i42 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ September, 



Dk. Boyek said they slioukl be fed in the spring 

 before tlie lioney pastures were in bloom, but doubted 

 the expediency of feeding them when honey was 

 plenty in the fields. 



Several gentlemen agreed that the bees should be 

 fed in summer, if they could be made to work on the 

 artificial food, but as a general thing, the bees seemed 

 to prefer the natural honey. 



In what condition should a hive be to winter well? 



Mr. Funk thought the only thing necessary was 

 " plenty of bees and plenty ol honey." 



Dk. Boyek thought loo much honey was unprofit- 

 able. In no case should they have more than thirty 

 pounds. 



Mk. Detwiler asked the question, "When do 

 bees consume the ni(jst honey — in mild or in cold 

 winters?" 



Dk. Boyer said in the moderate winters the bees 

 consume the most, as in extreme cold weather they 

 lie in a dormant state. 



Mr. Detwiler disagreed with the doctor, saying 

 he had always found his bees to consume one-third 

 more honey in extreme cold than in moderate weather. 

 He believed more food was ueeessary to keep up sulli- 

 cient animal heat, and keep the bees alive. 



Mr. Hershey' said bees do not lay dormant in 

 winter. He had examined hives when the nu-rcury 

 marked five degrees below zero, and the bees answered 

 to a knock on the hive. He had also ojicned hives in 

 very eold weather, and the bees would dart out, but 

 of course would soon become chilled and drop on the 

 ground . 



Will it pay to feed bees strong all summer? 



Mr. Funk thought it did. He gave his experience. 

 Aad purchased a pound of sugar for 10 cents, and 

 added one pound of water. This produced two 

 pounds of honey, which was worth TOcents per pound. 



Mr. Myers said his experience proved to him that 

 three pounds of sugar, fed in syrup, would not pro- 

 duce more than one pound of lioney. 



Mr. Lintner' exhibited a colony of Italian bees 

 in his patent " Buckeye hive." The bees, comb and 

 all the contents, were taken from the hive with entire 

 satisfaction, no one getting stung. A vote of thanks 

 was tendered Mr. Lintner for exhibiting his hive. 



The following new members were added : Wra. 

 Kirkpatrick, West Walnut street, city ; John Dickie, 

 city, and Jacob L. Witmer, of Millersville. 



Dr. Boy'er was appointed essayist for the next 

 meeting. 



.Messrs. Myers, Hershey and Detwiler were ap- 

 pointed a committee to prepare an order of business 

 and rules to govern the society. 



The society then adjourned to meet on the 2d 

 Tuesday in November, at the Black Horse hotel, 

 this city. 



The Millers' Association. 



The regular monthly meeting of the Millers' Asso- 

 ciation was held in the Board of Trade rooms on Mon- 

 day, Sept. 11th, the Vice-President, Benjamin Wissler, 

 of Clay township, in the chair. Owing to the inclem- 

 ency of the weather the attendancs was not so large 

 as at the previous meeting, but there was a good in- 

 terest manifested. 



Several new members were elected, and a bill for 

 printing and another for rent were presented and or- 

 dered paid. 



The committee appointed last month to look up a 

 permanent place of meeting reported, and a discus- 

 sion followed as to the propriety of having the rooms 

 open every Monday. The unanimous feeling of the 

 members was that the Association ought to have its 

 room ojjen every Monday as a general millers' ex- 

 change place, where millers might meet each other 

 to transact their business and where farmers who 

 have grain to sell or other business with millers, 

 might meet them with their samples. It was thought 

 to be much more convenient for both millers and 

 farmers. 



After some further miscellaneous business the As- 

 sociation went into a discussion of the relative value 

 of difieri'ut kinds of wheat, especially of Foitz wheat. 



Mr. Samuel L. Levan had noticed that in the 

 discussions of the Agricultural Society this wheat had 

 been favorably commended, and that there is a grow- 

 ing tendency among our farmers in geueral to let go 

 the other kinds of wheat and ro raise mostly Foltz 

 wheat. He thought it a wrong tendency, and argued 

 that Foltz wheat is not the best wheat for Hour. In 

 the Baltimore market they are discarding it to such 

 an extent that it sells at a discount of four cents a 

 bushel. 



Mr. Henry Snavelt also expressed himself un- 

 favorably. He said it will do for the best flour only 

 when mixed with otlier varieties in small quantities. 



Mr. a. II. Suenck agreed with Mr. Suavely, and 

 gave his experience as being similar. It would not 

 do well alone; makes dark flour, and not so good. 



Mr. John H. Bushong gave his opinion also 

 against it if used alone or in large quantities. He 

 considered it a wrong policy for the farmers to sow 

 too largely of it, as it would not keep price with other 

 varieties. 



