desirable qualities and pointed out the objec¬ 
tionable features of salt for daily purposes, 
referring also'to the evils of carelessness in 
handling, whereby dirt and foul odors are im¬ 
parted to it, We now come directly to the 
operations of salting dairy products. The 
usual method lias been to take butter out of 
the churn, place it upon the worker, give it a 
thorough cutting, rolling and rubbing to get 
out the butter-milk, then to sprinkle on the 
salt and hi proceed as soon and as rapidly as 
possible with the work of grinding it into the 
butter. After the strength of the operator 
was exhausted, the butter was set aside for 34 
hours for the salt to dissolve, and then the but¬ 
ter was given another working to get out the 
surplus brine! If the salt happened to be 
fine, even-grained and freely dissolving, a large 
proportion of it was run away in the brine, 
and then it was charged with lacking the re¬ 
quisite strength, or accused of dissolving too 
easily and wasting! The butter—well, the 
butter was made into grease, which might be 
tolerably palatable, if immediately consumed, 
but quickly parted with its volatile flavoring 
oils, or had them converted into offensive 
compounds by uniting with the gases of the 
atmosphere! And even now there are those 
stupid enough to talk about the waste of salt 
by its dissolving too quickly, when in fact 
this is a most, desirable quality. But there 
are those who know bettor, and dairymen who 
practice a more desirable method of salting 
their butter. Since the adoption of the prac¬ 
tice of not gathering the butter in the churn, 
but leaving it in a granular condition—some 
say as fine as wheat, and others as fine as mus¬ 
tard seed—the problem of getting out the 
butter-milk aud salting the butter has been 
much simplified. 
The butter is now generally washed in 
the churn by pouring in cold water— 
which shduld be as low as 55 degrees, if not 
50—agitating the churn a little aud then draw¬ 
ing off the water. This process is repeated 
until the water runs clear, aud if one washing 
is in weak brine it will greatly aid in freeing 
the butter from caseous matter. After wash¬ 
ing, let the water drain off sufficiently, which 
it wifi generally do in half an hour or 
so, sprinkle on the salt and stir it 
in gently with a ladle or by gently 
turning the churn. At the tenqieratura 
of 55 v or below, the butter will not pack, so 
the salt—especially if it freely dissolves and 
becomes brine—can easily be worked into the 
butter in a very few minutes. There is uo 
grinding, crushing lever-moving over the but¬ 
ter, but sweet brine, aided by the stirring and 
capillary attraction, penetrating all through 
the mass, aud covering every particle,however 
minute. As soon as the salt is dissolved, the 
butter is evenly salted as no amount of lever 
working could do it with undissolved salt, or 
with the butter gathered into a solid mass. 
Butter so salted into the granular condition 
may be at once taken from the churn, aud 
packed directly in the tub, the packiug pressing 
it together in a close body. Or it may be 
taken on to a worker, aud geutly, very gently, 
pressed together aud then packed. No second 
working is required, and it is already as evenly 
salted‘as it ever can be,land a second working 
is*even more disastrous to the texture than the 
first, working. After the butter has once 
settled together aud become “set,” as it were, 
like mortar, working it rapidly deteriorates it 
aud makes it oily, which injures the keeping 
quality, and hastens the time when it gets “off 
flavor.” 
The foregoing is feasible in small dailies, 
In large dairies and factories, it might 
be difficult to salt in the churn or stir 
in the salt as directed. But the process of 
chur ning and washing may be the same in all 
cases. Where there is a large amount of but- 
ter—weli cooled down, of course—it may be 
scooped out of the churn and placed on the 
working table, there spread as evenly as 
possible, and the required amount of salt 
sprinkled on. Then take a rake—a smooth, 
common hay-rake is good enough—wet it first 
in hot, then in cold water, and proceed to rake 
in the salt by beginning at one edge, and care¬ 
fully drawing a small amount of the granules 
toward yon just a little. Then reach out and 
take a little more, thus proceeding until the 
whole mass has been gone over. Next, begin 
on another side and repeat the o|K-ration, con¬ 
tinuing the stirring until the work is done. It 
will not be a difficult task to decide when the 
salt is all dissolved aud sparkling in the form 
of brine on every particle of butter. The work 
is now completed aud the butter is ready for 
the tub. It is a matter of little consequence 
whether it is first pressed together and then 
packed, or the pressing together iS*done as the 
packing goes on. If first pressed together, let 
it be carefully done without working. In this 
way, perfect grain aud even salting are se¬ 
emed ; and if the rest of the work is perfectly 
done, perfect butter is the result. 
Too much attention cannot be given to 
every operation in butter making, and salting 
is one of the most important. 
NEW YORK STATE DAIRYMEN’S AS¬ 
SOCIATION. 
