1S78.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



171 



up by fences. Thelattcr are nothing but a sinking 

 fund that nialces no return. Kye, grass, oats and 

 corn can lie sown in proper succession, so as to give 

 you all tlie feed for your cattle you need. Hoots, 

 cabbage and tbe like can also lie made to eoatriliule 

 to soiling cattle. Tbe latter being kejit quiet will 

 give more milk and butter. You can also increase 

 your maiuire pile by gathering leaves. lie knew of 

 a number of iktsoiis who are taking out their in- 

 terior fences ; he bad done so partially himself. The 

 increase in manure alone will pay for the trouble. iu 

 soiling cattle. 



Henry Kurtz did not agree with the high estimate 

 of the cost of fences. He has put up fencing that 

 has stood ten years and has not yet cost a penny in 

 tbe way of repairs. The expense of soiling is more 

 than is commonly believed. Cows don't like rye; 

 they prefer grass, lie kas tried growing corn for 

 feed, but it is not always successful ; it was not this 

 year. Some fences can be dispensed with but not 

 all. When cattle happen to get loose ancl get into 

 your grain fields, the damage is not a little. Wc 

 must economize on our farms. Make tnore manure. 

 Keep less cattle in summer aud more in winter. We 

 raise more corn and wheat to the acre than they do 

 In tbe west, but their lands are so much cheaper 

 that in the end it counts up. But still we can on the 

 whole make more money than they. 



Mr. Cooper remarked that the latter speaker 



criticised tbe cost of bis fences, but his estimate was 



really forty cents per panel more th»n the speaker's. 



Mr. Kurtz said there was fencing on his farm that 



was there tliirty-four years ago, aud is still good. 



Dr. S. S. Kathvon read the following essay. (See 

 page 104). 



H. M. Eugle commended the hints and suggestions 

 of tbe essay, aud expressed the hope that members 

 would act on them as time and opportunity ottered. 

 Henry Kurtz thought wo were of some importance 

 as a society. People are often asking about us and 

 always read our proceedings in the papers. If we 

 put our shoulders to the wheel we could do much 

 more thau we do. He favored the views of the 

 essayist. 



Mr. /Cerr thought it would be encouraging to per- 

 sons to become members if there was a collection of 

 cereals and other products on exhibitiou. 



On motion, the thanks of the society were ex- 

 tended to Dr. Rathvon for his essay. 



H. .M. Engle hoped the hints thrown out by Dr. 

 R.'s paper would not he forgotten, but acted on. It 

 will cost but little, and all can contribute. Farmers 

 are not geologists, as a rule, but some can also make 

 contributions of that kind. 



Casper Hiller suggested that Dr. Rathvon begin the 

 collection by pUaeing on exhibition some of our most 

 destructive insects, such as the curculio, Hessian fly 

 and the like. Many [lersons do not know these de- 

 stroyers when they see them. 



Levi W. Grotl' was pleased with the idea thrown 

 out. Such a collection exists at the office of the 

 Village Record, and is now a curiosity. 

 New Business. 

 A bill for the erection of a table and shelves was 

 presented and ordered paid. 



Levi W. Grofl' read a short paper on county fairs. 

 He was a member of an organization of this kind 

 twe'nty years ago. It broke up in consequence of 

 Introducing horse racing. He opposed this kind of 

 attractions. He took stock to all our county fairs, 

 horses only excepted. He suggested the appoint- 

 ment 01 a committee to visit fairs in the neighboring 

 counties and report to this society as to the best 

 methods of holding such fairs. 



Action on Mr. Grotf's suggestion was deferred 

 until next meeting. 



Dr. Kathvon, in reply to a question, said grain of 

 all kinds can be protected from insect ravages by 

 subjecting them to a high degree of heat prior to 

 putting them iu air-tight jars or bottles. 



A resolution was some time ago passed offering 

 premiums on papers relaiing to the cultivation of 

 wheat and small fruits. It was proposed a com- 

 mittee of three be appointed to examine such essays 

 and make the awards ; and also that a premium be 

 awarded for essays on any of the cereals. 



Tbe chairman appointed the following as the 

 Examining Committee : W. McComscy, F. K. Dilleu- 

 dcrfl'er and Peter S. Kcist. 



Report of the Fruit Committee. 

 By Daniel Smeych : A magnificent specimen of 

 Beurre Clargcau pear, being about live inches long. 

 Levi S. Kcist : Apples — Baldwin, York Imperial, 

 Hubbardtson Nonsuch, Koxbury Kusset, Northern 

 Spy, Winter Spice, Cambridge, Smith Cider, Uriest's 

 Winter, R. I. Greening, Golden Pippin, Krauser, 

 Pound, Sheepnosc, King of Tompkins County, 

 Smokehouse, Wine or Redstreak. A very superior 

 lot of apples. 



A Monstrous Pippin, monstrous in name and size, 

 by Peter Kohrer. 



