Jtttksirml jiotuiies, 
T HE GREAT ST. LOUIS FAIR. 
The eighteenth annual fair of the St. Louis 
Agricultural and Mechanical Association has 
come to a successful close. For the character 
and extent of the general display, this collection 
is more like one of the great European fairs. 
The exhibitors are supplied with accommodations 
that pi rmit them to show their wares to the best 
advantage, and this consideration on the part of 
the Association is reciprocated by manufactu¬ 
rers, as is evidenced by the fact that they exert 
themselves to show the best machinery in the 
most attractive forms that they are capable of 
producing. This is undoubtedly the great im¬ 
plement fair of the country, and the representa¬ 
tion this year fell little short of the display made 
at the Centennial. 
The accommodations for live-stock, poultry, 
etc , were equally good, and the representation 
in the e classes was never better. I regret that 
time foibids more than a running mention of 
the various breeds. Indeed, the extent of the 
grounds—eighty-five acres—makes a complete 
report an impossibility. None but an O’Leary 
or a Centaur conld make the grand rounds and 
have time 10 do justice to all departments. 
There were 135 head of Jerseys on exhibition, 
56 of which wore shown by Churcbmau A Jack¬ 
son ; of these 20 were imported stock. Messrs. 
Miller, Stratton, Barber, and Turner A Kirkman 
aho had well-filled stalls. The Devons were 
only 21 strong, but quality counterbalanced a 
fuller representation. L. E- Ross, whose herd 
cf 18 took the first premium at Illinois State 
Fair, w as here. 1'he Short-horns made a sorry 
showiDg, and indications would seem to point to 
the declension of the furor for this breed at the 
We?t. The herds of Pickorell A KesMinger am: 
J. H. Potts secured the most attention. T. L. 
Miller, Thos. Clerk and W. Powell entered herds 
of Herefotds ; a fine yearling, the properly of 
Mr. Constance, scored a first premium. The 
hog in agriculture always makes a notable figure, 
aud here some six hundred—the gallaut six hun¬ 
dred—ably sustained the class, the black breeds 
taking the lead. In cheep, the long-wools se¬ 
cured the honors cf representation *• by a large 
majority.” Horses, both draft aud road, were 
numerous. As curiosities, the largest and small¬ 
est horse iu America, so asserted, focused Lhe 
gaze of the curious, while such .famous fellows 
as imported Intruder, Piantagonct, Illinois Chief, 
Rub Roy, etc., attracted the good judges of hofun 
lieeh. 
lu Textile Hall were gathered mobt of the 
local exhibits of a miscellaneous character, 
which differ merely iu detail from cimilar ex- 
innits the country over, Being iu a commercial 
center, this fair has the resources of the city to 
make drafts upon, so that it docs nut require a 
nimble imagination to picture the gorgeous 
quilts, the piano war, the patent ilap jack turn¬ 
ers, tt aL so dear to the hearts of tne ladies. 
Producu ilu.ll contained a few remarkably fine 
exhibit.-, but as a whole was far below the other 
departments, and very far below what one 
would expect iu such a rich farming district. 
Although Missouri is the third corn-producing 
3tato iu the Union, there were but four exhibit¬ 
ors of corn, who showed altogether coven sam¬ 
ples. Oats, barley aud potatoes were no better 
represented. Wheat there was iu considerable 
quantities and of very superior quality—Fultz 
and Clawson being the favorite varieties. Only 
two exhibits each of garden vegetables and 
honey were made. Dairy products were un¬ 
usually well represented, and of as fine quality 
as is often seen at any of tbo Eastern fairs. 
Leaf tobacco, rye, castor beans a nd flax, ail of 
which are largely grown in the Slate, were en¬ 
tirely wanting. Fruits were as good as could 
have Leeu expected at a fair held so late in the 
season, aud iu a year when ail fruits are nearly 
a failure. 
