1878.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



173 



tile bu6iDcts. There are but three or four of the 

 famlliei who patroiiizca hie store at that time that 

 roniiiiii unliiokcii. 



8he also nmd a communication from Ihe Uia 

 Man," ft niysterloim corrcspomicnt, who sometimes 

 writes to tlic dub under tlie aliove noimle plume, 

 U'ivint; tlic foibles of society some very hard blows in 

 his own peculiar way. 



He had not intended to write to the club any more, 

 but. they would keep discussing questions which ex- 

 cited the Old Woman and made it decidedly warm 

 lor him. 



She had heard tlicy were about to discuss the 

 (lucstion whether the sicns were reliable, when slie 

 knew that if you planted pumpkins in the wrom; 

 si"n they wouid turn out squashes, and that if you 

 took a calf otf a cow in the riirht tisru she would not 

 bawl. She had tried it, once, but still the cow intidd 

 bawl. But she Ibund lliat her udder was sore, and 

 that wascnouirh to make any cosv bawl. When ani- 

 mals were killed in eerlain signs the meat would 



shrink, etc. . v ^ ,■ i . r m 



Kor his part he knew of one sign that did not tail. 

 When he saw the old woman with the border of her 

 cap turned back, lire iu her eye .nnd a broomstick in 

 her hand, it was a sign that she was coming. 

 Discussion. 



The question— "Have the pliases of the Moon any 

 intluence over the weather, or the signs of the Zodiac 

 any inlluence over vegetable or animal life?" was 

 next taken up, when it was found that the man in 

 the almanac had no followers in the club; at least 

 no one was willing to acknowledge his faith in 

 " signs." 



The question— "Would it pay farmers to clear out 

 the underbrusli in woodlands for the benelit of the 

 timber?" was adopted for consideration at next 

 meeting. 



Adjourned to meet at the residence of Joseph U. 

 Blackburn at the regular time next mouth. 



AGRICULTURAL. 



Fall Plowing. 

 Constant reiteration of the many advantages of 

 fall plowing seems desirable to induce farmers in 

 general to adopt it in their practice. The most im- 

 portant part of all cultivation is perlbrmed by nature, 

 and if the farmer will but plow his fields iu the fall 

 she will work all winter, pulverizing, sweetening, 

 and preparing the soil for future crops. With her 

 mechanical and chemical forces she will do more in 

 forming a proper seedbed for the spring planting 

 than half a dozen plowings would ctlect iu spring 

 time. Will not 'ivery farmer do his humble part in 

 assisting nature to develop the productiveness of 

 field and garden ? 



Subjected as we are to the baneful elfects of 

 droughts every vear, for periods of longer or shorter 

 duration, and frequently following immediately upou 

 a wet spring, it is desirable to get the crops in at the 

 earliest possible moment in the spring, and to cover 

 the ground with vegetation belbre the sun's rays be- 

 come so powerful in aid of drought, lleuce the 

 necessity of fall plowing iu advancing the condition 

 and preparation of the soil, so that liarrowing and 

 planting may proceed at an early date. At no time 

 is it more convenient lor man and beast to break up 

 sod-land than in the autumn ; and, on the other 

 hand, no season of the year is so fraught with press- 

 ing duties as spriug time. 



in plowing we sliould aim at quality rather than 

 quantity, since the prime object is the amelioration 

 of the soil for the succeeding crops— plowing as 

 deep as the soil will allow without bringiugupoveran 

 inch or so of the subsoil at a single operation ; hold- 

 ing small furrows, and laying them up at consider- 

 able angle, so that the rain will not remain long at 

 the surface. By such means we insure the soil all 

 the benefits which the changes of weather can pro- 

 duce. The atmosphere will penetrate, because the 

 moisture can easily escape. The soil must become 

 pulverized and will be ready to work in the spring 

 much sooner than land that is untouched ; while the 

 latter, also, lying Hatter, and with no surface drain- 

 age, will quite likely be saturated more or less with 

 water, and will turn up raw and stubborn at the 

 very time that the autumn-plowed laud is ready to 

 receive a crop. 



Inverting the surface of the ground smothers the 

 surface weeds and exposes tlie earth under the root 

 weeds to the action of the frost, by turning up the 

 furrow-slice to the air. It is self-evident that the 

 more closely the inverted surface can be placed and 

 the more exposed the under part of the furrow slice 

 can be exhibited to the influence of the frost, the 

 better is the chance of smotheriug the surface weeds 

 and of killing the roots of the root weeds. The 

 highest advantages of plowing may be obtained by 

 placing the narrow furrow-slice at an angle of +5° 

 with the horizon, and yet careless, shiftless plowing 

 in heavy lands freiiuently lays a loosened I'urrow 

 right ou its back over the surface of a rib of land 

 perhaps left untouched by the plow. Worms, grubs 

 and insects in the sod are quite likely to be destroyed 

 by the exposure of the thin sod to the action of the 



frost and cold. Numerous other advantages atten- 

 dant upon fall plowing will suggest themselves to 

 the fanner who is determined to thoroughly investi- 

 gate its merits and its practice. — A>nerican Cultii'iilor. 



