484 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FES 28 
thickly covered with very small, yellowish 
dots, which appear to be under the skin and 
show through; flesh a light creatn color, ten¬ 
der, rather dry, quite pleasant, high-flavored, 
sub-acid or umier.and when kept over too long, 
becoming nearly sweet It is a good keeper, 
keeping late into the Spring. Mr. Stewart 
says it is regarded as the best apple grown in 
that State. At Fig 79 a half section is 
shown. 
RELATIVE COST OF RAISING BEEF ON THE 
RANGE AND THE FARM. 
The Hon. J. H. Fallen wider, member of the 
National Bureau of Animal Industry for the 
vast territory west of the Mississippi, has just 
finished his report to the Commissioner of 
Agriculture and from it the following facts 
and figures are briefly condensed:—The ex 
pense of producing beef cattle ready for the 
market, by the ranchmen is put at $2 per 100 
pounds: ard by the farmer at $4, in the country 
west of the Mississippi. Of course, the differ¬ 
ence would be greater in comparison with the 
cost on high-priced farms further east. In 
speaking of the native stock of Texas and the 
Far West in comparison with grade animals, 
he greatly prefers the latter. He says it is a 
fact beyoud denial that, a thoroughbred Short¬ 
horn or Hereford steer will cost no more to 
raise than a native, while it will weigh more 
at any age, and command a readier sale at 
better prices, and the same can be said of 
grades of these breeds. He appears to have 
corresponded extensively with most well- 
known breeders in all parte of the country, 
and, for beef, the preference is for Herefords 
and Short-born. Out of 124 expressions of 
opinion. 67 favored Short horns, and 34 Here¬ 
fords, while the Polled Angus and Galloways 
came next in order It must be remembered, 
however, that the order of preference here 
noted, corresponds exactly with the order in 
which these breeds have been introduced into 
this country, and with theii numbers. Were 
the Herefords and Polled breeds introduced as 
long aud extensively as the Short horns, the 
repot ts in their favor might be as numerous. 
The expeose, per 100 pound in weight, of 
producing three year olds in the different sec¬ 
tions of his district he gives as follows; Kan¬ 
sas—Range steer, 50 cents to $2; range steer 
beef, fat. #4; farm steer beef, fat, 84. Ne¬ 
braska—Range steer, 82 to 82.87; range steer 
beef, fat, 83; farm steer beef, fat, 84 Minne¬ 
sota—Farm steer raising 81 to $2 90; farm 
steer, beef, fat, $3. Missouri—Grass-fed, $4; 
corn-fed, 83. Montana—All grass-fed, five 
cents to 81. Dakota—Grass and corn-fed, 
81.26 to 83.50. Texas— Grass-fed, 65 to 66 
cents. Idaho—Grass-fed, 81.50..,. 
A “Scientific” Dairy Test.— In a recent 
dairy show in Loudon. IX) cows were submit¬ 
ted to a scientific test as to the qaantity and 
richness of their milk. The first prize was 
given to a grade Short-horn that bad been 
entirely overlooked by the ordinary method 
of judging. She gave 51 % pounds of milk, 
wiicb contained 12.51 per cent of solids, and 
4.26 per cent, of butter fut. It was shown 
that she had averaged five gallons of milk 
during the full period of lactation, or 1,500 
gallons per year, while the average was stated 
to be less than 500 gallons. 
A Guernsey cow gave 20^ pounds of milk 
so rich as to coutaln 15 per cent, of solids, of 
which 6.28 was butter fat. A Jersey gave 36 
pounds of milk, which was much less rich than 
the Guernsey’s. A Holland gave a large quan¬ 
tity, but so poor was it in quality that it was 
stated that any one selling it would be liable to 
fine for adulteration. Americans must be 
much better feeders, or else the cows of this 
country, as dairy animals, are very much 
superior to those of England, it might, how¬ 
ever, be a good tbiug to use the scales even 
here in awarding prizes. 
Work of the New York State Dairy 
Commission. —Dairy Commissioner Brown 
has made bis annua! report to the State, and, 
when printed, it will afford much light on the 
oleomargarine and other imitation dairy pro¬ 
duct business. Commissioner Brown has been 
very fair with the dealers in illicit goods, con¬ 
ceding to them the right to dispose of what 
they had on hand when the law was passed. 
He has in all his prosecutions made it a point 
to move slowly and surely, so that when he 
commenced proceedings he was quite sure to 
convict. He has some 60 indictments now pend¬ 
ing, which will be pushed to trial as speedily 
as possible. Commissioner Brown says he is 
convinced by the testimony of dealers in genu¬ 
ine butter, that at least 80 per cent, of this 
unlawful traffic has been broken up. He says 
that quite recently large amounts of oleo 
margarine have been shipped to the large 
cities in the interior, and he is trying 
to prevent its sale. He says that 
the law does not prevent the shipping of 
fraudulent.products into or through th • State, 
and he thinks this should be prohibited as 
well as the sale of the concoctions. Much of 
the oleomargarine now consumed is bought 
by boarding-house keepers, being shipped di¬ 
rectly to them from the factory, and the law 
is powerless to reach such cases. Prof. Mar¬ 
tin, of the Columbia School of Mines, was 
employed, and made a careful study of the 
milk furnished to the people. He has fixed 
as the standard of purity oue so low that no 
honest man can complain, as he asserts that 
no normal milk should have more than 87.5 
percent, of water; and of the 12 5 percent of 
solids, 3 2 should be fat and 9 3 per cent, sol¬ 
ids not fat. Unwholesome milk is fully dis¬ 
bottom has been reached and that we shall 
have better prices. 