Such an imperfect display seemed unaccount¬ 
able until the premium hot for the present year 
was compared with those of former ones, when 
it became apparent that the Fair Association 
was doing its utmost to crowd out the agricul¬ 
tural features of the fair, and to promote the 
stock and mechanical departments. For many 
classes of farm products no premium whatever 
was offered, and many of the remaining pre¬ 
miums were only half of wnat had been offer n 
in previous years. .Such a course is certainly 
unwise as a very large proportion of the atten¬ 
dance comes from the farming community, and 
if the farmers are not invite: to come aud ex¬ 
hibit the fruits of their labors, they will very 
soon take the hint and stay away. 
The largest, and by far the most valuable ex¬ 
hibit in the Hall was one made by the Missouri 
Agricultural College. The collection contained 
forty-eight varieties of wheat, twenty-five of 
oats, sixteen of corn, and two hundred of pota¬ 
toes. The wheat and oats were shown in sheave, 
the grain in glass jars ; the corn m half-bushel 
samples, and lhe potatoes in five-pound boxes 
Every specimen was plainly labeled with the 
name of the variety and yield, per acre, so that 
. the comparative value of the different sorts 
could be seen at a glance. Among the potatoes 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. OST. 2S 
were thirty unnamed seedlings that had been 
sent to the College for trial. Some of these 
gave a wonderful yield, and promise to be of 
great value. Several fine seedlings raised at the 
College were shown. The exhibit was constantly 
surrounded by a crowd of inquiring farmers, 
and showed very plainly that valuable practical 
work was being done at the College. 
Rut the machinery was the conspicuous figure. 
Many firms own permanent buildings which en¬ 
able them to show off their exhibits in the most 
attractive manner. One of these. Semple, Rirge 
A Co., had a building filled with all kinds of 
agricultural machinery. Walter A. Wood, Whit¬ 
man Agl. Co . Furst A Bradiy Mfg. Co., Deere, 
Mausur A Co., Jae. A. Field, Son A Co., Moline 
plow Co., C. Ault man A Co., and nearly all tho 
prominent manufacturers of the West were rep¬ 
resented, while the makers of small implements 
for multitudinous purposes were legion. The 
self-binders did a brisk business, tying np bun¬ 
dles with the ease aud grace of a dry-goods 
clerk, and iu fact, most of the machinery was in 
motion, the agricultural steamers that were 
present in numbers being utilized for the pur¬ 
pose. 
The fact that the agricultural fair was not the 
only attractive feature may account for a part of 
the large attendance. Thirty-five acres are devot¬ 
ed to a zoological garden that counts hosts of ad¬ 
mirers, and tho divertisements were plentiful. 
Tho grounds being situated some three miles 
from the center of the city, made it difficult to 
reach them iu comfort. The car lines had not 
the resources to accommodate the crowd, and 
the Jehus arranged prices in a way that left 
no room for doubt as to What will the Har¬ 
vest be ?" 
J. A. Field, Son A Co. made a fine exhibit of 
their Giant Com Mills and other goods for 
which they are general agents. They had their 
Corn Mills in full operation showing ttie farmers 
how to utilize the full corn orop by grinding the 
husks and cob with the corn. Since this mill 
was illustrated in the Rubai, they have improved 
it by adding a grinding rim to the inside grinder 
and a corresponding rim on the outside grinder. 
This improvement doubles the capacity for fine 
grinding at a very small additional oost. It 
really cheapens the grinder, for the rims can be 
replaced for one-ibird the oost of the old grind¬ 
ing-plates. A new patent adjustable shell is 
also a great improvement, as by a simple device 
the wear is taken up by lengthening the shell. 
The grinding cone is also adjusted to grind at 
all times in a satisfactory manner. 
The Springfield Mfg. Co. of Springfield, ill., 
made a tine display of Corn-Planters. They had 
on exhibition their “ Climax " and '* Boss ” two- 
horse planters, and "Capital” hand-planter, 
and “ Sucker State ” one-horse oom chili. The 
latter attracted a great deal of attention. It 
combines simplicity of construction with ac¬ 
curacy of operation. A number of these drills 
have been sold iu the East, aud wherever used 
have given the best satisfaction. It is a cheap, 
durable and efficient implement. 
