62 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ April, 



tree borer '■" a question referred to Mr. H. M. Engle, 

 was answered by that gentleman, who said that lie 

 knew of no more effective remedy than the knife. 

 Search for the borer twice a year, sprinsr and fall, 

 and when found kill him. Another but not so re- 

 liable a plan, is to hank up the butt of the tree with 

 ashes. It is important to attend to the borer during 

 the first and second year of the tree's growth ; after 

 that they caimot seriously injure the tree. 



Caspek Hili,er said "an ounce of prevention is 

 worth a pound of cure." There are two waj-s of 

 preventing the borer from getting into the tree : 

 First, tie the butt of the tree seeurely with paper, 

 early in the spring, and take it otf in the fall. Sec- 

 cond, make a mixture of cow dung and lime and apply 

 it to the tree as a paint. It soon hardens and is proof 

 against the borer. 



Peter S. Reist read an intereresting essay on 

 the selection of seed wheat. He recommended that 

 the best portion of the best field be selected for 

 gathering the seed; that any stalks of rye, cheat, 

 or other plants be removed before Iiarvesting ; that 

 the grain he then carefully cleaned from smut and 

 all other imperfectious. It would always pay to be 

 particular in this respect. 



Messrs. Engle, McComsey and others followed in 

 elat>oration of Mr. Keist's suggestions. 



Levi W. Groff presented a sample of the "main- 

 stay" wheat — a new variety received from Europe. 

 The grains are very large and plump. Mr. GroB' was 

 requested to experiment with it, and let the society 

 know the result of his experiment. 



Mr. Groff said be did not know whether it was a 

 spring or winter wheat, but he would plant half of 

 it in the spring and the other half in the fall to find 

 out. 



Mr. Enole predicted it would be bearded, tall 

 and coarse, and would not make good Hour. He 

 hoped, however, his prediction miglit jiroved untrue. 



Mr. L.wdis presented a small bag full of very 

 large shell barks or hickory-nuts grown in Missouri 

 from seed from California. 



Prof. Kathvon explained that the reason the 

 annual address of the president of the society and 

 some other papers had not appeared in The Farmer 

 was because he had not received the maunscript 

 until to-day. 



Leai S. Keist presented a fine specimen of the 

 York imperial apple. 



The following questions were proposed for discus- 

 sion at next meeting : 



"How can the fertility and productiveness of our 

 farms be maintained under our present system of 

 croi»iiing ?" 



" How can we best secure farm help ?" — Picferred 

 to E. Hoover. 



"Is the growth of Hungarian grass for hay a de- 

 sirable crop for farmers to engage in?" — lieferrcd to 

 Levi Pownall. 



Adjourned. 



Tobacco Growers' Association. 



A stated meeting of the Tobacco Growers' Asso- 

 ciation was held on Monday, .March 19th, in the 

 rooms of the Athenaeum. 



The following members and visitors were present : 

 Martin D. Kenditr, Manor ; ColinCameron, Elizabeth; 

 I. L. Landis, Manheim ; John M. Stehman, East 

 HempHeld ; Peter S. Keist, Manheim ; Levi S. Keist, 

 Manheim ; A. L. Lane, Manor; I. W. Uroh, Lebanon; 

 W. L. Hershey, Rapho ; J. H. Yeager, East Lam- 

 peter; A. K. Landis, Manheim; Isaac Leaman, 

 Upper Leacock ; Samuel Bushoug, Ui>per Leacock ; 

 Michael B. Landis, city ; John Bo.'isler, Manheim ; 

 Harry Shifl'er, Manheim ; Silas K. Eshleman, Para- 

 dise ; Sylvester Kennedy, Salisbui'y ; B. H. Hershey, 

 Penn ; Abraham Hostelter, Penn ; A. H. Y^eager, 

 East Lampeter; H. Bomberger, Manheim; Martin 

 Miller, Manor. 



