1877.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



61 



POTTSVILLE. 



Mr. Wetzel. 



PAN FRANCISCO. 



E. & L. Wcrllilieimcr by Mr. Knink Baor. 



Eeberg, Bacliman & Co. by Mr. Ehrmau and J. 

 Shirk. 



Falkcnstein & Co. [also N. Y.] by Mr. Falken- 

 stcin. 



Scbocnfcid Bros, by Mr. Alleluil. 



A. S. Hoscnbaum & Co. [also N. Y.J by Mr. Ro- 

 scuniayer. 



PITTSBlinC, TA. 



Prctzfeillcr \- Bros., roprrsrnU'il by variciiis partiee. 



LOCAL KIHMS. 



Skllee & Frey, Frey it Weidlcr, and various small 

 operators. 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society. 



Tlio rcirulnr stated mectinfr of the Agrirultural 

 and Ilorlioiiltural Socioly was held on .Monilay, 

 March -fi, at tlie Atliemvum room, the President, 

 Calvin Cooper, in I lie chair. 



Tlie followinu: members were present : Messrs. 

 Calvin Cooper, H. .M. En^'Ic, M. D. Kendis:, Cas|K'r 

 Hiller, Levi I'ownall, John llvitier, Levi W. (irolf, 

 Levi S. lieist, Simon P. Eljy, Ephraim Hcjover, Isrrcl 

 L. Lanilis, Peter .S. lieist, I'rol. S. S. Ilatlivon, 

 Johnson Miller, .Tolin M. Stclunan, Wm. McComscy, 

 Peter Hiller, David G. Swarlz, L. C. Lyte. . 



In the absence of the Secretary, .M. D. Kcndig was 

 called to the chair ; the reading of the minutes were 

 dispensed with. 



Crop Reports. 



Levi PownAi.i i of Sadshury, reported g:rain im- 

 provinjr, and that it looks very good. Prospects 

 jjood. Clover and timothy not so good, but hopas 

 for a good crop. 



Casi'Ek Hiller, of Conestoga, said crops was 

 about the same .as in the above neiirhborhood. Mr. 

 Ensle said that the crops in his vicinity were also 

 about the same. Nothing important to report. 



Levi S. Keist, of Manhcim township; Latewheat 

 looks better than that early sown. 



Johnson .Millek, of Warwick, reported the con- 

 dition of crops as pretty fair. The late sowing 

 looked the best. This was the case last fall, when 

 the wheat was attacked by the Hessian Fly. His 

 fields have a poor appearance this spring. Grass 

 fields look remarkably well, altliouffh in some cases 

 it has been frozen. Clover is better than last year. 

 The old crops are generally all sold. More tobacco 

 will be raised this year than last. He recommended 

 the rolling of grass and wheat fields. Fruit, such as 

 apples, peaches, and some smaller fruits he thought 

 were injured by the intense cold of the winter. 



Levi Pow.nall read an essay on the 



"Agriculture of the Country." 



The essay was a very interesting one and was a 

 general review of the Agricultural history of the 

 country. He first gave an account of the early set- 

 tlers and the hardships they endured in clearim; 

 lands and emigrating, which was followed with an 

 account of the first experiments of irrigation and 

 the raising of tiraotliy and clover, the timothy beinsr 

 principally grown on the uplands. The eflects of 

 commercial enterprise was commented upon. In 

 those early days the chief sources of profit to the 

 farmer were derived from the sale of 1 eef and grain. 

