1877.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



171 



unfit for grape culture, that grapes cannot be 

 raised under any circumstances, and yet wo 

 know there was a time wlien it was covered 

 with grapes. The battle of Hastings, which 

 decided the fate of English people, was fought 

 in a vineyard, and we read of vineyaids, the 

 isle of Islay which signifies "the isle of vines." 

 We have traces of ancient vineyards in every 

 direction. These vineyards continued down 

 to 1085. From that year there were twenty- 

 five years of legular wet and cold seasons, in 

 which it was impossible to ripen the grape ; 

 and .so until the present day. Xow, it seems 

 almost a fable that England ever was a grape- 

 producing country ; and yet tiniljer was not 

 much ci;t away. There was no doubt good 

 tind)er until manufactories became C'.>inmon ; 

 and they did not become common until the 

 mining of coal. (So there could have been no 

 change in twenty-live years, by cutting away 

 i'orests from lauds wholly lit for the grape to 

 land totally unlit for it. Here comes the most 

 significant part of theliistory. At the present 

 time, one gentleman in grape culture there, 

 the l)uke of (41ouce8tcr, some six years ago 

 planted vineyards, and his grapes are doing 

 just as well now as they did in ancient times. 

 I think this fact shows fully that they didn't 

 result in any way from tree culture or forestry. 

 lu our own case we know how the climate 

 changes. 1 am satisfied that thirty years ago 

 in Philadelphia there never was a year, before 

 or after tliat, that the lilac didn't bloom 

 regularly before the first of May. For the 

 last year or two the same bushes around our 

 dwellings are fiowered well before the first of 

 May. There has been no difference in the 

 forests of Pennsylvania. I think th(>re is the 

 same amount of forests iu Pennsylvania to- 

 day that there was before that time. Before 

 railroads and canals were made there was a 

 gr-cat deal more lundier taken to Philadelphia 

 from Pennsylvania than there is now. Tim- 

 ber lands have been suffered to grow ui> again. 

 I knew of property near Philadelphia where 

 persons desired to leave to their descendants 

 those forests, and now those forests are worth 

 nothing, because timber can he brought from 

 a distance cheaper than it can be bought 

 there. I think Pennsylvania has more wood- 

 land than thirty years ago ; and there are 

 figures which go to show this. In England 

 there is only about five per cent, of the land 

 covered with forests, and this is probably as 

 much as it has had at once ; because 

 England's jiast forest area was so small tliat 

 theking set to planting forests for shiji-build- 

 ing timber ; so 1 think that area has been as 

 it has for many years past, and yet the aver- 

 age rainfall is forty inches a year. Tlfei-e is 

 Portugal, which is almost destitute of timber, 

 having only 4. 4U per cent., and yet the rain- 

 fall is thirty inches a year. And in Spain 

 with 5.53 acres to the hundred, there is 

 twenty-five inches a year. Sardinia with 

 twelve per cent, of its land in forest has a 

 I'ainfall of thirty inches. In Switzerland the 

 forest area is only lifteeu per cent., while in 

 Norway it is sixty-six per cent., which has a 

 rainfall of only thirty inches. On the other 

 hand is Sweden with sixty per cent, in forest 

 and only sixteen inches of rain a year, and 

 Italy with comi>aralively few forests, has forty 

 inches of rainfall a year. So you see there is 

 not the slightest correspondence. I think it is 

 impossible to give the causes which infiuence 

 the fall of the rain. In our own State there is 

 forest now, and we cannot make much of a 

 test jet. But there has been no diminution in 

 States where the forests have been cut awaj-, 

 for instance in Ohio, which was, wo know, a 

 vast timber region when it was first made a 

 State. It has been considerably cleared of its 

 timber ; and yet the records kept by the gov- 

 ernment ollicers in ^Marietta, show that there 

 has not been tlie slightest difference in the 

 rain-fall of Ohio. So in some other States the 

 rain-fall has not been disturbed. In the New 

 England States considerable attention has been 

 paid to it, but we have been unable to get the 

 figures. Massachusetts, for instance, at the 

 present time has twenty-seven per cent, of its 

 area in forests ; Vermont has twenty-six ; 



New Hampshire has twenty-seven; New York 

 twenty-two ; and it is believed tliat twenty- 

 live per cent, of tlie whole area of the United 

 States is forest land. The southern country 

 is half forests. West Virginia alone has 

 l,000,00t1 of area of forest land. I think when 

 it is .shown fully how much there is even in 

 the Western country, you will sec that the 

 whole timber average of the United States is 

 forty i)er cent. The figures are high, and'yet 

 in some of the Southern States they feel that 

 there has been .some climatic change ; and the 

 timber area continuing the same, the result is 

 that these changes are not due to the absence 

 of forestry, but to geological effects. When 

 you consider the causes which iulluence rain, 

 and when you compare them with countries 

 where rain falls abundantly, and where it 

 falls sparingly ; and when you ctmipare these 

 with the facts as they have been given, you 

 will agree with me that there is no difiinence 

 in the rain-fall, and that the facts show that 

 there is not. 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society. 