An apple, Egg Top by name, from a street stand ; 

 an apple of beauty and of good quality. The proper 

 name of the above-named pippin apple is Gloria 

 Mundi. 



Business for Next Meeting. 



The following questions were offered for general 



discussion at the meeting : " Should the growing of 

 tobacco be encouraged; if so, to what extent?" 

 " Will it pay to keep thoroughbred males in raising 

 stock on the farm." Referred to .los. F. Witmcr. 



TliiTc being no rurllicr Inisiness liefore the society, 

 it adjourned, on motion, until the first Monday in 

 December. 



TOBACCO GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



Tbe regular riumtbly meeting of the Lancaster 

 County Tobacco Growers' Association was held 

 Monday afternoon, October 21, 1S78, in the room of 

 the Agricidtural Society. 



The following members were present: Sylvester 

 Kenncdv, Salisbury; Henry SbitTner, Bird-in-Hand; 

 .\I. 1). kendig, Manor; J. M. Johnston, city; A. P. 

 Mcllvain, Paradise; Israel L. Laiidis, city; Webster 

 L. Hcrshey, East llempfield; Frank K. I)itV«nderller, 

 city; Clare Carpenter, city; Prof. S. S. Rathvon, city. 



The meeting was called to order by the President, 

 M. D. Kendig. 



On motinn,the reading of tbe minutes of last meet- 

 ing was dispensed with. 



Shall we Disband ? 



Peter S.Reist made a niotion that hereafter the 

 meetings of this association be held quarterly. 



I. L. Landi6,in debating this motion, was iloubtful 

 whether the proposed plan would help matters m»ich. 

 The farmers seem indifTerent. He would rather see 

 the thing go down at once than drag along as it now 

 does. 



Sylvester Kennedy thought we might as well let 

 the thing go down at once. The longer it runs on 

 the worst it s«ems to get. 



Mr. Keist did not think it was owing to lukewarm- 

 ness that there was not a better attendance. He 

 knows the reports are widely read, and that is the 

 reason so few come here personally. There were 

 plenty of growers here nine months ago when their 

 last crop was placed on the market. He thought 

 they would do so again in a short time. 



I. L. Landis thought there were plenty of farmers 

 who were ready to profit by what is done here, but 

 are unwilling to pay anything towards sustain- 

 ing the association. But as the thing is now drag- 

 ging we have no encouragement whatever. 



iVIr. Reist's motion being put, was carried, and tbe 

 meetings will hereafter be held quarterly. 



How Can we Get the Best Prices for Our 

 Tobacco ? 



Henry Shiffner thought there was not enough 

 identity of interests between growers and buyers. 

 The latter are often called thieves an4 robbers, whose 

 only interest is to swindle the farmers. Where such 

 a fiseling exists a sale will seldom be effected. If 

 farmers knew the value of the tobacco better, they 

 would sell it sooner. They almost invariably put too 

 high an estimate on their product, and when buyers 

 refuse to give it they get angry. 



Sylvester Kennedy's experience ha« taught him 

 that buyers are not always inclined to do the fair 

 thing. He gave instances where be believed he had 

 been hardly dealt with. He thought there was a 

 certain understanding among buyers last year not to 

 pay over a certain price for tobacco. The remedy is 

 in tbe hands of the growers. Let them pacK aud 

 hold it. This plan is pursued largely in Chester 

 county, and the farmers find their account in it. He 

 recommended a concert of action among growers to 

 secure a fair price for their crop. 



Israel L. Landis has had a large acquaintance 

 with tobacco buyers, and has never heard oi a "ring" 

 among them. If wc have the right kind of tobacco, 

 one that in color and quality is desirable, we are just 

 as sure to get the full value for it as we are for our 

 wheat or corn. Buyers will buy .as cheaply as they 

 can, just as all other kinds of dealers do. 



Levi S. Reist remarked that wheat is now selling 

 at 90, O.') and 100 cents per bushel, but to get the 

 latter price the grain must be fine and plump and of 

 tbe best quality. Tobacco is a commodity that is 

 thrown on the market, just as wheat is, and grow- 

 ers must sell their goods at its proper value; if it is 

 inferior, an inferior price must be expected. Some 

 men get big prices every year, but it is in conse- 

 quence of their superior knowledge in growing and 

 handling the weed. Cheating is not always on the 

 part of buyers, as he very well knew. The special 

 mission of this association is to grow good tobacco, 

 so that wc can always get good prices for it, and if 

 farmers attended these meetings more there would 

 be less cause for complaint. 



A. P. Mcllvain did not belisve in trying to combine 

 either to buy or sell at other than the usual prices. 

 There are many reasons why it is not practicable to 

 advance money on tobacco to needy grow-crs. It may 

 decline in price, burn, or meet with other mishaps, 

 entailing loss on the lender. 



Place of Meeting. 

 J. M. Johnston, from the Committee to rent a 

 room for the meetings of the association, reported 

 that the society could meet in this room by paying 

 half the expenses incurred by the Agricultural So- 

 ciety. He asked for instructions. 



