402 
THE BU8AL MEVY-YO BKER. 
$ara tf-roiiotnj). 
ONE MAN’S IDEA OF FARM ECONOMY. 
Neighbor N., who is a small farmer in his 
way, practices economy after a method of his 
own. which ho has permitted me to show up, 
and in order to do so I use his figures. By the 
way, N. uses figures iu Lis farming operations. 
To illustrate his point, I give his acoount of 
sales for tho past year. His motto is, ■■If you 
want a thing, raise it; or if you cannot raise it, 
then raise something to buy it with.” believing 
it but poor economy to go without anything 
which will add to the comfort or pleasure of 
home: 
ACCOUNT OF SALES FOK 1S76. 
Butter and ohoewe.??in 36 
Cattle Hint Ij« et. pu 25 
Pigs and porn .. IH 27 
BucfcwJie it and wheat flour. 77 71 
Huy ami oats. M 25 
Potatoes. si 63 
Hubbard squash. io 50 
Onions . . 82 40 
Other vegetables . 21 0 
Fruit tr* es. upolvs. and small fruits. :8 41 
Eggs and hu-k-ns. 13 ni 
Maple sirup. <j oo 
Honey .. 15 07 
Wood Hud t.tnjb n . vo 50 
Bhcep and wo<•!. 26 G3 
Sundries .. : 50 | 
Labor perfonted tor others. 72 no 
Total income... $020 0J 
The above account will show the variety of 
products raised, and as the sales are made after 
the homo is fully supplied, it will ho seen from 
the variety that a skillful housewifo could make 
out a very good fanner's bill of faro from the 
list, perhaps with the addition of pepper and 
salt, tea, coffee and sugar, although maple sugar 
is a home production. 
N. sayt that quite a large portion of the sales 
were made to neighboring farmers, they coming 
from miles around, as they say they can get 
anything they want of N., from cheese and veg¬ 
etables to fresh fruit or honey. 
The item of labor in the account is exp'nmed 
by saying that N. occasionally does a job of sur¬ 
veying, as well as now and then a little writing 
for his neighbors. But the main idea is that 
it ia sound economy for a farmer to raise as 
great a varioty and quantity of products as he 
can, not only for home use. hut to sell, thereby 
being able to meet any cull upon him, cither 
from home or abroad, for all know that the man 
who always has something to sell is very apt to 
have a little money iu liis pocket in case of an 
emergency. 
Of the item of wool, I must say that it was 
not all sold, as Mrs. Farmer N. still holds to the 
old-fashioned notion of supplying her household 
with home-made stockings and mittens. One 
thing more: N. believes it sound economy to 
road as well as figure, as the number of fresh 
papers and books upon his tables will show. 
Freedom, Wls. John Rusticus. 
- 4 - 
FARM DRAINAGE- 
All farm lands are greatly improved, and 
made more productive, by being properly 
drained. From experience and observation 1 
am satisfied, that underdraiuiug if properly 
done, where it is practicable, is much the best, 
yet lands which are quite rolling and hilly, ! 
would in most cases bo greatly benefited, by j 
making doep dead furrows, every two or three i 
rods apart when plowing. But when the laud is 1 
only moderately rolling or nearly level, make 
good sized open ditches, not more than 80 rods , 
apart, deep enough to go mostly below the top l 
soil, iu order that the land may bo drained ^ 
below the roots of the growing crops, then as 
the surplus water runs off, the air will enter the 
soil, and rising up through to the surface, c 
aerate and warm the land, which helps to i 
furnish good and wholesome food for the crops, t 
thereby increasing the yield. But uuderdraining 1 
if properly done is still better. c 
Drains should not be far apart, and should be c 
so laid as to run from the head to the outlet with s 
some descent, and be from 2 to 4 feet below the ! ’1 
surface, (of course an outlet must, be provided.) a 
This would drain the soil more evenly and r 
thoroughly, reaching all parts of the land or 'J 
field to be drained. By this method of draining s 
while the surplus water is running off, the air is r 
running up the drams, and rising through the 
ground, aerating and wanning the soil, making I 
it fit for cultivation full 10 days earlier in spring, v 
and continuing its warmth as much later in the i 
fall, thereby lengthening the growing and c 
ripening season, and in most, eases, preventing i 
injury from early and late frosts, which iu q 
some seasons, would add more to the value of 
the crop than the whole coat of the drainage. n 
\\ here the land is lavorablo for underdniining, T 
the cost need not be more than from $2 to el 1 
per acre, according to the prices paid for labor 
and materials. The drains ran be made of pine ii 
boards; a strip f! 1 ^ inches wide nailed on to the t 
edge of a strip 5b' inches wide and in lieu of a cl 
bottom, nail short strips across about 4 fe*t n 
apart, to keep the sides in their places. This a 
kind of drain will last many years, and do good 
service. Therefore, I would recommend under- 
draining as being the greatest benefit to the 
soil. 
