it  will  he  absorbed  in  the 
system.  Nature  taking  this  way  to  rid  the  glands 
of  a  substance  which  requires  to  be  removed. 
But  when  the  milk  coagulates,  the  caseiuous 
portions  become  hard  and  remain.  Thus,  when 
ILLINOIS  STATE 
DAIRYMEN’S 
TION. 
ASSOCIA- 
Tim  Iliiuois  Da  irymen  hold  their  Annual  Con¬ 
vention  at  Elgin,  Ill.,  commencing  Dec.  12,  at  10 
A.  M.  The  Executive  Committee  of  tlio  Htate 
Association  have  marked  out  quite  an  elalmrate 
programme  for  the  occasion.  It  is  as  follows : 
Address  of  welcome  by  the  President ;  the 
supply  and  demand  of  dairy  products  and  their 
fnluro  uiiu-kets— Hon.  H.  Wilcox,  Elgin ;  0.  H. 
Wilder,  Wisconsin  ;  H.  W.  Mead,  Hebron.  The 
best  plan  to  avoid  the  low  ibices  which  usually 
prevail  for  butter  and  cheese  during  tJie  summer 
mouths— R.  R.  Ktoue,  Elgin;  R.  W.  Stewart. 
Hebron.  Manure,  how  to  care  for  and  apply — 
Jiio.  Keating,  Elgin  ;  C.  H.  Larkin,  Elgin.  The 
best  method  of  improving  and  supplymg  the 
dairy ;  different  breeds  and  their  adaptation  to 
our  climate— D.  Levery,  Leland  ;  Hou.  William 
Patton,  Sandwich;  Goo.  E,  Brown,  Elgin.  The 
manufacture  of  skimmod  milk;  is  it  injm'ioua 
bonelioial  to  tho  dairy  interest  ?— Hon.  S. 
As  esteemed  correspondent  sends  us  the  fol¬ 
lowing  : 
“  It  is  well  known  that  soon  after  the  great 
fiasco  of  the  half-dozen  members  of  the  Centen¬ 
nial  Dairy  Commitloe  at  Utica,  when  Mr.  Bx.i.ss 
began  to  protest  agsiii.st  their  illicit  notion.  Jlr. 
D.  L.  I’oi'K  of  Ohio  wa.s  appointed  a  member  of 
the  Committee  by  51  r.  acovii.u-;,  aud  not  by  the 
Committee,  who  alone  had  authority  to  make 
Buoh  appointment,  with  the  evident  pni'po.so  of 
making  him  useful  in  their  efforts  to  get  rid  of 
Mr.  Blisk  and  install  themselves  in  all  the  of¬ 
fices.  At  tho  next  meeting  of  tho  fiommittee, 
tlie  ‘  Executive  Committee  ’  was  instituted  and 
constituted,  with  Jlr.  Poi’e  as  Chairman.  He 
(ilr.  Poi-Ej  proved  an  exceedingly  useful  acces- 
siou  to  tho  Ring  for  a  time ;  but  when  his  day 
of  uscfuluess  was  past,  with  characteristic  dis- 
regiud  of  all  else  but  their  selfish  aud  nefarious 
purposes  to  run  tlio  whole  thing  in  their  own 
Individual  (ntorests,  regardlcs.s  of  tho  rights  of 
overyhody  else,  they,  in  turn,  wont  tti  work  to 
get  rid  of  him.  Ho  liad  bocomo  tlioroughly  dis¬ 
gusted  witli  them  and  would  glailly  have  stepped 
down  and  out  were  it  not  that  ho  had  been  so 
unwise  as  to  put  some  of  his  own  fimds  into  the 
payment  of  bills  for  tho  transportation  of  tho 
apparatus  and  fixtures  for  the  Dairy  Building, 
and,  as  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Bi.is.s,  the  Committee 
peremptorily  and  positively  refused  to  audit  or 
pay  his  hills. 
“  Fortunately  for  Mr.  Poi-k,  Col.  Ki'kaoue  of 
Vermont,  who  had  donated  to  the  Committee  a 
full  set  of  tho  famous  Howe  Scales,  Imd  exhib¬ 
ited  them  in  his  own  name,  and  it  so  appeared 
oil  the  books  of  tho  Commission.  The  Ring 
were  greatly  existed  when  they  learned  that  the 
order  of  Col.  SriuocEwas  necessary  before  they 
could  get  possttiwioii  of  tho  scales,  and  that  ho 
considered  liiinself  in  honor  bound  to  withhold 
tho  order  until  thoy  had  paid  Mr.  1*ope  tho 
amount  which  be  bad  advanced  on  account  of 
thoir  trankportatiou. 
Col.  Spbaoue  is  a  member  of  the  Vermont 
Loglslalnro,  now  in  session  at  Jloutpelior,  and  it 
bccaino  necessary  for  the  Ring,  in  tlieir  haste  to 
get  hold  of  the  spoils,  to  open  a  running  corro- 
spondcuee  by  mail  and  telegraph  with  him.  Mr. 
