1877. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



153 



Apple and pear seeds should he kept in moist 

 sand or in moderately dry earth during tlie 

 winter. 



I am pleased to know that the question of 

 forest culture is heiug agitated throughout 

 the entire country. At a meeting of the 

 "American Nurserymen'.s Association," held 

 at Chicago the present year, a committee of 

 eleven members, belonging to as many States, 

 was appointed, of which John A. Warder, of 

 North Bend, Ohio, president of the "Ameri- 

 can Forestry Association," was made Chair- 

 man — to memorialize Congress and present 

 the following preamble and resolution : 



Whereas, In view of the vast importance 

 of the future forest interest of America, and 

 in consideration of the lamentable ignorance 

 which it must be admitted i)revalls among us 

 as to an enlightened system of forestry, <ind 

 in view of the rich treasures of information 

 that may be gathered by a proper investigation 

 and report upon the forests of Europe; there- 

 fore. 



Resolved, That in the opinion of this society 

 it would be eminently proper for our govern- 

 ment to take speedy action in the matter, and 

 provide for sending a commission to examine 

 the present status of the forests of Europe, 

 and to state the means by which their perfec- 

 tion has been reached, and finally to give the 

 results to our fellow countrymen, in a suitable 

 report, with the data furnished by observa- 

 tions made by scientific men in those coim- 

 tries, as to the influence exerted by forests 

 upon the climate, conditions of the land, &c." 

 —L. «. B., Oregon, Sept. 1877. 



For The Lancaster Farmeb. 

 HARD TIMES. 



This subject has been so hackneyed of late 

 that it is very probable most persons will look 

 at the heading of this article and read no 

 further, and even if they should I will not 

 guarantee that they will find anything new 

 advanced. 



During the war there were no hard times 

 for anybody willing to work or light, and this 

 state of affairs continued long afterwards, 

 though had any person taken time to watch the 

 signs they would have discovered that every- 

 thing was tightening up, but so slow and im- 

 perceptible was the onward advance that many 

 shrewd men were caught unawares in the finan- 

 cial crash of 1873. From this date hard times 

 actually appeared, and though there was not at 

 once any blackness about it, because of the sav- 

 ings made by many working men in more 

 prosperous times, yet when they continued 

 three years and more the little stock was all 

 expended and thus many of those who were 

 at first helpers to those that were thriftless or 

 not so fortunate, were gathered into the ranks 

 of. the great army of unemployed. We read, 

 from time to time, that business is looking up, 

 that trade and manufactures are recovering, 

 but this much is certain, that many classes of 

 persons are now in greater stress than has 

 been known in this country for years: in fact 

 very few can tell from experience of anything 

 like it. That some of this hardness has been 

 intensilied by the selfishness and criminality 

 of a few persons, does not lessen the sadness of 

 the case or pity for their condition. 



All classes have been touched, many smitten 

 to the very ground, with hope and energy 

 destroyed, and all along the coast of active 

 human life they lay, stranded wrecks which 

 will no more sail on the seas of commerce and 

 trade. By many the slow and plodding life of 

 the farmer is looked upon with contempt, be- 

 cause of the years and years which must 

 elapse before easy competence is reached ; 

 but when the tornado came the farmer stood 

 as behind a rock which no adverse wind could 

 reach, and he saw those that were so scornful 

 leveled with the very dust, while on him the 

 the storm cast but the down of the thistles, 

 the thistles' sting not l>ecomiug known. 



The farmer seems to have had the best of it 

 since 1873, for though his farm would not 

 bring as much in money to-day as it did four 

 years ago, and thus he can hardly call himself 

 any richer than he did then, yet the farm is 



there, and most likely some money to boot. 

 This we call getting along in the world, for a 

 man that keeps what he has and adds more 

 to it, is simply doing a sum in addition, and 

 proves that the sum of any two or more num- 

 bers is greater than either of the numbers. 



To-day the farmer gets a good price for his 

 wheat, corn and other staple crops, probably 

 more than the average since the days of infla- 

 tion are over. Some years ago he could buy 

 for one bu.slicl of wheat perhaps t«n yards of 

 print, now lif'leen ; then three yards of cot- 

 tonade, now five ; then five pounds of coffee, 

 now six ; then twelve pounds of rice, now fif- 

 teen ; tlien twenty-live pounds of nails, now 

 thirty-five to forty ; then the labor of a man 

 for one day, now the labor for one and a half 

 to two days. While his own production may 

 bring sonie less than it did in some of those 

 years, it was the meagre crops then that raised 

 the price above the average ; now, with boun- 

 tiful crops, the prices received are nearly as 

 great, and the i)roductions of others that he 

 needs he buys for much less, in some cases for 

 less than two-thirds of what ho did then. 



This state of affairs, as fiir as regards farm- 

 ers, are not the result of unusual circum- 

 .stauces, which may change without a moment's 

 warning, except, perhaps, the war between 

 two of the great powers of Europe. This may 

 cease at any time, but the effect on the jirices 

 of farm product will not be much felt for a 

 long time to come, as the waste must be re- 

 paired before their farm productions can again 

 come in competition with ours. War is at all 

 times to be deplored, but this much is certain, 

 that war between any two or more of the 

 great powers of Eiurope is pretty sure to ac- 

 crue to the profit of the American (U. S.) 

 farmer. 



The other circumstances that favor the 

 farmer are in the way of legitimate trade. 

 Our Centennial Exhibition was thought by 

 many to start nearly everything into active 

 life, but these hopes were abandoned soon 

 after its commencement; but too much was 

 expected. It has done a great deal for this 

 country and will do much more, as many 

 parties interested in mainifactures can attest, 

 who have received orders for their wares. 

