SEC 29 
* 
a 
farm Cctmoimj. 
DISTRIBUTION OF FAT IN THE BODIES 
OF ANIMALS.—I, 
PROFESSOR F. H. 8TORF.R. 
There are two distinct and separate ways of 
looking at the familiar fact of the deposition 
of fat in the animal body. We may conceive 
that the fatty matters contained ready formed 
in the food that has been eaten, together with 
those which result from the fermentation of 
carbohydrates in the intestines, pass directly 
into the circulation, as fat, more or less modi¬ 
fied it is true, and are so carried to different 
parts of the body; or we may believe that fat 
is actually formed in the tissues of the body 
by the splitting-up of albuinuoid matters 
within the cells; i. e., by the action of the liv¬ 
ing ceils of the muscular tissue. There is small 
room for doubt nowadays that the fat in the 
bodies of animals is actually derived from 
both these sources, sometimes from one more 
than the othor.aud possibly sometimes indiffer¬ 
ently from both. There are, however, several 
subsidiary questionsof great practical interest 
that have never been adequately debated hith¬ 
erto. Why is it, for example, that in one ani¬ 
mal a good deal of the fat is disseminated in 
the flesh, while in another the fat tends only 
to accumulate around the kidneys and intes¬ 
tines, or beneath the skin* In some instances, 
differences such as these appear to depend on 
differences of breed, or of age; while in others 
differences of food or perhaps of climate seem 
to have an important influence; and the prob¬ 
lem is to determine for each particular case 
what is there peculiar in the food or the con¬ 
dition of the animal, or to the breed or the 
climate that lias led to the observed results. 
It is not improbable that some of these 
questions might be satisfactorily answered in 
the light of knowledge now existing if it 
were practicable to bring the scattered items 
of information together, so that they could be 
considered in their proper relations, and in 
their bearings upon one another. There is 
doubtless in this country, as there probably is 
in Europe also, a fund of information in the 
possession of practical men, which could 
hardly fail to elucidate some of the foregoing 
questions, at leftst in so far as they relate to 
food; and there must have been made at oue 
time and another numerous post-mortem com¬ 
parisons as to the size and development of the 
lungs and other internal organs of different 
breeds of cattle, considered in their relations 
to questions of fattening such as have been 
formulated above. It is for the purpose of 
attracting attention to this method of study¬ 
ing the subject, viz., by collating a great mass 
of farmiug experience, and with the hope of 
calling out a free expression of opinion on the 
part of practical men that this article has 
been written. I wish, meanwhile, to acknowl¬ 
edge my indebtedness, for information and 
suggestions, to uiauv persons who have been 
good enough to discuss the matter with me by¬ 
word of nioutb. 
Somewhat, conflicting statements have been 
published as to the order of deposition of fat 
in the bodies of animals. Thus, Leuehs, the 
author of an old German treatise on the fat¬ 
tening of animals, says: “In most animals 
fat Is deposited first in the cellular tissue under 
the skiu, whereby the skin becomes lustrous, 
and soft and the external portions of the ani¬ 
mal round and plump. Then it collects be¬ 
tween the muscles, and the bones and the 
lymphatic glands. It is only when these parts 
are filled with fat that it is stored upon the 
internal parts of the body, especially about 
the navel, the mediastinum, the mesentery, in 
the cells of the peritoneum, and arouud the 
kidneys. It is absorbed again in the same 
order when, through sickness or severe labor, 
the body" consumes its fat. 
As another example, Jcuniugs, in his work 
on sheep, swine, and poultry, says: “The for¬ 
mation of fat in a sheep destined to be fat¬ 
tened, commences la the inside, the web of 
fat which envelops the intestines being first 
formed, and a little deposited arouud the kid¬ 
neys. After that, fat is seen ou the outside, 
then it is deposited between the muscles, 
parallel with the cellular tissue. Meanwhile 
it is covering f lic lower round of the ribs, de. 
scending to the flanks. While these deposi¬ 
tions are proceeding on the outside, the pro¬ 
gress iii the inside is not checked, but rather 
increased by the fattening disposition encour¬ 
aged by- the acquired condition; and houee 
simultaneously the kidneys become entirely- 
covered, uud the space between the intestines 
and the lumbar region or loin gradually filled 
up by the web and kidney fat. By this time 
the cellular spaces around each fiber of muscle 
are receiving their share, and when fat is de¬ 
posited there in quantity it gives to the meat 
the term marbled. These iuterfibrous space 
are the last to receive a depositionof fat; but 
after this has begun every other part at the 
same time receives its due share, the back aDd 
kidneys securing the most,” 
Gant, in his brochure on the evil results of 
overfeeding cattle, when speaking of ex¬ 
cessive fattening, says: “The fat referred 
to, may itself be regarded as the superfluous 
food with which the animal has been gorged. 
