1898 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
463 
with that of last year, shows an increase of, at least, 
26 per cent. The greatest increase is .in Red Kidneys, 
and this must be fully 50 per cent more than last sea¬ 
son. This is, no doubt, due to the fact that, early in 
April, beans of all sorts took a sudden upward jump 
in price, with Red Kidneys leading, and so far, they 
have maintained this lead. At the present time, they 
are quoted 25 to 30 cents higher than any other sort.” 
“ Would this circumstance seem to justify the in¬ 
creased acreage in this one sort ? ” 
“ That is rather a difficult question to answer in 
advance. It may, however, be stated that the Red 
Kidneys command but a restricted market, being 
practically confined, in export, to the countries named 
and, while our present unpleasantness continues, 
these are the very countries with which our export 
trade is liable to be more or less interrupted. We are 
not looking for a protracted struggle at present; if 
such were the case, it is quite within the possibilities 
for Red Kidney beans to suffer from a depressed' 
market.” 
“ Will the present increased area of beans interfere 
materially with the acreage of other crops ? ” 
“ Not necessarily. The bean growers usually prac¬ 
tice a four-year rotation. This year, it would appear 
that western New York will have large crops of beans, 
wheat and potatoes, and prospects are encouraging 
for big crops in all three lines.” 
Mr. Dibble has under observation about 1,000 acres 
of beans, both field and garden varieties. 
Western New York is, certainly, the bean 
belt, and the farmers of that section appear 
to indorse the opinion of the late Josh Hil¬ 
lings, who wrote a poem with a refrain 
stating that “ Keans is a joyful crop.” Con¬ 
cerning the Red Kidney bean and its future, 
it is odd to reflect that the tyranny and op¬ 
pression of a foreign power, thousands of 
miles away, as exerted upon her helpless 
dependencies, may strongly affect the for¬ 
tunes of a sturdy American cultivating his 
bean fields in western New York ! Let us all 
help Uncle Sam to settle matters with the 
Dons before that bean crop is ready for 
market ! K. T. R. 
OBSERVED IN DAIRIES AND 
CREAMERIES. 
Composite Tests. —It is gratifying to see 
the way in which creameries and cheese fac¬ 
tories about the State are adopting the Bab- 
cock test as the basis for buying their milk. 
Instead of paying so much per 100 pounds of 
milk as formerly, under the Kabcoek system, 
the milk is paid for according to the per cent 
of butter fat it contains. That the latter sys¬ 
tem is just where only butter is made, is ob¬ 
vious to all, for about 85 per cent of butter is 
pure fat, and all good butter contains about 
the same amount, whether made, from poor 
or rich milk. That the system is, also, just 
in cheese factories, is not so clear to all, and 
there is not space here to go into detail to 
prove its justice. Suffice it to say that the 
consensus of opinion from our best experi¬ 
ment stations is that the per cent of fat is 
the true basis for purchasing milk for mak¬ 
ing cheese as well as butter. As the per 
cent of fat increases, so also, does the ratio 
of other solids increase in normal milk, and 
the richer the milk in fat, the more cheese 
can be made therefrom. This makes a safe test. 
For the convenience of the factory manager, the 
milk is not tested each day, but a small sample is 
taken daily from each patron’s milk, and placed in a 
bottle along with some preservative, bichromate of 
potash or the like, to keep the milk from souring. 
With proper precautions, such samples may be con¬ 
tinued for two weeks, at the end of which time they 
are run through the Babcock machine, and another 
set of samples begun. There has been some question 
whether these composite samples will show the same 
per cent of fat as the average of the tests found by 
testing each lot of milk daily from which the compos¬ 
ite sample is taken. Repeated trials have shown 
that both such tests are the same. Indeed, did they 
not test the same, the system of composite sampling 
could not be recommended for use in any factory. 
The only possible source of error lies in taking the 
sample, and all careful dairymen will eliminate this 
by being sure that they get a perfect sample of each 
patron's milk. 
