JAN. as 
do not find rocordod any stateiuouw against 
churning tlio whole milk, except l>y persons who 
have never practiced it; but on the contrary, by 
those who have experimented, all agree that the 
yield of butter is greater and the ilavor and odor 
far superior to butter made by other methods. I 
fully agree with Mr. Curtis, who says that more 
experiments ought to be made with churning 
tbo whole-milk, for from a scientific standpoint 
1 bchovtJ it will bo found that the whole milk 
churning will produce a butter having an odor 
and Ilavor far superior to butter churned from 
cream, other things being equal. 
ON TEMPERATURE IN THE DAIRY. 
This was the topic of an instructive essay by 
Prof. Caldwell of Cornell Uuiyersily. After 
giving the lessons of soieuce and results of ex¬ 
periments, his most practical conclusion was, 
that iu setting milk for cream, it should be cool¬ 
ed as quickly as possible to a low temperature— 
say 30 1 to 40°, or near to freezing. So far as 
the results of ixperimeuts go, they show very 
plainly the separation of the cream is more 
rapid and complete at low temperatures, in the 
region of 40°, than higher. A French chemist, 
as Ilia results of numerous experiments, found 
that when the milk was quickly cooled to 80 in 
small vessels, almost the entire cream was sepa¬ 
rated iu ono hour; hut in a vessel of forty 
quarts, it took twclvo hours to effect as complete 
separation, while at the temperature of 00°, it 
required thirty-six hours to effect the same with 
the same quantity of milk. Nothing was gained 
in the amount of cream by lotting the milk stand 
longer than twelve hours at the low temperature. 
Prof. C. approved the plan of setting milk iu 
metallic vessels placed iu a bath of cold water 
and not resting on the bottom, but so that the 
cooling should affect the bottom more tliau the 
top ; for if the cooliug proceeds fastest at the 
top, it creates a downward current of the milk 
which hinders the rising of the cream. 
On the subject of testing milk with a view to 
the detection of any adulteration with water, 
Prof. Caldwell and others said no easy method 
had yet beeu devised, except by the use of the 
little instrument called the lactometer, and this 
is uot iu all respects satisfactory. The average 
specific gravity of pure new milk is 1 021) by the 
instrument—water being 1.000 ; but cream being 
lighter than milk, it follows that milk which is 
very rich in cream, will show by the instrument 
the same aH milk that has been slightly watered, 
and slum-milk mixed with water may be of the 
same specific gravity as now milk. 
ON FEEOINQ COWS FOR MILK. 
“ Milk Production'’ was the topic of an excel¬ 
lent address by Prof. Stewart, editor of the 
Live Stock Journal. Ho regarded the cow as a 
machine for making milk, just as a steam-en¬ 
gine is a machine 4Tor producing power ; ami it 
is as vain to expect the cow to give milk without 
sufficient food of the right kind, as to expect the 
steam-engine to afford power without sullicieut 
fuel and water; but people are all the time 
vainly trying to make something from nothing ! 
It is vain to give a sleaiu-oiigiuo only enough 
fuel to keep the water warm ; and so it is to give 
a cow only enough food to keep her from starv¬ 
ing or freezing. If milk is desired, she must 
have a surplus of food beyond the other wants 
of the system, or all the rest is a loss. About 
two-tliirds of all an animal eats, is needed to 
maintain its existence ; all the profit comes from 
the other one-third, and this is often withheld en¬ 
tirely. He advised soiling cows with green food 
during diy times in summer, commending for 
this purpose a mixture of peas and oats, cut 
when both are green ; also Hungarian grass and 
sowed corn, and more use of roots for winter, 
where the soil will permit, lie did not approve 
of corn meal alone or with corn fodder for cows; 
would prefer at least part bran or middlings, the 
latter haviug a good share of the album.noids, 
while the corn is mostly earbou. Corn and oats 
grouud together, is excellent for cows. Ho did 
uot think it paid to cook food for cows unless a 
large number are to be fed; but in feeding a 
large herd with a good deal of corn fodder, ho 
found it of great advantage to cut the stalks 
finely by stoiun power, then mix with meal and 
bran, and steam the whole. All is done with the 
use of very little manual labor. 
