108 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July, 



Potatoes are very fine. Small fruits are only tolerably 

 abundant. 



Peter S. Reist, of Litiz, said corn is backward, but 

 few fields look well. Hay is plenty ; the yield is 

 from two to two and a half tons per acre. Wheat is 

 a full crop. Harvest is fairly begun, and another 

 week will ace it safely housed. Oats jiromises to be 

 tall and good. Potatoes are very abundant ; some 

 are nearly ready to take out. Tobacco is not very far 

 advanced, being affected with what is called black 

 root. Many barns are now filled with hay that never 

 were in that condition before. 



Mr. Reist's remarks, in detail, will be found in a 

 paper read by him, and published on page 103 of this 

 number of The Farmer. 



H. M. Engle read an essay on "Our Wheat Crop," 

 which will be found on page 101 of the present num- 

 ber of The F.\hmer. 



Levi S. Reist remarked that this season proves that 

 mother nature herself knows what is best for the 

 soil to grow fine crops. All our fine farming cannot 

 bring about such results as nature has shown herself 

 capable of producing. Her processes are always 

 better than man's. Not only is our wheat crop the 

 best ever known, but all our other crops are also 

 first-class. 



Calvin Cooper made a trip of about thirty miles 

 during the week and saw but one poor wheat field. 

 He never knew of a season where the promise of the 

 cro[is was so uniformly good. 



D. W. Bollinger agreed with the essayist in his 

 views. He believed in putting grain on shock at 

 once ; that gives us better breadt We don't make 

 as good bread now as they did years ago because we 

 let the wheat get too ripe and allow it to lie in the 

 field too long. 



S. P. Eby said wheat ground in March, when the 

 weather is often damp and heavy, makes the best 

 flour. Wheat must not be over-dry to produce the 

 best quality of flour. New processes for grinding 

 wheat to overcome the results of over-ripeness have 

 been patented — made necessary by our present 

 method of harvesting. 



H. M. Engle said seed that sprouts quickest is the 

 best. That which is cut before it is too ripe sprouts 

 better than the over-ripe. He believed our object 

 should lie to get good crops, not only in favorable 

 seasons, but every year. "This is the point we should 

 strive after. 



Peter S. Reist said the comparisons made by the 

 essayist between vegetables intended to be eaten 

 green and cereals intended to be harvested when 

 fully ripe, were not legitimate ones. Peas must be 

 pulled in their season, and wheat in its own. There 

 can be no comparison between the two. 



Mr. McComsey both agreed and disagreed with 

 the essayist. Vegetables and cereals cannot be com- 

 pared properly ; the former are intended to be used 

 in their green condition, while grains like wheat are 

 required to attain maturity. Ripe wheat, no doubt, 

 has more bran than green ; but is not the bread 

 made of it more wholesome? Was it not intended 

 by nature that it should be so? He was ssitisfled 

 from his own experience that it was so. He also 

 believed if people ate more rye bread there would be 

 fewer dyspeptics. He did not believe in cutting 

 wheat in its green or doughy state ; it is a perversion 

 of a great gift. 



Peter S. Keist said it was the best fields and the 

 best farmers that produced the best wheat, and not 

 Providence all the time, as some believed. 



H. M. Engle announced that Prof. S. B. Heiges, 

 of York, will address the next meeting of the society. 



On motion, the discussion on the "cultivation and 

 marketing of vegetables " intended to be taken up 

 at this meeting, was continued until next maeting. 

 New Business. 



S. P. Eby called attention to the fact that white 

 oak posts if put in the ground green will last twice 

 as long as dry posts. Also, that newly cultivated 

 ground attracts the dew more than that which has 

 not been disturbed. Also, the experience of a farmer 

 who washed his trees at least once a year with lye 

 and found the process to result beneficially. He also 

 presented some fine German walnuts from a tree 

 growing in Hon. H. G. Long's garden, and recom- 

 mended it to farmers as a valuable addition to their 

 fruit crops. 



Levi S. Reist joined in the recommendation that 

 we should grow more nut trees. He related a case 

 where a man realized more from some nut trees than 

 from his farm products themselves, showing how 

 valuable they are to the farmer. 



H. M. Engle also advocated the growing of nut 

 bearing trees. He called attention to the chestnut 

 as a most valuable fruit ; they are so easily grown, 

 and can be put almost anywhere— on ground too 

 poor to grow anything else. Chestnuts are in de- 

 mand and always command a ready sale. They 

 could be made a most valuable crop. 



Ephraim S. Hoover brought two specimens of 

 wheat to the notice of the society for a name. The 

 seed of one was brought from Maryland, but this 

 was grown in this county. Another sample was 

 grown by Thos. Fordney, and is expected to yield 

 from 40 to 45 bushels to the acre. 



Daniel Smeych, of this city, exhibited some seed- 

 ling cherries which were uncommonly fine— equal to 



the very best in the books, both in size, flavor and 

 productiveness. 



H. M. Engle proposed that the name of the owner 

 be given to this cherry. 



