THE EXPERT
BVTTERM AKER
One of the nice problems that con
front the buttermaker is that of incor
porating Just the right amount of wa
ter in batter. It has been claimed that
American butter is generally low In
moisture content and that buttermak
ers might well put a little more watet
Into their product It appears that
there 'has been a tendency in some
quarters to do this. During the past
year the internal revenue depart
ment has collected large fines in some
of' the great cities from the sellers of
butter containing more than 16 per
cent of moisture, the legal limit.
To control the moisture content sc
that there shall be a desirable amount,
WHEN THE CHUKN WAS STOl'PBD.
This butter contained 15.26 per cent mois
ture when completed.
yet not too much, requires skill and ex
perience on the part of the buttermak
er. Butter with too much moisture is
undoubtedly, as a general thing, made
without intent rather than with, and
the average butter maker or dealer has
little idea what per cent of moisture
the butter contains.
It is a statement of interest, there
tore, that the department of agricul
ture has worked out during the past
year a rapid and simple method (re
quiring apparatus costing a few dol
lars) for the free use of manufacturer
and dealer to determine the water in
butter. Full details of the apparatus
and its use can be found In circular
No. 10 of the bureau of animal indus
try. Moisture In Butter.
One of the most thorough investiga
tions into the moisture content of but
ter and methods of controlling it was
made some years ago at the Iowa ex
periment station. As to causes of too
much moisture it was found by Messrs.
McKay and Lareen that when cream is
thick and churned at a high tempera
ture too much moisture is incorporated
even though it is churned only a nor
mal amount.
By churning at a high temperature
and washing with cold water much
moisture will be incorporated in the
butter, provided It is not cooled to
such an extent that the butter will be
come hard. The sudden chilling of the
butter globules on the Outside by wash
ing with cold water seems to Imprison
and prevent the moisture from escap
ing during working.
By churning cold ana washing with
warm wash water the butter is also
brought into a condition where it will
absorb and hold moisture. Churning
at high temperature and washing cold
nd churning at low temperature and
washing warm are two conditions
which must be guarded against.
Effect of Overchurning.
In regard to overchurniug it is stated
that by excessive churning in water
the butter will absorb and hold as
much as 46 per cent water. If the
temperature is low, the incorporation
of moisture by churniug is retarded a
great deal, while if the temperature is
higher a comparatively small amount
of churning will cause the butter to
absorb moisture rapidly and to retain
it bettor. In experiments in which the
butter was churned for more than
half an hour iu the wash water the
butter became very soft aud began to
stick on the inside of the churn. The
more it is agitated in the presence of
moisture the duller and lighter butter
will be.
A Remedy Advised.
An excessive amount of churniug
was strongly condemned by these Iowa
dairy authorities. In short, they say:
Quality must receive first considera
tion. When butter has been overchurn
ed a trifle, so it coutaius about IS per
cent moisture. It is difficult to remove
the buttermilk from the quite large
granules, and the danger of spoiling
the butter on standing Is introduced.
In order to avoid this the churn can
be stopped when the granules of but
ter are still small and then control the
moisture content in the butter by
churning a trifle in the wash water at
the proper temperature.
By churning a trifle more than or
dinarily in wash water the butter
milk is efficiently removed and the wa
ter content can be controlled.
The Cattle Market.
Several things have happened that
could not be foreseen. The corn crop
did not mature and had to be fed, the
panic cut the consumption of beef
squarely In two, and the price of hides
took a grand tumble. Result, very bad
tattle market, totally unlike what
might have been anticipated early last
fall. Then, however, we suggested
that late winter markets would prob
ably prove best because of the early
clean-up of stock on account of high
corn. And It seems that this is very
likely to be true. Cattle have been
Belling entirely too low because people
have sold them regardless of price or
condition, and this sacrifice will be
felt later on. There has been nothing
to Induce people to feed cattle, but
much to discourage them, and If con
sumption of beef returns to Its normal
volume It Is likely to do so at a time
of 8mallr cattle supplies than we have
bad of late, remarks the National 'Stock-
mmsm
COST OF GOOD ROADS. ,
Points of Value From an Illinois High
way Commissioner.
