The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-05

howers win creep into them, and cause no
small amount of mischief by poisoning the
favor Of the milk. As soon as this change
b detected the greatest care should b
taken to watch the animals feeding, ana
notice the section of the field in which
they love to feed Invariably some nOx-
ious weeds or grasses win Be found there
which need pulling up. This oversight Of
the pastures win in time exterminate Ill
foreign growths.
Nature guides the animals in many re-
Bpects in their choice of food, and they
viii avoid plants that are poisonous OF IL
adapted to nAvorint their milk well. Bit
ter weeds and shrubs viii frequently be
passed by them In the fields, and the
sxeeter ones selected. This is one OF the
best representatives. that the dairyman has,
The flavor of the butter has everything
TO do with its sale. Milk or hntter that
Is contaminated with bitter tastes can
Everything else may be 6rst-ciass on the
dairy; the latest methods of making and
preparing the butter for the market be
adopted, and good cows kept in good con-
dition, but If bitter food Is allowed to be
eaten by the animals everything il coun-
teracted by this one evil
The true flavor of butter cannot be de-
cided upon alike. But there is certain
standard Of flavor which every dairyman
tries to reach, and in proportion TO his
success in experimenting to this will his
product be found salabie. The various
kinds of food all have particular flavor
which they communicate 70 the milk, and
these should be combined in such way
a. to get the best results of natural favor
ing, Clover probably gives As fine favor
and it is eminently desirable as food for
mich cows. Young, sweet clover espec-
tally gives q delicate fragrance to the
milk and butter that is appreciated and
enjoyed by all who know aught of dairy
matters. Another grass which should be
the dairyman's favorite. owing to the
to the milk, is the Vernal grass (anthoxan-
thum odoratum). 1t springs up early IN
the spring, flowers, and scents the air with
Its fragrance. As grass for exclusive
feeding it will not rank high, but when
mixed properly with the other more
nutritious grasses it gives . fragrance to
the whole mass which is very delightful.
n 70 grass probably as a .na n milk Cream
this sweet-scented Vernal grass, and
where it is found in abundance in the
fields growing along with the other
varieties, the butter made from that sec
ton has q distinguished and exquisite
taste. When this grass is moved and
slowed away in the silo with the other
grasses ~ gives spieuuiu innA loou iol
winter feeding. On large dairy farms it
is well worth the trouble to scatter some
of the seeds of the Vernal grass in the
pastures. The result in the flavor of the
milk and butter will soon be noticeable.
Where fancy butter is made speciality
this grass is an essential to the pastures.
The fragrance Of the grass is due to the
presence OF gum benzoin or benzoic acid,
which can be dissolved in cold water.
Butter washed in water in which the
grasses have been soaking will lose its
rancidity to . large extent. Ensilage but
ter is generally destitute of true flavor,
and it can only be favored by artificial
methods, or by adding some such fragrant
grass to the siio which viii impart its
sweetness to the milk before it leaves the
COW. E. p. SMITH.
THE GRAPE CROP.
There are many problems for the grape
grower to solve nearly every year, and
they are often left unsolved until too late
in the season for their solution to be of any
practical value. Still, the solution Of one
year may apply to the next, and prevent
our stumbling on the same rock again.
For several years past accounts of vine
yards being uprooted because the prospect
for grape growers was 30 gloomy are
printed. There has also been q steady pre-
diction that a diminution of the grape
crop throughout the country would en-
about the same. 1t is an illusion to hope
that the time will come when the
price of grapes will 60 up higher and re-
main there. Prices have reached q normal
condition. and there is no chance of any
advance for any length of time. There
will be slight huctuation of prices from
season to season. but the normal standard
Wi ~ a he,S
Relief must come from the other side of
the question. Expenses in growing and
marketing the fruit must be reduced. It
is folly to imagine that the bottom cost
price of producing the fruits has been
reached, and that there is no further i'm
provement to be expected in this line.
There are many questions yet to be solved
well as increase the crop per acre.
Last season many OF the grapes escaped
the mildew, rot, anthranose and the long
list of insect enemies and then succumbed
to the weather. Several consecutive days
of rainy weather caused many of the finest
specimens to burst open just as they were
on the threshold of maturity. This was
almost too much for the patience of grow
ers, but in favored sections of the country
the crop did not suffer from this calamity.
Birds also ruined many of the ripest ones,
frequently piercing the berries with their
bills, and then leaving them for the bees
and wasps to finish The sparrows, rob-
ins and cat-birds may be of value in the
vineyard early in the season, but they GER
tainly need frightening out when the fruit
begging to turn in color. This is always
the signal to me to erect scarecrows in
the field, and to SEND the boys forth with
the shotgun. The birds must be fright
ened away then, or half the crop will be
injured by them. They always select the
best berries on the best punches, and thus
do considerable damage.
During the past year or two Of damp,
foggy, rainy weather bagging the grapes
has not proved as effectual as in former
years, and copper sulphate has not given
the immunity from mildew. In seasons
of less moisture there is no doubt but this
remedy will answer all the purposes re-
quired of them; but in exceptionally wet
years We must expect, in our present
state of knowledge, to run great risk in
losing large part of the crop through
the rot or mildew. In the case of bags the
waterproof ones are always the best.
Where they were used during the months
of cloudy and rainy weather there was less
loss through the rot. Hereafter, if for no
other reason than TO insure my peace Of
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