170 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[November, 



appeared simultaneously with Mr. L's book. 

 The author, the late lamented M. Quinby, 

 showed ill this work a familiarity with the 

 economy of the bee truly astonishing to one 

 writing at that time. It was eminently prac- 

 tical, and did much valuable work for the ad- 

 vencement of rational bee-cultilre. He also 

 invented the best form of bellows smoker then 

 in use and this has been further improved by 

 the addition of the direct draft lu'iiiciple in- 

 vented by Mr. T. F. Bingham, which leaves 

 nothing more to be desired in this line. 



Mr. (^uinliy wrote largely for the Agricul- 

 tural press of the country. He freely gave all 

 his ideas and inventions to the public for the 

 pwmotion of the cause he loved, and labored 

 faithfully to raise bee-keeping to the dignity 

 of a distinct profession. The quiet, noble, 

 self-sacrificing spirit manifested hy this truly 

 great man, will be talked of and cherished 

 and felt so long as the keeping of bees shall 

 enage the attention of men. The writings of 

 Mrs. Tupper, the -Harbisons, Metcalf, N. H. 

 and H. A. King, Prof. Cook, and others, have 

 done a vast work in bringing about the pres- 

 ent advanced stage of bee-keeping in this 

 country. While A. I. Root, T. G. Newman 

 and your humble servant, realizing that "con- 

 stant dropping wears out a stone, " are con- 

 stantly pelting away at the Jsuperstitions and 

 prejudices of the people, and hope ere long, 

 to end the battle in complete triumph. The 

 most convincing arguments, however, are 

 those which appeal to the palate, and the 

 pocket, and these are being effectually used by 

 Harbison, Hetherington, Doolittle, Betsinger, 

 Clark, C. J. Quinby, and many others, in the 

 shape of tons of honey as beautiful and pure 

 as the nectar which Jupiter sips. And this is 

 being distributed all over the world by Thur- 

 ber, Quinby, E. & O. Ward, Thorn & Co., of 

 this city, Muth, of Cinn., Vincent of N. O., 

 and by the large dealers in other cities. We 

 learn from statistics that there are now in 

 the United States about 1,000 ditferent bee 

 hives covered by patent, and a still larger 

 number unpatented. Nearly all the inventions 

 of European origin have been greatly im- 

 proved by our Yankee ingenuity, and men 

 everywhere are waking up to the importance 

 of this industry as never before. The aggre- 

 gate yield of honey is largely on the increase; 

 besides, the quality and (piantity, and the 

 methods used in America arc far superior to 

 any other country, and these facts, taken to- 

 gether, are creating a fear in the minds of 

 some of oiu' most thoughtful Apiarians that 

 the prices received for honey may fall below 

 the cost of production; so we will present a 

 few facts which we think may tend to allay 

 these apprehensions. Great Britain consumes 

 annually about 9,0(10,000 lbs. of sugar for 

 brewing purposes. Other foreign countries, as 

 well as our own country, a proportionally 

 large amount. It is a fact that Extracted 

 honey contains a much larger percentage of the 

 elements needed as a substitute for malt thau 

 sugar does, and is cheaper at 90 cents a gallon, 

 than sugar is at the lowest prices it has yet 

 reached. A desirable change by substitution 

 is now going on and may be greatly hastened 

 by well directed eflbrts on the part of honey 

 dealers. 2d. Not more than 2-5ths of our 

 people have yet learned to eat honey, not be- 

 cause it is not generally acceptable, but it has 

 never been brought to their notice as a staple 

 article which may be had at the same price as 

 the liest quality of syrup, and that it is far 

 more healthful. 



3d. A large percentage of the syrups in 

 general use in our families are badly adulter- 

 ated, and positively unfit for the human 

 stomach, and particularly the stomachs of 

 children. This fact is fast being recognized 

 by the most intelligent of our population, and 

 only needs a little judicious pressing through 

 the papers to displace it, and in its room put 

 extracted honey. 



4th. Laws against the adulteration of honey, 

 afHxiug such penalties of fine and imprison- 

 ment as shall aftbrd complete protection to the 

 producer, the honey dealer and the consumer. 

 iSteps should be at once taken to eSect this 



desirable result, before some other unprinci- 

 pled honey dealer shall cause Great Britain 

 to give us the second slap in the face through 

 their leading papers, by branding us as a set 

 of swindlers, and warning the English people 

 against the use of American honey. 



