66 
JAN. 20 
THE BI3J3AL NEW-YORKER. 
was all eaten tip. The feeding began as soon 
as the corn was in the milk, which was its 
sweetest stage. 
When the sweet corn was exhausted we had 
a crop of Early Amber Sugar-caue for feed¬ 
ing, which was cut up and scattered in the 
pasture. The pigs ate this with as much avid¬ 
ity as they had the sweet corn. The sugar¬ 
cane was a spleudid crop, and a quarter of an 
acre fed all our pigs for fully three weeks. At 
the end of this time the whole herd. 138 (we 
had sold 25), were turned into the orchard to 
eat the fallen apples and to forage upon a crop 
of mangels which had been grown in that field. 
Here they remained until the root 9 were gath¬ 
ered—the first of November—when they were 
turned into the root field to eat the leaves and 
refuse roots and a patch of two acres of tur¬ 
nips which had been put in expressly for them. 
This field furnished food for that portion of 
the herd which remained in it until Winter set. 
In. At the middle of November the larger 
pigs were takeD out and 6but up by themselves, 
and fed all the boiled corn they would eat. 
The cld hogs were left in the root field until 
the first of December, when they were also 
6hut up and fed boiled corn. Among these 
were a number of breeding sows which we de- 
Bired to turn off, which u ad been suckled 
down very thin during the Summer, as they 
averaged eight pigs each When taken from 
the turnip field these animals were in fine con¬ 
dition. having made their entire growth with¬ 
out a single particle of grain. After being fed 
corn for three w'eks ibey were slaughtered. 
The pigs were fed a month, when they were 
slaughtered, and ranged in weight from 100 to 
150 pounds. We hold that It will not pay for 
us both to raise and fatten pigs on corn. But 
it will pay to raise pigs on cheaper food and 
finish off on corn. 
The roots left our pigs in good growing con¬ 
dition. They had the bodies, bone, and eonsti- 
tuti >ns to eat and digest and assimilate a good 
deal ot corn in a short time. As soon as they 
were fat enough to outeber, without being ex¬ 
cessively so, they were killed. The flavor and 
character of the meat were perfect. Under our 
system of feeding and fattening there could be 
no feverish condition of the animal, for it was 
not fed Jong enough, and with the range tbe 
herd were given during the period of growth, 
With only spring water to drink, and the whole¬ 
some and fresh vegetable food which they had, 
coupled with the exercise and pure air which 
they always breathed, their condition could be 
no other than perfect for human food. 
We are satisfied that this system of raising 
pigs will develop more lean meat, and hence 
make them more desirable for human food, 
than the usual custom of confining in close 
pens when there is a much larger proportion 
of fat (blubber), which is not so much in de¬ 
mand for food as formerly, and which is not 
desirable. The drought made our crop of 
sugar beets and mangels both backward and 
limited, or else we should have begun to feed 
them the first of September by caning a load 
daily into the clover field.. If we could have 
spared these roots, they would have lessened 
considerably the quantity of corn required to 
put the pigs in condition. It was a part of our 
plan to feed roots during the whole of the Au¬ 
tumn and not feed corn more than ten days, 
but the want of plentiful pasture and roots 
kept the hogs so much leaner than we intend¬ 
ed that it took twice the amount of corn to pnt 
them in condition which it would have doue 
had the season and growth been an average 
one. Oar sows all bore large litters of healthy 
pigs, and they were free from disease the en¬ 
tire season. 
There is economy in the production of suc¬ 
culent foods, such as corn-stalks, surgar-cane 
and roots. Our corn stalks and sugur-cane 
were hoed only once, although frequently cul¬ 
tivated, and the cost of these crops was but a 
trifle as compared with that of a regular crop 
of com. These crops may be economically 
used to make the growth of animals and to put 
them in good condition, which plenty of beets 
will make certain, and then they may be topped 
off profitably with a little corn. 
