The Journal of agriculture and horticulture, 1 janvier 1898, samedi 15 janvier 1898

[" ; N ste \u2014+ RIT: T \u2018This Journal replaces the former \u2018\u2018 Journal of Agriculture,\u201d and N 0.2.is delivered free to all mer as of Farmers\u2019 Clubs.en ] AN U ARY 15, 1398.THE NEW YEAR The Victorian Era.\u2014 Position of Canadian Farmers.\u2014Retrospect.\u2014 Results well doing The year that is past was a notalile one, the sixtieth anniversary of the reign of a Queen, unexcelled in all the christian virtues ty any previous monarch in the world\u2019s history.What a privilege have we enjoyed who have lived in the Victorian era.What cause have we to rejoice when we consider the advantages that peace and good will have brought to the cause of human progress.Canada may well be proud of the recognition she received ai the Jubilee in the person of her able Prime minister, and the Canadian farmer can leara lessons of hope and encouragement from the fact ; remembering that all material prosperity must have its basis in agriculture.Itis a matter of self congratulation and gratitude that we live in such an epoch, and have given proofs that we are not behind in the race of improvement which is being effected in the industrial, moral and social condition of the pecpie.In view of these considerations it will be well, at this season, to make a retrospect of the time past with referenee to the better spending of the future, feeling assured that if we do our parts faithfully the coming year will bring us \u201cnew mercies, new blessings, new light on the way, new courage, new hope, and new strength for each day.\u201d First: then, Have we endeavoured to add to our stock of knowledge with regard to our calling, so that we could perform all the work on the place in such a manner as that a successful result might reasonably be expected ?4 Have we kept any a record of our transactions which we can refer to now, as a ma- 18 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE riner to his chart, to enable us to avoid the quick sands of error and be guided into the favorable currents of good practice which lead to prosperity ?Have we looked before we leaped, that is to say,have we studied in the light of our own experience and the experience of others what was the best course to pursue in the raising of certain crops on certain fields ¥ Have we carefully remarked the condition of the land, its capabilities, and the work and manuring it stood in need of to increase or maiutain its fertility ?Having drawn our conclusions as to what is best, have we promptly and faithfully carried our plansinto execution,or have we made the uusal excuses, \u201c Oh I've been too busy this season, I must wait till next?\u201d Let us hear in mind theold adage : \u2018¢ Where there\u2019s a will there's a way ;\u201d\u2019 and again : ¥ Procrastination is the thief of time.\u201d Have we been diligent in our efforts to tattle with the natural enemies of the farm.orchard, and garden.Weeds which choke the crop and rob the soil of its fertility.Death dealing Bacteria which attack our cattle : preying and poisonons insects, and fungous growths, which destroy our orchards and root crop; the loss and injury caused by which can be lessened or prevented by using the various applications which science and practice have proved to be effectual ?Have we done right by the poor, dumb animals in our charge, remembering that there is a mutual dependance existing between us and them, and that while it will pay to see that all their wants are supplied, and their comforts attended to, it is our duty to treat them kindly and to take care that they receive no ill usage at the hands of those who are employed to tend them ?Gentleness and kindness to the do westic animals has more to do with the profitable returns the¥ will yield than many imagine : \u201c kind words can never die \u201d even if spoken to a cow.Have we endeavoured to husband our time, and while we have taken a reasonable portion for amusement and recreation, for ¢ all work and no play, will make Jack a dull boy,\u201d have we ever thought that : ¢ Kill time to-day and to thy sorrow : # He'll stare thee in the face to-morrow, \u201c Kill him again, and it's most true, You may kill time, till time kills you ?Have we made it a point, as much as possible to live peaceably with all men ?not quarrelled with our neighbour because his cattle may have broken into our oats and done damage which he could not prevent ?If he was in fault have we not found gentle remonstrance Letter than harsh words?And if on the other hand our neighbour have been inclined to be angry, have we not found that \u201c À soft answer turneth away wrath ?Have we done all we could to avoid going to law, or have we plunged our neighbour and ourselves into expensive and vexatious litigation about some trifling matter which a few words ef reasonable argument between friends could have settled ?Have we put our trust in that Good Providence who has given us our opportunities for acquiring and disseminating happiness ?If so and we have done all our duty manfully and faithfully, we enjoy all the \u201cconditions favorable to insure us a Happy New Year.GEO.MOORE, AssistaxT EDITOR.ee + sia Li ea .AND HORTICULTURE 19 { ectures.A LECTURE BY M.1\u2019ABBE TH.8S.PROVOST.Agricultural Missioner.THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AGRICULTURE.Rural economy\u2014Of capital\u2014The extent of the farm\u2014Should be in proportion to one\u2019s means\u2014Concentration of labor\u2014Cropping\u2014Intensive farming\u2014 Extensive farming \u2014Routine.\u2014F,conomical management \u2014 Courage in business \u2014 Instruction in agriculture \u2014 Education \u2014 Judgment\u2014 Love of progress\u2014Nature a great agricultural university \u2014 Utility of knowledge \u2014 Its importance in Agriculture \u2014 A good prospect.Mr.President and Gentlemen, I fancy you hardly expected to hear me treat of such a matter as that on which I inten! to address you for a few minutes.Were it an adventurous expedition into distant lands, as yet unknown to the learned, I would say so at once.I would do likewise did it concern a rash and dangerous voyage to unknown regions, over a storm-tost immeasurable sea.But as, far from that it is the development of an important question that concerns every agricultural society, and which lies at the foundation of all the regulations instituted for the prosperity of the farmer, it is proper to take some precautions in announcing it and to keep back to at least the conclusion of a long drawn outsentence, the fact that it is in very truth a subject political in its nature.I seem to see a quiver of curiosity pass over the lips of this pleasant audience, and to hear the low and anxious questions: * Whither he is going with his politics ?