It was first deposited in all loose parts of the 
body, these being most adapted for its accu¬ 
mulation,—beneath the skin, and around the 
kidneys, stomach, iutestines, and neart. At 
length, such localities being overloaded, the 
fat invaded the muscles themselves, bypassing 
in between the fibers. Thus is produced the 
streaked appearance of meat, a condition 
which within due limits in no way interferes 
with tho health of the animal, or impairs the 
nutritive quality of its flesh.” 
The peculiar value of meat thus streaked 
vfith fat has always been recognized. I find 
a sufficiently distinct quotation to this effect 
taken from the old “ Annals of Agriculture 
“ In both bullocks and sheep the flesh of none 
that die with little fat within will taste well, 
the tine eating meat being that which is 
marled (marbled) flesh, and spread well. 
There is no better sign of good flesh than 
when it is marbled, or the fat and lean nicely 
interwoven and alternately mixed with each 
other. 1 ’ 
Von Golireu, in his book on foddering, 
says, “The more completely meat is‘streaked’ 
with fat to much the better flavored and the 
more highly esteemed will it be. The Eng¬ 
lish, who know better than the Germans how 
to estimate the quality of flesh, attach especial 
importance to such tine streaked meat.” 
So, too, nothing can be more explicit than 
the following citation, which I take at second 
hand from a recent work of the distinguished 
Prussiau agriculturist Nathusius: “If a piece 
of muscle is cut across the grain, the surface 
of the section presents the appea ranee of a 
tolerably homogeneous red mass, iu case the 
meat is lean; but in case any fat has been de¬ 
posited in t he muscle, then whitish-colored cir¬ 
cles will be seeu on the surface of the red 
mass, which are layers of fat surrounding the 
larger bundles of fibers of the muscle. These 
lines of fat are more or less strong and clear, 
and they form larger or smaller circles, ac¬ 
cording to the amount of fat that has been 
deposited. In case the amount of fat is com 
siderable, then white lines will appear within 
those previously mentioned, and the mem¬ 
brane of the smaller and smallest bundles of 
fibers become filled with fat, so that the sur¬ 
face of the section of meat appears as if it 
were overlaid with a network of fine meshes. 
The red color of the meat is diminished while 
the white color is increased, and the section 
appears as if marbled. According to the rel¬ 
ative number of flesh fibers, that is to say of 
red spots and of fat, i. e., white spots, the 
flesh is more or less streaked or marbled.” 
Iu conversation with farmers and wholesale 
dealers in beef and mutton, I ftud a very com¬ 
mon impression—often a strong conviction— 
I that no great amount of fat is ever deposited 
iu the muscular tissue until after large quan¬ 
tities of it have been laid on arouud the kid¬ 
neys and iutestines, and uuder the skin. In 
this view the meat only becomes marbled at 
the close of the fattening process. Tho prev¬ 
alence of this idea is testified to by the almost 
unconscious expression of it not infrequently 
met with iu agricultural literature, as iu the 
following remark of Mr. Horsfall: “In the 
course of feeding there is a gradual increase 
of iutertor fat of two descriptions—fat in the 
loins, which is weighed with the carcass, and 
loose fat or tallow, which counts as offal. 
Even though this loose fat counts as offal, it 
is well known that cattle well stored with it 
weigh heavier iu proportion when killed than 
those with less, and which are iu lower con¬ 
dition.” Nathusius states the matter some¬ 
what differently wheu he asserts that experi¬ 
ence has indubitably proved that animals 
which Lqive not been fed rather abundantly 
in youth will never yield marbled flesh to the 
same extent as those which have been richly 
fed while growing, no matter how favorably 
situated for fattening they may be when full 
grown. Lie conceives that by tceding young 
animals well their muscles become charged 
or primed, as it were, with tho natural mini¬ 
mum of fat, which will increase as opportu¬ 
nity offers, while iu the ease of animals not 
thus provided for when young, the deposition 
of fat will occur iu a different way, i. e., upon 
other parts of the body. __ 
3nt)ustt ISocidud. 
CONVENTION OF THE MICHIGAN 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
[Rural Special Report.] 