Satrp AjusbanOtu, 
THE DAIRY COW-NO. 33. 
HENRY STEWART. 
Butter Preuervatives. 
As fresh butter is a very perishable product, 
and to a large extent in both small and. large 
dairies is required to be preserved in good con¬ 
dition for lengthened periods, the methods of 
preserving it are worthy of notice. At the 
outset it is necessary to utter a caution against 
all the so-called butter powders which are of¬ 
fered for tale and pressed upon public notice 
as agents for increasing the quantity of butter 
as well as for preserving it. 8ome of these 
deserve io be called frauds, for they are not 
what they are set forth to be, and the stuff pro¬ 
duced by them is not butter, but a mixture of 
butter and curd made by means of alum, saler- 
atus and other similar substances, with suffi¬ 
cient coloring matter to give it some appear¬ 
ance of butter. But it is not butter by any 
means, and can only be disposed of by false 
representations. As a matter of course, no 
person would make such stuff for bis own 
use ; but mauj might be deceived by the delu¬ 
sive advertisements into purchasing and trying 
these butter powders to their own disappoint¬ 
ment and injury. As a general rule, all these 
mixtures by which the quantity of the butter 
is proposed to be increased, may be considered 
as injurious, because the butter cannot be in¬ 
creased in any manner whatever, except by 
the addition of milk, curd or water, and any 
one of these is hurtful to the butter, and to 
the extent that the additional weight and bulk 
are not butter, it is a deceit and a fraud. 
Salt as a Preservative. 
The action of salt in preserving butter is due 
to its antiseptic properties. Butter is com¬ 
posed of several substances, and contains, 
when as nearly pure as may be, someremain- 
ing milk, or caaeine which is known to have 
the property of converting sugar into lactic 
acid, aud is also strongly suspected of induc¬ 
ing chemical changes in the pure fat of the 
butter itself. This conversion of the sugar of 
milk contained in the butter, has the effect of 
setting up a fermentation in the latter by 
which carbonic acid and hydrogen gases are 
given off and butyric acid is produced. The 
chemical change by which Lactic acid is trans¬ 
formed into butyric acid may be expressed in 
ihe following manner :— 
The formula by which lactic acid is expressed chem¬ 
ically in.OS H12 06 
Butyric acid .OS H16 O-l 
Therefore 
4 atoms of lactic acid.= C24 H48 024 
3 atoms of butyric acid ....™-C24 H48 012 
All (hat Is required to transform four atoms 
of lactic acid into three of butyric acid is to 
take oxygen from the former to the extent of 
one-half. Without going into intricate for¬ 
mula to express the results of the change 
by which this abstraction of oxygen is effect¬ 
ed, it may be necessary- ouly to say that in. the 
escape of the carbonic acid and hydrogen 
above mentioned as being given off io the pro¬ 
duction of tbe butyric acid, 1$ atom of lactic 
acid may combine with these twelve atoms of 
oxygen forming nine of carbonic acid ; twelve 
of hydrogen and three of water ; the carbonic 
acid and hydrogen escaping as gases, the 
water remaining io the butter, and the oxygen, 
freed from tbe 1£ part of the lactic acid, com¬ 
bining with four other parts, enables these to 
be transformed into three parts of butyric 
acid. 
