68 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



open air, and some farmers have planted corn, while 

 others are busily eneaged in preparing their land to 

 plant. Tobacco growers are also preparing ground 

 for planting. This country has been blessed with 

 good health and bountiful crops the past year, in- 

 cluding wheat, oats, corn, Irish and sweet potatoes ; 

 also, fruits of all kinds, such as are grown here. 

 Everything is plentiful and cheap, except money, 

 and that is very scarce, and business dull. The 

 average prices of produce and provisions are as fol- 

 lows : Cattle (beef) 9 cents a pound ; flour, $2.75 

 per sack of 98 pounds ; corn, 47 cents ; oats, 35 cents 

 per do.; roll butter, 20 cents per pound; eggs, U) 

 cents per dozen ; and all other things in proportion. 

 I would like to see some good Lancaster county 

 farmers come down here and settle among us, in 

 order to show people here how to farm right. I 

 think they could render good service here, as well as 

 promote their own interest. — Tours, if'c, 3f. R. 



[ That, we think, is only a matter of time, 

 and doubtles.s will come '"' by-and-by. " Tlic 

 "migratory " farmers of I^ancaster county are 

 beginning to look southward at least, and 

 some of them are debating the question in 

 their own minds, whether it would not pay 

 better to go South than to "go West." 

 Stimulated by the impulse of Horace Greeley's 

 recommendation, some have gqne West, and 

 think they have worsted their " previous con- 

 dition "—some have returned dissatisfied and 

 chop-fallen. Some might object to the low 

 prices of faiTQ products in the South, but we 

 think that is only temporary ; moreover, 

 except in the vicinity of towns and railroads, 

 the prices are no better in the West than they 

 are in the South. — Ed.] 



Columbia, Pa., April 15th, 1878. 



Prof. S. S. Rathvon— J/y Dear Friend: At first 

 I advised you by mail that the February number of 

 The Farmer failed to put in an appearance at my 

 place. This you forgot all about. When I personally 

 called on you then you said you will nom not forget. 

 Well, I suppose you are getting rather too ranch 

 business on your mind, so that some things may be 

 forgot as well as others. Now you send me another 

 copy of the March number, which I had already. So 

 I'll make another appeal — don't send me January or 

 March number, but if you have got a spare copy of 

 February number I will be thankful for a copy to 

 keep my file complete. The April number is now due. 



I have a lot, some three dozen, of those Japan 

 persimmon seeds, from Mr. Loomis, of California. 

 They are already sprouting in pots. I have an idea 

 that when grown from seeds the trees will be more 

 likely to accomodate themselves to our climate than 

 trees grafted in California, where the climate is 

 warmer. Time will tell if I am right ; I may not 

 live to carry out the experiment, still somebody m-iy 

 see the result. Then, too, I may not get the particu- 

 lar varieties ; however, like other fruits from seed, 

 there may be good varieties originate from seed. — 

 Very respect fulhj, J. B. Garber. 



"Now, sonny, you run to the grocery, 

 quick, and bring a mackrel and half a pound 

 of butter, and, 'hold on,' a si.\-pennv loaf of 

 bread for breakfast. " Away ran the boy at 

 the top of his speed, but lucklessly met another 

 boy, who bantered him to play a game of 

 marbles; and, consequently, when he returned 

 home he had half a pound of beeswax and a 

 plug of tobacco, and no bread at all. Evi- 

 dently that boy had more business on hand 

 than his mind coidd compass. We often find 

 ourself in that condition, and can only throw 

 ourself upon the indulgence of our friends and 

 patrons. — Ed. 



For The Lakoaster Farmeb. 

 LATE PLANTED PEACHBLOWS. . 



A few years ago, a farmer living near tliis 

 city came into the Agricultiu-al Department 

 with some remarkably'large Peachblow pota- 

 toes. He had planted them early in July, in 

 mellow soil, and, the season being favorable, 

 they grew finely until an October frost cut 

 down the green, luxuriant vines. They had 

 ripened just sufficiently, and had yielded a 

 very large crop of unusually large potatoes — 

 hardly any small ones among them. They 

 were so handsome, large, and of fine flavor, 

 that he had been offered an extra price for 

 them. His experiment was so similar to one 

 I had tried while residing in Perry, N. Y., in 

 185G, that I will also give that as an instance 

 of success in late planting. 



