428 
JUNE 29 
he knows is absolutely pure. He may be 
very sure, but absolute knowledge in such 
cases is hard to gain. I have great confi¬ 
dence in Mr. Doolittle’s ability, honesty and 
observation, but I believe in this he is mis¬ 
taken. 
In case of fowls, the opportunity for taint 
is still less. It can come only from the pres¬ 
ence of sperm cells in the oviducts for a few 
days. The sperm cells enter the egg after 
which the latter has no organic connection 
with the hen. I have also tested this matter on 
a large scale; and am fully persuade^that the 
theory is in doubt. I bred chickens from 
Leghorn and Brahma hens that bad freely 
mated, the first year with Brahma cocks, and 
the second with Leghorn,for months, yet not a 
chicken, of scores 1 eared from purely mated 
hens after three weeks removal from the other 
cocks, showed a trace of impurity. When 
people find it otherwise, I believe either their 
hens or cocks are not pure. 
In case of mammalia the case is somewhat 
different. Here the sperm cells are not only 
in the reproductive tubes of the female for 
some days; but there is, through the placenta, 
organic connection between the fetus and 
mother all through gestation. And, possibly, 
through cell inoculation the sensitive ovaries 
may become so affected that subsequent eggs 
will show a taint of blood. I must say, how¬ 
ever, that I am skeptical here. The placenta, 
in the uterus, is some distance from the ova¬ 
ries, and the organic connection, which is 
only membranous, exists but for a short time. 
I can hardly see how the mother could be af¬ 
fected. I think we need more light on this 
problem. A very extensive and intelligent 
breeder of mules tells me that he knows there 
is no truth in this theory. He has raised 
many colts from mares which had previously 
bred mules, and these colts were all horse. 
Pain) 
DAIRY DOTS ON THE RURAL NO. 2,055. 
A. L. CROSBY. 
An “All-Purpose” Symposium.— Well, 
the Holstein men have had their say in the 
Rural, and they seem to agree that a big 
cow with a beef tendency is the profitable all¬ 
purpose animal. Very well, but to be con¬ 
vincing, figures ought to have been given 
showing the cost of feeding a big cow for a 
year and the amount of milk and butter she 
gave in return. One of the Holstein cows, 
figure 150, attained the enormous weight of 
2,030 pounds, From my experience in feed¬ 
ing cattle for beef, I know that an animal so 
heavy as that must consume a large ration 
merely to sustain life, then, in addition, the 
profit ration must be given. If it pays, all 
right; if it does not pay, all wrong. 
It is rather singular that Holstein breeders 
—taking into consideration their claims for 
butter—have given numerous yearly milk rec¬ 
ords, but, as I remember, not a single yearly 
butter record. They have “estimated” the 
butter yield from weekly tests, but that is not 
the right way. Let us have the whole year. 
Now if the Holstein is the cow that farmers 
want, it is easy to show it by giving the 
figures, the actual cost and yield. 
The Best Churn. —P. B.S. inquires on page 
398: “ Why is not that the best churn which 
will make most butter of at least equally good 
quality, from the same quantity of cream?” 
It is, providing it does not consume too much 
time in churning or cleaning the churn after¬ 
wards. The churn with a dash in it will not 
injure the grain of the butter if it be stopped 
when the butter is in the granular state; but 
the dash will not bring the butter any quicker; 
it is unhandy to have and to clean and as it 
has no useful part to perform, why not leave 
it out? 
In the table P. B. S. gives of the results of 
the churn contest,the Blanchard,a dash churn, 
made the most butter from a given amount of 
cream. Was the butter analyzed and the per 
cent, of water in each lot determined! If 
not, then the trial proves nothing so tar as 
the quantity of butter 'is concerned as in 40- 
pound lots, one lot could easily contain a 
pound or two of water more than another. 
In churning by concussion the whole mass of 
cream is evenly churned; but if a dash is used, 
a coating of cream is formed over the whole 
inside of the churn, which is not reached by 
the dash and is not so sure of being all churned. 
If the dash churn will make better butter, 
make it with less labor, make more of it and 
make it quicker than any other churn, why, 
that is the churn we want. But if it won’t, 
then let us swing our cream or turn it end 
over end. 
Keeping Butter.— Col. Curtis says on 
page 899, that in packing butter to kee for 
winter use: “The butter milk should be well 
worked out.’ This must be a misprint for 
“washed” out, as I don’t believe the Col. 
would advise gathering the butter in the 
churn and then attempting to work out the 
butter milk. The Colonel writes an “awful” 
hand and it is no wonder the printers make 
errors in setting it up. 
