1876.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



25 



tlien niakp sluillow drills from front to hack, 

 with the linger or a small stick, six indies 

 ajiart ; sow the seeds in them, then cover with 

 soil and smooth thesurface with a lirm pressnre 

 of tlie spade. 8ow the ^•<xfi plant seeds in tho 

 middk% a.s they need the greatest heat. In 

 two days after sowinj;, youni; plants of cab- 

 bages and tomatoes will be thro\igh the ground. 

 It may 1k> ten days before the egg jilants are 

 up. The Siish should 1k' raised behind every 

 day ; put in a stick to keep the sash up, say 

 one or two inches on good days, and on very 

 cold and windy days the sash may be closed 

 all (hiy, iniluss there is much steam in the ))ed, 

 if that l)i' the case raise tlie sash an ineli to let 

 the steam escape and fresh air get in, but shut 

 close early in aftcDioons of very cold days. 

 Cover over niglit while the cold weather lasts, 

 rick out all weeds and the good plants will 

 grow the Ix'tter. When the soil gets dry water 

 it through the .sprinkler of a garden watering- 

 pot, ^lake the water bike w arm, and apply 

 it about 10 o'clock in the morning; then lit 

 the sash close on for an hour, to raise a steam 

 from the watering, to fall upon the plants like 

 dew. (Jive more air as the ilays grow longer 

 and weather gets warmer. — IF. £., I'liilaxVa, 

 Fib. 1, 1S7G. 



For The Lanoastbk Fabmeb. 

 CORN CULTURE. 



Mr. Editok:^T noticed an article fi'om 

 .T. B. G. in tlie January number of The 

 Fakmeu under the caption — " Is a change of 

 seed neces.sary V" As I liave made corn 

 farming a specialty all my lilic, lam convinced 

 more fully tlian ever, especially during the last 

 four or live years, that corn is the most protit- 

 tablc crop that farmers can raise. I would 

 like to Ivuow more about Mr. CJooper's experi- 

 ence, believing as he ihies, that "in-and-in 

 breedhig" will not deteriorate grain ; Ijut that 

 from the same old stock, wliich at first pro- 

 duces only one car or "nubbin," two or three 

 or even four ears may be produced from a 

 single stalk. Does he mean to say that from 

 seventy-live to one liundred bushels to the acre 

 is not a crop, and instead thereof three or 

 four times tliat quantity can be raised at the 

 present time? I raised ninety busliels to the 

 acre in 1870, when two ears to a stalk were an 

 exception, selecting my seed when cribbing, 

 insisting that it must be done. In 1874 mj' seed 

 was damaged and I made my selections from 

 the crib, and my yield that j'ear was ninety 

 busliels of shelled corn per acre, in a field of 

 eighteen acres. I began to make my selec- 

 tions for 187.5 wlieu cribbing it, and wlien I 

 came to examine it, behold, the mice had 

 "milled" it to such an extent as to render it 

 worthless. I again resorted to the crib, and 

 my yii'ld that year (187.5) was eighty-seven and 

 a half busliels per acre, in a field of nineteen 

 acres — two best crops, in succession, I ever 

 raised. I i)lanted one grain every twelve or 

 fifteen inches aiiart, and had only one ear to a 

 stalk, an<l not very large at that. Simjily in- 

 creasing the numlier of ears to the stalk and 

 not the number of bushels to the acre, would 

 be no improvement, in my opinion, as we in 

 Lancaster county consider the fodder worth 

 a good deal for feed and the otfal for manure. 



Mr. J. B. G., please give us facts more fully 

 of Mr. Cooper's experience, and oblige our 

 Lancaster county farmers. — J. B., lioihsnlle, 

 Lancaster cmaiti/. Pa. 



V. a. — What kind of fertilizers does he use 

 and how does lie apply them? When does he 

 plow liis corn land V How does he plant his 

 corn V and how many bushels d<ies he rai.se per 

 acre V The answers of these questions would 

 be a great help.— .7. H. 



The FuriT Gkowetjs' Society : The in- 

 teresting abstract report of the annual meeting 

 of the Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' .Society, 

 which we print in this issue of The F.\HMKii, 

 is copied from the columns of that excellent 

 weekly newspaper, Tlic Burks Cotmti/ Intelli- 

 gencer. It is the first horticultural gun of the 

 Centennial year, and has a decidedly healthy 

 ring. 