But persons who cannot conveniently under- 
drain their land, should at least dig a few open 
ditches, of good size and proper depth for 
mains, and then when plowing make deep dead 
furrows, leading into the ditches, which will be 
found highly beneficial. Isaac Esilay, 
South Bend. 
— ■ -» * «■ 
THAT IMPORTANT DISCOVERY. 
I hope you will urge a continuance of the 
articles upon ‘‘Discoveries in Agricultural 
Chemistry.” Mr. Cottingham writes a rollicking 
new-theory article, which brings to the front 
men of exact science, such as Prof. Hoskins. 
The neiv theory advanced by Mr. C., namely 
that all plant food is received in the gaseous 
form, and consequently through the leaf, neces¬ 
sarily presupposes that sand (si 0^ ) lime, (ca 0). 
iron. etc. are reducible from solids to gases at 
ordinary earth temperatures. Now if poudrette 
has tills peculiar catalytic action, it is a big 
thing; because wo who grow pears can at once 
dispense with the tedious process of supplying 
to our soils-the mineral plant-food, found in the 
wood, leaf, hark and fruit. If the roots do not 
supply these minerals, then they only furnish a 
support to the tree. Almighty Cod made a 
mistake when lie made that little-sponge at the 
terminus of each fiber. It would certainly ho a 
great comfort if some of those innovations 
would enable us to dispense with roots alto¬ 
gether, because we could then set a post 
'• jam up " against the trunk, fasten the two to¬ 
gether, removo all roots, and then utilize our 
grounds for the double purpose of growing 
large crops of grain, and choice fruit. The 
discovery would bo still greater if at some 
future time wo should find out that villainous 
night soil, placed under our trees, would so in¬ 
crease the appetite of the leaf that it would not 
| Ihe hoops and headings—that is to say, the 
labor, including nails and tacks required—will 
| be not far from 4 cents. The material or wood¬ 
work (hoops and heading), after being put in 
shape for nailing, ia worth about 6 cents per box. 
Tbe enormous quantity of boxes required an¬ 
nually in fitting cheese for market, and compara¬ 
tive scarcity of the right kind of timber to make 
the hoops, have suggested the idea to inventors 
of constructing the cheese-box of some other 
material than wood. Paper has been tried, tut 
so far nothing has becu found to fill nil the 
requisites of a cheese-box so perfectly as wood. 
At our present rate of oheese manufacture, the 
time cannot ho far away when, from the scarcity 
of timber for hoops, some other material must 
bo substituted for wood, and the requirements 
of such a box are cheapness, strength, some¬ 
thing that is not affected by dampness, and that 
will allow a certain araouut of evaporation to 
pass off from the cheese, while it imparts no 
bad flavor to the cbf esc during shipment. The 
subject has. from time to time, caused a good 
deal of anxiety among dairymen. 
-—♦♦♦- 
DAIRY NOTES CONCERNING MINNESOTA. 
Mr. V ilt.ard :—I write you for information 
in reg.au! to cheese- making j n the West. Will 
prairie grass make first-class cheese? If not, 
will it, by feeding grain ? Do you know the price 
of making oheese in the West ? Is it, necessary 
to have n spring? Any information you may 
give me will tie gladly received. 
