JAN. M 
TiHg 
ft£W-¥©BS£ER 
a 
directed towards overcoming this most extra¬ 
ordinary and unfounded prejudice. 
The Chicago Drovers’ Journal gives an in¬ 
teresting account of the breeding of a herd of 
polled cattle by General L. F. Ross, of Avon, 
111. The foundation of the herd was Devon 
blood, “with a dash of Short-horn,” and on 
these cows the General has been using a Gallo¬ 
way bull and a Norfolk polled bull. The 
young things arc all polled, and follow their 
respective sires. The success of the cross be¬ 
tween the Norfolk polled bull and the Devon 
cows is said to be very successful, and amounts 
virtually to “ knocking the horns off the 
Devons.” _ 
Prof. L. B. Arnold tells the Mark Lane 
Express that the quantity of water in butter 
depends something upon the quality of the 
milk from wfuch it is derived, but more upon 
the manner of churning and working. When 
cream is churned rather warm, the butter takes 
in more water and aJso more cheesy matter 
than when the churning is done at a lower 
temperature, and it takes in more when gath¬ 
ered in a lump in the churn than when gathered 
in the granular form, and the finer the gran¬ 
ules the freer will the butter be both from 
water and cheesy matter. To avoid liability 
to crusting with salt the churning should be 
done at as low a temperature as it will bear, 
and by reducing the temperature, when the 
butter begius to form, to 54 degrees or 55 de¬ 
grees the butler will form in fine granules and 
be in its purest and best condition. Butter 
should always be churned aud gathered in this 
way to get the best quality. 
Many dairymen, says the Western Rural, 
escape the assessment of the commission houses 
and the retailers by making a uniformly prime 
article of butter, and selling it directly to some 
large consumer. In a recent convention of dairy¬ 
men one gentleman stated that lie sold all of his 
butter to the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago. 
There is not the slightest difficulty in findinga 
private nun ket for gilt edged butter. If it is 
known that a certain make of batter is uni¬ 
formly first-class, it is easy to find some one 
who will take the whole of it. Our aim should 
be, therefore, to make our butter a prime arti¬ 
cle at every churning, and th n to seek a pri¬ 
vate market for it. In this way we shall get 
rid of middlemen. 
• 
Mr. Ross says, in the Rural Home, if he 
had an exhausted farm he would haul enough 
to give it a light dressing of manure and bring 
in clover, ami then he would plow in clover to 
manure the land. 
Says Mr. G. B. Northrup: “ The disparage¬ 
ment of country life has been one of the worst 
tendencies of theage. Thelove of home brings 
with it a love of country. Ownership in land 
is essential to thrift, and it gives bonds to so¬ 
ciety for maintaining a good character. . . 
The striking effects of seaweed as a manure 
for the potato crop is to be ascribed largely to 
the large quantity of potash present in it. . . 
Prof. Johnson says that the Chinese pre¬ 
pare a vegetable cheese by boiling peas to a 
pap, straining the liquor, adding gypsum until 
coagulation occurs, and treating the curd thus 
obtained in the same manner as practised with 
milk-cheese, viz.: salting, pressing and keeping 
until the odor and taste of cheese are developed. 
It is cheaply sold in the streets of Canton under 
the name of Tao-foo. 
dl)c tfhifrifii. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
SOWING MILLET—FEED FOR A FAMILY COW. 
Somerville, N. J. t says: 1, “On Juno 
20 I seeded down a two acre patch with com¬ 
mon millet and cut and stowed it in barn 
August 23—crop about 2j^ tons, with only one 
rainfall during its entire growth. The land 
was then thoroughly harrowed and seeded to 
Timothy, with the expectation that the millet 
seed dropped in curing would grow sullieient- 
ly to serve as a protecting crop during the 
Winter. After lying dormant in the ground 
for weeks, the rains at last started both Tim¬ 
othy and millet, but, alas! the early frosts 
have rendered the millet invisible. No.» wbat 
are the probabilities of the Timothy pulling 
through without protection? In case the mil¬ 
let starts again in the Spring, wbat would bo 
its effect on the Timothy ! One of your cor¬ 
respondents recently stated that Hungarian 
Grass would grow many season i in succes¬ 
sion from one seediug, aud I suppose millet 
and Hungarian Grass to be of the same gen¬ 
eral character. 2, Would also like to be in¬ 
formed of a good method for feeding a family 
cow during the Winter months. A neighbor 
is feeding his cows on rice meal aud cut hay. 
