1868. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
51 
abundant pasture, where she can soon get her 
fill, will feed four times in the twenty-four hours, 
and have an equal number of times for rumin¬ 
ating, and that the calf will suckle regularly at 
times corresponding with these. While he does 
not think that milking four times a day is ad¬ 
visable, as we are able to depart from the natu¬ 
ral course of things within certain limits, yet he 
holds that thrice is nearer to the manner in 
which the cow is milked by the calf than is twice, 
and that cows, milked three times a day, have 
a tendency to convert their food into milk, rather 
than into fat, while with a less frequent milking, 
the secretion of fat is more active. He says: 
“The reader will bear in mind that we are 
confining our observations to cows fed on high¬ 
ly nourishing food—the starving system of the 
olden time having been thrown overboard ; and 
the question now under notice, of cows being 
more liable to go dry and run to fat when only 
milked twice a day than when milked thrice, 
must appear so plain to those who have any 
lengthened experience in the matter, as hardly 
to require a word of detailed argument to fortify 
the conclusion. Thus, according to our own 
experience, there were about 14 hours between 
the evening and morning milkings, on the bi¬ 
meal plan, and 10 hours between the morning 
and evening. In some town dairies, the length 
of time between the evening and morning meals 
is greater, and that between the morning and 
evening, less. During the summer months, we 
have had only 13 hours between the evening 
and morning, and 11 between the morning and 
evening, the tin b«ing tin s more eq -ally^di- 
vided. Under tne three-meal system there were 
ten hours between the evening and morning, 
and seven hours between each of the other two 
meals; the night interval in the summer time be- 
ingsliorter, and the day interval longer. Such be¬ 
ing the facts of the case as to the length of time, 
upon which the argument hinges, the reader 
will perceive that, assuming the ruminating, 
digestive,and secretory functions equally healthy 
and active in both cases, the milk remains four 
hours longer in the udder of the cow under the 
two-meal system than under the three-meal sys¬ 
tem over night, and twice these hours during 
the day. The effects of this difference upon the 
functional economy of the cow generally is ob¬ 
viously to increase her carcass weight, and re¬ 
duce the quantity of milk secreted between 
meals. In discussing this question, it must 
further be borne in mind that both these pro¬ 
cesses—the manufacture of meat, if we may so 
call it, and the manufacture of milk—are con¬ 
tinuously going on in a healthy cow; so that it 
does not require much force to turn the balance 
either way, more especially when there is a nat¬ 
ural tendency to the secretion of fat, especially 
over night, and the adverse to the secretion of 
milk. In principle, the argument of milk re¬ 
maining in the udder for a length of time after 
it has been secreted, is identical with that of 
leaving a portion in the udder after milking. 
Ho doubt sour brewer’s grains and distiller’s 
wash may be given to cows in quantity sufficient 
to stimulate the secretion of milk, and counter¬ 
act the tendency to run to fat, but the practice 
is out of date, and the argument which it in¬ 
volves unworthy of the present enlightened age. 
“In those localities where cows are only 
milked twice a day, there would doubtless be 
many objections raised in the adoption of milk¬ 
ing three times, even in examples where all the 
milk is consumed upon the farm. But those 
who raise this objection should first bear in 
iqind that their precept practice tools its rise in 
times when cows and calves were half starved, 
conditions which do not apply in the present 
age; second, in those districts where three times 
milking is the common rule, no difficulty is ex¬ 
perienced in getting servants to attend regularly 
to the hours of feeding and milking. 
“As to commercial dairies, where the whole 
of the milk is either sold wholesale or in retail, 
the third meal may be used for raising cream, 
or a portion of it, the remainder being warmed 
and mixed with the morning milk, which would 
rather improve the latter than otherwise, the 
evening milk being' richer than the morning 
milk. This, we may observe, is no hypothetical 
proposition, but the actual practice successfully 
followed in those districts where cows are milk¬ 
ed three times a day—large towns in them being 
better supplied with new milk, butter, and 
cream, than towns situated in districts where 
the two-meal system is exclusively practiced. 
In short, no valid objection can be raised to the 
tliree-meal system, if dairymen would consult 
their own interests, and the welfare of their 
cows, free from craft prejudices.” 
-— ---- — - 
Farm Laborers—Prospects. 
The time is at hand in the North, for securing 
labor for the approaching season. The hired 
man, in the good old times, began his work on 
the 1st of April, and the term of service 'was 
for 6 or 8 months. A longer term did not suit 
his convenience, or that of his employer. He 
could teach school in the winter, or strap on his 
trQnks and pedche, tend saw-mill, or butcher 
pigs, and make more money than he could on 
the farm. And, then, in the days of homespun, 
with all due allowance for the many virtues of 
our fathers, there was not quite so much enter¬ 
prise in winter as now, and comparatively little 
was done upon the farm. The hired man got 
9 or 10 dollars a month for his summer labor, and 
thought he did pretty well. Now the average 
price of labor in the Eastern States is 33 dollars a 
month, and for the whole country, 28, as last 
reported by the Commissioner of Agriculture. 