^ 



Depth to Sow Wheat. 

 The sooner the kernel sprouts and gets above the 

 ground the better and stronger the plant and the 

 thicker it will stand. To illustrate: in my younger 

 days 1 made experiments with the ilepths of plantiii!; 

 wlicat ; I planted the kernels of a whole head in this 

 manner, in one of our garden beds (ground spaded 

 twelve inches deep). 1st, kernel on the surface ; 'id, 

 one-fourth inch deep ; :id, one-half inch deep, and 

 soon (a ((uarter of an inch deeper each time) until 

 the kernels were planted. Tin' results— the one on 

 the surface lay nearly two weeks before it sprouted 

 and made roots ; the 2d, one-fourth inch deep, and 

 up to three-fourths, came up the 4tli and Hfth days, 

 while the next were later; the last one up was four- 

 teen days iu reaching the surface, and was three and 

 one-half inches deep ; none came up afterthat time; 

 on examining I found that the three next kernels 

 were sprouted, but rotted before they got the sprout 

 to the surface ; the kernels, planted from five to 

 seven inches deep rotted without a sign of sprouting. 

 We had the kernels planted six inches apart in two 

 rows. At the end of six weeks the plants stood 

 thus : The first had three straws, quite strong; the 

 one-fourth, 21 straws ; the half-inch, 17 straws, and 

 soon; three and one-half inch, a very weak single 

 straw ; it never got strong ; although it grew a 

 small or short head, the few kernels it contained 

 were plump and good ; the one inch had eleven 

 straws at six weeks, but only perfected seven good 

 heads, while the one fourth inch perfected twenty- 

 one good beads. The one on the surface made three 

 good heads, the same as the one planted two inches 

 deep. 



Export of Breadstuffs. 

 Europe at peace is a good customer for our bread- 

 stuffs. Since the Berlin settlement was made, the 

 advance iu American wheat for export has been very 

 marked. Within two weeks the winter grades have 

 gone up about ten cents a bushel, and the movement 

 of grain to the Continent is now almost unprece- 

 dentcdly great. The demand arises from the short 

 crops in Europe, and is of that kind which may hap- 

 pen any year on the Continent, whether the nations 

 are at war or not. The unfavorable weather, more 

 than the withdrawal of any number of Russians from 

 the field during the late conflict, is the cause of the 

 scanty supplv abroad. No long ago American 

 speculators were reckoning on the contingency of a 

 general European war as the only thing that would 

 make a foreign market for our enormous wheat 

 crops. They are now surprised to see the same de- 

 sirable event coming about without such a convul- 

 sion preceding it. The present foreign demand for 

 American breadstuB's shows the futility of calcula- 

 tions in such matters. It is a lesson to speculators 

 not to put too much dependence on what they hear, 

 and never to pin their faith on the expectations of 

 war, than which nothing is more uneerta n. After 

 all, it is Europe at peace that buys the most of our 

 various products, and is best able to pay for them. 

 Eor a steady and profitable customer, commend us 

 to a nation that is not always fighting.— xVcw York 

 Journal of Commerce. 



HORTICULTURAL. 



Covering the Vines and Plants. 



The advii-e cannot be too often given to all who 

 cultivate vines and [ilants, as to their protection 

 through the winter and early spring. We have 

 found, after a good many years of experieni'e, tliat 

 there is no mode of guarding all vines and plants 

 not entirely liafdy against our occasionally aeverc 

 winters, as'laying Iheiit ilumi and coi'cring tluiii with 

 wit. Of coiirse we mean those which can he so 

 treated. The covering should not be more than two 

 to four inches, according to the nature of the tiling 

 laid down, (f loo much earth is used, the buds, 

 from the heat of the L'round in March, may burst 

 too early, and may be dainUL'-eil by a late frost when 

 taken up, which 'sliouhl rarely be done before the 

 first frcst of Aiiril. All young grapevines should be 

 laid down, though it will prove of great benefit, in 

 our judgment, to all grapevines young and old, hardy 

 and otherwise, to prune tbem and lay them down 

 and cover them with a few inches of soil. All rasp- 

 berry canes also sliould be pruned and laid down; so 

 should roses that arc liable to damage from the frost. 

 Strawing-up roses and other deciduous flowers and 

 shrubbery, as it Is usually done— that is binding 

 them as tightly almost as a pole— is far more injuri- 

 ous to them tliaii no prolection al all. When straw- 

 ing-up is resorted to,',it should be ajipUed uiihj on tlie 

 side erpnxed In I he mm . 



All flower borders should have a good covering or 

 stable manure— horse manure being very good for 

 this purpose. In the siiring the long stuff shonhl be 

 raked ofl', and the rest forked in. It will not ouly 

 protect the roots against all injury during the winter, 

 but the plants will appear in tli* sprini: greatly in- 

 vigorated, and the flowers will be much more abun- 

 dant and prove of much higher colors and gn-ater 

 beauty. Even leaves, straw, debris of any kind; 

 or, if there be nothing else, a slight covering of soil, 

 will be of good service. 



