1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
56i 
of their business as other men do, there would not be 
so many farming simply to give them a “ steady job,” 
and keep prices down for those who are anxious to 
succeed in this vocation. I hope that The R. N.-Y. 
will give us a “broadside” on this subject. j. e. h. 
Phelps, N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—We want to hear from farmers who claim 
to be able to figure the cost of a certain crop. How 
do they do it ? 
New Ideas for Agricultural Education. 
But few intelligent people can be found who do not 
regret that they did not obtain a better education. 
When younger, they either did not have the money, or 
they did not fully realize the advantage of a better 
education. At the present time, a course at an agri¬ 
cultural college is not very expensive. As that takes 
away one of the greatest difficulties, in what ways can 
our young people be convinced of the importance of a 
good education, and persuaded to invest time and 
money in themselves by getting it ? 
The agricultural college is, undoubtedly, the best 
place for a young man to learn the science of farm¬ 
ing ; but there are some who will not attend because 
they think that the college is not practical enough. 
Would it be practicable for large farmers to establish 
farm schools in connection with their farms ? They 
could employ young men who do not wish to attend 
an agricultural college, but who wish to learn the 
best farm methods, have them work 8 or 10 hours a 
day, the evenings to be employed in reading, study¬ 
ing and attending lectures, the farmer to question 
and instruct them in their studies, also to give 
occasional lectures supplemented by lectures by other 
capable men. The young men, by having the advant¬ 
age of such instruction, could afford to work for less 
than ordinary wages ; they would thus get a very 
good education, while otherwise, the evenings would 
be spent in idleness. The farmer would be benefited, 
too, because he would get a good class of help, and 
could afford to spend some time in instructing them 
because he would not have to pay so high wages. 
Could not the manufacturer adopt a similar method? 
Working men are continually asking for shorter 
hours of labor. They would, undoubtedly, be better 
off if they would wisely employ their leisure time. If 
the manufacturer would grant the lesser number of 
hours on condition that the men should study, and 
provide for occasional lectures on physiology, chem¬ 
istry, political economy, etc., would he not, after a 
while, obtain a better class of help, and thus be paid 
for his trouble ? Here is a chance for wealthy men 
who are fond of agricultural pursuits, and wish to do 
some good to the masses. Let them try the experi¬ 
ment, and if successful, it would be copied all over 
the country. e. w. morse. 
New Hampshire. 
R. N.-Y.—This is somewhat in line with the farm 
school conducted by Mr Geo. T. Powell. The R. N.-Y. 
will have more to say about it soon. 
BUTTERMAKING ON THE FARM. 
In this day of creameries and Elgin extras, we com¬ 
monly think that the farm dairy has no more place or 
importance upon the earth. Yet as late as 1890, 85 
per cent of all the butter in the United States was 
produced in the farm dairy, and while the last six 
years have, probably, greatly increased the per cent 
made in creameries, there is still, and will be for 
years, a vast amount made by the farmers’ wives. 
This butter is of all kinds and conditions. I once 
heard a well-known dairy writer—an advocate of the 
home dairy—say, “ Gentlemen, the best butter in the 
world is made in the private dairy—and the worst, 
too.” That statement was literally correct. The 
greatest blessing of the creameries is that, while 
many of them are not making a really fine grade of 
butter, none of them is making a product so notori¬ 
ously bad as that which a million of farmers’ wives 
are putting into 10 -pound pails—about the most dis¬ 
reputable package (roll-cloths of old linen garments 
excepted), that ever cursed a pound of butter. 
Perhaps we might say that there are three kinds of 
farm buttermaking running into each other to some 
extent. First, there is the class just mentioned, 
whose product, small individually, is large in the 
aggregate. Probably, like the poor, they will be 
always with us. It was one of these men who, when 
the New York State Dairymens’ Association conven¬ 
tion was held within four miles of his home, and he 
was urged to attend, frankly stated that he was well 
satisfied with his present results. It is this class of 
butter that constitutes a terrible drag upon our dairy 
markets, because it is always in over-supply and when 
sold, a pound of it displaces two pounds of a good 
article. 
