1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
3o5 
What Is “Imitation Creamery” Butter? 
G. M.. Meridale, N. Y .—Some people around here claim that 
“Imitation creamery” butter, quoted in the market reports, is 
butterine or oleomargarine. Is this true, and if it is not, why is 
it called “imitation creamery” ? 
Ans. —The butter that is quoted as “ imitation 
creamery,” is supposed to be that which is picked up 
in small lots in the country, re-worked and packed in 
the same manner as creamery butter. Butter mer¬ 
chants say that they wouldn’t be surprised if oleomar¬ 
garine were sometimes worked in with it. It is a low- 
grade article at best, and its chief recommendation is 
its low price. It would not sell nearly so well as it 
does if it were not for the fact that it is put up in good 
shape. 
Room for Hens; Dissolved Bones. 
G. B. L., Niagara Falls , Out. —1. How many hens could eou 
veniently be kept in a house 16x60 feet ? Would it be better to 
divide it into two or more parts ? If so, why ? 2. Can bones be 
dissolved in sulphuric acid ? If so, what proportions of acid 
should be used to each 100 pounds of bones ? How can it be used 
without danger ? 
Ans. —1. Between four and five square feet of floor 
space will be right for one hen. Our own plan would 
be to divide such a house into three parts. It will 
make more work in caring for the hens, but the flocks 
will be smaller, thus giving a better opportunity of 
observing individual hens, and noticing disease or lack 
of food in time to remedy the trouble. We do not 
advise farmers to use sulphuric acid at home. It is 
dangerous stuff to handle. The way to use it is to 
smash up the bones, put them in a vessel lined with 
lead, and gradually pour on the acid. About 1,200 
pounds of acid will be necessary for a ton of coarse 
bone. 
Will a Hydraulic Ram Answer ? 
IV. 11. S., Homer , Ont .—I have a spring well about 400 feet from 
the house, and about 25 feet lower than the ground at the house. 
There Is also a creek or stream of water running between the 
house and well, about 100 feet from the latter. Could a hydraulic 
ram operated by the stream, be made to pump water from the 
well? 
Ans. —It will be entirely possible to arrange a 
hydraulic ram to pump clear water with muddy, but 
the arrangement for such a purpose will be compli¬ 
cated and, possibly, unsatisfactory. Nearly all of 
the pump manufacturers construct a power pump for 
the especial purpose mentioned by W. II. S. The 
machine consists of two pistons and two cylinders, 
one of which receives the dirty water, and is operated 
backward and forward, by alternately receiving and 
discharging this water. The other is the pump proper 
which acts in a similar manner to any pump. The 
latter arrangement will, probably, be less expensive, 
and certainly much more efficient than the hydraulic 
ram. k. c. cabpenter. 
What Is a Butter Starter ? 
J. S. 6'., Goshen, N. Y. —Can you inform me regarding a so-called 
“butter starter” for properly ripening cream ? What is it, and 
how is it operated ? 
Ans. — The R. N.-Y. told all about this in a series of 
articles entitled “ A Pound of Butter,” published in 
1894. The principle of the “ starter” is based on the 
fact that the changes called souring that take place 
in cream and milk, are due to minute forms of life 
known as bacteria. There are many different kinds 
of these bacteria, and the object of the “starter” is to 
use the kind that will start the souring in the right 
way. It is the same as using yeast to make bread 
rise—every housewife knows the necessity of having 
yeast of known and certain strength. Many dairymen 
make their own “starter” out of skim-milk. This is 
heated to about 90 degrees, and then put in a perfectly 
air-tight can. In 24 hours it sours and forms a thick 
curd. The cream is kept in an air-tight vat, and 24 
hours before churning, it is warmed up to 70 degrees 
and then a quantity of the sour milk equal to one per 
cent of the cream is put in and the whole well stirred. 
This “starts” the souring of the cream, and it goes on 
in a regular and uniform way inside the air-tight vat, 
so that, at the end of 24 hours, it is just ripe enough 
for good churning. There are various commercial 
“starters”—powders and liquids—which contain this 
fermenting or souring principle, all ready prepared. 
Prof. Conn has prepared what he calls Bacteria No. 
41, which is a specially active and valuable ferment 
capable of spreading through the cream uniformly, 
and imparting a peculiarly fine flavor to the butter. 
Selling Direct to City Hotels. 
M. A. S., Flint Hill. Vd. —I see from au advertisement in a 
religious paper, that a hotel in New York City wishes to buy nice 
six-weeks-old chiekens. What is the address ? 
Ans. —There are, probably, 500 hotels in New York 
where chickens from six to ten weeks old are wanted. 
If any one has advertised to buy from such a hotel, he 
is, probably, a fraud, for the better class of hotels and 
restaurants do not buy direct from the producer. They 
prefer to buy from agents or commission men, who 
can secure a constant supply of just what they want. 
One fashionable hotel in New York alone uses 20,000 
broilers in the course of a year. If they were to buy 
them of 100 different parties, it would involve an end¬ 
less correspondence and bother. The same is true of 
butter, eggs, and a dozen other things. The steward 
cannot afford the time to deal with individuals, except 
when a large and constant supply can be guaranteed. 
In most cases, these stewards will not even answer 
letters addressed to them. The R. N.-Y. once wrote 
30 letters to stewards of our best hotels, asking them 
if they would care to deal direct with producers. Only 
two ever replied, and one of these wrote an insulting 
letter. The other said that he would deal only witli 
those who could guarantee a certain amount and uni¬ 
form product all through the year. There is no use 
try ing to secure this trade by mail, and only the best 
of business tact can secure it even in a personal in¬ 
terview. 