\"\"\u2014 Here, Gentlemen, is the point 1 aim at, without furtier preamble, There are politics and politics, as we shall see, or rather as we shall recall to our common memory.In its larger sense, and according to the most general acceptation, politics is the art of governing society by the maintenance or drawing up of just, equitable, wise laws, responding to the multiplied and constantly renewed needs of the various classes who compose it.Do not be alarmed, gentlemen, it is not that of which Iam about to speak.There is another kind of politics, one that is peculiar to each of )-osition, each class, each association of citizens ; and that kind is the art of wisely directing the efforts of each individual toward the highest summit of desirable progress, and to open io each the prospect of a happy future.Soin farming, as in every other business, there is a kind of polities to pursue, one founded in the laws of science and prudence, whose strict observance will ensure success.It is on this sort of politics, then, that I am about to address you, and as it naturally includes the search after the best things to be collected and the most profitable way of consuming them, it derives from these very operations the name that befits it so well i, e., \u201cThe Political Economy of Agricultural, or Rural Economy.\u201d Let us then in speaking of political economy, select that specifically belonging to the art of agriculture.Let us study its principles, and make certain applications of them that may not be, perhaps, without some public utility.lam very anxious to impress upon the farmer that itis not necessary to start with a large capital to be assured of a good prospect of success.Agriculture, in this respect, differs from trade.In manufactures, the amount of the profits results immediately from the amount of invested capital, and as this is increased, so the profitg increase correspondingly, provided the business is well managed.Fresh capital indeed, admits of the increase or improvement of the machinery, without an increase 20 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE of the staff or buildings, and effects a more economical and rapid employment of the raw material.In such a case, with the active aid of all necessary agents.with the supply of the market arranged for, a prompt return of profits becomes a certain consequence of the investment in a factory of large funds.which increases in proportion to the work «one, and I may add, to the division of labor.For, in the lumber trade, for instance, let us take the work of a large, well fitied up saw-mill.Every thing that cannot be cut into boards or planks, owing to certain faults, can be converted into small dimension-stuff, perhaps, or laths, or shingles, so that every particle of value may the economically extracted from the raw material.From which we conclude that, in this as in other trades,when the capital is increased, not only do the profits also invariably increase, but still more does the proportion of the return of profit on the capital increase.But in farming, it would appear that the contrary is usually the case.À large capital does not invarially, nor even frequently, secure a proportionate profit, unless an exceptionally wise and prudent mangements accompanies it.This is easy to prove by a comparison of the profits from a small farm or garden with those of a large farm.When much labor and capital are employed, the profits have a tendency to fall.An acre of land may bring in $50.00, but a hundred acres will not return $5,000-00.With a view to the production of a better crop, one may, if thought advisable, plough thrice and harrow thrice: it will answer.Under other circumstances, seeking always to increase profits, one may plough twice and harrow four times; it will be advantageous, but the labor-bill will be increased, and, in spite of the most earnest attention, you may take it for granted thgt the profits will not come in in the same proportion.In these exertion: there is, doubtless, advantage and profit, but not in proportion to the expendi: ture in increased labor.Why ?Because skil and knowledge are not increased, because the labor is spread over too large a surface, aad, again, because all the needed improvements are not introduced.What then must be done in order that farm labor may return the best possible products, and properly remunerate the farmer ?.Three principal things must be done; in these three things lies almost the -entire secret of success.FIRST.\u2014The capital invested in a farm must be proportionate to the physical and intellectual powers of its proprietor, as well as to the daily expenditure required to be made, without danger of losing the original fund.Every farming operation is more secure with a small capital, on a moderate sized farm, than with a large investment on a great extent of land, until, at any rate, a very vast amount of experience has been acquired.> SECONDLY.\u2014The man, who devotes himself to agriculture, must act with judgment, and employ ail his intellectual faculties.As soon as he ceases to search for or to employ our modern methods, he is sure to see great difficulties arise, for the causes of the dwindling away of the value of landed property are manifold, and if the farmer is not always on the alert, he will meet with every one of them ; the best he can do, then, will not be too much to retain the position already acquired.But, if he desires toadvance, if he wishes that his labor should become increasingly profitable, he must adopt all the settled improvements that come within his cognizance.It is thus, and by them, that he will obtain influence and remunerative action over nature that he is master of.While manufacturers ean multiply their profits without extra cost, as long as their machinery last-, the farmer who wishes to stand firm and to obviate all unfavorable events, must employ the latest invented implements and processes of his art, For, to him these are the very principles of life; there is no other hope of salvation for him and for his family.If he does not intend to wane and fail, he must respond to these demands.IN THE THIRD PLACE, and this point merits special attention, agricultural labor must be concentrated, as far as possible, on a limited space.Will not the same SH a AND HORTICULTURE 21 amount of labor return more profit on a small farm than on a large one, all other things being equal, since the fornier will be better cultivated than the latter?On the other han lis it not true that, in proportion to the increased exent of his farm, the farmer, not having the same amount of money or time to devote to it, will find the diffienliies and the trouble of eultivation increase, in the fact that to make a the- rough use of it, he must devote an additional amount of physica! and intellectual exertion for which the possible increase of proiits will never compensate him?Then, instead of subduing the ground, as he was ordered to do, it is he himself wno will be sub.lued, because he has not employed his labor productively, but, on the contrary, has acted without attending to the advice of a wice economy as regarls the extent and the cultivation of the land that he works or desires to work.A singular and convincing fact: the concentration of agricultural labor on a proper extent of land, has followed civilisation and the development of agriculture to our own shores, as everywhere else and at every epoch.The natives whom we have displace d though not very numerous, were nevertheiess scattered all over the country, earning their keep chiefly by the chase.Here and there, a few wandering tribes ventured oa a little cultivation, and developed, in some degree, the productive powers of the soil in addition to their purely savage mode of life.Then, came the cultivation of grain by the settlers, whoraised the same powers another degree.Lastly, in our own day, arrived the special cultivation of vegetables, pulse, and fruit, which on account of a larger population occupying a small area, naturally necessitate