Other members suggested that Mr. Smeych name 

 the cherry himself. 



After some discussion the name of The Lancaster 

 cherry was given to this very excellent fruit. It is 

 worthy of remark that it is now in the fourth week 

 of ripeness, and is still firm and solid. For a de- 

 tailed description of this magnificent fruit see page 

 OS of this number of our journal. No fruit has been 

 brought before this society for a long time — if ever — 

 which elicited such an earnest approval by all the 

 members present as this fine and delicious cherry. 



On motion of Dr. S. S. Rathvon, the names of 

 Casper Hiller and Henry M. Engle were added to 

 the Committee on Nomenclature. 



The rain fall for the month of June, as rei)orted by 

 H. M. Engle, was i'/^ inches. 



There being no further business before the society, 

 it was, on motion, adjourned. 



LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 



The Linnsean Society met on Saturday, June 29th. 

 President Stahr called the meeting to order, with 

 seven members present. After attending to the 

 opening duties the donations to the museum were 

 examined and found to consist of a fine mounted 

 specimen of the horned owl {Bubo Virgmianus) , 

 captured and donated by Mr. J. Paxon Hamilton, of 

 Green Postoflice, Lancaster county. Pa. Malformed 

 hens' eggs, from Mr. J. P. Knight, of Christiana ; 

 also from Mr. May, of Paradise township, two eggs 

 of the snapping turtle (Chelyelra scrpeiiHna.) From 

 Mr. Joseph Windolph, Marietta, two small gold-fish 

 {Cyprinus aurat7is), the golden carp, common in 

 aquariums, from Mrs. Rathvon, city. Two fine 

 "green ground beetles" (Calasoma scrutalor), cap- 

 tured in the city, and presented by two little girls. 

 Mr. J. C. Linville, of the Gap, sent the corn" cut- 

 worm (the larva of (fortyna zea) and its foe, the 

 soldier beetle, a species of Telephorus, both alive ; 

 the latter killed the former, however, when put to- 

 gether. The larva and pupa of the helgramite 

 ( Corydalis cornutvs) came from George F. Rathvon, 

 Columliia. A small water snake {Xeroclia s'qjedou) 

 was left by a lad not known. 



Minerals were as follows : Three specimens of 

 kyanite, from the farm of Mr. Joseph Armstrong, 

 near Bethesda, per James Galen : calcareous spar, 

 having a vein of copper, quartz and lead, from Quar- 

 ryville, donated by Mr. W. U. Hensel ; an undeter- 

 mined mineral, from Martic township, by Mr. Geo. 

 S. Lambert. Rev. John S. Stahr had for inspection 

 a specimen of limestone, penetrated through its 

 entire body with a delicate deposit of a moss or 

 fern-like branching figure of a dark color, belonging 

 to Mr. Hager, found at Cornwall. A crystallized 

 silicate of iron and magnesia ; and a roll of tin-foil, 

 marked by the needle of the phonograph, the wonder 

 of the nineteenth century, were also presented. 

 Historical Collections. 



The deposits and donations were 29 German maps, 

 Nos. 1 to :S3, including a framed map of Lancaster 

 and vicinity and parts adjoining Lancaster county, 

 it being one of three executed by William Reichen- 

 bach, of Franklin College, in 1787, when Lancaster 

 was proposed as the site for the Capitol of the Gen- 

 eral Government ; donated by Mr. Chas. A. Heinitsh ; 

 six envelopes, containing 65 historical clippings, per 

 Dr. 8. 8. Rathvon ; a copy of the New York Daily 

 Grap/iif of May 81, 1878, illustrating certain places 

 in and about Lancaster, Pa.; sundry coins and tokens. 

 To the Library. 



To the libr.ary were donated the first annual report 

 of the Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture for 1877, 

 per Thomas J. Edge, secretary of the board ; a copy 

 of the biennial United States register ; one copy of 

 the report of the Board of Education ; the May "and 

 June numbers of The Lancaster Farmer ; book 

 catalogues and circulars. Dr. S. S. Rathvon gave 

 notice that he had received quite an extensive collec- 

 tion from Miles Rock, of the United States Astrono- 

 mical Department, made during the years 1870, '71, 

 '7-2 and '73, from Cordova and Laconcho, Argentine 

 Republic, etc., South America, which was not yet 

 assorted and classified. It is to be made into three 

 divisions of duplicates ; one for the Linnaean Society, 

 one for the University at Bethlehem, and one for Mr. 

 Rock himself. On motion, the society gave a cordial 

 and unanimous vote of thanks to Mr. Rock for the 

 valuable donation. A vote of thanks was also offered 

 to Mr. Rathvon for furnishing an inkstand, and to 

 Mr. Baker for providing pens. 



Papers Read. 



An illustrsited paper was read by J. Stauflfer, No. 

