Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-03-04
The Practical Farmers Club.
Defiance. Ohio.

Net at Mr.. Joseph Thompson's, on
February 18th.
The ladies talked On the subject of
Butter Making" 1t was their unani-
NOUS opinion that it was not profitable
to make and sell butter for less than 25
cents per pound. Below are some of the
most important points in the discussion:
I'm the making of butter, the first
consideration is that the cows be we'll
fed. The next essential is cleanliness;
beginning with the stables, which shoHld
be free from filth and foul odOrs. The
milk is better kept in an apartment to
itself, as it is easily tainted. Where kept
in crooks, large plates were recommend
ed as covers. The creamery cans, it was
thought, would come into general use,
as they were much easier kept clean
than stone ware, and alse FASTENED the
forming of cream.
"At ne time should the milk stand
longer than 80 hours before skimning.
The cream should only be slightly acid
when churned. The proper temperature
for churning Qrom 80 to "a degrees) was
found by the use of a cream thermomet
ter.
"Some Of the new kinds Of churns,
without dash, were recommended. The
swing or barrel churn requires much less
labor than the old-fashioned churns, and
has the advantage of separating the but
ter aRd butter-milk, by drawing off the
latter. The butter is then salted by.
washing in brine. The working and
making into rolls frees it from water and
milk, when it is ready for use."
The above discussion being through,
the topic Seeding land to grass both for
meadow and permauent pasture" was
taken up by the gentlemen.
Mr.. Pollack thinks that the seeding Of
eur lands to grass one of the leading
questions with the farmer; it is by the
feeding Of grass, as pasture in summer
and hay in winter, that we are able to
compete with the west in the production
of beef and mutton. Was clover as sure
a crop a. timothy, 1t would take the lead,
but it is SO affected by the extremes Of
temperature, that We cannot rely on it
as meadow crop. Blue grass was best
suited for permanent pastures. 1t form
ed the most compact sod, was best adapt
ed for late and early pasture, and was
least affected by drouth and freezing.
Mr.. Atkinson said it was formerly the
custom to plow all that could be done,
the raising of grain being the farmers
main dependence. They found that this
was exhausting the soil, and their atten-
ton was turned to stock raising. This
resulted in a necessity for more and
better grass land; to have these, it was
impol tant to SOW seed literally. Clover
would stand foremost as profitable
crop, could it be raised successfully; by
its mechanical effects upon the soil, it
may be followed by corn and wheat with
excellent results. He thinks, however,
if we persist in sowing the seed, We shall
be able to raise clover again, as wheat
was failure for several years. but We
have had number Of good crops of late.
Mr.. Nichols believes that the grass
crop should be our main reliance in this
hilly country. Annual or poverty grass
could be exterminsted by feeding on,
and trsmping OF stock in winter. SoWs
timothy in the fall with wheat and clo-
yer in the spring. If there are spots in
his fields where the grass does not catch,
sows seed and harrows in; hsuls out
old stack bottoms and scatters on such
places, and aims to get the whele 6eld
covered with grass.
Mr.. Lodge considers blue grass the
most valuable grass fer pasture. and the
longer it lays unbroksH the better it ia.
Mr., Hogue thinks We might obtain
better results by sowing clover seed in
the fall.
Mr.. Shepherd is enthusiastic in his
praise of blue grass; has blue grass
meadow of of which he takes excellent
crops of hay. Instead Of plowinG to re-
new meadows. top dresses early in the
spring.
Mr.. Thompson had cut about three
tons of hay per acre. at tive mowings
last season, OF field sowed to wheat
and grass the previous fall, the wheat
being winter killed. He thinks by that
it would be a good plan to prepare land
and SOW to grass alone. Others had had
a similar experience where the wheat
had failed.