158 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



t October, 



Various plans were suggested to procure more ac- 

 curate statistics of the product, but none was defl- 

 nitely adopted. 



On motion, a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. 

 Hunseclcer for his able and interesting lecture. 



Mr. Kennedy suggested that part of the business 

 of next meeting should be the discussion of the best 

 means to procure the highest price for our product. 

 This will accordingly be part of next meeting's 

 business. 



There being no further business the association, on 

 motion, adjourned. 



LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 

 The Linn.'ean Society held a stated meeting on 

 Saturday, September 28, with Vice President, Dr. T. 

 R. Baker, in the chair. Six members present. The 

 donations to the Museum consisted of a large jar of 

 an assortment of fishes ; sundry bottles containing a 

 flue specimen of a tree frog, the Hyhi nersicola, one, 

 a small "sun-flah," I'omotis cateshii, per S. S. Kath- 

 von ; the stomach of a " crab," from Amos Lee, city 

 restaurant ; bottle of larv* of the pine sawfly, a 

 Lophyrus ; per S. P. Eby.esq., bottle of tree crickets. 

 These latter were detected in puncturing the young 

 leaves of the tobacco plants ; these holes increase 

 with the growth of the leaf, and are a source of con- 

 siderable damage to the tobaceo crop — a new enemy. 

 A fine, well-made nest of the hanging bird, " Balti- 

 more Oriole," Icterus Baltimore. From Mr. Bletz, a 

 portion of the minerals donated by Mrs. Kerfoot, one 

 hundred and thirty specimens, among which are 

 some rare minerals and fossils and Indian relics of 

 the stone age, chieHy collected in Ireland by the late 

 Dr. Geo. B. Kerfoot, a native of Dublin. Several 

 fine large heads of wheat from the north of France, 

 by Mrs. Gibbons, for inspection only. Several kinds 

 of iron ore, collected at Pilot Knob and the Iron 

 Mountain, by Dr. Baker, on his late visit to Missouri. 

 To the historical department three envelopes con- 

 fining thirty clippings, perS. S. Kathvon. 



Donations to the Library. 

 The United States Coast Survey for 1875 ; Thb 

 Lancaster Farmee, for September, 1878. 

 Papers Read. 



No. 502 by J. Stauffer, with a correct colored 

 drawing of the five-legged frog caught on Saturday, 

 September 2l6t, by Master Wm. H. Snyder, of North 

 Queen street, while fishing in the Couestoga near 

 Lancaster. It was quite novelty to see it use the 

 three posterior well-formed legs with equal facility 

 in hopping and swimming. But, alas ! it yielded up 

 its life from some cause and is now preserved in alco- 

 hol, and it is hoped will be added to the collection, 

 when the novelty is over ; this is a specimen of the 

 Bana palustris. The Marsh frog, or as it is also 

 called the plckeral frog, having the extra leg over 

 the normal leg on its left side which is provided 

 with a larger webbed foot than the other two, and 

 with six distinct toes, instead of the normal number 

 five and the best paddleof the three. A similar frog 

 was caught at Rochester, New York, and is in the 

 collection of the Lyceum of Natural History of Wil- 

 liam College ; but that has the extra leg centrally 

 above and between the other two. Nothing is said 

 of having six toes, however. Prof. Kathvon read a 

 descriptive, paper on the deposits No. 503, with re- 

 marks on some of the minerals. Under 



Scientific Miscellany and Gossip, 

 the bee question and their habits came up. Do they 

 slit the grape or not? Circumstantial evidence was 

 brought that they did, but no positive proof. Mus- 

 quitos also were discussed. Mr. Kathvon stated that 

 a large species infested the shrubby portions below 

 Atlantic city. That, desiring to collect shells or in- 

 sects, he was so fearfully assailed as to force him to 

 retreat. He thought the species was called Cnlcx 

 Damnosua. Mr. S. remarked the name is no doubt 

 Latin, but it sounds like " bad English." Mr. S. 

 then gave a graphic description of the sly, cunning, 

 persevering annoyance of the musquito he had a few 

 nights ago; how he watched, parried and skirmished 

 on the right and left Hank, laid in wait and tried all 

 his generalship without aval to capture his blood- 

 thirsty opponent. Talk about instinct, he declared 

 that liis reason was not a match for it — he had to 

 give it up and own himself beat. Society adjourned 

 to Saturday, Oct. 26, 1878. 



AGRICULTURAL. 



Storing Potatoes. 



Potato-harvesting will now soon be in order, and 

 as the crop will be large and operations will probably 

 begin rather earlier than usual, we offer some views 

 upon the best mode of storing, which may possibly 

 be of advantage to some. 