Composition of milk; puzzling experiments 
of the New York Experiment Station; in¬ 
fluence of soil on milk; milk a perfect food 
for infants only; evils of unclean stables; 
stable floors; need of pu re-bred bulls; in¬ 
fluence of food upon milk; skim cheese; 
work of the Dairy Department; dairy man¬ 
agement. 
[RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.] 
Thts association met in annual convention, 
at Jamestown, on the 15th, and closed its ses¬ 
sions on the afternoon of the 17th of Decem¬ 
ber. After the preliminaries, Prof. J. T. Ed¬ 
wards read a paper'ou the composition of milk. 
It is a mixture of liquid and solid compounds, 
extremely sensitive to outside influences. Only 
about one-half of one per cent, of the mineral 
portion of it is derived from the soil. The 
rest is elaborated from the atmosphere through 
the plant food of the cow aud her own organ¬ 
ism. It used to be considered a product of 
vital chemistry, but its constituents are so well 
known now, that the chemist can produce a 
very close imitation of it. During the siege of 
Paris by the Germans, artificial milk was pro¬ 
duced for the use of infants. It was composed 
of S7 parts of water, four parts of olive oil or 
horse fat, four parts of sugar, four parts of 
egg albumen or gelatine, one half part of com¬ 
mon salt, and one half part of carbonate of 
soda. This sustained the lives of the little ones 
fed on it. This is more than can be said of 
some of the milk sold in our cities. Immat ure 
coru-stalks the Professor considered very ob¬ 
jectionable feed for milch cows. He had noted 
that bowel complaints and mortality among 
infants prevail at the season when daiiymeu 
are soiling with sowed coni. Immature corn¬ 
stalks an- bad, whether fed green, cured, or en¬ 
silaged. They do not digest well, aud produce 
a feverish product. 
Dr. E. L. Sturrevant said he knew less about 
milk than he formerly supposed he did. Four 
years of experiment, at the Station, with con¬ 
tradictory results, only point the way for fur¬ 
ther investigation, without reaching any defi¬ 
nite conclusions. He has found that bacteria, 
one way and another, play very important 
parts in the conduct of milk. He had fed 
putrid food without any apparent results, and 
had been greatly perplexed with milk pro¬ 
duced from sound food and under what were 
supposed the best conditions. But. examination 
showed there were bacteria floating in the at¬ 
mosphere of the stable, aud these were traced 
to some decaying matter that had escaped ob¬ 
servation. He found the same results in the 
milk product,from feeding four pouuds of corn- 
meal per day with hay, that he did from feed¬ 
ing 40 pounds of turnips with hay, but in the 
latter case more hay was consumed. He has 
found that, artificial digestion of foods corres¬ 
ponds very closely with the costly German ex¬ 
periments in feeding, and hopes soon to furnish 
the farmers reliable feed tables indicating the 
value of different foods. But there is great 
variation in animals; and the same feed and 
care do not always produce like results with 
the same animal. One cow will drink 150 
pounds of water daily, while another cow, 
standing by her side and treated in the same 
manner, will drink only 40 pouuds. He did 
not say whether there was any eon'espondenee 
between the flow of milk and the amount of 
water drank. Dairymen should test every 
cow. He had uo doubt that all the profits of 
many herds came from a few of the herd, the 
rest reducing instead of increasing the profits. 
He had found milk testing chemically six per 
cent;, of fat, that would not yield more than 
two or three per cent., of butter, while milk 
showing only four per cent, of fat, would 
churn four and a half per cent, of butter. The 
water aud albuminous matter made up the ex¬ 
cess of weight. 
Prof. L. B. Arnold commented upon the 
fact of milk containing only one-half of one 
per cent, of minerals, as indicated by Prof. 
Edwards. Yet the soil has wonderful iutlu- 
ence on the quality of the feed it grows, and 
hence, on the quality and flavor of the milk 
resulting. But small as tin-amount of mineral 
matter is, it is very essential, to make milk a 
perfect food. It is uot a perfect food, how¬ 
ever, for auy except the young, aud for them 
but for a short period. It is not suited to 
adults as an exclusive diet, for it does not con¬ 
tain enough of the respiratory or heat-pro¬ 
ducing elements, while it. has an excess of 
nitrogenous matter uot needed for tissue- 
building, aud of minerals uot needed for bone¬ 
building. This excess soon clogs the system 
or breaks down the organs exercised in throw¬ 
ing them off as superfluous material. Skim- 
milk is still worse for elderly people, because 
deprived of its fats. The butter fats are 
equaled by no others in aiding digestion. The 
volatile oils which they contain are very pene¬ 
trating, aud help wonderfully to break up and 
‘ 1 dissolve the solids—especially the caseous ones. 