a greater concentration of furm-work.Thus, by degrees, in conformity with these instructive facts, and following in the foot-steps of a beneficent progress, the work of the farmer haz confined itself, little by little, toan area decreasing more and more in size.The labor diminishes, the profits increase.Let us quote a few figures as an additional illustration.If we Lear that an acre of land has produce $1.000.00 worth of crop, we at once belie e that, in consequence of an exceptional expenditure of skill and experience, the profits from that one acre have becn at least cent per cent.But if, on the other hand, we hear that these thousand .ollars are the product of severe toil on 200 acres, we directiv set down the rate of profit at hardly 6 per cent.Whence, we easily deduce: the fuct that the centralization of the far ner\u2019s labor on a very limited area of his property can create for him an abundant source of real profits, and proportionately increase the value of the property he possesses.Let the farmer learn then that, if he follows the march of the age aud of progress, he may without dizquiet divide his large farm among his chil Iren, who, to their great benetit, will settle Jown alongside of their parents.Here,isa true piece of economy, a poiicy bearing safety with it ; there, if he so will, is for him a capital that cannot be lost: what better could he wish for ?(To be continued.) (Trans- from the French by the Editor.) The Farm.TWO ACRES ENOUGH IN BELGIUM To the Editor of the Journal of agriculture.Seeing in your issue of the Isi instant an article with the above title, I thought I might give you an idea of what can be done here in Canada along the same lines as in Belgium.At Châteauguay, where I am now living, there is an acre and nearly a half; on the half acre the river runs in front, and also the public road; back from the putlic 22 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE road.about 60 feet, the house stands.There are 6 apples trees growing between the house and the road\u2014we have a lawn that we keep for the children to play on ; passing up one end of the house we lLiave a private roadway, and there is also a little vacant square behind the house.Un one side of this square we have a stable, manure shed, coal house and wood shed, with a place over the stable, coal and wood shed for storing hay and straw ; we have also a small yard for fowls, these, with a cow and pig during the summer season, are all the animals we keep.There is then back of this front lot one acre which we cultivate \u2014 in fact there is only one acre one way by an arpent the other, so I call the 6 trees in front part of our cultivation,and call it then an acre.We shipped to Montreal 53 barrels of apples this year ; this, as you know, was an off year for apples.Last year we shipped 140 barrels \u2014 but I wanted to tell only of this vear, besides all we used and sold several barrels at home \u2014 and put a lot into the cellar for own use, I should judge that about one third of our apples was sold and used at home \u2014 so that we must have had 80 barrels of apples this year ; we cut and saved over one ton of hay for the cow and about one ton of corn ; we :ommenced using potatoes in July,used them until September and had a large number of boarders; put about 20 bushels in the cellar\u2014 had more than 40 bushels of roots, such as turnips, mangels, carrots and beets, used all kinds of berries, but principally raspberries, and =old for over $25 in cash, grew all our own vegetables, uch as asparagus, cucumbers, melons, cabbages, parsley, onions, celery, lettuce, needed for a fan:ily, and not a small one either as there are ten of us all told.The past 3 years we have certainly raised a great deal more than 3.00 worth a year from our one acre \u2014 and lived on it besides ; we buy our tour or bread and tutcher meat,\u2014 this certainly can not be done without care and attention; we do not keep our cow or hens for fun,the cow gives.us mi.k and we make a good deal of butter from her to» ; but during the month of July and August, our boarders (sometimes as many as 15) use all the milk we have and often we have not enough for them, the hens keep us in eggs aud during the winter, when they are worth 25 cts or over a dozen, we always manage to sell enough egys to pay for the grain we buy them.The pig helps to make manure and use up the slops of the house, and with some grain in the fall \u2014 with small potatoes and apples, we always have f om 200 to 250 Ibs of pork very cheaply at not more than a cost of #4 or x5 for ground grain.The manure is not put out of doors during the winter \u2014 to get the best parts of it running down the ditch to the river in the spring \u2014 the droppipys of the hens are scraped up every day: \u2014 the coal ashes are\u2019utilized to absorb the urine of the cow, and protect the hens from being infecte | with vermin.Everything of value is saved, the chamber-lye is also saved.and during the winter, is put over the manure heap every morning, and during the summer season is used direct as a fertilizer.The leaves in the fall are gathered np and used as bedding for the pig and cow, and make splendid maunre; even the weeds, sometimes, that will grow, dur.ng a wet spell when you cannot Loe, are gathered, and male the commencement of a compost heap, where potato vines and all such stuft are put and you would be surprised at the size of it in the fall, soap suds are also u-ed on the gooseberry bushes and currants.We have grown a good many sun-flowers \u2014 the seeds we feed the hens with and the stalks we cut up for kindling wood.Under these conditions it is no wonder that if we had 2 acres a family might have suflicient to feed and clothe themselves and have quite a surplus at the end of each year.The cow is keptin at night during the summer and each morning quite a barrowful of munure, with the chamber-lye trom the house, is used around an apple tree ; not a very great quantity one would say, but say 5 applications in 2 years \u2014 with the manure made during the winter for the potatoes roots, and vegetables, as many as 15 cartioads of well rotted manure yearly.\u2014 I would say I believe there is enough value lost each year in manure to pay the interest on all the Dominion and Provincial debts, and leave enough to form a sinking fund to eventually AND HORTICULTURE 2 Ww pay up the debts too in 50 years, I am firm believer in the principle that whatever has to be done, should be done well.If you keep a pig, get the best breed, and see that it is kept constantly growing.The fine grass cut on the lawn is given to the hens, with lots of refuse from the house, the bones are all kept and ground for the hens when eggs are dear and scarce.Make the most of every thing, and you will be succesful in your undertaking, So I am satisfied that if [ had two acres, I could make money from them and live comfortably at the same time.Your truly, PETER MACFARLANE.Chateauguny 10th Dec 197.#totes by the Way.SUGAR-BEETS.\u2014We have often quoted Mr.Henry Stewart\u2019s observat'ons on various points of farm-practice, and generally with approbation; but we cannot agree with him in his ¥ Method of growing sugar-beets.\u201d\u201d He begins by sayin: ¢ It is not easy to grow beets.