26 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ February, 



''Seeker' fear was plauted on her soil ; one of 

 these veteran trees stands on my grounds aud 

 bids fair to fruit for many days. The parent 

 tree of this world-i'enowued fruit stands on 

 what was once the farm of Lawrence Seckel, 

 below Philadelphia, and is still in a healthy 

 condition. Tlie "Heading" pear, of such 

 wide reputation, is a "seedling." The fol- 

 lowing twenty-seven are acknowledged native 

 varieties of apples of approved excellence of 

 which we may well be proud : Hiester, Keim, 

 Boas, Ilain, Ilousum's Red, Phillippi, Miller, 

 .Stehle, Krauser, Helper, Bear, Marks, Yost, 

 Hughes, Kelsey, Gewiss Goot, Ncversink, 

 Orange, Meister, C'liampacne, Bitter's Sweet, 

 Evening Party Leslier, 01ilinL,'ci-, lied Appli', 

 Staudt, Zieber. Under the iosLciiiit,- care of 

 the Berks County Agricultural and 'Horticul- 

 tural Soeiety over fifty thousand fruit trees— 

 Ihemajority peach— have been planted during 

 the last two years. How gratifying a reflec- 

 tion that soon our fruit productions in Penn- 

 sylvania will in a measure make up the loss 

 occasioned by the depression in mineral and 

 other interests. Anticipating much pleasure 

 and profit in attending this convention, I 

 again bid you a cordial welcome to this city 

 and county. 



Vice President Engle replied briefly to the 

 address of welcome. He said that the hearti- 

 ness of the welcome required an equally hearty 

 response for wliich he did not have the Avords 

 to reply. He heartily accepted the welcome 

 and fully appreciated it. He said that the 

 society since its existence has been rather an 

 itinerant one, and has held its sessions in 

 diflerent sections of the State, not so much 

 fortheinstruition of others as to learn. They 

 expect also to make new members in the dif- 

 ferent places in which they meet, and hoped 

 to receive a considerable accession of new 

 members in Reading. 



We are indebted to the Berlcs and Schuyl- 

 kill Journnl for a copy of these proceedings, 

 but regret that our space is too limited to 

 admit the whole in our columns, and therefore 

 the foUowiui; extracts must suflice for the 

 present. "Wc'will tr\-. li(i\vc\cr, to make room 

 forthecssavs i.f :m.'ssis. siitze! aud Satter- 

 thwaite. Tlie meeting itsclfnas well attended 

 and interesting, and the discussions brought 

 out many nseful things. 



Charles H. Miller, Chairman of the Com- 

 mittee on Nominations, reported the follow- 

 ing oflicers : President, Josiah Hoopes, West 

 Chester ; Vice Presidents, Henry M. Engle, 

 Marietta; George D. Stilzel, Re'adini,'; .John 

 I. Carter, West Grove ; Kcr-.i.Hnu Sc-i-etary, 

 E. B. Engle, Marietta; ('.>i r(.-;ininliii- Secre- 

 tary, AV. P. Brinton. ClirisI iana ; Tivasurer, 

 George B. Thomas, West C^liester; Professor 

 of Botany, Thomas Median, Germantown ; 

 Professor of Entomology, S. ,s. Rathvon, Lan- 

 caster; Professor of Horticultural Chemistry, 

 S. B. Heiges, of York. 



The President was authorized to cast the 

 ballot for the oflicers nominated by the com- 

 mittee, and they were elected by acclamation. 



The society then, at 9:40 v. m., adjourned 

 to meet on the third Wednesday in January, 

 1880, in Bethlehem, Pa. 



STATE MILLERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The third .semi-annual meeting of the Penn- 

 sylvania State Millers' Association convened 

 in the large parlors of the Stevens House, on 

 Wednesday afternoon, January 14. The 

 President, Charles A. Nuuor, of Wilkes 

 Barre, called the meeting to order in a neat 

 speech, in which he welcomed the old mem- 

 bers and expres.sed his pleasure at seeing so 

 many strange faces present. He said Penn- 

 .sylvauia represented more milling capital than 

 any State in the Union, and it was to the 

 interest of all millers to stand firmly together 

 for mutual protection. 



The Secretary, A. Z. Schoch, then read the 

 minutes of the last mccting'held in the Key- 

 stone House in Reading, at which there we're 

 70 members present, representmg nearly every 

 county east of the Alleghenies, and at which 

 meeting 20 new members were added to the 

 membership. 



