The Lancaster Farmer. 



Prof: S. S. EATHVON, Editor. 



LANCASTER, PA., MAY, 1877. 



Vol. IX. No. 5. 



TO ADVERTISERS. 



The Lancaster Farmer with its greatly 

 iiuTcased subscriiition list, .and its widely ox- 

 tended circulation, i.s claimed to he the best 

 adverli.sin;; niedimn now in the county of 

 Ijancaster — copie.s of it iioins to neaiiy every 

 .State in the Union, as well as to Canada and 

 Europe — es|M'Cially as it hrintrs to the notice 

 of tlie faruiin'; public such objects, articles and 

 implements, as tlioy are ininiediately interested 

 in, in their occupations. This is apparent from 

 the fact that it may be at any time more con- 

 veniently referreil to than a large folio, which 

 is usually either torn uii, used for other pur- 

 poses, or folded up and laid away, anil often 

 lost. 



All who patronize it are householders or are 

 members of a household, where every number 

 Iiermanently occupies the literary shelf or 

 table, is always accessible, and is frequently 

 referred to from the beginning to the end of 

 the intervening months. 



At the end of each volume a copious index 

 accompanies the December nundjer, and when 

 hound, it becomes a handsome volume of read- 

 ing m.atter that is always available and inte- 

 resting. 



■ But chiefly, as an advertising medium, it 

 reaches that sid)stantial class of reliable 

 citizens whose patronage is the most desirable 

 to those who have anytliing to sell — who pur- 

 chase what they want, and who pay for what 

 they purchase. 



Our rates are low, and a reasonable deduc- 

 tion will be made for increased space, and 

 length of time. — J'lih. 



THE EUROPEAN WAR. 



It is just )iossil)le that before the end of the 

 year it may be demonstrated in Lancaster 

 county an<i elsewhere, that a larger acreage 

 should have been devoted to wheat, corn, po- 

 tatoes and oats, and less to toliacco. Not that 

 the demand for tobacco will be less, but that 

 the demand for wheat, corn, potatoes and 

 oats, is likely to be more, in consequence of 

 the war. Note the present market of these 

 products, and sec which is making the heaviest 

 advances. It is true, that through the deft 

 intrigues of diplom.acy, a long and devastating 

 war may be averted ; but this is not likely; 

 the cards have been too long " shullling,"and 

 as they now seem to be " stocked," it is likely 

 th;it the "game" will be played o>it to its 

 Ijitter end. The extra costs for breadstuffs 

 and horse feed, exorbitant as it may become, 

 is nothing in comparison with the human 

 suffering, the fearful carnage, the death, de- 

 vastation and general demoralization which 

 will follow in the wake of the contending 

 armies. 



Any one who has ohseiTed closely the po- 

 litical history of Europe for the last twenty 

 years or more, must have be.eu impressed with 

 the idea that the "Powers" were jealous of 

 each other, and that in all their adroitly con- 

 structed treaties, there was ,a mental reserva- 

 tion that contemplated the ultimate absorp- 

 tion of Tiirkry, by one or the other of them, if 

 no amicable division could be made of its 

 tempting domain. This war may not lead to 

 its ostensible dismemberment ,as a nation, but 

 if there is no cffi dive interference by an allied 

 l)ower .against Russia, it is likely to dwindle 

 down to a tributary province — .so far as 

 " Turkey in Europe" is concerned, at least. 



I?ut, if the w;ir is long, general, and de- 

 structive, we perhaps will l)e llnancially bene- 

 fited ; l)ut we hope no Christian nation will 

 desire to prosper at such a fearful sacritice of 

 the human family. If prosperity comes, we of 

 course will not reject it, for in its rejection we 

 may but increase the distress of the afflicted 

 countries. 



A REMINDER. 



Those of our rciulers who have not attended 

 to the removal of the cocoons of the "drop- 

 worms," the pupu'of the "cabbage but terlly," 

 the eggs of the "lent cateri>illar," or the caji- 

 lure of (he jiarents of the "canker-worm," 

 will now lind it too late to contend succi^ss- 

 fully with those insects, as some will be se- 

 creted by the foliage of the trees, and others 

 will have already evolvi'd from their pujiii', or 

 have deposited their eggs. lint, from this 

 time forward, a war of extermination should 

 be w.aged against the "Colorado potato bee- 

 tle," wherever or whenever it may make its 

 iijipearance. One impregnated female, de- 

 stroyed before .she has oviposited, is e(iual to 

 destroying one thousand later in the season, 

 and will save much Paris (ireen or other rem- 

 edies, besides .a great .amount of weary and 

 vexatious lal)or. Now also, and the coming 

 month, is the most prolilic period of insei-t 

 evolution in the whole year— quite as much so 

 with some siiecies as all the rest of the year 

 I)ut together. The "striped apjile tree borer," 

 the "tlat-headed aiiple tree borer," the "linden 

 tree borer," the "rasiiberry boi-er," the "cur- 

 rant borer," the "iieach tree Vwrer," the "po- 

 tato stock borer," and a host of otlier noxious 

 insect borers, will all elTect their linal trans- 

 formations during the perio<l indicated above, 

 evolve from their long pupal sleep, and j;o 

 forth on their destructive mission. Peach, 

 pear, apple and <iuince trees slundd have the 

 surface borers cut out. and thos(^ buried deep- 

 er in the wood should be gouged or poisoned 

 out, and the bases of the trees should be pro- 

 tected against the attacks of matured in.sects 

 of the present season, when their ovipositing 

 period arrives. 



WHAT THE BIRDS ACCOMPLISH. 



