]S7fi.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



29 



size, but weakens anJ (lies. lie tlioiii,'lit (iov. Wood 

 the best kiiiil. Mr. SaltertliwaU tliouirlit it not a 

 u:<«)il ni:ii*lvet vnriety. Mr- Knu-'lo linii jioor suecesB 

 in rcrtriiiir it; the E;irly lUehnioiiil was mucli nmrc 

 reliubh'. Tlionias .M. Harvey liad raised trees to sell 

 some years ap), and peojile living aloiifr streams 

 would not buy bif,'iirreaus and hearts^they took 

 niazzards and dukes. Mr. Knf;lo said tliat York is 

 the leading eounty lor <herries ; they seem to L-row 

 with ease and withoiit eare. Mr. Sprout had tried 

 many kinds, without sueeess. He now f;ral"ts culti- 

 vated varieties hiijli up on the native stoeks. The 

 old pie eherry is a maiiulependenee. The blaek knot 

 appears sometimes on morello and sour eherries. 

 The frraf'tiufroujiht toliedone very early. .Mr. Carter 

 thinks the disease of the pie eherrii-s is disappearinir, 

 and most of liis trees are elear of knot. Mr. Meehan 

 said that there was a areat improvenn'Ut in the health 

 of the eherry. The knot is caused by a funi;us(;row- 

 iiii; in the wood. The success of the eherry dejiends 

 nmeh on the stoeks chosen — the pie elierry (Iocs best 

 on the maz/.ard or common wild stock. On the ina- 

 haleb stock they nevir rcMch any size. Heljad known 

 some i)rolil able trees of the Early Uiehniond ural'ted 

 on mazzards. E. 8alterthwait said that the black 

 knot came on gradually a few years af;o, and has 

 swept all over the country. He thought the Yellow 

 Spanish the finest of all cherries ; it is larire, lirm 

 and handsome. Hethouulit il much better than (iov. 

 Wood. J. H. Bartram had met with success with 

 the Enf,'lish Morello, and tbund them i)rotit.at)le. He 

 ln>s now '.too trees, and they will briui; twice as nuuh 

 as pie cherries. H. M. En<^leenumerale<l tbiv. Wood, 

 Uoekport Hiijarrcau and Kin land's .Mary as much 

 alike. The <ine most called for is the Black Tartar- 

 ian, which is the favorite in York county. There are 

 eomi>laints that the tree is unhealthy. Another [lop- 

 ular eherry is the Russian, the largest black eherry he 

 has ever seen. He docs not know where it comes 

 from. Is a little later than the Black Tartarian. 

 Peach Culture. 

 Watson P. Macill was calh'd on to to tell what he 

 knew about peaches and their diseases. His impres- 

 sion is that the "yellows" are due to severe cold; 

 that often the trees are atlectcd before they are set iu 

 the orchard. They are iu a soil, immature condition 

 the year after budding, and very susCi'ptible of in- 

 jury. Tbey get blaek at the heart, which is fatal to 

 them. A temperature of live to lifteeu degrees below 

 zero will cause this result. When the buds of the 

 trees have lici'U killed, it is a poor season to plant a 

 l)eaeh orchard. He thinks the disease contagious in 

 an orchard. He has never known a tree with the 

 yellow to be worth anything allerwards, and such 

 trees sliould be immediately removed. The disease 

 progressed gradually over his orchard, beginning, on 

 the north. Last winter was steadily cold, without 

 great extremes, and the trees did not sutler much. 

 But last spring was not a good one to plant trees. H' 

 the trees are buried over wintirin the ground, before 

 planting, they will be protected. We cainiot compete 

 here suecesslully with the growers in Uelaware or 

 Jlaryland, but must plant kinds which come into 

 market when theirs ari^ gone and there is a good dc 

 niand. He would plant nothing earlier tliau Old- 

 mi.xon; afti-rthat Uarcripcs, Late Craw lords. Smocks, 

 and ISalaways, if they ]>rove to be good here. Late 

 peaches are the only i>rolitable ones in this seetif)n. 

 Thomas M. Harvey agreed as to the contagious 

 nature of the " yellows." He thinks it is spread by 

 the wind carrying the pollen from one to another. In 

 warmer countries the " yelltjws " do not exist; and 

 the disease is not known in forcing-houses. E. Sat- 

 terthwait said that Mr. Magill bail the right theory. 