The St. Louis office of the Gibbs A Stemtt 
Mfg. Co. (Cory, Pa.) made a fine display of their 
celebrated Climax Mowers, Droppers and Self- 
Rakes. This oonoern has done a very large 
business during the past year, their saleH being 
far ahead of the previous one. Tho Climax ma¬ 
chines give the best of satisfaction wherever 
used, and their sale is beiug extended all through 
the Southwest as well as tho East. They bring 
out this year a new light mower weighing less 
than 600 pounds. A number of these have been 
put out on trial and have stood the severeit 
tests. They will be put on the market for 1870, 
and I have no doubt will more than meet the 
expectations of their originators and mow their 
way to the front rank. 
The Fabmebs' Fbiend Gbain Dbill.—A m^xg 
western farmers the '• Farmers’ Friend,” manu¬ 
factured by the Farmers’ Friend Manufacturing 
Co., Dayton, Obio, has become a household word, 
and at this great western fair, the drill is always 
exhibited to crowds of enthusiastic friends and 
patrons. Tho drill has recently been the recipi¬ 
ent of very great honors at Paris, vrhoio the 
company entered their exhibit against all com¬ 
petitors in its class, with the most satisfactory 
results, a large placard over their exhibit at the 
Wt. Louis fair anuounced its success at the Paris 
Exposition over twenty competitors, after ex¬ 
tended field trials, so that the gold medal.. v*d- 
, a the drill was earned by superior excellence in 
| the field. The company has just been notified 
| tnat it is the recipient of another gold medal 
at the hands of different judges. These medalH 
_conjunction with the honors bestowed at the 
| Centennial, give this dr,11 peculiar prestige, as 
; having received the endoraeoreut of Europe aud 
America to the claim of being one of the lead¬ 
ing implements in its class. In 1877 the Farm- 
' ers’ Friend also took the premium at the St 
Louis fair. This year the company did not enter 
‘ for competition, but. had a fine display of earn 
pies showing their different machines and at 
thchmentM. The feature s that most contribute 
to its success iu the field, ii is said, are the dou¬ 
ble fuioe-feed which is brougnt to perfection in 
its different parts, and then never disturbed, and 
the cone-geariqg by which the quantity is regu¬ 
lated by simply moviug a lever winch changes 
the speed of the feeders. The general construc¬ 
tion of the drill, aud the arrangement of the 
hoes in particular, cover tome very nice me¬ 
chanical points. In these latter a rubber spring 
pressing on the end of a lever keeps the hoe in 
itH normal position, whioh is held there by a 
latch so arranged that a continuous strain makes 
a positive lock, but the moment a quick, sharp 
blow is given, it starts the little roller in the 
latch, aud the hoe gives way, to be brought hack 
to position by the rubber spring as soon as the 
obstruction is harmlessly passed. 
P. P. Mast A Co., Springfield, Ohio, were 
out-and-out Buckeyes, having on the grouud the 
Buckeye Grain-drill, Buckeye Cider-mill, and 
Buckeye Cultivator. The dull and cultivator 
captured the first premiums. The Buckeye drill 
is too well-known to need much comment, but it 
has recently been improved by tbe addition of a 
fertilizer attachment that is in itself a most 
complete apparatus, aud has greatly enhanced 
the value of tho drill when it is desirable to sow 
commercial fertilizers with the grain. This at¬ 
tachment was fully illustrated and described in 
o*r issue of September 7. 
The cultivator is rapidly advancing in favor ; 
the sales last year included over five thousand of 
these implements. Its good points are its adjust¬ 
able axle by which tho wheels oau be thrown 
forward or back, which permits the driver to 
throw tne downward draft in front or rear of 
axle, thereby properly balancing the cultivator 
iu hard or soft ground. The high wheels and 
broad tires insure light draft and suffix,out 
bight to pass over coin, in the last plowing. 
The foot-treadles are a very good device, aud 
one of the greatest conveniences about the im¬ 
plement. e. h. w. 
