FARMERS’ CLUB. 
(Continued from page 57.) 
DISCUSSION. 
COMPARATIVE VALVE OF MAMMOTH AND RED 
CLOVERS. 
F. S., Hy detown, Pa.—Id answer to A. 
A. Crozier, of Washington, D. C., in a late 
Rural, as to the comparative values of Mam¬ 
moth and Red Clovers, I would say that the 
most intelligent farmers hereabout have al¬ 
most entirely discarded the Mammoth Clover. 
Its only recommendation—if recommendation 
it can be called—is that it makes very heavy 
stalks; while there are several serious objec¬ 
tions to it. First, for pasture, it starts late; 
in midsummer, when pasture is plenty, it 
makes a heavy growth; but a little dry wea¬ 
ther soou reduces it to a level with, and often 
below, the yield of the smaller clover; and 
wheu ouee (nit. or pastured off it makes but 
little of a second growth, while the smaller 
kind continues to grow steadily until killed by 
frost. As a fertilizer, it is also of less value 
thau the other. The small Red Clover has a 
long tap-root, which descends perpendicularly 
into the sub-soil and brings up plant food, 
which, by plowing, is mixed with the surface 
soil, and becomes food for the succeeding crop. 
The roots of the Mammoth Clover here do not, 
as a rule, go down to the sub-soil, but grow 
much more horizontally, feeding much more 
in the surface soil; and should it even yield us 
much fertilizing matter as the other, it has 
taken a much larger proportion of it from the 
surface soil, and consequently it is much less 
profitable. As hay, Mammoth Clover is un¬ 
certain, hard to cure, and less valuable when 
cured. It is, if I may use the expression, a 
lymphatic plant, eating up the fat of the laud 
and rendering no sufficient return. But right 
here permit me to add a caution. Beneficial 
as the small Red Clover is on the farm gener¬ 
ally, it should never be sowed in an orchard. 
Its long tap-root penetrates into the sub-soil' 
and feeds most just where the tree roots feed. 
Taking its sustenance from among them, it 
throws it upon the surface, where it is gener¬ 
ally eaten up by rank weeds. If the experience 
of other old farmers has been different from 
mine, I also would like to bear it, Mr. Crosier 
has himself found a number of the disadvan¬ 
tages of Mammoth Clover. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Idaho. 
Boise City, Ada Co., Dec. 31.—Some time 
ago the Rural said it would be a long time 
before it sent out a better potato than the 
Beauty of Hebron and the White Elephant; I 
think so too. The winter has been splendid so 
far; no snow or rain, roads hard, dry and 
dusty; stock of all kinds doing well; have not 
fed sheep a pound of hay this winter or 
weaned the lambs; they come in off the range 
every night as full as tides. This is a good 
horse county; horses are raised on the range 
like steers. They do not get as large as their 
sires or dams, that have been brought here 
from the States; but for going and lasting 
they are the poers of the best. M. K. s, 
Boise City, December 30,—We had fair 
crops the past season and produce brings a 
good priee, Wheat IV* cent, per pound; oats 
two cents; corn, 1 cent; barley, cent; 
rye, cent; potatoes, one cent; onions and 
cabbage the same. Timothy hay, §10; clover. 
§8; butter, 35 to 40 cents; eggs, 40 cents. 
T. N. M. 
UlInolM, 
Chicago, Cook Co., January 12.—The 
Chicago papers to-day tell us that the quality 
of the hogs which are now arriving is very 
poor, all of which goes to show that the best 
hogs for this season have come to market. 
There seems to be also a very steady increase 
in hog cholera, particularly in Eastern Kan¬ 
sas and Western Missouri, and the disease lias 
cleaned up the hogs in that territory for this 
season pretty well, and the hogs that are to 
go forward for the next.three'months are the 
cattle hogs. Friday and Saturday of last 
week gave us more suow, and for the first 
time this winter extended^west of the Missis¬ 
sippi, and Kansas reports to-day‘three or four 
inches on the level. This will prove not only 
beneficial to the winter wheat, but will be a 
great relief when it melts to farmers who have 
suffered so much this fall and .winter Tor the 
want, of water forjrtock*purposes. The ] wires 
have also told you of the bitter cold weather 
since Sunday. The result already"is'seen in the 
curtailment in the movement of graiu and live 
stock. It seems to me that the shortage of the 
corn crop, is asserting [itself more and more 
every day. 5 From Eastern Iowa, there will be 
very .littledf any teorn [shipped, and,in fact 
corn has already been shipped in, and the lo- 
cal price is 35 cents a bushel. It looks now as 
if Nebraska had the largest surplus of any of 
the corn-producing States, and were it not for 
the fact, of the immense number of cattle 
which have gone into that State from Iowa, 
Illinois and Missouri the receipts of corn this 
winter at the grain centres would have been 
much larger. There is no change in the corn 
situation of Kansa=, feeders still taking all 
that is offered at from three to live cents above 
the market prices, and Kausas City daily dis¬ 
tributing corn all over the State for the same 
purpose. The movement in the interior of 
Illinois shows a little increase during the last 
week, but not nearly as large as was ex¬ 
pected. R. R. 