"The swallow, swift and night-hawk are 

 the guardians of the atmosphere. They check 

 the increase of insects that otherwise would 

 overload it. Woodpeckers, creejiers and 

 chickadees are the guardians of the trunks of 

 trees. Warblers and lly-catchers protect the 

 foliage. I51ackl)irds, crows, thrushes anil 

 larks protect the surface of the soil. Sniiie 

 and woodcock protect the soil under the sur- 

 face. Each tribe has its resiiective duties to 

 perform in the economy of nature. It is an 

 undoubted fact that if the birds were .all swept 

 x)fl: the face of the earth, man could not live 

 upon it. Vegetation would wither and die. 

 Insects would become so numerous that no 

 living thing could withstand their att.acks. 

 The wholesale destruction occasioned by 

 grasshoppers, which have lately devastated 

 the west, is undoubtedly cau.sed by the thin- 

 ning out of grouse, prairie hens, &c., which 

 feed u\)c)n them. The great and inestimable 

 service done to the farmer, gardener and tlor- 

 ist by the birds, is only becoming known liy 

 sad exi)erience. Spare the liirds, and save 

 your fruit. The little corn .and fruit taken 

 by them is more than compensated for by the 

 quantities of noxious insects they destroy. 

 The l(uig persecuted crow has been found by 

 actual experience to do far more good by the 

 vast (piantities of grubs and insects he de- 

 vours than the little harm he does in the few 

 grains of corn he pulls up. He is one of the 

 farmer's best friends." 



We respectfully connnend the above to the 

 calm consideration of those of our readers 

 who may feel themselves injured or annoyc<l 

 by th(^ iiugnacious little English sparrow, that 

 is now becoming so lunnerous in this country. 

 A conq>laint comes ui> against him from .sev- 

 eral quarters, that during the latter jiart of 

 winter, and the earlj' part of spring, he has 

 been guilty of destroying the leaf and Howcr 

 buds of trees, and especially fruit trees. Now 



this may be all very true, but tlien taking the 

 whole (|uestion in its entire economical 8en.so, 

 it does not make a case against these sparrows 

 by any means. Thty no doidit ha<l eat(Uj all 

 the insects, their eggs and their jiuikp, tiiat 

 were accessible, and linding nolhing else eata- 

 ble, arul moreover being active little creat- 

 ures, and bound to live through tlie wniter, 

 they must nec<'Rsarily have eaten snnictliinij, 

 or have starved before the opening of spring. 

 Starving to death nmst be a hard death to 

 die, and that .animals, or even men, should 

 clandestinely appropriate the property of 

 otheis rather than pass through such a trying 

 ordeal, is not at all surprising. Is not this 

 suggestive V Should we not be able to con- 

 clude that this is only another way of a.sking 

 to be fed. We feed inaTiy animals through 

 the wilder in order thai we may have the 

 benelit of their lalMirs during the 8i>ring and 

 summer, and why not e.xten<l the same provi- 

 dence to our little feathered friends? .Some- 

 times insects become so. numerous that the 

 birds cannot eat them all, and then fault is 

 found with them again. Nobody pretends 

 that birds will destroy in.sects for tlie mere 

 puri)ose of di!stroying thrm, and in obedience 

 to the comfort and convenience of the human 

 family. They eat just the quaidily that 

 their natural instincts dictate they should 

 eat in order to sustain themselves; and if all 

 creatures gifted with a higher intelligence 

 would do the same, we should have a lical- 

 thier, a wealthier and a hapiiier world. 



MONTHLY REMINDER-MAY. 



"Thin out the early sown crojis of beets, 

 parsnips, carrots, etc. Transplant cabbage, 

 lettuce, egg plants, tomatoes, peppers, etc., 

 from the hot-beds, frames and warm border- 

 seed beds. The sowing of any seeds that were 

 neglected last month should now he attended 

 to without del.ay. 



"Sow borecole, brussels sprouts, broccoli, 

 cauhtlower, cabb.age, beans, endive, c.amot, 

 cucumber, cre.ss, melon, water-mel^, squash, 

 nasturtion, *martynia, okra, jieas, sweet corn, 

 liumjikin, tomato, radish and sweet herbs. 

 Plant ])olatocs, sweet jiotatoes, and any plants 

 still remaining in the frames or hot beds. 



"Water all newly transivliinted jilants at the 

 time of transplanting, and two or three times 

 afterward, if the weather is dry, or until the 

 plants are established. 



"Keep the boo going in order to destroy the 

 weeds, which will now begin to be trouble- 

 some." 



Of course, latitude, elevation, exposure, and 

 the temperature of the season — its forward- 

 ness or backwardness — its drought or humidity 

 — will h.ave a corresponding eftect ui)on these 

 vegetable productions, but under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances, in the middle States, this work 

 should now be done, without delay. The 

 price of good crops in almost any contingency, 

 is " eternal vigilance." 



TOBACCO STEMS. 



It is almost universally conceded tliat to- 

 bacco growing exliausts the land beyond any 

 other crop that is usually planted, and there- 

 fore it is a matter of constant solicitude how 

 to keep up the necessary fertility of the soil ; 

 although it is generally conceded that this can 

 be best accomi>lished by jilwral manuring; hut 

 there is still .some difference of opinion in 

 regard to the kind of manure. Good bam- 



•The Ioii(f. liorii-t*liaiic<l ^oed-j-odB of MiirtyiiU aro UBfd 

 for pickliiift when in Ihelr yuunp Krean fllale, and liy nmny 

 pprttons are vref^rrcd to ciictiml)«ra. Tho wed vbould be 

 BOwu in HD opon border in April or May, and in Jnnc ahould 

 be l.-aiit»i-liinted into tho pernianent t*d at a diHtal.co of two 

 and a-half fcpt apart Mcli way. It will tbrlve in any Rood 

 garden Koil, but does uot need to be bearily niaQurad.— McX;'« 



