iB6 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ October, 



in trenches, discussion no lonerer takes place as to the 

 utility or practicability of the process, but as to the 

 Btase when the maize ouffht to he cut; one party advo 

 cates the cutting when the plant is in flower, and 

 another before the flowers even show. The majority 

 inclines to the first view, as the maize is then not only 

 richer in nutritive principles, but these principles are 

 more uniformly distributed in the plant. 



French asrriculture is at this moment papsiner 

 throush a crisis, possessing features and lessons of 

 a little general interest. Not unfrequenlly the agri- 

 culturist adopts a system of cultivation on which he 

 counts to reap prosperity, and finds his hopes deceived; 

 it often happens that after he has for a long time en 

 joyed success in producing a certain crop, he sudden- 

 ly finds that there is no demand for his harvest. He 

 must then change the processes of his farming. The 

 farmers in several departments of the south of France 

 are at present in the second dilemma ; hitherto they 

 have been prosperous in the culture of madder, but 

 the prices of this plant have so diminished, owing to 

 chemistry having discovered an equally excellent dye, 

 that the culture of madder is not to be thought of. 

 Then the phylloxera destroys the vineyards at the 

 same time. The absence of water, of canals, for irri- 

 gating purposes, prevents the raising of forage, and 

 the keeping consequently of stock, and the latter is 

 ever in demand. The farmers are falling back on the 

 culture of clover, grasses, and other plants for their 

 seeds for general exportation.* 



The Gironde has ever been famous for its wine, 

 and there are not a few for whom Saint Emilion, 

 Midoc and Sauterne are names as familiar as house- 

 hold words. The department has 325,000 acres un- 

 der vineyards, producing annually sixty-six million 

 gallons of wine. Many think that all wines under 

 the name of " Bordeaux " or claret are alike, which 

 is a great error, as even in the centres of districts 

 famed for their vintage the quality of the wine is in- 

 ferior. This anomaly is explained by the dirt'erence 

 in the soil; above all in the sub-soil — the latter play- 

 ing a preponderating part in the quality of the pro- 

 ducts. The best wines are obtained from the vine- 

 yards situated on the slightly elevated banks of the 

 river Gironde, with a sandy surface, and above all a 

 pebbly sub-soil. Well, in this rich garden of France, 

 the phylloxera has made its appearance, and the 

 anxiety of the proprietors of vineyards is profound. 

 No efficacious remedy has yet been found to check 

 the ravages of the bug, save flooding the vines to the 

 height of twelve inches, after the vintage. Toxical 

 agents, in addition to not being certain, are costly and 

 difficult of application. The employment of Ameri- 

 can stocks as a means to furnish roots resisting the 

 bug, increases in favor in the south of France, shoots 

 from the fine native wines being grafted thereon — 

 the ecuuoyi plan of grafting, as practiced by M. Hor- 

 toles, being that in general use. The stock Jacquez 

 is almost invulnerable to the attacks of the phyl- 

 loxera. In Wurtemherg, however, where American 

 stocks have been employed, all have succumbed save 

 the hahella. 



The French Association for the Advancement of 

 Sciences has opened its annual congres»by an impor- 

 tant discussion on beet root: Does stripping the root 

 of some of its leaves, for feeding purposes, affect its 

 saccharine richness. M. Corenwinder replies affir- 

 matively, and to the extent of 4 to 5 per cent. ; the 

 removal of leaves induces a development of new ones, 

 which absorb the elements of the carbon destined to 

 form the sugar; also, roots with small leaves, he as- 

 serts, are less rich in sugar than a beet with large 

 leaves. M. Claude Bernard, perhaps the first scien- 

 tific authority of the day, asserts, that even suppos- 

 ing it be true that the leaves eat the sugar, it is not 

 established that they form it. How then is formed 

 that carbon which produces the sugar. He cannot 

 precisely explain the phenomenon, but thinks it can 

 be absorbed by the roots ; and as there is a great 

 similarity between animals and vegetables, it is quite 

 possible that sugar is formed in the economy of the 

 plant, as in the case with the animal. 



Spring sowings of grain are falling into disfavor in 

 this country, because in the months of April and May 

 drought almost invariably exists ; then winter sow- 

 ings are able to husband the moisture in the soil, 

 derived from the winter rains, by their vegetation 

 forming a screen. Professor Haberlandt has pub- 

 lished the results of a series of experiments respect- 

 ing the sowing of wheat, rye, barley and oats in 

 spring, from the commencement of May till the end 

 of June, at intervals of a week, and watering all alike ; 

 the yield in grain in the case of wheat and rye had 

 diminished, whilethechaff and the straw augmented, 

 ergot attacked the rye and rustthewheat ; and while 

 insects invaded the latter sowings, they kept aloof 

 from such as were earliest made. 



M. Majon has successfully freed his lucern from 

 dodder by leaving at mowing time the parts of the 

 field affected uncut. He then encloses sheep on these 

 spots, till the lucern is eaten down, without, however, 

 injuring the crowns of the plant ; if some of these 

 even be destroyed, the luxuriant growth of what re- 

 mains will prove an ample compensation. 