George Stevens, a road commissioner
of eleven years' experience in Illinois,
is quoted as follows by Farm Prog
ress as to the cost of making good
roads at a small expense: -
The . grading can be done with a
twenty horsepower traction engine at
40 cents per rod on an average. Four
loads of rubble' per rod and two loads
of gravel make a' good road. The av
erage number of loads hauled near
Bockford, 111., per day would be about
six. Of course thi3 varies according
to distance, but six is about the aver
age. We have no stone crusher, some
thing I very much regret. I have tried
to get one for years, but the cost of
same has prohibited it so far. We
break our rubble by hand.
The cost of this road is as follows:
Four loads of stone or rubble, 40 cents;
IMPROVING ILLINOIS HIGHWAY.
two loads of gravel, 20 cents; hauling
same, at 50 cents per load, $3; break
ing stone per rod, 15 cents; work in
quarry getting out stone, 40 cents;
grading road, 40 cents; total, $4.55 per
rod, or $1,456 per mile. This makes a
good road at all times of the year. Of
course more money would make a still
better road, but the major part of our
stone roads are made still cheaper than
this, being made of three loads of rub
ble per rod and about one and one
half loads of gravel at a cost per mile
of $1,120. There is not one farmer
that kicks on account of the cost of
these roads. The kick Is on the other
side or because we do not have more
of them.
The north part of our township
(south of Bockford) Is very sandy, and
I doubt if the road drag would do
any good there. Here the soil is dif
ferent, and the drag works all right.
I am not saying anything against the
use of the road drag, as I think it a
fine thing, but where stone and gravel
are plentiful I say use them and make
a hard road that will be good at all
times of the year.
LESSONS ON ROAD BUiLDING.
Campaign of Education Begins In
Louisiana.
At a meeting of the parish superin
tendents of education held about a
year ago at Baton Rouge, La., the sen
timent was in favor of consolidating
several of the small rural schools into
one large one.
A meeting of the superintendents
was held Dec. 14, 1907, at which the
subject of road improvement was ear
nestly discussed. The result of the
discussion was the adoption of the fol
lowing resolution, says the Good Boads
Magazine:
"Recognizing the improvement of
our schools depends upon the building
and maintenance of good roads and
further recognizing that it is the func
tion of the public school to promote the
social well being of Its people, it is the
sense of this conference that those
who are directly responsible for the
management of our schools should give
more serious attention to the problem
of road building, and in accordance with
this belief we recommend that the sub
ject receive more prominent considera
tion in our institutes, Teachers' asso
ciation aud School Improvement asso
ciation, that our schools regularly of
fer to their students carefully arrang
ed series of lessons on the subject and
that superintendents and teachers defi
nitely undertake to create among the
people a livelier appreciation of the
importance of better highways and dis
seminate a better understanding of the
Improved methods of road construc
tion." Value of Good Roads.
Governor Warfield of Maryland has
during his administration stood firmly
for road improvement and is one of
the most ardent advocates of adopting
measures to carry on the work in his
state. The governor recently said:
"Good roads cost money, but they
are far less expensive to the public
than bad roads. The roads which the
state geological survey commission are
constructing cost no more than similar
roads north and south and will prove
a permanent investment for the people
of the state. It is far more econom
ical in the long run to build highways
that require but a small amount of
maintenance than to construct cheap
temporary structures that will con
stantly require repair, to say nothing
of the comfort and pleasure to be de
rived from smooth, dry roads."
Prizes For Road Building.
A prize of $500 was awarded last No
vember by the board of directors of
the Ontario Motor league to the .town
ship of Etobicoke, Ont., for improve
ments on a mile of road extending
west from the number river to Mimi
o creek, says the Good Roads Maga
zine. A second prize of $100 was also
awarded to the township of Markham
for the improvement of a mile of road
running from the village of Markham.
