1S78.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



47 



rows, which proilnced a tremendous crop. At that 

 distauoe the sun can have full |ilay on the plants. 

 ■ Henkv Siiiki'NEU said experience taught him that 

 26 inches was the hest ilistance in the row, wirh rows 

 3l.j feet apart. The plants need plouty of sun and 

 cannot have it at closer distances. 



At this point the debate on the expediency of send- 

 ing samples of Lancaster county tobacco to the 

 French Exposition was resumed. 



The French Exposition. 



I. L. Lamiiis said it was still time to send eamplee 

 of tobacco to the French F.xposilion. lie alluded to 

 the fact, previously stated, that a meeting witli this 

 end in view was called and none hut reporters were 

 present. Since the last meeting he had received 

 labels, instructions and other things from the Agri- 

 cultural Department at Washington, hut he was mi- 

 willing to meet all the expenses that were to be in- 

 curred, personally. 



A good deal of discussion was carried on between 

 the members on this subject. The main question 

 was — "Can the money be raised to cover the neces- 

 sary expenses ?'' Various plans were proposed to 

 carry out the project. Kut as there was no one ready 

 to say how much the cost would be, it was found 

 ditflcult to know how to go about tlie matter. J. .\I. 

 Frantz discouraged the project. He said as tobacco 

 is a government monopoly in France, and as that 

 government has agents iu Baltimore and Kiehmond 

 all the time, who are fully posted as to the qualities 

 of Lancaster county tobacco, and all the other to- 

 baccos raised in the country, we would have no pecu- 

 niary interest in sending goods over there for exhibi- 

 tion, lie did not think there was any special pecuni- 

 ary benefit to be derived from it, and thought it 

 might as well be given up. It was finally moved that 

 the members present be requested to try and raise 

 money and gather samples aud meet on next Monday, 

 the liSth inst., at 'J o'clock, p. m., to report progress. 

 The question was finally disposed of in this way. 



It was moved that a committee of three be ap- 

 pointed to prepare business for the next meeting. 

 The President appointed Sylvester Kennedy, J. M. 

 Frantz and Washington L. Hershey the committee. 

 Referred Questions. 



" What variety of tobaeco should be cultivated ?" 

 Referred to I. L. Landis. 



" What is the best method of growing tobacco 

 plants ?" Keferred to John Brady. 



For General Discussion. 



" Is early plowing advisable for the culture of 

 tobacco !" 



There being no rurthcr business, on motion, the 

 society adjourned. 



LINN.1EAN SOCIETY. 



A stated meeting was held on Saturday, February 

 2.3d, Vice President Kev. J. 11. Dubbs iu the chair. 

 Five members were present. The donations to the 

 museum consisted of a bottle containing numerous 

 specimens of the "California potato cricket" {Slc7io- 

 palmiUa talpa), sent to Mr. Kathvon via U. S. mail, 

 by Mr. A. L. Fuller, of East Oakland, Almada 

 county, California. These are about the size of our 

 iH.ole crickets, and found very injurious to the potato 

 crops ; being, however, also carnivorous and very 

 pugnacious, they fight and feed upon each other. 

 Thus their temper is a cheek upon their excessive 

 increase. One bottle with a twig of a peach tree, 

 covered with scale insects, first noticed on a single 

 tree in Readin.', by Mr. William Young, of that city, 

 five years ai.'o; they have spread extensively since 

 and two of his trees have perished — hence they must 

 be attended to. They seem to differ from those on 

 the pear trees, hut are evidently a species of Lecanium 

 and for the present may be called Lecanium pcrsi- 

 cutn, the name given them by Mr. Rathvon. Master 

 Harry A. Uubbs donated a specimen of cannel coal 

 from Cornwall, England. Mrs. Zell brought a large 

 portion of the stem of a "castor oil plant,'' (Itecinun 

 communis) three inches in diameter, hard and dry; 

 the outer portion woody, of a fine grain and satin- 

 like gloss,, very light, rather brittle, yet strong; 

 interiorly hollow, with cross nodes every four inches. 

 It might be used in fancy cabinetwork. Mr. W. P. 

 Bolton had an exotic flower which he wished a name 

 for. It belonged to the natural order of the Acan- 

 thace^, much in character like our native Ifianc- 

 thera growing along the water's edge on the Cones- 

 toga. The numerous species of Juslicia have been 

 divided; this may be the Dcclepiera. Mr. J. H. 

 Ryan found a double row of imbricated, ovate, grey 

 colored bodies on a twig, which was new to him. 

 They proved to be the eggs of a species of green 

 hopper near the size of our katydid, but of a dif- 

 ferent genus, the FhyUoptcra vblongifolia. 



Additions to the Library. 



The Lancaster Faumek for February ; Mrs. 