This meal (yellow in color) is the result of a 
process the grain goes through after hulling, 
for the purpose of producing the white ap¬ 
pearance rice has when ready for market. Do 
you approve of this feed ?” 
Ans. —1. Millet will not stand frost. It is 
one of the most tender grasses in this respect, 
hence it was a mistake to sow millet with the 
Timothy in the expectation that it would 
protect the latter during the Winter. Wheat 
or rye w ould have served this purpose, rye 
being the best grain to sow in the Fall or the 
latter part of Bummer, as it will not winter- 
kill so easily as wheat and does not shade the 
ground the succeeding year as much. It is 
not necessary when Timothy is sown in the 
latter part of Summer or in early Autumn, to 
put any grain with it, as il will protect itself 
provided the ground is rich enough for it to 
get a good root, which is indicated by a strong 
growth. Many farmers make it a regular 
practice to seed fields with Timothy after a 
crop of oats or other grain has been har¬ 
vested, without any grain. When this is done 
and the land is in good heart a crop of hay 
can be gathered the next year. When Win¬ 
ter grain is grown with the Timothy the 
growth of the latter is so much slower that it 
usually does not mature a crop until the 
second year. The only way by which millet 
can be raised in succession on the same ground 
without cultivation is to depend upon a vol¬ 
unteer crop, which is a crop grown from the 
ripened seeds which happen, to shell out and be 
scattered on the ground. This volunteer crop 
some times oc a us on rye or buckwheat laud, 
when these crops are allowed to go to waste 
sufficiently to seed the ground. It is a poor 
crop, however, to depend upon. The roots of 
of millet will not survive freezing and 
when the crop ripens its seed it dries up and 
dies. Mille t and Hungarian Grass are of “the 
same general character” aud both are annuals. 
Summer grass belongs to the same family and 
may be termed wild millet, Its seed is good 
for poultry and, when ground, for cows or pigs. 
2. The best feed for a family cow to make 
her give plenty of milk and that of good 
quality is to give her a mixture of wheat 
middlings and corn meal, half aiul half. A 
cow of ordinary size should be given three 
quarts in the morning and three rt night, to 
gather with all the hay or corn stalks she 
will eat. More meal can be fed equal to a 
pock a day with less hay aud corn stalks ac¬ 
cording to the price of various articles, 
the coarse fodder should be cut and steamed 
or scalded and the meal mixed w ith it, the 
cow will give uiore milk on the same amount 
of feed. This process requires more labor and 
of course, depends upon circumstances. AVo 
have no practical knowledge of rice meal, but 
it the cow does well on it that is a proper test, 
and should commend its use. It takes sub¬ 
stantial food always to make rich milk. 
Buckwheat bran wall increase the flow of milk, 
but this milk will not throw up much 
cream as it is thin and watery. Corn meal 
makes rich milk and more butter can be made 
from it than from any other feed. Of course,it 
must be uuited with a sufficient amount of 
coarser feed to keep the animal in good health. 
The feeding on corn meal must be limited in 
quantity or it will bring on scours; hence it is 
belter to mix with wheat middlings and re¬ 
strict the feeding to four quarts daily, which is 
as much as an average co w can digest and as¬ 
similate. Feeding more would be a waste and 
iu time break down the stomach. 
HEALTUFULNESS OF ENSILAGE, ETC. 
K. A. H., Groton, Conn., having read a 
good deal for and against ensilage, is hesitat¬ 
ing about constructing a silo, and requests the 
opiuion of some scientist who has investigated 
the subject, on the folio wing points : — Do 
cows fed on ensilage produce good, pure milk, 
that will make good butter and be healthful 
if taken into the human stomach; is the 
flesh of animals fed on ensilage wholesome, 
is there any more real value in a given quan¬ 
tity of fodder corn ensilaged than there would 
be in the same quantity if allowed to ripen and 
fed free from all taint or smell of acid or al¬ 
cohol. 
