<Tll( Querist. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied bv the name 
andaddressoitbewrltertoinstire attention, before 
asking a question, please see if it Is not answered in 
our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions 
at one time.] _ 
BUTTER AND FAT IN COWS’ MILK. 
E. R., Nen > Hope, Va. —1. What is the ave¬ 
rage per centage of butter, or fat, in a cow's 
milk? 2. What is the greatest per centage of 
fat ever found therein on analysis? 3, Is it 
possible that 200 pounds of Jersey or Guernsey 
milk ever made 18 pounds of butter, thus con¬ 
taining nine per cent, of fat? 4. If this is 
possible, isn’t it high time that our chemists 
got out a new set of tables containing the rela¬ 
tive per centages of water, fat, caserne, sugar, 
etc., in cows’ milk? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. L. B. ARNOLD. 
1. Three and-a-half per cent, of fat. 2. 
Six-and-a-half per cent, of fat. A distinc¬ 
tion should be made between fat aud butter. 
3. It is easih' possible that 200 pouuds of Jer¬ 
sey or Guernsey milk might make 18 pouuds 
of butter; but it is not at all probable that the 
milk of any breed in a normal condition ever 
contained nine per cent, of fat. It is not uec 
essary that 100 pounds of iuilk should coutaiu 
nine pouuds of fat to enable it to produce uiue 
pounds of butter, because butter is not all fat. 
First it contains from half to one per cent of 
caseine aud extractive matter, sugar aud acid. 
It may easily contain 75 per cent of these, 
6.25 per cent, of salt, and 15 per ceut. or water. 
It often contains from 10 to 20 per ceut. of the 
last. Supposing a sample of butter to contain 
the above possible constituents, it would con¬ 
tain only 78 per ceut. of fat, and this would 
require milk to contain only 7.32 per cent, of 
fat to enable 100 founds of milk to make nine 
pounds of butter and leave three per cent, (the 
amount, usually left) of fat in the skim milk. 
This would only call for milk .82 per ceut. 
richer in fat than a sample analyzed, which I 
can not doubt might exist. 1 am confident 
the best sample analyzed was not the richest 
specimen of milk I have ever handled. By 
persistent full feeding I once brought the milk 
of two common cows to such a state rich¬ 
ness that 200 pounds of their milk made 15 
pounds eleven ounces of butter, using 12% 
pounds of milk for one of butter. The milk 
of neither was analyzed, as 1 was not at the 
time skilled in such work; but one of them 
was known to give very much richer milk thau 
the other, making it. quite probable that, the 
milk of the better cow might, if it had been 
worked alone, have made up the difference 
betw >-vu 15 pounds 11 ounces and 18 pounds. 
These, be it remembered, were only common 
native cows, the better one of which, before 
high feeding began, was never considered 
equal to a good Jersey. Should a choice Jer¬ 
sey or Guernsey be developed by a similar 
course of feeding, I would not cousider it im¬ 
possible that.such a degree of richness might be 
reached, that nine pounds of butter from 100 
pounds of milk might even be exceeded. 4. 
The tables are not at fault. The apparent 
error comes from not discriminating between 
butter and fat. 
GROWING WATER-CRESS. 
S. E. S., Coopersville, Mich .—How should 
water-cress be grown, aud what soil and lo¬ 
cation are best adapted to it? 
Anb.—T here are several varieties of water¬ 
cress, but the Large Brown-Leaved is the best. 
