648 
THE BUBAL M1W-Y0BKER. 
SEPT as 
species of craze regarding it took possession of 
many farmers. Hundreds were disappointed 
because nobody knew how to prepare a first- 
rate article. So for a time ensilage was obliged 
to nurse a bad “black eye.” Of late years, 
however, substantial improvements have been 
made in the process of preserving this fodder 
and now it is gaining friends slowly, it may 
be, but nevertheless surely. At the West, 
particularly in Ohio and Wisconsin, silos are 
multiplying at a rapid rate. There is no 
such great increase at the East, still there is a 
constant gain for the system. 
DISCUSSION. 
HOW TO FIGHT THE FLEA-BEETLE. 
T. H., Climax, Mich —It was with some 
surprise that I read the announcement in the 
Rural, as a new discovery, that the Flea- 
beetle destroys potato vines. I have known 
it for 20 years and have fought the pest for 15, 
as the occasion demanded. Like many other 
insect pests, this comes and goes, being much 
worse some years than others. I have fre¬ 
quently saved my potato vines from its 
ravages by a timely application of wood 
ashes. One year I treated only a portion of 
the vines in this way, with the result that they 
were saved while all the rest of the vines of 
the same kind and in the same patch were 
killed to the ground. I have used Paris-green 
and London-purple mixed dry with ashes or 
plaster with good results. It is useless to 
wait till the.damage is done before applying 
remedies, which I presume is what the Rural 
did this year. It takes several days for the 
vines to dry up enough after the work is done 
to attract the attention of a casual observer. 
The beetle is so small as to escape notice t 
unless it is looked for, until it has got in its 
work, and it is too late to save the vines even 
though every beetle is killed. Watch for the 
rascals and apply the remedies as soon as they 
appear and before the damage is done, if you 
wish to save your potatoes. 
M. H. C. G., Johnson’s, N Y.—Regarding 
the “dairy ideas” in the last issue—I would 
say that in this part of the country where all 
the milk produced goes to N. Y. city market 
it is necessary for farmers to have a number 
of fresh milkers in early fall to keep up the 
supply, so it has become .the custom of most 
milk producers to commence feeding in Au¬ 
gust to get as heavy a flow as possible, and 
the feed is continued all winter until the cows 
are turned out to grass in the spring. It 
follows that cows go into winter-quarters in 
prime condition, so if a cow should fail in her 
milk from any cause such as garget, or if she 
is a poor milker, she is fit for the butcher at 
short notice. Most farmers dispose of their 
poorest hay in early winter to dry cows, calves 
and colts, which eat it with a relish; but later, 
it is important that all stock should have good, 
well cured fodder, together with a small feed 
ration, regularly. It slicks them up wonder¬ 
fully and I think pays too. 
C. H. E., Avoca, N. Y.—Some time since 
I noticed in the R. N.-Y. a request that those 
that had had experience in cutting corn with 
a reaper should give their experiences. Here is 
mine. Last year I drilled my corn three feet 
four inches apart, and believed that with 
level culture it could be nicely cut with a 
reaper. The trouble with corn in hills or n 
drills so far part is that it will fall down 
more or less and a great many stalks will be 
left uncut, which makes it quite a job to set it 
up, and sometimes the knives will cut the ears 
off; and, again, I do not think a reaper could 
be used in a field where there are many pump¬ 
kins. Striking an ear is like hitting a root or 
stone. I don’t think any reaper will cut into 
an ear, and half of them will not cut heavy 
fodderjcorn, yet with a strong reaper, one that 
is geared high, this can be done. In this sec¬ 
tion fodder corn is cut in this way, but there 
are few machines that will stand the strain. 
“construction of mowing machines” 
Bradley & Co.—Regarding the article by 
Mr. Macomberon page 612. in relation to how 
to choose a mowing machine, we would say 
the circular undoubtedly gives the ideas of the 
party writing it in a very clever manner. 
The ideas embodied therein are all right, but 
in some respects (when it is borne in mind that 
a mowing machine must be made inexpensive¬ 
ly at the present time of low prices) it is im¬ 
possible for a manufacturer to furnish just 
exactly what he would like. We are con¬ 
stantly receiving letters from agents, etc., tell¬ 
ing us how to build machines, and presume 
the case is the same with manufacturers of 
other lines. We would hardly care to write a 
cri icism upon this article. Should we do so 
it would probably in a very marked degree 
resemble the description of our mowers as 
contained in our annual catalogue. 
