1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



77 



composts are beneficial, and can be used as auxili- 

 aries. 



With all our boasteil attainments, the culture of 

 tobacco is yet in its infancy with us; and the com- 

 mittee are well convinced I'rom their olisi'rvations 

 that unless the hints above f;iven arc observed by us 

 the tobacco interest, upon which we so much rely, 

 will pass (as it has passed ciscwiiere heretofore) 

 into other localities ecpially well ailaptcd to its cul- 

 ture, and where prodvicers wi'I act more prudently. 



We must learn to please the purchaser in (|uality, 

 and this can only be done by otwervini; the means 

 noticed. One reason in withholdini; this report thus 

 late was to observe whether the opinions arrived at 

 by your committee wovild be sustained by the action 

 of the purchasers of the crop ; and we wouhl now 

 only add that with all the large area planted, ami the 

 }argc crop of '77, the (juantity of tirst-elass tobacco 

 Is exceediuftly small, scarce and liifrh in price, sellinf^ 

 at IX, 30 and'even 2.5 cents per [loiind. 



Then let us profit by our past errors, and endeavor 

 1(1 pursue a course that will bring about more favor- 

 al'lc results in the future. 



J. M. Frantz, Chairman. 

 On motion, the report wag received and the com- 

 mittee discharged. 



Reports on Crops. 

 Henry Shitl'ner said there was still some tobacco in 

 his eect'ion and selling at 2-6, 3-8, 3-10, 3-13. There 

 has been no lack of buyers. 



W. S. Kennedy reported about one-third of the 

 crop in his district sold — some as high as 5 and 1.5. 



W. L. Hershey reported sales at .5-18 and down to 

 Z-W. 



J. M. Frantz reported sales as high as 17 and 19 

 cents for wrappers. 



I. L. Landis knew of sales in Manheim at 14-1(5, 

 and some even higher, but these were choice lots. 

 For General Discussion. 

 J. M. Frantz related the case of a man who realized 

 J900 from two acres of tobacco, while lie knows men 

 who did not realize that sum from five acres. All 

 depends on the superior cultivatiou and handling of 

 the crop. There are ten poor crops to one really 

 good one. 



Henry Shiffner said the indifference of tobacco 

 growers is surprising. They seem to care little liow 

 they grow their crops, and the result is an inferior 

 article which buyers do not want. They must learn 

 to grow better than they do now. They raise more 

 than they can attend to, and the eonsequnce is, the 

 whole tobacco growing fraternity suffers. 

 Deferred Questions. 

 "When is the proper time to plant tobacco?" 

 Henry Shiffner thought it was best to plant early. 

 Nine out of ten good lots are planted early. Early 

 planted tobacco is always better in quality. It seems 

 to be slightly lighter in color, but not much. May 

 10th to June 1st he thought a very good time. He 

 does not approve of using water at planting time ; 

 better wait for a favorable season ; have your ground 

 ready and then take advantage of the season. The 

 Connecticut tobacco can be planted later and will do 

 equally well. 



"Will it pay to pack and store tobacco at the pres- 

 ent low prices?" was answered by Washington L. 

 Herstey, as follows : 



This question was referred to me, and althouE:h I 

 am not able to answer it satisfactorily, I will make an 

 effort in that direction. I am decidedly of the opin- 

 ion that it will iiay farmers having a good quality of 

 leaf to pack and hold it, and also that the prices now 

 paid by buyers do not give any profit to the farmer, 

 as tobacco is sold for less than the cost of produc- 

 tion. This being the case, the production of this 

 commodity niust eventually cease, as the farmer 

 cannot afford to raise a crop and sell it for less than its 

 cost. In my experience as a grower and packer, 1 

 have never seen a drugged tobacco market ami the 

 prevalence of low prices that was not followed in the 

 second or third year by high prices and a bouyant 

 market. In 18(51 tobacco was a drug in the market 

 at 5 and 6 cents a pound, and in 186:i and 1M14 the 

 same goods sold at from 20 to 35 cents a jiound. In 

 18G.5 and 18CG the prices fell, and farmers did not 

 realize more than 5 or 6 cents a pound ; in 1872 and 

 1873 the prices fell to fl and 7, and so on till the pres- 

 ent time, when tobacco of a good quality commands 

 a good price. 



