138 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ September, 



back on some good fertilizer to eupply the soil witli 

 the ingredients taken from it in croijping. For some 

 years past very inferior fertilizers have been thrown 

 upon the market. Two years ago Mr. Hillc-r had 

 purchased two tons of superphosphate at a high 

 price, and he could not see where he had placed it. 

 Sines that time he has bought some that showed ex- 

 cellent results. It is necessary, therefore, for the pro- 

 tection of the farmer, as well as the honest manufac- 

 turer, that the analysis of the fertilizer should be 

 known. He favored the passage of the bill. 



Mii. LiNViLLE said that a law similar to the one 

 now being considered had been passed by the Georgia 

 Legislature some years ago, and since its passage 

 the fertilizers offered in that State are 30 per cent, 

 better than they were before. The law docs not pro- 

 hibit the manufacture of any kind of fertilizer but 

 compels the manufacturer to furnish an analysis of 

 its constituents. 



Levi W. Groff thought it would not be long be- 

 fore every farmer in the county would manufacture 

 his own phosphates, then no such law as the one 

 proposed will be necessary ; you can go to Stein- 

 man's, purchase the necessary articles and make 

 your own. 



President Cooper s.aid the passage of the pro- 

 posed act would not prevent any one from doing so. 



J. H. Landis, of Manor, said that South Carolina 

 rock could be sold in Wilmington for §8 per ton, and 

 can be sold iu Chester and Lancaster counties for 

 less than |16. lie thought the operations of the law 

 should not be restricted" to those kind of fertilizers 

 which sold at $20 or more per ton. 



Secretary Miller explained that the law said 

 "less" than S-0 per ton, not "more." 



Mr. Landis withdrew his objection and the act 

 was approved ; but having again read the bill, and 

 discovered that his objection was well founded, he 

 moved a reconsideration of the vote, by which it was 

 apiiroved, ami it was accordingly reconsidered. 



Mr. LA>fDis then asked "for information why 

 samples of artilicial feltilizcrs selling for less than 

 §20 per ton were exempt from analysis and inspection. 



Mr. Linville said that where fertilizers were 

 offered at such low figures farmers would know that 

 they were not good and could look out forthemselves. 

 When the prices were higher the temptation to fraud 

 would be greater. 



Mr. Landis contended that if a 520 article should 

 be inspected, so should a $19 article. He moved to 

 strike out the figures "§20" in the last line of the 

 proviso . 



Mr. Hiller said it was well known to all that a 

 concentrated fertilizer could not be made for less 

 than ^-tO, ?.50 or $00, and therefore cannot be sold 

 for $20. To have inserted all kinds of fertilizers in 

 the bill would perhaps necessitate an inspection of 

 lime, plaster and other manures. 



Mr. Landis then moved to strike out the entire 

 proviso. 



Mr. Wither approved striking out the proviso. 



P. S. Reist said he thought there was a good deal 

 of humbugging in these artificial fertilizers, and read 

 a paper by a toliacco expert to show that much of 

 the imperfection in the quality of tobacco leaf was 

 caused by using them instead of barnyard manure. 

 He moved that the further consideration of the sub- 

 ject be postponed until next meeting. 



Mr. Engle opposed further postponement. It had 

 already been postponed for one month, and members 

 are as well qualified to vote npw as they will be iu a 

 mouth hence. 



Mr. Keist said that Prof. Calder, of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Agricultural College, hooted at the analyza- 

 tiou of fertilizers. 



Jacob Bollinger did not use any artificial fertil- 

 izers, nor did any of his neighbors. He thought every 

 farm should produce enough manure to keep it up. 

 As only those who use the' fertilizers would have to 

 pay for them, he thought it would be as well to pass 

 the act. 



A vote was then taken on postponing its further 

 consideration and lost — yeas, 10 ; nays, 12. 



A vote was tlieu taken on the rejection of the pro- 

 viso — yeas, o ; nays not counted. 



The act was then adopted without division. 



Committee to Test Fruits. 



The president appointed Casper Hiller, John H. 

 Landis and John C. Linville a committee to examine 

 the very flue fruits on exhibitiou before the society. 



Pkof. S. S. r.ATiivoN moved that the librarian be 

 instructed to purchase a dozen more chairs for the 

 use of members. Carried. 



Mk. Englk read a communicatiou he had received 

 from the officers of the York County Agricultural 

 Society, requesting the Lancaster society to appoint 

 four judges to assist iu making the awards at the 

 coming York county fair, and to send the names and 

 postofflce addresses of the appointees to the secretary 

 at York . 



Mr. Engle moved that the request of the York 

 county society be complied with, and that the presi- 

 dent appoint the judges and shall be a member 

 thereof. The motion was agreed to, and the presi- 

 dent named them as follows : Henry M. Engle, Ma- 

 rietta; Johnson Miller, Lititz; Ephraim S. Hoover, 

 Manheim; Calvin Cooper, Paradise. 



Testimonial to Prof. Rathvon. 



Mr. M. D. Kendig stepped up iu front of Prof. S. 