It forms a pleasant salad lu Bpring, and there 
is a brisk demand in this market, baskets con¬ 
taining about three quarts selling at from 30 
cents to $1 20 each. It can be grown in almost 
any place where it would be covered by shal¬ 
low water; but it thrives best in clear, bright, 
running water from three to six or eight 
inches deep. The best soil is sand, though 
it will grow on almost any sort. If you have 
a tract of land full of springs, you can cut 
ditches from four to six feet wide, with just 
fall enough to give a gentle current, having 
the bottom level from side to side. If a sup¬ 
ply of plants can be obtained, they can be 
pulled into small pieces and these be planted 
by laying them on the bottom, about one foot 
apart each way, aud placing the end of the 
finger on them, push them slightly into the 
soil; or, if the supply of plants is limited, they 
may be planted at the head of a ditch next 
the spring, and they will blossom and bear 
seed the first year and thus the whole plat be 
seeded; or the seeds ran be procured and sowed 
where wanted; or, what is better, sowed in 
a seed-bed aud the young plants transplanted 
where wanted. A little attention is needed to 
keep other plants out until the cresses are fully 
established, when they are quite able to take 
care of themselves. In gathering t hey should 
be cut—never pulled, as this disturbs the roots 
and injures the growth. It is best to have a 
plank or frame to place across the beds or 
ditches, on which to stand, as by standing in 
the water, one roils it up and thus soils the 
growing cress, not only injuring its growth, 
but the quality of whac is produced. It grows 
rapidly, and can be gathered to a limited ex¬ 
tent, the second year. It would be hard to 
estimate the value of what could be grown on 
an acre, even at 30 cents per basket, or 10 
cents per quart. For very early market its 
growth cau be hastened by having glazed 
sashes to cover a part of the beds near the 
springs whence the water issues, keeping out 
the cold winds and hastening the crop several 
weeks. 
GROWING EVERGREENS FROM SEED. 
E. O. G., Recolt, III .—How can Norway 
Spruce and American Arbor-vitse be raised 
from seeds? 
Ans. —Raising evergreen seedlings re¬ 
quires considerable experience and close at¬ 
tention. A light, sandy soil is best, and it does 
not need to be very rich. It is best to sow the 
seed at once after it has become ripe, aud if 
this cannot be done it should be placed in 
damp (not. wet) sand until sown. Sow as 
early in Spring as possible, in drills or row's 
six inches apart, in beds about six feet wide, 
aud cover not over oue -fourth of au inch deep. 
The surface should be kept moist, and a good 
way to do this is to cover the ground lightly 
with clean straw, w'hieh should be entirely re¬ 
moved as soon as the seedlings begin to ap¬ 
pear, at which time a partial shade should be 
provided, as the full rays of the blazing sun 
are sure death to the seedlings. This shade is 
best provided by making a frame-work of 
light pieces about three or four feet from the 
grout, d, aud on these nail laths, placing them 
just, the width of a lath apart. The sun heing 
constantly iu motion, the laths will shade 
every part of the bed in succession, thuspre 
venting any burning of the young plants. 
They should be kept entirely free of weeds, 
and the first Winter the beds should be shaded 
entirely from the direct rays of the sun so as 
to prevent constant freezing and thawing, and 
it is a good plan, by some means, to keep the 
snow all the time covering the lieds. When 
two years old, the seedlings should be strong 
enough to bear the sun’s rays, and should have 
the shade entirely removed, aud it is well now 
to scatter a little very flue, well rotted manure 
among the plants, and of course they should be 
kept eniirely clear of w'eeds. When three 
years old, they should be transplanted into 
nursery rows. 
FEEDING RATION FOR MILCH COWS. 
D. B. M., Lincoln , Neb.— 1. Iu the Rural 
of February 18, Prof. L. B. Arnold says that 
w here a fair quality of milk is the object, the 
most profitable feed for milch cows is a com¬ 
pound in the following proportion: 
400 pounds of bran at.fl.OO 
2d0 ‘‘ Corn meal '.3.00 
100 “ “ cotton-seed meal “.1.45 
$8.45 
which gives $1.21 as the cost of 100 pounds of 
the mixture, or if any or all the materials can 
be purchased at lower figures, the cost of the 
compound will be proportionately less. 
Should this mixture be fed as a slop, or on 
cut hay, and how much should be given 
morning aud night? 
ANSWERED BY PROF. L. B. ARNOLD. 