The question of the relative value of beet pulp has 

 for some time been a fertile source of dispute. Dr. 

 Kuhn asserts that there is not much difference, in a 

 nutritive point of view, between cattle and sugar 

 beets, but there is a notable difference in the value of 



the pulp according to the process adopted for the ex- 

 traction of the juice; that is to say, the machinery 

 employed. The hydraulic press yields a pulp twice 

 as ?ivtrilit'e as that produced by the continuous press 

 — both employed in France. Thirty pounds of hy- 

 draulic pulp. Dr. Kuhn values as the equivalent of 

 fifty pounds of feeding beet. Care ought to be taken 

 that the pulp purchased be exempt from foreign 

 matters, such as hyposulphite of lime. 



To prolong the duration of ropes and retard their 

 decay, steep them in a solution of sulphate of copper 

 — an ounce to a quart of water— and then either tar 

 them or immerge them in soap suds — four ounces of 

 soap per quart of water. In the latter case there is 

 no smell. 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society. 



The resrular meeting of the Lancaster County 

 Agricultural and Horticultural .Society was held on 

 Monday afternoon, (October 2d,) in the Athenseum 

 rooms. Minutes were read and adopted. Present : 

 Messrs. Calvin Cooper, Henry M. Engle, S. S. Kath- 

 von, Levi W. Grotf, Jacob B. Garber, Wm. McCom- 

 .sey, Martin D. Kendig, Johnson Miller, Henry Erb, 

 J. M. Stehmau, John Miller, Martin Miller, Peter S. 

 Keist, Daniel Smeych, B. Frank Landis, John C. Lin- 

 ville, Adam M. Ranck. Mr. Engle made some cor- 

 rections in regard to some statements wrongly re- 

 ported in a previous meeting. Egyptian wheat, for 

 instance, does not ripen too early. "Stubble" wheat 

 was called some other name. Mr. Kendig, of special 

 committee to revise by-laws, reported that the com- 

 mittee met at Franklin House, examined present con- 

 stitution and by-laws, and. recommend the appoint- 

 ment of a new committee to revise the same. On 

 motion, the committee was continued, and S. S. Rath- 

 von was added. 



Johnson Miller, of the committee to visit the 

 Berks county fair, reported a flne exhibition of fruits 

 and stock. 



Mr. Engle, of committee to attend the Agricul- 

 tural Congress, reported a very interesting meeting. 

 Able men were present. Important essays were read 

 and entertaining discussions arose. Harris, Allen, 

 Flagg and other prominent persons took part. 



Mr. Kendig, of committee on crops, reported a 

 light potato crop. Apples have been dropping off. 

 Seeding is backward on account of rain. He seeded 

 down an old field with clover in September, and it 

 is coming up nicely. He scattered the seed broadcast 

 over the surface, and harrowed twice. The rain fall 

 for September was 8 3.5-100 inches. 



Mr. Peter Reist said more cider had been made 

 and apple-butter boiled than for many years. Sweet 

 potatoes plenty. 



Mr. Linville, Sadsbury. Wheat crop about 2.5 

 bushels an acre. Grass almost a failure on wheat 

 ground. Due perhaps to intense heat, as grass under 

 shade trees was good. 



Mr. Engle. Seeding very uneven. Many farmers 

 not done yet. The rain fall at Marietta was 9 9-16 

 for September. Heaviest fall 3 inches on the Ifith . 



Mr. Cooper. Rain fall 8 1-10 inches in his vicinity. 



A. F. Hostetter, appointed for an essay, was ab- 

 sent at Ann Arbor. 



An order of S3 was -granted for the payment of 

 the services of the janitor. 



"How to Keep the Boys on the Farm." 



This question, proposed by Johnson Miller, was 

 taken up. 



Mr. Engle. Make home attractive by beautify- 

 ing the farm. 



Mr. Peter Reist arose to an explanation. He 

 disclaimed all personalities, of which he had else- 

 where been accused. He then proceeded to discuss 

 the question. 



Talk to the boys from their youth, make the farm 

 as attractive as you can, give them an interest in 

 things as soon as they are able to appreciate the value 

 thereof, show to them all the advantages a farmer 

 has through hard labor over the mechanic or mer- 

 chant. A farmer, however hard he has to labor, has 

 merely to contend with the mother earth, and with 

 animals, while a mechanic or merchant has to deal 

 and combat with ill-bred men. Public men especially 

 are subjected themselves to all kinds of abuses and 

 misrepresentations. Worst of all, irresponsible 

 newspapers publish lies for the mere sake of creating 

 sensation. Give your boys a common education, and 

 unless they have not brains equal to Daniel Webster, 

 tell them they have none too much to make a first- 

 class farmer. Tell them that a farmer can make 

 himself as useful as any other man, that tilling the 

 ground is the noblest work upon earth, that the coun- 

 try where labor is most respected is the mo9t pros- 

 perous. 



Mr. Kenuio. Throw a charm around the home- 

 stead. Give the boys a practical education, teach 

 them how to perform various mechanical operations, 

 educate the hand as well as the head. 



