Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-23
Farm AND FRUIT.
Formation Of Cooperative Milk Associa
lions at the East-General Notes of |
Interest.

the method of warfare organized some
years since of establishing cooperative
associations among residents of the cities
for milk production, independent of the
former rural proprietors. The Rural Ne'U
Yorker gives sketch of a new movement,
which is interesting: Springfield, Mass,
has risen against the milk dealers, and at
once subscribed 81, 200 out of the $50, 900
required to buy ], 600 COWS for cooperative
milk production and distribution. By this
means the price of milk will be reduced to
the consumer while its quality will be i'm
proved, yet the producers will obtain a
larger profit for their product. There is
nothing new in this plan. AS long ago as
1872 milk association was formed at SYRIA
cuse. New York, with capital of S25, 600.
It now has a four.story brick building,
with office, hall and directors room, stalls
for 25 horses, repair shop, and &c regular
milk routes on which it supplies populs-
ton of 40 900. Were the work done as it
ia usually performed by middlemen, 70 men
and horses would be required to do the
X. b.
cities is retailed at from to 10 cents a
quart by middlemen, is sold direct to con-
sumers at Syracuse for cents a quart, and
is not watered or otherwise adulterated.
Between the producers who supply milk
for this market and the middlemen
who distribute it, there is such constant
danger Of disagreement that 1t would be
wise in the former to take steps to do
away with the necessity for the latter by
supplying the milk direct to consumers, as
it has been done in Syracuse. Already
milk associations have been formed among
the producers in Orange. Sullivan and Del.
aware counties, New York, and Sussex
and Hunterdon counties, New Jersey, as
we'll as in the Housatonic region of Con-
necticut and on January l4th last repre-
sentatives of these associations met in this
city and decided the following should be
the unalterable wholesale prices per quart
for milk the coming year April, 81 cents ;
May, % cents June, q cents; July and
August, cent? September 3 cents DC.
tober, 81 cents November, A. cents De-
cember and January 4 cents February
and March, 81 cents. ALI farmers who
supply this market are urged to sustain
these figures. In case the producers can
not obtain these reasonable prices from the
dealers, it ought not be difficult for them
to organize one or more milk associations
on the Syracuse plan. In Cincinnati, Chi
cago and St. Louis we understand that
similar movements are on foot, and in
smaller places all over the country such
cooperation among neighboring farmers
should be less difficult and more effective.
To those contemplating planting olive
orchards, the following by Elwood Cooper,
In the Santa Barbara Press, concerning the
process of tiltering and clarifying the oil,
will be of interest. He says This is a
simple process. The most common method
is 10 have . series of five or six boxes, one
above the other, each with cotton batting
in the bottom; the oil passing the sixth
will be beautifully clear and ready for mar
ket l use cylindrical tin vessels holdin 6
about three gallons each, one fitting in the
other, in tiers of three, with fine wire
sleeves in the bottom of each. On these
sleeves place two or three layers of cotton
batting. The oil is passed from one tier
to the other until clear. Clarifying can be
done by the sunlight; also it can be
bleached and made much lighter In color
but not without injury. When it ia adul-
y terated, artificial heat IS necessary 10 the
process When once heated, it loses a
part of the nutty flavor, and Is liable to be-
come rancid when exposed to the air. 1t
should be kept in an ordinarily cool place,
not exposed to sunlight LOT heat, neither
should it be handled any more than is alb
solutely necessary in the filtering and boil
ing, and should not be shaken after it is
bottled. The mucilsge contained in the oil
will not seperate for long time after the
< oil is ready for use and, rs it does not in.
lure it. is not, therefore, Objectionable. II
will sometimes form in the bottles like
globales of water-in films, settling to the
bottom SO sediment, and when shaken, will
give it a muddy appearance, which, with
the common prejudice sgainst all table oils
that are not perfectly clear, renders it I'M
salable, as consumers consult more the eye
than the taste. The oil is better when new
and fresh, and what is gained in appear
ance by its remaining longer time in the
tank is more than lost in freshness and
delicacy of flavor. To sum up the cost Of
the machinery used in making the oil, we
have as follows: Drier, $3.50; mill, $3.50 ;
two presses, $500; two tanks, $500; filter
ers, $50; corker and tin foiler, $50 /;
wooden building, $500. Total, 81, 600.
We find that an impression prevails with
many persons, says the Redding Iadepen-
dent, that red soil is necessarily poor, but
that any soil is rich in proportion to its
blackness. This impression has tended to
prejudice many persons against Shasta
county lands, large proportion of which
are red in color Such an error is natural
among persons who have become accus-
toned to the black alluviaI of the Missis-
sippi valley, or the coast regions of our
State; but, nevertheless, to great extent
an error. Scientific analysis, as well as
actual experiment shows that actual color
of the soil has in itself nothing to do with
its fertility. The idea that plant food is
what gives the dark color to the soil is an
error. Fertile soil may be of any color,
and yet contain just as much plant food.
In the mountains of Shasta county Large
bodies of iron are known to exist. The
soil of she valleys and foothills, being of sed-
imentary formation from tine debris of these
mountains, is naturally very largely i'm
pregnated with iron, which gives it its red
tint This, it will be readily seen, does
not il the least effect the amount of plant
food the soil may contain, or, in Other
words, the extent of its fertility. Every
one who mas farmei in mountain sections
where red land and black land lies in
streaks, side by side, in the the same field,
has noticed that the color has nothing to
do with the productiveness, as often the
red land produces the best crops. In course
of cultivation and manuring, the original
soil becomes covered 2nd mixed with leaf
mold, and it looses its red color, bat it
may not be any richer than it was at first
There is no need of being fearful of the
foothill soil because it is not black. Try
it; the red land often produces the best
crops.
A great deal has lately been said con-
corning sailing sheep-how often it should
be done, and the quantities required. Au.
thorities all agree that salt is indispensable
to the health of sheep, and If they have
free access to it at all times they will never
eat too much of it. In Texas very seldom
does it happen that sheep get a sufficiency.
Owners OF thousand sheep buy a few bar
rels year and give it when they think of
1t. because the sheep like it. The amount
necessary to the good health of sheep is
seldom taken into consideration. 1t will
result in benefit to flock masters if more
attention is given to this important subject,
If they will salt more often, see that the
sheep &c. clean salt, and see if they have
enough Of it. They will finally be sur.
-,r;sad IN see hovr much sheen vyill eat hovv