Mr. Batkjiam of Ohio, said this method of 
feeding was exemplified on a large scale by Hon. 
A. C. Walks of Massilon, who feeds annually 
about 1,000 shoep and fifty or more cattle and 
horses, without any hay ; but grows front fifty 
to seventy acres of sowed corn, and uses his 
straw by cutting and steaming the whole, after 
addiug meal or bran, and finds it cheaper and 
better than feeding with hay. Mr. B. advised 
farmers who were interested, to go and inspect 
the machinery and methods of Mr. Wai.es. Mr. 
W. hud offered to contract to feed several hun¬ 
dred dairy cows through the winter, and havo 
them in first-rate order in the spring, for .f8 per 
head, if time was given for him to grow the 
fodder. 
"WHAT LACK I YET’” 
was the suggestive title of an ablo address by 
lion. II. Lewis of Herkimer County. He urged 
every dairy farmer and manager to ask liiraBelf 
this question, and make all possible efforts to 
discover the answer, thou attain the thiug lack¬ 
ing, whether it bo in himself or iu extornal ap¬ 
pliances for his profession. Most of the hints 
given in the line of needed improvements are 
such aH are familiar to the readers of agricul¬ 
tural papers, hence need not be repeated hero. 
SAIT FOR THE DAIRY 
was the subject of a spirited speech from Mr. F. 
D. Moulton “Out Mutual Friend” of New 
York, who is agent for the salo of the Ashton 
English dairy salt, the superiority of which he 
set forth in eloquent terms, and hacked up bis 
arguments with numerous certificates from 
American dairy firms. It was thou urged that 
as an act of comity in return for the large 
amount of our dairy products imported into En¬ 
gland without duty, the duty imposed by this 
country on English salt ought to bo repealed ; 
and accordingly a resolution to that effect was 
adopted by the convention. 
Prof. Englehart of Syracuse then followed 
with a scion! i!lc essay on salt and its uses, and 
showed by chemical analyses that the Onondaga 
dairy salt is the purest known in the trade, and 
he also gave a number of testimonials iu its 
favor, as being equal to any imported. So the 
salt question remains unsettled ; the convention 
favoring free trade and free opinions. 
PASTURE LAND ANO GRASSES. 
Dr. N. S. Townsend of the Ohio Agricultural 
College, had been appointed to adross the conven¬ 
tion on this subject,luit being unable to be present 
bo sent a brief letter, sotting forth the import¬ 
ance of improvement in this direction; to in¬ 
crease the fertility of dairy pastures by plowing, 
manuring and draining, and then seeding with 
a variety of grasses, instead of timothy aloue as 
is the common practice, leaving other varieties 
to come in with the weeds. 
Mr. M. B. Bateuam of Puiueftville being in¬ 
vited to speak on this subject, said ho had in¬ 
spected many of the dairy pastures in different 
counties of the Western Deserve tbo past sum¬ 
mer. aud ho found Unit most of thorn were fast 
declining in productiveness so that without a 
radical change on the part (if the dairy farmers 
they would soon fail of support and tbo founda¬ 
tion of tliis whole business would be giving way. 
Ho said the assessors’ returns of the daily coun¬ 
ties ju Northeastern Ohio showed a docliuo in 
the productive capacity of pasture lauds amount¬ 
ing to (.mo-third or more, the past ten years; 
and on account of this decliuo dairy farming 
was becoming unprofitable. He said the lands 
were originally quite fertile, but not deep, aud 
lhe vegetable matter at the surface had been all 
exhausted ; and no plow ing or means of restora¬ 
tion being used, the clay soil bad become very 
compact from treading while wet, and the 
grasses killed out by constlht feeding off or 
over-stocking—then worthless weeds came iu. 
ilc said the old pastures would have to bo 
broken up, aud ouriehed in some way, and when 
seeded down, a mixture of grasses should be 
used, iu accordance with the English plan, 
though he would not recommend using as many 
varieties. Tho following he believed would bo 
found adapted to most of the clay lands, aud 
would form a good mixture for dairy pasture. 
