742 
THE RURAL WEW-YORRER. 
NOV 40 
€\)t (Slums 1 . 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
(Every query must be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer to Insure attention.] 
CROCKS AS BUTTER PACKAGES. 
E. C. N., Batavia, El. —I have two five- 
gallon crocks of butter made last Spring and 
Summer from the milk of two pure-bred 
and one three-quarter-bred Jerseys and a 
native cow. When packed the butter was 
golden-yellow, and no artificial coloring was 
used. My milk was set in ice-water, and the 
cream was removed every 12 hours. Under 
the flagstone floor of my milk-room an air- 
duct. four feet square and 40 feet long, con¬ 
ducts the air from outside into the milk-room, 
from which the air to supply my furnace is 
taken. Moreover, a ventilating flue runs 
from the milk-room floor to the top of the 
roof The room is sweet and pure at all 
times, and the crocks never contained any¬ 
thing except butter, yet now the butter in 
them I find has turned white, and looks, 
smells, and tastes like tallow. Why has this 
change occurred? 
ANSWERED RY O. S. BLISS. 
It is by no means a new or unheard-of 
thing for butter in jars or crocks to become 
faded and flavorless, or even ill-flavored, 
though such ext reme cases, as that reported 
above, are probably rare. A moug my earliest 
dairy experiences are cases similar to the 
above in all but degree, and I have frequent¬ 
ly known of cases where lump butter in jars 
became bleached at every poiut of contact 
with the jar. I confess to having looked 
upon crock-packed butter with much suspi¬ 
cion for many years. The crock is. in fact, 
the least meritorious of all butter packages. 
It may be safer than a brown paper package, 
but it will not bear stronger recommenda¬ 
tion. Nevertheless, it. is the popular pack¬ 
age, and mauy people suppose packing in it 
the indispensable condition of all excellence 
in butter, and they will not buy the best un¬ 
less packed in crocks, and often they pay a 
larger price for a poorer article because it. is 
packed in crocks. I have seen the thing illus¬ 
trated a great many times, and once very' 
lately. The plain truth about the crock will 
undoubtedly be set down as rank heresy by 
many readers. The clay of which the crock 
is made i« given high rank as au absorbent; 
it is more thau au average deodorizer, and it 
is used to some extent for bleaching. Its 
manipulation in the construction of the 
crock does not change its character at all in 
this respect, though it makes it a little more 
compact in its structure and less porous, and 
it probably acts more slowly. But a fresh 
break in one of the crocks in common use, 
exposing au unglazed surface three-eighths 
of an inch wide by two inches long, absorbed 
most completely 20 drops of oil in as many 
minutes. The utility of the crock depends 
then, wholly upon its being thoroughly glazed 
or enameled. It really makes but little dif¬ 
ference what is behind a good enamel, but 
without the enamel, there is nothing poorer 
than clay for making butter packages. Un¬ 
doubtedly a crock, with a good vitreous glaz¬ 
ing, would preserve butter as well as glass 
itself, but such a crock is rarely met with; it 
is au exception among crocks. The tninnest 
kind of a wash is all there is of tlie glazing 
on modern crocks, and it is generally quite 
insufficient to withstand the combined action 
of the fat, the acid, and the salt of the butter. 
There is very little room left fur doubt in re¬ 
gard to what has become ol' the oleine, the 
flavor, or the color removed from the butter 
under consideration, and also a portion of the 
salt. Although they are not necessarily' as¬ 
sociated in the butter—for we frequently 
have butter in which there is au abundance 
of oleiue without either color or flavor—it is 
rarely the case that either is removed alone. 
The process was undoubtedly hastened in this 
case by the elaborate arrangement for sup¬ 
plying an excess of air. The air of the sub¬ 
earth duct, may have been a vehicle for the 
introduction of some harmful gas evolved 
within it from the nascent gases from which 
few soils are entirely free. There is certainly 
nothing inexplicable in the case except its 
completeness, and it is just possible that none 
of these external influences was necessary to 
that, though it would appear otherwise It 
would hardly seem possible that the jar itself 
was sufficient, to destroy completely the color 
and flavor of its entire contents without the 
aid of the external air, 
BEEF OR BUTTER MAKING, OR BOTH ? 