Tlie Laiicastef County Ai;rieultunil and Horticul- 

 tural SiK'iety met in tlie third story of the City Mall, 

 .Monday afternoon, Nov. 5, the following; memljers 

 lieiui; present : 



Calvin Cooper, President, East Lampeter; John- 

 son Miller, Secretary, Warwick ; Levi W. (irolt, 

 West, Eatl ; Henry M. En^le, Marietta; .John .M. 

 Kutter, Salisbury; John H. Erb, Strasburtf town- 

 ship; John G. Linvilh!, Salisbury ; Wni. H. Brosius, 

 Drunioie ; Jacob Bolliuffer, Warwick ; Ephraini 

 Hoover, Jranheim : W. J. Kafrntli, West Earl; S. 

 P. Eby, city; John IL Lamlis, Manor; Prof. S. S. 

 Hatlivon, city ; Joseph F. Wiliner, Paradise; E. K. 

 Hcrshcy, Manor ; M. D. Kenilii;, Manor; C. L.IIun- 

 secker, Manheim ; Casper Ililler, Couestoga; Jacol) 

 B. Garbcr, West HcnipllcM ; Levi S. Heist, Man- 

 lioim ; Heniy Erii, Manheim ; .John Huber, War- 

 wick ; Rculicn Weaver, Kapho ; Henry Erb, War- 

 wick ; Mr. Mellincer, West Lampeter ; Simon 

 Ilorsliey, Salunfra ; EUwood (iriest, city; Dr.E. A. 

 Hertz, Philadelphia; A. H. Suuuny, Manheim; 

 Ifairy M. .Mayer, Kohrerstown ; Henry Shitlner, 

 Upper Leacoek. 



The reading of the minutes of last meeting was 

 dispensed with. 



Crop Reports. 



Reports on the condition of the crops bcinc called 

 for, .John C. Linvillc, of Salisbury, said he had not 

 in the past ten years seen the srowiiig wiieat look 

 better than it looks at present. The corn crop has 

 been li«ske<l and has not yielded as well as was ex- 

 pected Ijclbre it was cut oft. 



Hen'uy Ki'KTZ, of Mount Joy, said the wheat in 

 some localities, owing to the warm weather, has 

 grown too lari;e and has shot the second joint and is 

 beinfj plowed down. In some other localities it has 

 been attacked liy the Hessian fly, which seems to 

 move throuirh the fields in rcfriilar swaths or streaks. 

 His own wheal looks well, and as a frencral thinir 

 his neiichbors' looks well. He sowed his own seed 

 late and thus avoided the lly. He estimated the 

 yield of corn at about three-fourths of a full crop. 



Johnson Miller, of Warwick, said the corn was 

 shorter than had been exiJccted ; fully ten per cent, 

 less than a full crop. Wheat is growing finely and 

 looks well ; so does the pasture, which will continue 

 g-ood for some time yet if it is not destroyed by heavy 

 frosts. 



Wm. II. Brosius, of Druraore, said there wore 

 some complaints in his neiffldiorhood of the depreda- 

 tions of the Hy, though the wheat crop was gener- 

 ally g<iod. Corn was about three-fourths of a full 

 crop. 



Jacob Bollinger, of Warwick, said the wheat 

 liad l)ecn somewhat injured by the fly. The corn 

 crop was good, say 72 bushels to the acre. 



Henkv .VI. ExoLE, of Marietta, said there should 

 be a genejal understanding as to what constitutes an 

 average or full crop. When he spoke of an average 

 he meant the average of his own township; but that 

 might be above or below the average of other town- 

 ships. If a farmer raises a large crop on a good 

 farm he is apt to call it an average crop ; while an- 

 other raising a small crop on a poor farm will call It 

 also an average. 



EpuRAiM HoovEH, of Manheim, said the new- 

 grass tields are better set than he had seen them for 

 many years, and the pastures are also good. Wheat 

 looks well, and has not been injured liy the lly— not 

 even that which was sowed early. Corn will not 

 make nuue than three-foin-ths of a eroi) — say ■)!> 

 bushels to the acre. The hay crop next year will be 

 very heavy, from present appearances. 



W. J. Kafuotii, of West Earl, had never seen the 

 wheat look better ; the grass fields also look fine, 



and tlic corn crop will average 60 bushels to the 



acre. 



Levi W. fiiioFi', of West Earl, said the reason 

 why that section of the country had such good crops 

 was because It had been favored with co|ilous raius, 

 while other sections not many miles distant had suf- 

 fered from droulh. 



.Mr. ExtiLE, of .Marietta, said the corn crop was 

 not as heavy as it was exijceted to be earlier In the 

 season. He thought there would not be quite three- 

 fourths of a crop. The wheat flelds look well ; he 

 has not seen a single bad Held; has seen nothing of 

 the fly ; the piospeds of a large crop are excellent. 