Additional prizes of $50 and $25 were
also awarded to the supervisors In
charge of the work on these roads.
The awards were made on the recom
mendation of A. W. Campbell, commis
sioner of public works and chairman
of the committee of judges.
"" SHELL ROAD ' WORK. : ';
Maryland Engineer Tells How to
x Build On and What It Costs.
W. W. Crosby, chief engineer of the
highway division of the Maryland geo
logical survey, writes as follows to the
editor of the Good Boads Magazine
! concerning the cost of shell road work,
I In Maryland: We occasionally bnild
, roads ont of oyster shells where -the
son is very sandy and -the traffic com
paratively light; as frequently . occurs
on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
Formerly oyster shells were very gen
erally used, but recently the increased
price of them has brought crushed
stone into competition.
The old method of building a shell
road was, as you probably know, sim
ply to dump the shells on an unpre
pared roadbed and allow the traffic to
pack them down, which it did in the
course of varying periods. With the
Increased cost of shells and the de
mand for better and more permanent
results we have developed a more eco
nomical use of the material and at the
same time secure quicker and far
more satisfactory results. We shape
the road exactly as we would do 'for a
stone surface and then apply the oys
ter shells in two layers, rolling each
thoroughly and binding the top one
with sand and water. -. The Bayside
road in Talbot county was built two
years ago under this method. The
Brookview-Bhodesdale road was built
last winter. Below is a statement of
the cost of the latter road. The road
is about a mile long, and there were
about 5,500 square yards of macadam
laid:
Forty-one thousand one hundred
bushels of oyster shells were used
at a cost of $1,758.00
Freight on same.... 854.00
, Unloading shells and wharfage
charges 17.00
Forty-eight feet of 24 Inch terra
cotta pipe 47.04
Freight on same 3.00
Seventy-two feet of 14 Inch cast
iron pipe 114.95
Freight on same 12.95
Twenty-three bags of cement 17.25
Sixty-nine bricks -.. 69.00
Rent of roller 181.00
Freight on same 44.00
Repairs of roller 11.95
Coal, oil, etc 16.55
Labor on road. Including teams.... 1.088.88
Total cost of road $4,315.57
Prices for labor and teams were as
follows:
Cents
per hour.
Foreman 30
Labor 12H
Single teams with boy driver... 15
Double teams with driyers 25
Our preliminary estimate of the total
cost of this road was $4,277, but this
rise in the price of shells after the
work was started accounts for excess
of the cost
DITCH CLEANING SHOVEL
Iowa Man's Improved Implement Good
For Road Work.
Ditches along the roadsides should
be kept clean and free from dead
leaves, mud and refuse of all kinds
that may collect there. Otherwise the
water that runs off the roadbed will
stay in the ditches and gradually un
dermine the foundation of the road
and cause much trouble. -
To prevent this an Iowa man has de
signed and patented a shovel that will
XJSETCI. DITCH CLBAUEK.
be found exceedingly convenient1 for
cleaning ditches, says the Washingtou
Star. Cleaning a ditch with an ordi
nary shovel . entails almost as much
work as rolling a peanut with a tooth
pick. In this ditch cleaning shovel the
shovel proper is rounded to correspond
with the contour of the ditch, provid
ing a convenient means of reaching
dirt in the lower recesses of the ditch.
The shovel is supported from the han
dle by an adjustable angle lever, it be
ing possible' to tilt the blade of the
shovel at any desired angle.
Rural Delivery and . Good Roads.
The annual report of the fourth as
sistant postmaster general states that
at the close of the fiscal year there
were 37,728 rural free delivery routes
lerved by 37,582 carriers. During the
year 2,312 new routes were established
and 350 discontinued, leaving a net
Increase in operation of 1,962. The re
port pays considerable attention to the
subject of road improvement It is
stated that, while ideal roads are not
asked for, they still need to be proper
ly drained and free from ruts and
washouts. Adequate - highway laws
properly enforced are suggested.