There is no advantage in simply wet¬ 
ting ground feed to give to cattle. It is 
quite as well for them to eat it dry, and it is 
better to fc-ed it so in Winter, unless it can be 
fed warm. When the weather is suitable 
there is some advantage in wetting the hay or 
straw to be fed, and mixing the ground feed 
with it. Fed in this way the meal and coarse 
fodder go into the first stomach, or rumen, 
together, aud all are remasticated. II the 
meal is fed alone, it is liable to miss the first 
stomach aud go directly into the third or 
fourth stomach, when it is not chewed over 
again, and hence it is not digested as 
soon or as well. One pound of the mixed 
feed for each 100 pounds of live weight, mixed 
with straw, would be a suitable ration for 
milch cows. If fed to store cattle or dry 
cows, 25 per cent, less meal would suffice. 
REMOVING THE AFTERBIRTH. 
H. N, P., Bird Island, Minn .—What is the 
proper treatment of a cow that retains the 
afterbirth? 
Ans.—T he following mixture has been 
found useful in case of retention of the after¬ 
birth: In one-and-a-half quart of boiling hot 
water steep one ounce of dry rue or two ounces 
of green; a quarter of an ounce of ergot of 
rye and six drains of powdered Bavin (Red 
Cedar) leaves. When it is cooled to a milk- 
wurm temperature strain and give to the cow 
through a horn or by a bottle, iu the usual 
manner. Follow it in a lew minutes by a 
drink of iinseed’gruel. Repeat in four hours. 
If this does not produce the desired effect, a 
manual operation must be performed as fol¬ 
lows: smear the hand aud arm with linseed 
oil; have the nails pared closely; insert toe 
hand back upwards and the fingers gathered 
together at the ends, following alung the 
membranes carefully until the attachments at 
the cotyledons of the uterus are reached, 
when each one should be gently pushed apart 
with the ends of the fingers. One by one 
these attachments are loosened until the mem¬ 
branes are detached. It is not often that the 
retention of these membranes produces any 
inconvenience to the cow, aud they gradual!}' 
slough away during some days; or are ab¬ 
sorbed within the uterus. Iu case this hap¬ 
pens, it is well to give the cow one ounce of 
hypo sulphite of soda daily for two weeks as 
an antiseptic to prevent injury from the ab¬ 
sorption. This trouble is generally caused by 
some weakness of the animal. 
MALT SPROUTS. STOPPED COW’S TEAT. 
G. J. G., Underhill, N. Y.—1. A corres¬ 
pondent of the Rural says he can get malt 
sprouts for $10 a ton. Where can this be done? 
2. How should I treata cow’s teat which gives 
no milk, aud in which there is a small lump? 
Ans.— l. The common price of malt sprouts 
at the large breweries has been $10 to $14 a 
ton for some years back. The writer has bought 
them as low as $8 per ton. Brewers have now 
learned the value of this waste product, which 
is now iti greater demand than it has hereto¬ 
fore been, because dairymen have become 
better acquainted with it and are eager to get 
it. The sprouts are now, we believe, held too 
high, as are all other feediug substances of 
this kind, and are considerably dearer than 
corn, which should be held as the standard. 
The chemical aualyses of these feeding sub¬ 
stances, taken from the German feedingtables 
and published by the Experiment Stations, 
have been an injury rather than a benefit, as 
they have put too high a value upon them, 
and so have raised the price beyond wbat a 
farmer can afford to pay for them. 2. A tube 
should have been pushed through the obstruc¬ 
tion, by all means, so as to draw off the milk, 
aud if the lump could not have been got rid of 
in any other way, it should have been cut 
through by au instrument made for this pur¬ 
pose and called a sound. 
STOCK FEED, ETC. 
J. F. A'., Ncwvillc, Pa. —1, How can new- 
process linseed-cake be distinguished from old- 
process? 2. Is it cheaper to feed to my cattle 
corn at 50 cents per bushel and oat chop at 35 
cents than to buy wheat bran at $20 to $25 per 
ton, to mixed with theebop? 3. Is the manure 
from feeding oats as valuable as that from 
feeding bran, pound for pound? 