P. P. Mast & Co.—Not being manufac¬ 
turers of either mowing or reaping machines, 
we do not claim to be experts in that line. In 
regard to the particular points named in Mr. 
Macomber’s recent letter in the Rural, much 
depends on the general construction of the 
machines: one might require in the pitman a 
different joint from another. We think here 
Mr. Macomber is correct in the main. Some 
of the points he names would not be essential 
in certain constructions of mowers. 
BUTTER-MAKING IN FRANCE AND DENMARK. 
In Normandy and Brittany the dairy is of 
supreme importance and everything else is 
quite subservient to it, says Prof. Webb in 
the Mark Lane Express. Milking takes place 
twice, and in most cases thrice, a day by 
milkers with carefully washed hands. All the 
utensils used in the process of butter-making 
are very simple, and they are kept scrupu¬ 
lously clean. The dairy is always placed on 
the ground floor in a cool place facing the 
north, and in a spot where water is readily 
accessible. Ventilation is carefully looked to. 
The French are most particular to have their 
dairies as far as possible from all stables, 
piggeries, &c., so as to prevent any unpleasant 
effluvia reaching the dairy. A thermometer 
is always used so that they can churn at the 
same uniform temperature, from 50 deg. to 
53 deg. Fahrenheit. This temperature is 
maintained by cooling in summer and warm¬ 
ing in winter. The skimming takes place 
while the milk is perfectly sweet, and placed 
in stone vessels to ripen. It is a most impor¬ 
tant thing to remember that the sooner milk 
is skimmed and ripened, the more delicate is 
the flavor of the butter, and the higher the 
price it obtains in the market. The simplest 
of barrel churns are mostly used, and the but¬ 
ter comes in the least time when the temper¬ 
ature is 57 deg. F. In winter the churn is 
warmed before the cream is poured in, and 
churning takes place iu the middle of the day. 
In summer the coolest period of the day is 
selected, aud the churn is half filled with cold 
water, and allowed to stand for some time 
before using. Careful attention having been 
given to the temperature and the speed of the 
churn, the operation is carried on until the 
butter has begun to come in small narticles, 
not larger than a grain of mustard seed. If 
the operation is continued beyond this point, 
the small particles of butter cohere and im¬ 
prison amongst them small drops of butter¬ 
milk. This buttermilk can never be properly 
extracted from the butter when it once gets 
in, and, as it decomposes very easily, it turns 
the butter rank. The next process is that of 
washing the butter. The buttermilk is drawn 
off, and clean cold water is substituted. 
Three or four turns of the churn are given, 
and the water is drawn off. This is repeated 
until the water comes out as clear as when it 
went in. After this the butter requires only 
a little consolidation with a wooden worker 
for choice, although many use their hands. 
The butter is generally made on the day be¬ 
fore the market day in the nearest towm, and 
the lump of butter is wrapped in a clean linen 
cloth. 
Twenty years ago Danish butter was the 
worst in the market, now it is perhaps the 
best, and certainly the best butter for keeping. 
It is important to notice that this change has 
been brought about by the application of 
scientific principles to their manufacture and 
the institution of efficient dairy schools 
throughout the country, which are supported 
by the Government. The essential difference 
in the manufacture of French butter and Dan¬ 
ish butter, results from the fact that French 
butter is eaten almost directly, and is not 
made to keep any great length of time; where¬ 
as Danish butter is essentially keeping butter. 
Iu Denmark the dairy farms are much larger 
than in Normandy, keeping from 50 to 300 
cows. The cream is separated from the fresh 
milk by a separator, and then set to ripen till 
the next day. It is necessary that the cream 
should be ripe acid, not only for the develop¬ 
ment of flavor, but to obtain a larger per¬ 
centage of butter. In churning, the machine 
generally used is that known as the Holstein 
churn. The process is essentially the same as 
for making fresh butter, up to the point when 
butter first begins to come. Then, instead of 
washing the buttermilk out of the butter, no 
water is used, but the butter is taken out of 
the butter-milk while in its granular state, 
and then the buttermilk is pressed or squeezed 
out, generally by hand. Mr. Jenkins has 
pointed out that the system of making fresh 
butter is essentially a wet process, while that of 
making keeping butter is essentially a dry one, 
although the principles of both processes and 
the preliminary stages of each are identical. 
