THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AY 8 
can, if desired, be made of iron in fancy de¬ 
signs. There should be two strong stakes or 
a post and stake for the gate to rnu between. 
These should extend several inches or a foot 
above the gate, as in Winter it will be raised 
by tbe snow packing beneath it. 
This gate.has several points of excellence:— 
It runs very easily; it rolls back beside the 
fence out of the way of teams or wind; a team 
can be driven close up to it. and need not be 
backed away to open it, and, lastly, ingen¬ 
ious farmers can make it themselves, with a 
little lumber and the old tire3 from some worn- 
out wagon. 
farm Copies. 
WHAT BECOMES OP THE FODDER? 
VIEWS NEW AND OLD. 
PROFESSOR G. C. CALDWELL. 
The cattle eat it, of course. Why ask such 
a simple question, and what new views can 
there be on it? the reader will say. But what 
becomes of it after it is eaten? Can you an¬ 
swer that question, too? You may say in 
reply that a part of it is digested and worked 
up into meat and bone and fat, while another 
part, not digested, appears forthwith as man¬ 
ure. So far, correct. But in order to know 
how to make the best use of tbe fodder, we 
need to go & little deeper into the matter, and 
inquire what part of it goes iu one direction 
and what part in another; and what part of 
that which is digested serves to make fat or 
muscle or bone or milk, and what part is 
burned up to keep up the animal beat. 
Of tbe six kinds of substances considered in 
the chemist's analysis of any article of fodder 
for the purpose of estimating its comparative 
value, the protein, often called the albumi¬ 
noids, is the only ingredient that can be used 
to build up or repair tissue, muscle or nerve; 
fat can also be made from it in the animal, 
and it can be burned up to make animal heat, 
as we could burn porterhouse steak in our 
stoves, if we were forced to do it to keep our 
rooms warm; but other and more abundant 
constituents of the fodder can be used for 
these purposes also, while they cannot to the 
smallest extent be converted into flesh, and so 
take the place of the protein. The fatty sub¬ 
stances of the fodder can be used by the ani¬ 
mal for laying on fat, or for fuel. Thus far 
we know very definitely what becomes of 
that part of the fodder that is digested and 
taken into the circulation for the use of the 
body. Protein does not form a large propor¬ 
tion of the fodder materials produced at home, 
and has, as above shown, a most important 
purpose to serve; fat is found in very small 
quantities in these home grown fodders, and 
performs two important services in the ani¬ 
mal economy, for both of which it can be 
made more useful than anything else in the 
fodder except the protein; therefore in all 
schemes for the valuation of fodder according 
to its chemical composition these two con¬ 
stituents have been rated highest, although 
not equally high. 
Ten years or more ago, Emil Wolff, whose 
name is so familiar in connection with tables 
of the composition of fodder and of feeding 
rations, valued protein nearly two-and-a half 
times as high as fat; but in the more recent 
discussions of the subject, the tendency has 
been to put the two nutrients more and more 
on an equality, till now, so far as there is any 
agreement in the matter, they are rated at the 
same value. Tbe sagacity of Sir J. B. Lawes 
and Dr. Gilbert is well exhibited by this 
gradual change of opinion in Germany; their 
own earlier feeding experiments tanght them 
differently, and they have never fallen in 
with the German estimates of a higher com¬ 
parative value for protein, although they 
have stood almost alone iu this disagreement. 
In a recent discussion of the value of what is 
probably some of the new-process linseed 
cake, with its small proportion of oil com¬ 
pared with that which has been heretofore 
sold. Dr. Cameron spoke of the large quantity 
of this cake in the market with only five to 
six per eent. of oil, instead of that with ten to 
thirteen per cent, formerly to be had; and be 
claimed that such cake should be sold at a 
lower rate than the old style. Dr. Lawes, in 
reply to Dr. Cameron’s request for his opinion 
in regard to the matter, said: “There is no 
substance so valuable in this residue as the 
oiL” This is indeed a strong statement, when 
it is remembered that protein makes up a 
larger part of tbe cake than does the fat. He 
says, further, that in experiments with pigs 
they could get but little more gain on lentils 
than on barley, although tbe former contained 
two-and-a-half times as much protein as tbe 
latter, and should be sold, according to 
Wolff’s estimates, for twice as much, while 
the two are, in fact, sold at about the same 
price. 