The butyric acid thus produced is a coloi- 
less, transparent, volatile liquid which emits 
an odor of vinegar and rancidity. Its presence 
even in a very smalt quantity gives to the 
butler a well known undesirable odor, and in 
larger quantities the offensive scent and taste 
of rancidity. To the impossibility of prevent¬ 
ing this transformation, to some extent, with 
lapse of time, even in the very best made but¬ 
ter, is due the peculiar scent of the butter 
after having been kept a few days only, which, 
however, may exist without affecting the 
flavor. To prevent the chemical ehauges 
above noted, it is necessary to make use of 
some anti-ferment or antiseptic, and to pack 
the butter as soon as possible in Ruch a manner 
that it may be preserved from contact with 
the air. Salt is the commonest substauee used 
for this purpose. But it is only most effective 
when it is pure chloride of sodium, and reduced 
to extreme fineness of division. Salt often 
contains some salts of lime aud magnesia, and 
these in their direct action give a bitter flavor 
to butter, which is quite appreciable to an 
expert; and in their decomposition, may easi¬ 
ly assist in pruducing the chemical changes 
above referred to. To use ouly pure salt in 
Us most soluble state, that is, ground as fine 
as possible, is indispensable; for the salt 
exerts no preservative effect until it is dis¬ 
solved and then only in proportion as it 
is intimately diffused through the mass of 
the butter. 
Other Preservatives for Butter. 
Saltpeter, Eugar, borax, and some prepara¬ 
tions of borax have been and are used in pack¬ 
ing butter. Saltpeter and sugar are both 
antiseptics and add an agreeable flavor to but¬ 
ter. On this account they are used with salt 
to repack butter that has been badly packed at 
first, or to mix with inferior and poorly made 
butter as a means of disguising its bad quali¬ 
ties. They are really for (be use of the poor 
dairyman or for the professional packer of 
“store-butter,” who gathers from all sources 
butter of all qualities of badnese and repacks 
it for sale. For this purpose, one part of salt¬ 
peter and one part of white sugar finely pow¬ 
dered are added to four parts of salt, and an 
ounce and a quarter of the mixture is used 
with each pound of butter previously well 
washed with pure water. 
The use of borax in dairying is somewhat 
new. There is no doubt that this salt—borate 
of BOda, which is a combination of 80 58 per 
cent, of boracic acid, with 16 25 per cent, of so¬ 
da, and 47.17per cent, of water—is an excellent 
antiseptic ; but its effect upon the human sys¬ 
tem is said to be injurious. Some experiments 
have been made in Europe with borax as a 
butter preservative with no positive ill results; 
and it seems that its suspected disadvantages 
may. after all, be more fancied than real. It 
has been used as a substitute for salt in the 
usual quantity, viz , about six per cent., hav¬ 
ing first been freed from the water of crystalli¬ 
zation by heating it on an iron plate and then 
reducing it to a fine powder. 
Several other butter preservatives are in the 
market and are offered to dairymen. Of these 
one known as glacialine is a powder, the base 
of which is probably borax. Another is a 
liquid used by tbe Aylesbury Dairy Company 
of England in their business, and is said to be 
an excellent substitute for salt. A trial with this 
preparation has so far been satisfactory, a 
pail of butter packed with it, after five months 
being in unusually good condition, and the 
butter having no objectionable qualities. Cer¬ 
tainly, the butter seems to keep better than 
with salt under the same circumstances. One 
liquid ounce of the preparation is used for 16 
pounds of butter along with one-fourth of the 
u^ual quantity of salt. The liquid is first 
thoroughly well incorporated with the butter 
spread out upon a slab or the bowl and rough¬ 
ly iudented with lha ladle, the indentations 
being then closed over carefully to prevent 
escape of the liquid, and salt at the rate of 
one ounce to four pounds being then added 
aud the whole well mixed. Butter so prepared 
is said to keep perfectly well even when ex¬ 
posed to the air. 
:$tfli) Crops, 
EXPERIENCE WITH AN ACRE OF POTA¬ 
TOES. 
IRA J. BLACKWELL. 
Here I give the results from one acre of po¬ 
tatoes planted the past" season with different 
varieties. All were planted about the middle 
of April on the same day in soil that was in 
good condition. About eight loads of barn- 
yaid manure were applied broadcast aud 600 
pounds of Mape 6 *s Potato Manure were sown 
in the furrow with the seed at the time of 
planting. At the first working, after the pota¬ 
toes had come up, 200 pounds of the same 
manure were sown broadcast aud cultivated in 
with aD ordinary one-horse cultivator. The 
land had been used for corn the previous year. 