Soiling Cows. —Henry Stewart says on 
page 399: “The great advantage of soiling 
cattle is that it is exceedingly comfortable for 
the cows, insuring full feeding with the best 
food, the largest supply of the best milk, and 
the ease and comfort of the owner.” How 
differtntly we look at things! I think the 
great disadvantage of soiling cows is that it is 
exceedingly uncomfortable for the cows, with 
no guarantee of full feeding unless much 
more than they can eat is given them, so that 
they can pick out the best; the grass—if grass 
is fed—must be of a certaiu bight in order to 
be cut, whereas, in the field the cows reject 
the long grass and eat the short, fine grass 
that the scythe would not cut unless it had a 
lawn-cutting edge, which it never has It 
is very uncomfortable for the owner to cut it 
in a pouring rain or a scorching sun, especial¬ 
ly on Sundays, it takes much valuable time, 
and if the field is properly pastured, does not 
save grass enough to pay for the worry. 
As for there being no “ driving of the 
cows,” there need be none in pasturing. 
What’s the matter with “calling” the cows? 
The dairyman who can’t go to the gate of the 
pasture field and let his voice leak out in a 
long “ Hoo-oo-oo o-o,” with the immediate 
effect of causing each cow to raise her head 
and listen, then, at the next call, give an an¬ 
swering “ Moo-oo-oo-o,” with a move in the 
direction of the caller, both then marching 
straight to the stable; I say the man who 
can’t do this has not got as well acquainted 
with bis cows as he should be. But if we 
must soil, let’s do it with the help of the silo. 
Then things will move along with the ease and 
comfort—both to the cows and owner—that 
Mr. Stewart describes. 
THE CASH CROPS. 
(CONTINUED. 
Kanina. 
Washington, Washington County, June 
6.—Our money products are hogs and corn. 
We sell them right here to grain men and hog 
buyers. Prices have been fair; but are lower 
now. Hogs are sold by weight, all at about 
the same price. Corn must grade No. 2 to 
bring market price; when it is damp or dam¬ 
aged it brings less. Time was when there 
was a profit in growing and feeding cattle. 
There is no range here now, and cattle feed¬ 
ing for the past two years has been at a loss to 
the feeder. Unless there is a change in prices, 
this section will undoubtedly settle down al¬ 
most entirely to hogs and corn, and at the 
present rate of transportation there will be 
little or no money in corn. In improvements 
I could suggest a good many changes and not 
the least would be the appointing of a compe¬ 
tent general agent, under heavy bonds for 
each township, not only to buy and sell every¬ 
thing; but to have the general oversight and 
management of all farms, giving directions 
as to what and how much shall be grown and 
the amount of tabor imperatively demanded, 
and as to every detail in the raising of stock. 
He should see that every house is painted and 
that the grounds are suitably adorned with 
trees and shrubs. This would probably revo¬ 
lutionize and brighten the prospects of every 
neighborhood. F. 0. c 
Michigan. 
Menomenee, Menomenee County, June 11. 
—1. Hay and potatoes are our cash products. 
2. They are sold in’tbe county where they 
are produced, and they are sold in the city to 
consumers. 
2. Prices have been very low—too low for 
a profit, owing to over-production Prospects 
very poor. 
4. Some get extra prices by .marketing 
only first-class goods. 
5. For 10 years farming has been going 
from bad to worse. Cash crops have not 
changed. 
By way of improvement I would suggest 
that the farmers should cultivate fewer acres 
and do the work better than they do it now. 
They should also keep a milk and butter 
record for their cows and then they would 
know the difference between good and poor 
stock. I would also suggest that they should 
feed their cows well and keep fewer. By so 
doing they would save labor; get more money 
for the labor performed, and have better ma¬ 
nure to spread on the laud, and consequently 
better crops. They should also .plant sweet 
corn to feed to their cows in July and August. 
No money can be made or saved by starving 
them. 1 would sell.no.hay if I had a home 
market for the butter and at satisfactory 
prices. m m. 
Rollin, Lenawee County, June 9.—Our 
money products are pork, wool and wheat, 
poultry, beet, butter, cream, potatoes, oats 
and corn. These are sold to middlemen in 
the nearest village, except eggs, poultry and 
cream, which are taken right from the farms. 
Prices have been fair, though our products 
have been occasionally sold below cost. Prices 
in future will probably be like those in the 
past. If some one makes more money than 
his neighbors by raising any particular arti¬ 
cle, all are likely to go to raising it until the 
market is glutted and they have lost more 
than they have made. J. o. B. 
JVew York. 
Lyons, Wayne County, June 11.— 
Barley, wheat, corn, potatoes, apples, pepper¬ 
mint, oats and hay are our cash crops. They 
are sold in this place to shippers. Consider¬ 
able hay is also sold and it pays well at 
present; but if all goes out and nothing is put 
back, crops must shortly be greatly reduced. 