We think there must be a little reduction from 
these prices the present year. There has been 
a large accession to our population from Europe, 
the most of them males, in the prime of life, 
who have come to this country seeking labor. 
They have strong hands and willing hearts, in¬ 
tent upon improving their fortunes and in due 
time getting homes of tlieir own. Many of these 
go West, but multitudes linger at the East, aud 
can be employed at reasonable prices upon the 
farm. Then it is to be considered that our 
manufacturing interests are somewhat depressed, 
and wages are reduced from ten to twenty per 
cent., and some establishments are stopping. 
This will throw some out of employment, and 
they will seek support upon the farm, which 
alone has bread enough, and work for all. 
The prospects for agriculture the coming 
year are exceedingly promising everywhere, 
except in the cotton states. We have raised, 
the past year, the best wheat crop ever produced 
in the country, and the prices are satisfactory. 
The corn crop, short in some states, was, on the 
whole, an average, and the prices high. Potatoes 
were a very short crop, and the prices higher 
thari for many years. With a few exceptions, 
everything the farmer produces brings a good 
round profit on the cost of production, showing 
that the business can be safely extended. We 
think, as a rule, our Northern farmers do not 
employ as much labor as they ought, to make 
their business profitable. They are content’ to 
rub along, just supporting their families, when 
they might do this and have a handsome sur¬ 
plus b} r using more labor. It costs very little 
more brain work to direct the labors of six men 
than the labor of one. If there is a profit in 
hiring one man, there is six times the profit in 
hiring six, other things being equal. Of course, 
it requires more capital and more care. There 
can be no doubt that farming pays with present 
prices, and we hold that land is profitable just 
as we expend labor and capital upon it. If any 
man has any doubt upon that point, let him 
plant an acre of corn, applying fifty dollars’ 
worth of stable manure, and giving thorough 
cultivation, and compare the result with little 
or no manure and poor cultivation. Labor is 
much higher than it used to be, but farm crops 
sell enough higher to make up the difference, 
and leave a margin for profit. We have no 
doubt that multitudes of our skillful farmers 
would greatly improve their fortunes by using 
more labor and enlarging their business. They 
have skill enough and capital enough, if it were 
put in the right place. The markets show clear¬ 
ly enough, that we want more hay and grain, 
more beef and butter, more potatoes and poul¬ 
try, and that all farm crops pay well for raising. 
The manufacturer and merchant arc very much 
in doubt about their ventures now, and some 
are failing. The farmer has no solicitude of this 
kind. He may extend his business and thrive. 
Get skilled labor if it can be had-, but if 
not, use the emigrant. Many who come over 
have been trained to farm labor, and very soon 
adapt themselves to our methods. If the farmer 
can be in the field with his help the most of the 
time, skill is of less importance. One of the 
best hands we ever had, began work with us the 
day after he landed, and staid with us six years. 
If a green hand has aptness he will acquire 
skill, and after a few months will be as service¬ 
able at most kinds of work as the best hand. 
There is no difficulty in getting emigrant labor, 
in any quantity, and at reasonable prices. 
Thousands of them come to our shores every 
month and are eager to secure places. Give 
them a chance to earn their bread, and to make 
homes for themselves upon land of their own. 
Soft-shelled Eggs.—A n English poultry 
manager suggests the following treatment: 
“ When a hen lays this sort of egg, and not 
habitually, the occurrence is gen orally accom¬ 
panied with hard or full crop. In that case, it 
is owing to indigestion, to be treated with one 
or two teaspoonfuls of English gin. One cause 
is said to be over-feeding when fowls are too 
fat. These eggs are generally dropped from the 
roost, and if it is not too high from the floor, or 
if they fall on straw, may be saved entire, and 
used for puddings. As to symptoms, experience 
will make known the indications, and the time 
when a hen is about to pass one of these eggs, 
by appearing somewhat dull and uneasy when 
walking about; when proper precautions should 
be taken to secure it, and prevent the other 
hens from gobbling it up. The writer has a 
favorite hen, which always regularly drops 
these eggs from her roost, and never lays any 
others, and has done so for these five years past, 
although in perfect health.” 
Probably the medicinal effect of American 
gin would be quite as efficacious as that of “ En¬ 
glish.” We give his statement for what it is 
worth, with the remark that the trouble is 
usually considered due to a lack of lime in 
the food, and this is supplied by giving the 
hens (shells, hopes, and other forms of lime, 
