35o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
M ay 11 
Live Stock and Dairy 
SOILING CROPS HEEDED. 
Dry Weather Ahead. 
I’m not a prophet or a son of a pro¬ 
phet, but for about eight years in insti¬ 
tute work I have prophesied dry wea¬ 
ther for the dairy farmer during four 
to eight weeks of the Summer, 
and records show that I have abso¬ 
lutely failed but once in the time 
mentioned. In varying degrees dry 
weather comes upon us nearly every 
ydar, so much so that short pastures 
suffer and dry out, providing only a 
scanty subsistence. I feel confident of 
my position on this question; it is one 
of the things I am unrc about. That in 
all sections where I have had an oppor¬ 
tunity to study, and in northern New 
York, where 1 see things every year 
without color, one of the weakest points 
in dairy feeding is lack of green, suc¬ 
culent food for July and August. We 
talk much and write more about bal¬ 
anced rations, and we need it all, but it 
is something of a conundrum to me how 
much good a cow will get out of the 
chemistry of cattle foods when obliged 
to range over large fields, walking sev¬ 
eral miles a day in search of food. By 
the way. New York State has thousands 
of acres of non-tillable land, which 
would provide more profit to the owner 
were it stocked with mutton sheep, and 
cows kept on fewer acres with less exer¬ 
cise. It may not be wise to adopt a pure 
soiling system. It is my judgment that 
no one can better answer this question 
than each farmer for himself. Price of 
land, cost of labor, ability of the farmer 
to tuauaije things, are factors, but as to 
the value of a semi-soiling system I take 
no middle ground. No matter what may 
be the price of land or cost of labor, not 
a farmer keeping cows can afford to do 
without some kind of supplemental food. 
You say this is no new thing; why not 
give us something new; let this old 
chestnut rest. But do you know that a 
call for hands up in institutes in sec¬ 
tions where cows bring 75 per cent to 
100 per cent of the income of the farm, 
will never exceed 25 per cent, and often 
not more than five per cent of those 
present who practice this system? It is 
coming to be a conundrum to me; farm¬ 
ers who practice it rarely give it up. I 
have in mind two farms that I have 
known for many years. One of them 
produces about twice as much from the 
dairy as the other. The ability of the 
cows to produce in both cases is not ma¬ 
terially different. In a way both dairies 
are well fed. The cows freshen in both 
cases in the Winter and Spring. The 
difference, however, comes at a vital 
time, and after shrinkage takes place it 
has been my experience that it is very 
expensive to get the flow to increase 
even a small per cent. The farmer 
above-mentioned, who gets the smaller 
yield, does not provide any green forage 
crop until “sowed corn” is ready, which 
in our latitude is about September 1. At 
this time prices for milk products begin 
to advance, and I have repeatedly 
queried which farmer was most to be 
pitied, a man with all his milk in June 
at the very low price, or one without 
any when prices are high. 
I have seen the milk flow at our fac¬ 
tories nearly cut in twain by the heavy 
shrinkage of the hot, scorching weather 
of 31 days of July. This nearly always 
happens when prices are high. We have 
repeatedly tried to make good a loss of 
forage crop feed by a more liberal use 
of concentrates, but m every instance 
failure was recorded from the financial 
side of the question. The cow, unlike 
the horse, must have coarse, bulky food, 
at least two-thirds of her ration. What 
is the use of keeping three cows to do 
the work of two? Formerly our prac¬ 
tice had been to commence this supple¬ 
mental feeding from August 15 to Sep¬ 
tember 1. Now our practice is to feed 
not later than July 4, and we find most 
satisfactory results therefrom. From 
this extra six weeks of feeding we are 
enabled to produce uniformly 100 
pounds of milk a day; more from each 
30 cows from July 1 to January 1 than 
when beginning the late feeding. This 
100 pounds of milk has been worth for 
the period mentioned about $1. We have 
therefore ?1 a day increased income 
from each 30 cows for six months due to 
six or seven weeks extra supplemental 
feeding. We find the $1 a day will near¬ 
ly pay the whole expense of grain food 
for the same length of time. Then why 
not arrange at once to supply this want? 
