12 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[January, 



A farmer remarks, that after storms, buckwheat ex- 

 ercises its peculiar influences most strongly. 



The high anrl increasing price of oats draws much 

 attention to substitutes for that food, which cannot 

 be equaled for horses. Bearing in mind that the 

 nutritive qualities of plants vary more in respect to 

 climate than to season, it is not surprising to witness 

 different results from tiie same description of aliment. 

 Barley raised in southern is superior in quality to 

 that grown in northern climates. In the East, in 

 Spain and in Arabia, horses fed on barley acquire 

 more vigor and power of endurance, while in tem- 

 perate climates it is fattening and refreshing in its 

 effects. To excite fowls to lay or to hatch, oats and ^ 

 light wheat are given; to fatten them, barley. 

 Whenever the French invaded Spain, their cavalry 

 was decimated by inflammatory diseases produced by 

 feeding the horses on barley. On the other hand, \ 

 Arabian horses, when imported into France, can only 

 be kept in good condition by being fed, not on barley, 

 but on oats. Barley is a tonic in warm climates, but 

 enervating in temperate ones. Maize is but an aux- 

 ilary, it can never become a substitute; it has not suf- 

 ficient force-producing power. M. Adenot experi- 

 mented with feeds of equal rations, of nine pounds 

 each, of maize and oats, on 4.S of his wagon horses, 

 extending over a period of two months ; the animals 

 lost one-fifth of their draught power, which they re- 

 covered, however, when their ftiU oat ration was re- 

 stored; the economy in the way of oats disappeared 

 by loss of strength. One-eighth of maize with oats 

 turned out well, but then the maize must be Ameri- 

 can, not French. How nearly soever related maize 

 and oats mav be chemically, in physiological eflfects 

 they are widely different. Thaer and Dombasle re- 

 commend buckwheat for farm horses, as being capa- 

 ble of replacing in part oats; their opinion is questioned, 

 but buckwheat diflcrs in richness, according as it may 

 have been saved, when matured or otherwise. M. 

 Adenot has found a mixture of l-'3 pounds of oats 

 with six of rye, very successful; his experience 

 extended over fifteen years, the stables containing not 

 less than 3.50 draught horses; the mixture was not 

 equal in producing vigor to oats alone, but was not 

 the less a capital feed when grain was scarce. In 

 former times wheat was given to stallions during the 

 season of serving, and to mares when suckling, but 

 wheat fattened rather than imparted strength or pro- 

 duced muscle. 



IN THE PEODOCTION AND REPARATION OF MUSCU- 

 L.4R FORCE, 



beans rank with oats, exciting the appetite, and ex- 

 cellent for horses that digest badly their full feed of 

 grain . Field peas are favored by some for post horses, 

 improving their wind while forminga change of ibod. 

 Oats being unrivalled, many farmers object to either 

 bruise or "break them ; containing less farinaceous 

 matter, they nourisli less, in the sense of fattening 

 less; this quality Messrs. Magne and Baillet attribute 

 to an aromatic princiide in the skin, analogous to 

 vanilla, and to which the stimulating action of the 

 grain is to be traced. Now mountain oats, small and 

 light, are more exciting than others, because they 

 contain less farinaceous and more of stimulating mat- 

 ters, and hence why many breeders keep stocks of 

 mountain and lowland oats, giving feeds of each 

 alternately, never mixing, for where the ingredients 

 of rations diiler in volume, much that is small be- 

 comes unmasticated or incompletely mixed with 

 saliva. M. Monclar, of Tarn, finding wine to be so 

 cheap and oats so dear, has employed the former as 

 an element in rations for his horses, and with excel- 

 lent results. This is the first time wine has been so 

 employed ; but is long known in France to be of sin- 

 gular efficacy when horses are overcome with great 

 fatigue ; sonie sprinkle the wine over the oats and 

 others administer it as a drink. Horses are very fond 

 of wine. M. Becwer is the most extensive fattener of 

 live stock on the continent ; after years of experience 

 he concludes, 



THE BEST AND MOST SUCCtU.F.NT MEAT IS FURNISHED 



by pigs fattened on milk, than animals fed on grain, 

 the following ranking in order of merit : maize, barley, 

 oats, to which may be added, peas. Potatoes pro- 

 duce a meat light, flabby and insipid, losing much in 

 cooking ; bran, in the case of liogs, yields a flesh poor 

 and of abad taste ; oil, seeds and cake impart flaecid- 

 ness and a disagreeable taste to the meat, and beans 

 make it hard, indigestible and unsavory. M. Bcewer 

 counsels for the finishing of pig fattening, a diet of 

 boiled grain, or the latter bruised, with milk; peas 

 added to the rations of pigs, four weeks before 

 slaughtering, will impart an agreeable flavor to the 

 meat. 



Belgium has suffered during the present year very 

 much from 



ADULTERATED CLOVER SEED, 



which is mixed with colored sand and the seed of the 

 plantain ; the latter is said to have been superseded 

 by the seeds which escape from the refuse of imported 

 ■wool. The magnifying glass reveals the impurity. 



