74 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



flies and other insects are believed to have ex- 

 ercised in past times an important Influence 

 in modifying the size, shape, color, &c., of 

 flowers; and the following experiments, in 

 spite of their incompleteness, are of interest 

 as showing to what an extent this action 

 takes place in nature, and as helping to deter- 

 mine the value of this factor. These estima- 

 tions are only the first of a series, and the 

 writer regrets that he has been unable to give 

 them the desirable completeness, but hopes to 

 continue them. 



The nectar was extracted with water, and 

 the sugar determined before and after inver- 

 sion by means of Fehling's copper solution. 

 Many of the estimations were done in dupli- 

 cate, and gave results that agreed perfectly. 

 In the case of fuschia — which is not deprived 

 of its nectar by any insects in this country, 

 the nectar being inaccessible to native 

 species — we have probably the whole amount 

 formed, but in the other cases the visits of 

 bees, etc., may have reduced the amounts con- 

 siderably. In this case it is a clear, colorless 

 liquid, having an acid reaction and an in- 

 tensely sweet taste f that of many others has 

 the strong characteristic odor of honey. 



SUGAR IN FLOWERS. 



Total Fruit. Care? 

 M.m.g-. (asFruit.) 



1. Fuchsia per flower, - 7. .59 1.69 5.9 



2. Claytonia AlsinoideSjdo., 0.413 0.17.5 0.3.38 

 .3. Everlasting pea, do., - 9.93 8.33 1.60 

 i. Vetch (Viva Cracca) per 



raceme, - - - 3.16 3.15 0.01 



5. Ditto, per single flower, 0.158 0.158 



6. Fved clover, per head, - 7.93 5.95 1.98 



7. Ditto, per floret, - - 0.1-32 0.099 0.033 



8. Monkehead, per flower, 6.41 4.63 1.78 

 Approximately, then, 100 heads of clover 



yield 0.8 grm. of sugar, or 12-5 give 1 grm., or 

 12.5,000 1 kilo of sugar ; and as each one con- 

 tains about 60 florets (125,000x60,) that is, 

 7,500,000 distinct flower-tubes must be sucked 

 in order to obtain 1 kilo, of sugar. Now as 

 honey, roughly, may be said to contain 75 per 

 cent, sugar, we have 1 kilo. grm. , equivalent 

 to 5,600,000 flowers in round numbers ; or, 

 say two and a half millions of visits for one 

 pound of honey. This shows what an amazing 

 amoimt of labor the bees must perform, for 

 their industry would thus appear to be indis- 

 pensable to their very existence. Anotlier 

 point worth notice in these results is the oc- 

 currence of what appears to be cane-sugar, 

 and that in the case of fuchsia, in the propor- 

 tion of nearly three-fourths or the whole. 

 This is remarkable, as honey is usually sup- 

 posed to contain no cane sugar, its presence 

 being usually regarded as certain evidence of 

 adulteration. The question therefore arises, 

 whether the change, which takes place while 

 the sugar is in the possession of the bee, is 

 due to the action of juices with which it comes 

 in contact while in the honey-bag or expanded 

 oesophagus of the insect, or whether the pro- 

 cess of inversion goes on spontaneously, as 

 may perhaps be the case ? — Alex. S. Wilson, 

 in Chemical News. 



Our Local Organizations. 



The regular meeting of the Lancaster County 

 Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held in 

 their rooms in the City Hall on Monday afternoon. 

 May 5. 



The meeting was called to order, and Mr. Henry 

 M. Engle was elected chairman. 



The' following members were present: H. M. 

 Engle, Marietta: William H. Brosius, Drumore; Levi 

 W. Groff, West Earl; Wm. McComsey, city; Hugh 

 R. Fulton, city; W. J. Kafrolh, West Earl; M. D. 

 Kendig, Manor; John H. Landis, Manor; J. C. Lin- 

 ville, Salisbury; J. M. Johnston, city; F. R. Uiffen- 

 derSer, city; W. W. Griest, city; Johnson Miller, 

 Warwick; J. F. Witmer, Paradise; Jacob Bollinger, 

 Warwick; Levi S. Reist, Litiz; C. L. Hunsecker, 

 Manheim; Israel L. Landis, city; E. S. Hoover, 

 Manheim; W. L. Hershey, Chickies; J. H. Hershey, 

 West Hempfield; John G. Garber, city; S. S. 4lath- 

 von, city; J. Hoffman Hershey, Rohrerstown; C. A. 

 Cast, city. 



On motion, the reading of the minutes of the pre- 

 ceding meeting was dispensed with. 



Crop Reports. 