Two other kinds of substances included in 
the chemical analyses of fodder, the carbohy¬ 
drates, such as starch and sugar, and the fiber 
have commonly been supposed to go in the 
same direction, so far as they were digested, 
namely, to serve as fuel for keeping up the 
animal heat. Here again Lawes and Gilbert 
maintained the view, against many of the 
leading physiologists of the time, that starch 
could be converted into fat, till now they are 
supported on all sides by recent investigations. 
There is no questi-n but that the starch, in 
which Indian meal is so rich, may to some 
extent, at least, be converted into animal fat, 
as well as the fat itself, iu which the meal is 
richer than any of the cereal grains. As to 
that part of the fiber which is digested, that 
is to say, that part of the original quantity 
supplied in the fodder which does not appear 
in the solid excrements, aud is, therefore, 
supposed to be digested and taken into the 
circulation, tbe opinion universally held that 
it is really so taken up, aud, with tbe starch, 
is consumed for fuel, is being decidedly 
shaken by recent investigations, which show 
that it is simply converted by bacteria into 
gases in the intestines, and if so, it is entirely 
useless. 
To sum up the matter, this is what should 
or does become of tbe fodder:—The protein, 
and that only, makes meat, and it does its 
best work when it makes meat; to force tbe 
animal to use it for laying on fat or for fuel 
is far from the best economy; the vegetable 
fat goes to make animal fat, aud that is pro¬ 
bably its best usp, while it can also make 
heat. The starchy matters and the sugar are 
the cheapest fuel, and if necessary can also 
make animal fat; for the fiber, even if sup¬ 
plied iu a form as fine as cotton, there is ap¬ 
parently no use, except to furnish food for 
bacteria; but when investigation on this sub¬ 
ject has proceeded further, there may possi¬ 
bly be something better to say for this 
constituent. 
eljf SuniU'-l)CVt). 
PIG COMFORTS. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
It is not much of a comfort to a pig to be 
caught, but it is a real comfort to tbe person 
trying to catch it when he has it fast. A 
strong cord with a slipping noose on one end 
is the common means of trapping a pig; but 
the noose will work much better when it passes 
through a small ring. It will draw up more 
quickly and be loosened much easier. When 
the rope is wound around a rod to keep it in 
place, it will be much easier to get it over the 
pig’s nose. The slipping on must be doue 
quickly, and with a slight pull upwards, or 
the noose will catch both jaws and slip off as 
soon as the pig pulls backward. It should also 
reach back between the tusks, or tbe bog may 
work it off. To catch the hogs best they 
should be put into a small pen or where there 
will be but little room to run around. Wheu 
huddled up in a bunch, with but little room, 
the hogs will not fight back or be nearly so 
ugly as where there is more room. If possible 
a hog should be caught the first time, as it will 
be a great deal shyer and crosser the next 
trial. There is a patent hog catcher, which, 
in the hands of a bandy, quick man, works 
well. It is a short iron with a square loop at 
each end to go over the bog's snout and hold 
it. It can be forced into a hog s mouth, and 
then by twisting and holding, the bog can be 
kept quiet enough to insert a riDg. The loops 
are of different size, and the one not in the 
hog’s mouth is used for a handle. 
A crate is just tbe thiug to move a hog in, 
from one farm to another, and also from one 
pen to another. What folly it is for a 
man when he knows how difficult it is to 
drive a bog to attempt it, when a crate, a 
stone boat and a horse will do it so much bet¬ 
ter. Iu the absence of a crate, put a noose on 
tbe hog's snout and lead it backwards. This 
is no trick at all, but a good joke on the pig, 
for he goes while he tt inks he is not. Chas¬ 
ing hogs about the premises with the usual 
small boy and dog outcry, not to omit the big 
words which come in freely and usually, is a 
sort of relic, or should be, of rougher days. 
Every farmer wants a pig crate for his own 
and h(s pig's comfort, to say nothing about the 
hired man. I always move my hogs iu this 
way, aud three men can slide any ordinary 
hog on the ground by putting a pole through 
the front end, one man to take hold of each 
end and lift, aud cany, and the third man 
to push at the hind end. Witb a horse and boat 
one man can do it. 
To get a pig into a crate, when not used to 
it, set the open end of the crate in tl e pig-sty 
door, or in the barn door, or any building, 
after the hog has been toled or coaxed into 
it by scattering a little corn along, a little 
patience comes in play with pigs; open the 
barn door, start the pig that way and go out 
of sight, and it will not be long before the pig 
will walk in, but he will be more careful if 
any one is watching. That is the pig ot it. 
