Strange to say, no b.u.t.ter is made on these large milk farms. The supply for the family is obtained from market, or, more rarely, from a neighbor who churns all his milk for the accommodation of those who send all theirs to the city. Our notions of the way to make b.u.t.ter were decidedly overturned on going to such a dairy. No setting of the milk in shallow pans for cream to rise; no skimming and putting away in jars until "churning day," when the thick cream was agitated by a strong arm until the b.u.t.ter came, then worked and salted. Instead, there is a daily pouring of the unskimmed soured milk into a common churn, perhaps somewhat larger than ordinary. The dasher is fastened to a shaft, which is moved by a crank. The crank is turned by means of a nearly horizontal wheel some eight or ten feet in diameter, which is kept in motion by a dog, sheep, or calf standing on it, something after the manner of the old tread-mill.

When taken from the churn, the b.u.t.ter is worked by hand as of old. The farmer with whom we have talked said he was about determined to send his milk to the creamery, since b.u.t.ter-making made it so hard for the women.

Surely woman is less a drudge than she used to be. If, after being relieved from the labor of churning, the remaining working of the b.u.t.ter is considered too hard for the farmer's wife, the day of a woman's redemption must be near at hand.

Only one b.u.t.ter farm, have we been able to find, and not enough is made there to supply the immediate neighborhood. Where, then, does all the Orange county b.u.t.ter come from? Mostly from the West. Farmers buy from the vicinity of the Alleghenies, and even further west, large quant.i.ties, which they sell in the original packages or repack in pails.

Since railroads have become so numerous, New York drinks up all the milk in Orange county, and must b.u.t.ter her bread elsewhere.

The largest inst.i.tution for the disposition of milk is the Creamery, which is, in other words, a cheese factory. Here is brought the milk which the farmers themselves are unable properly to prepare for market, for want of cool springs or sufficient help. Received here, it is placed in deep but narrow tin pails holding twelve or fourteen quartz. These are floated in large tanks of water. From these pails the cream is carefully taken and sent to market. The skimmed milk is then placed in a large vat and heated, by means of steam pipes to about 80. Then the rennet is put in. From twenty to thirty minutes suffices for curdling, and the ma.s.s is then stirred to separate the curd from the whey. After which it is heated still more; and then the whey, pa.s.sing off through a strainer, goes to feed hogs, while the curd remains in the vat, to be salted and worked before putting into the presses. In two or three hours the curds become hard enough for the canvas to be put upon them ready for the shelves. Very carefully they must then be watched, lest the fly lying in wait for them makes in them a snug house for her family.

Greasing and turning must be a daily labor, and some weeks must pa.s.s before they are sufficiently cured for market.

For the benefit of city consumers, who are paying ten and twelve cents a quart for milk, from a tenth to a quarter of which is not infrequently pure Croton, we may add that the highest price the farmer ever gets for his milk is seven cents a quart; and he sometimes sells it for as low as two cents and a half. Our friends, the milkmen, have, therefore, it will be seen, a pretty good margin for freight and profit.

Improved Hay Elevator.

The method most generally used for elevating hay is evidently not the most economical application of the power of horses for the accomplishment of the purpose desired. The tackle involves a great deal of friction, and as the quant.i.ty which can be thus raised at once is, probably, on the average, not more than from 150 to 200 lbs, much more time is employed in re-adjusting the fork, than would be the case if a larger quant.i.ty were elevated.

The invention under consideration supplies a means whereby it is claimed hay may be unloaded with far greater facility than heretofore, with less labor to the team and with fewer hands than are at present employed.

A primary gear wheel is propelled horizontally by a lever worked by a horse. The primary gear impels a pinion keyed to the shaft of a windla.s.s, upon which is wound the elevating rope, whenever the clutch, A, is made to operate through the cord and lever, B. This cord runs over a pulley on the under side the wood framework at C, and its further end may be held in the hand of the workman on the hay load, who, when he has properly adjusted the fork, pulls the cord which operates the clutch, and the "fork-full" of hay is at once elevated. The cylinder of the windla.s.s, not being keyed to the shaft, only operates when the clutch is closed by the cord.

