The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-02-26
FARM TOPICS.
How Steers are Fed for Profit at the Uni
versity of Iilinois-lIOw To Make Good
Butter.
How Attention o Small Economies On the
Farm Gives Large Profit.
FEEDING FOR PROFIT,

FEEDING FOR PROFIT.
Prof. George +. Morrow, University OF
Illinois, gives the result of feeding
lunches of cattle of various ages. from
calves. up. that have practical value to
the farmer. A synopsis is given of the
result of feeding ten steers. sold Oct. 20.
at from "a Ia 80 months old. all having
some Short-Horn blood. As the most
had been purchased, exact statements
could not be made as To ages or breed
ing. They had been chcaply wintered
and were in good health but in thin
flesh when turned On grass April "a A
little grain was given them for ii few
days. Then they had only grass until
August 20, when feeding with new crop
corn was begun. At first stalks were
fed. then unh,i>kcd ears, then huskcd
ears. They were kept in good pasture.
lowing. For the first few days the feed
ing was light. For the last sixty days
they were fed. on the average, II little
less than One-third of II b,Ishcl per day.
When sold the average weight was
1851 pounds. In sixty lays the average
was 157 pounds per head. Even at tn
present low prices Si.5o per 100
pounds after. shrinking 5 per cent.
this gives a fair profit, especially when
we take into account. the value of the
pork made of the undigrsted corn pass
ing through the cattle. the manure left
on the farm. the greater convenience
and less cost of disposing of the corn
directly from the field, and the addition
of, say, one-half cent per pound to
the value of the steer when feeding was
begun Four of this lot made an aver
age gain of 3lS pounds each during the
four months and four days when on
grass alone. except for Il few days III
first and last These four made an
average gain of 4Sl pounds during six
months from the time when turned on
grass until sold. They We're above the
average of the lot in quality and thrift.
The best gain made by any steer was
$40 pounds for the six months.
In relation to the feeding of the sew
eral lots. young and old, and including
the milk breed. Prof. Morrow sums up
the whole matter as follows:
Bearing in mind that ii is not wise 10
draw final conclusions from single trials,
the facts concerning these cattle suggest OF
illustrate among other things, that:
The differences IN animals Of like breed
ing and under like treatment are often
greater than those between typical animals
of different breeds
Under the prevalent methods of winter.
ing steers in the Western States little or no
gain is made in weight during winter.
1t is difficult, if not impossible, to secure
under good conditions, gains in winter
which shall nearly equal those made in
summer.
The largest gains may he expected from
animals in thin flesh, if i'm good health. 1t is
difficult to secure rapid gain in weight dur
ing long continued feeding.
Under like conditions young animal,
make largest gain in proportion To food
eaten.
A fair profit can be made even at present
low prices by grazing and then grain feed
ing for two or three months cattle which
cally reared, to he sold when from 30 to -
months old.
Economy OF production is quite rs import
ant rs maximum product. especially il
times of low prices. 1t is moi clear that it l.
profitable To give full grain feeding to step:.
designed for the general market during III
best of the grazing season. Ii is not proven
that il is most profitable for Western farm
erS to fatien and sell Their steers as year
lngs.
HOW To MAKE GOOD Butter.
Miss Nina Holmes of Owatonna
Mimi. received the prize ut the Re,
Wing Convention for her essay on But
termaking." The synopsis presented i,
on the good, ol,l-fa>llioned way thai
produces butter.lhat will keep Il wear
The esSayist said the way TO have good
toothsomc butter j. 10 have Il good past
IRE for COWS i'm summer and plenty oi
good hay. good feed. and pure water in
winter Give them straw for bedding
and make them IA comfortable rs DOS.
sibe. Have the milking done i'm Il clean
manner. Don't let the mixers dip Their
hands in the milk pail and wash off tn,
COWS bag with milk. but rub il off with
cloth in dry weather. and wash it of
with water i'm wet and muddy. weather.
See that the milking utensils and cans
are carefully washed. scalded. and aired
before using. Strain the milk as soon
as drawn from the COW: the less 1t Is agi
tated the better tn" cream will rise
Strain into cans and cool down will
water To 80 or % degrees. The water
in the tank should b. changed once i
day. and oftcncr if the mornings and
evenings milk is set i'm the same tank.
Let it stand twenty -four hours before
Swimming. and if convenient thiriy-SiN
is better. Skim the cream oil instead
of draining of the milk at the bottom
of the can.
In winter. the day before churning
warm the cream up to 20 degrees by set
ting n pail of the cream i'm warm water
and stirring until it is the required heat.
Then it will cool down to 81 degrees by
the next morning. Stir the cream often
while cooling and souring. Cream viii
make the most and hest Favored butter
when. after warming il. Let it stand un
til slightly sour. In summer commence
churning at SO degrees. When yon churI
pour the cream into the churn through
a strainer made of perforated tin; then
if there is any sour milk that is not
mixed with the cream it will not be in
Jumps i'm the churn. Commence churn
ing slow at first. until the air is all eX
PEELED: then churn faster, say about fifty
revolutions minute.
When the first signs of granulation
appear, pour into the churn one OF two
pailfuls of water. ut about fifty-five dc
grees, according TO the size of the churn
ing; then churn il until the butter is tn,
size of wheat kernels. Draw Off the but
termilk and pour in water enough IL
wash it good, the temperature bein:
about fifty-iive degrees. Draw this OF
and wash il i'm weak brine. Let i
drain dry; then take the granulated but
ter out of the churn. weigh il and put il
OH the butter-worker. Do not let til,
butter stand i'm the water or brine any
length of time, as it makes it salvy t.
work or salt. Weigh out the salt, al
ounce to the pound; use the best Englisl
salt and sift on the butter little az 1
time. and stir with small paddle unit
thoroughly mixed. Then press gently
with the lever. Work il as little as pos
sible, never giving it drawing or rub
bling motion, but just enough to work i
dry and free from streaks.
Pack in Il tub little at a time. begin
ming in the middle with each layer ant
pressing toward the sides. Never smooth
il of, as it gives greasy appearance
Put on the cloth. cut it around the edg'
of the tub with a sharp knife, pour on ;
little water, and sift on some salt. Thi
will form paste that will help to eN
clude the air Fasten on the cover will
strips of tin, nail the tin on the cover
then bend the tin over the nail, an,
bring il down on the side of the tub an,
nail again. If you are not ready to shil
the butter put the tub in II cold, darl
place, never in a damp cellar, rs it sooI
spells the flavor of the butter. The flaw
or is improved by airing the cream Will,
souring. also by feed. 1 used to thinl
if COW had enough to eat. no matter i
il was wild hay, there could be no diff
| ference in the butter; but by experiment
ing, cornstalks and pumpkins make tin
best favored and finest butter; next il
clovcr-hay, and for iced cornmeal
] ground oats, and bran mixed together