The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-03-08
HOUSE FARM g. GARDEN.
Dairy Notes Concerning Minnesota.
From E. A. Wizards Dairy Department In Rural Ne

From A. WIZARDS DAIRY o Rse1rtmen' IN suE'' New
Mr.. WILLARD ~ write you for in
formation in regard to cheese.making
in the West. Will prairie grass make
6rst.class cheese? IF not, will it by
feeding grain z; Do you know the price
Of making cheese in the West? Is it
necessaryrto have spring.? Any in
formation you may give me will be
gladly received.
was breeding pure-blooded cattle
(Herefords) in Westfeld, N. Y. You
will see my name in report of New
York State Fairs of 1874 and 1877. II
came here for my health. think the
prospects here are good for cheese
making. I am talking Of building
factory, and shall get first-class
cheese maker and tools from New
York.
At ameeting here in regard to build
ing cheese factory, they requested
me to write to you, as they said you
were sending information wherever
asked. By giving such advice in re-
lation to the above as may be in your
power, you will confer much-desired
favor on many here.
DIX. SHAW.
Blue Earth County, MINI.
REMARKS There is a mistaken no.
ton with many that COWS feeding on
prairie grass will not yield good milk
for cheese-making. We have travelled
extensively over the prairies of the
West and Far West, and have taken
some pains to investigate this matter
and we are quite certain that the
milk of COWS fed on paririe grass will
make first class cheese, providing the
grass does not grow on swales or low,
wet grounds. We have seen good
cheese made from the milk Of COWS
fed on the prairie grass of Nebraska.
Even on the borders of what is known
as the "rainless region,' at North
Platte, good cheese is produced from
the native prairie grasses. In Cali
fornia some or the finest butter is pro.
duced from native grasses growing on
ranches that have never been touched
with the plow; and 50 in other locali-
ties at the West and Northwest good
dairy products are produced from
such grasses. Bad milk, it is true, is
not unfrequently made from COWS
pastured on the prairies, and that is
principally caused by the bad condi-
ton of the water which the COWS are
obliged to drink. Water from swales
and stagnant pools will not be likely to
make good milk, especially in hot
weather, and many persons who do
not know this fact have supposed the
cause Of the poor milk was to be at
tributed to the prairie grass. It is
true, on some prairies there are nox.
ious weeds, such as the wild onion and
other plants, that the COWS may feed
upon and which will make bad milk.
Then again, on low, wet grounds,
the luxurious growth of grass, in'hot
wea Their, is not unfrequently covered
with swarms Of insects, and COWS
feeding in such places undoubtedly
often consume a large quantity Of
these with the grass, and in such cases
it has been known to injuriously affect
the milk; but the commonly accepted
theory that all prairie grass makes
poor milk is, in our opinion, a grave
mistake. So we to our correspond
ent, if his prairies are elevated and
rolling and are free from the OBJ
jections we have named, and il he
feeds grain or ship-stuffs when the
prairie grass begins to dry up or fails
to be abundant, there is no reason why
6rst.class cheese may not be made on
such lands.
The price Of making cheese at the
West is generally higher than at the
East, and depends also on the number
of COWS which supply the factory. A
cheese.maker can generally save more
money by running a large cheese
factory at IS cents per 100 pounds
Of cheese than a small factory
at $l.00 per hundred pounds
Here in New York factory cheese.
makers often charge no more than 60
to IS cents per 100 pounds for cheese
but in many parts of the West from
81 to ST.. so is often charged per 100
pounds.
An abundant supply of good, fresh
water is required for the successful
management of a cheese factory. A
spring Of cool, sweet water is best, but
wells are often used instead of springs.
If an unfailing supply of water can be
had from a we'll, the quantity needed
may be pumped into an elevated tank
by wind power, and thence drawn to
the various parts Of the factory as re.
quired.
We have travelled over a consider
able portion Of Minnesota, and we be.
lieve it to be we'll adapted to dairying.
The native grasses are sweet and nu-
t1itious, and the State is we'll supplied
with water, while the climate is favor
able for the business, being cooler than
in the States south, where good butter
and cheese are made, Notwithstanding
a warmer climate has to be contended
with.
In what VIC have said we do not
wish to be understood as making any
objection to the introduction Of cult.
waited grasses. These may be Of ad.
vantage in many localities on account
Of their greater yield, and also in af-
fording luxurious growth of pastur-
age for a longer time in the soaeon-