To tie a pig and maul it around and then 
take it for miles, and then have another 
squabble, and get mad, etc., bears no compar¬ 
ison with tbe comforting grace in the use of a 
nice pig-crate. They should be made to open 
at each end. It will save a great deal of time 
iu getting hogs out. Time is money in the 
pig business the same as in anything else. 
ijushflitirri]. 
CHEESE-MAKING—NO. 7. 
T. D. V URTIS. 
CUTTING CURD. 
I prefer early cutting—as soon as the curd 
is firm aud while it is yet tender and brittle, 
parting before the knife as if split instead of 
cut. There is less danger of waste from cut¬ 
ting early; the curd if left, soon becomes 
tough, driving before tbe knife and tearing 
instead of splitting or being cut. Lute cutting 
does not leave so smooth a surface to tbe curd, 
aud consequently the whey does not run out 
so freely. Every one knows that a smooth 
cut in flesh bleeds more freely than a rough 
one; the same principle is applicable here. 
When the curd is young, tender and cut 
smoothly, the whey separates more freely. 
Some run the knife through the curd one way 
and then stop to let it ‘Test”—as if the curd 
were tired! The object of cutting is to facili¬ 
tate the separation of the whey. If fit to cut 
at all, the curd is fit to receive all the cutting 
it will need. I prefer to have it all done at 
once, and as expeditiously as possible. If it 
could be done instantaneously, all the better. 
By cutting early we not only hasten the sepa¬ 
ration of the whey from the curd, but gain 
time, and give more opportunity as well as a 
better chance for the whey to separate before 
the acid develops—an importnut point, as we 
shall see. I also want the cutting tine—asfiue 
as kernels of com. This also facilitates sepa¬ 
ration of the whey from the curd, as it has less 
distance to inn from tbe center of a small 
piece than from tbe center of a large one. It 
also exposes more surface from which exuda¬ 
tion can take place. Coarse-cut curds are 
liable to have the centers of the pieces full of 
whey anti soft, because of the difficulty of 
getting the whey to pass through the longer 
distance from the center. There is also an 
uneven action of the heat when curd is cut 
coarse. Curd is a bad conductor of heat. 
Heuce the action of heat and rennet on the 
surfaces of the pieces is greater than iu their 
centers. This has the effect to condense the 
surfaces faster than the centers, thus closing 
up the passages for the escape of the whey, 
which is left enclosed aud may give trouble 
in the future. As the cry against the “sweet- 
curd”—it ought to be sweet whey—system is 
that it makes the cheese too soft, by retaining 
all the butter aud the phosphates, all tbe facts 
and arguments are in favor of early and fine 
cutting of curds, to facilitate the escape of the 
whey and secure even action of the heat, and 
consequently' of the rennet which coagulates 
and cures the cheese, when the conditions are 
all right. 
I wish to call attention again to the Exo¬ 
chorda grandiflora as an ornamental shrub for 
the lawn. Taking into consideration its pic¬ 
turesque form, freedom from insects, and 
great beauty when iu (lower, it is, iu my 
opinion, excelled by few shrutos at present 
grown. It is not, however, till the plant is 
four or five years old that any proper concep¬ 
tion of its beauty can be formed. It has more 
the habit of a tree than a shrub, and looks 
best on the lawn when grown to a single stem. 
It is out of place in a border or a mass of 
shrubbery. Its proper place is on the lawn, 
standing alonB. It is to be regretted that it 
is still a high priced plant, owiug to the diffi¬ 
culty of propugating it. I find, however, that 
an old plant will produce seed quite freely, 
and this fact ought to make its reproduction 
quite easy and cheapen the price. If, how¬ 
ever, there are English sparrows about, you 
will have a hard fight to save the see I. That 
has been my experience. The great point, 
however, is the fact that the Exochorda will 
produce seed wheu it has arrived at the pro¬ 
per age. *#* 
It is very bard to get people out of an old 
rut. The older the rut the greater the diffi¬ 
culty, no matter how much easier it may be 
to go on level ground. It is the custom of 
most people to take particular pains to put 
beaus in the drill after the manner of the 
traditional sardines. I should like some mem¬ 
bers of tbe Rural family to try a better way. 
For a trial, take the Black Wax Bush or any 
similar beau. Make a drill at least two inches 
deep, and drop tbe beans in it from two to 
four inches apart, according to your courage. 