 He saiil, in regard to the Salway, that he planted the 

 trees three years ago, and the fruit last season was 

 very tine. Picked carefully and sent to market they 

 were sold readily at one dollar a half peck, when bas- 

 kets could be bought at twenty-live cents. Thomas 

 M. Harvey said that the Susipiehanna peach, so 

 liighly praised, is worthless. jMr. Engle had seen 

 good crops from it, and sells remarkably well, but he 

 would plant oidy a few trees. Kccve's favorite he 

 considered a better peach and a surer bearer. It sells 

 higlier than the average. J. S. Williams said it was 

 a fine peaeli but a shy bearer. As to Troth's Early, 

 Mr. Magill had planted it considerably, but it came 

 into eonipctition witli Southern peaches in the mar- 

 ket and was not protitable. It is a pretty sure bearer. 

 The Mountain Hose w-ill supplant il in most cases. 

 H. M. Engle spoke highly of the Salway. It is a few 

 days later than the Smock, and resendiies it in habit. 

 It is of bctti-r quality than the Smock, and will grow 

 where the latter succeeds. J. H. Bartram called at- 

 teulion to a disease attacking the trees, causing them 

 to decay and break in the fork or crotch. The bark 

 ajipears to decay there. .Mr. Magill had not been 

 nuieh troubled by borers: be keeps the earth banked 

 around the roots. The insect is dillerent from the ap- 

 ple borer. Mr. Pannebaker said he had a peach 

 ripening about the tenth of October — a very line fruit, 

 of which he does not lind the name in any of the 

 books. Engle suggested that he must have bought 

 them of a Irec agent I The practice in peach districts 

 is to keep the land under cultivation. 



The afternoon session closed with a brief discus- 

 sion of plums and their enemies. Thomas Meehan 

 Bpoke disparagingly of the Wild Goose plum, which 



lie compared to a i)ersimmon. No one sliould grow 

 Itinsteail of the lulllvaled kinds. Mel hods of destroy- ' 

 ing cureulio were discussed, but nothing new in this 

 direction was elicited. | 



Miscellaneous Topics. 

 On Thiusday evening, as the Society would dis- 

 perse after that sessit>n, Mr. .Meehan olfereil a reso- 

 lution tendering the tlianks of the Soi'lely to the 

 Doylestown and Solcbniy Earmers' Clubs, and the 

 two county .\grienlltn'al Soelellcs foV the aceommo- 

 dallon and attention aMnrded in Doylestown. His 

 resolution was unanimunsly ailopted. It was an- 

 nounced that an essay was produced by Mr. Stanllcr, 

 of Lancaster, to be reail bidbre the Society, but owlnjf 

 to its length, it was necessarily deferred. Il was (tr- 

 ilcred lo be publisbetl in the anninil report. The 

 eornmittec appointed to examine the specimens of 

 Irnits displayed before the Society ri'ported the I'ol- ' 

 lowing exhibitors: A. H. Barber, 1). W. .VIcNair, 

 Casper lliller iV Son, II. M. Eiiirlc, Calvin Cooper, 

 W. I'. Magill, A. S. ShelbM-, .1. W. iV II. S. I'axson, 

 .lobn Eastburn, A. K. Sprout, liobert Ivlns, .lohn 1. 

 Carter and N. II. Burroughs. .Many s|iecinuMi8 had i 

 been brought for the purpose of having them named. [ 

 Strawberries. 



The first subject of discussion for the evening was 

 "Strawberries — the best varieties and nuidcs of cul- 

 ture." John I. Carter thought perhaps the best was 

 the Charles Downing. There are some lifteeu tir 

 twenty at the Experimental l''arm, Mr. Sjirout , who 

 thought he had had some i'Xperience in the malter, 

 favored Wilson's Albany and Triumph de (irand, 

 ndxed. Mr. Thonuis thought the Charles Downing 

 the best they coulil raise at West Chester. As lo 

 treatnn-nt, Mr. .Meehan said the sun w:is the cause of 

 damage in tlie winter, and that a light covering only 

 was nccessaiy. He described the plan of training 

 runners into j)ots, etc. Mr. B:irtram, of Chester, 

 liked Wilson's Albany best ; hr hiul tried a number 

 of other varieties. He would plant in I hi' spring 

 only. President Sattcrthwait said no regidar grow- 

 ers in this part of the country woulil think of jilant- 

 ing iu the fall ; that the i)raetleeof lioingso had done 

 much to injure the popularity of the strawberry. ll(^ 

 jilants in rows, 2'., feet apart, and works with a eid- 

 tivator all suuuner, and allows all the runners to 

 take root that are able to do so. In the fall he cov- 

 ers with straw manure, aud is not afraid of using loo 

 much. By the next season this straw is washed en- 

 tirely clean, aiul serves to keep the berries out (d'the 

 sand. Not an inch of groiaid is left without this 

 covering. Of course it is expensive, aud weeds have 

 to be kept out : but on the whole it pays. He never 

 mows the tops oil'. Mr. Sprout at one time experi- 

 mented {.in one-{'ightb of an acre of ground. Imme- 

 diately after picking he cut the tops olf close to the 

 soil. Next year the product from that piece of 

 ground was 1,(H)() qmirts, which he sold readily at 20 

 cents. Mr. Pennybaker, of Milllin, had also obtained 

 highly satisfactory results in the same way. Mr. 