\u201d Now.here, we are absolutely at variance with Mr.Stewart; it is very easy to grow sugar-beets if one throws aside the childish idea that any unusual treatment of the plant is required.Prepare the land as for any other root.crop ; drill in 5 pounds of seed to the arpent in rows 21 inches apart\u2014on the /fat\u2014; single at 7 to 8 inches, by chopping out gaps in the rows with a 4.z2¢2 hoe, and pull all the beets but one from the bunches by hand ; keep the horse-hoe going, and when the beets are well started after the first hoeing, give a dressing of 2001bs.of nitrate of soda to the arpent.Nothing can be much easier than this; but the truth is, in the States as in this province, people began to try to grow beets before they had grown turnips, swedes, or mangels, and, consequently, made a muddle, and an expensive muddle, of the job.The real cost of growing an arpent of -ugar Leets, as stated by our pupil, Monsieur séraphin Guévremont, is as follows: ** The farmer,\u201d as he says, * being supposed to have to pay for every operation\u2014absolutely for everything: To two Ploughings.cove coir cre eevee 3 200 SE DATFOWINGS.\u2026osssensars ere so ser seser ea enre ns ses sn mere n secs 1 06 \u2018* Torty loads of dung, including purchase and cartage.10 00 \u201c Drawing drillS.\u2026.\u2026.\u2026.\u2026.\u2026erecrenens convie ras anre sente sense nc 00e 50) \u201c Spreading dung in drills.ceeii ini iniin cn 100 OBPHEHNE AFIS.even irene eens 50 \u201c Rolling É* Lanereenensese annee grue nan eau one sme dre nu ene pe rcen ses 00 2) * Sowing ret rtsrrr ri creer reas area y es 25 \u201cOoRSeed, 12108, at 15 Cts civic re as 1 80 * Four horse-hoeings .ccce.Lersssssecnesss rence nca cr ca nanas a.200 * SiNgling L.sencsrversess se see ncesresnamc es rere eae 3 00 First hoeing.ovine 2 40 \u201coBecond ff rene sen soc css 1 80 \u201c Harvesting, cartage to factory, KC.\u2026.\u2026cescssccssee sessounes 12 00 = 38 50 Of course it is not fair to charge the whole of the dung and cultivation to the beet crop ; one-third of these expenses at least ought to go to the succeeding crops of grain and grass, and this will reduce the cost per arpent to, at most, $26.09.Of course, if we go fiddling about, cutting the crop \u201cinto 4-inch strips\u2019 to be twice weeded hy hand, we can make sugar beets a very costly crop.But, if ever the 24 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE beet-sugar industry is resuscitated in this province, we strongly advise all intending gro vers to work their beet-crop in exactly the same way as any other root crop (1): by this time, root-growing is pretty well understood in most of the more advanced districts of this province.Five pounds of mangel seed is enough for a tull plant; why sow 12 lbs.of beet-seed to the arpent?ENGLISH MUTTON.-The same Mr.Henry Stewart whose article we refer to «bove.has another, in the \u201c Country Gentleman?\u2019 of December 3Gth, on the reason why English mutton is ¢ the lest, juiciest and tenderest of the mutton kind.\u201d It is, he very rightly says, a matter of feeding.The English farmer feeds his flock us no other farmer does.\u201cIt is a strange thing that we on this side of the ocean-at least some of the scientific part of us\u2014wiil insist that the food has nothing to do with the quality or flavour of the tlesh or other product of the animal; at least, this is peremptorily alleged in regard to the Lutter of cows, and this is a similar product in any animal to the lat in flesh, and is derived directly from and is flavoured by the food.\u201d We need hardly say that we perfectly ngree with every word of the alove quotation.In onr abstract of the transactions of the Dairymen's meeting, at p.27, it will be remarked that Mr.Barnard, the Secretary of the Council of Agriculture, proposed a resolution, that was unanimously carried: \u201cThat enquiries be made as to the reasons why English and Scoteli Cheddar is actually worth in the British market from 18 to 28 shillings (2) per 112 lbs, more than our ¢ be-t\u201d Canadian cheese.\u201d To our mind, Ç .rv .Mr.Stewart gives the (rue reason: the food is the real cause.It would be absurd to suppose that Canadian makers are not superior in skill to the wives and daughters of our Englieh tenant-farmers, who, to our own special knowledge, have only lately begun to use such an instrument as a thermometer! SITEEP AT TLE SMITHFIELD CLUB SIIOW.\u2014 Mr.Baxendale\u2019s /7s/ prise Hampshire-down lamb weighed, alive and fasted, 191 lbs.; carcase 116 lbs.Lord Chas.Bruce's [Iampshire lamb, commended, weighed, as above, 200 Ibs.; cur- case 122 lbs.The Suffolk lambs came out well; carcase weight of heaviest, 116 lbs, No Shropshire lambs exhibited in the carcase competition.CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S FLOWERS > Our supply of flowers in Montreal this season was larger and more beautiful than on any former occasion, and florists are well satisfied with the demand.This betokens an improved state of things ; first, that the taste for lowers is in the ascendant, and next that people can afford to indulge in the luxury of adorning their homes with them at this festive season; both signs of the times on which we may congratulate ourselves at this dawning of another year.G.MOORE.\u2014\u2014\u2014 MONTREAL Y.M.C.A.RECEPTION New Year Day The Floral display of the Montreal Ilorticultural Society at the New Year's Reception at the Young Men's Christian Associa ion, on Saturday afternoon, added very much to the beauty of the building and to the attractiveness of the occasion.It is highly creditable to the Horticultural Society that they should have assisted this nobly philanthropic display on this occasion, and we Lope that, another year, it will be continued even on a large scale.The taste for horticulture cannot be too much encouraged and made popular as a means elevating the religious and moral tone of the community.G.M.(1) Barring the distance between the plants.(2) Best Canadlan Cheddar 42s.6d., best English 72s.December 6th, 1807.ED. LS AND HORTICULTURE 25 The Mairy.The Dairymen\u2019s Meeting.The Sixteenth Annual Meeting of the D'AIRyMEN\u2019s AssociaTION Of the province was held, at Nicolet, on the Ist of December last.After greetings on the part of the President, Mr Milton Macdonald, M.P.P coupled, we are sorry to say, with certain observations on the paucity.of attendant meinbers of the society, Mr Macdonald called upon M.Elie Bourbeau, the Inspector- general of the Syndicates, to rea his report for the past year.M.Dourbeau said his duties had led him chiefly into the Western districts of this province.He had visited 169 cheeseries, 75 of which he put in the first class, 71 in the second, and 19 in the third c'ass.There were 12.424 cheeses p.ssed under his examination ; first class, 5,368 ; second, 5,600 ; and 1,066, third class.Very few factories had proper ripening chambers ; that is, chambers in which the temperature could be regulated ; and this was oue of the chief causes of there being such a monstrous quantity of second-and third-rate cheese turned out.The cost of such chambers was more than could he borne by small factories, such as deal with two or three thousand pounds of milk daily.