Timothy, Bed-top, Bine grass, Orchard grass, 
Meadow Fescue and English Bye-grass. White 
clover might be added with advantage, where it 
is known to flourish. 
ON SELECTION OF COWS FOR THE DAIRY, 
a good deal was said, not in favor of any par¬ 
ticular breed, but tiiat the farmers should take 
mure pains to raise or procure good milkers of 
common or grade stock. Mr. Hour of Welling¬ 
ton, O., gave some tolling facts from the records 
of his cheese-factory, and Jits own farm experi¬ 
ence, contrasting the annual yield aud profits 
of different cows and dairies, showing that some 
cow’s wore worth three limes as much as others 
for dairy purposes, and that the difference in 
this respect was often so great between different 
herds as to make all the difference between a 
fair annual profit aud actual loss to tho farmer. 
USE OF OAfitY REFUSE 
was the subject of an oasay from Mr. Vanddrer 
of Elmira. He gave souio usoful bints on tbo 
use of whey and buttermilk as food for calves 
and swiue, giving preference to tho latter ani¬ 
mals, as the most profitable and convenient for 
creamery or factory men ; but, adding that the 
profits from this source were generally less tliau 
the dairy farmers imagined. m. ri. u. 
-. 
Coloring cheese is often necossary to insure 
a fair price, for while tho improvement of tho 
article is confined to its color, the prejudice of 
the purchaser is thus couoiliated: Bure an- 
naito alouo should bo used for ibis purpose, and 
a good recipe for cutting it is tbo following: Take 
four pounds of boat aunatto j two pounds con¬ 
centrated potash, tivo ounces saltpeter, pound 
and a-half of sal-soda, and live gallons boiling 
water. But ingredients in a tub and pour on 
tho boiling water, luoloso anuatto iu a cloth 
and, as it dissolves, squeeze it into tho liquid. 
Two ounces of this liquid to 100 pounds of curds 
and proportionately. 
€uiomolo(]ual, 
A LITTLE WINTER WORK. 
B. PICKMAN MANN. 
Every farmer will, or ought to know’ for him¬ 
self, whether he is troubled in summer by the 
presence of “ tent-caterpillars" in his apple and 
cherry trees. If he was troubled last summer, 
ho is likely to bo troubled next summer, unless 
he is wise enough to prevent the hatching of the 
caterpillars by his foresight and activity during 
the wintor months. 
But tlnro aro moro kinds than ono of tent- 
caterpillars which attack apple trees, and the 
winter season does not afford US the opportunity 
of providing equally against the ravages of all. 
Especially are there two kinds of apple tree 
tent-caterpillars, called so, not because they at¬ 
tack apple trees alone, but because they give 
very noticeable trouble on these trees. Ono of 
those goes more generally, aud it may be more 
properly, under tbo name of tent-caterpillar; 
the other is known sometimes as the fall web- 
worm, or fire-worm. Against the latter (Z/y- 
plumtrin lexlor) nothing of importance can be 
done in winter; but it is worth while to give 
some account of it in order to institute a com¬ 
parison between it and the other species, so that 
farmers wlm are troubled only by one or by 
the other, may more readily recognize either 
and be prepared to act accordingly. 