Ans.— 1. New-process linseed meal contains 
no oil or fat. and when a little is wrapped in 
paper and pressed with a hot flat-iron, no 
grease mark is made on the paper. Old-pro- 
cess meal has 10 to 13 per cent, of oil in it, and 
when treated as above, some of the oil will 
mark the paper. 2. Corn aud oats at the 
prices mentioned contain more nutritive value 
for the money than the bran. Nevertheless, 
it would be advisible to use some bran with 
corn and oats, although it might cost more, 
because it helps to make a more perfect food, 
containing more nitrogen and phosphoric acid 
lhau either corn or oats. The best possible 
food for cattle would be to grind 500 pounds 
of corn, 200 pounds of oats, and 200 pouuds of 
bran together. 3. Brnn leaves a richer man¬ 
ure than oats. Kir J. B. Lawes estimates toe 
manure made from a ton of bran at $14.50, 
and that from a ton of oats at only $7.50: this 
is on account of the larger quantity of nitro¬ 
gen aud phosphoric acid in the bran. 
Miscellaneous. 
II. A. W., Westminster, 17,—1. In a late 
Rural, pumpkins are said to be a profitable 
crop. What kinds are best? 2. 1 live in the 
Connecticut Valley north of 42degrees of lati¬ 
tude; have a ravine the north side of which 
inclines 30 to 40 degrees to the south; the top 
soil is a fine, sandy loam, under which is a 
hard clay. Would this be a good soil aud lo¬ 
cation for grapes, and wbat two or three kinds 
would be desirable for family aud market? 
Ans. —1. The common field or Cheese, is a 
good one, and makes capital pies—the best use 
a pumpkin was ever put to, and be sure and 
make the filling an inch thick when cooked; 
two inches would suit us better. 2. You 
could not have a better soil or location. We 
should recommend, as the main sort, Worden; 
try one or two Moore's Early, Brighton and 
Lady. Don’t fail to raise at least as many as 
the family can eat. You will find them the 
best pills you ever used, easier to take and 
much more effective thau “ sugar-coated” 
ones, and no danger need be apprehended from 
an over dose. 
C. M. O., Tralee, Out., Canada.—1. Will 
seed packets come from the United States to 
Canada through the mail free of duty ? 2. Do 
seedsmeu pay the postage? How much will a 
$1.50 collection cost me? 3. Are Burpee's seeds 
reliable? 
Ans.— 1. The postage to Canada on seeds is, 
all under eight ounces, ten cents; hut nothing 
but bona fide samples are allowed to be sent 
through the mails. All seeds sent as merchan¬ 
dise must be forwarded by express, subject to 
a duty of 20 percent. 2. On a collection valued 
at $1.50, there would be a duty of 30 cents, 
besides expressage, which you would have to 
pay. 3. Yes; we have no reason for thinking 
otherwise. 
A. J. McG., Gordonsville , Mo .—What are 
good medical journals and the cost ? 
Ans. —American Medical Journal, St. Louis, 
Mo., price $2; Medical Times. New York City, 
price $3; Medical Tribune, New York City, 
45 East 22d Street, price, $1; Medical and 
Surgical Journal, Buffalo, N. Y. t price, $3. 
The above are monthlies. The following are 
weeklies: American Medical Weekly, price, 
$3; Medical Record, price, $5; Medical Gaz¬ 
ette, $1.50 and Medical Journal, $5; all pub¬ 
lished iu this city. 
G. A. P., Wilawana, ru .—1. Should a clayey 
loam ground on which clover sod was turned 
under last Fall, be plowed again now for po¬ 
tatoes? 2, What variety of strawberry should 
be planted to fertilize the Manchester? 
Ans. —1. It should be plowed once, and 
would be better if plowed twice—one can’t get 
land too mellow for potatoes. 2. Nothing 
better than the Wilson, and it is productive, 
too. 
R. AT., Bellevue, Ohio.— How can I grow 
sweet potatoes so that they will produce short, 
stout tubers, instead of long, thin ones? 
Ans.—S weet potatoes like a light, sandy 
loam, and should not be planted too near to¬ 
gether. The vines, also, should be raised occa¬ 
sionally from the ground, to prevent them 
from taking root. See editorial note in last 
issue. 
C. A. G., Portland, Oregon. —What kind of 
soil is best for geraniums? Why do my gera¬ 
nium leaves turn yellow, and drop off? 
