34 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ March, 



would be well for farmers to inquire a little 

 into the subject, for there is no forage crop in 

 my estimation that has such advantages for 

 feeding purposes as the clover, and I am sorry 

 to see any diminution in the yield of the pro- 

 duct." — OermanUmm Telegraph. 



The veteran editor does not seem to have 

 answered the question of his correspondent, 

 and perhaps for the reason that where such a 

 diversity of opinion already exists, there is 

 little use in making "confusion worse con- 

 founded." 



Had any person asked us the same question 

 fifty years ago, perhaps, we would have 

 promptly replied, "on a frosty forenoon in 

 January or Februrary, of course." We do 

 not recollect of having ever sown clover-seed 

 on the snow, or ever having seen it thus sown. 

 But of course some progress must have been 

 made in fifty years, and therefore we may be 

 far behind the times — an " old fogy " in the 

 matter — and such being the case we feel com- 

 pelled to reply as the "learned Fusbus " did to 

 "King Arlaxomones :" 



Would the King know when to plant, 

 " I can't adyise, upon my soul I can't." 



About the period we refer to, February was 

 usually chosen as the proper time, but only 

 when the ground was frozen, and then early 

 in tlie day, before the ground began to thaw. 

 If the ground contained sufficient moisture to 

 form bunches of vertical filaments, or icy 

 asciculations, with numerous cracks or cre- 

 vices between, it was deemed in the best con- 

 dition to sow clover-seed. These icy filaments 

 always held up by tlieir elongation and expan- 

 sion a quantity of tlie earth from beneath, and 

 as the ieed would rebound and fall into these 

 crevices, when tlie thaw, from the increasing 

 power of the sun would follow in the after 

 part of the day, these icy crystals would melt, 

 and the earthly particles would fall back 

 from whence they had been raised, and the 

 seed would be completely covered. This was 

 the theory and the practice in those days, and 

 we know that the sowing had been occasion- 

 ally more or less delayed, in waiting for a 

 good frosty morning. Clover was usually 

 sown on wheat or rye — most frequently on 

 the former — and when the grain was har- 

 vested, the ground was well covered with the 

 young clover, which then began to grow rap- 

 idly. Long continued March winds were 

 sometimes injurious to the clover, but any 

 winds not injurious to the wheat itself left the 

 clover intact. Five years of our boyhood 

 were spent on a farm, and we cannot recall a 

 single instance in which there was a " short " 

 hay crop, (1822 to 1827,) although such a con- 

 tingency may have occurred some where and 

 we not know it. We do not know that any 

 apprehensions were entertained of the young 

 clover freezing ; we think it generally supposed 

 that the growing grain afforded it sulHcient 

 protection. It seems wonderful, that we do 

 not yet know the best time to sow clover- 

 seed. 



^ 



PHILADELPHIA POUDRETTE. 



The Philadelphia Poudrette is an active, 

 energetic, natural manure, is soluble (like 

 barn-yard manure) without the use of acids. 

 It contains the soluble salts of plants, which 

 have served as food. These elements are 

 indispensable.to the development of cultivated 

 crops, and in supplying these excrements to 

 the soil, we return to it the constituents 

 which the crops have removed from it, and 

 renew its capability of nourishing new crops. 

 It is an invaluable manure for Tobacco and 

 otliiei- plants requiring an early, healthy start, 

 and rapid growth, maturing them from ten to 

 fifteen days earlier. The increasing demand 

 and uniform satisfaction it has given on all 

 crops during the past three years, prove it a 

 reliable fertilizer. A profitable and high de- 

 gree of culture requires a liberal supply of 

 manure. 



Circulars with testimonial can be had at 

 the office of The Lancaster Farmer, and 

 at No. 101 North Queen street. Price $25 

 per ton. Hiram E. Lutz, manufacturer, 

 office 1136 Market street, Pliiladelpliia, 



NOTICE EXTRAORDINARY. 



Through a stress of preoccupation we have 

 omitted to heretofore call the attention of our 

 readers to the cards of C. B. Thompson, and 

 Wells, Richards & Co., on the 2ud and 3rd 

 advertising pages of The Farmer. Mr. 

 Thompson's "Nutmeg Grater, " and "Smok- 

 er's Pet," are articles of acknowledged merit, 

 and cost a ''mere song," bringing them dis- 

 tinctly within the sphere of popular favor. 