I Lave not observed the fall web-worms be¬ 
fore the third week of July, hut it is stated that 
they appear sometimes two or three weeks 
earlier. There seems to be but one generation 
in a year, yet for some reason the offsprings of 
tho several individuals appear at quite distant 
times; and tho last of them, it is stated, do not 
hatch until the middle of August. They hatch 
fromeggs deposited in a cluster upou tho sur¬ 
face of a leaf. As soon as they aro hatched they 
cover the upper surface of the leaf with a silken 
web, which is the result of tho “ united labors 
of tho whole brood.” Between this web ami the 
loaf they food in company, eating the upper 
skin and Boft green tissue of the leaf, leaving 
tho veins aud lower skin of the loaf un¬ 
eaten. Duriug the early part of their lives they 
aro not known to eat any loaves before they 
have enclosod them iu their web. As they in¬ 
crease in size they spin larger webs, extending 
the threads from tip to tip of the leaves, and at¬ 
taching tho threads to the branches so that they 
ai (Tt-ouiplotcly enveloped. Tbo first webs aro 
made near the cuds of tbo branches, and tho ou- 
largemeuts ex to ml toward the trunk of tho tree, 
and sideways in every direction. 
Finally, if the caterpillars havo not been dis¬ 
turbed, the enclosing web becomes too large to 
make an armful for a man. Tho remains of the 
loaves wither aud turn brown ; tho webs are so 
thin as to bo transparent; and tho branch 
Beoms to have been scorched with fire, from 
which appearance the popular name of the cater¬ 
pillar is derived. After some three or four 
weeks (tho time has not been properly observed) 
the caterpillars leave their webs, and change 
their habits. Formerly social, or more probably 
only gregarious, and feeding upou the leaves of 
trees, they live separately hereafter. Scattering 
over the gardens and feoding almost indiscrimi¬ 
nately upon vines, shrubs aud other losswr vego- 
tals. i havo found them in the first week of 
October. 
Tho apple tree tent-caterpillar which is moro 
generally indicated by the name, or in other 
words tho American Lackey caterpillar ( Clisio- 
campa Americano) is a more abnndaut and de¬ 
structive insect than its ally described above. It 
appears with the unfolding of the leaves of the 
apple trees in the latter part of April or the early 
part of May. 
As soon as the caterpillars aro hatched they 
descend to a convenient crotch made by two 
small branches of tho tree, aud spin a closely- 
woven web from branch to branch. Beneath 
this web they pass their time, when resting, or 
when driven to shelter by cold or disagreeable 
woather. They sally forth from it at morning 
and in the afternoon, returning at noon aud at 
night, As they increase in size they spin uow 
webs, of the same firm texture, and in layers 
parallel to tho forraor oxtorior of tho nest, leav¬ 
ing only space enough between the layers for 
convenient passage to and fro. Wherever they 
go on tho branches they spin a thread of silk, 
by which they keep themselves moored to a tree, 
so that ordinarily they cannot be shaken off. 
These threads aggregate, in course of time, to 
largo oorils, or even sheets, completely spanning 
or even enveloping the bare branches and the 
stems. Tho nest, at its largest size, makes only 
a few haudsfnl. When fully grown the cater¬ 
pillars leave their nest, and seek a place for the 
formation of tho cocoon. They do not tarry to 
feed on their journey towards a resting-place. 
By tho end of tho socoud week of J uly, the 
full-grown caterpillars havo all disappeared. 
Thus, having defined some of the differences 
between these two kinds of caterpillars, so that 
the intelligent farmer may know when he is to 
act I come to tho point of advising what is to 
bo done. 
The eggs of the Lackey Moth, three or four 
hundred in number laid by ono female, aro 
placed in abroad band arouudthe smaller twigs, 
near the ends ’of the branches, and are covered 
with a thick coat of hi ownish water-proof var¬ 
nish. Each hand is about two centimeters wide, 
aud one or one and a-balf centimeters in diame¬ 
ter ; that is, aH wide a8 the broiulth of a thumb, 
and as large as the end of a little linger. These 
bauds are formed in July, and contain the living 
insects until the following April. After the 
leaves have fallen from the trees, until the 
leaves appear again, these bands are readily visi¬ 
ble to any person with good eyesight, standing 
under tbo eaves of the trees, and looking at tho 
branches projected against the sky. A little ex¬ 
perience in finding the bands of eggs will make 
the hunter an export, and in a short time, dur¬ 
ing the slack days of winter, the eggs can be 
destroyed, which would otherwise give birth to 
the dreaded caterpillar at a season of tho year 
when farmers are crowded with work. The 
braucb should be bout downward, aud tbo eggs 
cracked off with a knife, or with a thumb nail. 
