i56 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ October, 



soil , and when a vote was taken on the question under 

 debate it was unanimously agreed that it was profit- 

 able to feed stock if no more is received for the meat 

 than the market price of the grain fed. 



S. P. Eby, the librarian, presented a diploma 

 awarded the society by the late Centennial Exposi- 

 tion for display of apples by members of the society. 



Mr. D. Kendig made report of an experiment he 

 had tried with Clawson's white and Fultz wheat. He 

 had seeded the two varieties on strips of ground side 

 by side. The seed was put in at the same time, in the 

 same quantity, and received the same care, and the 

 result was thai; the Clawson wheat yielded at the rate 

 ol 28;.; bushels to the acre, and the Fultz at the rate 

 of 43 bushels. He was astonished at the result, and 

 carefully re-measured and re-calculated it, and found 

 it to be as stated. 



Hen KY KuKTZ presented specimens of Champion, 

 Amber and Fultz wheat, the former of which yielded 

 40 bushels to the acre and the latter only 22. 

 The Cattle Disease. 



President Cooper called attention to the cattle 

 disease, of which so much has been heard, suggest- 

 ing that some action be taken on it. 



William McComsey, Israel Landls, Levi S. Reist, 

 Henry Kurtz and Peter 8. Keist, discussed the mat- 

 ter, but no facts were elicited that have not already 

 been ventilated in the newspapers. 



Fruit Committee. 



Henry M. Engle, Jacob Stauffer and .Joseph Wit- 

 mer were appointed a committee to test and report 

 on the fruits on exhibition before the society. 



They made a report to the following effect : 



John Huber, a bunch of very fine Triomph grapes 

 — a new variety and worthy of attention. 



.John H. Landis, a large sized grape — Rogers No. 

 19 supposed — dark, say black. 



Daniel Smeych,nine varieticsof very fine grapes, viz: 

 Rogers No. 33, deep claret ; Diana, light color ; Clin- 

 ton ; Union Village; Concord; Allen's Hybrid, am- 

 ber translucent; White Syrian; Black Hamburg; 

 Tokay, foreign exotic. 



Seedling peaches, viz.: A large, fine yellow cling- 

 stone (seedling), white free-stone excellent quality. 



Ten varieties of pears, viz.: Howell, Glout, Morce- 

 aux, Sheldon, Duchess, Buerre Did, BufTum, larger 

 than ordinary ; Louise Bonne, Muhlenberg, Beurre 

 Clairgeau, a new deep yellow variety. 



Apples — a large one to name — fine cooking. 



Casper Hiller, seven varieties of pears of good 

 quality, viz.: Lawrence, Urbaniste, B. i3o6C,B. d' An- 

 jou, Dix, Beurre Clairgeau, Chinese sand pear. 



Potatoes planted by Levi W. Groff, July 17, 1877; 

 of a good size, considering that they are a second 

 crop, and apparently of good quality. 



Catawba grapes, by Calvin Cooper ; fair quality. 



H. M. Engle, eight varieties of pears, very fine, 

 viz.: Urbaniste pear, very luscious; Kingsessing, also 

 a B. Bosc, very tender; Howell, a superior pear; 

 Mount Vernon, Russet, very good ; Danna's Hovey, 

 Sheldon, marked flavor; Buerre d' Anjou. 



Levi S. Keist, twelve kin s of apples, of fine size 

 and quality. 



H.Kurtz, monster red beet, 10?-^ pounds; Fultz 

 wheat and Amber wheat, a fair sample. 



M. D. Kendig, Clawson white wheat ; Fultz wheat, 

 of fine quality ; Erianthusi Ravenna, ornamental 

 grass ; Eulalia Japonioa Variegata, remarkable for 

 its diagonal yellow stripes, or bands alternating with 

 fine green on its leaves. 



The above list is briefly given. More might be said 

 in commendation of the fine collection before the 

 committee, but further pi-aise is not required. 