The following old members answered to 

 their names at call of roll : John McFarland, 

 Watsontown; N. C. Ereck & Co., Millers- 

 liurg; J. M. Thomas d- Co., Wilkes Barre; 

 Hancock, Grier&Co., Wilkes Barre; Schoch 

 Bros., Selins Grove; C- Bruckhart, Chambers- 

 burg; J. II. Geary, Cattawissa; P. A. & S. 

 Small, York; T. Wright, Kingston; Jacob F. 

 Newman, Bedford; J. B. FLsher, Penn Hall; 

 Geo. F. Seitz, Glen Rock; F. W. Gantz, Maii- 

 ctta; Krieder, Campbell & Co., Philadelpliia; 

 Strickler & Keller, Lancaster; Reuben Gar- 

 ber&Son, Salun^a; Jacob V/alter, Eastou; 



D. L. Hamaker, East Hempfiekl; A. N. AVolf, 

 Allentown; Samuel Young, Marlekirlc (V); 

 Benj. Wi.ssler, Lincoln; P.^B. Bucher, Clay 



E. L. Rogers & C:o., Pliiladelphia; I). ,V- A. 

 Luckenland, Bethlehem ; Aaron Yocum, 

 Reading. 



After the calling of the roll the Secretary 

 read his report ; also the report of the Trea- 

 surer, whicli was adopted. 



The new members were then added to the 

 roll— E. K. Bollinger, Glen Rock; Charles II. 

 Piatt, Avondale; Gotleib Mayer, Middletown; 

 Eph. Bollinger, Sell's Station; J. M. Brandt, 

 Mt. Joy; Nath. Sellers, Philadelphia; Wm. 

 W. Snyder, Landisburg, Perry county; Wm. 

 Pyle & Sons, Bryn Mawr ; S. M." Miller, 

 Reftou; Wade Wilson, New ]5righton; Sam'l 

 M. Ihua, Harrisburg; Peters & Allen, Phila- 

 delphia; C. (i. Weuger, AVest Earl; .John S. 

 Gingrich, Petersburg; John P. Sager, Lemon 

 Place; Forney, AVist & Co., Hanover; John 

 Ilofler, Harri-sburg; Noble & Son, AVilliams- 

 port; Arnold Miller, Reading; Levan & Sons, 

 Lancaster,- Isaac Ranck, Lancaster; John AV. 



E.shleman, Lancaster: Stauffer, Stevens; 



John Musselman, AVheatland Mills; Steacy & 

 Co., Columbia. 



Mr. Small moved a vote of thanks be extend- 

 ed to President Miner and Secretary Schoch, 

 and that they be re-elected to the positions they 

 had filled with so much credit aud ability. 



]5otli the President and Secretary earnestly 

 requested that others be elected to fill their 

 places, and the former reciprocated the com- 

 pliment paid liim by Mr. Small, by nominating 

 him for President," but the latter positively 

 declined, and the entire sentiment of the 

 meeting seemed to be so strongly in favor of 

 retaining these gentlemen in these positions, 

 that tliey were unanimously re-elected, though 

 under protest of vote by both of them, Mr. 

 Small putting the motion to the meeting. 



Mr. Miner briefly returned thanks lor the 

 honor done him, but Secretary Schoch's speech 

 was very brief. He said, "Gentlemen, I 

 canuot say that I thank you." 



The Next Place of Meeting, 

 Bellefimte, Harrisburg, Lewisburg, Bedford 

 and Chambersburg were placed in nomina- 

 tion, and there was considerable discussion on 

 the subject. Finally, all the towns named 

 but Bedford were withdrawn, and Altoona 

 was added, and the contest thus narrowed to 

 the two places, was, on a vote being taken, 

 decided in favor of the latter. 



The President announced the standing com- 

 mittees for the ensuing year as follows: 



Patents.— AV. Latimer Small, York; Jacob 

 AValter, Easton; Nathan Sellers, Tamaqua; 

 L. Hamaker, East Hempfleld; Geo. M. Cress- 

 well, Petersburg. 



Intiurance.--Wm. P. Duncan, Phillipsburg; 

 John AV. Eshleman, Lancaster; B. F. Isen- 

 burg, Huntingdon; E. F. Noble, AViliiams- 

 port ; J. Z. Eby, Manheim. I 



Transportation.—lS,. A. Hancock, AVilkes- \ 

 Barre; A. C. Freck, Millersburg; M. M. Stein, I 

 Pottsville; E. G. Steacy, Columbia. I 



Mill Machinery and Processes. — Thomas 

 AVright, Kingston; C. Burkhart, Chambers- ' 

 burg; Frank Hays, Lock Haven; D. O. Luck- i 

 enbauch, Bethlehem; LB. Fisher, Penn Hall. 