President M. D. Kendig occupied the chair, 

 and in the absence of the secretary, Colin Cameron 

 acted in that capacity. 



Crop reports being called for, Mr. I. L. Landis, 

 of Maniieim, said that thegreaterpart of the tobacco 

 in liis neighborhood had been sold at good prices. 

 Buyers were as active as ever, but were endeavoring 

 to reduce the figures, and in some instances they 

 ■were buying lower tlian they did at the opening of 

 the season, as some farmers found it necessary to 

 realize on their crops before the first of Api-il. Two- 

 thirds of the crop has been sold, among it being the 

 bulk of the first-cla.ss leaf. 



Mr. Hersiiet reported fifty cases sold to a local 

 buyer in West Hempfield, at good prices. 



Mr. Yeager, of West Lampeter, said nearly all the 

 crop in his neighborhood had been bought. 



Mr. Eshleman, of Paradise, said that not much 

 tobacco was grown in his township, and very little of 

 that sold. The prices asked for wrappers ranges 

 from IK to 20 cents. 



Mr. Kennedy, of Salisbury, said there was a con- 

 siderable quantity raised in his townsliip; not one- 

 third of which had yet been sold. Some of it is of 

 • good quality and some considerably injured by the 

 worm. Prices have ranged from '^0 cents down — 

 some selling very cheap. He thought the reason so 

 little of the crop had been sold was because there 

 had been but little heretofore grown ; the growers 



generally have not learned how to handle it and the 

 township is distant from the tobacco centre. 



Mr. Bear, of Leacock, said nearly all the tobacco 

 in his neighborhood was sold. A good deal was 

 raised about Enterprise. The crop was a fair one 

 and brought fair prices — say 1.5 to 'M cents. 



Mr. John M. Stehman, East Hempfield, offered 

 for inspection several very fine hands of tobacco 

 grown by E. M. Bricker, of Manheim, on li farm 

 owned by Henry Hostetter. Mr. Bricker had sold 

 his crop at .'!0 for wrappers, 20 for seconds and 5 for 

 fillers. The samples were of Connecticut seed leaf. 

 Chestnut seed leaf, Bastard and Florida seed leaf. 

 The preference was given by Mr. Bricker to the 

 Chestnut and Bastard. The Florida was only grown 

 as an experiment. Mr. Stehman said that about 

 two-thirds of the crop in his neighborhood was sold. 



A vote of thanks was returned to Mr. Bricker for 

 his fine specimens. 



On motion of J. M. Stehman, the secretary read 

 from The Lancanffir Fanner an article copied from 

 the bilctllffd'cer showing that in the New York mar- 

 ket Lancaster tobacco had the call over Connecticut. 



Mr. I. L. Landis urged erowers to use the greatest 

 possible care in growing and handling their tobacco. 

 He had no doubt that a great deal of good Pennsyl- 

 vania tobacco had been sold for Connecticut when 

 Connecticut was considered the best ; and now that 

 Pennsylvania was in demand, western tobacco is 

 being shipped in this Stale and palmed off as Penn- 

 sylvania. He knew of one large lot of Wisconsin 

 that had been broturbt to this county, and he sup- 

 posed it would be palmed off as Pennsylvania, to the 

 injury of the Pennsylvania staple. 



President Kendig, of Manor, said the interest of 

 buyers in his district had heretofore centered in 

 fancy grades; there were a good many buyers yet in 

 the field ; about two-thirds of the crop has been sold. 



Mr. p. S. Keist, Manheim, said two-thirds of tlie 

 crop in that township is sold ; the choice lots were 

 first bought ; liuycrs are now picking up second 

 quality. The farmers are considering the advan- 

 tages to be obtained in raising first-class tobacco, 

 and many of them have resolved to plant less next 

 year, and give more attention to its growth and 

 handling. 



Mr. Cameron read a letter from Mr. C. P. 

