1S-7.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



63 



wrapper, or a filler with the eceoml, the "tcniler- 

 (ingered follow" will pull it out certain. 



After you have raised a good plant, stick it proper- 

 ly, grow it to maturity, harvest it without hums or 

 bruises, talic it down and assort it jiroperly, then 

 study to know its value, and resolve never to deal 

 with men whose honor is as <'heap as their words. 



I saw in Durham, N. C, the planter hauling his 

 tobacco ink) town without the shadow of a fear, 

 well knowing that he would get its full market value. 

 Why can we not do the same ? Are all the men in 

 the Iradc banded against the growers, or is our 

 knowledge of its value so slight as to enable them to 

 take it at will? Or is the sale of this crop a matter 

 of chance rat lier than one of square business dealing? 



I hope to see this organization prosper and attract 

 to itself the best practical thinkers and growers in 

 the county, and as we educate each other and our- 

 selves, bring to a higher level all engaged in the 

 same avocation. 



On motion, a vote of thanks was tendered the es- 

 sayist. 



The several points of the ess.ay were discussed at 

 some length liy the society. Mr. Heist said there 

 was an old maxim that "every man should be con- 

 sidered a rascal till he was proved to be an honest 

 man ;" both tobacco buyers anil growers had too 

 long acted on this principle. Mr. Reist believed the 

 maxim should be reversed, and that if growers and 

 buyers should deal honestly and fairly with each 

 other they would be mutually benefited. 



The best mode of preparing the gi'ound, selecting 

 the best variety of plants, the proper mode of grow- 

 ing plants and other questions of interest were dis- 

 cussed, but nothing new was clicteil, except that .Mr. 

 I. L. Landis rather jocularly suggesled that toliacco 

 plants should be grown by (!en. Pleaisoulon's blue 

 glass process ; to whie.h Mr. Cameron replied that 

 he would rather have an acre of blue (/rasx sod than 

 two acres of blue t/!axs cover. 



The question selected for iliseussion at next meet- 

 ing was: "How to construct the most convenient 

 tobacco house for curing, stripping and sorting 

 tobacco." 



Notice was given that the Lancaster County 

 Agricultural and Horticultural .Society will meet next 

 Monday, instead of the Ist Monday in April. 



On motion adjourned. 



The Linnaean Society. 



This society held theirstated meeting on Saturday, 

 March 'My C'. A. TIeinitsb in the chair ; si.x members 

 present. After the preliminary duties, the donations 

 to the museum were examined, and found to consist 

 of a very tine specimen of star lish (astcrias) from 

 the Pacific coast, California, presented to S. S. 

 Kathvon liy .Mr. Kinzer, of East Walnut street, this 

 city. This, wlien taken out of the water by Mr. K., 

 while on a visit to California, was of a deep red- 

 searlet color. A large brown spider, found in the 

 Adams Express wagon, supposed to have come 

 among oysters, from "down the B.ay," which were 

 delivered — presented by Mr. J. W. M. of the Express 

 office. It may be a species of Dobnalex, a stranger at 

 least with us. "Elm-leaf beetles," found behind a 

 fire-board in the dwelling house on the 7th of Marcli, 

 1877, by Mrs. P. E. Gibbons ; a queer place to hide 

 for the Galcrnca. A small . green grasshopper, 

 found by Mr. Engle, on the llih of February last , 

 curious, chieliy for being out so early. Some good- 

 sized shellbarks, introduced originally from Cali- 

 fornia; these nuts were raised in Missouri, presented 

 bjr Israel L. Landis. Five fossils, collected near 

 Pa.ii6, Edgar county, Illinois, and given by E. G. 

 Reist, of Mount Joy ; Spirifer Tcrdiralula, and por- 

 tions of the articulated stems of the stone lily — 

 Crinoidcans. 



Additions to the Library. 



Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, Part III. October, November and 

 December, lS7fi. An essay with illustrations on 

 New South Wales, by G. H. Reid, 187fi. Report of 

 the Life Saving .Service of the Cnited States and its 

 operations, 187.5 and lS7(i. Copy of Firlil and Forcul, 

 February number, per C. R. Dodge. The title page, 

 etc., to vol. X of the Patent Office (Inzeltc. Patnph- 

 lets from our correspondent, Dr. AV. .1. Hoffman, 

 read by him before the Philadelphia societies, viz. J 

 Pah-ute Cremation, December, 1S74. Ancient 

 Hearths and Modern Indian Remains. List of Birds 

 observed by him in Dakota while surgeon of the 

 United States army. One in pure French, by .M. 

 Fernand Latasta, on " Lk tetard Du. nominator 

 Igneus," about the Branchia of " Frogs and Polli- 

 wogs." Mrs. Gibbons readily translated it to 

 English. (We, like Pat, understand French very 

 well when spoken in English.) Tin: Book Erchanqe 

 Monllihj. The " American Palieozooic Fossils," by 

 S. A. .Miller, about being published. The " Medical 

 Intelligencer." List of new publications. The Lcin- 

 eaxter Farmer for February and March, ls77. From 

 our Representative, J. L. Steinmctz, esq., copy of 

 Industrial statistics, Part III. Vol. HI. Report of 

 the Superintendent of Public Instruction, June 1870. 