M. B,, Smithmlle, Out. — 1 I have a farm of 
about 25 acres, watered in neamy every field 
Having depended on grain raising and found 
it uncertain, expensive ami unprofitable, I am 
thinking of going into the stock raising busi¬ 
ness; I am 20 miles from a good market; stall- 
fed beef brings 5c. to 6c.; grass-fed, 3j^c. to 
5c.; butter, 15c. to 20c. in Summer and 20c. to 
28c. in Winter. Iu view of these prices, 
which would be likely to prove the more 
profitable—beef or butter making, or both ? 
M v cattle are good Short-horn grades. If beef, 
would it pay - better to let the calves run with 
the cows or feed them ? 2. Is there any trouble 
in getting cows in heat, when calves run with 
them ? 
Ans.— 1. There is as much profit iu m iking 
beef at five cents a pound live weight as but¬ 
ter at 20 cents. But both may be made to¬ 
gether with such cattle as you have. Au 
excellent beef animal may be reared on skim 
milk, warmed as new milk, for four or live 
mouths, with a little meal fed in addition, 
and then good pasture or hay and turnips, 
with meal. By skillful feeding, a 24-moutbs-old 
Short horn steer may be made to weigh 1,600 
to 1,800 pounds live weight, In the mean¬ 
time the cow will yield 200 pounds of butter 
yearly. Butter can be made in the Winter as 
cheaply’ as in the Summer, and far more con¬ 
veniently, 'f the proper arrangements are 
made: that is, a dairy that can be warmed to 
the right temperature, and the cows kept iu 
a warm, comfortable stable and fed on man¬ 
gels, bay, straw aud other fodder crops, and 
corn-meal aud bran. With good arrange¬ 
ments. 25 cows should be kept on 125 acres, 
aud 10 steers be fattened each year. These 
arrangements, of course, would Include the 
use of purchased foods and a very complete 
and thorough mauagemeut of the crops and 
feeding. But it can be done with far more 
profit than raising grain. Calves should not 
run with the cow’s under this system, but 
should be reared by hand, aud would make 
just as good animals. 2. It is very' seldom 
that a cow requires mediciuo to bring her in a 
breeding condition. When it is required, there 
isuothmg better than 10-graiu doses of Span¬ 
ish fly, powdered and mixed with the feed. 
WEEVILS IN CRIBBED CORN. 
H. C. B., Pi it I'tt it, Kaiis, —How can weevils 
be prevented from injuring corn iu tlie crib ? 
Do they get uto the corn while it is growing 
or after it has been cribbed { 
Ans. —We cannot tell whether the weevil 
(Calaudra granaria) is the true European 
Grain Weevil or the more common Black 
Weevil (C. Oryzue), When ouce these insect 
pests have infested a grauavy, crib or barn 
it is not au easy matter to get rid of them. 
Home one who w as seriously’troubled with the 
grain weevils replied when asked how to de¬ 
stroy them: ”The only sure way is to burn 
the bam. 1 The beetles breed in the granary, 
aud it is of importance to keep them out as 
much as possible. Every crack and hiding- 
place should be thoroughly cleaned wheu the 
crib is empty, aud just before the corn is 
(loused. Hot water may be used for cleansing 
the crib and killing the beetles. The beetle 
bores a hole in the grain and deposits a single 
egg. and then goes to auother kernel. Fre¬ 
quent changiug of the grain will interfere 
with the work of the weevil, but this is not a 
convenient remedy. Professor Cook recom¬ 
mends the use of bisulphide of carbon for the 
Wheat Moth (Tinea granella) which infests 
wheat in the bin. This w’ould doubtless be 
effective with the weevil, hut it must be 
applied with great care. The liquid should 
be poured into themiddle of the bin by means 
of a tube (gas pipe) w ith one end sharpened, 
running down from the top. A pint may be 
used for a hundred bushels of the grain. 