We had had a dry spell up to July 4th, 

 Wlien it was broken by a shower. The next 



day I planted a vacant bed of rich, mellow 

 ground, with some badly sprouted peacliblows. 

 Some amused neighbors said I was planting 

 them for "Jack Frost," but as only my labor 

 could be lost, I planted them. The weather 

 kept them steadily growing, and we had no 

 severe fro.st until about the 10th of October. I 

 hastened to harvest my crop, and was aston- 

 ished at the size of my potatoes, and the 

 quantity — although the skins slipped on a 

 few, until exposure to the air hardened them. 

 They also proved superior in flavor to any 

 peachblows we liad ever eaten. My neighliors 

 were as much surprised at my success, and at 

 the size of the tubers, as myself. I think that 

 both quantity and quaVdn, and the ripening of 

 such a slow grower, was mainly owing to the 

 fact that the growth was never checked in the 

 least — almost every day of the season, between 

 July 5th and October, being good growing 

 weather. Had I opportunity and means, I 

 would like to repeat the experiment on a small 

 scale, by planting at a favorable time, at the 

 close of June, or beginning of July. I planted 

 from four to six inches deep, and hilled them 

 when hoeing — old fashion. 



I once planted early kidneys in my garden, 

 in Marietta, on the 2-2d of February, in a dry, 

 sheltered spot, and covered them well, and 

 mulched them with potato vines. I removed 

 the mulch late in March or early in April, 

 and found them coming up finely. They 

 yielded good cooking potatoes about a week 

 earlier than those in the neighborhood plauted 

 on March 17— St. Patrick's day. These I 

 hoed flat or level, because they were planted 

 very deep. The season, also, was very favor- 

 able, after spring fairly opened.—^. JS. O., 

 Washington, D. C. 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 REVU OF APRIL NUMBER. 

 Kitchen Garden Calender. — Thos hu hav 

 not foloed its directions at the proper tim can 

 do so yet, but tha wil hav to put up with short 

 crops or non at al. 



Health Suggestions. — Thes ar gud, but wont 

 amount to much, whil peple cater mor to ther 

 apetites than to ther helth. 



Milk, Cheese and Sugar. — If the ideas of 

 A. H. W. ar corect, som ov the farmers ov 

 yur county wud beter turn ther atention that 

 wa, sine the tobaco mania has somwat sub- 

 sided. Mankind wud surly not sufer by the 

 chang. 



United States Entomologist. — Prof. R. has 

 accomplished much, but in the U. S. Ag. De- 

 partment he wud be the rit man in the rit 

 plac. We liop he wil be apointed. 



Scale Insects of the Peach. — What next ? It 

 .sems that if we wish to enjoy fruts, certan we 

 must understand the habits of insects, wich 

 ar geting nu secrets every yer. 



The Cultivation of Wheat.— Vfe repet that 

 this is an important question, and is destined 

 to becom a fixed factor in whet groing. Pleas 

 mark our predictions. 



The Brighton Grape luks wel on paper, and 

 we hav sen and tasted sf)m that wer O. K., 

 but having som foren blod we are not sur that 

 it wil prov without fait. 



Barnyard Manure. — Any person hu thinks 

 that Col. J. Y. dos not no what he rits aljout, 

 had beter go and se his firm, which Pres't 

 Grant is sad to have pronounced the best 

 managed in the country. Col. Y. don't belev 

 in ignorant farmers ether. With al his suc- 

 ces he sas he lacks inteligence to conduct his 

 bisnes as he wishes. Som ov the members ov 

 yur county societe, hu sometims sner at in- 

 teligent and progresive farming, mit profit by 

 paing a visit to Col. Y's farm, specialy yur 

 100 bus. corn man. 



Manures and Soil Fertilizers {concluded.) — 

 J. I. C. is another ov thos wild visionary 

 farmers, hu has not fer ov old foges befor his 

 I's. Altho he delivered his lectur befor yur 

 county societe meting and which semed to" be 

 wel receved, but after al som think ther dadis 

 new mor about farming than J. I. C, and 

 tha prefer to folio ther dadis example. We 

 hav only to sa that if J. I. C.'s lalxu's ar not 

 apreciated by the present generation of farm- 



ers we hop the rising won wil profit therby. 

