A 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
for the 150 days, to 151J£ pounds from the 
Ayrshire, and 108 from the Holstein—nearly 
100 pounds more than the Ayrshire and more 
than double the amount given by the Holstein. 
When we turn to the ground especially claim¬ 
ed by the Ayrshire and Holstein, here too the 
Jersey leads by a large majority; for she 
gave 456 pounds of curd to 883 from the 
Ayrshire and 363 from the Holstein. Of 
butter and curd together the Jersey gave 699 
pounds, the Ayrshire 534 pounds, and the 
Holstein 471—verily a great difference in 
favor of the Jersey, especially when it is borne 
in mind that one of the greatest characteristics 
of the Jersey is to hold most persistently to 
her milk. It seems therefore that there is 
little doubt as to which is the best all-around 
cow, if those figures can be relied upon. And 
why not? 
By a series of weekly tests conducted by 
Professor Brown, from December, 1884, to 
July, 1885, we find that the following results 
were arrived at with these three breeds, out 
of 12: 
Cream 
Bounds of 
Butter per 
100 lbs. Milk. 
Cheese Curd 
per 100 
lbs. Milk. 
Total 
Butter- 
per of. 
Curd. 
HolstPln. 11.9 
2 4 oz. 
10.9 
12. IS 
Ayrshire 16.9 
4 5 oz. 
12.9 
16.14 
Jersey... 19.9 
S 1 oz. 
15.6 
20.7 
The Jersey led all breeds in butter and in 
cheese. The chemical analysis of milk from 
the same source and in the same tests showed 
the following total solids: 
Jerseys.14.65 (First of all breeds.) 
Ayrshires. 13.58 (Second of all breeds.) 
Holstelns. 11.83 (Ninth of all breeds.) 
Some might contend that the Jersey was an 
especially good one. In my judgment she 
was not above, but rather below the average. 
Granting that this is not sufficient proof: as 
a rule the best auimals are brought out at our 
Provincial and Toronto Exhibitions; at the 
Provincial Exhibition just over the Holsteins 
were represented in large numbers, there 
having been about three Holsteins to every 
Jersey, many of the former having stood very 
large reported tests of milk. 
At this exhibition tests were made by Pro¬ 
fessors Brown and Barre, of the Ontario 
Experimental Farm, for milk, butter and 
cheese combined, according to the plan and 
count of points adopted in England and Scot¬ 
land at the dairy fairs. This is as follows: 
(1) Weight of milk: one point is allowed for 
every pound given in 24 hours, (2) Quantity 
of butter: in England the standard is three 
pounds to every 100 pounds of milk; in Canada 
the standard is 3.5 pounds to every 100 
pounds of milk. Add or deduct 10 points for 
every one above or below. (3) Cheese curd 
per 100 pounds of milk: allow one point for 
every pound. (4) Time 'since calving: add 
one point for every ten days. All the cows 
were judged by the same count of points and 
under similar circumstances, but in different 
classes: eight Holsteins were entered in their 
class, three Ayrshires in theirs, two grade 
Short horns in theirs, and two Jerseys in 
theirs. The Jersey cow, “Rose of Eden,” 
led them all, making the largest score ever 
made by any cow of any breed in the world 
in a similar contest, namely, 109 points, and 
tins for butter, milk and cheese combined. 
The Ayrshire was second with 8S.85 points; 
the Short-horn grade third, with 81.52 points; 
the other Jersey fourth, with 78.10points; the 
Ayrshire fifth, with 63.27 points; the Holstein 
sixth, with 64.29 points; and another seventh 
with 50 08; a Short-horn grade eighth, with 
55.57 points, while Holsteins were ninth, tenth, 
eleventh, twelfth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and 
sixteenth, with 40.22 points; and an Ayrshire 
thirteenth, with 49.22 points. The Jersey ex¬ 
celled the highest combined score of the 
Ayrsnire by 21,and the highest of the Holsteins 
by 45 points. The lowest Jersey excelled 
every Holstein by over 13 points. 
The averages of each breed were as follows: 
Wet Cheese 
Pounds qf Milk 
in 24 Hours. 
But ter per 
1W lbs. Milk. 
Curd per 
100 lbs. Milk. 
Jerseys... 
25.56 
7.08 
20 A) 
Ayrshires 
24.51 
4.24 
22.70 
Holstein.. 
29.19 
2.98 
16.59 
Short horn grade 85.52 
8.36 
20.62 
The highest milk record is that of a grade 
Short, horn, 46.80 pounds. The best milk 
record of Holstein is 37.60 pounds, and the 
lowest 23.60 pounds. Highest and lowest 
Ayrshire, 29.50 and 18 12 pounds. Highest 
and lowest Jersey, 27 and 24.12 pounds. 
