1876.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



61 



cussion at the next nipptine, when he had no iloubl 

 Oierc would ho a hn-fici- attendance. So ordered. 

 Condition of the Crops. 

 ReiKirts of crops Ijcinir next in order, Mr. Powuall, 

 of .Sadbhnry, t-aid that tli- wheal at the close of 

 winter looked better than last fall. The Koltz wheat 

 lias taken the place of the Mediterranean varieties. 

 It ajipears to frive fjrcat satisfaction, and he thinks it 

 {rivi'? more wheat and straw than any olhcr kind of 

 wheat. The clover looks very poor, is thinly set, but 

 there is a chance for inipiovenient. 



KiMiiiAiM lloovEK saiil that in .Manheini and Kast 

 Ilempticld townships the wheat lields dti not look as 

 promising: as on previous occasions. The Koltz wheat 

 appears to stand the freezing htst. The other varie- 

 ties of wheat sown appear to be gettin/i; less, and 

 here and there in the ticlds can be seen vacant spots. 

 lie could not tell llie cause of this. Tlie (jrass looks 

 proniisinir. The clover is frozen out, in souk' places 

 roots and all. This is the ease all over his section of 

 the county. During; the last cold snap the peach 

 blossoms and yrapes do not appear to have been in- 

 jured. If this is the ease we will have u largo crop 

 of peaches anil t;rapes. 



Mautin Kkndio, of Manor, said the crops in his 

 neighborhood were about the same us those spoken 

 of by Messrs. I'ownall and Hoover. 



John Ilini'.u said that the peaeh trees lying on 

 high ground wci'e not injured by the late cold snap. 

 Those that were in low grounds were invariably 

 found frozen. 



Mu. Cooi'EK, the President, said that as far as he 

 had examined, he found all of the peach blossonis 

 frozen . 



Mk. I'ownali. said that the peaeh growers in bis 

 neighborhood reported some peach blossoms frozen 

 that were in high places. 



Mr. Mc'CoMSKV callctl the attention of the Society 

 to an article on luirrowing wheat in spring, which he 

 had clipped from the I'uiinlri/ Gciillinuui.. It was a 

 matter he had never heard of bidorc, and as it claimed 

 to increase the crop from II) to 1.5 liusbels to the acre, 

 he thought it a matter that should attract the atten- 

 ti(tn of all engaged in fai*ming pursuits. Hi: hoped 

 that alter the article was read every farmer would 

 test the matter, aial give the result of his experience 

 to the ^^oeie^y. The article was tlu'n read by one of 

 the members of the press present, and is as follows : 

 Harrowing Wheat in Spring. 

 The advantage ol" harrtiwing wheat lands thor- 

 oughly in the spi'ing, as soon as the groinal lu'comes 

 dry enough to prevent the horses frimi sinking into 

 it, is known to many farmers who have practiced it, 

 but is unknown to the majority. Wheat is usually 

 sown in Sei)tendier, upon wcll-preiKired land. This 

 laud is left there sutijeet to all the slornjs of rain and 

 snow, and the dry weather in succeeding spring, un- 

 til after the wheat is harvested. In conse(iuenee,tho 

 land becomes in May and June nearly as hard as a 

 nu'atlow. At a seasoil of the year when the plants 

 are in the giealcst vigor o( growtii, the laml is so 

 hard as not to giveone-half the nouiishnient it would 

 if kept iiudlow by anyjirocess. Suppose, for in.stanee, 

 corn should be planted in the fall, under similar con- 

 ditions with wheal, and that the uinterdid not injure 

 it; and tliat it were left without eultivaliou of any 

 sort until liarvesled— it is evident that the yield would 

 be diminished over one-hall ; in fact, the yield would 

 jjrobably be so light and poor as to be almost worth- 

 less. 



Now, wheat, from many experiments in its cultiva- 

 tion by hand in Kngland, shows as great sensitive- 

 ness to cultivation as corn — the yield, by care'l'ul 

 band eidtivation, being increa.scd to (iO, and, in some 

 instances, SO bushels per acre. Now, a thorough 

 harrow lug of w heat in the spring, in a very inexpen- 

 sive manner performs the curtivation nearly as well 

 as when done by hand. If the crust formed by the 

 winter snows and spring rains is thoroughly broken, 

 and the ground to the dejith of two or more inches 

 well pulverized, the ell'eet upon the wheat is almost 

 like magic. It starts mto the most vigorous growth, 

 and in a few weeks has nearly or quite doubled in 

 size the wheat not harrowed. In pieces of wheat 

 which have come under the writer's observation, 

 w bieb w ere harrowed in strips — that is, one strip not 

 harrowed at all, and other strips on each side thor- 

 oughly harrowed— iu the early part of .lune, the har- 

 rowed wheat stood fully one loot higher than tlieuu- 

 liarrowcd at each side, and in every way was strik- 

 ingly ranker and more vigorous. -Mr. Kobert G. 