(There seemed to be a general desire among the members of the association for the suppression of these smal .actories\u2014 ED.) M.J.A.Plamondon, M.Bourteau\u2019s assistant, stated that he had visited 277 cheeserie< aid about 20 creameries.He only found 63 cheeseries the cheese made in which could honestly be called first rate.Still, he had met with but little off-lavoured cheese, and its colour was greatly improved.A great mist:ike was made by the factory-men : they persisted in selling their cheese too new.The ripening-chambers,M.Plamondon thought, should be kept, as nearly as possible, at 65° F.A report of sales of cheese in a Montreal paper stated that, whereas for 3,229 boxes of cheese, at Cowansville, 7 5;8 cents were paid, and for 2,222 boxes, 7 1;2, cheese was selling at London, Ont., for 8 cents ! (ITalf a cent a pound does not seem, at first sight, any great difference, but allowing 400 1bs.of cheese to be the proper yield of a cow for the year, it amounts to $2.00 which, multiplied by the number of cows whose mllk is sent to the cheesery in this province, comes to a good deal of money.Ep.(An attempt was made to pass a resolution asking the government to employ special inspectors \u201cto exarnine the rennet exposed for sale in the province of Quebec ,\u201d but th's was rejected, and very properly rejected, nostro ar bitrio, as it is a regular case of \u201c* caveat emptor ;\u201d and it should be the business of the cheese-maker to secure himself from fraud by only buying his rennet, etc., from tried, trustworthy firms.Eb.) On December 2nd; business began by M Leclair, Principal of the St.Hyacinthe Dairy-school, reading a most interesting report on the butter factories of the province: The school had received no fewer than 302 pupils during the past season ; of these 155 took the cheese-course, and 147 the butter-course, He had been, at the request of the Minister of Agriculture, occupied during the past summer in the inspection of the creameries of the province, especially as regards cold storage.In M.Leclair' opinion, perfect butter would never te made throughout this province until greater attention is paid to cleanliness, particularly to keeping the churns perfectly clean.Boxes, for the packing of butter, should Le uniform in size ; for he had heard of 2 om A 26 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE several cases in which buyers in Montreal had obtained 60 Ibs.of butter while only paying for 56 lbs.Out of the 148 creame-ies visited by M.Leclair, 107 had recently put in \u201c cold storage ?\u2019 chambers, invoiving an outlay, on the part of the Department of Agriculture, ot over $5,000.00, as a grant in aid.The English market for butter was the great point at which all ereamerymen should aim ; and, if they attended to their business, there was every prospect of Canadian bu'ter driving Danish butter out of the field.The foilowing plan (for which we are indebted to the \u201c Montreal Star,\u201d) was proposed by M.Leclair for the development of the butter-tra le in the province of Quebec : Ist.\u2014To appoint commissioners to push Canadian butter.The said commissioners to live part of the year in Canada and part of the year in England.2ndly\u2014To appoint experts at all Canadian ports ot shipment, to examine and pass sll butter before it is dispatclied to Europe.; 3rdly\u2014lhe Dairyman\u2019s Society to pick out a certain number of factories in the Province of Quebec ; each of which factories to forward for shipment to England its entire product for a certain day of each week or each month.4thiy\u2014The Government to determine the exact quantity to be shipped.5thly\u2014 Payments for the butter taken, after examination by an expert,io be mude by the Government at the ruling Montreal prices.; 6thiy \u2014The resultgof the sales in England to be returned to the \u2018Government by the Commissioners, the profits to be divided among the controlling factories.A warm discussion then took place between representatives of the Montreal merchants and those of the manufacturers.The latter stating that the merchants sacrificed their interests to further their own ends.Mr Scott, of Ayer & Co., spoke a few words as did Mr.Barnard.Mr.Peter Macfarlane, the inspector of coli storage in Montreal, then spoke as to the possibility of constructing cold storage chambers at comparatively small outlay.An enormous audience attended the evening session of the Association, and greatly enjoyed the exhibition of lantern slides presented by the S-cr-tary, our god friend, M.Finile Castel, Later, in the evening, the Hon.Sydney A.Fisher, Minister of Agriculture, entered the hall, introducing Mr McLaren, of Ontario, who read a most impressive papes (in English), comparing the different processes employed in making cheese in the two provinces, Cleanliness was the main point insistedon Notonly must the implements, utensils, floor.&c., in the factory be kept perfectly clean, but the maker and his clothes should be able to bear itspection, Dirty hands and dirty habits wr uld not fail to disgust the buyer, and it might be taken as a rule that a man foul in his person was not likely to be cleanly in his work.Coope: ation is, according to Mr McLaren, a most valuable principle in dairying.No small factory ever yet turned out such good stuff as a large one, no matter what their common prolu-t'wus.And, sum of all, a cheesery-proprietor should always employ good men, pay good salaries, and see that both factory and men be kept clean.Then followel a competition, in cheeses, hetween the counties of Nicolet and Yamaska, in which Nicoiet, won easily.One of the victorious counties, lot was awarded 95 points for quality, one point more than was assigned to a sample of Ontario cheese brought as a specimen by Mr McLaren, Mr Sydney Fisher rather cruelly remarking that, * after this decision, no one could doubt but that bLefore long the province of Quebec would pass Ontario in the importance of its cheese production.\u201d The officers of the Association were then elected for the next year.On this election the \u201c Star \u201d makes the following remarks : * The sitting ot the convention was resumed this morning, when the officers for the ensuing season were elected.Mr Taché proposed that Mr.McDonald, M.P., be 4 AND HORTICULTURE 27 re-elected president, but this was hotly opposed Ly Mr Barnard, who suggested Mr Bourassa as a better man.A scene of great excitement ensued, but a general vote of the society eventually returned Mr McDonald, he receiving 37 votes against Mr Bourassa\u2019s 26.Mr Bourassa was, however, elected vice-president.\u201d A committee was then appointed to try to reduce the number of small creameries.and cheeseries in the province.The President, M.Milton Macdonal, stated that VALLEYFIELD had been selected as the town in which the Convention would be held in 1598.Mr Sydney Fisher next addressed the meeting on the # Expansion of dairying in the province of Que! ec.