 S. Rathvon, who was seated near the president, and 

 spoke as follows : 



Professor : Permit me, on behalf of the members 

 of the Lancaster County Agricultural and Horticul- 

 tural Society, in recognition of your valuable and 

 self-sacrifleing labors in said society, towards promo- 

 ting its welfare and success, and the great pleasure 

 with which your efibrts were exercised in its behalf; 

 therefore, as a slight testimonial of our appreciation 

 of your kind recognitions of our wants, and the phil- 

 osophical explanations you have given us from time 

 to time on the various subjects which have come be- 

 fore us, we present you with this cane, and desire 

 you to accept it with our best wishes. May you 

 lean upon it for support in your declining years, as 

 this society has ever leaned upon you, and when your 

 life's labors are finished here, may you have a beau- 

 tiful entrance into that world of blessedness, where 

 all is peace and rest. 



The cane is of ebony, with a heavy and beautifully 

 chased gold head containing the following inscrip- 

 tion : "Presented to S. S. Rathvon by the Agricultu- 

 ral and Horticultural society of Lancaster county, 

 Pa., Sept. :-!d, 1S77." It was gotten up by H. L. 

 Zahm &, Co., on the order of a number of Prof. 

 Kathvon's friends, members of the society. 

 The Professor's Reply . 



Prof. Rathvon was much affected, and his sur- 

 prise was so complete that it was some moments be- 

 fore he found utterance. He said he was at no time 

 a fluent off-hand speaker, and that now he was so 

 astonished and overwhelmed at the receipt of the 

 testimonial, and the complimentary manner in which 

 it had been presented, that he could not coin words 

 with which to express the emotions of his heart. 

 From his heart he thanked the givers, but feared the 

 honor done him was but poorly deserved. He had 

 done nothing for the society but what he had done 

 from a sense of duty. His efforts had been only a 

 labor of love, and he was not sure that a man who 

 did only that which he loved to do was entitled to as 

 much credit as he who acts contrary to his inclina- 

 tions in doing a good work. He accepted the cane 

 in tlie same spirit in which it was bestowed, and 

 would lean upon it for support in his declining years, 

 and hope for an entrance into the better life when 

 this shall have ended. 



Social Intercourse and Testing of Fruit. 



A recess was then taken to examine and test the 

 fruits on exhibition, and after this had gone on for 

 some time John B. Erb moved that all the fruit not 

 wanted by the exhibitors be donated to the newspa- 

 per reporters. There was laughter and applause 

 among the members, while broad grins distended 

 the reporters' mouths from ear to ear. 

 The Codling Moth. 



Prof. Rathvon presented specimens of the cod- 

 ling which he had hatched out and developed from 

 eggs deposited in apricots presented by J. M. Johns- 

 ton. He said he had raised the codling moth from 

 the apple, pear, peach, quince, nectarine and apricot, 

 and these experiments exploded the theory that the 

 codling moth attacks only pip fruits. 



Fruit Report. 



The committee appointed to examine and test 

 fruits presented the following report : 



The committee to examine and report on the large 

 array of apples, pears and grapes brought by some 

 of the members, submitted the following : 



Henry M. Engle made a splendid display of 

 grapes, consisting of the following varieties : Jessie, 

 Delaware, Massasoit, Telegraph, AVilder, Liudley, 

 Iowa, Paxton, Rogers No. 19, Creveling, Lady, 

 Salem, Rogers No. 33, Croton, Adirondack, Agawam, 

 Antachon, Ives, Clinton, Canada, Martha, Concord, 

 Maxatawney, Cornucopia. The grape Jessie is espe- 

 cially good and is worthy of trial. 



John Huber exhibited a bunch of Lady, a new 

 white grape, very good and very promising. 



Calvin Cooper also exhibited a very flne lot of 

 grapes : Northern Muscadine, Merrimac, Massasoit, 

 Concord, Catawba, Hartford, Prolific, Herbert, Tele- 

 graph, Wilder, Martha, Agawam, two other varieties 

 of Rogers. 



Levi S. Reist exhibited ten varieties of pears : 

 Ouondago, Belle Lucretia, Bartlett, Howell, Flemish 

 Beauty, McLaughlin, Buffum, Seckcl, Liiwrcnce, 

 Schaum. Peaches: Morris White, Early Crawford. 

 Apples : Shoonhauer, Hubbardston Nonsuch, Apple- 

 butter, and a sweet for name. 



Samuel Binkley exhibited extra fine specimens 

 of Concord and Martha. 



C. Hiller — Bonni St. Ghistain pear, pronounced 

 very good . 



H. M. Engle, Pears— Bartlett, Seckel, Howell, 

 Duchess de Bonne, DcsNonnes, Flemish Beauty. 



B. Frank Taylor, of Chester county, sends a fine 

 bunch of hulless oats. 



Casper Hiller, 

 J. C. Linville,^ 

 JonN H. Landis. 



