Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-06-12
AGRICULTURE.

/ they may nave. 4 sprlnkllng OF dry,
air-slacked lime will mitigate a ten
dency to rot.
New England has now over $50 farm
ers' clubs, with $4,000 active members
and library books to the number of 81
600, and in the United States there are
nearly 2,10O agricultural societies, with
! 90, 900 volumes in their libraries, and
with access to 800 different agricultural
publications.
THE London Liue Stock Journal, notes a
case of prolific breeding in a COW, at
Fortrie Grange, which, in the course of
four years, gave birth 10 ten calves.
When two years old the COW had one
calf; when three years old she had
three calves; when four years old. she
| had four calves; and when five years
| old, she had two calves. Nine of the
calves lived and one died wnen only a
few days old, the COW fostering all her
living calves.
CHEESE FOR PIGs.-Some time since,
Mr.. Aston, of Cheshire, England, made
| experiments with cheese to test its value
as a pig feed, and he gives the following
detailed account of his experience in
the Chester (Eng.) Chronicle: 81 may
just say, for the information of my
friends and your numerous readers,
who appear to take an interest in NY
experience (thougE not always success
full, that American cheese, bought at
ten shillings per cwt., answered admir-
ably for fattening pigs. Some that
were bought about the fourth week in
October last for ten shillings each, are
now estimated by competent men to be
twenty-one stone weight. | have not
fed cheese exclusively but mixed it with
Indian meal, wheat scuftings and bran,
together with what the dairy supplied
in whey and buttermilk, and | never
had pigs fatten better, if as well. We
commenced 70 give them little Oh the
31st Of January last, which appeared to
be very satisfying, and marked differ
ence was soon manifested in their
growth; and | have now come to the
conclusion that, if it could be purchased
for nine shillings per cwt. long weight,
it would pay quite as wei as Indian
meal at an average price. 1t was on
the strength of the opinion entertained
by scientific gentlemen in this country,
and on the other side of the Atlantic,
that one pound of cheese contains as
much nutriment as two pounds OF beef
or mutton, that was induced to make
tue experiment.
BUTTER COMING TOO SoFT.-One of
Alameda county readers has had trou-
BILE with his butter coming too soft or
oily from the churn. He had been
10 f,1f h Il
the same result, when his COWS had a
full living upon rank alfalfa, and he va
ried their diet by letting them feed half
a day on dry stubble, the other half on
alfalfa. This change this time has not
worked a cure, but the butter remains
too soft, even though the feed is half
dry. We cannot tell just where our
readers practice is at fault, because we
do not know all the conditions which
may affect the product. Undesirable
effects and qualities are sometimes pro-
duced by an excess of rank food, especi-
ally is alfalfa credited with this power
by some dairymen. Il fed by the soil
ng system, it is we'll to cut it and let it
wilt day before feeding it to the cows.
If pastured, no better plan could be
adopted than that our Alameda county
friend chose, viz: varying the feed and
giving dry ration of some kind. This,
it seems. did not cure the oiliness Of the
butter in the present case. The prob
ability is that the cream was churned
at too high temperature or churn-
ed too long, or that the butter was
worked before letting it cool down.
Whatever may have been the special
cause for the softness in this case, we
can best prescribe for it by giving a
method of procedure which is most ap-
proved by practice, and in many cases
does away with the softness in butter:
Let the cream be thin enough to flow
easily, and if too thick add sweet milk
or pure water until it is thin enough to
1un. Begin churning at a temperature
OF $50 or 60o; cooling down the cream
if it is warmer than this limit. Churn
until the butter gathers in the form oil
small grains, som ething like fine whe At
kernels. Do not let the butter 'tgalher'
in the churn. When the butter is in
this form, it may be treated in two ways.
First, a bucket Or two of cold water
Cooled down as low as possible) may
be dashed into the churn, or, if the
churu is rugged for it, draw off the but
termilk, leaving the butter in the
churn, and pour the cold water upon it.
In either case the butter, being in small
grains, may be stirred freely in the cold
water. The grains will be hardened,
and, at the same time, the buttermilk
will be cashed out by the water, and there
will be no necessity for uorking it out
h. f,,,,nI 10 ho n 1ua1,t
age when the butter is DISPOSED to be
soft. The grains of butter may be
washed in a second lot of cold water
and this will effectively remove the but
termilk. Then the butter, still in
granular form, may be set in a cold
place for few hours, then sailed, and
worked just enough to distribute the
salt evenly. The result will be in most
cases sample of firm, well-grained
butter, when the old method of manu-.
facture will give soft, salvy mass
Another excellent way to proceed is tC
churn as above until the butter comes
in grains. Then draw off the butter.
; milk and pour in the churn cold brine
; enough of it so that the butter may be
freely stirred in it. This not only coolS
and hardens the butter. but washes AID
salts it at the same time. The excess
of brine may be drained off and the
butter grains set away in cool place
for few hours, and it will be ready tc
mold into shape with just working
enough to, press the grains together
There are different substances sold fol-
the purpose Of making butter hard, but
it is tar better to keep them out of the
churn if possible As a rule, careful
handling and cold water will bring the
butter in good shape. If cold water OF
ice are not obtainable, water may be
cooled by putting it in tin can with q