The Herd Book Nuisance.— Prof. Shel¬ 
ton says, in the Industrialist (Kansas), that 
the herd Jiook nuisance is rapidly assuming 
proportions which make it almost unendur¬ 
able, and which will justify breeders ultimate¬ 
ly in relying wholly upon their private 
registers for the liueage of their herds. We 
have nothing here to say of the’great number 
and expensive character of the berd^ook 
“records” and “registers” which stock men 
are compelled to support, nor yet of the va¬ 
rious fees for record and fees for transfers, 
which they are compelled to pav, but simply 
call attention to the rule adopted by several 
associations compelling the registration of 
all animals before they are one year old, on 
pain of ineligibility after that age has been 
Wright’s Favorite. (From Nature.) Fig. 78. (See page 133.) 
cussed, and is shown to be the result of two i 
causes—secretion by an unhealthy cow, or 1 
contamination by an impure atmosphere, or 
by the addition of impure water. From what¬ 
ever source it becomes diseased, it is very dan¬ 
gerous to use. aud the source of much disease 
and death. Dr Clark, of Albany, makes a 
special report upon cows and milk, in which 
he shows the importance of milk as a food for 
children. He says milk is a perfect food, as it 
contains all the elements to sustain the body. 
The ways in which it is adulterated; theiujury 
of taking out tat and substituting water, and 
the danger of communicating disease by such 
a course; howimproper food injures the milk; 
why the milk from unhealthy cows cannot 
but be injurious; the importance of pure milk 
as a diet in disease, are all discussed by him. 
This report covers so much ground, and is so 
exhaustive in its research that it must be of 
great value to the dairyman when published. 
Cheap Wheat Raising in Dakota.—I n 
the North Dakota Capital we find the account 
of a farm and a crop of wheat raised by Mr. 
W. Y. Beach, of Stutsman Co. The first 
passed. This rule should eucounter the de¬ 
termined opposition of the patrons of the 
associations adopting it, for not only is it 
false in principle but it is an unwarrantable 
intrusion upon the private judgment of the 
breeder as to when his stock shall be recorded. 
Females ought not to be entered upon the 
record until they are known to be breeders. 
To enforce this rule compelling registration 
long before the breeding age. means simply 
to clutter up the record with the pedigrees of 
animals having no offspring, entailing upon 
breedeis needless expense while greatly con¬ 
fusing the record. The motive behind this 
rule seems to be to extract the uttermost cent 
from the breeder, which is strictly business, 
and to head off the rascals who deal in spuri¬ 
ous pedigrees, which is simply impossible 
However much herd-books and their rules 
may be multiplied, there will always be a 
loop-hole for the rogues; and the judicious 
purchaser will always look, not so much at 
the herd-book as at the character of the 
breeder of the animals be wishes to purchase. 
Butterine. —Professor Sheldon, our Eng¬ 
W right’s Favorite. Half Section. Fig. 79. 
thing Mr. Beach did, after building a dwel¬ 
ling, was to erect a barn for machinery and 
horses, 30x40 feet, also a barn 45x61 feet with 
20 foot posts, having a basement that will 
accommodate 30 cows, and the barn will store 
100 tonsof bay and 5,000 bushels of grain. It is 
provided with means for feed mg and water so 
that, the stock does not have to go outside. Last 
year he raised 500 acres of wheat, which cost, 
for everything, including interest, taxes, wear 
and tear of tools, etc., etc,, 85,015.03, or less 
than 87% cents per bushel. This wheat was 
marketed at Duluth, aud netted the owner 58 
cents per bushel. This gave him a net gain 
of 82,814.97. This would go to show that so 
long as the land is new aud rich, there is 
money in wheat growing, even at the low 
prices now prevaling; but we believe that the 
lish con espondent, says, in the North British 
Agriculturist, that for his own part he is well 
convinced that in properly made butterine 
there is nothing to be ashamed of—nothiug 
save cupidity to palm it off as something else. 
It is palatable, healthy, nutritious, clean. 
The best of it is, in some respects, superior to 
a very large proportion of the real butter that 
is made in the British Islands, aud is more at 
tractive to the consumer. In many cases it 
can, with difficulty, be distinguished from good 
butter—from butter which is above the aver¬ 
age—and experienced judges are said to have 
been taken in by it at times. There is, how¬ 
ever, only a small proportion of butloriue of 
the quality here denoted, just as there is only 
a limited quantity of fresh butter produced, 
and butterine is designed to compete with 
second and third rate butter, which it does 
already in a most effective manuer. The rea¬ 
son why so much butterine is sold, as real 
butter, is that a very considerable profit can 
be made that way. 