\u201d This, as he had predicted, had taken place to such an extent that in the last four years the export of cheese to England had doubled no less than four time.In 1896, 60 per cent of the entire quantity of cheese sent to England had been shipped by Canada, and by the end of this year, 1897, the quantity would probably have risen to 70 percent.Surely, this required attention.Should the export of cheese experience ary increase ?In his opinion we had dene enough in increasing the exportation ot cheese, and should now turn our attention more to butter ; for, had all the milk that had been produced by our cows been converted into cheese, there is little doubt but that the price of that comestitle would have fallen from 8 and 8% cents to 5 cents ! Here, in Canada, heat is clearly tLe great enemy of dairy products.Butter, he thought, might be most advantageously made during the period of stabulation.Last year, Mr Fisher had estallished a system of \u2018 cold storage '\u2019 on the railroads and steamers ; but though the dairymen of the other provinces had largely availed themselves of this system, the Quebec makers had heen slow in takiug to it.The grant for cold-storage and refrigerating compartments would be continued next season, and he hoved that the people of Quebec would utilise it.Professor Robertson had come to the conclusion that the best temperature for the ripening-room was from 64° F.to 68° F., and that at over 70° F., the goods began to deteriorate, and soon lost at least one cent a pound in value.Many were the advantages to be derived from the Farmers\u2019 Institutes ; attendance at the lectures and discussions to be heard in them would benefit every agriculturist.He had inctructed Mr Peter Macfarlane, inspector of cold-storage, Mr Castel.their Secretary-treasurer, and M.J.C.Chapais, the Assistant Dairy-commissioner, to make: -a tour through the province, and in the different towns to give lectures and pra-tical illustrations of modern agricultural and dairy processes.Dr Daubigny would accompany the above named gentiemen in their tour, and would deal with the diseases of stock, more especially in conneetion with /réerculosis in cows.Magic-lantern slides would illustrate his lectures.Mr Edward Barnard then read the tollowing resolution : \u201c Considering the fact that the best English and Sset h Cheddar is actually worth in the British markets from 18 to 23 shillings more per ewt (1) than our best Canadian cheese, and the best Danish butter from 14 to 13 shillings more than our best Canadian brands : * Considering also, that the dairy products from the province of Quebec are tar from being known and appreciated on the British markets as they deserve to be; the province of Quebec Dairymen\u2019s A-sociation, assembled at Nicolet, respectfully requ st that the Hon.Sydney Fisher, Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa, and the Hon.Melville Dechéne, Commissioner of Agriculture, at Quebec, take jointly such measures as will secure a careful examination, by ompetent « en, in Great Britain, of the best dairy goods from this province, in order to obtain a fair estimation of their value, as compared with the best products of the same kind on the British market, and that also such information be obtained as will enable our makers in the province toimprove our butter and.cheese, to the best of their ability.\u201d This was greeted with loud applanse._ d'rom the French by the Editor.January 1508 : Best Canadian Cheddar 43s.Gel ; best English do.72.Ed. ar 28 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE CAN DAIRY ABILITY BE DETERMINED BY OUTWARD INDICATIONS?Ep.Hoxirn\u2019s Dairvnuan :\u2014 \u201c We must know a great deal to know how little we know \u201d seems to apply very well as regards our knowledge of the dairy cow.After carefully reading up the various books on this subjet and studying the theories of various authorities, one would think one will be anle to go into any dairy and pick out the best cow \u2014 the one that would give the most milk, the best milk, and Le the most persistent milker: but after following dairying for fifteen years, and trying all the time to add to my \u201c cow knowledg3,\u201d I find myself getting fooled every little while in regard to some dairy animal.I noticed that Mr F.Z.Henderson would like to see the question discussed in regard to the points that indicate a rich milker.Some time ago, I read an article written by some eminent professor, I think, and illustrated by fine haiftone engravings, showing the construction of the udder and explaining how the fat glands were produced, ete.The gentleman claimed that a cow having a fleshy udder would give richer milk than one with a thin one, and seemed to prove it without a shadow of a doubt.Buton lookipg up the matter, 1 find that four cows in my own herd, having the fleshiest udders, average 5.2 per cent butter fat, and that the four, having the thinnest udders average 6 per cent, all tested under the same conditions.These cows are all pure bred Jerseys.1 also have two heifers closely related, and showing, as far as [am able to judge, about the same tutter indications as regards form, hide, hair and color ; but one tests 4 per cent and the other 7.I have another cow that insists upon knocking all my carefully sought ¢ cow knowledge \u2019\u2019 all to pieces.She is long legged, rather square hams, a great deal too thick at the thigh, a slim round barrei that would look very well on a trotter, and a good, big tail, while her hair is altogether too coarse.I showed her at a fair this fall, just to see if anybody else could see any milking qualities in her, and the judge said she was unworthy of a premium, although there was no competition.Well, this ungainly cow insists upon giving forty pounds of milk testing 6 per cent butter fat in a day, and is also a very persistent milker.Of coursé she ought not to do this.In fact, she has no right to; but she will, and I don\u2019t see what I am going to do about it.And I will add, for the benefit of Mr.J.D.Smith, that she has no escutcheon to speak of, either.I was very much interested to note the comments made by the different men while looking at the cattle at the fairs this fall, and I came to the conclusion that nearly every man has a hobby in regard to the \u201csigns\u201d of a milker.One owner of a large dairy picked out a cow which &e pronounced to be the best one on the grounds, because, he told me, she had very nearly a perfect escutcheon.I cailed his attention to the fact that she had very deficient forequarters to her udder, and other points that were licking 1n what is generally supposed to be a dairy animal, but he ignored these things and declared that he knew she was a splendid cow because she had a splendid escutcheon.(1) Another man, while looking at my Jerseys found much fault with my best cow because she has a white tongue, and declared that he never knew a good Jersey with a white tongue.And who shall say that he was not just as sensible as the escutcheon man.Still another man looking at the calves, picked out a little poor pot-bellied heifer.which most men would be ashamed to have around his stable, and declared it (1) Neither in Britain nor In Guernsey and Jersey is the escutcheon considered worth two straws.\u2014Ed. AND HORTICULTURE 29 was the best calf because it had such a nice big belly.She surely would make a cow of the most pronounced dairy form.He simply ignored the fact that any ca even a Devon or a Short-horn, would become pot-bellied if fed on an unnourish- ing diet.Now, Mr.Editor, I have told about a good deal that I don\u2019t know, and if any one knows and knows that he knows, I would like to have him tell what he does know.Madison Co., N.Y.J.GRANT MORSE.