The horse, or horses which furnish power to the machine, may, therefore, keep on traveling in the same direction, and no time is lost in stopping and backing, as in the method in general use.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DERR'S CAPSTSTAN FOR ELEVATING HAY FORKS.]

There is no doubt but that this is a cheap, durable, and desirable machine, and one that can be used to great advantage, not only for the elevation of hay, but for many other purposes. We think it would be found a decided improvement in discharging cargoes of coal from barges, and for handling coal in storage yards.

The inventor claims that twice as much hay can be raised in a given time by its use, as can be done by the old method; and it dispenses with one hand at the barn or stack.

A coupling at D, enables attachments to be made, which extend the usefulness of the machine very much. It may be used as a power for driving wood saws, cutting fuel, thrashing, and other work where a simple horse power is desirable.

Address for further information, Wm. Derr, Tiffin, Ohio.

COMPEt.i.tORS FOR PRIZES.--The interest that our friends have taken in obtaining additional names to send with their own subscriptions to the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN for the coming year, is without a parallel. The clubs sent by compet.i.tors for the cash prizes are not so many or so large as we expected, but the number of applicants for the steel plate engraving exceeds our expectation.

The Emperor of France is said to be interested in the art of flying and to have given money to fledge some inventions.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMP WICKS.

Our engravings show a novel subst.i.tute for the cotton lamp wick. The wick, two forms of which are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are made of gla.s.s, and are filled preferably with pulverized gypsum, although any finely-ground stone, mineral, or metal may be employed. The bottom of the gla.s.s tube is closed by wire gauze, or other suitable strainer, through which the fluid flows; and is carried by the capillary attraction of the pounded material to the top of the wick.

Thus a permanent wick is obtained, which may be employed with any form of lamp, and will last for an indefinite time. It may also be used in connection with an open cup, which the inventor terms a poor man's lamp. A perforated card is laid upon the top of the cup or tumbler as a support to the wick.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

It may be used either with or without a chimney, and it is claimed that with good kerosene oil it is perfectly safe, and consumes less of it, while it may be also used as a candle.

Patented through the Scientific American Patent Agency, September 14, 1869, by Edward D. Boyd, of Helena, Ark.

Address for rights, etc., the patentee, as above, or Jos. P. Branch, 277 Fulton street, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Great Transformation.

Seven years ago, says the Port Said correspondence of the London _News_, there was nothing to distinguish Ismailla or the smiling lake before you from the rest of the desert, and all was sand. It is the ca.n.a.l which has raised up the numerous handsome villas and fine gardens. Fresh water is all that is needed to turn the arid desert into a fruitful soil; and the supply of this is provided by the subsidary ca.n.a.l which the company has formed side by side with that broad salt one which now unites two worlds. Wonderful stories are told of the productiveness of the gardens, and a walk through any of those belonging to the leading officials stationed at Ismailla is to verify them all. Vines with large bunches of grapes pendent from their branches; orange trees with green fruit just showing a golden tint; ivy, roses, geraniums from England, and an endless variety of rich tropical plants are all flourishing. In the centre of the town is a square with trees and a building clothed with rich creepers in its midst. Everything here looks French. A handsome boulevard runs down to the point of embarkation, the streets and squares are on the true Parisian model, and there are _cafes_, billiard rooms, and _cafe chantants_ which might easily belong to Nantes or Lyons. There are of course huge gaps where the houses and shops will be; the roads are, many of them, still of sand; camels draw carts, and generally pervade the place in long strings; but with all this you are kept in a state of wonder during your stay at Ismailla at the marvelous conversion which has taken, place under your eyes.

American agricultural implements are highly praised in newspaper reports of the Metropolitan Cattle Show, held recently in London.

Moore's Rural New Yorker

For Dec. 25 contains a splendid full page Engraving of the PRIZE FOWLS at the recent State Poultry Show--the Best Poultry Picture ever given in an American newspaper.--Also, a magnificent CHRISTMAS PICTURE, and other fine Ill.u.s.trations. For sale by all Newsdealers; price 8 cents. See advertis.e.m.e.nt of RURAL in this paper.

BUSINESS AND PERSONAL.