We trust that no one who values the things about 

 the premises here referred to, will neglect this brief 

 advice — and Xovemher is the time to attend to it. — 



Germantoum Telegraph. 



Autumn Top-Dressing. 



We notice in several agricultural journals strong 

 recommendations to top-drc^s grass lands iu the 

 autumn. Now, while we have no doubt ol the elli- 

 cacy of this suggestion, in a general sense, and have 

 often advocated it, we think there are some grass 

 lands which would be better if this application were 

 made early in the spring. In fields where the ground 

 has a tendency to heave, throwing up the grass and 

 exposing the roots to the direct action of the frost, 

 autumn top-dressing which will protect the ground 

 is much to be preferred, and the applicaiion can be 

 made either with the aftermath, straw or manure, as 

 the soil may seem to require. If the ground is not 

 liable to heave, a coat of manure as early in the 

 spriiin- as it can be applied will insure a large crop of 

 grass" There need be no fear of the manure inter- 

 fering with the mowing of the crop or the making of 

 the hay, inasmuch as we have found that it is soon 

 beaten down by the rains, and is quite out of reach 

 of the operations of harvesting by the time that 

 period arrives. — Germantown Telegraph. 



The Business of Farming. 



There is no business panning out better these hard 

 times than farming. There is one good thing about 

 farming, a man can always raise enough to cat, if he 

 is of any account. He can raise his potatoes, cab- 

 bages, onions, turnips, beets, etc. He can grow the 

 strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, grapes and 

 apples, and other fruits to satisfy the wants of his 

 family. He can have poultry and eggs the year 

 round. He can produce his own pork, and make 

 bacon and lard to last a year. He can have veal and 

 mutton and heet.—Hural Worid, 



Our Great Apple Crop. 



This year's ap|ile crop is now gathered and it is 

 one of the richest the country has ever had. In some 

 regions apples are so iilenty that they are fed 

 to'pigs, cows and horses, and Ihe cider mills are 

 everywhere pressing out more eider than they can 

 readily dispose of. 



This very palatable and healthful drink may be 

 bou'^ht in tli« countrv at one dollar and one dollar 

 and a half a barrel, and it ought to be on draught m 

 the cities at a price which would tempt the poorest 

 customers. There is no need of anybody's drinking 

 sham cider this year. The real juice of the apple is 

 plenty enough for any dcmanil there is likely to be 



for it. 



A splendid apple crop can fortunately now be dis- 

 posed of to much better advantaL'C than formerly. 

 An extensive European demand for our a|iples has 

 grown up within recent years, and this autumn we 

 are exporting more of them than ever before, though 

 the prices are very low, running 7.5 ceuts to tl.fi2 a 

 barrel, according "to quality, so great is the supply. 



Vast quantities of apples are regularly shipped to 

 Europe by steamer. The inanifest of one vessel 

 from this "port last week showed that she carried 

 4,ri71 barrels, and all the outgoing European steam- 

 ers are weighted with them. A Boston steamer took 

 a 000 barrels last Wednesday, the largest shipment 

 of apples ever made from that port. Three steam- 

 ship lines from Boston have engaged to carry more 

 than 40,000 barrels, and the export from New \ork 

 will reach an enormous and unpn-ecdented total. 



If the fruit is carefullv liieked ami seleited and 

 well packed, it reaches Euroi'e in good condition 

 and brings a fair profit to the sender. A|)|>les ought 

 to be plenty and cheap in England this autumu.— 

 -V. Y. Sun. 



Largest Orchard in the World. 



The largest uridiard in the world is iloubtlcss that 

 owned and worked verv successfully by Mr. Robert 

 McKihbtry, of Hudson, ('.>lunibia county, N. \. Mr. 

 MeK.'s orcharil is procuring for him a world-wide 

 reputation, and be has inanv visitors. Like all fruit- 

 growers and others of kin to that profession, he is 

 kindly and liberallv disposed, and has no secrels to 

 rescrvi' from others \s ho are interested in his labors. 

 Theorcnard is situated on the east bank of the Hud- 

 son river, on high rolling tabic land, and occupies 

 .SOO acres, and contains more than 21,000 ai.|)le trees, 

 1 700 pears, 4,000 cherries ."ioO iieaches. 200 plums, 

 200 crabs, 1,000 vines, 0,00 currants and 200 chest- 

 nuts. The varieties grown are : Rhode Island 

 (ireening, 0,00(1; Bahlwins, (1,000; King of lomkms 

 Co- 4 000; Astrachans, .SOO; Northern Spy, .'500; 

 Wa<'ener, .IOO; (iiavenstein, 400; Cranberry I'lppins, 

 •'00~Ben. Davis, 200; Dutchess of Oldenburg, '-00; 

 with .louathans, Hubbarstone, Cayuiras, \ ander- 

 veers,BellHower6,rearmain6, Peck's Pleasants, twen- 

 ty-ounce Pippins, Kussets and others iu less nuntjer, 