 Hughes, of West Chester, asking for information on 

 the following points : " What is the average weight 

 of dry tobacco pci- acre raised in Lancaster county i 

 Do you find highly ammoniated fertilizers an advan- 

 tage ? If fish guano is used could it afl'ect the taste 

 of the tobacco? In the use of different salts of 

 potash, is there any difference in the burning of the 

 tobacco or in the yield ?" 



In answer to the first interrogatory the average 

 yield was variously estimated at i,'JOO tol,fiOO]ioundR 

 per acre. In answer to the second some of the 

 members thought there was and some thought there 

 was not much advantage in the use of highly ammo- 

 niated fertilizers. The other questions were briefly 

 discussed but no result agreed upon. 



Mr. Cameron also read a communication from 

 Hiram E. Lutz, calling attention to a poudrette 

 manufactured by him which he claimed to be pecu- 

 liarly adapted to the growth of tobacco. 



On motion of Mr. P. S. Reist, Mr. Lutz and other 

 manufacturers were requested to send samples of 

 their fertilizers to the president of the society to 

 have it tested. 



On motion of Mr. Johnston, Mr. Cameron was 

 requested to prepare answers to the questions asked 

 by Mr Hughes, and read them before the society at 

 the next meeting. 



In further discussing the question of the best fer- 

 tilizer for tobacco, pig manure, sheep manure, hen 

 manure and horse manure were each recommended. 



Colin Cameron read an essay on tobacco and its 

 cultivation, of which the following contains the prin- 

 cipal points : 



Every one that has attempted to grow this plant 

 fancies that he has learned enough from his own ex- 

 perience to not only govern him in all future opera- 

 tions, but enough to supply all the neighbors and 

 friends from what he looks ujjon as an endless quan- 

 tity of valuable knowledge. The less the time one 

 has been engaged in the business the more garrulous 

 be will be, and the local savants tliat on every occa- 

 sion offer gratis from their store of stuff, almost in- 

 variably make him who hearkens to them repent 

 his folly. I believe with the other essayists before 

 me that there are certain fixed facts that it is well to 

 ever keep in view, and that there are certain condi- 

 tions of soil and j>laut-foud necessary to 

 the growth of a full crop, but I differ 

 with them in regard to the manner of pre- 

 paring the .soil. I hold to what I consider 

 should be a settled principle among advanced agri- 

 culturists, that no crop save grass should be made 

 to feed directly of the manure. And I fancy that I 

 have noticed enough in my own fields and in my 

 neighbors' to know this to be the ease; especially in 

 tobacco. I know very well that I bring down the 

 unfavorable judgment of a vast majority of tobacco- 

 growers for the utterance of this statement, but I 

 am so well convinced of its truth that I think I can 

 well bear this judgment and wait for the future 'to 

 prove its correctness We all are aware and ac- 

 knowledge that the plant in its growth is necessarily 



rapid, and that it absorbs from the manures some- 

 thing scarcely definable, that, to say the least, af- 

 fects the structure if not the flavor of the plant, and 

 these keen-eyed, tender-fingered buyers that Mr. 

 Frantz speaks of are the first to know it. I could 

 not dwell upon the reasons entire that cause me to 

 come to this conclusion; they are many and long, and 

 so interwoven that to speak of one necessarily "intro- 

 duces all. Nor do I consider heavy manuring in it- 

 self essential; it might be a desirable requisite, but I 

 could not allow it to be considered any more than 

 that. Before either plant-bed, plants or soil, I 

 would place the farmer — a perfect tobacco farmer. 



I have seen tobacco grown side by side where the 

 soil was necessarily alike, and yet there was as much 

 difl'erence in the yield per acre as Mr. Frantz named 

 in his essay. I well know that a poor farmer with 

 good soil and plenty of manures may with the 

 stimulus of a good growing crop get more per acre 

 th.an the best farmer under unfavorable conditions; 

 but this proves nothing, and I ask each one present, 

 thinkers in the field of practical agricultural experi- 

 ment, if we ought to sustain any statement, without 

 qualification, that tends to bear one into any channel 

 of thought that may break up the idea of personal 

 responsibility. 



