THI RURAL KEW-rORKEt, AOV 43 
losing that nice discrimination in the matter 
of smells that their customers possess. We 
can't be too clean about handling milk and 
butter. I never could satisfy my customers 
till I strained the milk outside the barn and 
changed my clothes entirely. 
OLD MILKMAN. 
A Good Move.— The managers of the 
Brown County Agricultural Society have hit 
upon a new plan which is noted in the Breed¬ 
er's Gazette. They propose to invest the sur¬ 
plus funds of the society in Short-horn, Here¬ 
ford and Holstein-Friesian bulls. These bulls 
are to be placed in the neighborhoods w here 
several society members live. In this way it is 
calculated that the value of the live stock will 
be greatly increased, aud it is probable that 
many farmers will be led t,o take an active 
part in tbe society, who otherwise would not 
join. Tbe idea was a good one—others might 
follow it. 
CTljC iji't’iDSTOiUl, 
THE ARITHMETIC OF GOOD BREEDING. 
E. W. PERRY. 
Worth , in dollars, of the services of good 
bulls; what “might have beenproductive 
value of a good hull; comparat ive value of 
"scrubs" and good grades ; in the shamb¬ 
les and the dairy ; differences in prices for 
a series of years; specimen losses in Texas; 
$9,000,000, the cost of pure-bred hulls there , 
would have brought the stockmen from 
$48,750,000 to $.1 12,500,000; now is the op- 
protune time for improvement. 
In the year 1884 the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, which is doing good work for the 
farmers of America, ascertained that there 
were in this country 45,547,300 cattle. Of 
these 13.501,206 were milch cows, and 29,040,- 
101 were working oxen and other cattle. The 
value of these cattle, unimproved, would have 
been $819,203,787; but of the entire number 
18 per c-eut. were improved by tbe influence of 
good blood. The increase in value was equal 
to 35 per cent, or $287, 451.900. That shows 
with reasonable exactness what the work 
done by good bulls was worth. To show what 
increase in wealth cattle owners might have 
made by using the influence of good blood as 
fully as they might have used it. I will sup¬ 
pose that the. owners of all those cattle bad iu 
every instance used highly-bred bulls to im¬ 
prove the entire supply of cattle. It is clear 
that if the improvement of 18 per cent, was 
worth $287,451,900 that of the remaining 82 
per cent, would at, the same rate have equaled 
$1,309,503,555, which, added to the above sum, 
would have given $1,590,955,555 as the 
actual cash value of the influence of the four¬ 
legged missionaries whose praise I proclaim. 
It cannot be said that this could not have 
beeD done, for more good bulls than would 
have been needed to do this great and good 
work have been sacrificed iu their early 
youth, or cut down iu their primo. As there 
were some 13,501,200 milch cows, it is clear 
that, allowing to each bull a congregation of 
40 female members, 337,530 missionaries would 
have been required. The value of then-work, 
as shown above, would pay au average of 
$4,731.30 for the services of each bull. Deduct 
from that the cost of bis keeping and interest 
on his price, and we have the productive 
value of each really good bull; yet there are 
those who will still declare that uo bull cau 
be worth the fancy figures asked by breeders 
—figures ranging from $50 upward. 
In 1884 a common “scrub” cow was not 
worth an average of more than $30; but tbe 
half-Jersey or half-Holstein cow at that time 
sold readily for $50 to $75, aud many of those 
kinds were sold for $100 to $150 each. Sup¬ 
pose a purely-bred Holstein or Jersey bull had 
begotten each year, from forty cows, thirty- 
two calves that would have reached maturity, 
aud that half of them were females, the cash 
value of. his services that year would have 
been, through that oue-lialf of his get alone, 
and at the lower prices then received for half- 
breed cows, tiom $320 to $720. At the higher 
figures, which were by no means uncommon, 
the increased value be would have given to 
those calves would have been from $1,120 to 
$1,930. Those female calves would have been 
to the plain farmer who sells milk or butter or 
cheese actually worth more than the differ¬ 
ence iu price between them aud the scrub or 
unimproved cows, as any progressive, intelli¬ 
gent dairyman can prove. 