ANSWER BY PROF. F. H. STOKER. 
In so far as 1 know there is no shudow of 
evidence or ground for suspicion that the milk 
or butter from cows fed upon ensilage, or the 
flesh of animals fattened upon ensilage is in 
any way hurtful or impure. There is un¬ 
doubtedly a liability that, in warm, Spring 
or Summer weather, the milk from a stable 
where ensilage is used will turn sour sooner 
than if no fermenting material were lying 
around loose in the locality. But the reason 
of such souring is not at all that anything 
out of the way has gone through the cows; 
it is simply that ferment-germs will be par¬ 
ticularly abundant in the air of the ensilage 
stable, and that there is a risk that so many 
of these germs will full into the milk, after 
it has left the cow, that it w ill turn sour 
more quickly than milk from an ordinary 
stable would. Corn-stalks (or other green 
fodder) when stored in silos do, of course, 
undergo fermentation — sometimes more, 
sometimes less—whereby some of their sac¬ 
charine constituents are decomposed and 
changed to new products; but observation 
and experience teach that the products thus 
formed do not harm the animals, and there 
are grounds for believing that some of them 
(the lactic acid, for example) are actually 
beneficial. As I ^endeavored to show some 
time since, in the Rural of the 2nd of April 
last, one conspicuous advantage in ensil¬ 
age is that the animals are so fond of it 
that, in a given time, they will work more 
of it over into the shape of milk or flesh than 
they could or would have done in case the 
corn-stalks had been dried and used as fodder 
iu the ordinary W'ay; and a somewhat simi¬ 
lar remark will apply when ensilage is con¬ 
trasted with a ripened corn crop, fed out in 
the form of stover and meal—to say nothing, 
in this last instance, of the waste of butts and 
cobs. 
RINGING A BULL CALF. 
.7. 7/,, York Co., Fa., has a Short-hom bull 
calf 11 mouths old; and he asks how should he 
best proceed to put a ring in his nose. 
Ans. — Purchase a trochar and eanula, 
which is an instrument made for the purpose, 
and which pierces the cartilage between the 
nostrils and leaves a tube in the orifice. The 
ring is opened and one end is inserted into the 
tube, which is then withdrawn, bringing the 
ring through the cartilage. The ring is then 
dosed and the screw which secures it, is in¬ 
serted. The trochar and eanula costs $1 and 
a copper ring, $1.25. The bull should be se 
cured by fastening the horns firmly to a post, 
or by tying the feet and throwing him. This 
is best done by tying the fore feet and then 
the hind feet and drawing these together, 
pushing the animal over as the rope is drawn 
tight. The end is secured aud while one sits 
upon the head the nose is pierced and the 
ring fixed. If one has no trochar and 
eanula, the hole in the cartiiuge may be cut 
by thrusting the blade of a large penknife 
through it in two directions crosswise, making 
a cut like an - - and the ring may then be put 
in it. It is best to ring a young bull before 
he becomes so strong as to give trouble. Six 
months is a good age, aud every bull should be 
ringed as a precaution for safety. 
SOME FRUITS FOR WISCONSIN, 
F. S. TJ., Her sc a, Wit,, having five acres 
which, he wishes to plant with apples, grapes 
and berries, asks whether the Mann Apple 
would do well there, and what is its “ pedi¬ 
gree;” the best varieties of above fruits for 
that State. 
Ans. —AVo have information to the effect 
that the Mann will not succeed in Wisconsin. 
It is of American origin, medium size, very 
good iu quality, and for Winter use. The best 
kinds of apples for Wisconsin are the AV'eal- 
thy, Red Astrachan, Utter, Duchess of Olden¬ 
burg, Fall Orange, Fall Queen or Huas, Fa- 
mouse and Golden Russet. Of pears, proba¬ 
bly the Flemish Beauty is jus good as any for 
Wisconsin. As to grapes, we would meution 
Concord, Delaware, Mussusoit (Rogers's No. 