 The dairy interests was then of small importance, 

 but now it is a source of great income in the south- 

 ern sections of this county. In this district the 

 raising of i;rain and the feeding of cattle are now 

 the main reliance to make both ends meet. In the 

 northern districts, tobacco seems to be the paying 

 product. These two systems were regarded by the 

 essayist as more exhau.sting to the soil, than the old 

 system of raising wheat and feeding cattle. In 

 making this sudden change, great care should be 

 taken, for our reputation m.ay not always be known 

 as the garden spot of the country. In reviewing the 

 past, the agriculture of our country cannot be 

 claimed as a success. The reason we have always a 

 surplus of agricultural products, was because new- 

 land was always being brought into cultivation, and 

 not by the increased cultivation of that already cul- 

 tivated. Statistics showed that the average yield 

 of dilferent grains raised has decreased in nearly all 

 the States. The policy of the government of hold- 

 ing out inducements for the settlement of new terri- 

 tory, was attributed as an injury to the older States 

 and a benefit to the new. The essayist closed by ad- 

 vocating that an earnest feeling should be taken in 

 the restoration of our lands, and that it could only 

 be done bv careful tillage. 



A vote of thanks wa.s tendered the essayist. 



The essay was discussed both pro and con by 

 Messrs. Simon P. Eby, Levi S. Keist, Casper Hiller, 

 H. M. Engle, Israel L. Landis and others. 



H. M. Enule read an essay on 



"Growing Potatoes." 



In opening his essay, Mr. Engle read the following 

 paragraph ; 



"Among the anecdotes related of Sir Walter Ra- 



leigh, (who is supposed tohave introduced the potato 

 into Ireland in l.'">>4) is, that when his gardener at 

 Yout^hall, in the county of Cork, had reared to the 

 full maturity of "apples," the potatoes which he had 

 received from the Knii;ht, as a fine fruit from Amer- 

 ica, the man brou^i^hl to his master one of the apples, 

 and aski'd if that were the "fine fruit." Sir Walter 

 having examined it was so dissatisfied that he or- 

 dered the weed to be rooted out. The gardener 

 obeyed, and in rooting out the weeds found a bushel 

 of potatoes." 



In concluding the above, tlio essayist continued by 

 reading the following : 



Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh made a wry face 

 over his first bite of potato, the tuber has risen in 

 importance and its area of cultivation extended. 

 AUIioukIi originally found in South America, near 

 the tropics, experience has proven that it is most 

 successfully grown in the lii;i:hcr latitudes. From 

 its insignificant debut as an esculent it has become 

 one of the most important of crops, over a large ex- 

 tent of the earth. 



In the United Slates the crop of 187-") was over IfiO,- 

 000,000 of bushels, valued at (W.dOO.OOO of dollars; 

 and now we arc importing of the surplus crop of 

 Ireland, a country whose citizens we helped to save 

 from starvation some years airo, when their crop 

 had failed. Alllujuirh not of so much importance in 

 our, as in some otln-r countries, it is over half that 

 of our wheat crop, in bushels. .Should, therefore, 

 the jmtato crop at any time fail in the Ignited States, 

 we would no iloubl cxpcrienc« an ordeal similar to 

 that whicli Ireland passed. tliruuL'"h in l'S4't. The 

 country being so rapidly overrun with the C'ohtrailo 

 beetle, it has made the crop a feeble one. Now for 

 a judicious antidote, Paris green is no doubt the 

 cheapest remedy. That the potato bug came anionic 

 us to remain is evident, bill the indications are now 

 that he has enemies that will help to keep him with- 

 in bounds; but will not likely exti^rminate him. It 

 is therefore conclusive that the potatato can hence- 

 forth not be grown with (he same labor and expense 

 as formerly. The demand, even at the high prices, 

 is evidence that few are willing to disi)ense with it 

 altogether; consequently the im])Ortance of the crop. 



It is not the olijeet of the essayist to enter into 

 details of planting, inanui-iriLT, cultivating, varieties, 

 itc, which the importance of the subject deserves, 

 but more especially tt) point out one fundamental 

 principle which is generally overlooked by many 

 planters. Farmers in this section generally plant a 

 few as early as the ground will permit, but "the main 

 crop is put out about corn-i)lanting season, and 

 although the early crop is almost invariably the 

 lietter, the common custom has been contimicd 

 withal. Tlie Colorado Beetle, however, has caused 

 a change which, after all, may prove him a blessing 

 in disguise. His ravages have brought about the 

 disposition of early plaiitinic in order to liirhl him 

 more effectually. This will likely cause the main 

 crop to be planted early, when it will grow while 

 the soil is moist and cool, and before the greatest 

 heat will set in. 