But, leaving tbe consideration of tbe milk 
aud tbe butter breeds, lot us look at the pro¬ 
duction of beef, which is perhaps the least 
profitable use to which our cattle are put. For 
many years Texas has sent to market an aver¬ 
age of a quarter of million beeves. These 
have averaged some 900 pounds in weight and 
have not averaged more than $27 in price. Dur¬ 
ing'those years grade bullocks averaging 1,000 
to 1,200 pounds have sold for 4 cents to 4 : }{ cents 
per pound, or for $40 to $57 per head. The 
difference in price between the two classes was 
from $13 to $30 per bullock, making a total 
difference of $3,350,000 to $7,500,000 between 
tbe prices Texas might have received and 
those she did get for her 250,000 cattle yearly. 
This has been going on for fifteen years, 
for although Texas uow sends many 
improved cattle to market she con¬ 
tinues to send about a quarter of a million 
unimproved beeves each year. To beget the 
250,000 improved cattle each year, Texas 
would have required 6,000 purely-bred bulls. 
At $500 each they would have cost $3,000,000. 
If each bad served five years as he coul 1 have 
done with profit, three lots costing $9,000,000 
would have been needed. But if those bulls 
bad added only two cents per pound to the 
selling value of tbe 250,000 cattle they would 
have increased by some #4,500,000 tbe annual 
income of Texas, even if they had added noth¬ 
ing to the weight of the stock. The fact is 
that $9,000,000 worth of hulls would no 
doubt have brought to the purses of the Texas 
cattlemen, in these 15 years, $48,750,000 to 
$112,500,000 more than they have received. 
There is enough in these few simple exam¬ 
ples in the arithmetic of good breeding to give 
an idea of the value of tbe influence of pure 
blood: and many more illustrations cau be 
given if need be. Is it not high time to preach 
the gospel of pure blood to the masses, to that 
vast multitude who having ears hear not, or 
hearing do not heed? Was there ever a better 
time than this in which to begin the work of 
improvement? We have got tbe breeders 
down now—their best cattle sell for less than 
they could have been sold for three years ago, 
and tlieir good stock, not quite so fancy i>er- 
haps as the best, are selling for little more 
than two-thirds the sums they would have 
readily brought then. Cattle of all kinds are 
going at low figures; the cattle business Is in a 
hollow between the waves; will it not be a 
very good plan indeed to go in uow that we 
may be ready to rise on the coming wave to 
prosperity? Is it not a duty to ourselves, our 
children aud the nation to so arid to its wealth 
that there will be billions of dollars more tbau 
there will be if vve go on in the old, slipshod, 
ignorant way, to spend in educating the com¬ 
ing generations? 
Cook Co., Ill. 
A Cheap Stock Rack was made by us in one 
evening by using three 6-inch boards the length 
of the wagon box, for each side, six 6-inch 
boards fou r feet long for standards for eac b side, 
to be bolted with %-inch bolts three inches long; 
ends of the rack and in center spaces 6 inches; 
length of standards below bottom board 18 
inches. Bolt a 2 x 3-inch strip 30 inches long 
on each end of side boards for cleat©, for the 
end gates. The end gates are made of tbe 
same material as the sides — only bolt 4 
standards, inches wide,4 inches fronveach end. 
Use iron rod through the middle boards on 
each end as iu the end gates of a wagon box: 
42 %-inch bolts are necessary. The rack may be 
painted. The standards of tbe rack are to slip 
over or down on the outside and inside of the 
wagon box. geo. pelton & sons. 
Sauk Co., Wis. 
One thousand sheep were recently 
poisoned in South Africa by the uso of au 
arsenical powder dip. The sheep were dipped 
for the scab. After a secoud dipping they 
died in great agony in consequence of the 
absorption of the arsenic through the skin. 