 Sprout keeps a bed from three to live years. Presi- 

 dent Sattcrthwait plants a new bed every eeason, 

 and favors particularly the Jticunda. 



Raspberries and Blackberries. 



IJaspberries have bi'comc somewhat unpoiiular 

 with fruit-growers on account of the limited demand 

 for them in the market. The black varieties are not 

 worth more than half as much as I lie red in the Phil- 

 adelphia marki't. The most popular varieties at 

 present are the Ilerstinc' anil I'biladelpbia. .Mr. Pan- 

 nebaker said that in his town (Milllin) the blaek eoiu- 

 mauded a better price than the red berries. 

 Currants and Gooseberries. 



These sniiill fruits re({uire little trouble to pro- 

 duce. The kinds of gonsi-berrii's most favorably 

 mentioned by the Society wen- Smith's Improved 

 Downing, Chester, and Mountain Seedling, drafting 

 was suggessed. Most members do not practice trim- 

 ming either currant or gooseberry bushes. To pre- 

 vent mildew it was recommended to keej) the roots 

 cool by mulching or placing stones about the bushes. 

 Grapes. 



Popular favor ran toward the Concord, Hartford, 

 Christina, Martha and Ives Seedling. Mr. Thomas 

 would except the Hartford. Hich soil Is necessary 

 for the i)erfeetion of the grape. Methods of training 

 were given. 



Evergreens. 



Pines were recomnu-nded for the most windy situ- 

 ations, including White, Austrian, and Scotch. The 

 spruces come next. They are not able to withstand 

 the wind. Norway and Hemlock spruces are most 

 popular. Still more lender arc the lirs, and are onlj 

 graceful and beautiful when perfect. Mr. Thonnis 

 described a number of evergreens and ornamental 

 shrubs. 



Roses. 



These flowers are now propagated in endless vari- 

 eties, and hundreds of new ones arc ammally pro. 

 duced. The teas, bourbons and dallies, however, 

 especially the olden varieties, still retain their de- 

 served rank ami place In well-kept gardens. .\ large 

 number of very excellent kiixls of roses were men- 

 tioned, as well as numerous llowcrs and oruamcnlal 



shrubs for the yard and lawn. Before the ailjouni- 

 incntof the Society, a committee of ten was appointed 

 to confer wHh Burnett Landreth In respect i<» repre- 

 sentation at the Centennial, ami the eommlllce was 

 cm[io\vered tvi act for the Society. A resolution was 

 also adopted unanimously favoring a legal enactment 

 to prevent horses and cattle from runuiiig at large. 



OUR PARIS LETTER. 



CorrospoDdenoe of TnK Ij^ncahtru FABurit. 



P.\ltis, Jaiuiary ai, 1S7«. 

 French farmers have much reason to complain on 

 two essential points — the great increase of expenses, 

 and a dinilmitlon, rather than an augmentiilion, fff 

 the |>r(sluce of the soil. I'ut I Ing aside the rich pro- 

 prietor and the really-working small farmer, tliero 

 remain the rich peasunt and the cltlziii ugrlcul- 

 tiirist. Th4> rich peasant, If he has not i-ommenei-d 

 to make his fortune, will assuredly add to it, for his 

 iuilefatlgable activity, simple tastes and frugal habits 

 Intluee order and enabh* him to tide over a bud year 

 without drawing on his capital. He never, on liv- 

 eoining wealthy, abandons his career, and although 

 acute in judgnu'iit and observation, his principal de- 

 fect is the absence itf a professional tHiueation. Tho 

 citl/jui agrieullurlsl generally adopts the xii/iiicic sys- 

 tem — sharing the profits wltji the tenants. He has a 

 greater taste for rclinemcnt and social cnjoymeutB 

 than the rich peasant, and despite a sclent ilic ae- 

 i|Uaintance with farndng, diH'S not succeed licttcr. 