Quantity of milk required to one pound of 
butter: Jersey, less than 14 pounds; Ayrshire 
over 23 pounds; Holstein over 33 pounds; 
Short-horn grade over 29 pounds. Here Is 
the very strongest testimony from tests con¬ 
ducted in the most open and public manner, 
by disinterested experts, of the very great 
superiority of the Jersey, not for butter alone, 
but for milk, butter and cheese. 
Lest it be contended that these two Jerseys 
were the pick of the Oaklands herd, I may say 
that Rose of Eden does not rank as the first 
for butter production by any means in the 
Oakland herd, but about seventh, and that 
the other Jersey has no butter record thus far. 
The weather at the London exhibition was 
very cold and wet, and doubtless all the cows 
gave less milk than at home. 
At the Industrial Exhibition held in Toronto 
the following week, a competitive test was 
open to the various breeds, by the same count 
of points, under the same rules, and by the 
same experts. The Holstein men failed to 
enter any of their stock, though in number 
the Hollands far exceeded the Jerseys and the 
Ayrshires at this exhibition. There were 
entered six Jerseys, three Ayrshires and one 
Devon. They were awarded the following 
positions, according to the results of the tests: 
Jerseys, first, second, third, fifth, sixth and 
seventh; Ayrshire, fourth, ninth and tenth; 
Devon, eighth. The cow Jolie of St. Lambert 
headed them all. Rose of Eden who had con¬ 
tracted a cold at Provincial, stood second, 
and Sweet Briar of St. Lambert third. The 
average quantities given by the various breeds 
Milk in 24 
Butter per 
100 lbs. Milk. 
Wet Cheese 
Curd per 
Hours. 
100 lbs. Milk. 
Jerseys. 
23 32 
5.57 
16.36 
Ayrshire... 
.... 29.37 
4.15 
15.54 
Devon (1)... 
.... 33.00 
3.31 
13.33 
From the tests at both exhibitions, it will 
be seen that the J ersey largely excelled all 
other breeds iu butter production; that the 
leading Ayrshire excelled the Jerseys slightly 
in cheese curd at Provincial, but that at the 
Industrial show at Toronto, the Jersey ex¬ 
celled the Ayrshire in cheese curd. Taking 
the results as a whole, according to these tests, 
the palm must be awarded to the Jersey be¬ 
yond any doubt. 
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 
farm (Topics. 
DISEASED MEAT. 
CHARLES A. GREEN. 
My purpose in this paper is to discuss the 
probability of incurring disease by consuming 
unhealthy animal food. We know that all 
auimalsare subject todisease. Among human 
beings not one in a hundred is perfectly sound 
physically, and when we remember what 
wretched accommodations are given the beasts 
of the field, the unwholesome food which they 
consume, and the poisonous water they drink, 
we must conclude that they likewise are sub¬ 
ject to disease. Even with the best treatment, 
and the best food, animals are frequently 
troubled with tumors and various disorders. 
The terrible exposure to which they are sub¬ 
jected on the great Western prairies often 
causes an enlargement about the neck and 
head. Such cattle are not accepted for ship¬ 
ment alive, but after they have been 
slaughtered and the diseased part has been 
removed, the carcasses are accepted in any 
market. This is true of other disorders. If 
& beef cow has a large tumor she will be re¬ 
jected, but after she is dressed, the beef will 
be accepted. We find arguments here against 
dressed beef, which is so largely shipped here 
from the West in refrigerator cars during the 
warmest season, and also against canned 
meats. 
Swine are particularly liable to disease. 
Ordinarily in fattening they are confined in a 
close pen where they have no exercise for 
months at a time, their surroundings being 
often in the foulest imagiuable condition. It 
is the opinion of our best physicians that 
were it uot for the habit of eating so much 
pork, there would be less scrofula and other 
like diseases. That our farming classes can 
remain healthy depending as they do on this 
class of food, speaks volumes for the health¬ 
fulness of their occupation. 
The Jews are a remarkably healthy and 
long-lived people. It has been noticed in cer¬ 
tain parts of the country that of those people 
who had reached the age of 70 years, 13 were 
Christians, and 27 were Jews. The Jews will 
eat no meat unless the beast has been ex¬ 
amined before it is slain by one of their num¬ 
ber who is elected for that purpose. If you 
go into the markets of our cities, you will 
notice large quanties of fowls sold alive; these 
are largely bought by Jews. I doubt if a 
pound of ordinarily dressed meat was ever 
sold to a Jew. If any blemish is found upon 
the animal, it is set aside as unfit for food. In 
an article on the health and longevity of the 
Jews, in Leisure Hom - s, it is shown that of 
12,473 oxen only 7,649 were accepted as meet¬ 
ing the requirements of the Jewish law; of 
2,146 calves only 1,569 and of 23,022 sheep 
only 14,580 were acceptable. TMh shows that 
of 37 offered, 14 were rejected as unsound. 