\u2014. Household Hatters.Let this year be marked by a visible stirring up of the minds of the young people of Canada.Let them show by their work that they are no longer content to lie dormant, but are determined to do some one thing or other to prove that the long winters are not all spent in frivolity, but that they, like other people, are determined to advance with the tine, On a farm, early poultry raising ought to be easily carried on, and with a gooi profit.The demand and price: are always good in the «pring.The work is not hard, but must be carried out with care to get good results.Any intelligent boy or girl can do this by strictly following out instructions given in this Journal.Let this truth never be forgotten : All young people should have their heads, hearts, and their hands educated.By the proper education of the head, they will learn what is good and what is evil, what is right and what is wrong, By the proper education of the heart they will be taught to love what is good, wise and right, and to hate what is evil, foolish and wrong.And by educating their hands, they will be enabled to supply their own wants, and to assist those around them.The highest objects of a good education are, to reverence and obey God and to love and serve mankind, When wisdom reigns in the head, and love in the heart,that person is ever ready to do good ; order and peace reign around, and gin and sorrow are almost unknown.The following from the report of the new Jersey State Convention is applicable to our Province, and we quote if as containing very valuable suggestions to tree planters on a subject on which is some difference of opinion : Prof, E.B.Voorhees, director of the New-Jersey Experiment Station, read a paper on \u201c Growing Apples in the State.\u201d He spoke of the kind of soil best adapted to the growth of the apple.The largest number of the most profitable orchards in the State are in Burlington and Monmouth Counties, on sandy soil, with a clay subsoil.Z%ose with a northern exposure give the best results, as they do not begin growth so early in spring and thus become subject to later low temperatures.The soils mentioned possess in some cases a low state of fertiiity, and are fed aunually with a liberal application of fertilizer, snd give better results than others on naturally rich soil, of a heavy clay nature.DP Flowers a necessity.We have passed the time when plants were considered a luxury.They have now become a necessity.It is a healthful occupation, and statistics show that the florist has an average life of longer duration than any other calling except clergymen, and the lover of flowers seldom has many bad habits,\u201d \u2014 Country Gentleman's report of New Jersey State Convention, 30 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE An Inexpensive Luxury It seems strange that so few farmers or persons living in the smaller villages have ice.houses of their own when ice is such a luxury, almost a necessity, during our torrid sum- murs, The expense of such a building is slight, and to fill it each season requires but a few days\u2019 work of men and teams at a time when work is usually slack.If the farmer had to make the butter himselfin the heat of summer, I think there would soon be an ice-honse built.Now is the time to build and fill one.Ice for the Farm Dairy lt is not only fur creameries that ice is important and necessary.The farmer\u2019s wife who sets her milk in pans the old fashioned way.cannot do her butter justice unless she bas en icehouse to go to for ice to keep her butter firm in hot weather.She is usually obliged to adopt such m keshifts as hanging her butter suspended in a pail in the well, or putting it in the cellar, which,though cool enough, is often too full of bad smells to be a proper receptacle for butter.A Radical Countess The Countess of Warwick 1s very busy over a new scheme to establish an agricultural training college for women, to educate them in scientific and comniercial dairying, poultry and bee rearing and the preserving of fruits, jams, etc.The Conntess, however, has found time to write a life Joseph Arch, the labor leader and president of the National Agricultural Laborers\u2019 Union, who has also been a Methodist preacher, and has lectured for the union in all parts of Great Britain and in Canada.In this work Lady Warwick, who was better known as the famous beauty, Lady Brooke, expresses advanced views on Mr.Arch\u2019s theories, Poultry Schools in France England imports eggs and poultry to the value of $23,000,000, while France exports $70,000,000 of the same.France has a number of poultry schools, where pupils are regularly trained in rearing fowls, managing incubators, curing diseases, etc., 30,000 chickens being hatched each season at the Gambais school.The pupils pay for their instruction, and work from 6 a.m.to eight p.m., three of the hours being devoted to study.Scholarships are founded for the benefit of those unable to afford the tuition tee.Kitchen Helps Waste in Cooking Potatoes.\u2014 An English scientist, afier careful experiments, finds that when potatoes are cooked without removing the skins they lose only 3 per cent of nutritive quality through extraction of the juice.When the skins were removed before boilling fhe loss was 14 per cent, which makes the process of cooking the potatoes without their jackets an exceedingly wastefnl one, Borax in The House There can be no surer way found by the country housewife to preserve the healthfulness of the house.than by a free use of borax, which cleanses, deodorizes and disinfects.In the kitchen it will be found invaluable for washing cooking utensils, cleaning oil cloth table covers, keeping the coftee and teapots fresh and sweet, and freeing the dishcloth and towele of all grease and dirt.For use in washing dishes 1n place of soap, borax is unrivaled and will preventbesides the chapping and reddening of the hands which usually follows such work.Às an antiseptic and general disinfector borax stands pre-eminent, and being innocent and safe, should be freely used for these purposes during the hot weather.In a word, no single article used in the family has so great a variety of uses as borax.Iteconomizes labor and soap, saves the wear and tear of clothes in washing, sweetens and purifies and preserves wherever it is used. AND HORTICULTURE 31 Jorax is a first-class washing powder, and being a natural salt, does not injure the texture and color of the niost delicate fabrica.Blankets, flannels or woollen dresses washed in a solution of it will be cleaned and refreshe I without shrinking, while a little powdcred borax added to stareh will give a beautiful gloss to linen.À capital way to clean and polish knives is to dip a cork in the knife-powder, rub the blaies vigorously on each side, an then polish with a dry cloth.This answers quite as well as rubbing the knives on a board, a proceeding which causes the dust to fly inall directions, and it den an ls less expenditure of force.