i70 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[November, 



As part of the buildings conveyed, of course 

 the window blinds are included, even if they 

 be at the same time taken off and carried to 

 a painter's shop to be painted. 



"It would be otherwise if tliey had been 

 newly purchased and brought into the house 

 but not yet attached to it. Lightning rods 

 also go with the house; if a farmer has any on 

 his house. A furnace in the cellar, brick or 

 portable, is considered a part of the house, 

 but an ordinary stove with a loose pipe 

 running into the chimney is not, while a 

 range set in brick work is. Mantel pieces so 

 attached to the chimney as not to be removed 

 without marring the plastering go with the 

 house, but if merely resting on brackets they 

 may be taken away by the former owner 

 without legal liability. The pumps, sinks, 

 etc., fastened to the building are a part of it 

 in law, and so are the water-pipes connected 

 therewith bringing" water from a distant 

 spring. If the farmer has iron kettles set iti 

 brickwork near his barn for cooking food for 

 his stock, or other similar uses, the deed of 

 his farm covers them also, as likewise a bell 

 attached to his barn to call his men to dinner. 

 If he indulges in ornamental statues, vases, 

 etc., resting on the ground, by their own 

 weight merely, and sells his estate, without 

 reservation, these things go with the land." 



WHEN TO SELL. 



Every one who is engaged in any depart- 

 ment of agriculture or manufacture is sup- 

 posed to have from time to time something to 

 sell or exchange. On the disposition of this 

 surplus depends the supply of all articles that 

 the person does not raise, embracing all im- 

 plements and improvements of every kind 

 that require an outlay. Hence it is a matter 

 of moment that the sale of these thin s be 

 made at the time the best price, all things con- 

 sidered, will be obtained. Is it possible to be 

 certain of this time ? In general, no. There 

 are many articles that constitute exceptions. 

 Those that cannot be conveniently preserved 

 must, of course, be thrown on the market at 

 once. Others that are in demand in certain 

 seasons only, will be governed by the season's 

 trade. But the most common and valuable 

 products of human industry are always in 

 market, and yet are subject to frequent fluctua- 

 tions in price. Such are the leading products 

 of the farm and most of the useful manufac- 

 tures. As to these no fixed rule can be given, 

 but the following suggestions will commend 

 themselves to the prudent : 



One should keep himself informed of the 

 state of the market, especially in places ac- 

 cessible to him, and as fer as practicable in 

 places whose trade affects directly his local 

 market. The best way to secure "this, is to 

 take and read good papers, that give not only 

 the tabular market statements, but also intei- 

 licent and impartial comments and counsels. 

 When necessity compels one to sell, he can 

 only submit, regardless of prices; but in all 

 other cases he ought to govern him.self con- 

 sistently by reasonable probabilities. Unless 

 in the face of a comparative certainty that 

 there will be no advance, economy plainly 

 forbids the disposal of a commodity at a price 

 that is not more tlian its cost to the jiroducer. 

 Business cannot live on losses. A certain far- 

 mer, who always prospered, made it a rule to 

 sell everything he could spare as soon as it 

 was in marketable condition. He never made 

 much at one time; but he avoided all risks of 

 rogues and fires, all injuries by vermin and 

 weather, all the trouble and expense of pro- 

 tracted storage, all the reduction of shrinkage 

 and incidental waste, and he was receiving 

 money now and then through the year. 



It is safe advice to say that every one should 

 be content to sell at a reasonable profit. To 

 wait for very large prices is dangerous policy, 

 and especially as to the necessaries of life, 

 very bad morals. Wliat man nmst have, his 

 fellow-man should be willing to furnish at 

 r.itps that are not exorbitant or oppressive. 

 Business should never violate the principles 

 of magnanimity and true ch-diitj.—Bural 

 New Yorker. 



Our Local Organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTU- 

 RAL AND HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The reg:ular monthly meeting of the Lancaster 

 County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was 

 held in their rooms in the City Hall, on Monday 

 afternoon, November 'i. 



The meetins; was called to order by the President, 

 Calvin Cooper. 



The following members and visitors were present : 

 Calvin Cooper, Bird-in Hand ; Joseph F. Witmer, 

 Paradise; A. B. Groff, West Earl; Daniel Smeych, 

 city; J. C. Linville, Gap; M. D. Kendig, Manor; 

 Jacob Bollinger, Warwick ; C. A. Gast, city ; F. R. 