With the efficient, yet absolutely safe meaus of 
exterminating insect pests in cm’hands to-day, 
we have noplace for poisons ou living animals. 
email. 
THE BREED OF HORSES IN FRANCE. 
The improvement in the breeds of horses is 
helped considerably by the Government,which 
each year appropriates certain money which is 
paid iu awards to successful horsemen. Each 
year a report is furnished by the Government, 
which show’s the number of horses aud their 
values at the various establishments. This 
report has just been published aud states that 
tbe total number of sires in the 22 depots be¬ 
longing to the St a to was 2,517 at tbe beginning 
of last year, and that out of this total, 2,463 
were in actual use. The loss was 43 by death, 
aud 219 were cast, so that 262 vacancies have 
to be filled up. The total number of stallions 
belonging to private individuals which bad 
received the State certificate of approval was 
1,308. and of these 260 have since died or boon 
rejected as unsound. Nearly a fourth of the 
stallions belonging to the State as well as tbe 
approved ones were weeded out for roaring 
or other affections of the throat or lungs. Out 
of the 242 sires purchased during the year 162 
were half-breeds, 50 cart-horses, 20 Thorough¬ 
breds. and the rest Arabs. Of the 20 Thorough¬ 
breds five were bought iu England and cost 
$37,500. During the past year 784 Thorough¬ 
breds were foaled in France, and the total 
amount of the prize-money given at the. vari¬ 
ous meetings was more than $1,000,000, so 
that owners of Thoroughbreds have plenty of 
opportunities fur making them pay their way, 
more in proportion than in any country in the 
world. The number of Thoroughbred mares on 
the stud-book last year was 1,997, or 51 fewer 
than in 1884. Out of the 3,734 stallions be¬ 
longing to the State or approved, 288 , or not 
quite eight per cent., were Thoroughbreds. 
There were 261 Arabs, 2,385 half-breeds of all 
kinds, aud 806 cart-horses. Altogether there 
were 189,078 mares. The exports, which iu 
188-1 exceeded the imports by 3,329 bead, last 
year rose to 13,481 head. This is owing to the 
large number of Perelierons that are comiug 
to this country. 
Canadian Houses Unfit for Cavalry. 
—Tbe committee sent by the English govern¬ 
ment to examine Canadian horses with a view 
to purchasing some for cavalry purposes, af¬ 
ter inspecting over 3,000 horses on the north¬ 
western ranches, report that they have been 
able to obtain very few that meet their require¬ 
ments for the followtugreasons:—1. Being too 
young. 2. Being too small, with shoulders 
more for draught than riding purposes. 3. 
Being unsound. A year or t wo would remedy 
the first objection; but to obviate the second 
the use of thoroughbred sires is necessary. 
More attention must be paid to handling and 
breaking the yearling colts; scarring all over 
with branding irons must be avoided. As re¬ 
gards soundness, much may be due to the sire, 
but a great deal is due to the rough handling 
and lassoing of the young stock, which in some 
cases nearly kills them outright, and oftener is 
the cause of curbs, spavins, etc., being sprung 
by an uudue exertion of the joint iu the strug¬ 
gles of the yoiiug stock during their rough 
treatment. The Clydesdale ami Fercheron 
seem to be favorites, aud the Commissioners 
say these may be good as heavy draft stock 
producers, but for all saddle purposes they are 
utterly useless. The cross between these large 
sires and the undersized mares is too violent. 
No oue would think of crossing the Newfound¬ 
land and the toy terrier, and hope to produce 
an auimal of any value or use, and it will be 
found the same with horses so different in size, 
and damage will be done that never can be 
eradicated. 
PICKLED MEATS, ETC. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
Besides the different forms of dressed 
pork, there are staudard pickled meats, ship¬ 
ped in pickle in casks for both domestic and 
foreign trade, Large quantities of bacon 
packed in salt dry, in boxes, are shipped 
abroad and smoked ou the other side of the 
ocean. The following are the descriptions of 
standard pickled meats, the cut meats and 
those cut in imitation of the British “cuts.” 