Tbe potatoes were planted about four inches 
deep every thiid furrow after the first plowing. 
Tbe ground was rolled and harrowed twice 
before the potatoes came up. When about 
two inches high the vines were plowed under 
and covered about three inches deep. Next 
day we harrowed across the rows once; after 
which we cultivated once aud then plowed to 
the row once. About oue-third of the patch 
was cultivated after the potatoes had begun to 
set. No hoe was used at any time, but the 
ground was kept clear of weeds. Next to the 
hedge, which injured them to some extent, 
was the first of the following varieties; the 
others followed in order: 
„ Yiold. 
_ , „ . Bows. Bush. 
Early Vermont. 5 12 
Trophy. ] 4 
Surprise.. 3 
Superior.. 
King of the Earlies. 10 44 % 
Centennial.. % % 
Beauty of Hebron. \ 4 
Early Vermont.. 6 29 
Burbank's, or White Rose. 4 24 
Early Ohio . 2 5 
Brownell’s Beauty. 1 3 
St Patrick. % 3 
Bliss's Triumph. 1 ‘ 2 
Dun more. ]>$ 7 U 
Peaohblow, Bliss’s Improved. 1 3 
36 m 
The six rows of Jjhrly Vermont, yielding 29 
bushels, were planted for Eaily Rose, but 
turned out to be Early Vermont.. 
Trophy—M edium-sized seed; ripens about 
two weeks after Early Rose; a strong grower; 
a handsome tuber; rotted considerably last 
year; a good cropper; quality fair to good. 
Surprise—S btd medium to large; ripens 
about 20 days after Early Rose; color almost 
black; "vines strong; a straggling grower; 
quality superior, boiling very white and nice. 
Bad as regards 1,he “bugs " on account of the 
vines spreading so much. 
Superior—U nless this is better elsewhere 
than it is with us, it is not worth planting. 
King of the Earlies— Seed medium-sized ; 
ripens about a week earlier than Early Rose ; 
keeps well; quality good. Early Vermont is a 
few days earlier than the King of the Earlies, 
Centennial has never been productive for 
us—seed small or medium. 
Beauty of Hebron—T he seed was produced 
from seed sent out by the Rural. The four 
bushels are the second year’s crop from six 
ounces of seed. The yield was very poor the 
first year on account of the dry weather and 
moles or mice. This potato is second early, 
or with the Early Rose ; quality good—one of 
the promising potatoes. 
Burbank—M edium to large Beed; a very 
strong grower; tubers large and tolerably 
smooth; quality medium to fair; ripens about 
two weeks after Early Rose—a promising va¬ 
riety. 
Early Ohio— Medium to large seed ; a very 
weak grower, top seldom a foot high ; quality 
superior; potatoes run smooth and even-sized ; 
riptned 3d of August, or three weeks ahead of 
Early Rose. 
Brownell’s Beauty— Medium sized seed; 
formerly our most productive potato ; it is 
now growing rough, comes up poorly, and 
about nine plants out of every ten are un¬ 
healthy ; quality best; looks now as if it would 
have to be abandoned. 
St. Patrick— Seed extra-fine ; a great grow¬ 
er, ripens about two weeks later than Early 
Rose; quality good, cooking dry and mealy. 
Bliss's Triumph —Medium-sized seed; a 
weak grower ; ripens with Early Ohio ; qual¬ 
ity not so good. 
Dunmoke— Medium to large seed planted ; a 
strong grower: ripens about two weeks later 
than Early Rose; a large, white potato of fair 
quality—an improvement on the Peerless. 
Peacublow (Bliss's Improved) — Medium 
seed planted without cutting; crop all small to 
medium ; they seemed to blight about the time 
they should grow. This applies to all the va¬ 
rieties of the Peaebblow. Wc raised three 
bushels from one pound of seed three years 
ago—all large tubers. 