Australian Agriculture.— It is just 100 
years ago since the first settlement was made 
in Australia, one consisting of convicts lo¬ 
cated at Botany Bay, New South Wales, and 
for nearly half a century afterwards immigra¬ 
tion was confined mostly to convict settle¬ 
ments. For the last half century, however, 
the immigration, almost entirely from the 
British Isl°s, has been second only to the rush 
to this country, and the white population of 
the various colonies now amounts to about 
3,500,000. Agriculture is the chief industry of 
all the colonies, especially sheep raising, as the 
country is considered the finest in the world 
for that business. As we learn from an inter¬ 
esting letter in Bradstreet’s, from a Mel. 
bourne correspondent, the Government of 
Victoria alone, with a population of hardly 
1,000,000, and an area of less than 90,000 
square miles, though only founded in 
1851, proposes to give $1,250,000 as bounties 
to farmers for the encouragement of the cul¬ 
tivation of various products, etc. The bo¬ 
nuses will be given first, to promote improve¬ 
ment in the quality and the packing of dairy 
produce and fresh fruit exported to the Lon¬ 
don market; second, to establish the produc¬ 
tion of wines possessing a distinctive and 
standard character in sufficient quantity to 
open up and maintain an export trade, to. 
gether with the establishing of factories for 
fruit canning, fruit drying, butter and cheese 
making, preparing for the manufacturer flax, 
hemp, silk and other products, and, third, for 
the purpose of inducing the farmers through¬ 
out the colony to effect improvements in their 
present management, and enter upon the 
growth of additional products iu order that 
they may not confine their attention to the 
production of one or two cereal crops. The 
farmers are not, however, satisfied with this 
programme, notwithstanding that it is ac¬ 
companied by a large reduction of railway 
freights, and by remissions of duty in their in¬ 
terest. They want more protection. There 
is a heavy duty already on all cereals, but 
the price of wheat is determined by the 
world’s markets, the colony now being an 
exporter of this grain. On barley the duty 
is 36 cents per cental, but this has not pre¬ 
vented considerable shipments of California 
barley coming into their market. Victorian 
farmers, have, however, received $1.44 per 
bushel for prime barley this season, while 
their Californian competitors have not re¬ 
ceived half that price in San Francisco. The 
need of importation has arisen from the small 
Victorian crop, but the Victorian farmer 
holds the theory that whether he condescends 
to produce enough for local consumption or 
not, no deficiency should be made good by im¬ 
portation. The same attitude is taken up 
with regard to maize from New South Wales 
and oats from New Zealand. The fact that 
Victoria is not well suited for growing barley, 
maize or oats does not weigh. The farmer 
clamors for prohibitive duties on any article 
which he may take a fancy to experiment on. 
The Victorian government has not adopted 
this platform, and a clamor is being fomented. 
The colony of Tasmania is now successfully 
exporting apples to England, where they are 
realizing high prices. The little island is the 
best producer of winter apples in the world. 
For many years her orchards have fallen 
into ruin for want of a market, but the suc¬ 
cess of the export trade will materially help 
the orchard-keepers. 
The sugar plantations of Queensland in the 
far north have been injured by adverse cli¬ 
matic conditions, and there will be a great 
deficiency this season. Last year the pro¬ 
duction was less than 50,000 tons; this year it 
will be only about half that quantity. The 
methods adopted by the planters, and the 
want of thorough cultivation, are regarded 
unfavorably by experts. 
Yield and Weight of Eggs.— The stand¬ 
ard yield and weight of eggs from the different 
varieties of the domestic fowl, according to 
the N. Y. World, maybe taken as follows: 
Light Brahmas and Partridge Cochin’s eggs, 
seven to the pound; they lay according to 
treatment and food, from 80to 100per annum; 
sometimes more if kept well; Dark Brahmas, 
eight to the pound, and about 70 per annum; 
Black, White and Buff Cochins, eight to the 
pound, and 100 is a large yield; Plymouth 
Rocks, eight to the pound, and they lay 100 per 
annum; Houdan, eight to the pound, and lay 
150 per annum, being non sitters; La Flfeche, 
seven to the pound, and produce 130 per 
annum: Black Spanish, seven to the pound, 
and lay 150 per annum; Dominiques, nine to 
the pound, and lay 130 per annum; Game fowls 
nine to the '.pound and lay 130 per annum. 