 Annual report of the Superintendent of SoMiers' 

 Orphans of Pennsylvania, 1870. A report of State 

 Treasurer, November, 1870. Message of Gov. John 



F. Hartranft, January 3, 1S77. Reprints from papers 

 published in 177l>, and of later date. Six envelopes 

 containing sixty-three historical scraps, cut out of 

 the various papers. Several containing specimens of 

 colonial bills and continental money — among them 

 lottery tickets for church benefits, so common in 

 those days. 



Papers Read. 



J. Stanffer read a paper — showing the divers opin- 

 ions among men of science, at)out the sap in plants- 

 quoting Dr. tiray's theory so dally contradi<'ted by 

 .Mr. Andrew .Murray in a paper read at the last 

 meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society. He also presented a flnedraw- 

 ing taken groni what seemed to be a double calla, 

 grown and given liirn by Ex-Mayor Zimmerman, of 

 this city, .March 1."). The white spatlie with. its gol- 

 den yellow spadix was like the common Afri<'an 

 lily, only the ordinary green leaf in this case assum- 

 ed tlie texture and shape of the fiower, close to it, eo 

 as to appear like two lilies on one stem, close to- 

 gether. 



Mrs. Zcll read a paper on certain observations in a 

 Zonale Geranium under cultivation in the window, 

 which manifested a change of tlu^ perfect stamens 

 intd petals; in one llower she found a single jierfect 

 stamen, and the lilaments of other petaloid. This is 

 not a very rare case; it occurs in the water lily, and 

 other plants under cultivation, especially if iiielined 

 to become double. 



Mr. S. S. Rathvon read a paper on the several 

 donations made, in which he speaks in high praise 

 of .Mr. Kinzer, and his valuable colleclion of objects 

 of Natural Science; his skill in mounting bii'ds, iV:c., 

 aud his labors in this field, so little known to the 

 general public; his collection with that of ours 

 would form a truly valuable museum. 



Mrs. Gil)bon6 read notes and observations on the 

 Cabbage butterfiy^hirv^, and Paris green. 



The following resolution was presented by S. S. 

 Rathvon and adopted, viz : 



"Resolved, That the Secretary be instrneted to 

 examine the records and see wlio (under the origi- 

 nal resolutions, authorizing the same) are entitled 

 to additional certificates of the stock of the museum, 

 and to issue the same on the e(»nditions named in 

 said resolutions and report the same at the next 

 stated tneeting of the Society." 



On motion the Secretary was authorized to set up 

 a form of notice to dcliufpients, and have blanks 

 printed, to fill out and distribute. 



No further business offering. Society adjourned to 

 meet on Saturday, April 1^8. 



AGRICULTURAL. 



Valuable Formulas. 



Professor Stockbridge, of the Massachusetts Ag- 

 cultural College, Amherst, issues the following for- 

 mulas for compounding phosphates, which it might 

 be well for Granges to paste in their book of [uinulcs. 



To produce fifty bushels of corn to the acre more 

 than the natural proiluet of the land use : 



Nitrogen, 04 pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 ammonia; 



Potash, 77 pounds, in the form of muriate of pot- 

 ash ; 



Phosphoric acid, 31 pounds, in the form of muriate 

 of superphosphates. 



To produce one ton of hay per acre more than the 

 natural product of the land use : 



Nitrogen, 30 pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 ammonia ; 



I'otash, 31 pounds, in the form of miu'iate of pot- 

 ash ; 



Phosphoric acid, 12 pounds, in the form of super- 

 phosphate. 



To produce 25 bushels of oats and the usual pro- 

 portion of straw per acre more than the natural 

 product of the soil, and in proportion for other quan- 

 tities, use : 



Nitrogen, 10 pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 ammonia ; 



Potash, 31 pounds, in the form of muriate of pot- 

 ash ; 



Phosphoric acid, 8 pounds, in the form of super- 

 phosphate. 



To produce 1,500 pounds of dried leaf tobacco, 

 with the usual proportion of stalk, more than the 

 natural yield per acre of land, use : 



Nitrogen, Hi) pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 ammonia ; 



Potash, 172 pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 potash : 



Phosphoric acid, 16 pounds, in the form of super 

 phoBjihate ; 



Lime, 100 pounds, in the form of sulphate of lime 

 (land plaster); 



Magnesia, 38 pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 magnesia. 



To produce 100 bushels of potatoes per acre, and 

 their usual proportion of tops, more than the natu- 

 ral proiluetion of the land, and other quantities pro- 

 portionally, use : 



Nitrogen, 31 pounds, in the form of sulphate of 

 ammonia ; 



Potash, 34 pounds, in the form of sulphate of pot- 

 ash ; 



PhoRphorle acid, 11 pounds, In the form of super- 

 phosphate. 