This material is very explosive, and no lamp 
or other flame should come near the fumes of 
the insecticide until the vapor has passed off. 
This weevil has been au injurious pest in the 
rice fields of the South, and is there known as 
the Rice Weevil Its scientific name includes 
this fact. The Southern coi n-fields and cribs 
are much more infested with the Black Weevil 
thau those at the North, If possible, always 
send a sample of the insect doing the mischief, 
that we may be more certain of tlie species 
for which a remedy is desired. 
SWAMP MUCK: LIQUID MANURE 
H. S. B., Jackson, Pa .—1. Is ordinary 
swamp muck of any use as a fertilizer in the 
absence of barnyard manure, and would it lie 
a good top-dressing for a meadow ? 2. How 
can the liquid manure from cattle in au old, 
cellar less barn be saved as cheaply os possible t 
3. Are Autumn leaves a good absorbent of 
horse manure ? 
Ans. —I. Swamj) muck contains valuable 
elements of fertility, but it is not of any value 
until it is prepared by decomposition. Iu 
this respect it is like straw, or leaves, or saw¬ 
dust. Wheu it is decomposed by means of 
compostiug with lime or by mixture with 
manure and subsequent, fermentution, then it 
is as valuable as so much munuru in regard to 
those elements which it contains, uud especially 
as to its nitrogen. Alone and raw it is of no 
use. It should at least be mixed v, itb a bushel 
of fresh lime per ton of it, and left to decay 
for some months. Then it is of use as a top¬ 
dressing for grass. Withoutthe lime it should 
c tay in a heap exposed to the air for a year, 
• • 1 • ~ i - 
2. Where there is no manure cellar it would 
be a good plan to use plenty of air-dried 
swamp muck for litter to absorb the liquid, 
making a broad gutter behind the cows. The 
excess of liquid should runoff into a shallow 
pit iu the yard, and this pit should be kept 
filled with muck to absorb tlie urine that 
escapes. It will not pay’ to liaudle or use 
liquid manure alone; it contains the richest 
part of the whole manure, and if taken away 
leaves the solid part quite poor. It is also 
very iueonveuieut to use it on any crop but 
grass, S. Leaves are excellent litter for a 
horse, aud keep the manure cool, so that it 
does not heat so readily’. Leaves should be 
gathered now by all means for this purpose. 
ROTA TOES AS STOCK FEED. 
H. V. K. t Blodgett Mills, N, F.—What is 
the relative value of potatoes for feeding, 
when Timothy is fid per ton i 
Ans. —This question cannot be ausw’ered in 
this particular form, as potatoes and Timothy- 
hay have no points for comparative estimates 
of feeding value, Besides, you do not say to 
what animals you propose to feed the potatoes. 
As a rule, raw potatoes are not a whole¬ 
some food, unless used iu small quantities 
The starch iu them is the chief element of 
value, blit the granules are not soluble aud are 
largely passed into tlie bowels iu an undigest¬ 
ed state. This irritates the bowels and does 
more harm than the little good done by the 
part that is digested. They then produce 
diarrhoea and very offensive dung, showiug 
how injurious they are. But they are 
excellent food wheu cooked aud fed cold 
mixed with ent hay, and are worth 
then 25 cents a bushel because of their 
digestibility. A higher value is put 
upon them by some farmers who have fed 
them, but this, of course, is relative ami iu 
proportion to the value of coru and other 
starchy foods. The cooking bursts the starch 
granules, just as the heat bursts Pop-Corn, 
aud makes them digestible. The same is true 
as to rows, or sheep, or pigs. A few may’ lie 
given raw usefully to any of these animals 
wheu dry food is used; but not more thau half 
a peck to a horse or a cow. Raw potatoes are 
very useful to a horse troubled with heaves, 
probably for their laxative aud loosening ef¬ 
fects. 