 Swan, of bo.se Hill farm, tieneva, N. Y., who has 

 heavy clay land, says he has harrowed his wheat for 

 four years with the Thomas harrow, and tinds the 

 yield to be inereased fully teu bushels per aero. 

 Byram Moulton, of Alexander, (ieneseo county, N. Y., 

 harvested from lifly acres 1,I)UU liusliels of wheat. 

 His neighbors oidy obtaiueil about ten Imshels jier 

 acre. The only ilitlcrence in land or treatment was 

 that .Moulton's wheal was thoroughly harrowed with 

 the same implemeuis in the spring, aud his neigh- 

 bors' wa.s not. 



The ettect produced by harrowing barley and oats, 

 after they have obtained a growth of lour or live 

 inches, is equally as marked. 1 have observcil nujiiy 

 instances where lully twenty bushels per acre in- 

 crease, in cousequeuee of thorough harrow ing. w as 

 Obtained. 



These facts and many others of sindlar character 

 show clearly the great profit which farnuTs may de- 

 rive from a thoroUL'li cultivation by harrtiwing of 

 wheal, oats, barley and other sown crops. 



Mr. D. Smevcii knew of a L'cntleman In York 

 county who cultivated his wheat, the result of which 

 was a gain of 10 or 12 bushels to the acre. 



.Mr. Ken Dili said that the Thomas harrows referred 

 loin XW article rcail, were entirely dillereiil from 

 tho.se used around this jiarl of the country. In our 

 harrows the spikes run directly Ihrouu'h the beam; 

 in the'rhonias harrow they are bent back to an an- 

 gle of about forty-live degrees. They iloii't cut 

 clean throiiirh like ours, but merely go over the 

 ground, pnlverizlni; it very nicely. He believed If 

 wheat was cultivated, it would prove iK'nellcial. 



Mr. .MeC'oMsEV : All Kuininer erojis depend on cul- 

 tivation to a great extent. As such was the case, he 

 could not see why the same would iioi hold good in 

 wheat. Hinielicved there was something in it, and 

 advised all present to spend a day in a small patch 

 near the house, using a hoc instead <if a harrow. 



.Mr. Ki'iiuAiM IloovEic had read an article' several 

 years ago, which stated that a geiillcmaii in Kiii:land 

 went over his wheal lield with a large brush, which 

 loosed up the soil around the roots ofthe wheat to 

 some extent. The result was a large increase of 

 wheat. If the farmers had no harrow, they might 

 lake a larice brush, as did Ibis irenlleiiian in Km,'- 

 land. ?'or exiierimenling on a small patch, hewould 

 prefer a rake to the hoe. If corn, potatoes and to- 

 bacco could he raised successfully by cultivation, he 

 could see no reason why wheat coiiM not. 



Mu. PowNAi.i, did not bi'lieve nuieh In harrowing 

 wheat, as the harrow would destroy the young grass. 

 Timothy and clover arc generally sown ibout the time 

 you would do the harrowing, and he believed the 

 grass was worth more than the increase of wheat you 

 would derive by the harrowing. If you did not sow 

 grass he would be in favor of harrowing the wheat. 



Mk. Cooi'EU received a small bag of grain from 

 Mii'liigan some years ago which he sowed about 

 twenty-four itiehes apart. In the spring he harrowe<! 

 over the ground twice, and the result was a large in- 

 crease of gr.ain, there being a perfect mass of heads, 

 with large grains. The harrow he used was a small 

 one, eighteen inches wide, and he harrowed the 

 ground erossways. He believed there is room for a 

 great deal of iniprovemeiit. 



How to take care of our Lawns. 



" Our lawns and how to take care of them," was 

 the next subject brought before the .Society. 