 DifTenderffer, city ; J. M. Johnston, city ; C. H. Hos- 

 tetter, Eden; JohnH. Lan4is, .Manor; Mr. Broom- 

 eal, Christiana ; Henry M. Engle, Marietta ; Wash- 

 ington L. Hershey, Chickies; Amos Eshleman, 

 Paradise ; William McComsey, city ; Peter Hershey, 

 city; S. S. Rathvon, city, Johnson .Miller, War- 

 wick; Casper Hiller, Conestoga ; Christian L. Hun- 

 secker, Manheim ; And. Frantz, Wabank ; Webster 

 L. Hershey, West Hempfield ; Simon Hershey, 

 Salunga. 



On motion the reading of the minutes was dis- 

 pensed with. 



Mr. Peter Hershey was proposed and elected to 

 membership. He signed tlie constitution. 

 Report on Artificial Fertilizers. 



J. C. Linville, from the Committe on Artificial 

 Fertilzers, said the committee had not yet met, but 

 he had made some investigations for himself. He 

 tried three kinds of fertilizers on wheat. They were 

 the Star Phosphate, the High Grade Nitro and the 

 Crop Grower. The application of the first named 

 two gave good results. They were drilled in with 

 wheat, about 200 pounds to the acre ; the yield was 

 six or seven bushels per acre more. That which was 

 drilled in gave much better results than that which 

 was harrowed in. When only a small quantity is 

 used it seems much the best to drill it right along 

 with the grain, so that it can reach the roots. The 

 cost was $4 per acre. The Crop Grower proved a 

 failure. 



Calvin Cooper also sowed some of the Crop 

 Grower fertilizer broadcast and derived no benefit 

 from it. 



Peter Hershey said his experience was like Mr. 

 Linville's. He sowed phosphate on the surface but 

 it did little good ; on grass, however, it gave good 

 results. When drilled in with wheat it increased 

 the yield. This is the only way he has derived benefit 

 from artificial fertilizers. He had been prejudiced 

 against these manures, but has now changed his 

 mind. 



H. M. Engle applied fertilizers to corn for two 

 seasons and the effect was marked. He used Nitro 

 phosphate. This fall he used South Carolina phos- 

 phate on his wheat and the result, of course, cannot 

 yet he foretold. He knows nothing about the Crop 

 Grower, but he would not condemn it from one trial. 

 On other soils it might have done better. He thinks 

 the drill sowing may show more immediate efi'ects 

 and the broadcast better afterwards. We must know 

 what our lands require. If we know that we cannot 

 go far wrong in getting just the thing we want. 

 Some ingredients produce their best effects in the 

 spring jind others in the fall. A single year's ex- 

 periment is not sufficient. One may do well in one 

 crop and not in another. These points must all be 

 considered. He alluded to a report made by Prof. 

 A. F. Allen before the State Board of Agriculture, 

 at its recent meeting at Mercer, on this very subject, 

 and to be published in the next Agricultural Society's 

 report. 



J. C. Linville thought the members ought to read 

 a work by Joseph Harris on manures, a most valu- 

 able and exhaustive work. Farmers have not time 

 nor money to try these experiments for themselves ; 

 they can avail themselves of the results obtained by 

 others. 



Peter Hershey said an Englishman raised wheat 

 for thirty years successively off the same land by 

 sowing about eight hundred pounds of fertilizers. 

 Weather Reports. 



H. M. Engle said the cool weather has checked 

 the ravages of the fly. The rain fall for October was 

 2% inches. 



In Manor township the rain fall was l'^ inches, as 

 reported by M . D. Kendig. 



An interesting discussion here ensued on rain- 

 gauges in general, some contending that the ordinary 

 gauge is not a true one. 



California. 



John H. Landis, who had been put down for an 

 essay, read a very lengthy article on California, in 

 which the various productions, diversified interests, 

 people, climate and other things belonging to the 

 Golden State were told. 



On motion of M. D. Kendig, the thanks of the 

 society were given to Mr. Landis for his essay. 



In answer to a question he said there was uo rain 

 fall from June to September, and that the fields are 



irrigated by water pumped from wells and cisterns 

 and conveyed to the fields by pipes. 

 Heading Trees Low. 



M. Kendig asked why we do not head our trees 

 low here, as is done in some other places. 