To store potatoes properly we have to guard against 

 heating; for although the potato will not absolutely 

 ferment by heat as so much vegetable matter will, a 

 heap becomes warm enough to excite any germ fun- 

 gus there may be in the tuber, and this exhalation 

 maybesuflicientto cause a decay, which can be com- 

 municated to roots in which no symptom of rot e.x 

 ists. Moisture is favorable to heating, and hence it 



is best to have the potato thoroughly dry before 

 storing, if any considerable quantity is to be put away 

 in bulk. Thus, if they are spread on a barn-floor or 

 other cool place out of the sun, before putting ill the 

 root cellar, they will be safe against rotting. When 

 potatoes are perfectly healthy there is not so much 

 necessity for this care in drying. Hundreds of bush- 

 els are often taken at once from the field to the cel- 

 lar without any damage whatever resulting; 

 and it is only in view of the possibility of rot that we 

 tliiuk it advisable that we take the extra precaution 

 in drying. It is well to note that a cool shed is best 

 to dry them in, as the tubers will otherwise absorb 

 more heat than when they come out of the ground ; 

 and this is what we try to avoid. 



There is one disadvantage in drying potatoes in this 

 way, which is always more or less connected with 

 dry cellars, namely, the great loss from shrinkage 

 which results. In an average dry cellar there is often 

 as much as a loss of twenty per cent, from shrinkage. 

 Thus, one hundred bushels stored away in a place 

 like this in winter will give but eighty when taken 

 out for sale in the spring. This is often as much, and 

 sometimes more, than the advance in spring over fall 

 prices, and is an argument often used to induce 

 growers to sell their crop as soon as taken up, in- 

 stead of keeping them for the spring rise. But tliis 

 loss can be wholly avoided and the roots kept in ex- 

 cellent condition by carefully storing in the open 

 ground. A dry place is to be selected, where the 

 water can run easily away, and the potatoes laid up 

 in long narrow ridges, say about four feet wide and 

 as long as the quantity to be protected demands. 

 After the whole has been collected together a thin 

 layer of straw, only thick enough to keep the earth 

 from falling m among the potatoes, is to be put along 

 the sides and over the tubers, and a thin layer of soil, 

 just enough to keep the straw in place, is thrown 

 over. It is best ncjt to throw more earth than this 

 over at first, as the natural heat of the potatoes will 

 accumulate, while it is the object to let it pass rapid- 

 ly away. As soon as there is danger of frost then 

 the potatoes should be covered thickly with soil, as 

 the frost is certain to penetrate. In this way potatoes 

 are preserved at a temperature but little above the 

 freezing point, and thus guarded against heatins 

 much, and at the same time there is little loss from 

 evaporation ; a great point gained when the bushel 

 measure is brought out in spring. 



The great objection to this old-fashioned and excel- 

 lent plan is that we cannot get at them well in winter 

 season ; but we are only recommending it where 

 they are required to be kept over till spring. Where 

 they are needed before that time a cellar is almost 

 indispensable. Another objection is the extra labor 

 which open-air banking takes. Perhaps the saving 

 of ten or twenty per cent, may be a fair set-oft' to 

 this ; but at any rate those who have got root cellars 

 will generally run the risk in preference to the labor 

 of the open ground. But we have referred to the 

 excellence of the plan because some have no good 

 root cellars, and others who have may yet fear rot 

 and be glad to take the best precautions to guard 

 against accident. 



Only those, however, which are apparently sound, 

 should be chosen for the out-door practice ; for those 

 which are certainly diseased will be better preserved 

 by an occasional sorting over during the winter sea- 

 son. — Oermanloum Telegraph. 



The V/agons. 



But few people are aware that they do wagons 

 and carriages more injury by greasing too plentil'ully 

 than in almost any other way. A well made wheel 

 will endure common wear from ten to twenty-five 

 years, if care is taken to use the right kind and proper 

 amount of grease; but if this matter is not attended 

 to, they will be used up in five or six years. Lard 

 should never be used on a wagon, lor it will penetrate 

 the hub and work its way out around the tenons of 

 the spokes, and spoil the wheel. Tallow is the 

 best lubricator for wood axle-trees, and castor-oil for 

 iron. Just enough grease should be applied to the 

 spindle of the wagon to give it a light coating ; this is 

 better than more, for the surplus put on will work 

 out at the ends and be forced by the shoulder bands 

 and put washers into the hub around the outside of 

 the boxes. To oil an iron axle-tree, first wipe the 

 spindle clean with a cloth wet with spirits of turpen- 

 tine, and then apply a few drops of castor-oil near 

 the shoulder and end. One teaspoonful is amply 

 sufficient for the whole. Let the fifth wheel of the 

 carriage alone; if it grates tighten the nut bolt, but 

 keep grease off from it. — Practical Farmer. 

 ^ 



Farm Items. 



Kansas claims to be the banner State for grain this 

 year, good judges estimating that it will send fully 

 35,000,000 bushels of wheat to market, or about fifty 

 per cent, above the largest yield heretofore in any 

 one State. California having had the honor so far, 

 with a crop of 30,000,000 busheis. 