Mk. Kendio believed this was a subject that would 

 attract every one if it was brought liefore the people 

 in a proper shaiie. Every family should have a yard, 

 and have it laid out in walks and planted with trees, 

 shrubbery and llowers. He ]ioinIed out the many 

 advantages and pleasures derived from such a jilaee, 

 aud said that in arranging a front yard he would lay 

 out a tlagstone walk from thedoortothe gate, around 

 the edges of which he woiilil have a llower bed. In 

 different jiarts id' the yard he would plant all kinds 

 of clioiee fruit and ornamental trees, and over the 

 walk he would I'rect a gra|)e-arbor. 



KiMiKAiM IloovEU believed in having trees and 

 shrubbery in the yards. Kvery person should plant 

 theiii ; if not for their own benelil , for that of others. 

 On the trees we should build bird houses, and encour- 

 age, instead of drive the birds away, as some farmers 

 do. The insects they destroy ari' worth far more than 

 the little fruit tlie\' eat. In regard to the making of 

 walks, he did not think curbstones should be used, as 

 they injured the scythes when you cut the grass. A 

 pebble walk is very nice, and much iireferred. A 

 ]il.iee which has a yard well jjlanted with fruits and 

 llowers is always attractive, and when olfered forsalo 

 will enhance the value thereof greatly. .\ few hours 

 each day spent in planting llowers, liuit aud orna- 

 mental trees, will soon bring out a dull yard. This 

 can be done after dinner, an hour w'hieli is frequently 

 sjieiit in sleeji by the farmer. 



.Mk. PiiWNAi.L believed in ornamenting our yards. 

 In traveling with friends, and when they would pass 

 a place where the yards were laid out in trees and 

 llowers, they were sure to ask him, " Who lives 

 there f" The presence of trtes and llowers makes a 

 home look cozy ami comfortabkr. In making a walk 

 ho would iiut lime on the ground before the pebbles 

 were put dow n in order to kill the grass. Where this 

 is done, grass will not grow for live or six years. 

 Evergreens should be planted on the north and south 

 ends of the buildings. They grow very last, and 

 soon become a shade and protection to the house. 



The subject eliciting no further disciLssion, was, on 

 motion of .Mr. MeConisey, deferred for lurllier dis- 

 cussion at the next meeting. 



Mr. E. U.llKKsiiEV, of Columbia, was a|)polntcd 

 by the chair to prepare an essay on the subject lor the 

 ne.vt meeting. 



JlH. .Mc'CovsEV was also requested to pref)arc an 

 essay for the next meeliiig, the subject to be selected 

 by the genlleiuau himself. 



Entomological — Brown Tree-Borer. 

 A bottle id' worms and a ])iei-e of an ap[ile tree was 

 presented to the society by .Mr. I'ownall. The tree 

 was a tlirifly grower and was blown down during the 

 late .storm, 'fhe worms, etc., are thus described by 

 Prol. S. S. Kathvou : 



The nccompanylnir bottle of worms are the larixt 

 ofthe " Brown Tree-Horer," Vartindrn ry/ii/wr, of one 

 and two years old. The tree was about eighteen 

 Inches in diameter, part of a transverse section of 

 which exhibits the locality of the l<ii-ri( in the trunk, 

 mill the niaiiner In which they have been 0|>eraling 

 In it. This section was cut about two feel from the 

 ground, and It will be seen that the borers have con- 

 lined their o|K'rallons, at the height nientioniil, ex- 

 clusively to the heart ; the surrounding wikmI being 

 perfectly Intact and solid. At the earlh-buse of the 

 tree arc )H-rforatlons through which the young grubs 

 seem to have entered, and for a short distance iipwunt 

 their burrows are nearer the outer surface; but 

 higher up they seem to have all congrcgaleil In the 

 heart. In which there were more lliun (me hundred 

 liulivlduals of various sizes. As there are no hori- 

 zontal perforations anywhere through which the mu- 

 lure beelles could have esea|H'il, If any have eKcu|H-d 

 al all, it must have beenthroiigh the aperture U'low ; 

 but, as It would have re(|ulre<l one year yet iH-furo 

 the largest of these lamr nnilured, I Infer thul none 

 have yet been traiisl'ormed to the beetle state, and 

 that egirs were probably only de|HisHed In ISTI and 

 1S7.5. The tree being very large, did mil seem to be 

 niiiterially Injured by the preeeiice of the woriiiB. 



