76 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



Weet Hempfield, reported the crops in their neighbor- 

 hood about the same as those of the gentleman refer- 

 red to above . 



H. M. Engi.e, of East Donegal, said that the grass 

 and wheat on the southern slope of tlie Susquehanna 

 river looks very well ; hardly a poor wheat field could 

 be seen. On the heavier soils, the winter wheat looked 

 poorer. The young grass on loamy soil at first looked 

 poor, but now it is looking well. He advised the mem- 

 bers present not to plow the grass fields up so soon 

 for Hungarian grass, but let it have a little time, and 

 he thought it would yet turu out to be a good crop. 

 The prospect of fruit looked promising. He did not 

 think it was injured by thelatecold snap. If thccold 

 should continue, he did not think it would hurt any- 

 thing beyond peaches and cherries. The apples could 

 not be hurt by the cold now. 



Levi S. Reist had some Lawrence pear trees, 

 planted on high ground, some of the blossoms of 

 which were frozen one week ago. It was a hardy 

 tree, exposed from all sides, and it was regarded as 

 singular that only a part of the tree was affected. 



A bill of JacobHeline's for S4..50, for putting uji a 

 stove and taking care of the room, was ordered to be 

 paid. 



Our Lawns and How to Keep Them. 



H. M. Encle being called upon to give his experi- 

 ence in tlie making of lawns, arose with the remark 

 that he had had little experience in making lawns, 

 and was not prepared to say much upon the subject. 

 One thing he knew, however, and that was, no lawn 

 could he kejjt in good condition without the aid of 

 fertilizers. Wood ashes or manure were regarded the 

 best fertilizers. The proper time to apply them would 

 be in the fall, and in the spring rake them off. To 

 some persons, to whom this kind of fertilizer would 

 seem offensive, he would recommend the use of liquid 

 manure, which is generally easy to get. The grass 

 should not be let grow too much. Cut it as often as 

 you can, and leave it lay. If left lay to decay, it be- 

 comes the best kind of "fertilizer, and will keep the 

 lawn in good condition without resorting to any other. 

 This can easily be done, for when grass is cut with a 

 lawn mower, it is spread evenly over the surface, and 

 is hardly noticed. 



Ephraim Hoover would like to know what was 

 the best way to prepare a new yard. Would it be best 

 to sow it in grass seed or sod it ? 



H. M. Enole had experimented a little in this re- 

 spect. When he built, he prepared his ground for a 

 lawn and sowed lawn or green grass, with clover 

 and a little rye in it, but the season was so dry 

 the winds blew most of the seed away with the dust. 

 If the season was favorable he would sow seed, as it 

 was the cheapest ; but to make sure, sodding was the 

 best method. 



Levi S. Reist had success in sowing seed for a 

 lawn, but it required a great deal of attention. After 

 speaking of his place, he referred to an incident 

 which happened some thirty years ago. A wealthy 

 gentleman lived in the neighljorhood of Mount Joy, 

 and around his mansion he had a beautiful lawn, 

 which was regarded in that day as a very foolish ami 

 expensive luxury. A few years after the gentleman 

 prepared this lawn, he failed, and he distinctly re- 

 membered that it was a common remark that " no 

 wonder he failed ; he had a lawn." Mr. Reist was 

 in favor of lawns, and in keeping them up and beau- 

 tifying them. 



Peter S. Reist did not think grass sown on fresh 

 cellar ground would ever amount to anything with- 

 out a manure dressing was put on it. The best and 

 surest way to make a lawn ou a new piece of ground 

 was to sod it at once. In referring to the way in 

 which lawns should be laid out, Mr. Reist said that 

 fruit trees should be extensively planted, in prefer- 

 ence to ornamental, and closed by ridiculing the 

 making of rockeries. Rockeries were regarded by this 

 gentleman as a great nuisance. 



H. M. Engle : What appears beautiful and orna- 

 mental to one does not appear so to another. This 

 was no doubt the case with Mr. Reist. He was an 

 advocate of rockeries, and lie ventured to say that in 

 a few years Mr. Reist would also admire and advo- 

 cate them. 



Martin Kendig was in favor of rockeries, and 

 hoped the day would soon come when more of them 

 would be [Hit ui> in the country. The expense and 

 labor in preparing them is not great, and is well paid 

 by the pleasure derived from them. In the front 

 part of his lawn he would plant ornamental and 

 fruit trees, while near the door he would have shrub- 

 bery. The best fertilizer he knew of for lawns was 

 tobacco stems. Their fertilizing elements are very 

 rich, and are very easily removed in the spring. 

 They are also a good fertilizer if applied to shrub- 

 bery. , , 



Johnson Miller thought more benefit would be 

 derived if fruit trees were planted instead of lawns. 



H. M. Engle scouted the idea of turning every 

 available inch of space into dollars and cents. If 

 lawns are satisfactory to the persons who have them, 

 it pays well enough. Sliade as well as fruit trees 

 should be planted. At one time apples, pears and 

 peaches were ihe only fruit trees grown. Now a 

 farmer is not satisfied unless he has all the varieties 

 in the market planted on his place. So it will be 



with lawns. Ornamentation has a great deal to do 

 with refinement. 