These conditions are always more congenial to the 

 potato, and will produce a larger crop and of better 

 quality, than when grown in midsummer, when heat 

 and drouth are generally greatest. Our best success, 

 however, has been with the other extreme, viz.: to 

 plant as late as is safe, on account of frosts. The 

 main crop is put out from the middle of June to Kith 

 of July, according to variety. Those requiring the 

 longest season we plant first and vice versa. By 

 this method the crop will mature during the cool 

 weather of autumn, at which time the ground is 

 generally moist. In short, it is the season most con- 

 genial to the growth of the potato. Some of our 

 largest crops and of best (piality have been produced 

 by such late planting ; bcsiiles they will retain their 

 quality much later in spring than the early crops. 

 In planting potatoes in midsummer, the seed shoulit 

 not be exposed to the hot sun, and must be well 

 covered, as extreme heal and dry ground will injure 

 the germ when covered shallow. 



It is however not to be inferred that any other 

 necessary means pertaining to potato culture should 

 be dispensed with, but by taking advantage of the 

 season, in connection with the best method of cult i- 

 uation, we need hardly ever fail of producing a full 

 crop of best quality. In order to prove the futility 

 of attempting to grow a good crop of potatoes in dry, 

 hot weather, we have only to observe where and 

 uudei' what conditions the best and poorest crops are 

 grown. 



" For instance : In England, Ireland, Canada and 

 our northern tier of States and Territories, this escu- 

 lent is grown to its greatest perfection, while in our 

 Southern States the crop is insignificant, as well as 

 inferior, aS a rule. It seems somewhat strange that 

 in the country where the potato originated it is of 

 so much less importance that in its iMcscnt doniaiii, 

 but on the table lands of the Andes .Mounlains it 

 will grow to probably as great perfection as any- 

 where. There is also no question in the mind of the 

 writer, that, even in our Southern States, on the 

 high lands, bv taking advantage of the coolest part 

 of the scasonit may he made a crop of much greater 

 utility and importance than at the present. There 

 are comparatively few in the Southern States, as 



well as In our section, who are aware, at how low a 

 temperature the potato will flourish. Ourexpcrlence 

 is that tuliers will grow rapidly and of best quality 

 at a temperature a little aliovc freezinir, and that 

 mat iiriiu.' in extreme heat It Is impossible to obtain 

 the most favorable results. It may therefore l)e 

 easily inferred, what are the essenlhils to obtain the 

 best results, and by whatever methods these may bo 

 obtained, whether by mulcliiiii;, partially shading, 

 or by taxing advantage of the season, so that It ha« 

 moist earth and a cool at niosplieri', In connection 

 with all other requisites, the potato) crop need seldom 

 be a failure. 



The essay led to an animated discutsion of the 

 subject by several mem\)er8. 



.^ilt. McC'oMSEY was glad allenllon had been di- 

 rected to the import aiice of the |K>lalo crop and 

 hoped the present tendency to linrease the (;rowth 

 of tobacco would not engross the altenlloii of the 

 farmer so much as to cause him to nei,'lect the po- 

 tato. .Mr. .McCoiusey gave his experience In growing 

 the potato, which was in brief that small seed pro- 

 iluecd small potatoes and large seed large ones. He 

 planted early in April. 



Casi'KK iiiLLi'.it rcirnrdcd late planting as danger- 

 ous. He had lost several late planted crops by wet 

 viather setliiu.' in while the vines were growing. 