The list also includes lai d as required to be 
tried and put up for the trade: 
Standard Sweet Pickled Hams should 
be cut short and well rounded at the butt, 
properly faced, shank cut in or about the 
hock joint; to be reasonably uniform in size, 
aud to average, in lots, not to exceed 16 
pounds. Three hundred pounds, block weight, 
shall be packed in each tierce, with either 24 
pounds of salt, three quarts of good sirup, 12 
ounces of saltpeter, the tierce to bo filled with 
water; or the tierce is to be filled with sweet 
pickle made to above standard. 
Standard Swf.et Pickled Shoulders 
should be cut auu trimmed, reasonably uni¬ 
form in size, and to average in lots uot to ex¬ 
ceed 16 pounds. Three hundred pounds, block 
weight, shall be packed iu each tierce. Pickle 
tbe same as used for hams. 
New York Shoulders should be made 
from small, smooth bogs, shank cut off one 
inch above knee joint, trimmed close and 
smooth, reasonably uniform in size, and to 
average, in lots, not to exceed 14 pounds. 
Three hundred pounds, block weight, shall be 
packed in each tierce. Pickle the same as 
used for hams. 
Sweet Pickled Bellies should be made 
from nice, smooth hogs, well cut and trimmed, 
to average, in lots, not to exceed 14 pounds. 
Three hundred pounds, block weight, shall be 
packed iu each tierce. Pickle the same as 
used for hams. 
Branding. —The packer's name, location, 
number of pieces and date of packing shali bo 
branded on the head of each package of 
pickled moats at the time of packing. All 
pickled meats should be sized when packed; 
the light, medium and heavy separately, as 
nearly as practicable. 
CUT MEATS. 
Hams should be cut short, well rounded at 
tbe butt, properly faced, cut iu or above the 
hock joint. 
Shoulders should be cut us closely’ as pos¬ 
sible to the back part of the fore arm joint, 
butted off square ou top: neck bone and spare 
ribs taken out, blood vein lifted and cat. out, 
breast flap to be trimmed off, and foot to be 
cut off in or above the knee-joint. 
Bladed Shoulders should be cut the same 
as standard shoulders, except that the shoul¬ 
der blade is to bo taken out aud the cornel’s 
rounded. 
Rough Sides should be made by slitting 
the bog through or on one side of tbe back 
bone, and an equal proportion of both sides 
must be delivered on sales to make them staud¬ 
ard. 
Short Clear Sides: the back-bone and 
ribs should be taken out, the heueh-bone or 
breast-bone sawed or cut down smooth aud 
even ith the face of the side; the feather or 
blade-bone is not to be taken out, aud the 
sides ore uot to be baekstrapped or flanked. 
Short-rib Sides: the back bone should be 
taken out, the bench--bone and breast-bone 
sawed or cut down even with the face of the 
side, the feather or blade-bone not. to be taken 
out, aud sides not to be backstrapped or flank¬ 
ed. 
Long Clear Sides; tbe hack-bone, shoul¬ 
der-bones and ribs must be taken out, the leg 
cut off close to the brisket, the heueh-bone aud 
breast-bone bo sawed or cut down smooth aud 
even with the face of the side, and the sides 
are not to be baekstrapped or flanked. 
Cumberland Sides; the side and shoulder 
should be left together in one piece; the leg be 
cut off below the knee-joint.; shoulder-ribs, 
neck-bone, and back-bono taken out ; the blood 
vein lifted and cut out ; the heuch-houe aud 
br©ast-bone sawed or cut down smooth aud 
even with the face of the side, and sides uot to 
i>e baekstrapped or flanked. 
Long-hib Sides should be made in the same 
way as Cumberlands, except that theshoulder- 
boues must be taken out aud leg cut off close 
to the brisket. 
Stretford Sides should be made from hogs 
weighing about 140 to 160 pounds net: the back¬ 
bone and half of the ribs slioulil be takon out. 
standards to be fastened 3 \{ inches from the 
Fig. 421. 