Wide Tire Law Note.
The good roads committee of the
board of supervisors of Niagara coun
ty, N. has reported in favor of the
proposed wide tire law, which pro
vides that after Jjme 1, 1909, all wag-,
ana carrying 1,500 pounds or more shall
be equipped with tires at least three
Inches In width. The penalty for vio
lation of the law will be f 'im $5 to
$25 for each offense. .
WHEAT BRAN.
Practical Advice on Cheapening the
Ration For the Cow.
One of the best known milling by
products and o f? which has long been
recognized as a valuable feeding stun
is wheat bran. Of this material J. B
Lindsey of the Massachusetts experi
ment station says:
unm comparatively recent times
wheat bran and cornmeal have formed
the two staple concentrated feeds for
dairy stock, and in spite of the large
variety of concentrates now in the
market the former still continues to be
used by the majority of dairymen in
eastern states. The reasons for this are
not difficult to find. A good quality of
bran is uniformly palatable; it can be
fed in considerable quantities without
producing any ill effects; it acts as a
slight laxative; it furnishes more di
gestible protein than corn, and it serves
as a very satisfactory diluter or dis
tributer of the heavy concentrates, such
as the glutens, cottonseed meal and
flour middlings.
Home Grown Corn a Substitute.
Lindsey believes, however, that the
nutritive material contained in bran
may be purchased more cheaply in oth
er concentrated feeds and that New
England farmers especially often use
more bran than economy warrants. As
a practical result from experiments to
find cheaper rations for milk cows than
those containing large amounts of
bran, Professor Lindsey suggests:
' Farmers who keep comparatively
small herds and who personally, look
after the feeding may reduce the quan
tity of purchased grain to three or four
pounds daily per head and substitute
home grown corn in place of wheal
bran. Five to seven pounds of grain
daily is the usual allowance for cows
producing about ten quarts of milk of
average quality. This grain mixture
may consist of one and one-half pounds
of cottonseed meal, two pounds of flour
middlings and two and one-half to
three pounds of corn or corn and
cob meal daily or one and one-half
pounds of cottonseed meal, two pounds
of oat middlings or rye feed and two
and one-half to three pounds of corn
meal. Malt sprouts may be substitut
ed for the wheat, oat or rye middlings.
The several grains after being mixed
should be distributed through the silage
or cut hay with the aid of a fork.
According to the Farmer.
The foregoing method of feeding will
enable the farmer to get along with a
minimum cash outlay for grain (4
cents daily), and at the same time he
will be supplying a well balanced ra
tion, rich in elements of fertility. The
method will be more particularly suit
ed to farmers not having easy trans
portation facilities and who sell their
dairy products to the creamery.
Farmers and dairymen who cannot
closely supervise the feeding and who
desire to feed more than five to seven
pounds of grain daily will probably
find it advisable to use one-third to one
half wheat bran in compounding the
grain mixture. Distillers' grains and
malt sprouts have also been shown to
be quite satisfactory distributers of the
heavy concentrates. 7 .
Feeding For Milk. ..
We consider silage the most eco
nomical of all food stuffs as well as
the least trouble to feed. Bran we find
the most expensive, but this far along
anything to take the place of bran
seems to be in the experimental stage
in Indiana, and we find that to dis
pense with it even when the cows are
on pasture generally results In a loss
of butter of more value than the cost
Of the bran.
We began on Jan. 4 last to keep ac
count by weight of all the feed our
ten cows ate in seven days, with these
results: The average daily ration, fed
in two feeds, was forty pounds of si
lage, five pounds of bran, five pounds
of clover hay and six pounds of corn
stover or all the stover they would
eat up clean. The bran was fed ac
cording to quantity of milk, six pounds
being the most fed to any one cow.
The cost of one week's feed for all
was: Silage, $3.50; bran, $2.85; clover
hay, $1.47; stover, 42 cents; total, $8.24.
An Indiana Dairywoman.
Beef Production.