Indiana. 
LaGrange, LaGrange Co., Jan. 8.—Wheat 
well covered with suow was looking good in 
the fall; but troubled with fly somewhat; 
acreage as largo as usual notwithstanding a 
a very poor yield last seasou on account of fly. 
Corn below the average, affected by the 
drought; some yet standing in the fields. 
Oats, a large yield. Potatoes a very fair crop, 
better thau anticipated Hay in general, a 
very heavy crop. Fruits of all kinds very 
good. Apples never so abundant; rotting 
badly. Garden truck all did well. Market 
about as follows; wheat, 75 cents; rye, 50 
cents; oats, 25 cents: coni, 30 to 35 cents; 
Tim. seed, $2.10; clover seed, §4.50; potatoes, 
35 cents; apples, 85 to 50 cents; eggs, 10 cents; 
butter, 14 to 15 cents; lard, 5) 2 cents; tallow, 
2 to 3 cents; hogs, §3.05; hay, §8 to §10. 
More attention is being paid to sheep and 
cattle than formerly, many sheep are being 
fattened, and prices are good. Lambs selling 
for §3 and upwards last fall. c. M. G. 
Iowa. 
Lima. Fayette Co.. Dee. 36.—We had a very 
thy summer and fall—a good time to do work, 
but not so good for crops. Hay was a good 
crop and put up in good condition. Oats 
good; corn not more than two-thirds of a crop 
—quality’ good. Potatoes, half a crop; selling 
at (JO to SO cents per bushel. Corn is scarce 
at 35 and 40 cents per bushel. Oats sell at 24 
cents; wheat, 65 cents, not much raised. 
About all the bulk of pork is in except a few 
light hogs; price ac present, $3.N0 to §4.00. 
Cattle, 2 to 4 cents, live; turkeys, 4 to 5 cents 
per pound; chickens, to 8 cents per pound; 
butter, 20 to 22 cents per pound; Timothy hay 
$5 per ton. p. K. J. 
Raman. 
Blanchard, Kingman Co., Jau. 5.—Farmers 
are all complaining of hard times, crops were 
poor and prices have been low. It has been 
very dry for four or live months; if the frost 
were out it would be too dry to plow. Weath¬ 
er is flue; the coldest day was Jan. 3—1 below 
zero. Wo have had but little snow, not more 
than two inches altogether. Railroads are 
pushing through here iu every direction. 
With good crops for two or three years the 
farmers will lie iu good circumstances. 
J. J. 
Maryland. 
Westover, Somerset Co., Jan. 10.—We are 
having good winter. Weather cold; ground 
covered with suow, and the rivers with ice; 
roads very’ icy; sleighing good; not much 
business being done a t present except in oysters. 
During the week between Christmas and New 
Year’s the weather was very mild, and plow¬ 
ing was done with us during the whole week. 
There is plenty of hay and corn fodder iu our 
section, and stock is looking well. s. c. s. 
IHIaaonrl. 
Aurora Springs, Miller Co., Jan. 2.—Prices 
here are, corn 45 cents; wheat 65 cents; oats 
25 cents per bushel; Timothy hay $8.00 per 
ton; potatoes 50 and apples 60 cents per bush¬ 
el : dressed hogs $5.00 per 100 pounds. 
j. N. B. 
Oregon. 
Forest Grove, Washington Co., Jau. 2.— 
The amount of fall grain sown is below the 
average, owing to long-continued dry weath¬ 
er. That sown looks well, but has not made a 
heavy growth and will make but little winter 
pasture. Much less plowing for spring grain 
has been done than usual, but many are still 
plowing, the ground being in good order. 
In regard to Mrs. Fisher’s description of Ore¬ 
gon and its products, in all cases where I have 
had observation to enable me to judge, she 
has invariably understated the facts. Prices 
are as follows; Apples, 35 to 50 cents; oats, 
33 to 40 cents per bushel; wheat, 65 to 
70 cents; potatoes, 40 to 50 cents; eggs, 35 
cents per doz; chickens, $2.50 per dozen; but¬ 
ter, 20 cents per pound. Money scarce. 
s. t. w. 
Pennsylvania. 
Scottsville, Wyoming Co., December 31, 
—Crops were generally good here last seasou. 