<$icRi Crops, 
THE SUGAR BEET. 
University ok N. C., Jan. 14, ’78. 
The Stato Chemist of North Caroliua, whoso 
labratory is at this place, has completed his ex¬ 
periments on tho Sugar Beet, grown in the 
Stato ; and tho following partial analysis of his 
report may prove of interest to many readers of 
The Rural New-Yorker : 
Iu 1747 a Gorman chemist discovered that 
there was cane sugar iu tho white and red beet. 
In 171)0 the first factory for making beet sugar 
was erected iu Prussia. With much expense ex¬ 
periments multiplied iu Europo. To-day nearly 
one-third of the sugar used iu tho civilized world 
is from the beet. French and German agricul¬ 
turists succeeded by improved culture, in raisiug 
beets that would yield an average of, at least, 8 
pW cent, of sugar. The beet grows wild, as a 
native, on the Mediterranean coast. Tho best 
sugar varieties are tho result of cultivation and 
hybridization. 
As to this country, David L. Child of North¬ 
ampton, Mass., in 1838. made 1300 pounds of 
sugar from bents raised mi his farm. Iu 1863, 
Gennett Bros., from Germany, started an ex¬ 
periment at Ohatswortli, Ill., but being <]is- 
couragcd, in 1870 moved to Freeport, III. They 
made 200,000 pounds of sugar in 1870, at rea¬ 
sonable profit. Their factory is thought to have 
been closed recently. Two manufactories have 
been built in Wisconsin ; one iu 18(57 aud one iu 
1870. Tho largest and most successful experi¬ 
ment was iu California. At tho factory at Al- 
voado, iu 1871. 1.00(1,000 pounds of sugar were 
extracted from beets that measured 15 tons to 
the acre. Tbo industry is attracting capital and 
growing in popularity on tho Pacific Coast. 
During tbo past season, under the auspices of 
the Department of Agriculture, somewhat ex¬ 
tensive experiments were projected for the va¬ 
ried soil of North Carolina. Tho seed were the 
French and Silesian or “ Imperial." The time at 
which the seed w’ero distributed was oue unfa¬ 
vorable accident. They were sent to about 100 
farmers, in over 30 counties, iu different parts 
of tho State. There were embarrassments in 
several cases reported, such as the ravages of in¬ 
sects. Altogether, the experiments are uot en¬ 
couraging. The following are the results : 
Per cent. 
In Moryantown,' the most elevated (locality, 
being tu the hills of the Piedmont dis¬ 
trict... 5.91 
In Morehead City, the most eastern, being 
directly on the Coast. 5.12 
At Raleigh (1) 1 55 per cent. (2). 10,97 
At Egypt, in Chatham County. ... 11.22 
\i I. " . 
fu Grauville Couuty. 11.46 
At Hillsboro, iu Orange County. 10.24 
At Chapel HU1 “ “ 3.35—4.55. 7,61 
Other localities, from 4.30 to 7.11 
Tho report encourages the farmers and the 
Department to be ready to make more intelligent 
aud promising experiments next year. 
MUSK-MELONS. 
Several years ago, our correspondent Mr. 
T. B. Miner, received a variety of nutmeg melon 
From France, but being ratber late in ripening, 
bo commenced an experiment iu crossing it with 
an early American variety, and in this way suc¬ 
ceeded In producing a now variety of excellent 
quality and far superior, he thinks, to any other 
known sort. Its llesh i» of a golden color, solid, 
and the melon ripens with him (Linden, N. J.) 
about August 15th. He calls it Miner's Hybrid 
Melon, the firsftime we ever knew turn to use a 
word which ho himself lias condemned as not 
applicable to a cross between the same species. 