Mr. Engle thought this society should be repre- 

 sented in the annual meeting of the American Pomo- 



logieal society, which meets in Baltimore, on the 12th 

 loth and 14th inst., and the Maryland Horticultural 

 society, which meets at the same time and place. 



Levi S. Reist moved that a committee of throe be 

 appointed by the chair to attend said meetings. 

 Agreed to, and M. D. Kendig, Levi S. Reist and H. 

 M. Engle were appointed. Messrs. Engle and Reist 

 were also appointed last January to represent the 

 Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' Society at the same 

 meeting. 



Business for next Meeting. 



The committee on business reported the following 

 questions for discussion at next meeting : 



What grade of horses are best adapted for farm 

 use ? 



Does it pay to fatten stock when we get no more 

 than market price for the grain fed ? Adjourned. 



TOBACCO GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



A stated meeting of the Lancaster County To- 

 bacco Growers' Association was held in their rooms 

 in the city hall, on Monday afternoon, August 20. 

 The following named members and visitors were 

 present : 



M. D. Kendig, president. Manor; W. L. Hershey, 

 secretary. East Hempfleld ; Henry Mayer, East 

 Hempfleld; Adam Bear, Lancaster twp.; P. S. Reist, 

 Oregon, Manheim twp.; I. L. Landis, Manheim; 

 Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy ; Jacob F. Frantz, Manor ; 

 Heiu-y Shiffner, Leacock ; Sylvester Kennedy, Salis- 

 bury; John M. Stehman, Manheim; Aldus Gross, 

 East Hempfleld ; Ephraim Hoover, East Hempfield ; 

 Levi S. Reist, Manheim; Prof. S. S. Rathvon, city; 

 Sihas K. Eshleman, Leaman Place; Wm. D. Hoar, 

 Salisbury ; J. M. Johnston, city ; Andrew Lane, city ; 

 B. Ritter, Litiz ; Levi Gross, East Hempfield; Wm. 

 McComsey, city ; Frank R. Diffenderfer, city ; Clare 

 Carpenter, city; H. B. Harnish, Conestoga ; Mr. 

 Long, and a few others. 



The minutes of last meeting were read and 

 adopted. 



Crop Reports. 



The condition of the tobacco crop throughout the 

 county being called for, Israel L. Landis, of Man- 

 heim, reported that in his section it was very good — 

 a considerable portion of it had been already cut and 

 housed and was equal to any grown for some years. 

 A number of new tobacco sheds are being erected, 

 and there are other evidences of a growing interest 

 in the cultivation of the weed. Not much old tobacco 

 remains in the hands of the growers, though he 

 (Mr. Landis) and a few others have a few cases on 

 hand. 



Henry Kurtz, of Mount Joy, reported some 

 very good tobacco in his neighborhood, some not so 

 good, and some very poor indeed. 



Silas K. Ebhleman, of Leaman Place, said that 

 owing to the late dry weather a good deal of the to- 

 liacco has a stunted appearance, though there are 

 some patches that are very fine. The tobacco worm 

 has not been troublesome this season. 



Henry SniFFNER, of Leacock, reported some of 

 the tobacco very fine, especially that which was 

 planted early. Some of the later planted was not so 

 good. In Paradise, Lower Leacock and other 

 neighboring places there will not be more than two- 

 thirds of a crop. He thought his own crop might be 

 rated as "thribble A." He had not been troubled 

 with the tobacco worm, and had secured a large and 

 fine crop by low topping, which he regarded as es- 

 sential to the growth of first-class tobacco. By care- 

 ful cultivation and low topping he had raised excel- 

 lent croiis for six years in succession on the same 

 land. He set his plants 20 inches apart in rows 29 

 inches apart. 



Sylvester Kennedy, of S.alisbury, reported the 

 crop doing well — better than any one expected earlier 

 in the season. The acreage is from 50 to 100 per 

 cent, greater than it was last year. TbS early 

 planted is better than that which was set out later; 

 it escaped the ravages of the worm, which did not 

 appear in any considerable number until a week or 

 two ago. Some farmers have already cut their to- 

 bacco and others have one-half or one-quarter cut ofi". 

 The "stink-bug" and the dry weather have done 

 more harm to the worm. A number of new tobacco 

 houses have been built, and should the present crop 

 prove to be a profitable one, almost all the farmers 

 in Salisbury will engage in its cultivation next year. 

 His plan of killing the tobacco moth was to put 

 sweetened water in the jimson blossoms, and strike 

 down the moth with paddles when they come to 

 feed . Some of the late tobacco is yet very small, but 

 with a favorable season it has yet a chance to turn 

 out well. 



Jacob F. Frantz asked Mr. Kennedy whether the 

 moth did not fly more during moonlight nights than 

 dark nights. 



Mr. Kennedy thought not; he had frequently 

 killed them in fhe evening before dark, and after 

 dark when there was no moon and it was raining. 



IIabry Mayek, of East Hempfield, reported some 

 very good crops of tobacco in his neighborhood and 

 none that are very poor. As to quality he did not 

 think it would prove as good as last year's crop. 

 The plants grew too rapidly in the spring and then 