Fop Thk Lancabtku Faumkh, 

 TESTING FERTILIZERS AND THEIR 

 CONTINUED ACTION. 



Experiments Made at the Experimental Farm, 

 West Grove, Chester County, Penn'a. 



In 1S72, ]ilots containing one-eightli acre 

 were laid out and the following fertilizei-s ap- 

 plied at the rate of ifflOwortli jier acre, for the 

 wheat crop. 



The fertilizers were sown broadcast and har- 

 rowed in, except where otherwise stated. 

 Wheat sown September 17th, 187J. The re- 

 sults on succeeding crops up to this time are 

 noted : 



In the above comparison it maylje seen that 

 the Acidulated South Carolina rock gave an 

 increase of il -i-CiO bushels of wheat per acre, 

 over the unmanured plot, in 1873 ; also an in- 

 crease of l,t)80 pounds of hay in 1874, and in 

 187.5 an iiicrca.se of 11 12-72 bushels of corn. 



Now, valuing the wheat at .§1.30 per bushel 

 and the hay at ?15 per ton, and tlie corn at 

 50 cents per bushel, and we have an aggregate 

 increase in the value of products, in tliree 

 years, amounting to .1f20 '.12, from one applica- 

 tion of $10 worth of Acidulated South Caro- 

 lina rock. 



Note. — The Acidulated Rock eostf.30per ton, and 

 analyzed — 7 per cent, soluble phosphorous acid ; 5.84 

 per cent, insoluble phos|ihorous acid. 



The ground hone cost ?41, and analyzed — 



Bonephosphateof lime, 4.5. 7S, PoOs, 20.97 per cent. 



Nitrogen, '.i.'2S per cent. 



The bone and ashes compost, was 1 ton of bone 

 and .50 bushels of ashes, thorouirhly mixed. 



The Kainite cost ^2.5 per ton, and contained potas- 

 sium, 14 per cent. : sulphate of potassa, 2S per cent. 

 — Joh}i. I. Carter, Experimental Farm, b'csi Grove, 

 Chester co., Pa. 



For The Lancaster Fabheb. 

 RURAL LIFE. 



Rural life without gardening would be mo- 

 notonous. Even with the ainiiencc of agri- 

 cultural wealth there would be an irksome 

 sameness, unless relieved with some orna- 

 mental emljellishments to the grounds around 

 our dwelling houses. Even a shade tree at 

 the humble cot, liy the wayside, takes off its 

 baldness in summer; and one or two dwarf, 

 hardy evergreens near to it, and a geraniura 

 in its window, gives it the air of cheerfulness 

 and contentment. In winter we would expect 

 more about the fann lunuic. Two or three 

 stately evergreen trees, with a few hardy, 

 evergreen shrubs, make the place an object 

 of mark upon tlie winter land.scape. The 

 trees, for summer shade, may he eiierry, chest- 

 nut, pear and apple, in bearing. They are 

 beautiful in bloom and liandsonie in fruit, and 

 unite the useful and the beautiful. A piece 

 of lawn in front, decorated witli a few (lowers 

 in summer, and (ilaiits in tlie windows in 

 winter, makes all cheei-ful. 



About the cottages and mansions of the 

 wealthy we should expect to sec a well-kept 

 lawn, embeUi.shed with ornamental trees and 

 shrubs ; the deciduous for blossoms and 

 fragrance in summer, and lovely evergreens to 

 enliven the whole in winter. The groiUKls 

 may be small or larg(^ ; if well decorated they 

 are admirable to look at. Even the (^mctfnj, 

 on .South Queen street, Lancaster city, with 

 its lovely evergreens, shine beautifully in the 

 distance towards the west, especially during 

 winter. — Ilorlicol, riUlMhl^ihiu, Feb. 4, 1870. 



For TuK Lanoahteb Fabheb. 

 THE ADVANCING PROGRESS OF OUR 

 HUSBANDRY. 



The advancing progress of our liu.slwiidry 

 may lie considered by the vast extent of sur- 

 face We cultivate, and the immeust^ quantities 

 of our product wliieh are exported anmiallv. 

 It is husbandry which opens the gateway of 

 the worUl and tames all nature <hiwn to its will. 