The Michigan Horticultural Society held its | 
annual meeting at Eaton Rapids, from De* 
cember 3 to 5, inclusive. It was among the 
most interesting and best attended meetings 
ever held in the State. A large hall, capable 
of seating six or seven hundred, was well 
filled, and the evening sessions were densely 
packed with the wide-awake fruit-growers, 
eager to catch every fact that would aid them 
In the successful prosecution of their calling. 
Some seventy plates of fine apples, a dozen of 
pears, two of quinces and two of grapes 
showed what could be done in the way of 
fruit-growing in a good year. 
President Lyon, in his opening address, said 
it was yearly becoming more evident that 
Michigan was entitled to rank among the 
foremost fruit-growing States, and urged all 
to give this branch of farming more attention. 
He said that fruit production in a great meas¬ 
ure marked the progress of the people; that 
too many seemed to think that all man needed 
was a place i u which to exist; that the great 
end and aim was to make money. This was 
all wrong. We have a higher nature and a 
nobler destiny; the love of the “good, the 
true and the beautiful” is a part of our being, 
and all should so cultivate these that as we 
grow older we may grow better. We can do 
this in no more effectual way than to cultivate 
fruits and flowers, to ornament our lawns and 
beautify our homes. This will bring pleasure 
to ourselves and will refine our children and 
make them love their homes, and always re¬ 
member them with pleasure. 
MULCHING STRAWBERRIES. 
There was great diversity of opinion as to 
the advisability of this practice. President 
Lyon and Professor Tracy would much prefer 
shallow Spring cultivation and no mulch. 
Mr. C. A. Green, of New York, used muck ap¬ 
plied in the Fall, and liked it both as a mulch 
and manure. Mr. Haunford, of Indiana, and 
Mr. Stearn, of Michigan, used marsh hay. 
Mr. Overhalt thought coarse, clean straw the 
best. Mr. Wilde preferred corn-stalks. All 
agreed that mulch, if used, must not be too 
thick, as the plants must have light and air. 
CULTIVATION FOR QUINCES. 
Mr. S. D. Willard, of New York, thought 
no Cultivation the best for quinces; that 
quinces in fence corners and neglected places 
always bore the best crops of the finest 
quinces. J. S. Woodward, of New York, 
would plow a quince orchard once every year 
lightly toward the trees and cultivate shal¬ 
low through the balance of Summer. 
He knew an orchard mulched every year 
with corn cobs, that is very productive and 
profitable. Mr. Rosencrans gives his orchard 
a dressing of salt every year, and mulches it 
heavily with muck, and raises plenty of fine 
fruit. 
ORCHARDS ON HIGH GROUND. 
Mr. Baily in giving a history of horticulture 
for Eaton County, said those apple orchards, 
situated on the highest hills and ridges, with 
no protection whatever, had been the healthi¬ 
est, aud had borne the best crops and finest 
fruit. There are orchards from forty to fifty 
years old, that are still healthy and produc¬ 
tive. The best and most productive peach or¬ 
chards are on the highest ground and entirely 
unprotected; in 1882 Eaton County sold 42,- 
000 barrels of apples at a net price of $78,000 
EXPERIMENT STATIONS AND HORTICULTURE. 
Mr. Woodward thought experiment stations 
should be established not ouly in every State, 
I but in different parts ot each State, and that 
all new fruits should be placed iu those for a 
thorough testing, aud that a full and fair re¬ 
port should from time to time be made for the 
guidance of the people. This would prevent 
much humbuggery and frauds now so freely 
practiced in disseminating new fruits. These 
stations would also be of great use to the orig¬ 
inators of good fruits in making them known 
in a trustworthy way. The money saved to 
the people would many times ovei support all 
the stations. Professor Beal, of the Agricul¬ 
tural College, Lansing, was fully of the 
opinion that experiment stations should be 
established to test now fruits; they should try 
to originate new varieties as well. The sta¬ 
tions would not ouly show the character of each 
sort of fruit, but also its adaptation to differ¬ 
ent sections. C, A. Green thought it would 
be difficult to secure at so many stations men 
able and careful enough to make the test of 
practical value. Mr. Win. Saunders, of 
London, Outario, said they had one such 
station in Canada and thought they should 
have more, as uo one place is adapted to all 
kinds of fruit. President Lyon thought every 
man would still want to experiment for him¬ 
self, aud would hardly wait for so slow a 
method. 
THE NURSERYMAN’S DUTY. 
This subject called out a spicy debate. 
While the nurserymen contended they were 
as honest as other men. aud that planters in¬ 
sisted on buying cheap trees aud plants, and 
varieties not suited to their wants, the plant¬ 
ers present as stoutly claimed uurseryineu 
could not at all times be trusted and were 
not as careful as they should be in furnish¬ 
ing genuine trees and in discouraging the 
planting of those varieties known by them 
to be unsuitable to the soil and climate. There 
was some plain talk and much truth told on 
both sides, but happily all were in good humor 
INSECTS. 