 They grew as ra|)idly as hot -house plants, and when 

 tin; sun shone out upon them the liillage was 

 scorched and withered, lie believed in (planting 

 early. With good seed, good ground, and a favor- 

 able season, he believed 701) bushels of potatoes 

 inii;hl III' raised |)er acre. He had raised by actual 

 measure 40 bushels to one-twelfth of an acre, which 

 is WO bushels per acre. He used large peerless 

 potatoes for seed, so cut that only a slncle eye re- 

 mainid to each cutting. Scid trouml is no doubt the 

 test Inr jiotatoes, but tanners cannot allord to turn 

 it down fcir that pur|io8c— ihey must keep it for their 

 corn. His own plan was to thoroughly manure the 

 cornstubble in the fall ; no matter how niueh man- 

 ure is ap[iiied-;,M) lonu' asthcrv|is enou,'h— plow it in 

 the fall. Ill t'hc spring plow the ground ajraln. 

 Plant early in furrows, not too deep, and ridge up 

 more deeply afterwards. Cultivate carelully to ex- 

 termimite weeds, and with good weather anl other 

 favoiiiiic cinumstances tlicru is no reason why a 

 yield of .500 bushels of potatoes to the acre should 

 not follow. 



EiMiiiAiM Hoover said he reganled good seed as 

 necessary in (irowiui; potatoes as in mowing » heat, 

 eornoroals. (iood seed will yield g<M>d fruit, and 

 poor sicd poor I'ruit. The seed shoulil lie frequently 

 changed or procured from a dillcrent locality from 

 that on which the potatoes are to be grown. 



.VI. D. Kendio said that farmers were apt to defer 

 the cultivation of their potato fields too long. He 

 believed in commencing to cultivate as soon as the 

 young plants show themselves above gr<»und, or 

 even sooner. By this plan the grass and weeds arc 

 more; easily killed and the potatoes iret abetter start. 



Johii.son Miller, secretary, having entered the 

 room cxiilaiiied the cause of his absence. The train 

 on whicli he came in was delayed by an accident. 

 He was excused. 



L. C. Lie. HT differed with most of the speakers. 

 He planted small potatoes for seed, Ixdng careful 

 not to leave in them too many eyes. He had raised 

 by this kind of scedinir as iniich as 400 bushels to 

 the acre. His crop had sonielimes suffered by the 

 ravages of a small insect that bored into the vines 

 and killed them. 



Priu--. liATiivoN explained that the Insect was the 

 potato weevil. The parent insect lays its eirgs on 

 the vine; when they hatch, the young worm eats 

 into the centre of the stock, and works downward 

 enervating or killini: the plant. Here the worm be- 

 comes traiislbrmcd and lives in the vine all winter. 

 The best reincdv to exterminate it it to burn the 

 vines. Prof. Kalhvon exhibited a sjicclracn of the 

 potato weevil. 



P. S. Keist believed in planting potatoes early, 

 ridging u|i the rows and then before the young 

 plants come up, harrowing the ground thoroughly. 

 This will kill the grass and weeds before the potato 

 plant appears. 



I. L. Landis suggested that farmers should put 

 in a irood crop of potatoes this year. They are 

 bringing good prices and as the tobacco crop will en- 

 gross much attention, those who plant iiotaloes will 

 probably be well jiaid for them. 



IlE.SRV M. Enole hoped members would make 

 careful experiments with large and small seed for 

 IKilatoes. He believed in using the best, but ac- 

 knowledged that results had sometimes staggered 

 his failii. 



Casi'ER Hili.eb thought a principal objection to 

 the use of small [xitatoes for seed was that there 

 were too many eyes and consequently loo many 

 s]inmls. lie had frequently p-lled off the sprouts 

 and from them got excellent | latoes, but not In 

 such great (luantily as from the seed. 



Bills for removing the library and for freight on 

 exhibits sent to the Centennial were presented and 

 ordered to be paid. 



"Corn culture and what arc Its best varieties," 

 was postponed for discussion until next meeting. 



"What is the best method of destroying the jwach- 