THE BEET SUGAR MANUFACTORIES ON THE 

 CONTINENT 



may consider themselves fortunate if they can make 

 the two ends meet this year. France produces twice 

 as much sugar as she consumes, but fiscal export 

 regulations prevent her from entering advantageously 

 the foreigh market. Many farmers decline to sell 



their beet this year to the manufacturer, who only 

 gives fr. 16 the ton for the roots, selling the pulp at 

 fr. 1.5 ; net profit per ton, for the cultivator, one franc, 

 to which must be added the expenses of transport 

 both ways. It is thus more profitable to consume the 

 roots on the farm . The new continuous presses ex- 

 tract more sugar than the old hydraulic apparatus, 

 but the pulp derived from the former is found to be 

 less valuable. The chemists discuss the question as 

 to the action of leafing the beet, for feeding purposes, 

 on theproiluctionof sugar. Messrs. Corenwinder and 

 Viollette assert the practice diminishes the produc- 

 tion of sugar, and further, entices the plant to absorb 

 salts from the soil, which resist the extraction and 

 crystallization of the sugar; however, the more eini- 

 inent Claude Bernard differs from both these chemists, 

 alleging we are still ignorant as to how the plant 

 fbrnis lis sugar, whether by the root or by the leaves 

 decom]io,siiig the carbonic acid of the air, under the 

 influence of the green coloring matter and the sun's 

 rays, the sugar then being distributed throughout the 

 tissue. 



Dr. Petermanu recommends 



TWO MEANS OF REDUCING BONES: 



throwing them into the wine tank, or mixing them 

 witli wood ashes and quick lime, as a compost. Pro- 

 fessor Kupfferschlaeger, of Liege, recommends their 

 being burned with weeds and the ashes incorporated 

 with the soil. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Unhappily there is nothing new to record respecting 

 the phvlloxera; the habits of the bug are being better 

 observed, and the effects of the several remedies— in- 

 undation always excepted — await the test of time. 



Dr. Pierre asserts that fruit plantations— eider 

 orchards particularly— require to be as methodically 

 manured as ordinary cultivated crops. 



Cider is economically prepared, by adding seven 

 pounds of red garden beet to every aVj bushels of 

 apples, pressing all together ; the cider must not be 

 used till the following July, when it will be free of 

 the beet flavor. 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agricul- 

 tural and Horticultural Society. 



The stated monthly meeting of this society took 

 place in the Athenseum on Monday afternoon, the 3d 

 of January — Johnson Miller, President, in the chair. 

 The following members were present : Johnson Mil- 

 ler, E. S. Hoover, Milton B. Eshleman, Martin D. 

 Kendig, E. S. Hershey, Jacob B. Garber, Alex. Har- 

 ris, Harvey Brackbill", Elias Brackbill, Henry Erb, 

 Israel Landis, Calvin Cooper, John Grossman, 

 Reuben Weaver, Martin Fry, John M. Stehman, 

 Levi S. Reist, Peter S. Reist, S. S. Rathvon, Levi W. 

 Gi-otf, Levi Pownall, Reuben J. Erb, John N. Eby, 

 Jefferson Grosh, Aaron H. Sumray, Edwin Reinhold, 

 A. C. Ilius. Jacob M. Myers, John Gingrich, W. J. 

 Kafroth, John B. Erb, Elias Hershey, Abraham 

 Bollinger. 



John N. Eby, A. C. Ilius and C. Coble were 

 elected members. 



On motion, it was agreed that the Athenseum be 

 the place of meeting until the society order otherwise. 

 Johnson Miller offered a resolution in regard to 

 a more stnngent law for the protection of numerous 

 birds that are often slaughtered by sportsmen, and 

 yet may not be strictly classified as insectiverous 

 "birds, such as the partridge, woodcock and reed-bird. 

 Mr. Miller announced that he would gladly re- 

 ceive from farmers in the county any sample of grain 

 for exhibition at the Centennial— said samples to be 

 properly labeled in regard to species, locality, and 

 any other particulars that may be given. Messrs. 

 Mi'lton B. Eshleman, Martin Fry and Simon P. Eby 

 were ajJiwinted by the chair as a committee to draft 

 a suitable resolution in regard to the birds, and pre- 

 sent the same to the society, with a view to seeking 

 legislative action on the subject. 



The annual election for officers then took place by 

 ballot. Mr. Calvin Cooper was chosen President. 

 On leaving the chair, Mr. Miller returned thanks for 

 the co-operation of the society during the two years 

 of his service, and Mr. Cooper expressed his appre- 

 ciation of the honor conferred upon him. Jacob B. 

 Kafroth, Martin H. Kendig, Jacob Bollinger and 

 Jacob B. Garber were elected Vice-Presidents ; E. J. 

 Hoover, Cor. Secretary; Alex. Harris, Rec. Secre- 

 tary ; Levi W. Groff, treasurer. On motion, Jacob 

 Stauffer as botanist, S. S. Rathvon as entomologist, 

 and SiuKm P. Eby as librarian, the present oflicers, 

 were continued for the ensuing year. 



THE president's ANNUAL ADDRESS. 