 Gibbons sent two Journah, containing articles writ- 

 ten by her ; also a lieformcr, book catalogues and 

 numerous circulars of publications. Mr. Rathvon 

 deposited 5 envelopes containing 48 scraps of histo- 

 rical interest. As chairman of the committee he re- 

 ported that the Young Men's Christian Association 

 bad abandoned the idea of fitting up a room, as bad 



been mentioned, and per request the committee was 

 discharged. Before reading the papers, .Mr. Rathvon 

 ofi'ered a resolution : 



Jiexuli/eil, That Microscopy be recognized as a 

 branch of Natural Science to be cultivated and de- 

 veloped by the members of this society, In connec- 

 tion with other branches of science, and report their 

 observations at each meeting under the rules of 

 ScifutiJIc ^fiKc^^Uttn^/, <'ither verbally or in writing, so 

 far as their time and i>leasure will allow. 



Papers Read. 



Jlr. Rathvon read a paper. No. 491, on the "Cali- 

 fornia potato cricket," giving an interesting history 

 of its relations and habits. He also read a paper, 

 "Entomological Kccord," No. 4'.12, giving the history 

 and habits of the scale insect found on the peach 

 trees, and those of similar habits on other fruit 

 trees. J. StaullVr rcail a paper, with illustrations, 

 of Infusoria, No. 401!. Having put some moss in a 

 bottle, to which hydrant water was added, he was 

 occasif)nally exhibiting the crowds of animalcuhv to 

 persons coming to his olUee — about five marked spe- 

 cies were bred in this lot. The most remarkalile one 

 was of larger size than the rest, although by no 

 means visible to the naked eye or common magnify- 

 ing pocket lens. This assumed very numerous 

 forms in c^uick succession — protean-like — but the 

 surprise was to find one of those infested with para- 

 sites and actually feeding upon it. Mr. (Jeorge O. 

 Sanderson, who for some time has been putting heat 

 regulators on furnaces, in this city, called attention 

 to this fact ; while looking at one of these he saw 

 smaller creatures crawling over the larger one. On 

 inspection such proved to be the case — like buzzards 

 upon a carrion. This truly verifies the old adage. 

 Remember this is all in a single drop of water; 

 hence it is true that 



Great fleas and small fleas 



Have little fleas to bite 'em ; 

 Little fleas have lesser fleas, 



So ou ad iufiaitum. 



No further business offering, adjourned to meet 

 Saturday, March 30, 1878. 



TOBACCO CULTURE. 



Raising Tobacco Plants. 



As the time is approaching when tobacco growers 

 will have to prepare their seed beds and provide 

 plants for the coming crop, we give below the me- 

 thod recommended by Dr. B. R. Senscney, in his 

 book on the cultivation and preparation of tobacco 

 for market. As most of the plants grown in this 

 county are raised in open beds instead of hot beds, 

 we give the former method as best adapted to the 

 requirements of the large majority of our tobacco 

 farmers. The general belief is, and it is doubtless 

 correct, that hot bed grown tobaeco plants are not so 

 hardy, nor so likely to withstand the vicissitudes of 

 the season. 



Open Air Plants. 



This is the best mode of raising plants in .all dis- 

 tricts where the climate will allow of working the 

 ground and sowing the seed early in the month of 

 April, or the latter part of March. It is less expen- 

 sive, less trouble, and the plants are hardier and less 

 apt to wilt and die, when transplanted from their 

 beds to permanent quarters. It has, however, the 

 disadvantage which I before mentioned, first, of dan- 

 ger of being frost killed, and also inability, very 

 often, of maturing them soon enough, so as to allow 

 of setting out in time to secure, after cutting, a good 

 second crop from the same stalks. 



This is no small matter, for if an early start be 

 secured and the crop cut about the first to the tenth 

 of August, and the fall be a long and open one, you 

 may secure an after yield, jiaying from fifty to 

 seventy-five dollars per acre — or even more. I am 

 thus plain in these details, because in cultivating 

 this plant it is well to observe every point which will 

 .add to success. I calculate my second crop will at 

 least pay for manuring and plowing the land. 



In preparing my seed bed 1 am always careful to 

 select a warm and sheltered locality, looking to the 

 south or east. Select, if you can, a piece of new- 

 ground, protected at the north and west by a copse, 

 piece of woodland or a large building or close board 

 fence. 



Then rake all the dead leaves, old brnsh, corn 

 stalks and old limbs of trees into small heaps about 

 twenty feet from each other and then set afire. 

 When they arc thoroughly consumed, have the ashes 

 raked cleverly over the surface which is intended for 

 your seed bed. Then have the ground well spaded 

 to the depth at least of twelve inches. While it is 

 being spaded, work into the furrows a plentiful sup- 

 ply of well rotted horse manure. After spading the 

 ground, have every clod broken, all stone and stubble 

 removed and rake it clean and smooth. Then top 

 dress the surface with a comjwst made up of horse 

 droppings two parts, leached ashes two parts, and 

 one part Peruvian guano or chicken maiuire. This 

 must be well raked and thoroughly incorporated in 

 the surface soil. When this is done the ground is in 

 readiness for the seed. The ground must not be too 

 wet, neither too dry, when the seed Is sown, but 



select a day when there Is an appearance of approach- 

 ing rain, or one or two days after a light rain. Do 

 not sow the seed on a windy day, as the light grain 

 will be blown and fall tnievcidy over the surface of 

 the bed, but choose a mild and calm morning. For 

 over twenty-live S(|uare yards of surface, take one 

 tablespoonful of seed anil mix thoroughly In about 

 oiii' peck of grounil plaster or finely sifted ashes. 