 We therefore admonish our patrons not to 

 forget The Latest Invention, and Something 

 JVet«, as either article can be cheaply obtained 

 through the U. S. mail. 



Wells & Richardson's Perfected Butter Color 

 has already elicited the commendations of the 

 dairy men of the eastern and southern portion 

 of Lancaster county. All that is necessary to 

 insure the popular adoption of the aforenamed 

 articles, is an intelligent trial of them. 

 Therefore, as soon as you have finished read- 

 ing this notice, turn to the advertisements, 

 peruse them carefully, and you will be enabled 

 to leani what the articles are, what they will 

 do, what they will cost, and how you may 

 obtain them. They are not reapers and 

 threshers, running into the domain of dollars, 

 but trifles, confined within the realm of 

 pennies. 



MARCH. 



Kitchen-Garden Calendarfor the Middle States. 



Spring has arrived according to the calendar, 

 but the experienced gardener is not to be 

 caught by arbitrary terms ; and though March 

 and the almanac may indicate spring, frost 

 and storm and biting winds caution him to 

 care and patience. He will wait the progress 

 of the month and bide his 'time. If the tem- 

 perature prove mild, let him proceed as indi- 

 cated below, otherwise, delay until more 

 favorable weather. 



Artichokes, dress, plant. Asparagus, sow ; 

 plant the colossal roots. Cabbage, sow in a 

 sheltered place, if not already in a hotbed. 

 Test Landreth's new varieties — the Wakefield, 

 Early Market, and Bloomsdale Brunswick. 

 Beets, Extra Early Philadelphia. Turnip, 

 and Early Blood Turnip, sow. Carrots, Early 

 Horn, sow. Cauliflowers, attend to those 

 under glass. Celery, sow. Composts, pre- 

 pare. Dung, prepare for later hot-beds. 

 Horse-radish, plant. Hot-beds make ; also 

 force. Lettuce sow ; prick out. Mushroom- 

 beds attend to. Mustard, sow. Onions, 

 put out as sets, those known as "Pliila- 

 delpliia Buttons" much the best. Par- 

 snips, sow ; the sugar is the best. Peas, 

 Landreth's Extra Early and Early Frame, 

 sow. AlsoMcLean's Advancer and McLean's 

 Little Gem, which can be with confidence 

 commended. Potatoes, early, plant. The 

 Early Goodrich continues to secure admirers, 

 but the Early Rose will distance it ; it is ad- 

 mirable in every respect. Last year's experi- 

 ence demonstrated that the Snowflake was 

 the best potato grown in Lancaster county. 

 Radish, the long scarlet and red and white 

 turnip, sow. " Strapleaved Long Scarlet," 

 an improvement on the old Long Scarlet, are 

 recommended. Rhubarb, sow ; plant roots. 

 Sage, sow, plant. Tomatoes, sow in hot-bed. 

 Turnips, Strapleaved Early Dutch, sow; but 

 generally be it observed, so far north as our 

 parallel of latitude, these directions will apply 

 better to April than to March. — Lanclrelh^s 

 Bural Beg. 



[Of course, the backwardness or forward- 

 ness of the season will have much to do in 

 hastening or retarding these labors, but the 

 matters contained in these directions, in most 

 instances, should be attended to as soon as 

 the ripest judgment of the experienced farmer 

 and gardener dictates that the work shbuld be 

 done, without injudiciously " taking time by 

 the forelock," and prematurely pressing him 

 into service, nor yet indolently and undecid- 

 edly lagging behind. Details that can only be 

 determined by experience, had better be left 

 to the suggestions of experience as they 

 transpire. — Ed.] 



PENNSYLVANIA STATE BOARD OF 

 AGRICULTURE. 



MEMBERS EX-OPFICIO. 



His Excellency Gov. JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 



Gen. WILLIAM M'CANDLESS, Secretary of Inter- 

 nal Affairs. 



Prof. J. P. WICKERSHAM, Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction. 



J. F. TEMPLE, Auditor General. 



Ret. JAMES CALDER, President Pennsylvania 

 State College. 



APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR. 



Hon. John P. Edge, Dowuingtown, terra expires 

 ISSO; Col. James Young, Middletown, term expires 

 1879; JohnL. George, Monongahela City, term ex- 

 pires 1878. 