 These orders led to orders for other kinds of 

 products, and now our farm products are 

 taken to places where they had never reached 

 before. The wider the gates of trade are 

 opened the greater will be the flow. And to 

 the staple farm exports of years ago are now 

 added others, many among which were then 

 classed'among the perishable ; we bought their 

 raisins, prunes, Ac, and paid for them in 

 money ; now we pay in dried apples, peaches 

 and other fruit ; we sent oin- gold for their 

 cloth, now we send them fresh beef and canned 

 meats ; the former we vrill retain, as neither 

 South America nor Australia are situated to 

 compete with us ; canned meats they can sell 

 cheaper, ours will bring a better price, just as 

 all superior goods bring more than the in- 

 creased cost of getting them up. 



With the increased demand our farmers 

 bring into play better styles of farming, and 

 thus increase the supply. In other countries, 

 at least some, the government pays a few well 

 educated men to study up the welfare of the 

 whole people, and their fanners (peasants) are 

 not neglected, but as soon as one of these 

 government servants thinks he has discovered 

 something of importance the government is 

 informed of the fact, and if the advisers of 

 the government think it will do then the in- 

 formation is imparted to the farmers, and they 

 are expected to profit by it. In this country 

 each farmer can, and many of them do, study 

 and direct their operations as skillfully as any 

 business man can. 



As a class our fanners may not be able to raise 

 the crops that some English farmers do, nor 

 do they as yet employ the same means, but 

 this is owing to the accidents of climate and 

 soil. When moderately large crops were raised 

 at a minimum cost from our virgin soils there 

 was no call for trying to take all that could 

 possibly be raised from their farms, for the in- 

 creased cost would have lessened the profits. 



But now, witli increased demand, higher 

 prices and less frrtile soils our farmers are be- 

 giiing to rai.se larger crops than before by their 

 more intelligent and improved methods. In 

 some of the eastern and sea-eoast States the 

 system of farming is not one whit behind any 

 l>ait of the world. 



We started out with hard times; by reading 

 the above one would think that farmersdid not 

 know anything about them, and they do not ; 

 and what is more, the times are getting better 

 for the farmer and will euutinue to du so, and 

 the effects will sooner oi' latter he visible on 

 the improved times all round. Farmer, don't 

 mind the times but stick to your trade. — 

 A. n. K. 



LETTER FROM NORTH CAROLINA. 



Salishiuv, N. C:., Sept. -jr.th, 1877. 



EniTOit L.\n(:astki£ Fakmkk: Since I 

 wrote you last we have had a line season in 

 this section of country for all kinds of crops. 

 Wheat, oats, corn, cotton, tobacco, Irish and 

 sweet potatoes will all yield well, so far as I 

 have seen and heard, (larden vegetables did 

 well generally. fJrapesaiid fruits of all kiiiils 

 raised in this climate produced an abundance. 

 Xever .since in this or any other country have 

 1 seen so much green fruit, such as apjiles, 

 peaches, prunes, pUims, gages, grapes (all 

 kinds), melons (musk and water), and canta- 

 loupes so plentiful as this season, all at low 

 prices ; dried fruits, such as ajiples, peaches, 

 (peeled and unpeeled,) so abundant and low 

 in price. Dried blackberries are short by one- 

 fourth this year to what they were heretofore 

 for some years past. Everything in the eat- 

 ing, drinking and wearing line is i)lentiful, 

 but money has been and is now very scarce in 

 this country, and we judge it is scarce every- 

 where in these American States, generally 

 speaking. For tobacco and cotton tlie season 

 has not so far been as favorable as desirable, 

 owing to much rainfall. Housing tobacco and 

 gathering cotton has commenced, and when 

 sold we expect to see money more plentiful 

 and business brisk. No disease among cattle 

 here now, but some folks are losing their hogs 

 and chickens from cholera or some other dis- 

 ease ; different remedies have been tried, but 

 of no avail .so far. ('an and will any of your 

 readers give (through TiiK Lanua.stku 

 Farmki!,) a remedy to prevent, or, if con- 

 tracted, to cure those diseases ? 



Money is very scarce with us, l)ut we look 

 for easier money matters when tobacco, cot- 

 tim and other crops are brought into market. 

 I have now given you the truest information 

 I could gather from sight and lieai-s.ay. 



Some "time since a subscriber to Tlir, 

 Lancaster Fah-MKR, living in this, llowan 

 county, solicited us, as as one of three jiersons. 

 by si)ecial invitation, to take a seat in his car- 

 riage and traverse Franklin township, this, 

 Kowan county, and inspect the lands, crops of 

 tobacco, cotton, corn, grass, vtc, &c., 

 but previous engagements prevented me 

 from accepting. This same subscriber (E. A. 

 Bopst,) to The Lancastf-k Fakmer told us 

 that he bad gained a good deal of information 

 through The Farsier. So far so good. 

 Heavy headsof wheat aliiw/s haiuj Zoic. m. r. 



AROUND THE FARM. No. 2. 



An old farmer told me the other day that 

 he would not feed pumpkins to hogs any 

 more, as they are too watery, and tend to 

 bloat them. " "How did you feed ?" I a.sked. 

 "Raw." "There is where you made the mis- 

 take," said I. "We feed ours cooked." I 

 cut them in .small pieces, put in a barrel with 

 six or eight gallons of water and three pecks 

 of bran, steam till soft, when it is a capital 

 feed for small pigs, or for fattening large ones. 

 This "mush" I consider worth twice as much 

 as pumpkins in the raw state, and am .satis- 

 fled it pays well for the lalMir and fuel it takes. 

 Hog-Styes. 



In order to make the best grades of pork, 

 cleanliness in the stable is of tlic first import- 

 ance. We cannot expect to raise good pork 

 if our hogs are allowed to wallow in their 