Milking cows in ill-ventilated stables is not 
only favorable to the introduction of bacteria 
into the milk, but to the absorption of bad 
odors. These are introduced, not so much by 
beiug absorbed by the milk, as by beiug 
breathed by the cows, thus going iuto general 
circulation and tainting all their fluids, milk 
included. Fifteen minutes in the stable, in¬ 
haling the odors, are sufficient, time in which 
to impart their smell and flavor to the milk. 
He had known milk tainted aud flavored with 
onions by the cows feeding in the pasture by 
the side of an onion patch. In ventilating a 
stable, it should be so done that the air will 
come first to the cow’s head and pass out at 
the rear of her, instead of coming in, as is 
usual, through an open window behind her, 
carrying along with it the odors of her drop¬ 
pings to be inhaled at every breath. 
Prof. I. P. Roberts recommended concrete 
—one part of Portland cement to two of sand 
—for the floors of farm buildings. But he 
would have the cows stand on wood, as more 
comfortable; and to prevent the planks from 
rotting, he would imbed them in an inch or 
two of cheap salt. The floor of the dairy 
house at Cornell University slopes from all 
sides to a sewer pipe which receives and runs 
off all the liquids. Wood cannot be kept clean 
enough for the floor of a dairy house. 
Hon. Willis P. Haz/urd recommended dairy¬ 
men to purchase blooded bulls for use in grad¬ 
ing up their herds. In no case should a grade 
bull be relied on, as he may grade down in¬ 
stead of up. Be sure that the bull is of a good 
milking family, and has good points. 
Prof. G. C. Caldwell discussed the influence 
of food upon milk, He said, anything held in 
solution in the blood may be carried iuto the 
milk, though it. appears probable that milk is 
the immediate product of the tissues of the 
milk glands which are broken down and as¬ 
sume a liquid form. The blood, however, may 
be no more watery, on watery food, than on 
dry food. But insufficient food t Liius the blood 
and also reduces the quality of the milk. Some 
diseases have a similar effect. In late trials, 
it was shown that the relative proportions of 
the fats and albuminoids may be changed by 
food. By feeding pahn-uut oil, there was 
an increase of the fats,but none of the caseiue. 
The same feed and care do not always produce 
the same result. It is safe to increase the food 
as long as there is any corresponding increase 
in the amount and quality of the milk yielded. 
Good silage, fed in a proper manner with 
other food, will not injure the milk. Chemists 
are experimenting on the effects alkaloids have 
on milk; and though they have still much to 
fin d out, they will always lie valuable aids to 
the dairymen. Aromatic grass might be used 
to flavor milk, but the result might not always 
be favorable to them. Sweet, clover is not rel- 
ishable by cows and it affects the milk badly. 
Grown in mass, cut early aud properly cured 
it is more nutritions, and might huve a more 
favorable effect on the milk product. 
B. D. Gilbert said the manufacture of skim 
cheese had hurt the reputation of our goods, 
and fine goods are now sought in Canada by 
foreign buyers. But Canada cheese last sea¬ 
son was made too dry, and over-salted. There 
was an increase in home production during the 
past season, but retail dealers should be con¬ 
tent with smaller profits t han they are wont to 
demand. 
Prof. Arnold said the lack of home consump¬ 
tion. was owing to the poor qunJity of the 
cheese put upon the retail market, lie was in 
favor of a State appropriation to employ a 
competent, cheese-maker to travel over the 
State and instruct, the cheese-makers, as has 
been done in Canada and in some of the Euro¬ 
pean countries. 
Dairy Commissioner Brown rehearsed the 
work of his department. The duty has de¬ 
volved upon 1dm to ascertain just what statutes 
are in force since the decision of the Supreme 
Court in the case of Marx rs. The People, and 
how far they have boon modified by that de¬ 
cision. He now has over 200 cases on his 
hands, and new ones are constantly arising. 
This Htate lias over $200,000,000 invested in 
dairying, and the annual production is uot less 
than $00,000,000, and he thinks so large an in¬ 
dustry is entitled to its share ol’ legislative 
care. Some might think the appropriation of 
$50,000 large. Ho it is; but if it were $120,000 
he could do more effective work, and the. share 
of the tax which would be paid by a farmer 
owning a $5,000 farm would be only 20 cents— 
the equivalent of a pound of butter, or of two 
pounds of cheese, or of two UPcent cigars. 
Major Henry E. Alvord protested against, 
our exhaustive system of farming, which gives 
us a little present gain at the expense of our 
ability to produce more wealth. He considers 
stock-raising and dairy farming the liest for 
the farm and the farmer. We should improve 
our stock as well as our funning. We ought 
to bequeath to posterity something better 
than exhausted farms and worn-out. tools, 
Jessie Owen gets 250 to 27s pounds of butter 
per year from a cow. He lias grade Jerseys. 