The following points conducive to
highest profit in producing beef were
stated some time ago by an authority
on this matter in Alabama. They prob
ably still hold good and have value for
cattle growers in other southern' states
as well:
First The use of thoroughbred bulls
of the beef breeds and as soon as prac
ticable of dams having some beef
blood.
Second. Abundance of good pas
ture. Third. Economical production on the
farm of cowpea, sorghum and other
hay and other foods needed in winter
ing cattle.
Fourth. Intrusting the care of cattle
to men who have studied the business
both of crop production and of'feeding.
Fifth. Increased attention to mar
keting, including the raising of such
numbers of beeves and of such quality
as will be worth shipping in carload
lots to the best markets north or
south. '.
Southern Hay Growing.
In sections where Johnson grass is
well established a very good system of
hay growing is to sow vetch or crim
son claver, or both, with a small
amount of oats as a winter crop, on
Johnson grass land. Where the land
Is plowed early in the fall and put in
good condition for the winter hay
crop two or three good crops of John
son grass can be cut the next summer.
This system will then give a. crop of
winter hay and two or three cuttings
of Johnson grass hay evary year. H.
Benton.
; NBWf POSTAL LA W. .;
. The United States Postal De
partment has made new regula
tions in regard to-carrying second
class mail matter ( snch as news
papers, magazines, periodicals,
etc.) the same going into effect
Jannary x, 190c?, and allowing
publishers to April 1, 190c?, o
prepare their subscription lists in
accordance with the new order of
things. The effect of the change
practically compels the establish
ment of new relations between
the publisher and subscribers of
county papers.
The department ruling requires
that subscriptions entitled to the
second class postage rate shall
not be delinquent longer than the
following periods of time:
Dailies within three months.
Tri-weeklies within six months.
Semi - weeklies within nine
months.
Weeklies within one year
The mails are not forbidden to
subscribers who are in arreais
longer than the time provided in
the new ruling, but these subscri
bers are placed in a separate class
ification, requiring a higher rate
of postage , the rate being so high
that publishers could not afford
to send papers at the price of sub
scription. The reason given by the gov
ernment lor making tbis order is
that second class mail matter is
being carried through the mails
at a rate of postage thereon
which is less than the cost of car
riage. The Gazette has heretofore
been liberal in giving to its sub
scribers time to pay for their sub
scriptions by paying $200 per
year for those past due and $1.50
per annum when the same was
paid in advance. Having made
the difference in the past-due and
advance rate has resulted in giv
ing the Gazette a larger portion
of paid up subscribers. This rule
must now be changed according
to Uncle Sam's order, as the
newspaper has no voice in the
matter. The Gazette invites its
patrons to settle their dues soon.
SHORTHORN SPLENDOR.
Breeders Round Out a Great Year on
Both Sides of the. Atlantic.
A progressive policy is being pursued
by the American Shorthorn Breeders'
association to procure the extension of
the market for our Shorthorn cattle.
Last fall, it will be remembered, the
officers of the society undertook a per
sonally conducted exportation of bulls
and heifers into Mexico, and, while
the financial results showed little or
no gain, a fine lot of cattle were sold
to influential breeders, whose example
in purchasing will doubtless be follow
ed by others.
During the trip it was borne in on
the officials that if the f Sort should
be followed up intelligently many more
Shorthorns could be sold south of the
Rio Grande, and to that end arrange
ments have been completed for the
proper representation of the trade. L.
Villareal Madero, San Antonio, Tex.,
has been appointed agent of the asso
ciation and has been conducting nego
tiations with the Mexican officials.
It is made plain that-the officials of
the American Shorthorn association
made a most excellent move when they
invaded Mexico with a lot of Short
horn cattle. They have secured the
active co-operation of the Mexican de
partment of agriculture and also o
the various state departments, which
must in time succeed in opening up a
fruitful demand for our cattle. It is
work of this kind that counts.
At Smithfield.