Professor Cook, of Lansing, read an inter¬ 
esting paper on insects, more particularly 
confining his attention to strawberry weevil 
and the zebra caterpillar, which is very in¬ 
jurious to the cabbage. He recommended 
for their destruction a solution of pyrethrum 
powder in water (one tablespoon fill to a pail 
of water); also a solution of kerosene oil 
prepared as follows: One part oil to five parts 
milk (sweet or sour), beaten together until a 
perfect emulsion is formed. This should be 
diluted with water to a proper consistency. 
Either of these remedies was found at the 
College Farm effective and should be applied 
with some sort of force pump, so as to cover 
all parts of the plant with the spray. Mr. 
Saunders said that when the pyrethrum so¬ 
lution failed, it was because of the poor qual¬ 
ity of the drug used: much of that sold is 
made from full-blown flowers, while it should 
be made from those just opening or from the 
full-grown buds. Mr. Woodward recom 
mended for the borers a paint composed of 
soap and milk. This should be thickened with 
water-lime to the consistency of a thick wash, 
and applied to the bodies of trees at the season 
for egg-laying. It formed an impervious 
coat, resisting the action of rain for a long 
time, aud preventing all insects from entering 
the bark. 
HOW SHALL THE HORTICULTURIST MAINTAIN 
THE FERTILITY OF HIS SOIL? 
Tueslay evening was entirely devoted to a 
lecture on the above topic by Dr. Kedzie, of 
the Agricultural College. The hall was dense¬ 
ly crowded, and the number of questions 
asked the Doctor clearly sho wed the interest 
awakened. The lecturer said, “All vegetation 
is composed of only 13 elements; ten of these 
are furnished in great abundance by the air 
and the soils. Potassium, phosphoric acid and 
nitrogeu are the three which form the golden 
tripod of successful culture, and if any one of 
these be entirely absent from the soils, no 
growth is possible. To buy the entire con¬ 
stituents of any crop at the market price and 
return them to the soil will cost more than 
the crop will sell for." He urged the making 
of more, and much better care of, barn¬ 
yard manure, and thought the abundant 
muck deposits of Michigan should be used to 
double the supply by composting the stuff 
with stable manure. He recommended green 
manuring as the easiest way of accumulating 
humus in the soil and enriching the orchard, 
and said Red Clover stood at the head all 
plants for this purpose; it should be sown be¬ 
tween the rows, and when full-grown turned 
under. No manure of any kind should be 
wasted, and the man who drew any dead 
animals to the woods to feast the dogs was 
simply a fool— they should be carefully com¬ 
posted, and, thus treated, would be worth 
almost as much as when alive. 
BEST USE OF SURPLUS FRUIT. 
Mr. Rice, of Sodus, N. Y., condemns the 
practice of putting up for market any sec¬ 
ond-quality fruit; it. pays better to evaporate 
it. Thirteen hundred bushels of green fruit 
evaporated this year had sold for $1,31K). and 
last year there were shipped from that little 
station over 70 car-loads of evaporated fruit. 
As instances of the 
PROFITS OF FRUIT-GROWING IN MICHIGAN 
1 caught the following straws: Mr. Baldwin, 
of Ann Harbor, from a plot of Snyder Black 
berries, four by nine rods, received, net, 
$153.12. Mr. E. H. Scott, of the same place, 
from one-and-ouc-quarter acre of file same 
fruit, netted #000. A gentleman near Grand 
Rapids cleared over #6,000 from a 15-acre 
peach orchard. 
SECRETARY GARFIELD. 
The Wednesday eveuing meeting was de¬ 
voted to one of those inimitable horticultural 
love feasts original with the Secretarj. 
Iu these the Secretarj' proposes some senti¬ 
ment pertinent to horticulture, and calls upon 
some person to respond in a five-minute 
speech, and with such a Secretary as Chas. 
W. Garfield these meetings are made the nost 
enjoyable of the whole series. The large 
hall was packed even to standing, and yet so 
lively and interesting was the discussion that 
the people would evidently have stayed much 
longer. 
I eauuot close this notice of the meeting 
without a word in praise of the Society aud its 
wide-awake Secretary. The Michigan Horto- 
eulturuJ Society certainly stands at the head 
of all such societies in the United States. It 
is a live, active society, and is exerting a great 
influence for good not only in its own States 
but in all those surrounding, and much of the 