 495, on a fish parasite {t\\e Arqulus), showing that 

 the one found to infest the shad (^Alos a nqpidismia) 

 and that taken from a mullet or sucker (Caloxlomus 

 aureolus) were the same species, and questions 

 whether the so-called Arqulus alosw and the Argnlus 

 catostomi are not the same species, simply infesting 

 the different fish. Dr. 8. S. Rathvon deposited a 

 paper, No. 496, on specimens donated, and read a 

 paper, No. 497, on the results of a day's hunt in 



company with J. Stauffer, June 12, 187S. A com- 

 munication, No. 498, was read from W. B. Bolton, 

 on honey dew found, caused by aphides. 



Resolutions. 



Mr. Rathvon then introduced a package of printed 

 tickets, and offered the following resolutions : 



Resiilned, That the tickets exhibited be adopted 

 and recognized as the only legitimate tickets of the 

 society, and that they be indorsed on the back by the 

 treasurer, and that they are not valid without such 

 indorsement. 



Resolved, That any holder of one or more certifi- 

 cates of ownership in the stock of the society, whether 

 he is an active member or only a subscriber, shall be 

 entitled to one ticket, which shall not be transferable. 



Resolved, That all correspondents who are now 

 subscribers, on application, shall also be entitled to 

 a ticket, and that hereafter a ticket shall accompany 

 the notice of election of correspondents in all cases 

 where it is deemed .advisable by the society. 



Resolved, That the tickets shall be placed in the 

 custody of the treasurer for safe keeping, and that 

 application for them be made to him until ordered 

 otherwise. 



On motion the foregoing resolutions were adopted 

 without debate. Dr. Baker proposed Messrs. M. L. 

 Davis, M.D., and .John Baer, M. D., of Millersville, 

 as active members ; the ballot being passed round 

 they were severally unanimously elected, and having 

 subscribed and paid, their certificates and tickets 

 were filled out. 



No further business offering the society adjourned 

 to Saturday, July 27, 1878. 



MEETING OF FULTON FARMERS- 

 CLUB. 



The regular meeting of the club was held at the 

 residence of E. Henry Haines, Fulton township, July 

 1st. Visitors, Jefferson Haines and wife, of Cecil 

 county, Md. 



C. 8. Gatchel exhibited some early cherries for a 

 name — Franklin Tollinger had the same cherry, and 

 it is of the Amber variety. 



The committee appointed at a former meeting to 

 examine and report on the result of cultivating 

 wheat, not being ready to make a full report, was 

 continued. E. H. Haiues, a member of the commit 

 tee, however, stated that since the appointment of 

 the committee he had tried cultivattng some of his 

 own wheat, in two different parts of the field — one of 

 them where the wheat was good, the other where it 

 was poor. It was done by harrowing up alternate 

 drills and working deeply by a common corn culti- 

 vator, with some of the teeth taken out. It had 

 made no perceptible difference on the good wheat, 

 and had been a decided injury to the poor wheat. 

 He did not attach much importance to the experi- 

 ment, as the proper implements were not used. He 

 had also visited Boyd's farm, in Drumore township, 

 who was trying the experiment of cultivating ac- 

 cording to the method of J. M. Heiges, of York 

 county. He founil the wheat poor, rusted and much 

 fly-eaten— the cultivated wheat no better than the 

 rest of the field. 



Day Wooil asked how can early cherries be pi-o- 

 tected from birds ? 



Josiah Brown : If the tree is near the house hang 

 sleigh bells on it, which can be rung by a siring. 



R. B. Gatchel : Bells will notdo much good unless 

 a Paddy or scare-crow is placed in the tree with them. 



S. L. Gregg : Birds are not much afraid of scare- 

 crows ; they often build nests in them. 



J.R.Blackburn: Birds rather like scare-crows; 

 they want them to set on while they eat the cherries. 



Wm. P. Haines : The best plan is to plant plenty 

 of trees, so there would be plenty of cherries left 

 after the birds are satisfied. 



Josiah Brown : Is this the right time to trim apple 

 trees ? Most of the members were in the habit of 

 doing the work in the winter, or early spring, when 

 they had more time, and, the leaves being off the 

 trees, the work could be better done. It was gen- 

 erally thought, however, the wounds would heal 

 better if done in the summer. 



Wm. King : Is there such a disease as black teeth 

 in small pigs ? 



Day Wood docs not think that there is; the teeth 

 are sometimes blackened by disease, but tliey do not 

 cause it. 



Josiah Brown : Give them feed enough and they 

 will not be troubled with it. 



C. II. Haines had a pig that had them and he 

 knocked them out, but it did no good. 



J. R. Blackburn had never seen them on old hogs. 

 Had pulled them out of small pigs without any good 

 results. 



Montillion Brown : How can birds be kept from 

 taking up corn ? Answer : Soak corn and put in 

 bunches in different parts of the field and cover 

 slightly. The birds will find it. Or sow corn over 

 the fields before the corn comes up. Birds will not 

 pull up corn if they can get it without pulling. 



Solomon L.Gregg: Would it pay better to put 

 corn ground in wheat than oats ? 



Several of the members thought that oats was an 

 uncertain crop ; but putting w-heat in after corn 

 made a great deal of work and was mostly roughly 