The best butterine is composed of oleomar¬ 
garine, real butter, vegetable oil, and milk. 
Oleomargarine is obtained by melting the 
inner fat of cattle that are slaughtered for 
beef, aud only the best of this, it is said, is fit 
for the purpose. This fat is passed through a 
machine which reduces it to a pulp, which is 
afterwards melted, cooled aud then has the 
stearine pressed out of it by hydraulic pres¬ 
sure. leaving a clear, animal oil. which incor¬ 
porates readily enough with the other con¬ 
stituents of which butterine is composed. 
This oil is churned along with milk, whose 
butter is obtained iu the churning, and whose 
flavor, which is so desirable, is communicated 
to the oleomargarine. An amalgam is made 
with a due quantity of vegetable oil. probably 
cotton-seed oil, and butter; and this system, 
as will be perceived, puts to the best possible 
use a large proportion of animal fat which 
formerly was used for soap and caudles, util¬ 
izing it as human food instead. 
Skim milk as Feed.— Prof. Arnold says, 
in the N. Y. Tribune, that sweet skim milk is 
believed to be about 50 per cent, better than 
sour milk as cow feed. Wbeu skim milk will 
increase a cow’s butter product $10 a year 
wbeu fed back to her m a sour and loppered 
state—and this is about its usual efficiency— 
the same milk fed sweet would add 815 to her 
increase in the same time. Any acidity in the 
milk when fed is objectionable, but a moder¬ 
ate stage of sourness is very much less injur¬ 
ious chan a deepsouring, and a stale condition 
is more unfavorable still, as it affects the 
flavor and quality of the butter produced 
while feeding it. If it must be fed in such a 
condition, it would better be given to swine 
or something else than cows ia milk, as it is 
liable to do more harm than good. There is 
now no need of its being used in a. stale con¬ 
dition. The modern modes of cold-setting 
separate the cream while sweet and leave the 
skim milk in a fresh, unobjectionable and 
wholesome condition, and in this state it 
should be fed to whatever animal uses it. 
Cruelty on the Plains. — Mr. Henry 
Stewart says, with great truth, that if a farm¬ 
er should turn out a wretched ox or calf to the 
rigors of the Winter and the inadequate nu¬ 
triment to be gleaned from a straw stack, 
public opinion would brand him as a monster. 
Agricultural journals have constantly pro¬ 
tested again-t this sort of treatment of live 
stock, and have been lavish of reasons and 
recommendations for the humane and kindly 
care of the farm animals; yet but one or two, 
so far as the writer has seen, have mentioned 
the appalling cruelty with which the herds 
upon the Plaius are treated every Winter, 
which causes the deaths of thousands or hun¬ 
dreds of thousands of wretched beasts wholly 
unfitted to withstand the rigors of a Northern 
climate. Much has been said about tbe im¬ 
aginary dangers and risks from contagious 
diseases, but all the deaths from the worst of 
these would not reach one )>er cent, of those 
caused by the cruel exposure to the pitiless 
storms of the northern Plains or tbe equally 
chilling northers of the Southern ones. 
Is the Johnson Grass Hardy?— The edi¬ 
tor of the Sun asks this question, and we quote 
his remarks; “One of our agricultural con¬ 
temporaries says that tne Johnson Grass(Sorg- 
hum halapense) is hardy on Long Island. 
This may be true occasionally, especially if it 
is planted on light, sandy soils. We have ex¬ 
perimented more or less with this species of 
sorghum for the past 10 or 12 years, but only 
twice during that time have the roots escaped 
wintor-kllllug. although the plants were grow¬ 
ing iu a warm, light soil and in a sheltered 
position. We do not consider the plant hardy, 
although the roots may occasionally survive 
a pretty hard frost. It is a valuable forage 
plant for warm climates, as it will withstand 
great heat and severe droughts. But those 
who plant it should remember that. It is dilfl 
cult to eradicate when ouoe well established, 
as it has been iu many places in the Southern 
States. In the Arkansas Valley, it is reported 
to have taken entire possession of extensive 
tracts of the richest and most valuable bot¬ 
tom lands.” 
“More or less,” the Sun editor has experi¬ 
mented witk it. Probably "less.” It would 
have been iJpexcellent idea bad he stated ere 
now just what he did find. This particular 
editor, we know from experience, is one of the 
quickest men iu the world to pick up aud 
“utililize” what others have found out for 
him. He is quick to contradict the results of 
others’ experiences, aud never retracts any¬ 
thing. If lie tells his readers that true Ber¬ 
muda Grass seed is not offered for sale; that 
the Japan Persimmon is hardy in the North; 
that the hickory cannot be grafted, etc., etc. 