3), AVildcr (Rogers’s No. 4). For trial we 
would suggest Duchess, Lady, Lady Washing¬ 
ton. Prentiss, Moore’s Earl}-, Brighton. Rasp¬ 
berries: Turner, Cuthbert, Caroline, New 
Rochelle, Gregg. Strawberries : Charles 
Downing, Cumberland Triumph, Marvin, Mi¬ 
ner’s Prolific, Sharpless, Capt. Ja^k. Black¬ 
berries: Snyder. Currants: lied aud White 
Dutch. 
SCROTAL HERNIA IN A COLT. 
G. M. I., Livermore, Cal., has a colt which 
was ruptured at, birth; u part of the intestines 
came out when he was castrated, it was put 
back and the pouch was stitched to retain it 
until the wound was healed over. He is over 
six months old now, and appears in perfect 
health, and our friend inquires whether any¬ 
thing can be done for him. 
Ans. —This is known as scrotal or inguinal 
hernia, and is not at all uncommon. There 
does not seem to be any necessity for any fur¬ 
ther precautions. If an unusual enlargement 
of the part should hereafter appear, as a soft 
swelling which gives way on pressure, a pair 
of clamps may bo used to reduce the hernia, 
but so long os the colt is doing well you may 
consider that your operation, which was judi¬ 
cious and wise, has been effective. 
AFTER EFFECT OF EPIZOOTIC. 
A. W, 11., Greenfield, Maes., has a valuable 
Morgan mare, five years old, that had the epi¬ 
zootic a year ago last August. During the 
following AViuter she coughed somewhat, and 
this Winter the cough has begun again, and 
the mare throws up a good deal of phlegm, 
and our friend asks how to treat her. 
Ans.— This trouble will doubtless occur 
©very Winter or after any unusual exposure 
to cold or damp. The treatment required is 
very simple. Give u dose of 12 ounces of Ep- 
sotu salts, and afterwards daily half an ounce 
of fine tnr mixed w ith as much molnsses and 
smeared on the back part of the tongue. The 
horse should be kept well protected from the 
the oold after work, and the stable should be 
kept clean and well aired. 
GRAFTING GRAPE-VINES. 
E. N. B., Bedford Sla., N. J., asks, 1, is the 
grafting of the vine too difficult to be under¬ 
taken by a successful apple grafter; 2, at 
what part of the vine should the graft be 
placed; 3, when should the cions be cut. 
Ans. —1. No, any careful man can do the 
work. 2. The \ ine must be grafted so that 
the top bud of the cion comes just to the'sur¬ 
face, or it may be hilled up. The cion should 
be two buds long, and the lower one be pared 
to expose the cambium, and inserted in the 
cleft. The stump may be split with a saw if 
knotty. A cross cut just big euough to let in 
the graft tied in place is better. Or the 
vine may be bent over, and brought out of 
the soil at a part where it will split. 3. The 
cion should be cut in the Fall or Early AVin- 
ter and buried where the buds will not start, 
or be kept after warm weather in an ice-house, 
because the most successful time to graft is the 
first or second week in June, after the sap has 
mainly censed to flow. The ground must be 
tightly packed, carefully mulched, and kept 
moist, or the work will be in vain. No graft, 
ing wax is used. 
Miscellaneous. 
J. V. A., Cox's Creek, Ky,, asks how to cul¬ 
tivate the Rural Branching Sorghum in order 
to get seed. Will it mature in that State ? 
Ans.— It will probably nature if sown 
early. It has done so considerably fartlu r 
north, as reported iu our “ Everywhere De¬ 
partment.” A sure way to insure the ripen 
ing of the seed has been explained by several 
contributors. Sow’ in a het-bed early in 
Spring those seeds that are intended to send 
up seed-bearing stalks; then when aD danger 
of frost is over, transplant the young stalks to 
the field or garden. They will then be sure to 
mature seed; but, as above stated, there 
should be no trouble about maturing seed in 
Kentucky by means of ordinary field culture, 
if the sorghum is sown pretty early. 
