1904. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE CREAMERY SHARK. 
On page 615 H. E. C. gives a good answer to an in¬ 
quiry of the Delaware man who asks concerning the 
representations of some creamery shark. This same 
promoter possibly, or some other member of the same 
gang, has been operating in this part of Pennsylvania, 
and has actually buncoed the intelligent farmers of the 
great counties of Lancaster and Chester into buying 
several gold brick creameries. The land is full of dis¬ 
satisfied creamery patrons who think the old line cream¬ 
eries are robbing them. No doubt in some cases the 
thought is based on fact, but it is my observation that 
our creameries have brought more lasting prosperity to 
the patrons than to the creamerymen. 
The shark promoter likes to strike a well-developed 
case of dissatisfaction, for he there finds the best 
“starter” for his operations. Here, as in Delaware, he 
tells of the great market his “company” has for butter, 
and that the “company” can handle all the dry curd that 
can be turned out from any quantity of milk, and that, 
too, at prices that make feeding skim-milk to pigs, 
calves and chickens one of the first steps in bankruptcy. 
The outcome of the matter is that 50 or 60 farmers each 
subscribe for a share of stock, at $100 per share, and in 
a short time have a $2,500 factory turned over to them 
—their first installment of 50 cents on tfie dollar. The 
promoter organizes the stockholders, who elect officers, 
and start out on their quest for all there is in the 
creamery business. In one co-operative creamery near 
my home, established on the above outlined promoter 
plan, the stockholders were promised eight per cent 
yearly dividend on their investment, and were assured 
that the promoting company had such an excellent mar¬ 
ket for butter that market quotations need not be con¬ 
sidered, and that average milk would have a maintained 
price of not less than $1.30 per 100 pounds. The cream¬ 
ery has been in operation about eight months, and of 
course has not been able to sell its butter at higher 
figures than those obtained by other creameries, nor pay 
higher prices for milk than the others have paid. 
w. f. m ’sparkan. 
A BUSY DAY AT “ANGLECROFT.” 
Life on a Big Dairy Farm. 
STARTING THE DAY’S WORK.—“Anglecroft” is 
a dairy farm of 200 acres, keeping 150 to 200 head of 
stock. Three public roads cut it into a triangle, hence 
its name. At 4 A. M. Joseph, the dairyman, lights the 
barn and puts the feed into the mangers, while his 
helpers drive the cows 
from the'pasture and chain 
them in their stalls. As 
the milkers move from 
cow to cow, down the long 
dimly lighted rows, sil¬ 
ence reigns, until the noisy 
horse power begins to 
pump water to cool the 
milk. When the 40-quart 
reservoir, above the cooler, 
is filled and the spigot 
turned, it automatically 
fills a 40-quart can, as the 
milk flows slowly over the 
cooler. To-day, in addi¬ 
tion to the usual dairy 
work, each cow’s milk has 
been weighed and a sample 
taken. Such is the custom 
at Anglecroft the first of 
every month. As soon as 
the milking is done, and 
the cows turned to graze, 
"pooey, pooey,” calls the 
pigs to breakfast. Grunt¬ 
ing “good morning” they 
come and stand with front 
feet in the trough and ex¬ 
pectant snouts in the air, 
ready to upset the bucket 
and excite irreligious 
words. Pigs are provoking things, and yet, although 
they are pigs, they are, when young, attractive and lov¬ 
able, like all other small animals, lambs, calves, kittens, 
puppies, chickens, etc. In another barn, Howard has 
cared for the horses. Their coats are shining and he is 
whistling. He has balanced their rations and thrown 
hay and straw from the mow. The calves have been 
fed and the chickens arc welcoming a shower of corn 
with the dawning day. Only he who experiences this 
daily routine knows the joy of the morning’s glow, and 
he alone can interpret each animal’s wordless greeting. 
THE MEN AND THEIR WORK.—Anglecroft is 
fortunate in having employees with an agricultural tem¬ 
perament. Howard is an admirer of horses; Joseph of 
cows; John is a good all-’round man, and Allen, the 
milk carter, is as regular as a clock. Every morning 
when breakfast is over Allen holds a reception, as the 
neighbors come and go, bringing their milk to go to the 
creamery and taking their empty cans home. This 
morning he sits, with feet swinging, in the back of the 
wagon, leading Toby, our puppy. John trots the horses, 
while Allen lashes the dog until he yelps and stings 
from the whip’s strokes; then he lets him go. and 
although he feels sorry for the poor dog, laughs to see 
him run home. Puppies must be broken from following 
the wagon, as well as heifers to be milked and colts to 
be harnessed. The training of young animals is a part 
of farming, but Allen’s method is a novel one at Angle¬ 
croft. Meanwhile the other'men are bringing the teams 
from the barn and preparing to execute the master’s 
instructions. Joseph is performing his usual duties of 
washing milk cans, and he is not losing an opportunity 
to joke with Mary, the cook. The milk room tidied, he 
beds the stables with clean straw and carts the manure 
to the field. Howard is plowing for rye. “Way down 
upon the Swanee Ribber” and other tunes fill the air 
SILO FILLING IN NEW JE1ISEY. Km. 290. 
as lie turns a near furrow and plods up and down the 
field. The farmers driving by cannot help noticing 
Howard’s straight furrow and appreciate his skill as a 
plowman. 
THE NOON RES T.—This is between seasons; never¬ 
theless, it is a busy day. John, the only man on the 
farm who can use a scythe, has been trimming fences all 
the morning. As he whets his scythe he reads the time 
of day by the shadow of the stakes, and listens for the 
dinner bell. At its welcome sound his aching back 
straightens, he swings the scythe over his shoulder and 
his steps homeward turn. Men and teams assemble, and 
when the stock is fed they dine and rest. Allen an¬ 
nounces that the "silo fillers” will be here to-morrow. 