Mr. Cooper, the President, was glad to hear the 

 difference of opinion expressed. In his opinion, there 

 was nothing more beautiful than a nice lawn dotted 

 over with trees. Such places are always attractive. 

 Some people have their buildings, garden and orchard 

 all enclosed with one fence. He regarded this a good 

 idea, as a great deal of labor was saved, besides it 

 looked neat and attractive. In a place like this he 

 would have curved walks. 



Ephraim Hoover, with one exception, agreed 

 with Mr. Cooper's remarks, and that was, in a place 

 where there were no dividing fences the chickens and 

 cattle wouhl be sure to get in and destroy much that 

 would be valuable as well as beautiful. 



Best Varieties of Apples. 



Levi S. Reist said that Hubbardston Nonesuch did 

 not keep as well for him as the Baldwin apple. 



H. M. Engle : It is a very difficult task to say 

 which are the proper kinds to plant, as there were so 

 many good varieties. In this respect people generally 

 look to the nurserymen for information. On account 

 of so much uncertainty, the different tastes of people, 

 the variety of soils and situation, he was unable to 

 say or recommend which were the best varieties to 

 plant. 



Martin Kendig recommended and spoke very 

 highly of the Mellinger apple. The apple originated 

 on the farm of Mr. Mellinger, near Safe Harbor, 

 about twenty years ago. For years it has been known 

 in this locality as being productive and a good 

 keeper. It resembles the Smokehouse in some re- 

 spects, can be used for sauce in early harvest time, 

 and will keep until the holidays. The Smith's cider 

 was also recommended. It was a very popular win- 

 ter ajjple, and had been grown with good results by 

 him. 



The difference between Bucks county and Berks 

 county Smith's cider was explained by Mr. Cooper. 



Levi S. Reist presented the Society with a sample 

 of the Northern Spy and a few varieties of the Pippin 

 apple to taste. 



.\tAHTiN Kendig thought that the amount of rain- 

 fall in the different parts of the county should be re- 

 ported for the beneiit of the members. 



After the subject was thoroughly discussed, it was 

 moved that a committee of five be appointed to re- 

 poH each month through the chairman, Johnson 

 Miller. 



Israel F. Landis wanted to know what had be- 

 come of the resolution in reference to having the 

 Society represented at the Centennial. 



President Cooper said the matter looked very dark 

 and gloomy. At a meeting of the Fruit Growers at 

 Doylestown it was resolved to do nothing unless an 

 appropriation could be received. An appropriation 

 of?i:i,000 was asked; it was brought before the Legis- 

 lature, and placed upon the calendar by a two-thirds 

 vote, but he did not think it would amount to any- 

 thing, as it could not be reached in time to be of any 

 benefit. In view of these facts, the Society would 

 not be rejjresented, hut he hoped this would not keep 

 any of the members from exhibiting. 



JonxsoN Miller asked that the committee ap- 

 pointed to represent the Society at the Centennial be 

 discharged. Granted. 



C. L. HuNSECKER was requested to prepare an es- 

 say on rain for the next meeting. 



" How can we best improve the appearance of our 

 farms?" and "What is the best method of taking 

 care of our boys and girls on the farm, so as to make 

 them happy and contented?" are the subjects that 

 will be discussed at the next meeting. Adjourned. 



OUR BEE-KEEPERS IN COUNCIL. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Bee- 

 Keepers' Society. 

 The second meeting of the Lancaster County Bee- 

 Keepers' Society was held at Kaulfman's Black 

 Horse Hotel, at 10 o'clock ou Monday, the 1st inst., 

 I'eter S. Reist in the chair. The attendance was large. 

 After the reading of the minutes of the last 

 meeting, the chairman read an essay on 

 " Will Bee-keeping Pay ?" 



on which he said that the subject of the essay 

 ought to be the main question of the societ}', as it 

 would result in much benefit to it. There are about 

 8011,0110 stands of liees in the L'nited States, which 

 produce about 1.5,000,000 pounds of honey, the value 

 of which was estimated at ^0,000,000. The number 

 of l)ee-stands in this State are about 40,000, which 

 produce 800,000 pounds of honey, valued at SIHO,- 

 000 ; but of this large number, Lancaster county 

 represents ;1,000 stands, which produce 60,000 pounds 

 of honey, at a value of -$13,000. This the essayist 

 thouglit a low estimate, and believed it could be in- 

 creased :iOO per cent. He also thought that bees 

 were decreasing in this State, on account of their 

 keepers not knowing how to handle them. North 

 Carolina contains the most bees, next to which are 

 Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. The number of 

 bee keepers in this county was estimated at 70,000. 