1 wn» breeding iinre - blooded cattle (Ilere- 
fords) in Westfield. N. Y. Yon will see mv name 
in report of New York State Fairs of 1874 and 
1877 1 camo here for my health. I think the 
prospects here arc good for cheese-making. 1 
am talking of building a factory, and shall get 
a first-class cheese-maker and tools from New* 
York. 
At a meeting hero In regard to building a 
oheese factory, they requested me to write to 
you. as they said yon were sending information 
wherever asked. By giving such advice in re¬ 
lation to the above as may lie in your power, 
We have traveled over a considerable portion 
of Minnesota, and we believe it to be well adapt¬ 
ed to dairying. The native grasses are sweet 
and nutritious, and the State is well supplied 
with water, while the climate ia favorable for 
the business, being cooler than in the StateB 
South, where good butter and cheese are made, 
notwithstanding a warmer climate has to be con¬ 
tended with. 
In what wo have said we do not wish to be un¬ 
derstood an making any objection to the intro¬ 
duction of cultivated grasses. These may be of 
advantage in many localities on account of their 
greater yield, and also in affording a luxurious 
growth of pasturage for a lovger time in the 
season. But the chief point which we desire to 
urge is that prairie grass is not the worthless 
herbage which some have represented it to be. 
-» * ♦- 
THE CHEE8E TRADE AT LITTLE FALLS- 
SHIPMENTS OF DAIRY PRODUCTS, &c. 
It is estimated that, the sales of cheese at the 
Little Falls market during the past year, from 
Jan. 1. 1876, to Jan. 1. 1877, have reached not 
far from twenty-five millions of pounds. The 
freight agent of the Central Road has made re¬ 
turns of the butter and cheese shipped by rail 
from this station during the year. The amount 
of cheese reaches nearly six millions of pounds 
and the butter nearly two hundred thousand 
pounds. Tbe shipments by canal are not yet 
made up, but they must increase the amount of 
cheese considerably. The sales of cheese in this 
market Is, as is well known, largely done by 
samples, and the shipments are then made at 
different points along the railroad nearest to the 
different factories. 
The following table gives the shipments of 
eheeso during the different months of the years 
1876 and 1875 from the railroad station at Little 
Falls, N. \\ It does not furnish sufficient data 
however, for determining tbe comparative pro- 
only sip carbon and nitrogen from tbo air, but ^” e "’ lU Confel a niucll ‘^ e8ired upon many auction in the different years, as stocks arc of ten 
would absolutely, through the mysterious agency Blue Eartll Countv , MInn . 
of affinity, pull down from the clouds lime, soJa, rrMnirc . r , 
magnesia, silica and iron, particularly when we Z 
know that the clouds never contained these ? 0,1 ***"}* Dot 
minerals. yie,d good Dnlk for cheese-making. Wo havo 
. . , _ . .. . , traveled extensively over the nrairies of Mu- 
Out hero we are fond of innovation; and the . „„, T . „‘ 
i , ..... . west and Far \\cut., and have taken somo nains 
man who shows the courage to Lutoerize ... . ,, , ^ 
title “ Bulls” without the aid of combustion, ItTl T *** ?, W * CC1 " 
wo vote for early and often, and “ bulldoze ” ^ J, °r °° W8 ffd °" gr,,S8 
those who can’t son it in II,at light. J lU Priding the grass 
The article of Mr. 0., on the whole, is a good ?! n0t B, '° W ™ T or wct founds. 
one. Poudrette I havo tried, and find it ifrdis- '*° B . n K °° d Ch <*f. nihc]e rallk 
pensablo where best results aro . < quirod. I find £ M ? ‘77 77 ° f Nobn,Hk ’ a ' 
▼ , . ,. „ 1 . . , Even on the borders of what is known as the 
I can grow twice tbo quantity of raspbcrncs by „ rainIoafl , at North Platte> d chco8e 
its use, and only for gasifving tlui minerals the . - 
. .... , is produced from the native or prairie grasses, 
article would havo approached perfect ion, Prof. Inr ,,... .... 