Mr. Miller read the following address : 

 (ienllemen : A kind and all-wise Ruler has carried 

 us from time to time, until now we enter upon the 

 year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six — 

 a period which will be the most important in the his- 

 tory of this nation and country since the days of 

 Washington, whose mortal dust reposes in Mount 

 Vernon's sacred soil, and whose spirit appears to rise 

 in the vision of true and patriotic citizens of all na- 

 tions, reminding them that we have now fairly en- 



tered upon the great Centennial year of American 

 Independence. 



In looking over the past record of our proceedings, 

 and comparing them with the present, you have rea- 

 son to be assured of success in the future. Ten years 

 ago this society was organized by a few of the most 

 intelligent and progressive farmers of this county, to 

 whom we owe our obligations to-day for having an 

 agricultural and horticultural society in this county. 

 A few of them are still with us, and to them I would 

 say, yours was a noble beginning. But since that 

 time many were the trials through which this as- 

 sociation has passed. It was, at times, only since I 

 am a member, a question whether we could keep in 

 existence an organization of this kind or not ; and I 

 will here say, that the men who organized it always 

 " stood by the Hag." 



The past year has been one of more than ordinary 

 interest to this society, as well as to all farmers in 

 this wide county, from the fact that the Pennsylvania 

 State Agricultural Society has held its annual ex- 

 hibition at Lancaster. It was natural that this so- 

 ciety should give it all the encouragement it could ; 

 this was done by the adoption of resolutions of wel- 

 come, and the appointment of a county committee to 

 encourage the farmers to become exhibitors, and 

 take an in'erest in a matter in which they had not 

 had the pleasure to participate since the year 18.53. 

 The society, as well as the farmers in gen-ral, re- 

 sponded. The State Fair was a grand success. On 

 the whole, it might have been better in some depart- 

 ments, but I learned from the oflicers of the State 

 Society that they were well pleased, and that it would 

 likely be held here during the Centennial year. 



I call your attention to this matter, that in case it 

 be held here, measures may be taken to have Lan- 

 caster county the in front. Tlie experience of last 

 year's fair has proved to many of us that the county 

 has the material to make a good fair. It only wants 

 stirring up, and by so doing we can assure the State 

 Society a better fair next year. The people are 

 aroused now, and we hope we may have another 

 chance to show our resources, and bring to perfec- 

 tion what we commenced last summer. 



I have upon many occasions indicated the impor- 

 tance of having a more complete organization of 

 the farmers in the form of agricultural and horticul- 

 tural societies — the many advantages and good re- 

 sults that might be brought to all by consulting each 

 other upon such matters as we farmers and fruit 

 growers find ourselves daily engaged, and in which 

 we often find ourselves puzzled for want of know- 

 ledge. Who in all this broad land has more need of 

 a thorough knowledge of his profession than the 

 farmer? The mechanic must study his material and 

 each piece before he can put together his machinery ; 

 the doctor must first study his patient before he ad- 

 ministers his medicine ; the miller must know how 

 to regulate his grinders, and study the ups and 

 downs of the markets ; the lawyer books himself 

 upon all points of law ; and all other professions and 

 callings have their organized societies for the en- 

 couragement and discussion of matters pertaining to 

 their respective callings ; and all for the general 

 good. But when you come down to the fanner, 

 where is he? Some one might say, at home, at his 

 work. Too much so. It is right and proper to be at 

 home and at work, but let us for a moment reflect 

 how small a number of farmers of this world-wide 

 known county of Lancaster come here and partici- 

 pate in the discussion of questions tliat come right 

 home to every farmer and fruit grower in the county. 

 Instead of twenty-five to thirty regular attentive 

 members in the county coming together every month 

 and discussing views and opinions in regard to agri- 

 cultural matters, we should have an agricultural an 1 

 horticultural society in this couuty of at least a thou- 

 sand members, that would have a hall of their own 

 as large as the main room in our Court House. 



It appears to me it is not in accordance with the 

 moving spirit of the Centennial year, that 1 stanl be- 

 fore you to-day and present the facts as I do in re- 

 gard to our Agricultural and Horticultural Society 

 Tn this county, but I am simply telling the truth. 

 The question presents itself to me— how can we get 

 our farmers interested and bring them together ? It 

 would Ije my desire to do so by having a society in 

 each township, where they could come together once 

 a month and talk agricultural and horticultural mat- 

 ters over, and call these together once a year, and 

 remain in session, say for a week, as a county so- 

 ciety. Invite all to come, brin J sons and daughters 

 and" wives; get all interested in the agricultural im- 

 provements of the day for the general good of all 

 classes and all people. Some say, " be' mging to an 

 agricultural society don't pay." If you ask them to 

 subscribe for a good agricultural paper, such as The 

 Lancaster Farmer, which should be in the hands 

 of every farmer in the county it represents, they will 

 tell yoii in plain Dutch they know all about farming. 

 This may be in some cases true, but you can best 

 judge by the way they manage their farms. Scrip- 

 ture says we shall not judge, or we will be judged ; 

 we will' then only take things as they look, and form 

 our own opinions. 



And what do we see in a majority of cases ? There 

 are exceptions to all rules ; but I say, in a majority 

 of cases we see the farmer who reads no paper, but 