A petition setting forth this matter in its 

 true light should be presented to Congress at 

 its next session. All the members of this 

 National Convention, including all dealers in 

 honey, should be asked to sign this petition, 

 and a refusal from any cause whatever should 

 be regarded as favorable to honey adulteration, 

 and producers should be warned against sell- 

 ing such persons their honey. Such a peti- 

 tion, praying for so laudable an object, and 

 backed by so many honorable names, could 

 hardly fail in obtaining the desired law, when 

 extracted honey would at once advance to its 

 true position in all our markets. Bee-keepers 

 everywhere should be united in bringing about 

 these needed reforms, and imitating the poli- 

 ticians, should "keep it before the people" 

 till the end is attained. The journals devoted 

 to bee-keeping should be bold and outspoken 

 on this subject, regardless of all present 

 emoluments for a contrary course, and for one, 

 I here and now pledge the Bee-Keeper^ s Maga- 

 zine to this policy without the least equivoca- 

 tion or mental reservation, and I expect to 

 see friend Newman, of the A. B. J., join 

 hands, and then, by a rising vote, test the 

 sense of this association, and thus make a 

 significant stride in the true progress of bee- 

 keeping in this country. 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agricul- 

 tural and Horticultural Society. 



The Lancaster County Agricultural Society held 

 its regular monthly meeting in their rooms in the 

 City Hall, on Monday afternoon, Nov. 4th, 1878. 



The following members were present: Calvin 

 Cooper, President ; .Joseph F. Witmer, Paradise ; 

 Henry M. Engle, Marietta ; .Jacob B. Garber, Co- 

 lumbia; Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy; M. D. Kendig, 

 Manor; J. M. .Johnston, city ; Casper Hiller, Cones- 

 toga ; Levi W. Groff, West Earl ; Levi S. Keist, 

 Manheim ; Daniel Smeych, city; Frank R. DilTen- 

 derffer, city ; Jacob G. Zerr, President of the Berks 

 County Agricultural Society; Dr. S. S. Rath von, 

 city; Johnson Miller, Warwick; C. L. Hunseeker, 

 Manheim ; Ephraim S. Hoover, Manheim ; Peter S. 

 Reist, Litiz ; Franklin Sutton, Manheim; John S. 

 Buckwalter, East Lampeter ; Simon A. Hershey, 

 Salunga ; Mr. Landis, Eden. 



The meeting was called to order by the President, 

 Calvin Cooper. 



The reading of the minutes of last meeting was, 

 on motion, dispensed with. 



Report of Committees. 



Casper Hiller stiid he w.as one of a committee to 

 report on artificial fertilizers, and was desirous of 

 knowing who the other members are, so that they 

 can get together and prepare for business. 



The members, as reported by the Secretary, are 

 .Johnson Miller, J. C. Linville, Casper Hiller and W. 

 H. Brosius. 



Crop Reports. 



Henry Kurtz reported wheat as looking well. Some 

 seeding was kept back until last week. Some wheat 

 that looked yellow, now seems to be doing very well. 

 Corn is nearly all away. It turns out tolerably well. 

 There will be a middling crop. Tobacco is ready to 

 strip. 



Henry M. Engle does not think wheat shows very 

 well. Some fields are pretty good, but many are not 

 prepared to stand a hard winter. Corn is better than 

 expected ; is hard and nearly all husked. Late pota- 

 toes are very poor. Young grass is very flue. The 

 rain fall for October was 3.4() inches. 



M. D. Kcndig, of Manor, reported wheat as thin. 

 That planted on tobacco ground looks best. The 

 ground seemed to be more moist. It has come out 

 very much since the late rain. Corn is about thrce- 

 iburths of a crop. Young grass is coming out well. 

 Rain fall for October 3 3-10 inches. 



J. G. Zerr, of Berks county, sa' I he came here on 

 a visit merely, but he would »ay what he saw on the 

 way. He was surprised at what he saw. The wheat 

 along the road he traveled looks very well, as fine 

 in fact as in former years. In Berks county the 

 wheat is very poor. Some sown six weeks ago seems 

 to be just coming out. There is some still to be 

 sown. If the weather continues favorable it may 

 still come up. 



Calvin Cooper, of Bird-in-Hand, said on rough 

 ground there is but little wheat. It is set very thin. 

 Where the ground was in tobacco, corn or potatoes 



it looks better. It came up better and looks 

 better. 



Johnson Miller, of Warwick, said there was not 

 much to report at this season of the year. Of the 

 wheat sown this fall part is not yet above ground. 