tt „ i ii , T * , ’ Iu California some of the finest butter is pro- 
Ho8kins reply, as well as Mr. C. s article, will , , , . \ 
„„ 1 ' 1 1 . , duced from native grasses growing on ranches 
necessarily provoke thought among your readers. t , , , ; . . .. , 
0 w F that have never been touched with the plow; 
_ ~ Q8TEK - and ao i n other localities at the West and Nortli- 
—--west good dairy products are produced from 
Tl wj wn i £ (yn iy'JSy vv HUC ^ 8T<W8es, Bud milk, it is true. Is not unfre- 
JJ £0 Ut>hUtill'll-l U* quently made from cows pastured on thoprai- 
_ ^ _ ries, and this is principally cuuscd by the bad 
“ -condition of tbo water which tbo cows are 
CHEESE BOXES. obliged to drink. Water from swales and rtag- 
“ nant pools will not be likely to make good milk, 
tioiIrand n |f^mi ! 'wiJ^gi«fit/w^fthiUrfee/giS«- * h0t T"' *'*'* **7°"* 
fill for the favor; or if this be inconvenient, wbo do not know this fact have supposed the 
please give us reference to some one who may cause of the poor milk was to be attributed to 
understand eliense-box stock, hoops, headings; the prairie grass. It is true, on some prairies 
t r 'T'rvrf.'/ -*'•* «*,*« «*». 
planed or not. Ate red oak hoops in good de- a, \l? ll,er P lantB * tlj atlhe cows may feed upon, 
maud, and what is the stock for a box worth iu Mid which will make had milk. Then again, ou 
the rough ? We desire to furnish the hoops and low, wet grounds, the luxurious growth of grass, 
carried over to the spring months in variable 
proportions. Tbe table, however, will bo of in¬ 
terest as showing a proportion of the amount of 
sales during the several months, being probably 
about one-fourth of tbe goods sold at the Little 
Falls market: 
CHEESE SHIPMENTS FROM LITTLE FALLS FOR THE YEARS 
1876 AND 1875. 
gairg puslimtkg. 
CHEESE BOXES. 
Mb. Willabd :—We refer to you for informa- 
tion, and if you will givo it, we shall feel grate¬ 
ful for the favor; or if this be inconvenient, 
please givo us reference to some one who may 
understand cheese-box stock, hoops, headings’; 
planed or not. Ate red oak hoops m* good de¬ 
mand, and what is the stock for a box worth in 
tbe rough ? We desire to furnish the hoops and 
headings lor Eastern markets, if it will pay. 
Warren County, Pa. Benjamin & Bills. 
The heading of the cheese-box ia made either 
of spruco or basswood. Iu Herkimer and tho 
adjoining counties spruce is largely used. The 
top heading is usually planed on the upper side. 
The sizes mostly used are MW; mid 15 inches In 
diameter. The hoops which now take the pref¬ 
erence are the patent rotary cut hoop—that is to 
sav, cut with the grain from around the log. 
The timber used is water-elm, and these hoops 
are now taking the preference in all cheese 
manufacturing districts in the Unitod States. 
The method of cutting tbe hoops leaves the 
surface tolerably smooth, so that no planing Is 
required. 
Messrs. Whitman <t Bnmr.tx of Little Falls, 
N. Y., aro the chief manufacturers of the hoops, 
which aro cut of different sizes, ready for nail¬ 
ing, and an? then packed in bundles, so as to bo 
conveniently shipped. We believe the timber is 
now mostly obtained in Canada, having become 
quite scarce in New York and other States. 
We have never seen a red oak hoop, and can¬ 
not nhv whether it is adapted to the purpose. 
Hoops should be of a timber that can be readily 
bent and is not liable to split or check. 
The cheese-box is sold at retail for 1 cent per 
inch of the diameter of the box, less 2 cents on 
the box; or in other words, a box 15 inches in 
diameter is sold for 13 cents. The boxes are 
made with an extra rim around the bottom, so 
as to look tike the cover when adjusted. 
The expense of making a box, exclusive of 
in hot weather, is not unfrequently covered with 
swarms of insects, and cows feeding in such 
places undoubtedly often consume a largo quan¬ 
tity of these with the grass, and in such cases it 
has been known to injuriously affect the milk ; 
but the commonly - accepted theory that all 
prairie grass makes pour milk is, in our opinion, 
a grave mistake. So wo say to onr correspond¬ 
ent, if his prairies aro elevated and rolling and 
are free from the objections we have named, 
and If he feeds grain or ship-stuffs when tbe 
prairie grass begins to dry up or fails to be 
abundant, there is no reason why first-class 
cheese may not be made on such lands. 