Another and worthy class is making butter with¬ 
out any very modern methods, yet, by what seems 
almost hereditary or intuitive skill, is making in cool 
cellars, and packing into 100 -pound firkins, a really 
fine product. It is certainly true, and almost with¬ 
out explanation, that, while creamery butter will 
outsell this when freshly made, yet six months later 
in New York, the “long dairies” of Delaware County 
will be worth one or two cents more than the best 
“ held creamery.” Probably the explanation is to be 
sought in the fact that the product of these old-style 
buttermakers has never, during its manufacture, 
been subjected to sudden or great changes of 
temperature. Possibly, the freedom of the water 
from organic impurities, the bacteriological nature 
of its surroundings or the more thorough working 
which it receives may have something to do with 
the matter. I once heard a man familiar with the 
butter trade of New York City for many years, wax 
fairly eloquent upon the wonderful qualities of the 
butter that used to come down from Orange Co., 
made in “ 12-quart Orange County pans.” I have 
wondered whether it really was so excellent, or 
whether it was only another example of how distance 
lends enchantment. 
The third class of farm dairies comprises those who 
are doing a strictly gilt-edged business—who, by 
judicious advertising in various ways, banking on the 
reputation of their farm, and perhaps, by something 
of a flourish of trumpets, generally, have convinced 
some people of the half truth, half fiction, that they 
make better butter than can be procured anywhere 
else. This class, by putting up butter in small, fancy 
packages, have, in many instances, a trade from 5 to 
25 cents higher than the creamery can hope to reach 
in the open market. This class of men represent the 
high-water mark in dairy practice. 
JARED VAN WAGENEH JR. 
The Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question please 
see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate 
piece of paper.] 
A Word About Cherries. 
D. J. S., Ait ken's Ferry , P. E. I. — 1 . What variety would you 
recommend as the best all ’round late cherry ? 2. What is your 
experience with the Dyehouse cherry ? How much earlier than 
Early Richmond is it, and in what respects is it superior to that 
variety ? Is it as hardy ? 
Ans. —1. Windsor. 2. Dyehouse is a little smaller 
than Richmond, and a little earlier. The fruit is 
more evenly distributed over the tree than is the 
case with the Richmond. We consider it as hardy as 
the Richmond. The English Morello and Montmor¬ 
ency we regard as the best kinds in this class. 
/ 
Cultivation of Raspberries and Cabbages. 
A. B. C., Harwinton, Conn. —1. I have some red and yellow rasp¬ 
berries, set last spring, in rows about four feet apart, and the 
plants 1*4x2 feet. How late should they be cultivated, and what 
pruning, if any, should be done ? Should there be more than one 
cane in a hill ? I have also some of the same kinds set two or 
three years ago, and left to grow until they are much too thick. 
How shall I trim them, so that they will be in pi-oper condition ? 
2. Can anything be hoed in around cabbages, or put on the heads, 
to quicken their heading ? If so, what ? 
Ans. —1. We cultivate until frost. Our way is to 
leave from three to four canes to a hill. But A. B. C.’s 
plants are so close together that, perhaps, two canes 
would be enough. Our advice is to cut out all old 
wood—that is, the canes which have borne—soon 
after they have borne the crop. 2. We think not, if 
the plants are far advanced. Liberal allowances of 
bone and potash early in the season, and frequent 
cultivation will insure a quick, vigorous growth. 
An Ice House and Cold Storage. 
E. R. 8., Brandywine Manor , Pa.— I would like to build a cheap 
ice house, to hold 12 to 14 two-horse loads, and would like to have 
a room 5*4 feet high and eight feet square below the ice for milk 
and butter, in fact, a cold storage room. How should this be 
built so as to economize in space and cost ? I could build it by 
having it partly in the ground. I have the timber, and expect to 
do most of the work. Could I have it built so as to have ice 
around the room, as well as above ? 
ANSWERED BY W. W. FARNSWORTH. 
My experience with ice and cold storage has been 
rather too limited to allow me to speak with author¬ 
ity ; but I have observed and studied the matter con¬ 
siderably, and a year ago built a fruit house with a 
cold storage cellar, that I consider a success. It is 
built on the same principle as the one at the experi¬ 
ment station at Wooster, that has proved a success for 
several years. To build to meet the requirements of 
E. R. S., I would excavate three to four feet (drainage 
permitting) and use the earth thus obtained to bank 
up to the top of the wall, which I would make, at 
least, 6 or 6K feet. I would build a stone wall (mine 
is of broken stone and lime and cement mortar filled 
into molds), about a foot thick. 
If a perfect cold storage is desired for keeping fruit, 
meat, etc., I would set up 2x4 studding against the 
inside of the wall, and cover them with building 
paper and matched ceiling, thus creating an air 
chamber. Probably this will not be required for milk 
and butter. I would construct the cellar bottom o 
broken stones and cement, about six inches thick. 