 We consider his lectur an excelent won. 



Various N'utes.—J. B. G. seldom fails to 

 mak gud hits. His verdict against the Italian 

 be is not at al modifid. On dep and shalo tre 

 planting he sems to be on both sides, but we 

 think the dep planted orchard which he aludes 

 to, wud hav don as wel or even beter, had it 

 ben set shallo. 



Hovey Seedling Strawberry. —This bery mit 

 pas among the grat nu guns under a uu nam, 

 altho it mit not yeld as many bushels per acre 

 as potatos, specialy if we cud gro 700 bus., as 

 yur member from Conestogo clams can be 

 don. Then .32 quarts per bus. , at even 10 cents, 

 wud amount to $2,240, which wud bet tobaco 

 al holo, and be relished more by many. 



Varieties of Fruit for Pennsylvaiiia.—B.. M. 

 E. is considered authority on fruts, but we 

 think he has left som gud kinds out, and som 

 which he recommended wud be rejected by 

 som planters. 



Hard Times. — If suchfeding and dresing as 

 A. B, G. had when young wud mak such 

 men as he, the country shiid comence bisnes 

 on a larg seal. With a majority ov such, our 

 country wud present a very diferent aspect. 

 Fraud and politicl gambling wud be at a dis- 

 count. 



Farm JSTotes.—J. G. givs gud hints. It is 

 not tu lat yet to folio his directions. 



Facts for i^acmers. —Californians sem alwas 

 to be boring with big augurs, and Berks 

 county is urged to folio with one of sam siz. 

 We think Lancaster shud order one stil larger, 

 as she shud never be behind Berks. She shud 

 first positively get out the 700 bushel potato 

 crop, then folio with sam amount of straw- 

 beries, after which Californy wud hav to luk 

 after her laurels. 



Celandine. — To which we sing mum. We 

 no nothing about it. 



Clothes moths ar a nusance. Shud tha 

 multiply largly it mit improv the tobaco 

 market. 



Correspondence from North Carolina. — M. 

 R. cannot se why The Lancaster Farmer 

 is not beter patronized at hom. Nether can 

 we, unles tha lov the mite dolar mor than 

 progres in ther caling. 



Around, the Farm. — Ruralist sems to hav 

 his I's open. His saingsar short but alwas to 

 the point. 



Questions on Fertilizers. — A. B. K. has 

 handled this question remarkably wel. His 

 articl shos that he has given it a mor thoro 

 consideration than farmers generaly do. It is 

 worth revuing by any farmer hu has comon 

 sens enuf to draw useful deductions therfrom. 

 Proceedings of Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Society. — Thes ar alwas interesting, altho tha 

 somtiras bar considerabl sifting. 'The ques- 

 tion refered to Mr. Ililler, was wel ansered. 

 He brot out som gud points, as he seldom fals 

 to do. The essay of M. D. Kendig on beauti- 

 fying country horns, was also excelent, and 

 much in ad vane of the sentiments ov som ov 

 the members hu semed to sner a iitle at such 

 tomfulery. The mor progresive gav it ther 

 harty endorsmeut. How to rais 100 bus. ot 

 corn to the acr by Mr. B. was handled som- 

 what ironicaly, but brot out som gud points. 

 He evidently don't belev in fancy farming. 



The groers of the weed continue to hold ther 

 monthly metiugs, but the enthusiasm is not 

 so grat as formerly. 



The Linnrean metings shud increas when one 

 held in ther nu hal. It wud do som ov yur 

 farmers gud to alend thos metings. A Iitle 

 mor siens wud not bio them up.- Fon Humholt. 



^ 



The publisher of The Farsier having in 

 his possession a collection of all the pennies 

 coined, with the exception of 1793, 1799 and 

 1804, and being desirous to procure these 

 three dates, to complete his collection, would 

 ask the patrons of The Farmer to look over 

 their old coins and see if they have any of 

 such dates, for which I would be willing to 

 pay them a hundred times their commercial 

 value, by sending or bringing them in person 

 to the publisher, at the Examiner and Express 

 otlice, No. 9 North Queen street, Lancaster. 