.Mr. Linville. It is not necessary to keep all the 

 farmers' boys on the farm. Let them follow their 

 bent. If a lad inclines to a trade or the counter, do 

 not insist on his following the plow. Farmers do not 



read enough. They are not as a class intellectual. 

 The long winter evenings afford excellent opportuni- 

 ties for culture. Place sound literature on the ta- 

 ble. A farmer should be a scientists. He cannot be 

 a profound botanist or geologist, but should have a 

 general knowledge of these subjects. The New York 

 Tribune and Popular Science Monthly should be in 

 every farmers' hands. 



Mr. McCoMSEV. It is impracticable to keep all 

 the boys at home. A farmer's sous, properly edu- 

 cated, will make good citizens anywhere. No finer 

 field for mental development than on the farm. City 

 life is too generally considered higher and more hon- 

 orable. In the case of a small farm and large family, 

 it would be inconvenient to attempt to retain all the 

 children on so limited a space The homestead may 

 be rendered so precious that the youth will not care 

 to sunder the tender ties. Beautify home, and let 

 peace and harmony prevail in the family. Encourage 

 the lads. Make them companions. There is too 

 much reserve between parents and children. Teach 

 them from your own experience. Speak in a kind 

 and fatherly manner. Home may be beautified in a 

 vai'iety of ways without much expense. 



Mr. Engle. As boys improve, their ideas go be- 

 yond the limits of the farm. The trouble sometimes 

 is, that lads become so absorbed in books and papers 

 as to show a reluctance for work. The prevailing 

 opinion is that men unfit for higher occupations may 

 be farmers. But as the soil becomes exhausted, 

 there is a demand for intelligent agriculture to im- 

 prove the soil, increase its production, employ fertil- 

 izers, sind every modern appliance. 



In China the agriculturist has a higher position in 

 public esteem, from his important services. Give the 

 boy a small plot of ground for his own use, and a de- 

 sire for its profitable cultivation will develop a heal- 

 thy activity and interest. Encourage his deposits in 

 bank. Give him time for his own operations. He 

 will grow into a healthy business man. 



Mr. Groff. He found the daily papers, after his 

 day's work was done, a refreshing retreat for the 

 household. He would like to hear the President's ex- 

 planation in regard to that sect that take no papers, 

 and yet manage to retain the boys in the operation of 

 the farm. 



Mr. .McCoMSET thought there must be a tie 

 stronger than literature or beauty. The children are 

 taught honesty and integrity by precept and example. 

 Virtuous home training is the secret. Industry and 

 economy are held up as the great habits of life. A 

 taste for reading often conflicts with steady work in 

 the field. Tales are more attractive than the harrow 

 or the hoe. Our straight-coated farmers bring up 

 their boys to regard honesty and steady work as the 

 first necessity of prosperous agriculture. 



Mr. Cooper spoke of the happiness and prosperity 

 of the sect alluded to, and often wondered at the se- 

 cret. We fail in our familiar duties to our children ; 

 should allow every lacilily for personal industry and 

 indulgence, and use every effort to encourage their 

 employment. 



Mr. P. S. Reist. It is not right to advise all 

 youth to remain on the farm, because there is a ge- 

 nius in other directions. Some of our best physicians 

 and lawyers might have died in obscurity had they 

 continued plodding at uncongenial work in the field. 

 Daniel Webster, for example 



Mr. Engle. There is a disposition in these pecu- 

 liar denominations to keep their children from intel- 

 lectual operations, and place great stress on the in- 

 culcation of the domestic virtue's. They avoid contact 

 with modern movements. They fear their influence 

 on their religion and habits. Many of them have not 

 been to the Centennial. 



Mr. Linville was sorry that the discussion seemed 

 to show that the tendency of intellectual develop- 

 ment was to draw from the farm. This is not cor- 

 rect. If the boy's mind is broadly cultivated, his 

 views of the world and of his own profession will en- 

 able him to estimate agricultural life at its true 

 value, and incline him to rest satisfied with its results. 



On motion, the question of 



"How to Dispose of Our Corn Crop." 



was postponed for discussion to the next meeting. 



On motion, the chair appointed a committee to re- 

 port on fruits on exhibition. H. M. Engle, J. B. Gar- 

 ber and M. D. Kendig were appointed the committee. 



Senator J. P. Roebuck presented the society 

 several volumes of agricultural reports. 



Mr. Engle was sorry that Pennsylvania made so 

 poor 



An Exhibit at the Centennial. 



He read a letter from Landreth, calling for contri- 

 butions of fruit for display on the flrst and second 

 weeks of October, and urged Lancaster county to do 

 her part. He also read a paragraph from the Tri- 

 bune of Sept. 37, praising the splendid exhibit of 

 grapes by Mr. Smeych, of this city, at the Centennial. 

 They comprised the Concord and other varieties. 

 Let every fruit grower make his selections, and send 

 them forward. 



Mr. Cooper announced that any specimens of to- 

 bacco sent to Israel L. Landis, Centennial Ground, 

 B, 33, will be properly placed on exhibition. Send 

 by Adams Express Company. 



On motion of Mr. McComsey, a vote of thanks 