He thinks an acre of coru-stalks worth as much 
as an acre of hay. He cuts and cures the 
corn-stalks as soon as the ear is formed. His 
grass is cut early, and cured as little as pos¬ 
sible aud have it keep. He gets better results 
from whiter milk than from summer. His 
stables are kept at 45 v ', Spring water is given 
the eows once a day. He raises 10 calves a 
year from his best cows. They suck only a 
few times, and theu they are led skim-milk. 
At the end of a month, he gradually drops off 
on the milk and feeds hay and ground feed. 
The calves are seldom troubled with scouring. 
His cows are fed oats ami corn ground together 
in equal proportion. Of this meal, they are 
given, mixed with bran, eight quarts a day 
He sots his milk in a diy cellar the year round. 
In Winter it is heated to (U> or C55 c . 
The election of officers resulted in the choice 
of Hon. Harris Lewis, Frankfort, for Presi¬ 
dent: Maj. Henry E. Alvord, Houghton Farm, 
first Vice-President; aud Hon. Josiah Shull, 
Ilion, Secretary and Treasurer. 
dl)c jpoulIvtj BiU't), 
PROFITS DERIVED FROM EARLY 
CHICKS. . 
Losses of chicks; necessity of warmth; gain 
in weight of different breeds; results of an 
experiment; when to market. 
p. n. JACOBS. 
These depend upon the markets and the lo¬ 
cations of the poultry farm. Experiments 
have shown conclusively that up to the weight 
of three pounds, the cost of production is five 
cents per pound. But this may r bo increased if 
the chicks are not properly brooded. When a 
brood of chicks are hatched by a hen, early in 
the season, she will be successful with them in 
proportion to the care given her. If allowed 
to carry her brood wherever she prefers, and a 
sudden change in the weather occurs, such as 
cold winds or rain, the chances will bethatshe 
may lose some of them; but if she is kept in a 
dry, warm location, well sheltered, and the 
chicks are fed regularly, the loss will be small. 
The same rule applies to raisiug chicks iu 
brooders. The loss of chicks amoug those 
under brooders isuppuroutiy greater than with 
hens; but it is well known that a hen hatching 
out 10 chicks will be fortunate if she raises 
eight of them. The same proportion among 
the brooder chicks allows a loss of 20 out of 
every 100, which, though seemiugly large, is 
less than the usual loss with hens. 
Young ehieks grow very rapidly when kept 
warm, aud that is the secret of success— keep 
(hem always warm. They require feediug 
very often at first, for the reason that there is 
a rapid formation of leathers, and consequent¬ 
ly the food should lie highly • nitrogenous 
(meat, milk and eggs), while the ground grain 
should contain largely of phosphates (wheat 
and oats), though corn meal may also be given 
moderately, as it produces warmth. The prac¬ 
tice of feeding chicks on corn meal is well 
enough in the Spring, when the hen can carry 
them about, and assist to procure other food 
for them, but in the brooders a variety must 
be supplied. Although it maybe a repetition, 
it is safe to claim that the bowel complaints 
are due to colds contracted through insuffici¬ 
ency of heat in the brooders (from IK) to 100 
degrees being required), and as crowding, dis¬ 
ease, aud debility are caused thereby, too 
much care in that respect cannot be exercised. 
Up to the age of three mouths, the average 
gain of each chick per week, in a selected 
brood for experiment, was four ounces; hut 
they were specially fed iu order to attain the 
greatest possible gain in the shortest time, 
gaining more, of course, as they advanced in 
age than during the first week, they weighing 
two pounds each when nine weeks old, and 
threc-und-one-fourth pounds each when 12 
weeks old, no deduction, however, being made 
for weight at the time they were hatched. 
While the average farmer may uot be equally 
successful, yet the experiment demonstrates 
what cm a be done. The average weights are 
about oue-and-a-hulf pound at eight weeks ol' 
age, anil two-uud-u-quarter pounds when they 
are three mouths old. 
Contrary to expectation, it was found that 
chicks from all the breeds made nearly the 
same ratio of growth up to the age of four 
weeks. That is, chicks of the Leghorn breed, 
when weighed in lots of ten, were as heavy as 
Brahmas of the same age and number, but 
after they arrived at the age of four weeks, the 
chicks of t he large breeds gradually increased 
faster. On weighing Brahmas and Leghorns, 
in lots of ten, when eight weeks old, the Brah¬ 
mas weighed 17 pounds aud the Leghorns 14. 
Ten Plymouth Rocks, of the same age, weigh¬ 
ts.! 14 pounds, or the same as the leghorns. All 
the chicks had been fed alike, being iu one 
brooder. The above applies to pure breeds 
only. Crosses of the Plymouth Rock and 