T. H. HOSKINS, M. I). 
I Aar fond of good cheese, and as it is rarely to 
be had in the stores, I have now for some time 
purchased my small supply of a dairyman liviug 
in ati aejoining town, who was highly recom¬ 
mended to me, and whose cheese I have found 
to be of remarkably high and uniform quality, 
keeping well, and improving in flavor for at least 
a year. Thinking tho readers of the Rural 
would be glad to hear how such cheese is made, 
I have recently visited the dairy referred to, 
that of Deacon J. C. Oliver, of West Charleston, 
Vt., aud received from Mrs. Oliver a detailed 
description of her process of manufacture, which 
she calls “ tho old-fashioned Franklin County 
way, before cheese-factories wero invented." 
THE REMNET. 
The calf is killed iu the morning, fasting, and 
the stomach, when removed, is slit open and its 
contents, if any, Bhaken out. It is then filled 
with pure salt, laid on a plate of salt, and cov¬ 
ered with salt. This plate, with others,, is set 
upon a shelf in the cheese-room and left to dry; 
the rennets being occasionally turned over. When 
dry, they are packed in salt. Before using, they 
are soiked out in warm brine and rubbed thor¬ 
oughly and repeatedly. The solution thus 
formed is strained, and is perfectly sweet and 
free from the least offensive odor,—indeed hav¬ 
ing scarcely any odor at all. One rennet makes 
from 175 to 200 pounds of cheese. 
THE VAT. 
Tho vat iB a pine box about four feet .„ng, 
two feet wide and twenty inches high, well 
painted within and without. It is supported 
upon a stand which permits one end to bo raised 
about six inches when desired. In the middle 
of the other end are three holes, one above an¬ 
other, at about two, six, and ten inches distance 
from tho buttoru. There is also another hole in 
the bottom, close to this end. Tliose holes are 
about three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and 
are fitted with pine plugs. 
THE MANUfACTURE. 
The milk of 16 cows is used, and a cheese of 
from 35 to 45 pounds is made every morning. 
The cows are of the common stock, well fed and 
cared for. Choesu-making begins the first of 
May ; before that, butter is mado. The night’B 
milk is set iu pans, and in tho morning the cream 
is skimmed off, tho skim-milk heated in a kettle 
not quite to tho temperature of now milk, and 
added to the freoh morning’s milk iu the vat. 
The cream from the night’s milk is heated scald¬ 
ing hot, and then stirred into the vat. No cream 
is lost in the manufacture ; there is not enough 
on the whey to make it worth saving for greas¬ 
ing the cheese, as is often practiced. The dis¬ 
solved rennet is added to the contents of the 
vat, stirred, aud the whole covered with ek*‘.h 
and left for half an hour. When theouid m &ot, 
it is cut coarsely iu squares of, say, four inches, 
and left to stand twenty minutes to let the whey 
J start. It is then broken by hand, “ with a sort 
of rolling brenk,” us Mrs. Oliver says. This is tho 
most difficult art to acquire in the whole pro¬ 
cess, so as to break the eutd tip tine, and yet not 
make the whey while, thus losing the richness 
of the curd—when bioken, tho curd is covered 
and again left to stand twenty minutes. 
The scalding of the curd is effected by drawing 
off two pailfuls of whey, heating it to scalding 
heat and pouring it back into the vat. This is 
repeated usually three times; in the warmest 
weather only about half as much whey is used 
for the third scalding. Tbe purpose is to scald 
until the curd “creaks" slightly under the 
teeth. In this process no acidity is developed; 
the method is therefore the “ sweet -curd pro¬ 
cess," which is now being put forward by Prof. 
Arnold. 
When the curd is properly scalded, as above, 
the whey is drawn off. the curd salted to taste, 
and removed from the vat in milk pans to tho 
buttery. Tbe curd-making is finished about nine 
o’clock, and the curd is left iu the pans to •' ol 
until noon, when it is put to press in a' Mf- 
presser," or automatic press, where the cheese 
is pressed bv its own weight, for 21 hourt. The 
bandages only are oolored, no color being used 
in the cheese. No thermometer is used, so that 
I am unable to give tho exact temperature i 
scalding, eto., and tho sail is not weighed, but 
judged by tasting the curd ; still, the product is 
so uniform that one cannot doubt that Mrs. 
