FARM NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 23 May 1889, Page 7

FARM NOTES.

Ayeshiee v. Jeksey oe Holstein.— An Ayrshire will beat a Jersey in everything except cream,,and her milk will keep better' arid not separate so easily when transported by rail. She is less dainty and, clears up rough fodder better than a Jersey, but no better than a "Holstein. On pasture the question of profit is the same, though not as apparent. When drought comes the first' to fall off in milk is the Holstein, because she must have abundance, next the Jersey, because she is dainty and refuses tough grass of older growth and new fails to come, but the Ayrshire holds out much longer because she is an active forager, and what is to be had she will find and appropriate. Holsteins make a splendid showing on rich, heavy limestone pastures where they can fill their enormous carcsases without stint,, but like the shorthorn, they quickly deteriorate when moved to a less luxuriant feeding gronnd, where Ayrshires would continue to thrive. The Hollanders' , discriminate in selecting stock as to the nature of the soil cattle are raised on, and some of the herd books note the facts, in registering. Thus heavy breeds are known to be at a disadvantage in many' regions where Ayrshires would thrive. Feeding Oats to Hoeses.— A saving may be effected in the consumption of oats for horses by simply soaking them in tepid water. Practical experiments which have been made show that, by this method the ration for each animal may bo reduced by a third. Horses whose teeth have seen their, best days masticate the grain in its ordinary condition insufficiently, and younger animals often eat so' greedily that the greater proportion of it is swallowed whole. This waste may be obviated by the simple method recommended, which so far softens the grain that it is more completely masticated and digested, and consequently yields more nutriment. Three hours is a sufficient length of time to soak the grain, provided the water is noi, too cold. Salting Butter with Beine. — The best butter makers in England, Ireland, and Jersey, as well as in this country, are gradually dropping the practice of seasoning butter wifch salt, and using brine in its place. Those who are far enough along to appreciate the differencebetween gathering butter in a lump and handling it in granules are in a position to adopt brine seasoning wifch ease and a decided benefit. All that is necessary for such a butter maker to do is, when his butter has come, to wash in the usual way wifch water till it will run ,off clear, and then immerse the granules of butter in brine as strong as can be made, and let the butter lie in it the same length of time he would to have the salt dissolve if be had used dry salt, and then press the butter into a solid form, avoiding any fric- ! tion or grinding motion while reducing it to a solid. In this way all working will be avoided, and the butter leffc in the best possible condition for, keeping, and have an even colour and the highest flavour it is possible for it to have. By laying in strong brine a few hours the brine will draw the water out of the butter the same as dry salt would. Brine makes a. more even distribution of the saline flavour than dry salt can do, and it will relieve the butter, of any excess of water it may contain just as readily as salt in crystals can, and put it in readiness for packing in as little, if not less time. .It is by some supposed that salt strikes into butter better if dry salt is worked into it than it would if covered wiih brine, but this is a misapprehension «if the action of salt; neither salt nor briiiv s!,vil<t:sinto;butter'at all. There is n<> atiiuiij between salt or butter or brine ami ,htutor. In seasoning butter with either, the salt remains in.ljut.tei;

only as a foreign body mechanically mixed. It 'seasons only what it touches in any case, 1 arid brine will touch' more of it than salt can. When butter is gathered in the churn in granular form it is never overchurned. Pounding it after it is in a lamp or' large masses is what overchurns it. In seasoning with brine it is never overworked, as it is not worked at all. Working out buttermilk and working in salt is. where the overworking comes in. In fact, working at all is overworking, because by the improved method none is needed, and breaking the grain of butter by grinding in crystals of salt is also obviated by seasoning with brine,—Exchange.