The season was not a good one for potatoes 
in this section, as May and June were extreme¬ 
ly dry, following a wet Spring. Our potatoes 
were planted on a red shale loam, which was 
in good condition to work at the time of plant¬ 
ing. A heavy rain followed within a day or 
so, packmg the ground pretty hard. Very lit¬ 
tle rain fell after this until the last of July. It 
will be seen that the early potatoes had a bard 
time of it, tbe soil being comparatively dry 
until the Otaios and Triumphs were ripening 
Following the dry spell we had a deluge that 
was nearly as bad as the drought, causing the 
potatoes to make asecondgrowth, particularly 
injuring the St. Patrick. 
Our experience shows that one year’s com¬ 
parison will not be conclusive evidence for 
or against a potato. For example, the Beauty 
of Ilebron the first year was a failure; this 
year it is among tbe most productive and sale¬ 
able of all the varieties grown The St. Pat¬ 
rick was in just the right stage to make a sec¬ 
ond growth when the rains came. Our pota¬ 
toes are keeping well this year, being quite 
free of rot. We applied London-purple three 
times to all of the vines, except the Ohios aud 
Triumphs. The following had four applica¬ 
tions: Dunmore, Burbank’.-, St.Patrick, Peach- 
blow, Surprise, five pounds of the Purple ar.d 
two pounds of plaster having been used to the 
acre. 
Cost of ihe Acre of Potatoes. 
8 loads of barn-yard manure at $ 2 ,.$16 CO 
SCO ponuds Of MapiVo Potato Manure . 19 20 
12 bushels of seed potatoes at 50c. per bush. 6 (.0 
5 pounds London purple at2(Jo. 1 00 
l team one day plunfinR. 2 CO 
3 men one day planting. ... 3 10 
Bolling. 60 
Harrowing twice... 1 00 
Blowing once . 75 
Cultivating onoe. 76 
CultiVBtiriR bait the patch.once. 38 
1 team ditnriipr 1 day. 2 CO 
4 men disking 1 day. 4 uo 
Interest bn land. 6 00 
To total outlay.$62 68 
By 134 bushels of potatoes at 50c. 67 00 
Net balance. $4 42 
Thus there is a clear profit after paying for 
all the work and for the manure, while the 
land is left in condition to raise a crop of 
wheat with very little cost for manure or labor. 
Titusville, N. J. 
-- 
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ON THE INDIAN 
CORN CROP.—No. 1. 
B. F JOHNSON. 
Where so much is to be said, and there are 
so many to say it, as in the Rural Corn Num¬ 
ber, it is imperative on every one to lie brief, 
aud therefore I withheld the relation of ficts 
and the expression of opinions on the suhj -et, 
which seem to me to be of value; and they 
may appear so to others. I confine myself to 
two sides of the subject this time, viz : What 
are the best manures and fertilizers for ludiau 
corn? and what weight are wo to allow the 
thoroughbred idea and the prepoteucy and 
fertility of soma varieties over othei - ? 
1. What are the best manures aud fertilizers ? 
I answer for the black soil prairie, and for it 
ouly, so far as my observation and experience 
may go. It is notorious, and I think, therefore, 
it will be generally admitted, that this soil is 
extravagantly provided with humus when 
new ; has an abundance of it when consider¬ 
ably worn, and that when it has become par¬ 
tially exhausted even, the amount of humus is 
considerably in excess of that in average soils 
of the same age outside of the prairie belt. 
But where humus abouuds there is never a lack 
of nitrogen, and therefore the best mauures 
and ferlil zers for the coin crop are not nitro¬ 
genous but non-nitrogeuous. And the relation 
of the outcome of eertain corn experiments 
made in the Summer of 1875 will perhaps illus¬ 
trate and enforce these ideas. 
The experiments were undertaken with the 
object of ascertaining what are the conditions 