Killing “ Devil’s Paint Brush.” 
“ Farmer,'" McKean County, Pa .—How can I best destroy the 
weed known as devil’s paint brush ? 
Ans. —The common names by which this weed is 
known, according to Lyster H. Dewey’s report on 
“ Weeds, and How to Kill Them,” are : Devil’s Paint 
Brush, Devil’s weed, King Devil weed, and Golden 
Hawkweed. The technical name is Iiieracium prteal- 
tum. It is injurious in New York and northern Penn¬ 
sylvania, especially in McKean County, Pa. It is a 
perennial plant, flowering from June to September, 
and matures its seeds from August to October. The 
flowers are pink, red or yellow, one inch in diameter, 
resembling somewhat a paint brush, and are very 
handsome and showy. It propagates by seeds and 
rootstocks, the seeds being easily carried by the wind. 
It does the greatest damage in meadows and pastures, 
and can be destroyed by sheep pasturing, cultivation 
and heavy cropping. e. h. s. 
An Ice House for a Silo. 
E. P. A., Leavells, Va .—We have a circular building about 20 
feet deep and 16 feet in diameter, with a steep, cone roof. The 
foundation is a solid stone wall, coming within two feet of the 
surface, and on this is an eight-inch brick wall 10 feet high, with 
a door on the side for entrance, and one in the roof. The building 
was formerly used as au ice house. Would it do to line this and 
also put a cement or some other bottom in it for a silo ? 
Ans.— This abandoned ice house will make a fairly 
good silo, though the material put in it will, probably, 
not keep quite so well as it would in a building con¬ 
structed of wood. We have just opened a brick silo 
about 12 feet deep, built entirely under ground like a 
cistern. The material that is now coming out is in 
good condition. The only doubt might be as to 
whether an eight-inch brick wall would stand the 
pressure of the ensilage. It would depend on the 
quality of the brick and the mortar, and the care 
which had been used in laying up the wall. For 
safety, it might be well to put two hoops around the 
silo, one about two feet from the surface of the 
ground, and the other three feet or so above the first 
one. Hoops may be secured suitable for this purpose, 
which come in sections and have appliances for tight¬ 
ening them, of the Aermotor Co., Buffalo, N. Y. No 
cement bottom will be necessary, unless it is required 
to keep the water out. 
ROSPfJPUS 
AND OrmflRriLlZEPS 
MANUFACTURED BY \ 
theJarecki Chemical Co., 
^SANDUSKY. OHIO.. 
Experience 
has proven conclusively that 
better grapes and peaches, 
and more of them, are produced 
when Potash is liberally ap¬ 
plied. To insure a full crop of 
choicest quality use a fertilizer 
containing not less than 10% 
Actual Potash. 
Orchards and vineyards treat¬ 
ed with Potash are compara¬ 
tively free from insects and 
plant disease. 
Our pamphlets are not advertising circulars boom¬ 
ing special fertilizers, but are practical works, contain¬ 
ing latest researches on the subject of fertilization, and 
are really helpful to farmers. They are sent free for 
the asking. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
oa Nassau St., New York. 
Peruvian Cuano, 
Containing 10 per cent of Ammonia at 
greatly reduced prices. 
pei%en, Peruvian Cuano. 
Fine Ground Dried Fish. 
Prices on Application BAUGH <& SONS COMPANY, 412 Exchange Place, Baltimore, Md. 
DARLING’ 
c 
d 
Fertilizer represents the highest nu- g 
tritive value. Practical experiments 3 
irove it to be the most economical in 2 
use and productive in results. Analysis g 
shows it to contain for a basis Q 
JRE FINE BONE § 
perties. An infallible life renewer for g 
crops. Sold by all agricultural and S 
8 HIGH GRADE PI 
C combined with the most efficacious pro 
g dead ground. Made for all kinds of 
] ? seed stores in the Middle States 
(D and New England. Send for 
S 1896 Catalogue. 
ID L. B. DARLING FERTILIZER CO., 
K PAWTUCKET, It- I. 1 
FERTILIZERS! 
STOCKBRIDCE 
SPECIAL 
COMPLETE 
MANURES 
FOR DIFFERENT CROPS, 
are made 
DOUBLE STRENGTH. 
IN MANY OF THESE 
WELL-KNOWN FERTI¬ 
LIZERS, THE 
POTASHbeeMNCREASED 
FOR 1896, IN ONE CASE 
OYER 40 PER CENT., BUT 
NO ADVANCE HAS BEEN 
MADE IN THE PRICE. 
SEE LOCAL AGENTS, OR ADDRESS 
IVKER 
FERTILIZER *3 Chatham St, Boston 
COMPANY, 27 Beaver St, Hew York 
LOOK AHEAD 
and save money. Rogers offers young, thrifty 
trees for transplanting. You can raise your own 
trees for Fall. Small grades Peach Trees—Crosby, 
Elberta, Mountain Rose and others—trimmed up 
by “Stringfellow Method” (seeTuE Rural New-Yorker, March 14>, $1.75per 100; $4 per 1,000. Can be 
sent by express. Will grow as easy as cabbage. Dwarf Pears and Cherries, $3.50 per 100. Standard 
Pears, $4.50 per 100. Can be planted in orchard, now, if desired. All true to name. 
ISAAC C. ROGERS, Rogers Nurseries, DANSVILLE, N. Y. 