A Pasteurizing Apparatus.—A Pasteurizing ap¬ 
paratus which promises to be largely used where the 
Pasteurizing of milk is done, is one in which the milk 
is Pasteurized as it runs from the receiving vat to 
the separator. The machine resembles in form a 
separator bowl, but in construction, it is quite differ¬ 
ent. It consists of a double bowl, one inside the other, 
and both stationary. The inner bowl contains a stirrer 
which is revolved by means of a jet of steam admitted 
into the lower portion of the outside bowl. Into the 
outside bowl, also, is admitted the steam for furnish¬ 
ing the heat, and the steam pipe is fitted with a gauge 
for regulating the supply. The milk is run into the 
inner bowl, where it is kept constantly stirred, and 
when heated to the right temperature, is allowed to 
run off into the separator. With a thermometer in 
the outflow and a careful watch of the steam gauge, 
the operator can soon so regulate the supply of steam 
as to keep up a continuous flow of milk thoroughly 
Pasteurized and sufficient for the separator. Thus 
the Pasteurizing and separating can be done at one 
operation. In this way both the cream and skim-milk 
are Pasteurized with no loss of time, and the keeping 
qualities of both are enhanced. There is a gain, too, 
in securing a more complete separation of the cream 
from the milk at the Pasteurizing temperature (about 
155 degrees). In many instances, the Babcock test 
will show no fat at all in the skim-milk, and never is 
there more than a trace of fat left. l. a. 
THE BARRED PLYMOUTH ROCK. 
A GOOD AMERICAN FOWL. 
At Fig. 208, is shown a fine specimen of Plymouth 
Rock hen, as produced at Fisher’s Island Farm. In 
The R. N.-Y., of .July 4, 1890, we gave an account of 
the origin of this breed. It was originated and named 
in the early sixties, by I). A. Upham, who, at the time 
the account was written, was still living at Wilson- 
ville, Conn. He first exhibited the Plymouth Rocks 
at Worcester, Mass., in 1807. They were produced by 
a first cross of an old-fashioned, hawk-colored, barn¬ 
yard, single-comb cock, on an Asiatic Black Cochin 
hen, progeny of imported Cochins. The second cross 
was the progeny of the first cross bred to a gray 
Chittagong or Brahma-Pootra male from eggs from 
imported stock, very large, handsome, smooth-legged 
fowls. The progeny of this cross were bred in and in 
by Mr. Upham until he showed the first three pairs 
as before mentioned. The Plymouth Rock belongs to 
the American class. 
The standard weights are, cock, pounds; cock¬ 
erel, 8 pounds; hen, 7>£ pounds ; pullet, 6% pounds. 
The head of a good specimen of the Plymouth Rock 
is of medium size, carried well up, and face bright 
red. The beak is short, stout, regularly curved, and 
yellow in color. The eyes are large, clear, bright, 
bay. The combs are single, small, perfectly straight, 
and upright, with five or six even serrations. The 
wattles and earlobes are of medium size, and bright 
red. The neck is of medium length, well curved, with 
abundant hackle. The back is broad and of medium 
length. The breast is broad, deep, full and compact. 
The tail is of medium length, spread at the base, and 
carried moderately upright. The sickles are fairly 
developed, spreading laterally beyond the tail proper. 
The body color is grayish white, each feather being 
crossed regularly with parallel bars of blue-black, the 
barring showing, also, in the down or under-covering 
of the feathers. The barring on the neck or saddle 
hackle is narrower and closer, and runs the entire 
length of the feather. 
For show birds, there are certain defects which will 
disqualify. Some of the principal ones are feathers 
on the shanks or feet, permanent white in the ear¬ 
lobes, lopped combs, wry tails, deformed beaks, or red 
feathers in any part of the plumage. 
WHAT THEY SAY. 