More stock and silage are needed to keep up 
the fertility of the soil. Our facilities for 
shipping are good, by canal or railroad. 
Prices are: Barley, 55 cents to 80 cents; 
wheat, 80 and 90 cents paid by millers and 
| shippers; potatoes, 25 and 35 cents; oats, 27 to 
$ 40 cents, according to the kind and quality, 
i Hay brings us from §10 to $15 per ton ; 
! apples, from 81 to $2.25 per barrel according 
{ to quality and kind. Several changes have 
been made within 10 years owing to the use 
of better machinery so that grain goes on in 
better shape. Then we have better facilities 
for making good butter, and people take more 
care to look up good customers who appre¬ 
ciate a good thing when they get it. Then 
ensilage, too, has come into pretty general use 
inside a decade. As improvements I would 
suggest the making of more barnyard and 
stable manure, and the cultivation of fewer 
acres with greater care. J. b. 
Ohio. 
Napoleon, Henry County, June 10.— 
Wheat,corn and rye are the crops]from which 
farmers hereabouts obtain their money. They 
are sold to local dealers in the nearest towns. 
Prices for 10 years past have been lower than 
formerly, and we can see no prospect of an 
improvement in the near future. I have no 
Knowledge of any farmers who realize more 
for their products than market prices. There 
has been little change ’ imthe past 10 years 
Farmers now depend for their cash upon the 
same crops as formerly. I would suggest 
the beeping of better stock of all kinds, the 
production of more feed and. its consumption 
on the farm by improved’stock, and] the' sell¬ 
ing of condensed products in the form of ma¬ 
ture horses, cattle, sheep, swine or wool; or 
highly bred stock of any kind for breeding 
purposes. v. J e. 
Tiffin, Seneca County, Juue 10.—The peo 
pie of this neighborhood depend mostly on 
wheat and corn as their main crops. Corn 
is mostly fed to hogs and cattle, and w heat is 
sold right after it has been thrashed or when 
the price is satisfactory or when the farmers 
are obliged to.sell. Most of the wheat is sold 
to shippers, and*shipf ed to New York City, 
and some is sold direct to steam mills in this 
place. Wheat has averaged about 85 cents 
per bushel during the past few'years. If farm¬ 
ers would read the Rural New-Yorker 
and take]tbe best out 'of it] there would be a 
bright future ahead, but with some of them 
there is quite a dark future. There are few 
who try to double their crops. Farming has 
not changed much in the last 10 years. By 
w^ay of improvement I would suggest that 
farmers should raise more on one acre than 
they now do on two, that they should raise 
500 bushels of J potatoes per acre instead of 
raising from 75 to 100 bushels as they do now. 
Besides wheat and corn, farmers raise differ¬ 
ent kinds of crops in this neighborhood, such 
as oats, potatoes and considerable hay, which 
is mostly fed to]stock. Seneca county is also 
one of the best fruit counties in the State; 
but the crop for this year is almost a total 
failure, except grapes. p. h. b. 
Wisconsin. 
Ketcham, Fond du Lac County, June 3.— 
We are having a trying time here just now, 
there having been three heavy],frosts within 
10 days—two white and one black—followed 
now by one week of rain and very cold north¬ 
east winds with some snow on June 1st. The 
mercury was down to'44 degrees at noon. No 
change to-day. Corn looks as if it]could not 
recover. Potatoes are black to the ground. 
The Rural No. 2 came up well; but was kill¬ 
ed." The vines, on my Contest plot are black 
to the ground. Grass and small grains doing 
well. h. d p. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 
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and address of the writer to Insure attention. Before 
asking a question, please see If It Is not answered In 
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WHEAT QUERIES. 
D. R., Bergen County , N. J. —1. If you 
suspect wheat is going to lodge, what can be 
done to prevent it? 2. How well does wheat 
or rye ripen when lodged? 3. Is it economical 
to have the field so well manured as to en¬ 
danger lodging? 4. Which will stand up 
better bearded or beardless wheat? 
Ans.—F rom its own experience the 
R. N.-Y. can give but little information. 
The following answers are from successful 
wheat growers. 
FROM A. L. CROSBY. 
1. I know of nothing that will do so on my 
soil; on some soils salt is said to stiffen the 
straw. 
2. If the grain is formed and in the milk, 
or nearly so, I think it will ripen well; but if 
the wheat lodges much before that time the 
chances are for light graiu or none. 
3 Well, yes, I think I would run “ some” 
risk that way on account of the grass and 
clover. But a lodged wheat field is a poor 
piece of property. 
4. In my experience the beardless is much 
better. After the recent storms both of my 
wheat fields were down, but soon got up as 
straight as ever with the exception of a little 
patch on well manured potato ground. My 
wheat is Fultz, If it were a bearded wheat, 