The wheat crop of the .State of California is the 



largest ever grown, and it is estimated that 200 



British ships of large tonnage will be freighted for 



England before the close of the year, there being a 



I large fleet already at San Francisco awaiting the crop. 



HORTICULTURAL. 



How to Make a Lawn. 



There is nothing that will add so much to the 

 general attractiveness of a town or country home as 

 a properly kept plat of grass. It makes no matter 

 how small in size it may be ; if kept cut often enough, 

 it becomes a constant source of pleasure to the owner. 

 In laying out new suburban places, the grass plat 

 around the house is usually made up by sodding. 

 This is not by any means the cheapest or best way to 

 get a stand of grass for garden decoration. 



Sods for this purpose are, as a rule, cut from some 

 worn-out pasture, neglected public "common," or 

 may be the roadside — places where the finer qualities 

 of grasses have, perhaps, long since been crowded 

 out by the rank growth of the coarser sorts — grasses 

 wholly unfitted for lawn purposes. The surest way, 

 although it may take a longer time, is to sow the 

 seed of an approved selection of grasses that are 

 known to make a good turf, and that will, if fre- 

 quently cut, give that velvety surface for which 

 English lawns are noted. 



It should be clearly understood that these finer 

 qualities of grasses will only thrive on soil in good 

 heart. It will be time and money thrown away to 

 sow these grasses on poor soil. The soil should be 

 made deep, mellow and rich, by frequent stirrings 

 and liberal applications of well rotted yard manure, 

 bone-dust, or superphosphate of lime. These fer- 

 tilizers should be thoroughly mixed in with the sur- 

 face soil before the grass seed is sown. This can 

 readily be done while smoothing and leveling the top 

 of the ground, and then may be sown thickly the 

 following list of grasses : 



Kentucky Blue Grass (Poa prateisis), Red Top 

 {Agrostis vulgaris), SweeiScented Vernal (A7ithox- 

 anihnm odoratutn), and Creeping Bent Grass {Agros- 

 tis slolonifera) . 



These should be mixed in about equal parts, and 

 sowed broadcast and raked in with common wooden 

 rakes. At the same time of sowing these, sow with 

 them a small quantity of lied Cloverseed, and scatter 

 some common oats over the ground ; then roll the 

 surface and remove any stones or other obstructions. 

 The oats will germinate in a week or ten days, and 

 if kept cut back will keep the surface green the early 

 part of the first summer. The Red Clover will take 

 its place in the fall, and will keep the lawn green 

 and fresh-looking until the grass seed takes root 

 and begins to tiller. 



Putting Away Winter Cabbage. 



Though we have seen recommended various modes 

 of preserving cabbage through the winter, and have 

 tried several of them, we continue to pursue the 

 method we have generally adopted for some twenty 

 years, and which we have frequently described in 

 this department. It is simply to dig slight trenches 

 side by side, on some rising or dry spot whence the 

 water will readily drain off, in which stand the cab- 

 bage just as it grows, sinking it up to the head. The 

 rows can be as close together as the size of the head 

 will admit of. Cover with cornfodder, straw or 

 bean-haulm. Then set four posts so as to form a 

 pitch, placing the head against a wall or board-fence. 

 Form a roof by bean-poles, when boards are not at 

 hand, and cover this with cornstalks or straw. If 

 ordinarily well done, the cabbage will keep as long 

 as is desired — we have usually kept ours until April 

 and May. We are aware that it is generally recom- 

 mended to plaoe the heads of the cabbage in the 

 ground with the stalks sticking up. But having 

 tried this way, we found that the cabbage kept better 

 and fresher as we recommend. To prove this we 

 have had cole-slaw in May. — Oermantown Telegraph. 



The Coffee Tree in California. 



Heretofore few people would concede that the 

 coffee tree could be grown in San Diego county, and 

 scarcely any one would admit that it would attain 

 any state of perfection in bearing fruit, claiming that 

 it required a warmer climate. This, like many other 

 incorrect impressions, has been entertained by those 

 who have not experimented, and simply came to 

 conclusions for want of proof to the contrary. The 

 fact has been proved now, and the trees can be seen 

 in bloom in the garden of Mr. R. R. Morrison, in this 

 city, showing as thrifty a growth and requiring as 

 little care as the orange, lemon, olive, or the fig 

 which stands in the same garden. This is the first 

 experiment and a success, and it would be well for 

 our citizens to try with other classes of trees that are 

 now considered only suited to the tropics, when, 

 perhaps, several varieties will be found well suited t» 

 this climate and soil. Mr. Morrison has been ex- 

 perimenting for over three years on tropical trees, 

 procuring the seed from central Mexico, and has 

 other kinds fiourishing and, to all appearances, 

 thoroughly acclimated, one of which is the Anon or 

 custard apple. Both these trees are evergreen and 

 have beautiful foliage, the coffee tree leaves always 

 appearing as though varnished, and being much 

 finer than those of the India-rubber tree.— (San Diego 

 (_Cal.) Union. 