 In regard to the improvement of hives, Mr. Reist said 

 that the greatest was made some twenty years ago, 



by a Mr. Langstroth, who made the frame boxes 

 which facilitate the handling of bees, together with 

 the art of making artificial swarms, the introduction 

 of which has been very beneficial. In referring to the 

 introduction of the Italian bee, he said a man named 

 Julius Smith, of this county, claimed the honor of 

 introducing it in this country from Germany. The 

 proper place to have a hive was between the house 

 and barn, so that it could be watched without any 

 extra care or time. After referring to a numlier of 

 books treating on bees, which he advised the members 

 to read, he closed by saying that the members should 

 meet to discuss different questions on bee culture and 

 adopt tlie best methods. By this means all will lie 

 able to derive more benefit by attending the meetings. 



A constitution directing that the society meet four 

 times a year in this city, and that each member pay 

 an initiation fee of 2.5 cents, was read and adopted. 



Adam B. Herr, the Secretary, read an essay on bee 

 hives. The essay was a lengthy one, and advocated 

 the use of double-story hives, which had given the 

 gentleman great satisfaction as well as profit. From 

 one of these hives the essayist said he took 129 pounds 

 of honey, for which he received thirty-five cents a 

 pound . 



After the reading of the essay, one of the hives in 

 question was produced and examined by the mem- 

 bers. 



A discussion on the merits of hives in general 

 then ensued. 



Mr. Reist wanted to know what was the cause of 

 honey granulating. 



IIenrt Hubeh, of Martic, thought it was caused 

 by age. 



J. F. Hershey, of Mount Joy, did not think it 

 was caused by age, but by the temperature. If honey 

 is put in a cool place it will soon become granulated. 



Several other members agreed in regard to Mr. 

 Hershey's theory, one of them saying that he knew 

 of honey, which was kept in a proper temperature, 

 that was forty years old, and it never became granu- 

 lated. 



John Huber, of Pequea, was elected treasurer of 

 the society, and Henry Myers, of Mount Joy, as- 

 sistant secretary. 



After the members present signed the constitution, 

 the society adjourned to meet in the Athenaeum 

 rooms, in the afternoon at one o'clock. 



The Society met promptly at 1 o'clock. The con- 

 stitution, which was adopted at the morning meet- 

 ing, was read over again, after which the following 

 persons signed it : 



Peter S. Refst, Oregon; J. F. Hershey, Mount 

 Joy; A. B. Herr, Columbia; H. H. Meyers, Spring 

 Garden ; John Huber, Marticville ; J. Kepperling, 

 Safe Harbor; A. H. Shock, Safe Harbor; Abram 

 Wright, Safe Harbor; L. Fleckenstein, Creswell ; 

 Daniel Kreider, Lancaster; A. B. Nissley, Marietta; 

 E. Hershey, Leaman Place; D. H. Lintner, Lan- 

 caster; J.R. Stock, Smithville ; H. R. Maskey, Mil- 

 lersville; L. R. Nissley, Maytown ; C. B. Nissley, 

 Mount Joy ; John Suavely, Rothville ; John Z. Tay- 

 hir, Strasburg ; L. S. Reist, Oregon; David E. 

 Mayer, Strasburg; H. Huber, Marticville. 



Reports from different sections being now in order, 

 the following were made : 



Henry My-ers, of Mount Joy, reported all of his 

 bees in good condition. He had a neighbor who lost 

 only one swarm out of sixty-eight swarms that were 

 wintered. 



J. F. Hershey, out of sixty-two swarms wintered, 

 lost two swarms. 



A. H. Shock stated that he had taken two swarms 

 from one bee and three from another, which wintered 

 well and are now in good condition. 



Peter S. Reist reported blossoms plenty, and in 

 consequence the bees were very busy. 



Leonard Fleckenstein said that his bees were 

 in good condition. He wintered his bees on a sum- 

 mer stand, and out of twenty-one swarms thus win- 

 tered he lost only two. 



Elias Hershey wintered thirty-two colonies of 

 bees on a summer stand, and lost none. The bees 

 are now in good condition. 



D. H. Lintner lost two swarms out of eight col- 

 onies which he had wintered. In his region the pros- 

 pects are good. 



H. K. Nissley was opposed to covering the hives 

 with corn fodder and other protecting material. Out 

 of seventeen swarms that he wintered on sunmicr 

 staniis he did not lose any, and they are now all do- 

 ing well. Bees belonging to his neiglibors are also 

 doing well. 



h! B. Nissley protected his beesduring the winter 

 by putting corn fodder over the hives, but of thirty- 

 four swarms wintered, he lost three. His bees are 

 now gathering honey very fast. 



A. H. Shock said he preferred to give his bees, in 

 winter time, candy as a stimulant. In other seasons 

 he gave them syrup. 



J. F. Hershey gave his bees syrup in winter, 

 which he placed in such a position that the bees were 

 not exposed to the cold when they went to get it. 



D. 11. Lintner fed his bees every day for breed- 

 ing purposes until the blossoms appeared. 



"What is the Best Mode of Artificial 

 Swarming ?" 

 was the next subject discussed. 