 JSolauy, Chiini.'ilri/ and FnUiiiinliiijii are its 

 lamps of light. jl//yi(r«/'«/// .soon foliows; then 

 all tlie various species of industry come on iit 

 their limes. The various lines of'nipid transit 

 and the teli'graph push their ways forward to 

 carry olT all the surjilus jiroduets and news, 

 and bring hack a return of other commodities. 

 AV'lien the numerouH speeiiiiens of the product.s 

 of hushaudry are exhibited at the Centennial 

 Exposition they will liewilder even the most 

 learned and skillful of our husbandmen. 

 When our money getssearce husbandry makes 

 it plenty by the iirices of its ex|Mirted pro- 

 ducts; in sluirt, hu.slumdry is the grand panacea 

 for M Worldly ills. 



It was easy to raise good crops uikmi the 

 fresh virgin soils of the new lands, but now it 

 reipiires high skill and industrv to raise good 

 crops upon the lands which have lieen im- 

 poverished by long and constant croiiping. 

 By the better knowledge of manures and con- 

 centrated fertilizers, and the improved liand 

 and horse inipleinents and machinery, Hie 

 crops are raised with less cost. That is pro- 

 gress. See also the imiiiovcd species of live 

 stocks anil their produce. 



To bring the subject near to ourselves; there 

 has been introduced hiany new species of 

 grains ; of wheal, oats, and new varieties of 

 corn, potatoes and turnips, and the more 

 general cultivation of lurnijis for dairy cattle 

 and sheep. Cabbages and onions are now ex- 

 tensively laid in for .ship stores; and indvidual 

 husbandmen grow scores of acres of them. 

 The Millii and Alsikv chrrr are grown to help 

 the yield of pasturage and hay. Our vine- 

 yards have vastly increased ; all our tree- 

 fruits have lieen improved ; and the culture of 

 berries is immense, lasting the whole year. 

 The subsoil jiloughinghasdoiibled many farms; 

 and, of late, the steam-plow, subsoil lifler 

 and clod breaker have been brought into satis- 

 factory use for tillage. 



Horticultural iirogres.s is no less manifest. 

 Go where we may we see the country orna- 

 mented with imiPioved parks anil well culti- 

 vated ganlens. The great incicase of new 

 species of trees, shrubs and llnwers makes it 

 easy to embellish new grounds. There are 

 also many new species of^ culinary vegetables 

 and the skill to grow them. Arcliiticliirr, too, 

 the accompanying handmaid of Horticulture, 

 has greatly imiiroved. — Walter Elder, I'hila- 

 (hlphia, Jan. 31, 1870. 



. — -♦.^ ■ 



THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY. 



Annual Address of Master James G. McSpar- 

 ran, of Fulton Grange, No. 66. 

 Another year has pas.eed. The anniinl liistallalion 

 of otllcers in (lur ^jrange has taken place a;;ufn. You 

 have thought projK'r to re-elect me Muster. lean-* 

 not but express my warmest thanks to you for ttils 

 expression of your conHdence and esteem. As you 

 all well know,"l did not seek the |H.silloii, but, on the 

 other hand, while I proteste<l acainst re-eUrlioii, Ix! 

 assured my objections to it did not arise from any 

 abatement of interest in or uiiwIUiUL'ness to lalKir in 

 thecau.se we love — In the cause we have es|>oiiseiI 

 lis the farmer's ho|M'. Let ns take a retnis|M'itlvo 

 view of the past year. What is our condition now 

 as a trranire, compared with what II was a year airo f 

 In numbers we have Increased, and can we not wftli 

 truthfulness say we have maile progn-ss in know- 

 ledge also? Do we not eomprehiinl to a fuller extent 

 the trreat, and at the same lime noble, aims of our 

 organization? And while we mon- fully nalize the 

 magnitude of the work, do we not more fully appre- 

 ciate the high and holy desire to elevate the tiller of 

 the soil to the position which lie is by riu'lit entitled 

 to? If we have thus been eilucalinir ourselves, If our 

 minds have been thus Impressed with the priiieiples 

 ofour onler, then. Indeed, have we made pmirnvs, 

 and eannoi but enter U|Kin the duties of the new year 

 with a more carnesi devotion to our cause, and a 

 stroncer determination to use individual etiort to pro- 

 mote it. What aR' the alms ofour organization? 

 What bcncfltg can wc hoiK to derive from our con- 