Mr. M. O. Stirk did not feel quite so unfavorable 

 to it. He had succeeded in making good fiour of it ; 

 thought it would do better by and by, as farmers 



learned more fully how to raise it ; thought the mil- 

 ler must learn to mix it, his own opinion being that it 

 could be mixed to advantage, about half and half. 



Mr. John H. Bushong thought .that millers had 

 much to learn in the mixing of ditt'ercnt varieties of 

 wheat ; was convinced that great improvement could 

 be made in flour with more knowledge and skill in 

 this direction. 



Mr. Samuel L. Levan said that he had lately 

 had a letter from parties in Western Pennsylvania, 

 where the Foltz wheat is almost the only variety, 

 asking him to send them a number of bags of the 

 " old red " wheat and saying they intended to dis- 

 tribute it among the farmers to induce them to raise 

 it instead of the Foltz. 



Mr. R. R. Royer agreed fully with what had been 

 said against Foltz wheat. He had tried it, mixing 

 it with Michigan Amber and other wheats, and had 

 tried the " old red " in the same way, and the differ- 

 ence in flour was so noticeable that he had no hesita- 

 tion in giving his preference to the " old red." 



The discussion was indulged in formally by a num- 

 ber of other gentlemen, and the opinion was almost 

 unanimous that the Foltz wheat had not given satis- 

 faction as a standard wheat; that while it might be 

 used in connection with other varieties, it would not 

 do well alone or if used in large proportions, and that 

 our farmers would consequently make a mistake by 

 sowing it exclusively or too largely. 



As this is a matter of great importance to our farm- 

 ers at this season, they would no well to make a note 

 of these opinions, coming, as they do, from such a 

 number of practical millers. 



We are glad to see the Millers' Association taking 

 up such questions, and giving the community the ben- 

 efit of their experience upon them. It is only by such 

 an interchange of views and experiences on the part 

 of all classes interested, that we will succeed in bring- 

 ing our farming and other trades to intelligent and 

 satisfactory ends. 



The Tobacco Growers. 



A meeting of the tobacco-growers of this county 

 was held on Monday, Sept. 11th, .at the Black Horse 

 Hotel, this city. The meeting was largely attended 

 by farmers from various sections of the county, and 

 a temporary organization was ellected by calling 

 Aaron Sumray, of Mount Joy, to the chair, at whose 

 request Israel L. Landis, who was one of the prime 

 movers in organizing the Society, stated the object of 

 the meeting. 



Mh. Landis said the mainobjectof the Association 

 was to promote anything and everything pertaining 

 to the cultivation of tobacco and preparing the same 

 for market, and that anything relating thereto should 

 be fully discussed. Among many matters that sug- 

 gested themselves for discussion, were the different 

 varieties to be recommended, the procuring of seed, 

 time and manner of sowing and transplanting, the 

 care of plants by setting out, and the cultivation of 

 the same. Also in regard to fertilizing the land, de- 

 stroying the worms, topping, cutting, housing and 

 curing and preparing the .same for market. 



After referring at some length to the above ques- 

 tions for discussion, Mr. Landis said that it would 

 not be out of place to state the number of pounds of 

 tobacco raised annually in this county, and compare 

 it with the productions I'rom other parts of the coun- 

 try. In 1S70 the United States produced 8B2,7:i.5,341 

 pouniis of tobacco ; of that amount Pennsylvania 

 produced 3,467, .539 pounds, and Lancaster county 

 2, 692, .584 pounds, thus showing the vast amount 

 raised in this county. The estimated yield for this 

 county last year is 14,000,000 pounds. This he re- 

 garded as an immense crop, and said that it is now 

 one of the greatest export articles which produce a 

 return of loose currency. As such he thought it 

 should receive a good portion of attention from 

 farmers. 



At the close of Mr. Landis' remarks, a permanent 

 organization was effected by electing the following 

 oliiccrs: President, Martin D. Kendig, of Manor; 

 Secretary, W. L. Hershey, of Neffsville; Treasurer, 

 Andrew L. Lane, of Nefl'sville. 



Aaron H. Summy moved that a committee of five 

 be appointed to draft a set of rules to govern the as- 

 sociation. The chair appointed the following gentle- 

 men as the committee: Simon Miunich, John M. 

 Stehnian, Reuben Garber, Aaron Summy and Martin 

 Pyfer. 



The committee retired to an adjoining room, re- 

 turning iu a short time. Their report called for 

 naming the Association "The Lancaster County To- 

 bacco Growers' Society," and that it meet on the 

 second Monday of each month in the Athenaium 

 room. The report also called for the payment of 

 fifty cents by each member, and that the officers of 

 the Society be elected annually. A constitution and 

 by-laws will be submitted at the next meeting. 



The only topic discussed was the propriety of mak- 

 ing a display of tobacco at the Centennial. For this 

 purpose a committee of five were appointed to select 

 specimens of some of the best varieties, and have it 

 put on exhibition at the great show. 