PEACHES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 
It", A. //., HV.il Ilenniker, N. II —Will 
Crawford’s Early aud Late, Hnn.-e’s Golden 
Rareripe, Prutt, Hchu'uaker, Wager, ami 
Wheatland Peaches succeed well here in Cen¬ 
tral New Huinpshire ? Are the first four at 
eight or ten cents, and the last four at twenty 
or twenty-five cents each, cheap or deal'.' 
Ans. —Peaches have uever been successfully- 
grown iu New Hampshire, except along the 
Southern border, and especially in the south¬ 
east corner, near the sea. We think Henniker 
a little too far north and west. Some suc¬ 
cess has been had with peaches uear Brattle- 
boro, Vt.. but not much north of that in or 
near the Connecticut Y'alley. It may be said 
(though the rule has a few exceptions) that 
when tlie Winter’s cold exceeds 20 degrees 
below zero, the flower buds are destroyed ami 
the trees injured. The varieties named are 
not a good selection for New Hampshire, 
though Wager and Schumakci- might be tried. 
So far north only the earlier sorts will ripen, 
aud of these the hardiest should be chosen. 
The Foster (origin, Medford, Mass..) is con¬ 
sidered very desirable far north. Hill’s Chili 
is also a very hardy peach, later than Foster. 
Wo should advise consultation with some of 
the pouch growers in Rockingham County, 
aud at Brattleboro, Vt.. L. M. Macombor, 
North Ferrisburgh, Vt., grows peaches as far 
north as anybody iu New England, aud can 
give useful information on the subject. 
COWS HOLDING UP THEIR MILK. 
G. A. Woodman, Grunt Co., Wis. —Why- 
do cows hold up their milk, and what is the 
remedy i 
Ans, —A cow bus perfect control of her 
milk organs iu the same wav asshe has of her 
urinary organs, aud cun hold her milk as sin- 
does the contents of her bladder—to a certain 
extent at least. There is a great similarity. 
The orifice of the tout is closed by a muscular 
band ltnown as the sphincter muscle, just as 
the neck of the bladder is, and itis a voluntary 
act to loosen this bund. Home cows let. down 
their milk very easily when they wish, and leak 
tlie milk, and some hold it very firmly. Any 
one who has watched the behavior of a cow 
that is holding her milk, can sec quite plainly 
that her action is willful; her eyes and general 
expression of face and ear show it, 'l hen the 
question is how to control the cow’s will. Aud 
there, we must confess, is a great difficulty. 
The writer’s cows have been trained so that 
they’ never showed any obstinacy of this kind, 
by never letting a calf suck and rearing the 
calves in the most gentle, friendly, kind man¬ 
ner, aud haudliug their teats aud udder from 
very early age up to the time they come in as 
cows. This is au effectual way to prevent it. 
How to cure it we cannot tell. If the cow is 
not. milked until the udder is so full as to be 
painful, the milk will be let dow n, and after a 
few’times she will give up the habit. Of all 
the recommendations that have been giveu, 
not one is reasonable or certainly effective. 
The only sure remedy is—to wait. 
ABOUT POTATOES. 
C. A. McC ., Princeton, Ia.-\ . Some of my po¬ 
tatoes, grown on a piece of laud where leached 
ashes had been strewn quite freely, are cov¬ 
ered with dry, rusty-lookiug spots—why? 2. 
Will potatoes planted on a clover sod be in¬ 
jured by’ the white grubs? 3. When should 
manure be applied—in Fall or Spring? 