Keep them free from weeds, but under no 
circumstances are you to draw so much as an 
inch of earth up to them. As you go along, 
make a note of the saving of labor and the 
increase in yield. I have yet to hear of the 
first person who has gone back to the old way 
after having tried this better one. 
*** 
As it seems to me now, tbe coming season 
will be one to test the economical value of 
artificial fertilizers. Make a note of it. 
* A 
T 
A very good thing to plant this Spring is 
the dwarf Japan Chestnut. This miniature 
tree has not been over-praised. Trees three 
years old will yield a moderate crop of nuts 
nearly as large as the Italian, but of better 
quality, and almost as sweet as our native nut, 
which is sayiug a good deal. The tree is not 
out of place ou a lawu. In Japan, the natives 
may be seen ou the corners of the streets roast¬ 
ing these chestnuts, just as we see Italians 
roasting chestnuts here. It is a common and 
popular nut in Japau. 
*** 
Now, in the springwme, when the early 
flowers are beginuiug to make the woods and 
meadows charming with tbeir beauty aud 
fragrance, is the time for the district school 
teacher to take the children out for a walk, 
make them acquainted with the lovely chil- 
ren of Nature, and give them their first lesson 
in botany. It is a beautiful as well as a health¬ 
ful ami instructive pastime. It is iu all re¬ 
spects time well spent. It is one of my pleas¬ 
ures to go over to our district school occasion¬ 
ally, and talk to tbe cnildreu about plants, 
their names, manner of growth, uses, etc.,and 
a more interested and attentive Budienee no 
man could wish for. Tbe school has a good 
collection of the seeds of useful and ornamen¬ 
tal plants, all correctly labeled with the scien¬ 
tific aud common names. Mr. Preston, the 
principal,is now making aeolleetiou of woods, 
and occasionally he takes the children out for 
a woodland walk. Tbe children have so far 
learned to love flowers that it is getting to be 
a pleasure to them r.o go to the fields and 
woods, and gather flowers for their teachers. 
Besides the good that is being done, the school 
rooms are at times made as gay aud interest¬ 
ing as a city flower show. Perhaps these re¬ 
marks may meet the eye of some sympathetic 
school principal in the Rural family, who 
may feel it to be his duty to do something iu 
this direction, which may prove to be some¬ 
thing more than a labor of love. Let us hope 
so. 
*** 
Amoug the earliest hardy spring flowers 
there is none to equal the Snowdrop and the 
Siberiau Scilla. Every reader of the Rural 
should have a bed or clump of these modest 
but lovely little flowers, even if the bulbs 
have to be put under the sod. The Snowdrop, 
in its haste to greet us with its lovely white 
bells and ring in the coming Spring, pushes 
its way through frost and snow; aud though 
seemingly oue of the most delicate of flowers, 
it maintains its loveliness during the most in¬ 
clement season of the year. It is soon joined 
by the beautiful, little, dark blue Scilla, and 
between them they keep you iu an ecstacy of 
delight for many weeks together. The Snow¬ 
drops have scarcely begun to fade before the 
well known Crocus, the Snow-flake, etc, 
appear on the scene. Last among the dimin¬ 
utive flowers is the little-known but pretty 
Triteleia uniflora. Here the honey bees have 
a daily feast. Those who write learnedly 
about these bees affecting flowers of a particu¬ 
lar color and shunning others would get but 
sorry comfort out of this bed. Here are at 
least live colors, and it would be difficult to 
say which the bees like best. 
*** 
There are hundreds of all the flowers just 
alluded to, growing in the open air without 
protection of any kind; aud at the time of 
writing (April 17), notwithstanding the cold 
and backwurd season, they have beeu a con¬ 
stant source of enjoyment for soiuo six weeks 
past, aud they are not hair done yet. In the 
surne bed (about twenty feet long) the Tulips 
and Hyacinths are just breaking through. 
This bed was made six years ago, and the 
bulbs have not been disturbed in auy way 
since, and will not be, except to reset the Cro¬ 
cuses, which have now reached the surface. 
They have just gone on multiplying aud 
growing more beautiful every year, without 
giving me the least trouble. When the tops 
die off, the bed is scratched over, a few 
Portulaea seed are sown, and ere long th« bed 
is gay again with summer flowers. How much 
beauty one may enjoy year after year for a 
very little labor and a trilling outlay of 
money 1 horticola. 