 Questions for the Next Meeting. 



On motion the thanks of the society were voted 

 to the committee. 



. The following questions were read by the secretary 

 as having been proposed for discussion at the next 

 meeting : 



"Does it pay to apply salt as a fertilizer to the 

 wheat ground in the fall?" Referred to Israel L. 

 Landis. 



"What is the best means of preserving manures ?" 

 For general discussion. 



"What measures should be taken by the farmers 

 to arrest the spread of the prevailing cattle disease ?', 



There being no other business the society adjourned 



TOBACCO GROWERS' AS OCIATION. 



The society met in the room in the third story of 

 city hall, on Monday, September 17. Owing to the 

 alterations being made in the city hall to accommo- 

 date the post offlce, the members were obliged to 

 clamber over piles of brick and mortar and climb up 

 a shaky l.idder to reach their room. Some of the 

 more timid declined to go up, but nevertheless there 

 was a pretty good attendance, the following members 

 and visitors being present : M. D. Kendig, president, 

 Manor ; W. L. Hershey, secretary. East Hempfleld ; 

 I. L. Landis, Manheim ; P. S. Reist, Manheim ; 

 Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy ; Sylvester Kennedy, Salis- 

 bury ; Prof. S. S. Rathvon, city ; Henry Shift'ner, 

 Upper Leacock ; W. D. Hoar, Salisbury; J. H. 

 Hershey, East Hempfield ; D. G. Swartz, city ; C. L. 

 Hunsecker, Manheim ; Eph. Hoover, Manheim ; 

 Alex. Lane, Neffsville ; J. M. Johnston, city; Aaron 



Summy, Oregon ; John Brady, Millersville ; C. Herr, 

 Manor; J. Willis Frantz, Oregon; .John H. Beiler, 

 Intercourse ; Alfred Trout, Paradise ; Simon Hostet- 

 ter, Oregon ; Amos Minnich, East Hempfield; Abe 

 Summy, Manheim; F. R. Difl'enderffer, city; Clare 

 Carpenter, city. 



The minutes of last meeting were read and 

 adopted. 



Crop Reports. 



A call was made for crop reports from the several 

 districts. 



Henry Shiffnek, from Upper Leacock, reported 

 that most of the tobacco had been cut and housed. 

 That which is cut early is eafe and curing nicely. 

 That which was cut lately is sufiering from the recent 

 warm and wet weather and is rotting to some extent. 



Peter S. Reist, Oregon, Manheim township, re- 

 ported nearly all the tobacco housed. Some late 

 patches are uncut. The crop is a full average. All 

 the tobacco sheds are full and growers complain that 

 they had some difficulty in securing enough lath to 

 hang it on. The tobacco yet out is in danger from 

 the ravages of worms, which are worse now than 

 earlier in the season. 



Sylvester Kennedy, of Salisbury, reported the 

 crop in his township nearly all housed and curing 

 satisfactorily. The long spell of damp weather has 

 moulded to some extent that which has been re- 

 cently cut. The worms were quite numerous two 

 weeks ago, but are not so bad now. The tobacco yet 

 uncut was planted very late, and will not be housed 

 for a week or more. 



Israel L. Landis, of Manheim, corroborated Mr. 

 Reist as to the condition of the crop in that township. 



Henry Kurtz, of Mount Joy, reported the to- 

 bacco in his township nearly all housed except a few 

 small patches. The late tobacco has grown wonder- 

 fully within a week or two. All growers seem ivell 

 pleased with the crops. The lumber yards have been 

 "cleaned out" in supplying lath for hanging tobacco. 

 Some of the crop cut early is curing rather lighter 

 than desirable. He mentioned a firm in Maytown 

 that had sold 700 eases of 1876 tobacco at good 

 prices, but he could not give the figures. John L. 

 Sigler, of Maytown, h.as a stalk of tobacco which is 

 a curiosity ; it contains 72 leaves and shows no sign 

 of going to seed . 