Ans.— 1. In regard to potatoes grown where 
ashes have been used as a fertilizer, in on r ex¬ 
perience (which lias not been limited to a single 
trial), the scab or roughness mentioned by our 
friend has always shown itself, and has been 
caused, as is supposed, by’ the Strength of the 
ashes which come in contact with the young 
tubers while the skin is tender. The soil 
where our first experiments were made, was 
gravelly inclining to a sandy or sandy-loam 
nature. 2. In regard to whether potatoes 
planted on clover sod will be eaten by the 
white grub, from our experience we should 
say they will not be likely to be so injured. 
It is a common practice of a friend of ours to 
plant potatoes on sod ground, and a clover 
sod is preferred to any other. It is seldom 
that the white grub does au>’ damage to the 
crop thus grown; but should the soil be in¬ 
fested with the grubs, it would be reasonable 
to expect that the crop might be more or less 
eaten by them. 8. We W’ould prefer to manure 
the ground this Fall if possible; if not, as 
early in the Winter as manure could be had; 
then plow and fit the ground just before plant¬ 
ing time in the Spring. 
PRESERVING CELERY, ETC. 
Basilic Mills, A>6,—1. How can I 
keep celery through the Winter, and when 
can it be taken up? 2. What will kill lice on 
cabbage? 3 Will strawberries bear if cul¬ 
tivated iu the Spring? How late in the Fall 
can they be cultivated with profit? 
Ans. —1. Dig a trench 10 inches wide, and 
of a depth to correspond with the length of 
the plants. 1 ay the celery handy by the edge 
of the trench, aud begin at one end of the 
trench, and place the plants iu it in an upright 
position, and pack them clopely together 
until the trench is filled. As the w eather 
grows colder, draw the earth from both sides 
towards the celery, until it is covered and 
looks like n single row all banked. The tops 
should Vie covered with salt hay or other litter 
to preserve them. Have the trench in well 
drainedsoil. Thecelery can betaken out w hen- 
ever wanted. 2. Tobacco water sprinkled 
on the plants has proven effectual w ith us. 
We think that au emulsion of kerosene 
also might be very offensive to lice 3. It 
is not a good policy to disturb plants about 
to fruit, by going through them with a culti¬ 
vator, as nothing will be gained by it. Cul¬ 
tivate in the Fall as long as weeds last, and 
the weather will permit of growth. 
MAKING WINE FROM THF. CONCORD GRAPE. 
J. B., Bayou Barbary, La, —How’ i an I 
make wine from the Concord grape ? 
ANS.— Take the berries from the stems or 
peduncles and place them in a clean, tasteless 
bag, and squeeze them in a cider or cheese 
press. The juice resulting from the pressure 
should be mixed with one-fourth or one-third 
water, and sugar ut about the rute of one 
pound or so be added to u gallon of the liquid. 
Care should be taken that it does not ferment 
too much, A small amount of solution of 
tannin should be added when fermentation is 
to be stopped. 
NIAGARA GRAPE AND FAY’S PROLIFIC. 
M. M,, Midway, Mass .—Speaking from per¬ 
sonal experience, is the Niagara Grape the 
best grape for profit ? Is Fay s Prolific Cur¬ 
rant the best of its kind ? 
Ans.—W e have fruited the Niagara for 
three years. The vine is hardy uud healthy’, 
and very prolific. The bunches are large, 
berries large, and in quality as good as the 
Concord. Fay’s Prolific Currant we have 
fruited two years. It is the l>e«t of currants. 
WINTER FEED FOR FALL PIGS. 
V. D. (<■, Loveland, Cot ,—In a late Rural 
to the question “ What is the best Winter 
feed for Fall pigs in the absence of milk?” the 
answer w'as, “ Wheat middlings mixed with 
swill, with clean oats and corn.” 1 wish to 
know whether unground oats and corn are 
meant My hogs will not eat unground oats. 
Would barley ground but not soured be good 
to mix with the middlings uud corn? 
Ans. The wheat, middlings should contain 
canaille to make theui suitable for pigs. Bur¬ 
ley ground and fed entire is the best siuglo 
grain for pigs, and oats rank next. Pigs will 
usually eat oats unground, but, where they 
