OF LAXCASTER COUNTY. 477 



LANCASTER CITY AND COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Lancaster City and County Horticultural Societyl was organized in Septenilier 

 1867, under that name ; but, subsequently, it added Agriculture as one of the ol»jccts 

 of its development. Although several similar organizations had previously existed, yet 

 none seemed to have attained the prominence of the present Society, or exliibitcd tlie 

 same prospects of eflftciency and permanency. It meets regularly on the fust Mimdny 

 in each month, in the Orphans' Court Room, in tlie city of Lancaster; and usual] v 

 holds two exhibitions of fruit, flowers, vegetables, and agricultural ])rodu(e in eacii 

 year— one in June and one in September. Under its auspices a monthly .jmunal is jml). 

 lished, called The Lancaster Farmer, which usually contains Essays read before tlie 

 meetings of the Society, a synopsis of its proceedings, and original and selected paiKJi-s 

 on Agriculture, Horticulture, Floriculture, Entomology, Botany, and miscellaneous 

 subjects. Its present officers are : President, Henry M. Engle; Vice Presidents, Levi 

 S. Reist, Jacob B. Garber, J. H. Hershey and Henry K. Stoner; Recording Secretarj-, 

 Alex. Harris; Corresponding Secretary, A. D. Hostetter; Treasurer, Dr. P. "W. Heis- 

 tand; Entomologist, S. S. Rathvon; Botanist, Jacob Stauffer; Chemist, Dr. J. H. 

 Musser; Librarian, John B. Erb. It has also annually appointed a number of .stan<liiig 

 committees, who have special charge of the different departments assigned to them, 

 according to the provisions of the constitution. 



The Publishing Committee of the Farmer arc: Dr. P. "\V. Heistand, H. K. Stoner, 

 J. M. Frantz, Casper Hiller, Levi W. Groff and Alex. Harris; and tlie Editorial Com- 

 mittee are: J. B. Garber, H. M. Engle, L. S. Reist, Dr. W. L. Diffenderfer, Dr. J. II. 

 Musser and S. S. Rathvon; the last named on each of the committees lieing residents of 

 Lancaster city, and the remainder residents of different districts in the county. 



The Society has a large membership, and is composed of some of the most practical 

 and influential farmers and fruit growers within the limits of Lancaster city and coun- 

 ty. Its proceedings, thus far, seem to be in harmony with the progressive spirit of the 

 age. 



NE\\SPAPERS IN LANCASTER COUNTY. 



Although Printing has been styled "the art preservative of arts," it is remarkalile 

 that perhaps the only excei^tion to the rule is to be found in the preservation of the 

 history of an important branch of that art itself — the history of the news])aper press. 

 It is surprising how little is known of the actual hi.story of the early newspapei-s of 

 Lancaster. To write a comjjlete history of the press of Lancaster from the first organi- 

 zation of the county, would involve the labor and research of months, and tlien much 

 of tradition would necessarily supply the place of facts of wliich tliere is no record and 

 no definite recollection in the minds of persons now living. We were never so deeply 

 impressed with the imi)ortance of filing and i)reserving newspajjers as since we ad- 

 dressed ourselves to the task of sketching the history of our local newspai)ers. Files 

 even of newspapers published within the knowledge of the present generation aiv either 

 not accessible or so imperfect that they are of little value for our jiurpose. What a 

 treasure to the local historian of to-day would be the complete files of the newspapers 

 published by Miller and Holland, Lahn, Albright and other-s, a huiulred yeai-s ago! 

 And in how high esteem will the complete newspaper files of this eventful decade Ixj 

 held by those who may fill our places and study our daily history a century hence! 



The newspaper press of Lancaster has always been distinguished for its neatness in 

 typography and the enterprise and ability witli which it has been conducted. In these 

 respects it has always compared favorably with the press anywhere outside of the great 

 Metropolitan centres. It is therctV>re to be regretted that so little material for its 



1 Uontributed by Mr. S. S. Pathvon. 