Since 1861 the prices have fluctuated very much. 

 For a few years the farmer would receive paying 

 prices for his crops, and then for two or three years 

 the crops would not pay the cost of [iroduction. 

 This being the case farmers should hold their tobacco 

 until prices have again advanced. Packing tobacco 

 is a tine ait, and tlie man who undertakes it should 

 understand how to select and grade tobacco. Hegular 

 tobacco cases should always be used, and tobacco 

 when put in should be moistened, not dried out. If 

 it has become dry, moisture can l)e imparteil tiy the 

 agency of sprinkling straw, which is piled around 

 the tobacco. No two grades of tobacco should be 

 packed in the same case ; rather allow the case to be 

 partly empty. It is allowable, however, to pack 

 remnants of several grades into one case and mark 

 the quantity of each on the case or on the book. To 

 keep tobacco, the cases should, when packed, be 



laid on their sides; they should also be stored in a 

 warm, dry place. Tobacco after liclng packed will 

 get very hoi, ami the Inexperienced may take alarm 

 when they find it so ; but no matter how hot it gets 

 it will, wiicn cociled oil, be all right again. Farmers 

 make a great mibtakc by tearing tobacco apart when 

 it gets healed ; il is not proper to do so. Tobacco 

 should never be kept over the year un|)acked, be- 

 cause it is not possible for it to cure thoroughly, and 

 an imperfectly cured loliacco will not sell for the 

 same money that a thoroughly cured artii-lc will. 



W. S. Kennedy thouirht this was an unusual sea- 

 son in which to sell tobacco. Buyers have hail it all 

 their own way. .Some fine tobacco was sold as low 

 as 2 and 10. .Some bought their tobacco almost for 

 nolliing. He thoui;ht. Iln'ri-lore, it would pay to 

 pack the present i-rop and keep it for a highi'r market. 



Henry Sbitl'iicr thought this association had merely 

 to do with the growing of the goods, and nothing 

 with the pac-king. The indications arc that not half 

 has been sold, ami perhaps much will nut be. The 

 croj) as a whoh' is inferior, and he adviscil holilcrs to 

 sell, not to pack. It will pay at H and 10 cents, and 

 if that i)rice can be got, let it go. He knows little 

 about i;rowing the weed, but in eight years he has 

 never sold his crop at less than twelve cents. He 

 did not ajiprove of packing the crop by the farmers 

 themselves. The complaint ' that no buyers came 

 about is because in some sections 1 here are but few 

 good lots, and it don't pay buyers to travel far out of 

 their way to hunt up a single lot. He did not believe 

 the charge that a combination anumg the buyers was 

 made to beat down the prices. 



Mr. Frantz thought there was no use in packing 

 an inferior article. A good article sells for as much 

 to-day as ever it did. Why then cncouragi' the pack- 

 ing of inferior tobacco? It is not worth the troulile. 

 It is a costly experiment, and the expense falls on 

 the packer. Besides, packing is a trade that is not 

 easily learned, and the ])aeker may not improve 

 his crop thereby. Sell your tobacco at the best price 

 you can get, and then go to work and raise a better 

 article the next time, such as you can sell. Much of 

 the present crop of tobacco is dear at even the low 

 prices paid. 



W. S. Kennedy could not see how, if one man was 

 forced to sell his tobacco at a small price, why other 

 men who have good tobacco should not pack it. 

 Why shall men sell their tobacco at current low 

 prices when they are able to hold it ? Packers often 

 persuade men not to undertake packing their crop. 

 He thought they can do better by packing than by 

 selling it at prevailing prices. 



