Year: 1874

of these then called improved shorthorns
arrived at maturity two years earlier than
otner cattle. Oxen, which were the produce
of the old Studley bull-one of the most
celebrated of the ancestors OF the MOD
ern shorthorns-at Eve years old
produced more meat than others AZ
seven years old. For many years after
thus, by skill in breeding and care in feed
ing, the period of maturity was further hast
ened by two years; and tbree-year-old beef
was considered the period of excellence at
which 10 aim in cattle feeding. But
at the present time another year has been
Topped OFF from the time needed to produce
| a mature carcass of beef. and "two-year-old
beer is what Is now aimed At as the most
profitable production of the breeders and
| feeders art. 1t is somewhat curious how
ever, that while in America we have gained
reputation for producing the choicest breed
animals, as TO blood, we have not yet be-
| come equally conspicuous as producers OF
beef. While we have the reputation fer
possessing the cream OF the "fancyu stock.
| and can secure hitherto unheard-of prices
| Tor dukes or duchesses, yet for solid utility
we can not approach English breeders. IT
Is not That we have not been engaged in the
business of breeding or feeding cattle long
enough, nor that beef production is not a
profitable business with US; but rather, we
would hazard the opinion, that our
| attention has been given more
to fancy strains of blood





Who among our breeders makes a practice
| of exhibiting fat two or three year old steers
as specimens of the capability of his herd
| or as advertisements of the excellence of mis-
| stock? And where is the farmer who makes
| a business OF raising such beef for profit? IT
| there are any such, it is unfortunate that
they are kept in the background and sue
cessiully hide themselves from the ubiquit-
Gus interviewer or the reporter or editor on
| the hunt for just such. instances. The fact
| is, they do not exist; they have not yet
learned how to produce two-year-old beef
proftably.


APPLES AND CIDER.-A writer sends som
valuable suggestions to the New York Tr;-
bune, which are just now practical: The
apple crop of the present year is good
enough. That is, were it greater it would be
worth less than it now is. An excessive
crop is nuisance to the grower and oflittle
benefit to the consumer. The present crop
is of good quality. In the disposal of it there
are some considerations which are
worth notice. In the market ont
ones. One good apple along with two
poor ones brings no more than three poor
ones. The one good one alone will sell for
more than when it is degraded by the pres
ence of its poorer companions. The good
never raises the character of the inferior
fruit, while the inferior never fails to reduce
the good 10 Its own level. This has become
so well known to those who make busi-
ness of supplying the market with fruit
that the greatest care is taken in selecting
only good specimens for shipment. 1t pays
better to throw away poor fruit than to put il
along with the choice. Neither does it pay
to ship poor fruit to distant market.
Freight and other charges are Just the same
on a barrel of apples worth 81 as on one
worth IS. This rule works equally in what
ever way the crop is disposed Of If it is
made into cider it still pays to select the fruit
Choice cider can only be made with perfect
fruit. There must be no decayed, wormy
or unripe fruit used if a really perfecl
cider is to be made. Equally there
must be selection of methods in
making the cider. Everything in the
process should be perfectly cleaned and the
vats and barrels should be new or else sweet
and free from the slightest taint. Wine OF
spirit casks are to be preferred for storing it
After the pressing it should be filtered
through flannel bags and sand into barrels
tation. The faucets by which it is TO bt
drawn off into casks for keeping should bt
placed at least six inches from the chine o.
} the barrel, so that the sediment is not dis.
turbed in the racking process. Tht
place of storage should be dry and
GO, and never below 10 degrees. Tn.
{ brightest colored cider is made in mills ani
. presses where no iron comes in contact with
the pulp, and the pulp should not be ex
posed to the air any longer than necessary
The oxidation of the Juice takes place very
quickly and deepens its color. No addition
of sugar, mustard seeds, flesh of beef OIL
chemical substances, are needed to preserve
or improve it if these precautions are OBJ
sarved. When they are neglected. none O
these can restore or improve il. II badly
made it is always bad, and if well made il
may be kept always good without any addi
ton.