\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014e@»e The Horse, Telegony.Telegony means the influence upon progeny of a previous sire.This scientific term is of recent concoction, and it is only of recent da\u2018e that anything has been written, or much attention paid to the remarkable influence of a former sire upon produce for which his service is not immediately responsible ; under other appellations, such as stain and throwing back, it has been noticed by practical breeders long ago, but it is only rather lately that some scientific men have been indnced to make special experiments in that direction.Ia view of the fact that throwing back has long been recognized, it is somewhat strange, says a writer on this subject, that horse breeders should have given but little attention toa factor, which is asserted by some people to be one of the most important in the delicate task of mating, a d a force which is often accountable for otherwise inexplicable disappointments.Telegony, however, is not exactly the same thing as what is commonly called throwing back.By telegony, we understand the tendency of some mares to form a physiological habit of conception, which is persistent to the extent that the offspring of subsequent unions are qualified by their first bias.Hence the important advantage of breeding from maiden mares as a compensating factor as to the uncertainty of their breeding at all, or turning out good brood mares.A good many breeders prefer giving longer prices for tried brood mares, to trying their luck with maiden ones.If maiden mares, however, come ot dams that have been good brood mares themselves they will generally turn out good breeders themselves, if properly managed.But the barreness and the tendency to siipping of foals are distinctly hereditary, and nothing of course cuts down profits more surely, than the misfortune of being saddled with a Jot of mares that either do not breed regularly, or are always slipping foals.Abortion, or the tendency to it in constitution, is distinctly hereditary, Wm.Day (1) says, as to the hereditary nature of the maladv: I have found that when mares slipped a greater number of foals than the generality usually do, their offspring had a greater tendency to do the same thing than others which had been bred from mares, not so affected.Of the trath of this, and of the difficulty of overcoming it, and I may add the loss resulting from breeding from a stock predisposed to it, the following illustrations, will I think, afford ample proof.Octaviana, the dam of Crucifix, slipped, Crucifix did the same, Chalice out of Crucifix, in addition to slipping a twin and a eingle foal, was barren five times and had two dead foals, etc., etc.The clearest examples of telegony, of course.are those afforded by the well known different instances of mares crossed by zebras, having foals to horses afterwards marked by stripes, as in the first instance.Sir Gore Ourely, when in India.pat an Arab mare, which would uot breed, to a Zebra, and she produced an animal striped like its male parent.The first object, that of causing her to breed, having been accomplished, she was put to a thoroughbred horse, but the produce was striped.The following year another horse was chosen, yet the stripes, although less distinct, appeared in the foal.Again, Mr.Blaine relates that a chestnut mare also gave birth to a foal by a quagga, that the mare was after wards put to an Arab horse, but that the progeny exhibited a very striking resemblance to (I) Whom we remember as atrainer some 50 years ago.Ed, 32 THE JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE the quagga.The paintings of the animals bred by Sir Gore Ouseley as also the skins, are to be seen at the museum of the College of Surgeons, in Lincoln\u2019s Inn Fields, On the game subject Mr, Darwin writes, in his \u201c\u2018\u2018 Origin of Species :'\u201d In Lord Morton's famous hybrid from a chestnut mare and a male quagga, the hybrid and the pure offspring subsequently produced from the mare by a black Arabian sire, were much more plainly barred across the legs than is even the pure quaggi, he further corroborates what other writers assert on the subject by saying : ¢ When a breed has been crossed only once by some other breed, the offspring occasionally shows a tendency to revert in character to the foreign breed for many generations\u2014some say for a dozen or even a score of generations.\u201d \u201cCecil,\u201d says on this subject : \u201cIt is curious to remark that when a thoroughbred mare lias once had foals to common horses, no subsequent foals which she may have had by thoroughbred horses have ever evinced any pretensions to racing qualities,\u201d Wm.Day says, as to the special conditions enumerated by Cecil: I find that since his time, there has been a case in which a thoroughbred mare, after being covered by a half: bre.l horse, produced a winner.This was the case with the Duke of Beaafort\u2019s Tne Roe, when she bred Horseshoe and The Cob.But I never heard of another instance.A medical nan expresses the opinion that if the Sire be in all respects the stamp of animal the owner would most wish to produce in future, the mare should see as much of the horse as possible.His suggestion is that the eyes play a most important part in the reception of impressions, so that the first sexual impression proluced in the mare should be a thoroughly goodione, since she will always in after breeding retain the tendency to revert to it, in other word: to throw back.There is, however, nothing new in this, and the practice of allowing the mare to see as much of the stallion as possible, is well known amongst breeders and farmers even here, and one which I have carried out on my own farin even to.the extent of keeping a stallion constantly opposite the box of the mare which he had served; but my experience in this respect is that it would be quite absurd to suppose, that even in the case of a maiden mare, the keeping of her in the closest possible proximity to the stallion will result in anything like reproducing a perfect fac-simile in exterior conformation or anything approaching it.Two instances, which I give, smongt others seem to show, that one cannot rely upon anything much more than peculiarities of colour and markings being the subject of these impressions (1).In the case of a maiden half-bred mare and a thoroughbred staliion, the first foal reproduced the colour and markings of the horse, but no similarity of conformation, and the second foal had neither the marks nor the conformation.In the second instance the foal of a thoroughbred mare put to a thoroughbred stallion, the white markings of the stallion alone were reproduced, the con- ormation was wholly and entirely that of the mare.As a rule, the mare gives her colour to the foal, although now and again, thoroughbred stallions transmit their colour and mark- - ngs to their progeny.But of corse, except in thebreeding of carriage horses, the transmission of colour, is a very unimportant consideration.Telegony is not of itself a sufficient force, to overcome what has always been known as throwing back to distant ancestors.This uncertainty aud the impossibility of controlling it in any manner will always -be with breeders, The only possible antidote is to breed perseveringly from as nearly perfect a couple, with a3 many perfect immediate ancestors, as possible.The value of a pedigree does not consists in its length so much as in the excellence of the individuals more nearly related, and even in these instances, there will be occasiinal misfits, not only in Conformation, and peculiarities of shape, but peculiarities and defects of action, such as straddling in forth, in trotting, speedy cutting, brushing, dishing, are nnfortunately transmitted as easily, or am afraid I must admit it to be the case much more so than good action and conformation, We constantly see horses of excellent shape and perfect conformation everywhere, except in one point, which unfortunately takes away very much indeed from their value, and in the case of mares renders them quite unfit for brood mares, although very taking animals in every other respect.C.F.BOUTHILLIER.(1) The Charolais cattle are always kept in white-washed sheds, the fences are white, and the men who milk, etc.wear white clothes! All this to keep the beasts white.Ed."]