W. L. Hershey had been fortunate enough to 

 double his money on the tobacco he has packed. He 

 has it inspected by regular inspeetiors, and it is al- 

 wiiys up to sample. 



J. M. Frantz thought those who came into this 

 city to sell were over-anxious or necessitated to sell, 

 and for that reason took what they could get without 

 much regard to the value of the goods. 

 New Business. 



F. R. Diffenderffer asked whether the association 

 had secured a place for its future meetings, and 

 offered on behalf of the Young Men's Christian As- 

 sociation, the second-story room of their buililini.' at 

 the low price of $2.5 per annum. The Agricultural 

 Society has already secured the same room for its 

 monthly meetings, and at the same price. The room 

 was commodious, handsomely fitted up, and dcsiralili- 

 in every way ; it was in fact t,he best room in which 

 the association had ever met. 



J. .M. Johnston moved that a committee be ap- 

 pointed to make arrangements, provisionally, for the 

 next meeting of the society, ami this, in all |)roba- 

 bility, will be in the room just spoken of. The com- 

 mittee consists of J. M. Johnston and J. M. Frantz. 



A bill was presented by the janitor for services, 

 which, on motion, was relcrred to the finance com- 

 mittee, with instructions to pay it if I'ound correi-l . 



There being no further business the association 

 adjourned until the third .Monday in May, when we 

 hopothcrewill be a better attendance than there was 

 yesterday. 



BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



Monday aftcrnoor.. May lo, at 2 o'clock, the Lan- 

 caster County Bee-Keepers' Association met in what 

 were formerly the Athena-um rooms, the following 

 members being present : Peter S. Keist, Litiz, Presi- 

 dent ; John Huber, Treasurer, Peiiuea ; Daniel 

 Krider, West Lamiielcr; I.li. -Martin, Karl; ICIlis 

 Hershey, Paradise; J. F. Hershey, Mount Joy: J. 

 B. Eshfeman, K|)lirata ; J. G. Hush, Pequca ; .lohn 

 H. Mellim;er, Strasburg ; E. H. .Mellinger, Strasburg. 



On motion F. K. Diffenderffer was elected teuiiwr- 

 ary secretary. 



Reports. 



Mr. E. Hershey said, last fall he disposed of all his 

 bees but fifteen swarms, which came through the 

 winter all right. Had no swarms so far. 



Mr. Rush reported that out of seven hives he hail 

 lost one ; one colony has swarmed twice and both 

 are doing well. The prospects for a honey crop are 

 good . 



; Mr. .Mellinger reported that all of his hives came 

 through the w later very well; has had five new 



swarms, one swarm has sent out three colonies and 

 anolhcr will semi out two colonies. 



.Mr. Martin re|x)rled that he had wintered sixteen 

 eolonies ; he paekcil the hlvi'S in chaff, and they 

 came throuu'h well. He hail no swarms yet. 



.Mr. K. Hershey went into winter (pnirters with 

 sixty-twoswarms. He liulll a bee house, and brought 

 all his swarms lhroui;li. So far nine have swarmed ; 

 some of his neighbors have new eolonies. The sea- 

 son has up to this time been unfavorable to the pro- 

 duction of iKuicy. 



.Mr lOshlcman read a letter from W. J. Davis, of 

 Warren county, who was expected to be present. 

 He ha<l wintereil one hundreil and llfly-three colo- 

 nics and h)st nine. The letter further slaleil that 

 the bees were hard at Work, and Ihe pro.speets for a 

 large honey crop were very good. The speaker 

 stated. In reference to his own bees, that he hail 

 wintered twenty-two eoloides last fall, anil all had 

 come out. There was no trouble in keeping bees 

 this winler as it was so mild. He only knew of one 

 swarm in the ncigbborhftod. 



.Mr. J. F. Hershey stated that W. B. Delweller, a 

 neighbor of his, had put up seventy-two hives last 

 fall, and lost none. .Mr. Myers's bees also came out 

 well, but none have swarmi'd. 