Craves, seven to the pound, and 150 per an¬ 
num; Leghorns, nine to the pound, aud from 
150 to 200 per annum; Hainburgs, nine to the 
pound, and 150per annum: Polish, nine to the 
pound, and 150 per annum: Bantams. 16 to 
the pound, and 60 per annum; turkeys lay 
from 30 to 60 eggs per annum, weighing about 
six to the pound; ducks’ eggs vary greatly 
with different species,but range from five to 
six to the pound; geese, four to the pound, 
and 20 per annum: Guinea fowls, 11 to the 
pound, and 60 per annum. 
The Purple Beech as an Ornamental 
Tree. —The merits of this tree says, Mr. S. C. 
Moon, in the Am. Florist, are gradually 
becoming more fully appreciated as one 
of the most effective ornamental trees for 
lawns, parks and avenues. The high prices at 
which they sold for many years deterred 
planters from using them freely, but within 
the last few years prices have been reduced so 
that they are now within the reach of all. A 
well grown avenue of Purple Beech would 
certainly be a magnificent novelty, and as 
single specimens it is one of the most symmet¬ 
rical trees that we have. 
They are slow in recovering from the check 
of transplanting aud therefore require care¬ 
ful handling, but after getting well established 
they grow as rapidly as Norway or Sugar ma¬ 
ples. A specimen tree on Mr. Moon’s grounds 
about forty years’ old is two feet in diameter 
of trunk, fifty feet high and forty feet in 
spread of branches, and is fully as large as a 
Norway maple near by of about the same age. 
The richness of coloring in the foliage of the 
Purple Beech depends largely upon the thrifti¬ 
ness of the tree and the surrounding circum¬ 
stances. For the finest development they re¬ 
quire full sunlight and to be in vigorous grow¬ 
ing condition. Therefore, conditions which 
contribute to the health and vigor of the tree 
help to develop the rich dark color. 
Good Words for Rye. —A writer in the 
Philadelphia Record that knows what he is 
talking about, says that rye is a crop that can 
be made to render more service to the farmer 
than any other, yet it is more frequently over¬ 
looked and discarded than it should be. It is 
a plant that not only endures the cold of win¬ 
ter and the heat of summer, but it will grow 
on the richest soil or the poorest sandy land. 
In some sections it is really the clover of sandy 
soils, for without its aid the advantages of 
green manuriug would be unavailable. Even 
the seed is cheap, while the cultivation neces¬ 
sary is very little compared with other crops. 
As a profitable grain crop it is behind oats, 
wheat, barl»y aud corn, but the straw is more 
valuable than that of any other crop, for 
which it is sometimes grown alone. 
Leaving out the value of rye as a grain 
crop entirely, it still ranks high in more ways 
than one. The fact that it can be sown in the 
fall and made to produce a late supply of green 
food after other grasses have ceased growing, 
should prompt farmers to devote a space to 
rye every season, but its usefulness extends 
further. The severe cold of the hardest win¬ 
ters will not injure it, and early in the spring, 
long before grass begins to grow, rye appears 
in its green condition to afford a supply of 
succulent herbage to the stock at a time when 
it is most needed. It allows the stock the 
privilege of eating off the early growth, and 
when the grass appears and the rye is no 
longer required, it will grow out again and 
make a crop of grain. It can then, in early 
spring, if preferred by the farmer, be plowed 
under instead of being allowed to seed, and 
it will provide an excellent manure for the 
corn crop. 
In one respect rye is a cheap crop because 
it requires no land for its growth, to a certain 
extent. That is, if the seed is sown in the fall 
oi land intended for corn in the spring, and 
the rye turned in before planting corn, the 
rye simply holds the land that would other¬ 
wise be unoccupied during the winter. It is 
also excellent on the land intended for pota¬ 
toes, and, as it assists in keeping down weeds, 
it saves much labor in that respect. 
As rye can be pastured at nearly all stages 
of growth, and can be turned under as a 
green manurial agent at any time, the farmer 
who fails to sow it will deprive himself and 
his stock of a most valuable plant, and, as it 
can be seeded down at any time at this season, 
the land for that purpose should be prepared 
without delay. Of course it thrives best on 
rich land, but even the poorest soil should be 
sown to rye rather than leave it unoccupied. 
SAMPLES AND COMMENTS. 
The editor of Orchard and Garden, usually 
very careful in his statements, says that the 
Carman raspberry appears to be simply the 
Souhegan under another name. If it is not, 
there is so little difference in the two that he 
cannot detect it, either in fruit or caue. They 
are practically the same, at all events.* 