By the use of these formulas, upon any ordinary 

 level lands, with a good elav subsoil, corn can be 

 raised at about T2 cents per bushel ; oats, ^0 cents ; 

 potatoes, 10 cents, and tobacco about 84 per hund- 

 red pounds (all of superior quality), couutingln the 

 cost of farm labor. 



These mixtures should be sown over the land 

 broadcast when the ground is well prepared, before 

 planting. an<l not put in the hills, so that the roots 

 may seek the food and not concentrate and thereby 

 cause the plants " to burn up." 



Utilizing Coal Dust, 

 .^n invention has been made by .Mr. G. K. Steven- 

 son, of Valparaiso, for a furnace for burning coal 

 dust, which is made In the shape of a retort, of lire 

 brick, open at both emls, and provided with radical 

 or inclined discharge channels at the upper parts. 

 This is placed in posillon on the walls, and Is partly 

 charged with a quantity of wood and coal, and 

 lightid. The apparatus by which the jjowdercd 

 fuel is inlroduied is then placed in [msition, and the 

 fuel fell to the furnace, after the coarse fuel is 

 I liorowghly ignited by the blast from a blower used 

 ill connection tlierenlth. The piiwdi-red fuel Is then 

 continually introduced, care being taken to remove 

 the ashes from beyond the mouth of the iiuier end of 

 the retort, which can be done in a few minutes. 

 The apparatus may be detached and replaced, and 

 the operation proceeded with, without a great de- 

 crease in teiiiiicralnre, as the llrebriik retort retains 

 some of the heat from previous firing. The fuel Is 

 said to be completely consumed by the addition of 

 air injected willi the same into the retort, and there- 

 by a high and unilorm dcgrej^ of temperature Is kept 

 lip, while the fire may be instantly interrupted wllh- 

 oul the loss of large quantities of fuel, and also be 

 started again with great rapidity, so as to facilitate 

 the getting up of bteain in boilers. 



What Soil Consists of. 



The bulk of all fertile soil consists of three earths, 

 to wit : silica, alumina and lime. Unmixed with 

 <-lay, sand, or ot her organic or inorganic substances, 

 lime c(uisisls of the oxide of the metallic element 

 calcium, and as it enters into the composition of all 

 plants, it necessarily occupies a large place in 

 Nature's laboratory. Chemistry tells us that it has 

 an allinity for water and ear!«>nic acid ; when apj 

 plied to tile land it absorbs water, forming hydrate 

 of lime; this hydrate then absorbs carbonic acid, so 

 th.at lime, although applied to the land in the caustic 

 state, really exists, shortly after its application. In 

 the form of carbonate, along with a little sulphate 

 and phosphate as previously mentioned. Lime has 

 for a long time been used as a fertilizer, when land 

 previously unworked is brought into cultivation, or 

 when worn-out pasture land is broken up, lime is 

 Efcnerally applied. It affects chieliy the vegetable 

 matter contained in the soil, promoting its decompo- 

 sition, and thus rendering it available as plant food. 



A New Agricultural Plant. 



A new agricultural plant for cattle-feeding and 

 paper-making has been introduced to public notice 

 by Mr. William Gorrie. Rai Lodge, Edinburg. It is 

 a variety of a tree-mallow, " Lavatera arlorea," 

 the natural habitats of wliich, in Scotland, are the 

 Ba.i's Hock, with other islets in the Firth of Forth, 

 and Ailsa Craig. Its ordinary heights vary from 6 

 to 10 feet, liiit it can be grown to twelve feet. It ll 

 bienmal, but the first year it may he planted after 

 the removal of any early crops and matures the 

 following year. Chemical analysis of its seeds 

 shows them to he equal in feeding properties to oil- 

 cake, which is niiw worth in Scotland about 8'"'0 per 

 ton, and pa[ier-m:ikers ollereil the same price for the 

 bark that they now pay for esparto grass, which Is 

 also about g.^O per ton. This shows a return of 

 about .?J0O per acre, for the '.cv.il and bark, and it 

 is expected that the excess of fibre in the latter will 

 allow the heart wood being mixed up with it, which 

 will add very considerably to the value of the crop. 

 ^ _ 



Hints to Farmers. 



A bare pasture enriches not the soil, nor fattens 

 the animals, nor increases the wealth of the owner. 



One animal well fed is of more use than two 

 poorly kept. 



The belter animals can be fed, and the more com- 

 fortalde they can be kept, the more profitable they 

 are— and all farmers work for profit. 



Ground once well ploughed is better than tbrlcc 

 poorly. 



Bountiful crops are more profitable than poor ones. 

 Make the soil rich, pulverize well and keep clean, 

 and it will will generally he productive. 



When you see the fence down, put it up. If It re- 

 mains until to-morrow, the cattle get over. 



What ought to be done to-day, do ft — for to-mor- 

 row it might rain. 



A strong horse will work all day without food ; 

 but keep him at it, aud he will not last long. 