Frank, the boy of the family, has a pair of pigeons 
dressed for market, and a hatful of mushrooms for sup¬ 
per. He is watching for the mail wagon, and calling 
FITTING THE CORNFIELD FOR RYE. Fig. 291. 
the men’s attention to an approaching automobile, which 
frightens the ponies in the point lot and starts the equine 
boarders galloping aross their 60-acre pasture. But 
the men are having too much fun laughing at Allen’s 
book farming to heed automobiles and horses. Allen 
has confessed his training of Toby to have been recom¬ 
mended in a newspaper. 
THE HAYING.—This afternoon the mowing and 
plowing must be postponed for the hayfield. The cow 
peas are cured at last. 'They have ben raked and 
bunched by the master and his sons during the morning. 
Howard and John drive and load the wagons as the 
others pitch to them. Load after load disappears on 
the creaking wagons into the barn, and they are unloaded 
and mowed with the assistance of Dolly Varden, who 
switches her tail and trots in and out to the click of the 
hayfork. A smooth-tongued man calls to explain the 
merits of a corn, harvester. The proprietor’s weathei 
651 
eye notices the gathering clouds in the west and he 
abruptly remarks: “You can’t do business with me to¬ 
day.” A calf wagon stands in the road. Its driver is 
inquiring for “monkey calves.” “Yes, two, come and set 
them,” the master replies from the barn. Joseph is mix¬ 
ing a balanced ration and Jack, the cat, purrs and rubs 
against his legs as he moves from manger to manger. 
When the calves are loaded he goes for the cows, and 
as he shuts the water off the trough he glances over the 
herd, which is waiting at the gate. They are ali there 
to-night. Milking done, the eggs gathered and the nu¬ 
merous hungry mouths filled once more, the day draws 
to a close. The chickens go to roost and the men get 
ready for supper. 
FINISHING THE DAY.—The master’s voice calls 
“cobon, cobon;” the ponies lift their heads and listen; 
he continues to call, and they come to their supper, after 
which they are ready for the harness and a drive to 
town. Howard wants five dollars. Lie and Joe are also 
making preparations for a drive, while John is content to 
sit by the lamplight ancl read the paper. The proprietor 
pauses to fill out the work report and record the day’s 
transactions, and as he puts his books aside, he remem¬ 
bers that last month’s account has not been balanced, 
and that there are a few bills to be collected and others 
to be paid. But to-night ne must secure extra help for 
the morrow and do some errands. “Bring me the leaky 
cans and the broken harness,” are his commands, as he 
inquires of mother about the household supplies. His 
mind as well as his muscle is active in keeping the ma¬ 
chinery of Anglecroft oiled and in working order. This 
is a typical day at Anglecroft, and every day is similar, 
rain or shine. Winter or Summer. 
New Jersey. Charles winters. 
CONCRETE IN STABLE BUILDING. 
I am building a dairy barn 36x80 feet, and would like 
advice about cement mangers and feeding alley between man 
gers and outside of barn. I have decided to put in cement 
gutters. In what proportion should Portland cement and 
good sand be mixed, and what thickness of this mixture 
should be used for sides and bottom of gutters? Will it be 
worth the extra cost to put in cement mangers and feeding 
alley? If so, how thick should this lie made? Is it advis¬ 
able to use any Jamesville cement? Portland will cost 
about 50 cents and Jamesville about 22 cents per bushel. 
Hemlock boards are worth about $12 per 1,000. I have on 
hand matched hard maple that I can put in mangers if 
desirable. H * L- A> 
McDonough, N. Y, 
Use nothing but cement for floors. A board or plank 
for flooring in any part of a stable is wrong in prin¬ 
ciple and in practice. 
Planks are not and cannot 
be made clean. 1 he 
cracks alone will harbor 
enough germs to inflict 
punishment upon producer 
and consumer. Every ef¬ 
fort should be put forth to 
do away with dust or dirt- 
catching devices. I would 
therefore advise building 
simply a smooth concrete 
floor for feeding. One 
could depress the floor di¬ 
rectly under the heads, but 
I can see no economic 
value. Men say the cows 
will steal one from the 
other, but T say feed them 
so they will not have a 
starving appetite. Heavy 
milkers and dry cows must 
not stand side by side. Wt 
manage to keep them in 
blocks of a given number 
that can be fed alike. This 
smooth cement can be 
easily and quickly cleaned. 
Mangers are difficult to 
clean out, especially when 
silage is fed, wetting the 
sides and corners, to which 
grain readily adheres and sours. Prof. Pearson, of 
Cornell, was at my place recently, and he suggested 
using concrete for the 4x4 scantling that I used foi 
stanchion base. The suggestion is good, and I would 
advise it, and so do away with the crevice under the 
scantling. The Portland is fully as economical for all 
purposes as the cheap cement, only use less of it for 
grouting and mangers than for gutters and drives; five 
parts sand, five of stone and one of cement for grouting; 
four parts sand to one of cement for mangers and light 
work, and two parts to one for gutters and drives. 
H. e. c. 
Effect of Spraying. —I have a Maiden Blush tree of 
which we only sprayed one side, as it was not very conven 
Sent to get at both.’ On the side that was sprayed there is 
not an apple with fungus, and on the other side there is nut 
a good apple, that is. one free from the fungus. It shows 
the effects the plainest of any tree I ever saw. You can see 
where every drop of the spray struck the apples. 
Wayne Co., N. Y 
w. P. R. 