The price for making cheese at the West in 
generally higher than at the East, and depends 
also upon the nnmher of cows which supply the 
factory. A cheese - maker can generally save 
more money by running a large factory at 75 
cents per 100 pounds of cheese than a small fac¬ 
tory at £1 per 100 pounds. Here in New York 
factory cheese - makers often charge no more 
than GO to 65 cents pier 100 pounds of cheese; 
but in many parts of the West from $1 to $1.50 
is often charged pier 100 pounds. 
An abundant supply of good, fresh water is 
required for the successful management of a 
cheese factory. A spring of cool, sweet water is 
best, but wells are often need instead of springs. 
If an unfailing supply of water can be had from 
a well, the quantity needed may be pumped into 
an elevated tank by wind power, and thence 
drawn to the various parts of the factory as 
required. 
January. rtn 15,745 73 1 j 1 « 
Fetruary. 1.2CK. 71.'03 4?S I5 6’3 
March. 2.220 14 (.382 8.498 22V:04 
April. 6 .MM M8.f,ft5 4.724 601 
May..... t.JI58 8M'.II2 6,905 WVfts 
June... 17,1.17 1 £.:Jh!I li 7(54 9.3 fjfl 
July. 11 808 8 >,H 8 S 15,6011 16 .£<» 
August... . 18,987 ] 182.730 J0.4V1 | l.U4 r .71 
Hepteinber....... 10.808 646.02S 10,731 1 CTi.r.ca 
October. .. 11.158 8-I.VH5 I '.!4S 4(1 C “> 
November. 7 .'66 ! 463,800 I 8.773 1 24° 042 
December. 2.262 148.576 4,017 I 20'.584 
Total. iH 370 6,ICOCS SO.'Jri 6,510.'. 31 
It will be seen that tbo shipments iu August 
for both yours were the largest, amounting in 
1876 to 1,132.730 pounds, and in 1875 to 1,00-1,521 
pounds. The next largest shipments were in 
June and July, when they were for the post year 
775.500 and 928.988 pounds, respectively, and in 
1875 they were 913.223 and 955.308 pounds, re¬ 
spectively. Thus it will be seen that in Juno, 
July and August more cheese is shipped than in 
any other period of tho same length during the 
year. 
There was considerably more butter shipped 
in 1876 than in 1875, and as there was less skim¬ 
ming generally in the spring of 1876 than in 
1875 at the cheese factories, we must conclude 
that there are more dairies engaged in Lutter- 
making now than In 1875. This probably is the 
fact in llcikimer County, ns new creameries 
have been established and some of the farm 
dairies have turned their attention to butter. 
The receipts of cheese in New York City and 
the exports abroad in 1876 aro below those of 
1875, reckoning tho year from January to Janu¬ 
ary. Thus in 1876 the receipita were 2.142,799 
boxes, while iu 1875, for the same time, they 
were 2.S52.116 boxes—a decrease of over two 
hundred and nino thousand boxes. The ex¬ 
ports for 1876 were 1,779.925 boxes, and iu 1875 
1,8-17,626 boxes—a decrease of nearly sixty-eight 
thousand boxes. 
It iB known that the severe drought of 1870 
cut off the production of cheese, though it 
would not be safe to assume that tbe receipts in 
New York in 1875 and 1876 are a guide in esti¬ 
mating tho decrease, because in the home mar¬ 
kets. cheese that formerly w ent to New York and 
was there distributed is now often shipped direct 
from tbe section where it is ptroduced. Another 
cause for tbe less production of cheese is that 
the butter production lias drawn away a larger 
proportion of milk, thus encroaching on the 
make of cheese, while in some sections the fac¬ 
tories were started later in the spring than is 
usual. 
-- 
WASHED AND UNWASHED BUTTER. 
Mr. Editor :—T would like to know if water 
should he used iu making good butter after it 
has been taken from the churn and while the 