The door should be on the outside, north side pre¬ 
ferred, and should be very tight fitting. On top of 
the wall, place joists strong enough to support the 
ice, and cover with two-inch plank, leaving a space of 
four inches around the outside to allow a circulation 
from the ice house downward into the cellar. Upon 
this floor, place galvanized iron for the ice to rest 
upon, laying a few inch strips of wood upon it to pre¬ 
vent the ice injuring the iron when the house is being 
filled. Turn up the iron three or four inches around 
the edge to hold the water from melting ice, and have 
an opening at one corner, which should be a little 
lower than the others, to drain it off. The remainder 
of the upper part of the building should be built like 
an ordinary ice house. 
The ice is put in in the ordinary manner, except 
that the sawdust is placed around the outside, and an 
air space of four to six inches is left; this comes 
directly over the opening in the cellar floor, and al¬ 
lows the air to become cooled by direct contact with 
the ice ; being heavier than the air beneath, it 
descends and the warmer air from below ascends to 
be cooled in turn without any elaborate or patent 
system of flues, ventilators, etc. The ice will waste 
more rapidly than when protected on the sides, and 
E. R. S. will need to provide a somewhat larger quan¬ 
tity to allow therefor. Have as few outside windows 
to the cellar as possible, and protect by double sash 
and shutters. I do not believe that it will be neces¬ 
sary or advisable to have ice around the sides of the 
cellar. This is the general principle of my cold 
storage fruit house. The details can be varied to suit 
circumstances, tools and pocketbooks. 
Ohio. 
Adding Water to Cream. 
J. R. M., Lookout , Pa. —Can we make more blitter, when the 
cows have been in milk awhile, and the milk flow is reduced, by 
adding water when setting the milk ? Some claim that they can. 
Ans. —It is not at all likely that the addition of 
water, either cold or hot, is an aid to the separation 
of cream in a cold, deep-setting process. This mat¬ 
ter was thoroughly worked over by the Vermont 
Experiment Station, as well as by ourselves, and the 
whole matter was summed up in our Bulletin 39 (Cor¬ 
nell University Experiment Station), which may be 
had upon application. [prof.] h. h. wing. 
To Soften a Paint Brush. 
II. 8., Pattenburg , N. J. —How can I soften a paint brush that 
has become hard with paint? 
Ans. —When done using a paint brush, put it in a 
vessel of water; a small crock will do, or a paint keg. 
But this will avail nothing if you forget to replenish 
the water as it evaporates, say, once a month. To 
soften it, put some turpentine in a dish and set fire to 
it. In a few minutes, the turpentine will be hot; 
then smother the flames, and work the bristles in the 
fluid. Or heat some raw linseed oil to boiling point, 
remove from the fire, put the brush in the oil and let 
soak. Don’t let hot oil get above the bristles, on the 
ferrule. Or put some soda in water, suspend the 
brush in the water, and heat to about 150 deg. F., 
let soak a day or so, and then wash out with 
soap and warm water. This is one of the best 
methods. Varnish brushes require different treat¬ 
ment. Keep a paint brush in water, a varnish 
brush in oil, and a whitewash or kalsomine brush in 
the cellar or other damp place. a. a. k. 
The “ White Blast” in Onions. 
YV. M. E., Peace Bale, R. /. —Our onions are very much rusted 
at the tips and sides of the leaves, the leaves are also large and 
deformed, being irregularly flat. They are also weak and bend 
over a good deal. Is this caused by a deficiency of some element 
in the soil ? The soil is rich, was well manured, and had a dress¬ 
ing of wood ashes and some plaster, the soil being somewhat 
sour. The soil is rather light, and somewhat sandy. For the 
rust, I sprayed several times with Bordeaux Mixture, but it washes 
off easily. Would a little addition of sulphate of iron help it any ? 
Ans. —The onion tips were affected with what has 
come to be known as the “white blast” ; that is, many 
whitish, corroded spots appear on the leaves and, in 
many cases, the tops wilt and bend over. This ap¬ 
pearance is due to the work of a minute yellow 
insect not readily perceptible to the naked eye. It is 
one of the thrips (Thrips tabaci). It is a compara¬ 
tively new insect pest, which has come to us from 
Europe, and now occurs in many of the States in our 
country ; during recent years, it has done much dam¬ 
age in onion fields in widely separated localities. 
The eggs of the insect are inserted in the tissue of the 
leaf ; they hatch in a few days, and several genera¬ 
tions of the pest occur during the season. The insects 
collect particularly iD the axils of the leaves and in 
the bent portions of leaves which have drooped over. 
Cabbage and other garden crops, also, often suffer 
from the attacks of the thrips. They can be con¬ 
trolled by several applications of kerosene emulsion, 
diluted with about 10 parts of water; spray the 
infested plants at intervals of four or five days until 
the pest is conquered. m. y. s. 