Oliver's “ scalding hot ” is a very uniform tem¬ 
perature, and her judgment of the right degree 
of saltness, very accurate. 
I have been thus particular in the account of 
the way in which this cheese is made, because it 
is a really first-class artiolu in every respect. If 
our cheese factories could make as good, gener¬ 
ally. the export value of their product would be 
raised several cents a pound, aud there would 
also be a much larger homo demand. But the 
difficulty is that first-class cheese cannot be 
made where everybody’s milk aud all kinus of 
milk are used. The factory system is a good one 
iu many respects, but tbo only way iu which 
first-clasB cheese can be made iu them, is fur 
them to use milk only from selected dairies. 
There is one such factory in this State, run by 
Mr. Mason, the president of our Dairymen’s 
Association. His cheese is quite equal to the 
choicest Euglish, and is sold iu advance of manu¬ 
facture to first-class hotels and restaurants in 
New York and Philadelphia. It is as far su¬ 
perior to commou factory cheesoas Mrs. Oliver’s 
is to the common farm-dairy product. I hope 
soon to give Rub ax. readers the detaild of Mr. 
Mason’a method. 
Orleans Co.. Va. 
CoKNiNd, Steuben Co., N. Y., oct. to, 1S7S. 
The weather is now delightful aud it has been 
quite favorable to the agriculturist the past sea¬ 
son, and now he is gathering in his late crops, 
aud getting ready for winter. Soon the stock 
will have to be put up and tended; and no time 
should now be lost in fixing up tbe barns, and 
sheds, so as to be ready when needed, I find 
that these matters are usually neglected, and 
finally winter closes in upon us before we are 
ready; therefore let us try aud get prepared, for 
once, in season. 
Crops, on the whole, have yielded quite well 
with the exception of potatoes ; these are very 
light indeed; some fioldfl I hear of, are scarcely 
worth digging. The hay crop was very abund¬ 
ant and much more had to be stacked than 
usual for want of barn room iu which to store 
it; 87 is all we can get for the best of bay, de¬ 
livered at the hay press. It seems to me it is 
better to feed it to stock than sell it at that 
price, when one has to draw it four or five miles ; 
yet many will draw it twelve and fourteen. 
On the morning of the 23d ult., on waking up, 
I discovered that there had been a very heavy 
frost, killing all tender plants that were not 
ooveied up, and ice formed as thick as window- 
glass. On the 27th, we had another heavy 
frost. Last year our first frost did not come 
until the 5th of October. 
Of four varieties of sweet corn grown here¬ 
abouts this year, the Farmers’ Favorite is pro- 
nounoed to be the nicest at. our table. Will 
some of the Rukal's correspondents let us know 
their opinion about the best sweet corn ? 
I was glad to notice the sensible article on 
plowing, iu the Rubal. page 614, by A Jersey 
Farmer.” Good plowing is the foundation ot 
good farming ; for without good plowing, good 
crops can not be expected. I have often been 
disgusted at the slovenly manner in winch some- 
men plow. To be a good plowman, ono must 
take pride iu what bo is doiug, aud he must also- 
have a good plow, as well as some praeiioe. On 
no farm oau one plow be used for all kinds of 
plowing, with satisfactory results. I do not like 
a land-side plow, on most fields, (unless thev are 
wet.) so well as a swivel plow. I behove the 
swivel plow as now constructed for level land 
as well as bill-side, possesses many advantages 
over the land-side plow ; and, before long I be¬ 
hove that ii will come into general use be!©, tho 
same as in New England. At the late trial of 
plows at the New England fair, none but swivel 
plows were admitted. 
Prices of farm produce are about a3 follows ; 
Wheat, 81 to 81 10; oarn, 50 cents; oats, 60 
cents ; rye, 50 cents ; barley, 70 and 80 cents; 