I do not believe yet that we have any¬ 
thing for the more northerly dairy sec¬ 
tions as safe and satisfactory as oats 
and peas. Select some dry ground that 
is ready to work and sow 1% bushel 
peas plowed under four or five inches. 
Please do not try to harrow them in. A 
drill will do fairly good work if we could 
be assured of reasonably wet w'eather. 
I have repeatedly observed that those 
plowed in would maintain a growth 
after those covered shallow had quit, 
no not hesitate, fearing you may not 
need the stuff—they make the best of 
grain and as good milk-producing hay 
as the average grass with its usual small 
per cent of clover. Our first sowing has 
now been in a week. The weather has 
l)een cool and wet, and the peas have 
not grown too much for safe sowing of 
the oats. I like to have them come 
up at the same time, if possible. 
It is a most difficult problem to 
manage. Sometimes we cannot wait 
more than four or five days before sow¬ 
ing the oats, from 1A4 to two bushels to 
the acre. If the peas are under four to 
five inches, one may safely wait until 
they are sprouted. Of course we must 
not wait so long that the drilling or har¬ 
rowing of the oats will disturb the 
growing peas. I would roll the land 
after sowing, if on the loamy soils, in 
order to hasten germination and then if 
dry weather is probable put the weeder 
on behind the roller, and compact for 
the seed and dust mulch for the reten¬ 
tion of moisture with the same effort. 
The great demand for Canada p'^as 
has put the price if one has to buy quite 
high; for two years I bought for our 
neighbors, and a few for our own use, 75 
bushels of perfect stock at $1.07 deliv¬ 
ered, but then, considering their many 
values—a protein crop for forage, a ni¬ 
trogen gatherer to some extent, and a 
pulverizer of no mean value—we can 
well afford to pay the price. My father 
used to say: “It would pay to sow peas 
to fine the soil.” They had the same 
effect then as now, only our scientific 
friends have in more recent years found 
out the why of it. In fact, the great de¬ 
velopment of agricultural science during 
the two decades just past has been rath¬ 
er the finding out the why of things than 
the discovery altogether of new things. 
One of the men has just come in, say¬ 
ing: “The ground is ready, and you 
better come and sow the oats on the pea 
ground.” As he is one of those men who 
means what he says I am going to stop 
writing and do something that I am 
sure will do some good to the cows when 
the dry weather comes on. Don’t fail, 
dairymen, to sow this all-important crop 
if you have not already done so. 
n. K. COOK. 
SM.A.LL Cow.—I saw in The R. N.-Y. an 
inquiry for a small cow. I have one four 
years old and she is not as large as a me¬ 
dium yearling. She was very small when 
dropped, on the first day of April, and we 
called her our Api il fool. c. mcg. 
Amsterdam, N. Y. 
WHY BUTTER MAY NOT PLEASE. 
That butter fails to please the con¬ 
sumer may not always be the fault of 
the maker or due to the over-fastidious¬ 
ness of the buyer. Two instances have 
recently served as an illustration. The 
express wagon at a rural village in a 
dairy region drove up to the railway 
station from the village office and stood 
waiting for the arrival of the train. On 
it were two or three tubs of butter, pre¬ 
sumably consigned to private consum¬ 
ers. In close contact with them, doubt¬ 
less consigned to some dealer in hides, 
was a bundle of skunk skins. If the two 
commodities continued their journey 
together, as they probably did for a time 
at least, the warmer and more confined 
air of the express car would aid in dif¬ 
fusing the aroma more effectively, and 
perhaps in adding to the satisfaction of 
the consumer. A man purchasing but¬ 
ter in considerable quantities from a dis¬ 
tant dairyman complained that the but¬ 
ter was not clean; that it was even 
filthy, and that a layer around the out¬ 
side of several tubs had to be cut off and 
thrown away, because covered with dirt 
and small sticks. The dairyman was 
nonplused. He knew that each tub was 
carefully washed and soaked before be¬ 
ing filled, that no other person had had 
the handling of it. He acknowledged 
that in the extreme drought of the past 
season it was at one time necessary to 
draw water, which being low might 
have left a slight sediment, but the 
quantity of dirt found ruled out this 
explanation. The purchaser finally of¬ 
fered the most tangible explanation, 
which was that the tubs, which had been 
sent by freight in cold weather, had 
been so roughly handled that the covers 
were loosened and the butter rolled out 
upon the floor of the car or freighthouse. 