Cow Peas and Berries. —Speaking of the plan pro¬ 
posed by the Indiana man, on page 464, of plowing 
under cow peas for strawberries, makes us think of 
the plan suggested by Mr. M. Garrahan, of Luzerne 
County, Pa. Mr. Garrahan would sow cow peas at 
any time before July 1, let them grow until killed by 
frost, and then plow the ground roughly, leaving the 
furrows standing up to the weather. As late as pos¬ 
sible in the Fall, dig up the strawberry plants and 
heel them in in some sheltered place. In the Spring, 
work up the ground with a harrow, and as early as 
possible, take up the lieeled-in plants and set them 
out. In this way one will obtain a much earlier start 
than he would by waiting until Spring for plowing 
the ground, or digging up the plants in Spring, the 
object being to get the plants started to 
grow just as early in the year as possible. 
Perpetual Strawberry Bed. —Another 
plan suggested by Mr. Garrahan might 
answer for our Indiana friend. As soon as 
possible after fruiting, go into the bed with 
a sharp plow, carrying a rolling cutter and 
throw a furrow both ways over the old 
row. That makes an end of the old plants. 
Enough of them have run out between the 
old rows to make a new row for next sea¬ 
son’s fruit. Put the fertilizer in these fur¬ 
rows, and after a week or 10 days, work down 
the furrow over the old plants, with culti¬ 
vator or harrow, and keep it clean. The 
result will be a new row of fruiting plants 
midway between the two old rows. The 
next year, repeat the operation by throw¬ 
ing a furrow over the plants that fruit that 
year. This will throw a new row of plants 
over what was the old row last year, and 
this may be carried on year after year, the 
fertilizer in the bottom of the furrows feed¬ 
ing the new plants, and the old plants sup¬ 
plying vegetable matter in plenty. 
P'eed the Cow Peas. —Mr. Garrahan is a 
great believer in the theory of letting cow 
peas and clover make use of the crude ferti¬ 
lizing material. “ What is the use,” he says, 
“in using an expensive mixture on potatoes, 
for example, when the cow pea will do that 
mixing for you ? Plant cow peas and use 
plenty of muriate of potash and phosphoric 
acid. The cow pea makes a better growth 
for the chemicals, and works them over into 
the best shape for feeding subsequent crops. 
Plow the whole thing under for next year’s 
potato crop, and let it go at that.” Mr. Gar¬ 
rahan is giving up the plan of applying fer¬ 
tilizer in the hill or drill. Certainly his crops 
show the result of good feeding and care. 
Across the lane from his farm was a field 
of wheat, and we were asked to see whether we 
could see any difference in it. There was a streak 
through that field where the straw was an average 
of six inches higher than the rest of the field. There 
was not much difference to be seen in the size of the 
heads, but the straw was both greener and longer. 
The secret of this strip, was the fact that a crop of 
cow peas had been plowed into it. “ Now,” says Mr. 
Garrahan, “if those cow peas had been fed with pot¬ 
ash and phosphoric acid, I am certain that you would 
see a much greater difference, both in straw and 
grain.” Certainly this idea of feeding the crude chem¬ 
icals to crops like cow peas, is a rational and econom¬ 
ical way of manuring. 
Dynamite and Drainage. —There were three other 
things on Mr. Garrahan’s farm that made striking ob¬ 
ject lessons. One was the fact of his use of dynamite. 
Five years ago, we saw the farm well covered with 
rocks and stones; the rocks have now disappeared 
from the field, and great heaps of them have been 
gathered in out-of-the-way places for further use. A 
plow or cultivator could now be run in any direction 
without striking a stone large enough to jar the 
driver. On a low field, the potato crop showed one of 
the defects of tile drainage. Rows of tile were put in 
too far apart, and on streaks through that field, the 
potatoes had died out. The present wet season 
showed just what was lacking in this drainage sys¬ 
tem, And this can now he remedied so that, here- 