A. P. Mcllvain made a motion to continue the 

 committee until next meeting, which was adopted. 

 An Explanation. 



Frank R . Difrenderller said that at the last meeting 

 of this association, when the question of eoUcetlng 

 accurate statistics of the tobacco crop of this county 

 was up, be remarked that the Secretary of the State 

 Board of Agriculture had in his last report estimated 

 the crop of this county at 40,(100,000 pounds. He 

 should have said, and meant to say, the Secretary 

 estimated the cro|i of the entire State at that. The 

 latter bad written to him about It and he understood 

 bjid also written to our Prehiilenl. Alter all, it was 

 not a matter of very great importance. We grow 

 fully four-fifths of the entire State product, and the 

 dilTerence is one of a few nnllions of pounds at most. 

 But while Secretary Edge has been so anxious to be 

 set right on this question, he has entirely ignored his 

 own error of •20,00O,0llO pounds or more. It would 

 be of interest to know how he happened to fall into 

 such a glaring mistake, ami it would not have been 

 out of place, while calling attention to Mr. D.'s 

 mistake, to have alluded to his own, and corrected 

 that. He would, therefore, repeal what he said 

 then, that such reports, official though they pretend 

 to be, are a good deal worse than none at all, and It 

 is to be hoped Secretary Edge's estimates of our 

 other crops are more deserving of credit than those 

 relating to tobacco. 



W. L. Hcrshey offered to i>repare a paper on the 

 culture of tobacco at the next' meeting. 



There being no further business before the asso- 

 ciation, a motion was made and carried to adjourn. 

 Tbe next meeting will be held on the third Monday 

 in January, 187'J, when, it is to be hoped, farmers 

 will show a little more interest in this crop than they 

 have been doing of late. 



BEE-KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The Bee-Keeper«' Association met at the Black 

 Horse Hotel, on .Monday afternoon, Nov. 11th, 187S. 



There were present : Peter S. Reist, President, 

 Litiz; I. G. Martin, Earl ; J. F. llershey, Mt. Joy ; 

 John Huber, Pcquea ; D. II. Lintner, city; Elias 

 Hershey, Paradise; U. K. Meisky, Manor; Jacob 

 Christ, Milltyeville; John Musselman, Mill Creek; 

 S. K. Koyer, city. 



The President read from the jirocecdings of the 

 North American Bce-Keepcr's Association in favor of 

 local societies, and some extracts from the addresses 

 of members relative to tbe origin and extent of bee 

 culture. 



The Bee Keepers' Profits. 



A number of members gave their experience in 

 honey production and tbe financial results of their 

 operations. J. ¥. Hershey, who started last spring 

 with 62 .swarms, otl'ered the following exhibit : 



CB. 



By sale of T'i.'i lbs. box honey at 2nc $1-1^ 00 



" '* 8(J 11)8. extriicted houey at 15c 1-2 00 



" " 1 swarm 12 00 



" " UG Italian Queens 233 00 



" '♦ 17 DucleUH swarms, queen iu, on hand... 5100 



^53 CO 

 DR. 



To Btnff for honey box $10 00 



To posfaf^e for (ineeus and letters 3 00 



To sugar ted to bees 40 00 



$.53 00 



Profit of tho season's work $400 00 



This is considered only an ordinary profit, owing 

 to an unfavorable spring and a large amount of 

 honey for winter use. 



Elfas Hershcy's fifteen hives had increased to 

 twenty-six and made 400 pounds of honey. 



D. il. Lintncr's eight hives bad increased to six- 

 teen, and made l'J5 pounds of honey. 



U. H. Mcisky's sixtesn hives bad increased to 

 twenty-three, and made oOO pounds of honey. 



Jacob Christ wintered five hives last winter ; three 

 of these gave one bumlred pounds of honey, but two 

 of them were good for nothing. 



Peter S. Reist, in the spring, sold all but twenty- 

 five hives, and had ecTcnteen natural swarms, which 

 increased to forty-two, from which he realized COO 

 pounds of box honey. 



S. K. Boyer, from one Italian and one black swarm, 

 got about thirty pounds of honey. The Italian swarm 

 produced almost twice as much honey as did the 

 black. 



From nineteen colonies, in the spring, under charge 

 of I. G. .Martin, there were now 38, and a honey 

 yield of Ol'i pounds was reported, 224 of extracted 

 boncv and l!8f') of comb honey. 



In all the above eases the season was reported to 

 have been unfavorable for honey, and the bees are 

 now in good condition. 



Wintering Bees. 

 I. G. Martin gave his method of wintering bees on 

 the summer stand : Remove all the frames but six, 

 and, if the colony is not very strong, take them all 

 out but five, or even four, and then put in a tighl- 

 fittinadivision board, so that the bees are very much 

 crowded, then they can keep warm much better. 

 Make a large box that will give about three inches 