Neither incident is particularly encour¬ 
aging to the dairyman who must de¬ 
pend upon a distant consumer, r. w. c. 
Shoeing Gee.se.— The following is taken 
from Notes and Queries: Three million 
geese are brought regularly to the October 
market in Warsaw, Poland. Often com¬ 
ing from remote provinces, many of these 
geese have to travel over long distances 
upon roads which would wear out their 
feet if they were not “shod.” For this 
purpose they are driven through tar poured 
over the ground, and then through sand. 
After the operation has been repeated sev¬ 
eral times the feet of the geese become 
covered with a hard crust. 
When j’OU write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Horse Owners! Use 
GOMBATTLT’S 
Caustic 
Balsam 
A Saft Speilr uA Niitiri Cart 
Tke Safeat, Beat BLISTER ever naed. Takea 
lha place of all llnimenta for mild or severe action. 
Bemoves Bnnehes or Blemishes from Boraea 
and Cattle. SUPERSEDES ALL CAUTERY 
OR FIRING. ImpMaiWa to pr ootice tear or blemiih 
■very ^ttle sold Is warranted to give satlsfactlop 
Frlee $1*80 per bottle. Sold br dmRKlsts, oi 
■ant by express ehargea paid, with full directions 
for its use. Send for descriptive circulaia. 
EHB liAWBaNCB-WlIJilAMS CO.. Cleveland a 
NEWTON’S For Heave* 
CURE. UBctliize. 
For distemper, Ooueh, Worm 
Szpeller and Coautioner, a 
60c.aize. Strongrecommendi 
Dealers or delivered. Newton 
Horse Rem. Co.( T )Toledo, O 
Cure Barren Animals 
THE IX)8S SAVED 18 CLEAR PROFIT. 
Others Cure their Animals. WHY BUTCHER yours ? 
Thousands of cows, mares, sows, etc., restored to 
breeding in the past 20 years. The best stock farms 
in the world are our patrons, why not you t ABOR¬ 
TION Every cow that aborts should be treated with 
this remedy. You cannot afford to experiment, 
protlt by the experience of expert breeders. Treat¬ 
ment by mall. Sl.lO. Other remedies just as reliable. 
Ask for circulars any way. 
MOORE BROS., Veterinary Surgeons, Albany, N.Y 
7FNOIFIIIII Kills Lice, Ticks, Mites, Fleas. Etc., 
8.8^1 Vw B.E. ^lTM OD all ^iodsot aDimals and poultry. Gtven 
tolamally It drivss oat worms. Cures all cats, wounds, sores, etc. 
Non.polsonons. Endorsed by leading Tetertuarians. “Veterinary A d- 
vteer” free. Zeniier Dlalnfeetant Co. 100 Bates St* Detroit, jUch. 
Anlnia 
Frion 
dnuu-i-LT 
Kills every fly It strikes; keeps oflT the rest. Harmleii to m 
beast. K cent's worth saves a qls. milk and much fl 
Send $1.00 for Improved Sprayer and enough 6hoo-F 
protect 100 cows, or '25 cents for liquid alone. Guaranti 
8UOO-FI.V lilFO. CO., 1005 Kalrmonnt Are., Philadelphii 
Breeders’ Directory 
A. C. VAN DEMAN 
Successor to H.E.Van Deman ASon 
S. C. Whitt, Brown and 
Buff Leghorns. 
Extra Early Fertile Eggs 
From my best matings, 
11.60 per 16; $4 per 60; 17.60 per 100. 
Eastehn Shore poot.try Yards, 
Box II, Parksley, Va. 
HIGH-CLASS 
Registered Jersey Cattle. 
KOBT. F. SHANNON, Pittsburg, Pa. 
ForSale-JERSEY BULL CALF 
Dropped October 24, 1899. Sire double great grandson 
of Golden Lad and dam testing 18 pounds 2% ounces 
at .two years old. J. 8. CAMPBELL, Butler, Pa. 
IPDSPY RUT T S-Haveon hand a 
1 A# few selected Re¬ 
gistered Jersey Bull Calves, from two to four months 
old, from great milk and butter-producing dams, and 
of the most approved breed! ng. Improve the quality 
of your milk and butter output by taking advantage 
of this offering. We breed for quality and quantity. 