Mr. Linville reported the wheat crop in Salisbury 

 not to be doing very well. The fields look very poor, 

 except where the ground was plowed early and 

 sowed early. The corn is nearly all planted. Cherries 

 and peaches are doing well. 



Mr. Miller reported' the wheat crop in Warwick as 

 looking pretty well. Hay crop also looks well. The 

 prospects for fruit are generally good. 



Mr. Brosius, of Drumore, reported the prospects of 

 the wheat crop to be favorable. Grass looks very 

 well. 



Mr. Kendig said the wheat crop is not so promis- 

 ing as in some seasons, but with good weather it 

 may turn out well. Fruit crop looks'very promising. 



Mr. Grove, of East Earl, said wheat looks well, 

 considering the weather of last fall. Grass is very 

 good. Corn not so good. Fruit crop looks very 

 promising. 



Mr. Witmer, of Paradise, reports wheat not so 

 good as it might be. Oats is coming up very nicely. 

 The prospects for a good fruit crop are good. 



Mr Bollinger, of Warwick, said his last year's 

 wheat crop was not quite so good as it might have 

 been, on account of gettii g out too early. The 

 growing crop is not so good. The seed was not very 

 good. He sowed some other seed, and it is now 

 coming up. The grass looks promising and may do 

 very well. 



Mr. Engle, East Donegal, said the wheat crop is 

 slow, except along the river, where it generally looks 

 well. Grass is very promising. Fruits are looking 

 very well, and the prospects for a full crop are very 

 good. The rainlall for the spring has been very 

 small, and it is surprising that the wheat and grass 

 look as well as they do. 



Making Farm Life Attractive and Pleasant. 



The question, "-How can farm life be rendered 

 more attractive and pleasant?" was opened for dis- 

 cussion. 



Mr. Kendig said he liked rural life and rural im- 

 provements. There should be more done in this re- 

 spect. Fences should be kept straight, furrows 

 straight, yards clean and planted with good plants. 

 All the cost of which would be a little labor. 



Mr. Linville said home should be made attractive 

 on the outside as well as on the inside. More ex- 

 pense should be put on the outside— on the surround- 

 ings. The house should be made cheap but comfort- 

 able, and more time devoted to the grounds. Books 

 and papers should be procured and read. 



Mr. Miller said the home would be made very 

 pleasant by fixing up the yards and houses more than 

 they now are. Farmers should be without debts, 

 and then they can make farm life very pleasant. The 

 farmer should read and study several hours every 

 day. He should have good laborers, and have them 

 understand that his interest is theirs. 



Mr. Witmer thought the home should be adorned 

 and kept clean and well-fitted up. Plenty of reading- 

 matter should be kept on hand at all times. The 

 fences should be kept straight, but he did not think 

 the gardens and fields should be all fenced in. In- 

 stead of straight lines about the place he would 

 devote more space to landscape gardening. The 

 keeping of good stock will always add to the pleas- 

 ure of farming. Farmers should get out and inter- 

 change views with each other. 



"Mr. Brosius thought there are two sides to this 

 question. Some who have read about the poetry of 

 farming have failed in practical life to find it. We 

 should inculcate our faith in our work to our children, 

 so that they may follow in our footsteps. There is no 

 more ennobling calling than the work of the farmer. 

 We should go to our work with a j^leasure. We should 

 make our children part owners with us, so that they 

 may take pride in it. 



Mr. P. S. Keist thought we could not live from 

 farming only. A farmer should do his duty with 

 pleasure. Farmers should learn what is their duty, 

 and then take pleasure in it. They should first find 

 out whether they are fitted for farming, and then 

 follow it. 



Mr. Miller thought the homes could be made more 

 beautiful by painting and whitewashing every year. 

 It will also be Ibuud to be a saving of expense. 

 Farms can be made more beautiful with very little 

 expense. 



Mr. Hunsecker said farming has its shady and 

 sunny sides. It is the farmer's own fault if his 

 home is not made more attractive. He would not 

 put unsightly objects in the front of the house. 



Mr. Landis said he could have no idea of any ques- 

 tion which should be more interesting to farmers. 



Mr. Fulton said he could appreciate the beauties of 

 farm life, being born on a farm, although he has 

 since gone into another business. This question is 

 of very great importance, because the young men are 

 disposed to leave their farms. This can be avoided 

 by making their homes more attractive. Give them 

 their newspapers and books, and make home pleasant 

 for them by giving them an interest about the place. 

 Farmers should read and discuss matters relating to 

 farm life, and give their sons the benefit of their 

 knowledge. Farm life pays about 3 per cent., and 

 that, in connection with the pleasure derived from it, 

 is a good iurestment. 



