St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-02-09
the same time in the discovery of prin-
ciples of human nutrition having an
important bearing on mans subsist-


Great strides have been made in
n ethods Of preventing and overcom-
ing animal diseases, deserving of far
more extenoed mention than it is pos
sible here to make. The discoveries
of DR.. Koch, resulting in the prepara-
tion of tuberculin as . diagnostic for
consumption in cattle; the inocula-
ton of cattle rendering them immune
from Texas fever, heretofore consid-
cred fatal to all improved breeds; the
successful potassium iodide treatment
for milk fever, and q host Of other dis
coveries have marked the century in
veterinary achievements.
TranspOrtation Of Animals.
The occupation Of the drover has
passed away with the advent of rail-
road transportation of farm animals.
While this belongs to the subject of
commerce, it is of incalculable i'm
portance to agriculture as well. A
very large share Of the developments
of husbandry may be ascribed to the
opening up Of the country by the
grand facilities for transportation
that now annihilate both time and
space. Interstate and transoceanic
traffic in live stock have recently been
greatly improved by mechanical and
scientific efforts, until our cattle trav-
el with q degree of safety and COM
fort not experienced by our human
ancestors of century gone.
Dairying improvements.
It is said that among the early town
records of Hadley, Mass, is an entry
to the effect that the cows gave so lit
tie milk through the winter that the
babies had to take cider as . substi-
tute could the mothers of those
babies come to Hadley now and OBJ
serve the methods whereby winter has
become the principal dairy season in
the region, would they not feel that
their lives were lived too soon?
Contrast the tedious and laborious
setting of milk in shallow crooks for
two days, then removing the cream
with a piece of perforated tin, allow
ing it to sour in tho kitchen, acquir-
ing the aroma of boiled dinners in
transit, churning with . dash churn
and kneading by hand, with the new
process of converting fresh milk into
"butter for breakfast in Q minute and
q half"
Cooperative butter and cheese max
ing has transferred this work from
the kitchen of the busy housewife to
the factory of the expert, to the great
advantage of the product and satisfac-
ton of the wearied housewife.
The DeLavel and other centrifugal
cream separators are among the tri-
umphs of dairy mechanics. By their
means cream of any desired thickness
is removed from milk without even
waiting for it to cool. The separation
is also much more thorough than in
any of the old gravity methods. 9th
er dairy machinery has done away
almost entirely with the labor and
uncertainty of hand process.
Pasteurization of dairy products So
cures a keeping quality Of considers
BILE value without undesirable change
Of addition of foreign matter in the
form of preservatives.
Two milking machines are in auc-
cessful operation. doing away with Ia
borious hand milking.
Perhaps the most interesting
achievements of all is the discovery Of
organic ferments which ripen or aour
cream in butter-making, and tho
study of the specific effects of each Of
more than 100 0differentspecies of these
organisms upon the quality Of butter.
A practical side of this study is found
in the present practice of selecting
pure cultures of bacteria for cream
ripening, thus avoiding those forms
producing bad davors and other unde-
sirable qualities.
In several large establishments milk
is now being modified by changing the
proportions of it's constituents to
make it closely resemble human milk,
and for other specific purposes in the
feeding of infants and the sick, and it
has even been made without the inter
vention of the cow.
Farm Machinery.
One of the most signal achievements
in the agriculture Of this century is
the displacement of SO much hand la
bor by improved machinery, operated
by horse, steam or other power. The
nineteenth century in the United
States has witnessed more progress in
this department than has the whole
world in all time precedinp.-PrOf.
Fred S. Cooley, Massachusetts, Agri-
cultural College.