 There has not been such a season for farmers to get 

 out their wheat for a long time ; no rain of any ac- 

 count for nearly four months. It was a ijery hard 

 matter to plow, and many acres were not put out at 

 all that were intended to be sown. Early plowed 

 ground looks well. The corn crop is a tmall one, but 

 much better than was expected. It will average 40 

 bushels to the acre. Pasture is all gone. Farmers 

 now feeding in the stable. The tobacco is still hang- 

 ing. It is curing finely. Farmers are hauling ma- 

 nure and plowing for another crop of corn. It is a 

 matter of seasons, which is the better, fall or spring. 

 The price of grain is discouraging to farmers, and 

 they must manage their affairs economically in con- 

 sequence. At present prices we must raise larger 

 crops with less labor, and to do this we must im- 

 prove our land and attend to our business. 



Levi W. Grofl' never noticed so much difference as 

 this year between grounds planted last year with 

 wheat and that planted in tobacco. Wheat sown on 

 the latter is far ahead of that sown on the former. 

 Corn is the poorest for years ; not over half a crop. 



Casper Hiller said corn is three-quarters of a crop; 

 better than was expected . He reported planting a 

 late crop of potatoes which gave a very small yield, 

 but the tubers were uncommonly flue. It was re- 

 markable for that fact only. 



Reading of Essays. 



The President, Calvin Cooper, gave a talk on 

 what he regarded as bad farming. We must keep 

 up our farms. Barnyard manure is the best reliance 

 we have. We ought to husband all the excrement 

 from our stock. For this reason we should keep 

 cattle in small enclosures. He drew a diagram of a 

 farm of fifty acres on the blackboard. He thought 

 a farm of that size the most desirable, and a square 

 shape the best. He in that way economized in the 

 matter of fences. The land was divided into five 

 fields, beside the orchard, garden, barnyard and yard 

 for the house. The fencing would cost, with interest 

 and repairs, in ten years jy90.70. Five years later 

 the cost would be $i97 more. In fifteen years, $1,- 

 469.80, including first cost. The entire cost in twenty 

 years will be g2;094..58. In thirty years, So, 753.36. 

 In forty j'ears the total cost, including repairs, in- 

 terest and all, will be ?7,110, on which the interest 

 would be §426.00. This was for interior fences only. 



The sum is enough to support a reasonable man 

 during his declining years. We must avoid this ex- 

 pense. The time seems to have arrived when some- 

 thing must be done to get rid of this evil. He was at 

 a loss to know what plan to adopt except penning up 

 the stock. He advocated the abandonment of in- 

 terior fences. 



H. M. Engle agreed with Mr. Cooper. Fences are 

 an expensive luxury. The fact is beyond dispute and 

 must be admitted. He hoped that as many are 

 adopting the soiling system we will in time be re- 

 lieved of the cost of maintaining this luxury. Then 

 there is the advantage of soiling cattle. One acre of 

 grass by the latter system will go as lar as three by 

 the ordinary manner of pasturing. Much additional 

 manure would be made. Our farms would improve 

 more rapidly. The space now wasted by i'ences 

 would also be saved. It is high time that we do as 

 they do in the west. As the case now stands we can 

 not compete by the ordinary method of farming with 

 them. We will see this more clearly every day and 

 will have to face it. 



Casper Hiller had no fault to find with the theory 

 just advanced. It can be carried out, no doubt, but 

 it must be done by better farmers than we are. Wh«n 

 grass was fed all would go well, but when the clover 

 crop was over what would we feed them ? It requires 

 a different kind of farming irom that now pursued. 



H. M. Engle said that it was like all other things; 

 it looks a little diflScult, but this is an idea only. 

 Let us sow rye to begin soiling with. By this plan 

 you will have yellow butter long before your neigh- 

 bors. Then sow peas and oats ; then you can begin 

 with clover. When that is away, early sown corn 

 will be re.idy, and if this latter is sown at proper 

 intervals it will be in season until fall. Hungarian 

 grass and millet may also be sown to keep up a suc- 

 cession of fodder. Your lands will grow richer and 

 your crops heavier all this while. We must come to 

 the soiling system after a while. 



Levi W. Grofl' had much satisfaction in finding so 

 much interest shown in this question, but he believed 

 the old farmers would have to drop off before the 

 plan is generally introduced. 



C. L. Hunseeker thought our methods of farming 

 are good, but still we can improve on them. He 

 believes it possible to dispense with interior fences, 

 although he hardly expected to see it done during 

 the present generation. 



The names of several men were given who have 

 removed their interior fences and are soiling their 

 cattle. 



Mr. Zerr had no doubt the system of soiling will 

 come into practice before many years. He believes 

 in it ; it gives us the use of much ground now takeu 