Mr. Hershey said the most pleasant associations of 

 his life are those connected with a farm. He could 

 appreciate a beautiful farm as much as anybody. 

 Farmers should not devote too much time to their 

 lawns and houses to the exclusion of their fields. 

 They should not spend too much time about the 

 tavern. They should spend more time in reading 

 papers and books. They should teach their sons 

 that there is as much credit and honor in being a 

 good farmer as in being a professional man. 



Mr. Engle said farming ought to be considered 

 attractive now in comparison with olden times. 

 There is a great deal of farm life that is unpleasant, 

 but still it is not mainly so. The buildings should 

 be kept In good condition and the lawns and fields in 

 well-ordered shape. It is not necessary to expend 

 much money in order to accomplish this. He thought 

 unsightly objects should be kept out of view. Books 

 and papers are important factors in making the 

 home pleasant. Farmers put in too many hours of 

 hard labor. They should do all their work in much 

 less time by a proper system. They should also pay 

 more attention to lessening the labors of their wives. 

 Give them more comforts and attractions. In addi- 

 tion to ornamentation about the place, they should 

 pay more attention to fruits and vegetables. They 

 require little room, and are easily cultivated, and 

 when ripe they afford a vast amount of pli 

 the family. 



Mr. Hoover said farming should be made profitable 

 and then it would become pleasant. The youn, 

 farmer has just as good a chance to reap a good 

 harvest as the one who has been in the business for 

 twenty years. The young girLs and boys should be 

 taught what they are working for, then when they 

 grow up they will not be likely to leave the farm. 

 Give them some part of the crop, and tell them to 

 farm it for themselves ; then they will take a pleas- 

 ure in it. The farmer's life is very conducive to 

 health, and they should enjoy that. This not only 

 adds to their ability for the business, but it also adds 

 to their happiness. 



The New Charter. 



The charter of the society was presented by Mr. 

 Diffenderffer, in the absence of the attorney, Mr. 

 Eby. 



Fruits. 



Mr. Erb presented to the society a fine specimen of 

 Rambo apples. 



Mr. Espenshade, of East Lampeter, presented to 

 the society several fine apples for name. 



Mr. Engle presented several ears of yellow gourd 

 corn. 



Miscellaneous. 

 The yearly rent for the room being due, it was 

 on motion ordered paid. 



The report of the State Board of Agriculture was 

 presented by Mr. Engle for the use of the members. 



The following committee was appointed to prepare 

 by-laws : S. S. Rathvon, M. D. Kendig, S. P. Eby, 

 H. M. Engle and Joseph F. Witmer. 



"Ought we to scrape the bark of fruit trees?" was 

 referred to Mr. H. M. Engle for answer at the next 

 Adjourned. 



POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 



The regular meeting of the Lancaster County 

 Poultry Association was held on Monday morning, 

 May 5, in the rooms of the Agricultural Society. 



The meeting was called to order by the President, 

 Rev. D. C. Tobias. 



The following members were present ; Rev. D. C. 

 Tobias, Litiz; J. B. Lichty, city; W. J. Kafroth, 

 West Earl; S. N. Warfel, Strasburg; Amos Ring- 

 wait, city; William Shoenberger, city; Chas. B. 

 Keller, Strasburg; Joseph D. Gonder, Strasburg; 

 Frank R. Ditfenderfl'er, city; J. HoB'man Hershey, 

 Rohrerstown; John C. Linville, Gap; J. M. John- 

 ston, city; H. H. Tshudy, Litiz; John C. Reed, city; 

 Colin Cameron, Brickerville; Mrs. Cameron, Brick- 

 erville; Charles Lippold, city; William Stober, 

 Schoeneck; John C. Burrows, city; C. A. Gast, city. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read 

 and approved. 



The Finance Committee reported that the society 

 were to pay only seventy-five cents per month, which 

 included janitor's fees. 



New Business. 



J. B. Lichty read a statement showing the amount 

 received from printing the constitution and by-laws. 

 The cost of the book was $15, and the receipts were 

 $17.2.5— leaving a balance of $2.25 to the credit of 

 the society. The report was received and the thanks 

 of society tendered the committee. 



The names of Joseph R. Trissler, of Lancaster, 

 and J. H. Hershey, of Rohrerstown, were proposed 

 for membership, and the gentlemen were elected. 



The committee reported the following questions for 

 discussion at next meeting : " What is the best cure 

 for gapes?" Referred to Colin Cameron; " What is 

 a preventive for vermin in lowls?" Referred to W. 

 J. Kafroth. 



T. D. Martin not being present, the question re- 

 ferred to him—" What is the best method of testing 

 the fertility of newly laid eggs"— was opened to 

 discussion by the society. 



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