Ans. —Any good garden soil will do. It 
is hard to tell, without knowing the 
conditions under which they have l>een 
grown. Bad drainage, or coal-gas, might 
cause the trouble. 
& A. W., Freedom. N. II .—What will cause 
a sow to come iu heat, and how soon after far¬ 
rowing should she receive the male? 
Ans. —There is no better way, if she is thin 
in flesh, than to feed quite liberally, so as to 
cause her to gain. If placed with male, she 
will probably receive him in from eight to 10 
days. 
G. G. D., Lexington, Va. —At what price 
can a sorghum mill, with apparatus for mak¬ 
ing sugar, lie bought? 
Ans. —Write to J. A. Field & Co., Eighth 
and Howard Sts., St. Louis, Mo., for their 
circulars. Prices vary very much, depending 
upon the capacity of machines, etc. 
P. M., Hannible Centre, Oswego Co., N. Y. 
—1. When ought clover seed be sown?—2. 
Will Orchard Grass seed germinate on light, 
sandy soil? 
Ans. — 1. At once. 2. Certainly it will; but 
the land may be so poor that the grass will 
not make a satisfactory growth. 
J. H. II., Cortland, N. Y,— Where cau I 
get Rural Thoroughbred Flint Corn, aud what 
is the price ? 
Ans.— Of B. K. Bliss & Sons, 34 Barclay 
Street, N. Y., price, $5 a bushel; $1.50 a peck; 
select ears, 40 cents each, 
IF. M. A., Fall River, Mass. —1. What is 
the price of Blush Potato seed? 2. When does 
my subscription expire? 
Ans.— 1. $5 a barrel. Consult advertise¬ 
ments iu late Rurat.h. 2. April 26. No. 1788. 
./. W. C., BHdgewater , Va —Where can I 
get a treatise upon peanut culture? 
Ans. —There is no work specially on this 
suoject. The topic has been thoroughly dis¬ 
cussed in back numbers of the Rural. 
,/../. G., Pullman, IU .—What is the best 
work on orange culture? 
Ans.—H and-book of Orange Culture, pub¬ 
lished by E. R. Pelton & Co., 25 Broad St., IS. 
Y. City. Price $1. 
I. F. C., New Florence, Pa .—Where cau I 
get White Clover seed, and what will it cost? 
Ans.—O f almost any seedsman advertising 
in the Rural. About 85 cents a pound. 
J. E. B., Humbolt, Tenn.— Where cau I buy 
Schumakcr Peach trees true to uame? 
Ans —J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, N. J. 
C. H. Hess, Castile, N. Y., wants a purcha¬ 
ser for some fine, large hard maple timber. 
COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED FOR THE WEEK ENDING 
Saturday, April 12. 
V. A.—8. B. P.—E. K. B., thauks-8. A. H.—W. P.— 
B, s.—Fb T. If.—J K. B., beaus received—J. S. C.—S P. 
T. B.. M W. D.-G. L. T. - J. E. W.-M. D. 
B. -C. H. ft,—A. M. F.—L. R. T.-A. L.-P. S.-Mrs. M. 
W S., many tbnnks—J. T. I..— J.W.G.—H.P.—W.W.D. 
—Pedagogue*—E.M. S.-K.S.-S.K H.—H.H.—W.H. D. 
H.-E. W. K.-O. H. T.-A. F. V.. yes—J. W. K.-K. II. 
-N. B. J.—L. M S.—J. B. B -W. tl. W., tliuukA—G. M. 
C. -M V. J.-D. M. W.-L. E. N.—J.C.-J. M —J. M. M. 
-J.D.-H.S. C.-G.W.D.-N.J. S.-G. 8. K.-8. A.H. 
—E. E. C.-W. S. W. -H, M C.-J. C. C.-J. F. G.— 
H. C.—C. E. P.-N. D. B.—C. W. K.-B, W. R.-W. H. 
MeN. We shall hardly he able to try pole beaus this 
season. Thauks-T. K. B., tkauks-L. M. De F.-G. T. 
P.-H. C. 