 The young grass looks well ; lale |>otatoes have 

 turned out flrsl-rate; he had Intended to make a re- 

 |iorton the nuinberof bnslielsof potalocs tothe acre, 

 l>ut his patches had been so often v sited by thieves 

 that he could liol lind a (piartcr of an acre that had 

 not been robbcil, so he gave up the job. He said he 

 had seen iu print an article on the Hessian lly to the 

 ell'eet that the wheat dropjied In the fleld during 

 harvest, took root and furnished a breciling place for 

 the fly. He mentioned the nnitlcr now I hat farmers 

 might make observations and report the result. The 

 rainfall for the past month was 7'^ luehss. 



Levi W. (iitoi'K, of West Earl, asked for Informa- 

 tion as to how th<! Hessian lly was able to lay Its egg 

 so close down lo the lower exireniity of the leaf 

 when the leaf itself fitted so clo.scly around the stem 

 of the wheat straw. 



I'noF. S. S. Katuvon explained that the egg of 

 the lly is very small, and the worm when hatched Is 

 not thicker than a thread of No. GO cotton. The 

 egg is laid near the root of the leaf, on the joints of 

 the plant. The Hessian lly il.self is very small, and 

 must necessarily lay very small eggs. It Is not 

 much, if any, larger than a mosquito, and belongs to 

 the Gall-gnat family(CEciDOMViAi)j-:.) The females 

 deposit tiieirc'ggs as far down between the sheath of 

 the leaf and the stalk as they can get them, some- 

 times a i-ozen or more on a single iilant. When the 

 little grubs, or maggots, are hatched out, they work 

 their way down as far as the leaf will permit them, 

 and there remain around the joint under the sheaths 

 until they are changed lo the pupa — commonly called 

 the " flax-seed" stale — the [leriod of which Is longer 

 or. shorte;-, according to the temperature of the 

 weather. They are a greenish maggot, with a little 

 black dot on top. They do not bore into the straw, 

 but, as their bodies increa.se in size, they cause in- 

 dentations or cavities, by natural pressure, in which 

 they lie and absorb the circulating juices of the 

 plant. They are generally located around the low - 

 est joint, but often also in tl^e next above it. They 

 often remain in the grub or the pupa I'orm all winter, 

 and come forth in the fly form early in the spring. 

 The Manure Question. 



" What is the best means of preserving manure?" 

 was the question proposed at the last meeting for 

 discussion. 



JoiiK C. LiNvn,LE said he believed it to be a great 

 advantage to place a shed uver the manure pile, and 

 to ad<l sail enough to keep the manure from heating 

 or being injured by the fire-fang. He thought a 

 great deal of money was spent for artificial manures 

 that might be saved if proper allention was paid to 

 the barnyard manure. We are apt to allow streams 

 of black water to run away from the barnyard and 

 be wasted, when it is ivell known that this Is the 

 very essence of manure. It might easily be saved by 

 having a cistern dug outsiile the barnyard lo receive 

 it, and it might then be readily distributed lo such 

 parts of the farm as needed il. .Manure composted 

 under cover rfas certainly belter than that made lu 

 the open yard. He had been rather careless himself 

 iu this matter of manure, but he had been told by a 

 neighbor who had made the experiment that he eouhl 

 see in his erojis a great improvement in those parts 

 of the fields supplied with manure that had been 

 nuidc under cover. 



Pbesioent Cooper said he had addressed John 

 I. Carter, of the Eastern Experimental Karni, in- 

 viting him to be present and address the society on 

 the subject of fertilizers, ami had hoped to have him 

 present to-day ; but he had received a letter from 

 .Mr. Carter, stating that bad wcalher and a press of 

 business would prevent his attendance. 



Ei-UKAIM Hoover agreed with Mr. Linville, as to 

 making manure umler cover, and added that the 

 preservation of the liquid manure depended a great 

 deal on the location of the barnyard. Where there 

 is much slope a stone wall should be put up to re- 

 tain the liquid manure. He favored the sinking of a 

 cistern to catch the drainage, and described the con- 

 struction of a trough or box that would be available 

 for dislributing the manure. 



Joseph F. Witmek, of Paradise, spoke of an arti- 

 cle written by .Joseph Harris, in which he describes 

 his plan of a barnyard. He i)lowed up the barnyanl 

 and scooped out the earth in the centre, making It 

 lowest at that |K)int, and there he sank a barrel, and 

 around the pump he piled the manure, and allowed 

 the rain and the liquid of the yard to drain into It, 

 but carefully excluded the rain that fell upon the 

 building. When the manure became too dry he 

 pumped the liquid from the barrel and spread It over 

 the pile, and in this wav got good results. 



Levi AV. tiitOFP, of 'West Earl, placed no cover 