Shorthorn breeders have rounded out
a great year on both sides of the At
lantic. A calf of that breed was cham
pion at the International, and now the
returns from Smithfield bring news of
a sweeping victory for the "red, white
and roan." Peter Dunn's steer Gentle-
GENTLEMAN JOHN.
Grand champion Shorthorn steer at the
Smithfield show.
man John was grand champion of the
show, Sir Oswald Mosley's big red and
white steer was adjudged the best
steer in the show, and King Edward's
white steer was made the champion
under two years of age.
An award practically without paral
lel gave the purple ribbon to Gentle
man John. He was only second in his
class and reserve for the steer cham
pionship, but in the final roundup he
was made the grand champion, with
Earl Hosebery's Angus heifer Elo
quence of Dalmeny reserve. The lat
ter heifer was the champion female
and also won the King's Challenge
cup for the best animal bred by the
exhibitor., It thus appears that all the
most Important championships , were
won by pure bred cattle. Breeder's
Gazette, Chicago.
Retain Competent Road Officiate. H
It Is asserted that one of the princi
pal causes for the poor construction of
roads la that the tenure of. office oC
highway commissioners is - uncertain
and that in most cases the office goes
to the candidate who can secure tha
most votes. Politics, as we have often
said, should In nowise be a factor whets
It comes to building roads or paving
streets, says the Good Roads Maga
zine. Improved road building Is a new
art, and a competent road builder, like?
a poet. Is born, not made, and when
his worth has been proved he should
be kept Jn the office as long as he la.
efficient and keeps up with the march:
of progress in his line of work. Sa
long as the office of highway commis
sioner is elective the voters of a town
ship should see that the best man ia
put in the office and then re-elected.
Much has lately been sakl in regard to
making the office of highway commis
sioner appointive and strictly under
civil service rules. Much can be said:
in favor of this plan, but until laws,
are changed competent officials should
be retained.
Reward For Macadam Road.
Marquette county, Mich., will re
ceive $3,S15 from the state as a re
ward for the construction of a mac
adam road this year between Negaw
nee' and Marquette. "
' A California County's Good Work.
Los Angeles county, Cal., it Is report
ed, appropriated for road improve
ments last year the sum of $371,898.88.
thus leading all the other counties of
the state.
Farmers.
Kead the "Weekly Oregonian" of Po'"i
land and the "Oorvallis Gazette" for the
general news of the world, also for in
formation about, how to obtain the bent
results in cultivating the Boil, stock rais
ins. foit raising, etc
You can secure both of these excellent
papese for one year by paying to tfa
CorvaUift Gazette" the mim of two rfoU
ars and ftftv rents, in ndvnncp. FpitH
the money by poetoffire coder or hanlr
dsaft and these most, variable papers
be promptly mailed to you. 83'tf-
The Best Quality of
PIANOS and- ORGANS
At the Store of GRAHAM & WELLS
Corvallis, Oregon
CUSTOMERS x
Are requested to call and see them be
fore purchasing elsewhere.
THIS OLD RELJABLE HOUSE wilj
sen their FINE-TONED INSTRTN
MENTS FOR REASONABLE PRICED
instead of charging you extra to make
up for high city rents, railroad fares and"
hotel bills for traveling salesmen.
Music Lovinn Pnnl1
- .... , . w V aa . a..
Can purchase these reliable goods in
their home town. If there is anything
you do not understand vou will find' tie-
sellers near your home.
Own YourHom&
THE
First - National - Bank
of Ccrvallis
has some
TO WN LOTS
Near the State Agricultural College
which you can buy on the INSTALL
MENT PLAN or for cash.
Save Ten or Twenty Dollars
per month and pay the same on a towa
lot. Thereafter BUILD YOUR HOMB"
on the lot and continue to make these
small monthly payments on the home
and you will soon have it paid for and?
have no more rant to pay.
For information address
W.ZH. SAVAG
CorvalJis, Or.
Bargain Sale
,0F
Dress Goods
AND
Shoes
AT
HENKLE & DAVIS