J. H. Hershey, of East Hempfleld, reported all 

 the tobacco in the neighborhood of Kohrerstown well- 

 housed, except a few patches that were planted after 

 haymaking. That which has been cut is curing 

 nicely, except a small quantity near Landisville, 

 which he hears has been damaged by the late spell 

 of wet weather. 



.John Brady, of Millersville, said the crop in that 

 vicinity was nearly all housed and is curing well. He 

 heard a ])romineut tobacco dealer say he never saw 

 tobacco look better. On the last Thursday in June 

 he planted a small lot that is not yet ready to cut, 

 hut is growing finely. 



Jacob M. Frantz, of Manor, said that most of the 

 crop in this section had been housed from six to ten 

 days ago, and is generally in good condition. The 

 wet weather which has prevailed for some days past 

 will be apt to injure that which has been housed only 

 a few days. He has heard of some lots in Lampeter 

 that had to be taken out of the sheds to prevent rot- 

 ting. It was put in in damp weather and in green 

 condition. He had seen some recently cut and left 

 hanging on the scaffold, and it looked better than 

 that which had been housed recently. That which 

 was cut early is in good condition ; the hot weather 

 and high winds may have cured it a little too rapidly, 

 but the present wet weather is helping it again. The 

 late tobacco will cure well if the wet weather does 

 not continue too long. He thought the tobacco in the 

 vicinity of Strasburg the best in the county. There is 

 a prevalent opinion that if the late tobacco had made 

 its rapid growth at an earlier day it would have been 

 better. 



Henry Kurtz exhibited about a dozen very large 

 leaves of tobacco of the "Centennial seed." Most of 

 the leaves were 4.5, 46 or 47 inches in length, and 

 from 22 to 27 inches in width. He said that the 

 largest of the leaves had matured within sixty 

 days, and some of the smaller ones had been 

 planted only twenty-one days ago. He argued 

 that tobacco would mature in sixty days, and that 

 under favorable circumstances three crops could be 

 grown on the same ground in a single year. 



W.L. Hershey, of East Hempfleld, reported most 

 of the crop well housed and curing well. Some of 

 that which has been recently cut will have to be re- 

 moved from the sheds to prevent it rotting. Only two 

 or three of the lower layers, near the ground, seem 

 to be seriously affected. These have a light, leaden 

 look, but may improve under favorable circumstances . 

 Some of the earlier cured looks a little mouldy, and 

 the ribs have a "bloated" appear.ance, supposed to 

 be caused by imperfect ventilation. In good, dry 

 barns and sheds there has been none of this trouble. 



The Society's Anniversary. 



The president called attention to the fact that this 

 meeting was the first anniversaiy of the organiza- 

 tion of the society, and he called upon Mr. Jacbb M. 

 Frantz to make a speech in honor of the event. 



Mr. Fkantz responded at some length, statingthe 



objects of the society and felicitating it upon the 

 great good it had accomplished in furthering the to- 

 bacco interest and in disseminating useful informa- 

 tion among tobacco growers. Nothing is better 

 adapted to further ahy cause than combination and 

 organization. Unhappily farmers are too apt to ignore 

 this fact and "go it alone," and often "go it blind." 

 He assured farmers that they would help themselves 

 by joining the society, which was not designed to 

 benefit the few but the many. 



C. L. Hunsecker followed in an able congratula- 

 tory speech , showing the wonderful amount of wealth 

 the tobacco crop was bringing into the coffers of the 

 growers and dealers, and also into the national treas- 

 ury. This should cause Lancaster county farmers to 

 take an increased interest in its growth, and avail 

 themselves of the advantages of the society to acquire 

 useful information as to its cultivation. 