 He loves the i>rincipal city or the capital, is fn*qucntly 

 embarrassed to make the two ends meet, and his 

 grand ambition Is to m:ike his sons lawyers. Thest; 

 two culti\'ators represent the avcragi' types of their 

 class, and live iin, as well as by, the pniduee of their 

 farms. Now the mean price of living for each mem- 

 ber of a family was, in IHW), LI sous piT day; In 

 lN.").'i, 20 ; and In IXT.T, '27 sous ]>vr day. There has 

 been no sensible increase in tiring, but in lighting, 

 the augmentation has been .M) jK'r cent, since 1H4(). 

 The wages of farm and hiAisehold servants have rigi^n 

 by 2.5 and Xi |kt cent, since ISTl), or '.'(K) jxr cent, as 

 compared with 1H40. It will sism be prolltable for 

 Australia and the States to send "aids'' to Eraiicc ; 

 even maehinery canufit allogetlier replace manual 

 labor. The adoption of fermented instead of cooki'd 

 food for cattle feeding is not oidy making nuich way 

 in Kranci', but also in (icrmany ; ixrhaps the chief 

 cause of tlic change is lo be foumi in the fuel econo- 

 mized. It was a Bohenuan agriculturist — .M. .\ndre 

 — who in IH'M lirst tried the plan; In bS'W Dr. 

 Schncilzer, of Saxony, cxi^sed its ailvanUigcs ; 

 since, ,M. .Moel, Professor of Agrlcullure in this city, 

 has become the most pronunent udviKate of fer- 

 mented food. Instead of cho[)ped straw he employs 

 colza pods, in alternate layers with slici'd turnips 

 and beet — the mass being all tro<lden in a barnd 

 having a capacity of :»o(l gallons ; each layer is well 

 spriidiled with water containing bruised oil or colza 

 cake and a little .salt ; the mass is left to ferment for 

 seventy-two hours, aud is then given to the animals 

 for their noon fee<l. 



The climate being c(|Ual, continental farmers arc 

 divided into two camps, res|>ecling the eullivation of 

 maize for fodder — green and pressed, ami elovir, 

 beet, etc. Maize recpiires giKxi manuring, ami when 

 so treated succeeds well on freshly rtTlaimed heath- 

 land ; clover, by its dc:iil roots, enriches the soil. Ill 

 a dry summer beet is not so ecrlain a crop as niai/e, 

 and opinion is divided as to their comparative yield. 

 .M. d'Esterno aiuiounces that he can profitably feed 

 hogs on preserved maize inilil within the three 

 months rci|Uisite lo fatten them, when, of course, 

 they nuist receive farinaceous loixl. The forage 

 must not V:c g^iven in a raw state, but cooked, and 

 chopijcil in lengths of one or two inches. The pig 

 likes as a rule to be spared mastication as much as 

 [Jossible. In some parts of France osiked grass, 

 nettles, thistles, etc., arc given lo pigs, with one part 

 of potatoes. Beet is dear, costing J'r.Vi per ton, 

 while preserved chopiK'd maize is om>-half less. .M. 

 d'Esterno purchasiKl two pigs on the 27lh of Sc|)- 

 tembcr last, for /i'.lT2, and sold them, fatleiied, 

 the Pith of November following, for /i-.'2:i.'i ; differ- 

 ence, //-.I'sl, from which has to be dcHluelwl Iheir 

 keep, valued at //-.1 1— thus leaving a net profit of 

 /i-..')2 for 44 days' feeiiing. For the first twentylw o 

 days he gave lliein for ration 27 |«)unds of cooked 

 maize fislder, l'« i«)umls of mill refuse, and one-half 

 a pound of potatoes ; the n-nialning twenty-two days 

 they were fed on :t7 i>ounds of maize, !• JKmnds of 

 potatoes and 1 ;\, |K>unds of buckwheat, dully. 



.M. Thc'nanl draws altenlion to the natural fer- 

 tillly of soils. There are forests where nuinure Is 

 neverdisi ribuled , aud yet sim-c centuries ago t hey show 

 no diminulion in richness, although the timber Im 

 rcgularlv felled and sold every thirty years. This 

 timber carries off nitnigen. the vliieyaril of C'los 

 Vougeat, celebrated since nearly one thousand years 

 ago, receives not more than <iuarter of a ton of ma- 

 nure jH-r acre ammally, yet it yields nearly four times 

 that weight of fruit. In uddilUin to the shorts pruneil 

 for firewiKKl ; the soil shows no fulling away in fer- 

 tility. M. Truchot finds the mounlaln pasture lands 

 of Auvergne, which arc never manureil, to be richer 

 in nitrogen than the arable soils of Llmagnc, which 