Bliss  and  two  or  three  others  of  the  Vermont 
victims  of  the  Ring  management  are  also  in  at¬ 
tendance  upon  the  Legislatm'e,  and  for  several 
days  their  interest  was  about  evenly  divided  be¬ 
tween  tho  dispatches  in  relation  to  the  Presi¬ 
dential  eloetiou  and  those  that  Col.  Spraoue  was 
receiving  from  the  Ring  managers.  At  last  ac¬ 
counts  Mr.  Pope  had  got  possession  of  all  tho 
scales  but  ono." 
What  with  quarreling  among  themselves  aud 
tho  failure  of  the  Dairy  Exhibition,  tho  Ring 
are  having  a  gay  time. 
or 
EFFECTS  OF  POTATOES  ON  MILK. 
Wilcox,  Elgin;  D.  E.  Wood,  Huntley;  A.  H. 
Barber,  Chicago.  Marketing  daily  products— J, 
R.  McLean,  Elgin ;  Wm.  U.  Stewart,  Woodstock. 
Tho  best  aud  cheapest  feed  to  keep  up  the  sup¬ 
ply  of  milk  during  the  summer  drought— S.  W. 
Kingsley,  Barrington;  Thomas  Bishop,  Elgin. 
Grasses,  the  best  varieties  for  hay  aud  pasturo, 
as  adapted  to  our  climate  and  soils— 5V,  J.  Bur¬ 
dick,  Whitewater,  W'is.;  C.  C.  Buell,  Rook  Falls; 
S.  Wilcox,  Elgin,  How  shall  we  improve  tho 
dairy  Intel  est  of  Illinois  'f—1.  Boios,  Byron  ;  C. 
C.  liuell,  Rock  Falls ;  G.  P.  Imrd,  Elgin ;  R.  R. 
Stone,  Elgin.  What  are  the  essential  requiro- 
meuts  of  a  good  dairy  farm  ?— R.  W.  Stewart, 
Hebron  ;  C.  C.  Buell,  Rock  Falls  ;  M.  H.  Thomp¬ 
son,  Elgin.  What  is  the  host  and  most  econom¬ 
ical  mode  of  haudling  milk  to  make  butter  from 
small  dairies  of  5  to  25  cows  ?— C.  Gilbert,  Ma¬ 
rengo;  B.  K.  Bartholomew,  Marengo;  Hon.  8. 
Wilcox,  Elgin.  To  what  extent  may  soiling  be 
profitably  substituted  for  pasturage  ?—D.  C. 
Scofield,  Elgin;  W.  D.  Henuiug,  Plano.  Can 
summer  butter  be  so  handled  aud  packed  that  it 
will  retain  its  sweetness  for  winter  use  N, 
Eldred,  Gelman;  C.  C.  Buell,  Rock  Falls-;  L. 
Boies,  Marengo.  Can  the  dairyman  of  Illinois 
profitably  raise  calves  to  supply  the  dairy?— I. 
H.  Wanzer,  Elgin ;  W’m.  Boies,  Byron ;  E.  W. 
Stewart,  Marengo. 
A  discussion  will  be  had  upon  the  question, 
“  Has  the  display  of  dairy  products  at  tho  Amer¬ 
ican  Centennial  been  of  benefit  to  the  dairy  in¬ 
terest  at  large  ?" 
Tukre  will  probably  be  very  few  potatoes  fed 
to  cows  this  winter,  but  farmers  having  those 
which  are  too  small  for  other  purposes  aud  de¬ 
siring  to  feed  them  to  stock  will  he  interested  in 
the  following  from  the  National  Idve  Stock 
Journal : 
Wo  do  not  think  the  partial  experiments  upon 
this  matter  are  properly  interpreted, even  by  those 
w'ho  have  made  them.  It  has  been  found  that  a 
largo  feed  of  potatoes  lessens  the  xiercentago  of 
hay  digested ;  hut  we  think  the  lai-go  amount  of 
starch  coutamed  in  the  potato  causes  a  loose¬ 
ness  of  the  bowels,  aud  thus  impairs  the  diges¬ 
tive  function.  Wo  have  often  fed  imtatoes  to 
cows  in  milk  with  great  benefit.  Our  plan  has 
been  to  run  potatoes  thiongh  a  root-slioer,  aud 
feed  four  quarts  at  a  time,  mixed  with  cut  hay 
aud  a  pint  of  oil-meal  or  pea-meal,  or  a  quart  of 
oats.  And  since  tho  experiments  mentioned,  we 
have  again  tried  this  mode  of  feediog  and  found 
it  to  work  admirably  well.  The  potato  is  a 
very  Imperfect  food  alone,  being  principally 
starch,  having  too  little  nitrogen  and  phosphate 
of  lime  to  make  milk ;  but  it  is  tho  richest  root 
raised  on  the  farm,  and  when  fed  iu  small  quan¬ 
tity,  raw,  will  regulate  the  bowels  and  have  a 
very  similar  effect  to  green  grass.  It  is  a  very 
laxative  food  in  the  raw  state,  and  that  is,  prob¬ 
ably,  the  cause  of  its  iieculiar  effect  upon  tho 
digestion  of  hay. 
When  the  potato  is  cooked  the  effect  is  quite 
different  and  its  value  is  greatly  iuci-eased.  A 