Israel L. Landis, Henry Shiffner, Henry Kurtz, 

 Sylvester Kennedy , Peter S. Reist, Aaron Summy and 

 President Kendig, all made speeches encouraging 

 members of the society to go on in the work they had 

 commenced, until Lancaster county should every- 

 where be acknowledged the best tobacco district in 

 the world. The only difference among the speakers 

 was that some of them thought the farmers should 

 devote themselves exclusively to growing tobacco, 

 while others thought it necessary that they should 

 also acquaint themselves with the best manner of 

 packing it. 



New Members Elected. 



John Shenk, of Manheim, and R. W. Shenk, city, 

 were elected members of the society. 



Debate on Preparation of Soil. 



The deferred questions, "How soon after stripping 

 should tobacco be cased ?" "How should tobacco 

 sheds be managed?" and "How best to hang tobac- 

 co?" were, on motion, dispensed with, and tiie ques- 

 tion, "What method of preparation of the soil is best 

 to promote tobacco culture?" was taken up. 



Peter S. Reist said : Prepare the soil and manure 

 it in the fall; or if that is inconvenient manure it in the 

 spring with barnyard manure. If that cannot be had use 

 no other fertilizer. He has tried several commercial 

 fertilizers ; some of them did no good, and some of 

 them killed the young plants. He had heard of good 

 results from plowing down green rye and sowing 

 bone-dust broadcast, and he had heard of this plan 

 failing entirely. He recommended that no more to- 

 bacco should be planted than could be well manured 

 with barnyard manure. 



President Kendig, Aaron Summy and John 

 Moore, spoke of the good results of sowing manure 

 broadcast and plowing down green rye, the straw of 

 which tends to keep the ground loose and moist. 



John Brady favored a free application of lime. 

 He instanced a case in which S3, 600 worth of tobacco 

 had been grown on three acres of ground in two 

 years, the grower manuring heavily and using 200 

 bushels of lime per acre. 



Jacob M. Frantz said there was a great differ- 

 ence in soil and this should be looked to in growing 

 tobacco. Washington borough and vicinity is cele- 

 brated as a tobacco district. The soil is alluvial and 

 was at one time the bed of a river. As we can't all 

 have river lands to grow tobacco on, it is very im- 

 portant that we should know what is next best and 

 what kind of manures are best adapted to tobacco 

 growth. He believed in selecting a soil that obser- 

 vation and experience showed to be the best and then 

 manuring it thoroughly with arn-yard manure. He 

 had had great success in plowing down green rye be- 

 fore planting tobacco. In New Jersey he understood 

 it was a common practice to plow down rye before 

 planting melons. He had no doubt that melons, to- 

 bacco or any other rank growing vegetables would 

 be improved by this process. Mr. Frantz said he had 

 turned down a field that had been for twenty-five 

 years in pasture, and received from it a splendid 

 crop of tobacco. He recommended that no more to- 

 bacco be planted that can be thoroughly manured 

 with barnyard manure. Then the soil will not de- 

 teriorate, even if it is used year after year in the 

 growth of tobacco. 



Mr. Kennedy favored rotation of crops, and said 

 he believed it would cost no more for mauure to raise 

 a crop of tobacco and follow it with a crop of 

 wheat than it would to grow the wheat 

 alone. He recommanded that the land be well ma- 

 nured and planted in tobacco : after the tobacco is 

 cut oflr, sow it in wheat. The one manuring will not 

 only serve both crops, but the wheat that follows the 

 tobacco will be better than if the tobacco had not 

 preceded it. He believed the substance drawn from 

 the soil in the growth of tobacco is not the substance 

 necessary to the growth of wheat. 



John Moore corroborated Mr. Kennedy. He said 

 he had for four years in succession planted tobacco 

 on a certain patch of ground. Then he sowed it in 

 wheat and received 39 bushels per acre. He had 

 afterwards grown splendid crops of wheat on ground 

 that had been for two years preceding in tobacco. 

 Plowing Down the Stumps. 



Mr. I. L. Landis asked whether it would not be 

 an advantage to cut off and plow under the tobacco 

 stalks after the crop is cut off, so as to prevent a 

 second growth ; and whether this plan would not 