An experimenter has recently eaten the flesh 
of numerous animals affected by differentdis- 
eases for the purpose of showing that such 
flesh could be consumed with impunity. He 
found the flesh of some of these animals un¬ 
pleasant to the taste, while that of others 
could be eaten with relish, but as the flesh of 
none of them caused him suffering, he con¬ 
cluded that the flesh of diseased animals could 
be eaten without injury by the human family. 
It occurs to me that this conclusion is hastily 
reached, for while a healthy individual might 
for once indulge iu such food without receiv¬ 
ing any noticeable injury, those in feeble 
health would be liable to incur numerous dis¬ 
eases by frequent irdulgence. Those who are 
enjoying robust health are in a condition to 
ward off many ills to which their feeble 
brethren fall victims. 
In theory, fanners are the most privileged 
of all classes as regards^an abundant and un¬ 
tainted supply of meat, but iu practice they 
are the most poorly supplied. If we should 
visit a large number of farmers we should 
find few who have any kind of meat, except 
salt pork, in store, which is, perhaps, the least 
nutritous and palatable, and the best adapted 
for the dissemination and promulgation of 
disease. In old times the farmer invariably 
had his flock of sheep, and in case fresh meat 
was needed, he killed his mutton. Sheep hav¬ 
ing gone out of fashion with most farmers, 
the mam reliance now is upon fowls. If a 
farmer has a fat calf, it is seldom that it oc¬ 
curs to him that it is profitable to consume it at 
home. He rarely slaughters a beef for his own 
use, clinging to the idea that pork is the most 
economical. There are few families who 
would not consume an entire beef, dressed, 
during the cold season. If the farmer has no 
fat stock of his own for this purpose, it would 
be economical to buy a few sheep to supply 
fresh meat in warm weather.and an occasion¬ 
al beef to dress for his family in cooler sea¬ 
sons. I see no economy in using so much 
pork; it appears to me to cost as much as 
other meat, and to be less desirable as a 
standard article of diet. 
Fresh fish furnishes a desirable change in 
the bill-of-fare. It furnishes less fat and gives 
the system the needed rest, and is an economi¬ 
cal food. While salt fish is not liked as well 
by many, even it will be welcomed for a 
change. While fish are liable to disease, they 
are much less so than the other creatures that 
we consume. I have known fish to be sold 
that had been poisoued by the refuse of man¬ 
ufacturing establishments, that had been 
thrown into the streams. But they are 
usually sold before they are dressed, and a 
person can soon learn to judge whether fish 
are diseased or stale. A bright eyed, firm- 
fleshed, plump-looking fish cannot have died 
from disease or slow poison, and cannot have 
been long out of the water. 
Most people eat too much flesh, especially 
in warm weather. If we cannot break off al¬ 
together the habit of eating flesh, let us at 
least use less. In the early ages human beings 
ate human flesh; as they become more civil¬ 
ized they reformed somewhat; may we not 
hope that our race may yet become so far 
civilized that they will not destroy the life of 
innocent animals for food, not only on human 
itariau grounds, but also as preventing the 
encroachment of disease. 
Monroe Co., N. Y. 
MARKET NOTES. 
What could the world do without the 
potato? It is the standard vegetable and al¬ 
ways will be. Cut off the potato supply and 
we would be a nation of malcontents. I re 
member one Winter, years ago, on a little 
New England farm, when the potato crop 
failed. It was a household calamity. We 
lived on turnips, carrots and a few beets, with 
of course, the ever-present baked beans. It 
was the most unsatisfactory Winter I ever 
spent. It is hard to say just why the potato 
is so popular au article of food. At least 75 
per cent, of it is water. Rice tastes just as 
well, is cheaper and more nutritious, und can 
be prepared in numberless ways. Last vear 
over 200,000,(100 bushels of potatoes valued at 
nearly $90,000,000 were produced in this 
country. This is equal to nearly one-fourth 
of the hay crop, one-half. of the oat crop, 
one-third of the cotton crop, twice the tobacco 
crop, four times the barley crop and five 
times the rye crop. Over 75 per ceut.of the tot¬ 
al crop is raised in the manufacturing States, 
where a largo city population affords a ready 
market, and fertilizers are cheapened. The av¬ 
erage cash value per acre for potatoes was $38; 
for cotton $15; hay $10. In New England the 
average value per acre for potatoes was $57. 