In addition to the foregoing allow me to say, lliat 

 this apple tree was blown down by the violent equl- 

 noetial storm of .March last; that {irevious I41 sawing; 

 thetrunk Into sections— liceonling In .Mr. I'liwnuU's 

 statement — there was no external Indicalion thul the 

 heart was unsound, or that it hud been Infesteil by 

 "borers" at all; lair was there anything In Its gen- 

 eral health t<i lead to such u sup|Hisltion. 1 do not 

 state (Misitlvely that the tari'ir were those of I'ariui. 

 (Irii, and If so, that they were of the hmtIcs (jlnUr, 

 as we have several Bpecics, hut I have found gliUier 

 the most common. I huve often found Varandra In 

 decayed wood, and on one occasion, where the trunk 

 of a tree (an oak) had been broken oil' by u tlorni, 1 

 found the heart decayed, [KTloratcd, and eonlalnlng 

 larrtf similar to those exhibited by .Mr. Pownall, and 

 In the dcbrl.s of the hollow stump I found many frag- 

 ments, as well as whole siiecimeiis, ImiiIi living ami 

 dead, of J'nruiutrit t/taU-r. 1 Iherelore inferred these 

 to be similar, if not the very sunie. 1 have never 

 found the "strilH'd apple tree borer*' {Sajtcrtt^t Urit' 

 tatii) under tlu' same cireunistanees. The heart of 

 this tree, for about six inches in diameter, was In u 

 state of brown ilecay, ami was perfecily lioiicy- 

 conibed with various sized perforalions, according to 

 the sizes of the borers, which were from u <|Uarterlo 

 three -(quarters of an inch in length, and of corres- 

 ponding thickness. 



The while wood surrounding the heart, was |ht- 

 fcclly sound, healthy liMiking and sappy. Although 

 .Mr. P. took out over a huudred of these Itirvic he did 

 not explore the whole trunk — probably he might 

 have obtained as many more, 11 not live hiimlred. 

 We have always found the larva of the slrl|H-d tiorer 

 in indcpendciil burrows, iminedialely under the Ijurk, 

 or ill the white wood further in — unless the tree wu« 

 a small oiii — ami in pcrpendicnlar position, or nearly 

 so. In this instance the galleries were in various dl- 

 rcelions — iuT[iendicular, liorizoiiial, and at various 

 angles — often one breaking Into unolher, and all 

 within the decayeil [yirtiou of the tree. No inalure 

 insects, or fragnieiits of the same, were discovered. 

 If they exist they will be lound in the stump, but 

 very probably lliey had yet malurcd. Subsei|Uently 

 a small aperlure was discovered al the base of the 

 tree, which was sup[ii^sinl lu have communleutioii 

 with the decayed heart. 



Mr. Pownall very justly remarked, "If these are 

 the true ajiple tree borer what becomes <if the renuily 

 iyi ijoimj ttj'ttf tlu-in \\\\\\ a barbed steel wint f" for 

 they are located in the heart, from two to three feel 

 from the ground, or any apertup' of ingress. 



These larva', although seemingly not fully de- 

 veloped, have tlic general resemblance of the Loiigi- 

 coriiia, but the gl<itux of I'araiidra has fur a long 

 time been considered itufnunn. 



There being no further business, the society aJ- 

 jourued. 



GENERAL MISCELLANY. 



The Best Chickens. 



Not unfrequenlly we are asked which is the liost 

 breed of chiekins ; but it is by no means an easy 

 question to answer. If we were to ask the same 

 question of a dozen men, all having dill'erent bree<ls 

 in their fMisscsslon, we should not be surprised to hear 

 as many answers as there were men. While men 

 dlH'er, and we continue to have so many breeds of 

 chickens of sU|ierior quality, it » ill lie vain lo cx|K'ct 

 Ihciii lo agree as lo which is the Ih'sI. We are re- 

 minded ol the genilcman who said he was glad tliut 

 all men were not like lilni, or all would have pre- 

 ferred his wife ; but was siH'edily met with the re- 

 joinder from another gentleiuan : " And if all were 

 like ine, noliody would have wanteil her." 80 with 

 the choice of chickens. While some prefer a certain 

 breed, and will have no other, others will prefer any 

 breed but thul. flu I'uuUnj /jul/tYin coniineiids Ihu 

 beauty ofthe Ulaek Spanish, and .Mr. J. Y. BIcknell 

 speaks highly of lliein as layers, and as U> Iheir bar 