Wheat sells at 90 cents, corn, 50 cents; oats, 
35; potatoes, 50; butter, 30; eggs, 24. 
J. G. F. 
Tax ft". 
Evant, Coryell Co., «Jan. 8.—In Coryell and 
the surrounding counties the wheat is dying 
out very fast owing to cold, dry weather, and 
if we do not have rain soon we will have no 
wheat in this county. o, j, b. 
Brine-salted Butter. —Prof. L. B. Arnold, 
who is generally considered to stand first 
among American Dairymen, says, in the 
Weekly Press, that every good butter-maker 
knows that butter can not be worked without 
injury, and therefore ns little working is done 
as possible. Brine-salting obviates working 
altogether, and puts the butter iu a condition 
to use or pack iu a few minutes after it is out 
of the churn, all of which contributes to high 
flavor and to keeping. By this method butter 
can not be over-churned, nor over-worked, 
nor over-sailed, nor under-salted, and all of 
this goes to make butter of uniform quality, 
even when made by different parties, which is 
very important. It is not only the surest way 
to success, but it is by far the easiest and 
quickest method to learn, as the work is all so 
plain and simple. So far as churning, freeing 
from buttermilk and salting are concerned, 
Prof. Arnold has taught au entirely greeu 
hand to make a perfect success of it iu three 
lessons. A dealer in fancy butter iu Boston 
when interviewed upon this subject said that 
those who furnished him with t.he best butter 
all salted light, a half ounce to the pound and 
below, and most of them seasoned with brine. 
The best sample of butter at the Bay State 
Fair, that which scored the highest number 
of points aud sells iu Boston at 80 cents a 
pound, was brine-salted. While on the Island 
of Jersey last Summer Prof. Arnold found 
several of the best butter-makers be met sea¬ 
soning with brine. In his intercourse with 
dairymen in the United States he often meets 
with those who season with brine only, aud 
hears of others more frequently still, aud 
what is quite interesting in the matter is that 
they are always found among the best butter- 
makers. But it is objected that this method 
does uot salt high enough to make butter 
keep well. There is no foundation either in 
fact or philosophy for this objection. Every¬ 
body who knows any thing about the action of 
salt knows that dry salt or salt in crystals is 
entirely inert aud preserves nothing. To be 
eflieieut as a preservative salt must be in solu¬ 
tion. When, therefore, butter, or anything 
else, has applied to it a saturated solution of 
salt, it receives all the antiseptic force it is 
possible for the salt to exert upon it. "When 
butter in granules is immersed in a super¬ 
saturated solution of suit aud stirred occa¬ 
sionally till its moisture takes up all the salt, 
it can dissolve, there is au end to all salt 
can do for its preservation, for if more salt 
is added it must remain iu crystals aud there¬ 
fore can do no good, but may do harm, for 
the crystals of salt grinding among the gran¬ 
ules of butter are liable to break its grain and 
thereby injure its keeping. It has been his ob- 
ser \ ation for a long time that the more salt t here 
is put into butter above what its moisture will 
dissolve, theshorter is the lifetime of the butter. 
The quantity of salt which butter with an 
ordinary amount-of moisture will dissolve is 
surprisingly small Prof. Arnold is confident 
that not all the water in butter can be reached 
with salt, and that the salt actually held in 
solution is nearer a fourth thau a half ounce 
to the pound. Crystals of salt often exist m 
butter where their presence is not suspected. 
A little illustration wifi explain how this is. 
if a lump of common salt is wet with a satu¬ 
rated brine, the brine will penetrate between 
the graius of salt and cause the lump to crumble 
and appear like- wet sand, though not an atom 
of it has been dissolved. So when more salt 
is put iuto butter than its moisture can dis¬ 
solve, the brine formed will soon cause the 
grains of salt in contact with it to crumble iuto 
crystals too minute to be felt or seen with the 
naked eye. If t he maker or consumer desires 
undissolved salt in butter for the sake of in¬ 
creasing its saline fla vor, that is all l ight, and 
proper, but if it is put there for the better 
preservation of the butter, itisouly saltthrown 
away, As salt either in brine or crystals has 
no power to strike through butter us it has 
through meat, it is perfectly certain that the 
great bulk of butter, however salted, is un¬ 
touched and unaffected by salt or by its anti¬ 
septic power, and this muy possibly be the 
reason that butter goes right ou changing 
whether salted or not, when at a temperature 
that admits of change. But. while brine salt¬ 
ing meets with favor from a largo and pretty 
rapidly increasing class of consumers who pre¬ 
fer light salting, he believes that more thau 
half of the consumers in this country yet pre¬ 
fer more salt in their butter than brine-salt¬ 
ing will give. This preference must be met, 
but iu doing so it is not necessary to work the 
buttermilk out of butter or to work dry salt 
into it. To prepare butter for salting higher 
than brine salting will seasou it, the butter 
should be gathered in granules and washed as 
for brine salting with cold brine or cold water 
at about 50 degrees, aud then left in the churn 
to drain. If the cold granules are stirred with 
a spatula or ladle while they are draining, so 
much of the brine or water used for washing 
will drain off that there will not bo enough 
left to wash away much of the salt that is 
stirred in, and yet there will be enough to wet 
it. all, so that the grains of salt will crumble 
into finer particles and tbus avoid scratching 
the butter. Some of the undissolved salt will 
be washed out, of course, but it will be easy 
to so gauge the amount stirred in as to salt au 
ounce to the pound, or at any other rate, when 
the granules are pressed together. In this 
way all working can be avoided and the least 
possible injury done to the butter. 