ELECTED BY COUNTY AGRICtlLTURAL SOCIETIES. 



Berks, W. G. Moore, of Womelsdorf, term ex- 

 pires 1880; Blair, Thaddeus Banks, of Hollidayeburg, 

 term expires 1879; Crawford, M. C. Beebe, of Pleas- 

 antville, Venango county, term expires 1880; Centre, 

 Prof. J. Hamilton, of State College, term expires 

 1879; Chester, Thomas J. Edge, of Londongrove, 

 term expires 1878; Cumberland, C. A. Mullen, of 

 Mt. Holly Springs, term expires 1878; Lancaster, 

 H. M. Engle, of Marietta, term expires 1880; Indiana, 

 G. W. Hood, of Indiana, term expires 1880; Luzerne, 

 John B. Smith, Box 115, Kingston, term expires 

 1879; Mercer, A. Robinson, of Mercer, term expires 

 1878; Montgomery, W. A. Teakle, of Flourtown, 

 term expires 1878; Northumberland, J. M'Farland, 

 of Watsontown, term expires 1879; Schuylkill, J. S. 

 Keller, of Orwigsburg, term expires 1878; Union, 

 J. W. Shriner, of Lewisburg, term expires 1878; 

 York, W. S. Roland, of York, term expires 1880. 



MEMBERS ELECTED, BUT NOT YET SEATED. 



Tioga, S. F. Wilson, of Wellsborough; Lycoming, 

 D. A. Foresman, of Williamsport; Franklin, C. 

 Gilbert, of Chambersbu'rg; Lehigh, J. P. Barnes, of 

 AJlentown; Bradford, L. J. Culver, of Towanda; 

 Warren, J. H. Hiller, of North Warren; Juniata, 

 Prof. D. Wilson, of Port Royal; Northampton, C. L. 

 Whiteeell, of Nazareth; Bucks, Eastburn Reeder, of 

 New Hope. THOMAS J. EDGE, 



Secretary. 

 * 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Reading, March 4, U78. 



Mr. Rathvon — Dear Sir. — Thinking it proper, I 

 have taken the pleasure to write you a few lines 

 more on the new peach insect. Since my last writing 

 I have made several more observations. To my sur- 

 prise I found this insect also on the plum and apricot 

 trees, though not quite so numerous yet as on the 

 peach. In many cases, the owners of trees are not 

 aware that their trees are affected, and when it is 

 made known to them they are surprised at it. In 

 reply to your question of how I captured the winged 

 insect, I wtU state that the manner which I take to 

 get the ancestry of any insect is as follows : I hatch 

 the egg, after which I enclose the brood in a glass 

 jar, giving the brood plenty of food to live on, until 

 transformation takes place, after which will appear 

 the winged or flying insect. Thus I become ac- 

 quainted with the three different stages of insect life. 

 I will send you a brood in proper time, which you 

 can also propagate with, receiving same result as 

 mine. 



Would it please you to favor me to inquire of the 

 Lancaster county people, through the press, if con- 

 venient, whether this insect exists any among the 

 peach growers of your section. — Yours truly, Wm. 

 Young, 20.5 North 12th street, Reading, Pa. 



[We thank our correspondent for his labors 

 in endeavoring to develop the history of the 

 new enemy of the peach tree, and hope that 

 he may in the end be compensated. From 

 the fact that he has found the same insect on 

 the plum and the apricot, it may transpire 

 that it is the same species we alluded to as 

 having been seen in 1860, in which case, it 

 would be an old thing become new. In om- 

 remarks in the February number of The 

 Farmer, we do not perceive that we asked 

 hoio he captured the winged insect he sent to 

 us through Mr. Engle, but we would like to 

 know xchen he captured it, or obtained it, and 

 whether it was dead or alive, because we must 

 insist that the insect we received was a "lace- 

 wing," (c/irysopa) and had no more to do with 

 breeding the "peach bark-lice" than it had 

 with breeding the "Rocky Mountain grass- 

 hoppers;" and we believe that this will be 

 clearly demonstrated to him before another 

 year. Since the issue of the February num- 

 ber of The Farsier we have learned that 

 this insect was seen on some of the peach trees 

 in this city last summer. Please send us some 

 specimens about the 1st of May next.— Ed,] 