Grain for 3Iillin(j.—S. L. Levan, Lancaster; 

 I. M. Thomas, AVilkes-Barre; A. M. Garber, 

 Salunga; J. F. Newman, Bedford; A. B. 

 Sprenkel, AVrightsville. 



Oradinij and Inspection.— John Iloffer, Har- 

 risburg; S. Z. Ilarbecker, AVilliamson; John 

 P. Sager, Leuape; L. AV. Pyle, Bryn Mawr; 

 C. Heebner, Non-istown. 



Selections. 



THE GRAIN AND FRUIT CROPS OF 1878. 



The report of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture for December, just issued, shows the 

 following condition of crops : 

 The Corn Crop. 



The corn season closed with a marked im- 

 provement in the condition of tlic crop. The 

 average, as found by the June returns, shows 

 no material change, being in round numbers 

 51,0(10,000 acres in 1878, and 50,300,000 acres 

 in 1S77. Compared with 1877, the South 

 Atlantic States show a falling off in produc- 

 tion ; the Gulf States increased slightly. The 

 States of Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and 

 Kansas— four of the largest producing States- 

 decline considerably, while all the other 

 States north of the Ohio river, and in the 

 northwest, make a decided increase, thus 

 making the aggregate crop for 1878 larger 

 than that of 1877 some 30,000,000 bushels. 

 This result is the more remarkable as it is the 

 fourth of an unbroken series of large crops. 

 The Oats Crop 



is somewhat in excess of the very large crop 

 of 1S77, constituting it the largest crop ever 

 raised in this country. The Atlantic slope, 

 north of the Chesapeake, showed a decline, 

 especially in the large oats-producing region 

 of the Middle States. The Southern coast 

 States, from North Carolina to Texas, uni- 

 formly increase their product, but the South- 

 ern inland States, as a whole, fell off. The 

 AV'est, Northwest and Pacific States showed a 

 marked increase. The Teiritories also indi- - 

 cate an enlarged product. The minimum 

 quality appears in the neighborhood of Chesa- 

 peake Baj% though portions of the Northwest 

 also note a marked deficiency of weight and 

 other merchantable qualities. 

 There is no material change in 

 The Barley Crop 



for 1876 compared with 1877, except the great 

 product of California, which will be double 

 that of its predecessor. The total product for 

 the year 1878 will be, in round numbers, 48,- 

 000,000, while in 1877 the crop was 34,500,000 

 bushels. 



The Rye Crop 



turns out about one-sixth larger than in 1877. 

 The total yield amounted to nearly (30,000,000 

 bashels. The quality of the crop is below the 

 average in New J-higland, except Connecti- 

 cut, aud above (lie average in all the Middle 

 States except Delaware. The crop of the 

 South, on the whole, is inferior, while in all 

 the States of the AVcst, Northwest aud Pacific 

 slope tlie ([uality is superior, except in Illinois 

 and Nebraska. 

 There is a large decline in the 

 Potato Crop 

 this year as compared with 1877. The leading 

 complaint was tlie extreme heat, which es- 

 pecially affected the late plantings. In some 

 places it was coni'iineil with drought, and in 

 others with exeessivi- m-iisl iire, causing rot. 

 The aveia-e yi.'lil ni (he whole country will 

 be 09 bushels ]ier aei'e. against 94 bushels in 

 1877, thus making a total product, in round 

 numbers, of 124,000,000 bushels for 1878, 

 against 170,000,000 iii 1877. 



The Hay Crop 

 is 20 per cent, greater than last year. 



Sorghum 

 is receiving increased attention, especially in 

 the trans-Mississippi States and Territories, 

 where the results of the year's culture are 

 noted by different correspondents as very satis- 

 factory. In the West the Minnesota amber 

 cane has produced the most satisfactory re- 

 sults. In Stearns county, Minn., this variety 

 is reported as yielding as high as .'iOO gallons 

 of syrup per acre. Helaware county, Iowa, 

 manufaetui-ed lod.ddo gallons of sorghum 

 syrup during the year and found a steady 

 home demand for the whole. 