Rats and Disease.— It has been claimed 
for years that rats fivst introduced the terrible 
trichinae iu swine aud then, through fresh pork 
and bacon, into human bodies. Dr. Landrey, 
in the Popular Science News, supports this 
theory with personal observations. He shot 
a rat in 1857 and made a careful examination. 
Scarcely a spot of the lungs could be 
found that was not filled with tubercles and 
those with trichina: in all stages of growth. 
Fancy the result of feeding such a horrible 
mass to hogs! In 1865 seven rats were shot 
and incautiously fed to a brood sow. She was 
fat when she ate them, but in six weeks she 
was so poor that her bones could almost be 
counted through the skin. All parts of the 
body, after death, especially the intestines, 
muscles and lungs were literally filled with 
trichinae. Throe cats also died after eating 
freely of rats from the same barn. An exam¬ 
ination of one cat showed trichina) present in 
the lungs. Dr, Landry took dinner with a 
farmer who had burned 60 so-called “cholera” 
hogs on his farm. The pork upon the table 
wus so filled with trichina? in tho incysted 
state that the kuife, in cutting through it, 
gave a grating sound like that made in draw¬ 
ing a knife through n turnip. The farmer and 
his wife, who ate the pork, were taken sick, 
and for years were “doctoring their livers.” 
This farmer’s hogs were given range to an 
old straw-pile—a regular rat-burrow. The 
60 hogs thut had been burned might have 
been saved by burning the straw stack. These 
facts show that rats, mice and cats should be 
kept, away from hogs. We have seen many a 
farmer throw a dead rat to the hogs. Is it 
not a crime to do so, with the above facts in 
mind? 
PITHS AND REMINDERS. 
The economical use of so-called chemical 
fertilizers. That is the question. Thou¬ 
sands of dollars are thrown away"l>y farmers 
because they don’t know what they buy; be¬ 
cause they don't know what fertilizers to use; 
because they don't know whattheir fields need. 
Unleached wood ashes are always good as 
u fertilizer. There is no question about that. 
But because they do uot in some instances pro¬ 
duce good crops, should the farmers condemn 
them? Evidently not. Bone used alone may 
in many cases produce a paying increase iu 
yield;in others tho effect may uot bo appreci¬ 
able. Does this prove anything against bone 
as u fertilizer? Suppose wo use both hone and 
ashes. Iu the experiments whore neither 
proved helpful, both may prove of high value. 
When both fail we should not condemn ashes 
aud bone as valueless. Let us add nitrogen in 
some form. Then we have the essential parts 
of fa rm manure. If this combination fail to 
increase the crops it will be because the laud 
is already rich or because there is too little 
rainfall to render them available... 
Potash will not help laud already rich iu 
potash. Neither will bom? help crops on land 
rich in phosphoric acid except us the nitrogen 
of bone may assist. Neither will reversing 
these fertilizers materially help crops upon land 
that needs both. Thou trg both . 
Let us repeat: A complete fertilizer is 
so called because it furnishes more or less of 
the three essential plant foods, viz.: Nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid and potash. But a “com¬ 
plete” fertilizer is uot necessarily a valuable 
one. It may bo worth five dollars or $50 per 
ton, its value depending upon the quantity 
of those three foods and the availability of 
their form. South Carolina rock, pulverized 
granite ami ground leather would form a 
“complete” fertilizer of the lowest, grade. 
Pure sulphate and muriate of potash, pure 
bone Hour and nitrate of soda or sulphate of 
ammonia and dried blood would form a most 
valuable “complete” fertilizer. The first might 
1 io dear at $10 per ton; the socornl cheap at $50 
per ton....... 
From the many inquiries we are all the while 
receiving from our readers, there is little dan¬ 
ger of repeating too often that soils which 
need all kinds of plant food, will not give full 
crops if given only one or two. If soils are 
already rich theu manures of any kind will 