The markets at present are crowded with po¬ 
tatoes, yet they seem to “go as fast as they 
come.” Potatoes everywhere—in boxes, 
barrels, bags and tubs. Potatoes small, large, 
long, round and flat, smooth and “scraggly.” 
There are about as many potatoes m si gut as 
there are of all other vegetables combined. 
Most of them come into market In barrels 
with a piece of old bagging tacked over the 
top. It is possible that it would pay to pack 
the nicest aud most shapely tubers in crates 
by themselves for quick sale. Let somebody 
try this and see how it will work. The Early 
Rnsfi Rhnnt revolutionized the potato business. 
I can remember the old days when the Jack _ 
son White and Davis Seedling had the monop¬ 
oly. We never see them now, though there 
are old farmers who still stick to them. They 
wfre good old friends, but they had to go 
down before the march of civilization. The 
Early Rose, like all reformers, will probably 
have to go to the wall eventually; though it 
still holds its own wonderfully well. Even 
to-day the Early Rose stands among market 
potatoes about as the Concord stands among 
grapes, so far as quantity is concerned. It is 
the “old stand-by” still, though dealers handle 
the newer kinds, scores of which, however, 
are sold as Early Rose. One never sees a red 
potato now. Why do people object to a dark 
color? No one can say, not even those who 
call for white tubers. It is charitable to call 
it a species of mild superstition. There are 
plenty of people yet who say that butter from 
a white cow will not be yellow, that a black 
cat brings good luck, that a yellow tomato is 
not fit to eat. What potato sells the best? It 
is light in color, medium in size, compact in 
form, not long and round—more of the shape 
of a man's fist, and, more than all these, it is 
“mealy.” People do not want a potato that 
they must cut in two and serve in halves. 
Far too many of the potatoes at the market 
are disfigured by the scab. The man who 
shall discover some way of lessening the rav¬ 
ages of worms and the fungus that cause it 
will be a national benefactor. Very many 
potatoes are damaged by careless digging. 
Great gashes and holes are cut into them. 
These are sure to injure the sale, and they 
might be, for the most part, prevented. 
HIRED MAN. 
farm 0jC0turmija 
RAT POISON BLOCK. 
It is sometimes desirable to put out poison 
for mice about the barns, or house, or among 
fruits, plants, or in the orchard, and great 
caution should be used lest cats, dogs, or other 
domestic animals get it as well. At Fig. 457 
Fig. 457. 
we show a little contrivance for holding the 
poison, which makes its use perfectly safe. It 
consists of pieces of plank two or three inches 
square, with an launch hole bored nearly 
through. The poison to be used is to be put 
into the bottom of these holes and can be 
reached by nothing except the mice. 
At the West Virginia State Fair a dairy 
test was undertaken to determine the most 
profitable dairy breed. It was conducted by 
Mr. P. L. Kimball, of Bellows Falls, Vt., in 
the presence of the cattle superintendents of 
the fair. The competing cows were milked 
twice—at night and on the following morning. 
The milk was put into Cooley Creamers. In 
the class for cows over three years old, the first 
premium was won by a Holland cow,six years 
old, that calved June 30th. Bhe gave 10.3 
quarts of milk which averaged 18.5 per cent, 
cream, A Jersey cow three years old,that calv¬ 
ed April 30th, wou the second premium,giving 
11 quarts of milk which averaged 20.3 per 
cent, of cream. In the class of cows under 
three years old, an Ayrshire two years old,that 
calved Aug. 18th, won first premium, giving 
13 5 quarts of milk which averaged 12.6 per 
cent, of cream. It would he well if such tests 
could be made a feature of all our fairs, It is 
true that this test proves very little,—both 
the Holland and Jersey breeders could figure 
out a victory from these figures, A series of 
tests, however, would go far towards settling 
the vexed question, and at least show wherein 
one breed differs from another. 
Cider. —The Philadelphia Press says that 
an air-tight bung will not save apple juice 
from “working” Into a lively liquid, ihe 
uuregeneratu possessor of a barrel of ctdei 
usually knocks out the bung aud keeps the bar¬ 
rel even full, in a cool place. When the fluid 
gets “hard” enough, to suit his depraved taste, 
he bungs it tightly up. It still keeps on fer¬ 
menting and deteriorating until it is too sour 
to swallow. Temperance people should avoid 
cidor of this coarse quality. There are mam 
good people who offer uo strong protest against 
a glass of cider as the moist portiou of tl 
Winter evening's entertainmeut,if it is uot too 
1J nr^rl nAl.r.ilv i 1 1 Qf • 11 t.hn nercentage 