President Keist said that ho started with four 

 hives, which gradually increased to fifty or sixty. 

 These he disposed of by selling or by |)iaclng them 

 with neighbors. Of those ]>nt out In shares, all the 

 swarms are doing well. (Jne hive swarmed three 

 times. He wintered on suniuier stands. Bees, 

 everywhere, are doing well, and gathering honey 

 rapidly. He used the Longstreth hive. 



Questions Discussed. 



Mr. Hershey asked in what condition a hive should 

 be to be divided ; and at what time it should bo 

 done. On this question he gave his own views. Ho 

 thought the hive ought to be strong In bees and 

 honey. If the hive is divided In the honey season, 

 the old colony docs not get strong enough to gather a 

 stock of honey hirire enough to enable them to pass 

 the winter, but if you wait until the hives are full, 

 they can be divided safely, .\bout three weeks from 

 the present time they should be divided. The young 

 swarm should have three weeks to crather Us winter 

 stock of boiu'y. He preferred artificial to natural 

 swarming; has lost a colony which he did not attri- 

 bute to artificial swarming but to cold weather. 

 After the 1.5lh of June it is unsafe to divide a swarm; 

 however, this season the limit should be placed about 

 tw o weeks before that time, as the season is so for- 

 ward. 



Mr. Rush would rather depend on a natural 

 swarm than ui>on Mr. Hershey's plan ; he saw no 

 advantage in that method. 



Mr. .Marl in used a «ood deal of artificial founda- 

 tion, and likes it very much. He has found as many 

 bees to hatch out of them as when they are not used, 

 although it is stated that the product is much less. 

 Mr. Eshlcman's question was, "will a natural 

 swarm accept immediately a strange queen without 

 caging ?" 



Mr. Hershey said if an artificial swarm was di- 

 vided it woulil not aciept a stranL'e ipicen ; what a 

 natural swarm would do he did not know. 



Mr. .Martin had no experience in the matter, but 

 had read that Ihe strange queen would be accepted. 

 Mr. Eshlemau said his reason for putting the ques- 

 tion was to ascertain whether a colony could In that 

 way be Italianized. 



"Will it pay to feed between the blowing of apple 

 blossoms and white clover blossoms ?" was asked by 

 Mr. J. F. Hershey. 



Mr. Martin thought that if they were fed until 

 clover comes in bloom, they could then go to work 

 in earnest. 



Mr. Hershey was of Ihe same opinion. But If the 

 swarm has an abundance of old honey he v ould let 

 them consume that ; then there Is no advantage in 

 feeding Ihcm. He fed them throuirh a tin trough 

 atiout one inch wide, which is tilled throush a lube 

 from the outside. The best thin;: to feed to them Is 

 honey ; the next best sugar and water In equal pro- 

 portion. Best brown sugar should be used. Honey 

 stimulated Ihe bees to breed more than did sugar. 



President Heist asked whether bees can gel into 

 swarms without the moths laying eggs there. 



Mr. J. K. Hershey said that moths do not lay eggs 

 in the hives. They lay them on the outside, and 

 the tiees carry t hern in' themselves. Moths will go 

 into a weak colonv, lull not into a strong one. 



Mr. Keist said he had heard that moths would not 

 go into strong hives; but it was not true. They 

 would go inio anv hive. 



Mr. Eshlcman had discovered that the moth 

 would, if il could, deposit Its egixs under the honey 

 board, and the worm would then work its way Into 

 the hive. 



.Mr. .Mulligan said you could not keep worms out 

 of Ihe comb. He bad placed some In an exposed 

 place on one of the coldest days in w inter, but worms 

 canu- out nerertheless. 



Mr. J. F. Hershey proposed the question, " How 

 soon should the second swarm appear after the first?" 

 and it was bricfiy discussed. He thought it should 

 be nine days after, as did other members, but Mr. 



