Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-02

takes only a year of excessive drought
among eastern farmers to get them talking
about irrigation, but little comes of it. for
the reason that they entirely unfamiliar
with irrigation methods and have no idea
how to go about the practice of supple
menting the natural water supply.
The irrigation, then, of the 1G0,OO,oC0
acres of western plains and valleys, while
it will create innumerable small rural
homes of five, ten, twenty or thirty acres
each, will serve further to encourage sub
division of larger areas In the east and
south and tend to make the small farm and
home a general rule throughout the entire
country.
Under wise administration arid America
has a glorious future. With her countless
small farms and rural homes, communities
where people live in the open air, till the
soil with their hands and yet enjoy the
privileges and advantages of the city, she
will prove the sheet anchor of the republic
in any time of national peril, while from
her will radiate eastward the same idea of
the division of the large into small farms
and the utilization of the stream and the
pond in making certain and increasing an
oftentmeS unreliable crop.
Creamery Butter.
An inquiry into the composition of cream
cry butter, with special reference to the
water contained, was presented by Major
Henry E. Alvord chief of the dairy division
of the Department of Agriculture.
The value of butter, he said, depends upon
the fat it contains, and although there are
necessarily other constituents, and they
have value, they should not be in excess
This is especially true of the water content
Purchasers do not wish to buy water by the
pound at butter prices. The product of
creameries, or the factory system, is the
leading grade Of butter in the markets.
Creamery butter has been alleged to ordi-
narily carry too much water. There has
been no reliable basis for such assertions,
and it has seemed desirable to ascertain the
facts
During the year 1902 the United States
Department of Agriculture dairy division)
has had opportunity for examining 100 diff
ferent packages of butter, representing the
product of 400 different creameries located
in eighteen states. The butter was made in
May, June, August and September. Mois-
ture determinations were made on S02
samples. The range of water content was
found to be from 7.20 per cent to 1852 per
cent, and the general average was Ills per
cent. There We're but three results below
per cent and only 8 above IL per cent.
Seven-eig.hths of the SOP samples were be-
tween 10 and IA per cent, and more than
half between II and 13 per cent.
Making all reasonable allowance for error
it seems safe to state that American cream
cry butter, during the months named, has
an average water content not exceeding II
per cent.
Education for Farmers.
Economic Education for Farmers was
the title of paper read by Prof Willet NJ.
Hays. The states, he said, are gaining
charge of more and more of education. By
unifying the primary and graded schools,
the city high schools and the universities
and colleges into an articulated system, edu-
cation has been greatly promoted. But the
current in this system is away from the
farm, and parallel system is suggested In
which the student must go against the cur
rent to leave the farm. The suggested sys-
tenn includes the consolidated rural school,
with free transportation of pupils, serving
an area three to five miles square; the asri-
cultural high school, serving ten or more
counties, and the agricultural college, serv-
ing the entire state. The consolidated rural
school supplies superior primary educators;
could include some studies of rural indus
tries, and a small demonstration farm and
garden could be added to the equipment.
By extending the course in the consolidated
rural school to include the freshman and
sophomore high school studies, the pupils
are longer under the parental roof, and the
expense of nonresident study in the agri-
Cultural high school is reduced to the junior
and senior years, which study may be made
largely technical. The civic and economic
as well as the educational value of such
system is urged.
Joint Meeting Held.
A joint meeting of the American Anthro-
biological Association and the American
Folklore Society was held this morning