Will make prlcelow; delivered to vourstation. Don’t 
miss this opportunity. Correspondence promptly 
answered. WHITE OAK RIDGE STOCK FARM, 
East Orange, N. J. 
PflD Cll C—thoroughbred HOLSTEIN 
run OULC bull calves, wen marked 
and of best breeding Will oe sold at farmers prices 
Write at once. W. W. CHENEY, Manlius, N. Y, 
C HENANGO VALLEY STOCK FARMS, Greene N. 
Y.—Dutch Belted and Jersey Cattle; Dorset and 
Ramhonlllet Sheep; Poland-Chlna, Jersey Red and 
Suffolk Pigs. Land and Water Fowls. Hens' 
Eggs. 60o. per dozen: lU kinds: standard bred. 
Holstein-Friesian Bull 
ready for service, and a flue lot of Bull Calves. Best 
of breeding, and from deep producing families. 
C. K. RECORD. Peterboro, N. Y. 
150 DeHhurst Holsteins 
for Bale, Including young Cows, Heifers and a 
great lot of BULL CALVES—several now ready 
for service—sons of “ DeKol’s Butter Boy”, and 
the famous ” Royal Paul ” out of advanced Re 
gistry cows. Catalogue. 
DKLLHURST FARM, Mentor, Ohio. 
LARGE BERKSHIRE PICS, 
eligible to registry, $6 to $7 at eight weeks. Sires 
l>nke Curzon and Royal Victor. Satisfaction 
guaranteed. MAPLESHADE FARM, Grantsville.Md. 
Reg. P. Chinas, Berkshirea 
and O. (Vhitet, Choice Pigs 
8 weeks old, mated not akin. 
Bred Sows and Service Boars 
PovMry. Write for hard Umet 
prices and free olronlar. 
HAMIIjTON a CO., Bosenvlok, Chester Co., Pa. 
Qf||Wl FERRETS. Ftrst-olass stock. Bom* 
£UUU Trained. New price-list free. 
N. A. KNAPP. Rochester, Lorain Co., O 
Send for Free Sample Copy of 
GLEINIES IN BEE 
handsome senil-tnonthly ma^azioe. All about 
profitable Bee-Keeping. Book on Bee Culture A 
Bee supplies free if you mention this paper. 
The A. I. Root Co. Medina, O. 
How to make money. Invest one cent in a 
postal card, mail it to Jones of Binghamton, 
Binghamton, N. Y., and learn how to save 
many dollars in the iirice of scales. Jones he 
pays the freight. 
DRILLIN6 
Machines 
Over 70 ilies and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells In any kind of soli or rook. Mounted 
on wheels or on sills. With engines or horse powers. 
Strong, simple and durable. Any meohanio can 
operate them easily. Send for catalog. _ 
WIULJAMS BROS.. Ithaca, N. T. 
rarrT“(''~r—f—i“r—f 
iirr^i I-^1—r“T“r ae.. 
Ilf I—r~(-1 r—I—r“ a..". 
I'oi(■ r I (" r r i • 2ct» 
■■S’! —r —(—r—I— r —i—r—r 
TMTi—r— I—I—r~i—r—p —r 
—r—r—y— 1 ^— ■>' —rg — 
HOG, HORSE, CATTLE, DOO, 
She^, Are and water and snow drift proof. 
The fence that fences—Cheap and lasts a lifetime— 
AMERICAN 
FIELD AND HOG FENCE 
If you cannot find Our local agent write to 
American Steel & Wire Co., Chicago or New York. 
BULLSIRONOI 
- PIO-TIOHT.... 
An Illinois farmer said 
er harvest 1 a had fully 200 busl^ 
els of loose osts on thegro^a 
that he could not secure any bei^ 
eflt from, because the zmM 
around the field would not tura 
hogs. Figure the loss for you^l^ 
He also said, all this would have 
been saved if be h^ 
Kltselman Woven Wire CoJ 1*0 
SprihK FbbCe.and the^M 
would We gone a long wa^ 
towards pa^ng cost of the ren^ 
Withtfiebuplox Maomn* 
any farmer esm make It hlms^ 
I at the actual cost <>/. *be w^ 