H. M. Engle said it had several advantages. The 

 trees were more shielded from the winds ; the fruit 

 was more easily picked, and the ground is not dried 

 out so easily. Through the west trees are branched 

 low. 



Referred Quetions. 



Ephraim Hoover, to whom was referred the ques- 

 tion, "What kind of horses are most profitable to 

 the farmer ?" being personally absent, sent a brief 

 essay on the subject, as follows : 



"This question I shall try to answer from my own 

 experience and observation. For the farmer to con- 

 fine himself to a heavy stock of horses does not 

 meet his ends for practical purposes. If, for in- 

 stance, he selects heavy breeds, adapted for heavy 

 draught only, and on the other hand, if he breeds 

 from stock of light build and great speed entirely, 

 they are not adapted for farm purposes. The sug- 

 gestion then naturally comes, that we should select 

 or breed such stock that combines both qualities. 

 For instance, cross heavy stock with light stock, 

 noted for speed and gentleness. This gives the farmer 

 a stock of horses adapted both for roadsters and 

 reasonably heavy draught, making a breed of horses 

 that will do more work on a farm, move with more 

 ease and also be more adapted to be taken from the 

 heavier farm draught to a light pleasure carriage. I 

 would, therefore, have a breed of horses for farm 

 purposes that combine draught with speed— good 

 size, well boned, with a cross of English blood- 

 weight from eleven hundred to thirteen hundred. 

 This is my idea of the horse for practical farm pur- 

 poses, after a number of years of experience with 

 the different breeds." 



Joseph F. Witmer thought we needed fast walkers 

 on our farms. They can easily be followed and get 

 over the ground much more quickly than slow ones. 

 He liked the Morgan horses as well as any. 



H. iM. Engle also thought we ought to have bet- 

 ter walking horses. We either have slow or fast 

 ones. The custom was to put colts into a four-horse 

 team or into a plow to be broken, where they ac- 

 quired a slow gait. This is wrong. Put them in a 

 wagon and you will remedy the matter. 



Dr. Rathvon, who was charged with the payment 

 of the premiums won at the late fair, made his re' 

 port. He made a report showing how much he had 

 paid and how much remained unclaimed. All who 

 have not lifted their premiums have forfeited them, 

 the time for so doing having expired. The sum of 

 $26.50 was accordingly paid into the treasury. 



J. C. Linville thought a colt ought to be ridden to 

 make fast walkers. Our farm horses are too small. 

 We want larger, heavier horses; that is the kind we 

 must raise if we want to sell them. We need large 

 mares to breed from. We are apt to run after fast 

 travelers. A good business can be done by growing 

 heavy horses. 



Jacob Bollinger agreed with Mr. Linville. It is 

 our own fault that we have no fast walkers. He 

 bought a slow horse and by riding him daily he in- 

 creased his walking gait almost one hundred per 

 cent. He believed in heavy horses. They cannot 

 only walk fast but do heavy work better than light 

 animals. 



J. F. Witmer did not agree with the advocates of 

 heavy horses. Besides they eat much more than 

 smaller ones, and thus cost more for feed. 



W. L. Hershey did not favor light horses. A 

 heavy horse is to be relied on in emergencies. A 

 good strong team is required to break up heavy sod. 

 There is more demand at the present time for heavy 

 horses. They sell better. They have more endur- 

 ance. A horse for driving purposes should be kept, 

 and he ought not as a rule to be used for heavy 

 draught purpos 



H. M.Engletl 

 horses. H« believed the four horse teams wouU 

 soon be things of the past. In other States two 

 horse teams are almost exclusively used. The day 

 has gone by for heavy horses for farm purposes. 



Calvin Cooper gave his experience in which a slow 

 walker was taught by a companion to become a fast 

 walker. He was opposed to heavy horses. 



J. F. Witmer thought it did not pay most farmers 

 lo keep a roadster; they could not afford to keep one 

 for that purpose alone. 



The Most Profitable Crop. 



"What branch of farming will pay best?" being 

 referred to C. H. Hostetter, he admitted his inability 

 to answer it. It could not be answered to suit all 

 men. 



C. L. Hunsecker said this depended on circum- 

 stances. Some make money out of hay, tobacco and 

 wheat, but tobacco seems latterly to have been the 

 most profitable. Some make money out of one 

 thing, and others fail completely at the same thing. 

 Out in Spring Garden there were twenty-eight still 

 houses kept going by distilling apples, which made 

 apple growing profitable; but that was many years 

 ago. 