“ SubscriberLawrence, Texas, asks what 
is the value of cotton seed hulls us a fertilizer 
after the parts containing the oil are removed; 
would the ashes of cotton seed be worth more 
than ordinary wood ashes as a fertilizer. 
Ans.— Cotton seed hulls are very rich in 
potash and phosphoric acid. The ash of the 
hulls contains, according to Prof. Goessmau's 
analyses, 23.72 per cent, of potash to 7.38 per 
cent, of phosphoric acid. No comment is re¬ 
quired upon so notable a fact, further than 
to compare it with the composition of wood 
ashes which gives 10 per cent, of potash and 
6^2 per cent, of phosphoric acid. 
E.A., Fort Ripley, Minn., sends some seeds 
of the Rural Branching Sorghum and asks 
whether they are ripe euough to germinate; 
he lives 130 miles due north of St. Paul. 
Ans. —These are probably ripe enough; it is 
worthwhile trying whether seeds will mature 
so far north without having recourse to hot¬ 
bed treatment early in the Spring. 
L. P. -V., Crumb Hill, X. Y., says: “From 
my White Elephant I raised 19 pounds of 
good, sizable potatoes, but instead of being 
wbite they are very nearly the color of the 
Beauty of Hebron: are they’ White Elephant 
potatoes or have I got some other sort ?” 
Ans. —If they were sent out through the 
Rural they were White Elephants without 
the slightest doubt. 
W, R. A., Willimantic, Conn., asks from 
whom can he get the report on experiments 
on sorghum cane made at the Hlinois Indus¬ 
trial University. 
ANS.— Write to Professor Sohovell or Pro¬ 
fessor AATeber, Industrial University, Urbana, 
Illinois. These gentlemen jointly conducted 
the experiments. 
IT. 5., Saltsbergh, Fa., asks is the clematis 
a strong grower; are C. Jackiuanuii and 
Perpetual White the best. 
Ans. —The improved clematises are strong 
growers if grafted on strong-growing stocks. 
Jackmanii is the best of its kind. Webave 
never heard of the other. 
J. H., York Co., Pa., has purchased a farm 
oil which there is an apple orchard of about 
20 years’ standing. It has been very much 
neglected and wants pruning badly; when, 
he asks, is the best timo to prune it. 
ANS.—Early Spring. 
p. J. S., Olema, Marion Co., Cal, asks 
the address of the Secretary of the American 
Jersey Herd Book. 
Ans.— J. Hand, 3 John Street, New York 
City. 
[“ Querist ” continued on page 08, Supplement.] 
Communications Received kor tbe Week Ending 
Saturday, Jan. 21, 1882. 
W. F.—A. L. F. S. H.-W. C. B.—G. A. G.. Jr. 
—B. F .T.—II. W. S.-L.P. N.—G. H. A— W.F. B. — 
G. W. D , thauks.—J. R. W.—W. B. C.—S. B.—C. H. 
E. -A. J. W.-D. S. M.-E. W. S,-F. D. C.-A. B.-A. 
B. accepted.-U. P.—T. M.—J. I- A S.—W. F., Jr., 
thanks. -D. A. B.— 1. N. IL— J B. C.—J. Y5 .—II. C. 
F. , thanks.—F. H. S.—J H. M.—E. S. 13 —G T S.—A. 
H. C.-A. B. A.—N. D.-A- A R.-C. A —B P. H.-K. 
F. F. D. - I. M. IX—S. A, M.-F. T.-M. t. S. K. S -L — 
—E. S.-A.O. S.—R. M. B.-J. F.—B. A. Mel.—A. M.— 
M.-I. A. J.-A. I* M.-S. J. H.-V. J. n.-K K.-I- I. *=• 
-M Y R.-E. L. II.—T. .1. S.—R. 8. S.-J. B.—H- A. M 
-W. E. B.—S. R. M.-N. J. S.-W. P. P.-J V, p. P.- 
J. T.—T. B. M.—J. G., thanks for illustration.— 
Gregory.**—F- J M —W. L R.—J. B., auswer in a 
week or so.—L. P,—M. C.—S. O.—W. II. H.—G. A. H. 
very much obliged.—A. D.—W. G. W„ Sr.—T. J. M. 