I would like to know something more about the 

 statement made Ijy Mr. Frantz — of hog bristles being 

 a superior covering for the germinating seed and 

 growing plants. How many have thought of this, 

 and what has been the general conclusion ? Theories 

 advanced here, or facts stated, if not investigated 

 are only as shadows. We all well know that as a 

 class, in the production of tobacco, we are not above 

 mediocrity, and until the false is separated from the 

 correct, and true principles only promulgated, can we 

 hope to advance to a better kuowledge of the wants 

 of this plant. Many never use the bristle ; some use 

 glass ; others condemn all and sow the seed and 

 grow the plant unassisted ; and each one for himself 

 claims to have the plan whereby the best results are 

 attained. If the after-growth of a crop depends on 

 the manner of its first start, let us know it and the 

 reason as well. 



I would always grow tobacco on sod, fall plowed, 

 and plowed again as often in the spring previous to 

 planting as the weed seeds germinate and sprout. 

 Set the plants in rows not closer than four feet apart 

 and twenty inches apart on the row. Allow no 

 wecil to grow nor the ground to become so much 

 settled after a rain as to even approach a state of 

 being baked. I think I know that tobacco once re- 

 tarded in its growth by the compactness of the earth 

 never again regains its wonted rapid, hut natural 

 growth. While speaking of ground in its dilferent 

 conditiims afl'ecting the plant, I wish to refer to the 

 manner of planting. I believe all will agree that 

 there is but one correct way to set a plant ; that is 

 to place it in tlie ground that every root shall tend 

 towai'ds the bottom of the hole. I have known each 

 alternate row of tobacco in a field to vary a very 

 great deal, and could find no solution of the cause, 

 except attributing it to the manner of sticking the 

 young plant. I would insist on this mode of plant- 

 ing as a prime necessity; its real or imaginary effect 

 is within the reach of all, and a few well tried and 

 reported experiments would determine this in the 

 minds of all. 



In stripping there are several things to be consid- 

 ered at once; first, I should never take tobacco from 

 the nails or lath until it could be handled in almost 

 any manner without breakage. If it is taken down 

 bclbre thoroushly damp and conditioned you will 

 lose almost beyond belief in weight ; and no other 

 process, to my knowledge, can make up for this. 

 The leaf stripped and bulked dry will ahvaj's present 

 a dry and rough appearance, and will never have the 

 soft, silky feel that those "tender-fingered bu^'crs" 

 look for. I would strip tobacco into three grades 

 always, and would never sort the filler for seconds, 

 but rather the wrappers, and each hand should be 

 perfect in itself. I mean by this that it should con- 

 tain leaves exactly alike in shape, size, color and 

 condition. This is easy to do. The leaves should be 

 pulled down in the hands till the tips are even, and 

 bound at the butts so as to hide the uneveuness. 

 This done by the grower, saves the sprigging by the 

 buyer and makes it worth fi'om one to five cents 

 more jier pound. Then no one can grade .as well as 

 the grower. Having his tobacco in the shed as it 

 grew, each kind alone, he can take it down, exer- 

 cising due care, and strip it, again using an extra 

 amount of vigilance to make it perfect. The great 

 trouble with many parties is the desire to he done, 

 not to be well done. A day or a week's additional 

 care in this part of the work may add half the value 

 to the whole crop. The stripper should know the 

 exact condition of every leaf that goes into each 

 hand, and those miserable shriveled, short and 

 frizzed leaves should be thrown away; it will pay 

 much better than to |iut them with any other than a 

 lot l)y themselves. Once stripped, each kind should 

 be bulked down by itself. I would prefer a cool but 

 not over moist cellar, and should always leave the 

 butts of the hands exposed, covering with boards 

 and enough weight to keep it in position, and to give 

 it something of a pressed look. 



Care should be exercised to have each kind by 

 itself. For I assure you if you put a second with the 