Pending this, the Society adjourned to meet on the 

 second Monday of October, in the rooms of the 

 Athemeum. 



WHAT KIND OF WHEAT SHALL WE 

 SOW ? 



As the season of seed-time is again at hand, this is 

 an important question for our farmer friends to con- 

 sider. In an agricultural community like ours it is 

 of prime importance that great care should be exer- 

 cised in the selection of seeds, and especially of 

 grains. The labor of preparation is the same what- 

 ever the variety selected, aiid the soil once prepared, 

 it is worse than unwise to sow an inferior variety 

 when a better can be found. 



As the relative value of different varieties can only 

 be determined by experiment it will be of interest to 

 those concerned in this subject to notice the experi- 

 ence of a number of the millers of our county with 

 the variety of wheat known as Fultz wheat, as it is 

 given in the proceedings of the Millers' Association, 

 which we publish in this issue of The Farmer. 



As touching another variety of wheat which is being 

 introduced into our county, the following, which we 

 copy from the Detroit Trib-inie, may be of value: 



"A New Variety of Wheat. — Considerable in- 

 quiry is being made throughout the State for the 

 ' Clawsen ' wheat, a new variety of white wheat that 

 is being introduced quite extensively among the farm- 

 ers, now that seeding time is at hand. For several 

 seasons it has been cultivated iu parts of New York. 

 For the purpose, therefore, of learning of its real 

 value and its qualities for manufacturing purposes, 

 Messrs. Merrill & McCourtie, of Kalamazoo, ad- 

 dressed letters to millers at Albany, N. T.,who have 

 had opportunities for judging as to its merits or de- 

 merits, and the following answers have been re- 

 ceived. We are indebted to Messrs. Gillett & Hall, 

 commission merchants of this city, for the communi- 

 cation. Messrs. E. M. Carpenter & Co. write as 

 follows : 



" ' We have had experience with flour manufac- 

 tured from Clawson wheat at Baldwinsville, N. Y., 

 and the flour was very poor. It has no strength, and 

 bakes black. ■ Every miller in this State that has 

 tried it has got into trouble. We speak of the crop 

 of 1874. We have not heard how it works this year, 

 but presume no better. Our millers will not touch 

 it, as it has given them so much trouble heretofore. 

 VVe hope it will not be introduced into the State of 

 Michigan.' 



" Messrs. Durant & Co. report as follows: 



"'The Clawson wheat is very unpopular with 

 millers in this state. All the testimony within our 

 range for the past year is to the effect that it will not 

 make a family flour at all, and ruins the grade even 

 if mixed with other wheat in moderate quantities. It 

 lacks in gluten, and when made into dough, it slacks 

 down and continues to do so as flour is worked in; is 

 without elasticity, and will not rise. Manufacturers 

 say that the flour will not make more than half the 

 amount of paste that ordinary Hour does. Millers 

 buy it at a reduced .price and make it into low grades 

 of flour, but would much prefer not to see it at all. 

 We think you should avoid it by all means. Abso- 

 lutely certain by experience that it is an unsafe 

 wheat.'" 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 



The wheat and oats crop have been gathered through 

 this section of country, wheat about half an average 

 crop. My opinion is that it was injured by the frost 

 and cold spell about the 30th of March last. The 

 heads, as a general thing, are not filled out at the 

 points, and some heads not producing full grains. 

 The winter oats, where not killed out by insects or 

 otherwise, turned out tolerably well. Spring oats 

 was much benefited by the good growing season the 

 past spring; yet the crop of winter and spring oats 

 will not be more than three-fourths of a yield. In 

 this section corn needs rain. Cotton promises a fair 

 yield, unless something unforeseen befalls it before it 

 matures. 



Within the past fortnight the weather has been 

 warmer here than I haveever felt it since I have been 

 in this country (:!.5 years). At this writing the pros- 

 pect for rainfall is good, and should it come will bene- 

 fit all garden truck, as well corn, white and sweet 

 potatoes, and tobacco. 



While traveling in your State, in June last, I 

 noticed but one field of grain (wheat) that was short 

 and bare in spots. This field I saw in Chester county, 

 on the north side of and immediately on the line of 

 the Pennsylvania Railroad. In Lancaster county all 

 crops, so far as I saw, were fine. Your farmers de- 

 serve great credit for the manner in which they till 

 the soil and make it produce so well. — M. li., Salis- 

 bury, N. C, Jnly'iA, 1S76. 



A Long Furrow. 

 The Fargo (Cal.) Times asks: What do you think 

 of an unbroken furrow six miles long ? That's what 

 you can see any day by goiug to Elm river, where 

 Messrs. Dalrymple and Graudin are breaking prairie. 

 The teams start in the morning and make one round 

 across an entire township and back (twelve miles) 

 before dinner, and the same in the afternoon— twen- 

 ty-four miles' travel for each team every day. All 

 for wheat next year. 