 Then sow It broadcast over the bed, endeavoring to 

 secure as even an application to the whole surface ns 

 possible. Secure from the slaughter yard about one 

 bushel of hog hair and spread It evenly over the bed. 

 'I'his answers several purposes. It secures warmth 

 atid ]>rotection to the delicate young plants, and, 

 chi-mical ingredients which tend to promote their 

 rapid growth. When this is done, get a few bundles 

 of small branches of pine or cedar ami place them 

 over the surface of the bed. These also furnish heat 

 and protection, and may be removed when the i>lantB 

 have grown to the size of a silver dollar. 



During the iirowth of the plants great attention 

 must be given to the weeds, taking them out as soon 

 as large enouirh to be distinguished from the young 

 plants, and this must be done by hand. In a case 

 of a ilrought, sprinkle the plants in the evening from 

 a waterini; pot, giving tliem a thorough soaking. 

 This will be all that will be found necessary to 

 mature the i>lants for use when wanted to set out in 

 the patch. 



■Views of a Connecticut Tobacco Grower. 



An intelligent Connecticirt river valley grower 

 favored us in an interview within a day or two with 

 the following personal view of the situation and 

 prospect in the valley : 



" "The business of tohacco is now a very poor one 

 with us. Prices have got so very low that none of 

 the growers can raise tobaeco at a profit, and further- 

 more, their present condition is generally bad, owing 

 to the system of gamlding which they have indulged 

 in for the past several years, and which has nearly 

 ruined them financially. By gambling I mean that 

 farmers have been in the habit of raising, we will 

 say, a crop of tobacco one year, ami not getting cost 

 price for it, have turned right around the next year 

 and got into debt to raise another crop, thinking to 

 recover the losses of the previous year. When they 

 raised good crops they were so stimulated that they 

 would at once seek to enlarge their business by buy- 

 ing land, erecting sheds, and experimenting In com- 

 mercial fertilizers, etc., purely on speculation. 

 There are two classes of growers who arc going to 

 abandon the growing of tobacco in the Connecticut 

 valley, and probably elsewhere as well; one is the 

 capitalists who in past years have been raising from 

 fifteen to fifty acres. The prices have so depreciated 

 iu consequence of the large supjily that has been grown 

 and held by them in the hope that they would 

 get what it cost to grow it, that they are 

 complately discouraged, and at present they are 

 throwing their tobacco into the market at almost 

 whatever price they can get. This class say they 

 have got through with the growing of tobacco. The 

 other class comprises the small growers, who, with 

 a few acre? of land, have grown all the tobaeco they 

 could and have got into debt in doing .so, and have 

 had to sell their tobacco for the last three years at 

 less than cost prices. They have parted with their 

 tobaccos at a sacrifice in order to meet their liabili- 

 ties, and now many of them are compelled to leave 

 the business and places. Hereafter the tobacco to be 

 grown will be mainly grown by the regular class of 

 farmers, who will raise a few acres of tobacco each 

 year — making and using chiefly their own manures 

 — and eultiv.ate sutticient other farm produce to main- 

 tain themselves, and set aside their tobacco for their 

 money crop. All the tobacco that will be raised for 

 the coming few years will be grown by that class, 

 and will be put into the market and sold green. 

 They will not try to make themselves dealers by 

 boxing and casing their crops, as has been done in 

 the past few years, greatly to the injury of both the 

 growers and dealers. I don't think the tobacco mar- 

 ket would have been in nearly as bad a condition as 

 it is at the present time if the farmers had sold their 

 tobacco directly to the dealers instead of bo.xing it. 

 When the dealers bought the tobacco in the valley, 

 prices could be set upon it and its [wsitlvc value 

 known. Afte.- it was sweated, when one dealer had 

 his tobaeco sampled he knew what each class of 

 goods was worth in market ; and if a manufacturer 

 went to A to buy a bill of goods, aud the dealer had 

 in his warehouse the goods the manufacturer wanted, 

 whatever price was set upon these goods, the manu- 

 facturer was aware that if he went to B's ware- 

 house he would have to pay the same price for 

 the same quality of grad'es there that he would 

 have to pay A. But, as the market Is now, with 

 this vast amount of sweated tobacco In the growers' 

 hands, there can be no regular price established on 

 any quality of goods, because the growers are not 

 go<>d enough judges of sweated leaf to know what 

 the tobacco is worth when it is sweated; and the 

 maimfaeturer, taking advantage of this, starts right 

 out Into the country and goes round among the 

 growers and picks up his stock sometimes very 

 cheap. He will go riding around until he comes to 

 some one who is offering his tobacco for less than it 



