iO 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[January, 



comraeiKliiig the project were received from 

 President Hayes, Geu. Grant, Mr. Jefferson 

 Davis, Gov. Hendricks, Marshall P. Wilder 

 and some fifteen hnndred others. The mem- 

 bers of the a.ssociation present at the meeting 

 represented twenty States— all of the New 

 England, most of the AVestern and manv 

 Southern States, including four west of the 

 Mississippi. Among them were some of the 

 largest grain and stock growers of the coun- 

 try. One of the most important subjects 

 under discussion was a i»roposition for the es- 

 tablishment of a professonsliiii and sub-profes- 

 sorship of vcrterinary science at the Maryland 

 Agricultural College. The demand for veteri- 

 nary surgeons is known to be constantly in- 

 creasing in all i)arts of the country. It is 

 proposed to apply to Congress for an appro- 

 priation of .SlOOjOtiO to establish these profes- 

 sorships, or raise that sum by appropriations 

 from the various States, and to combine with 

 them a course of clinical instruction, in the 

 event of the establishment of an abattoir in 

 New York. The board of directors consists 

 of twenty-one members, exclusive of the 

 president and vice president. Mr. A. M. Ful- 

 ford, of Maryland, is a member of the board 

 of directors, and Mr. Ezra Witmau is the 

 vice president for Xew York. 



HEIGHT OF STORMS. 

 Professor Loomi.s, in his investigations of 

 the phenomena of storms, has ascertained 

 that atmosplieric disturbances during storms 

 do not generally extend more than about a 

 mile above the sea-level as they pass over 

 New England. From observation made at 

 the .sea-level, as at Portland, simultaneously 

 with observations at the summit of Mount 

 Washington, it is found that during the pas- 

 sage of storms the usual system of circulating 

 winds does not in the majority of instances 

 extend to a height of six thousand feet. The 

 more violent the movement, however, the 

 greater is the height attained by the disturb- 

 ance. Another fact of interest is that the 

 disturbance on the approach of a storm is 

 felt at the surface sooner than at considerable 

 elevations. Professor Loomis says that, 

 "when, during the progress of an area of low 

 pressure, the system of circulating winds 

 reaches the summit of Mount Washington, 

 the change of wind to the east quarter usually 

 begins at the surface stations eleven hours 

 sooner than it does on the summit of that 

 mountain. " It thus appears that onl v in the 

 lower portions of the atmosphere do the great 

 storm movements occur, and that they are 

 fii-st felt at er near th'e earth's surface. 



Our Local Organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTU- 

 RAL AND HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The stated meeting; ol the Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural aud Hoiticultuial Society was held in their 

 rooms, in City Hall, Monday afternoon, January 5. 



The society was called to order liy the President. 



The readini.'(if the minutes of the previous meetinif 

 was on motion dispensed with. 



The following members were present : 



Calvin Cooper, President, Bird-in-Hand; Henry M 

 Engle, Marietta; Casper Ililler, Conestosa- Joseph 

 IT. Witmer, Paradise: Dr. S. S. liathvon, city: John- 

 son Miller, Warwick; John H. Landis, Manor- F 

 K. DiffcnderlTer, city; J. M.Johnston, city; M. D. 

 Kendig, Creswell; Levi S.Keist, Manheim; Washini'- 

 lon L. Hershey, West Ilemptield; W. \V. Griesl 

 city; C. A. Gast, city; W. H. Brosius, Drumore- j! 

 C. I.uiville, Salisbury; Peter Hershey, city; Ephraim 

 S. Hoover, Manheim; .S. P. Eljy, city; A. M. Hostet- 

 t_er, city; C. L. Hunsecker, Manlieim; Isaac L. Lan- 

 dis, city: A. B. Grofi; West Earl. 



New Members. 



Edwin B. Brubaker, of Elizabeth twp., Henry 

 Kurtz, of Safe Harbor, aud Daniel W. firaybill, of 

 East Hempfleld, were nominated and elected' to 

 membership. 



Reports of Committees. 



M. D. Kendig reported that quite a number of 

 farm. IS in Manor lost hogs by cholera; some forty 

 have been lost so far. The hogs won't cat, become 

 emaciated, tender to the touch, dropping down when 

 handled. No treatment so far practised has proved [ 



availing, except in one case, where part recovered. 

 Shoats seem most aftected, although full grown 

 hogs are also attacked. 



Johnson Miller said wheat looks well. The to- 

 bacco is nearly all stripped and much of it scjd. 

 Domestic animals are all doing well. 



H. M. Engle thought there was little variation 

 from the reports of a month ago. Rainfall for 

 November was 2t 14-16 inches, aud for December 

 ."1 11-16 inches. 



The President's Annual Address. 

 Once moie, gentleman, it becomes ray duty — 

 under established precedents— to address you at 

 this, the first meeting in the year, now just in its 

 infancy, and which admonishes us, we should renew 

 our t'rateful acknowledgements to the ruler of the 

 universe for the blessings of the year through which 

 we have passed, for the bountiful crops that are 

 stored in our garners, for the peace and goodwill 

 that pervades over our land and reminds us that it 

 is to be a beneficent Providence to which we are in- 

 debted, and to whom all the gratitude is due. 



The year just closed has been one long to be re- 

 membered. The unprecedented drouth in the early 

 part of the season was fraught with much anxiety 

 on the part of the husbandman for the success of his 

 crops and the remuneration for the labor and 

 expense incurred in the preparation of the soil, all of 

 which for a time seemed threatened with destruction 

 by the burning rays of the midsummer's sun. The 

 parched earth itself seemed to yearn Ibr the refresh- 

 ing showers that came at long intervals until the 

 season was more than half over. But what a spoiu 

 taneous growth followed the delightful rains after 

 harvest ! Vegetable matter sprang up, as it were, 

 by magic. Every countenance beamed with grate- 

 fulness, and vegetation itself, of every kind, appa- 

 rently raised its leaves heavenward, as if to tender 

 homage to the Great Ruler above. 



The great interest of the farmer at this late date 

 is centred in his tobacco patch. All who had their 

 plants started had little to do but cultivate well, 

 and make room for the rapidly spreading leaves, 

 while others who were not so successful took hold 

 with renewed energy, nursed their sickly plants, and 

 replanted for the fourth, fifth or probably more 

 limes the vacancies made by the scorching atmos- 

 phere and the depredations of insects, in the hope 

 that they, too, might yet reap some reward for the 

 extra pains taken to get their plants established. 

 Doubtless many of them little dreamed of the rich 

 reward that awaited their labors, and yet how many 

 there are that abhor the use of it, but have become 

 addicted to the detestable habit that they imagine 

 indispensable for their comfort, aud continue to roll 

 up a liatch of the noxious stuff, and with a coal of 

 fire at one end, and themselves at the other, with 

 distorted countenance, draw and puff (bellows like,) 

 blowing the smoke in a neighbor's face, very much 

 to his or her discomfort, without as much as asking 

 by your leave, or, if not unpleasant, I will indulge in 

 a cigar; thoroughly fumigating the apparel of every 

 one who happens near with the obnoxious odors 

 from a half smoked, and sometimes that which is 

 much worse, an old stump relighted, or with tire 

 extinguished. But, this is not the worst of it. How 

 many do we see with a great chunk (half the size 

 and thickness of a man's hand,) from the pockets to 

 the mouth, and with a twist and pull manage, after 

 considerable exertion, to detach a piece, and then, 

 like ruminating animals, the process of mastication 

 begins. With the discolored saliva leaking from the 

 corners of the mouth, the great stream is spurted on 

 the carpet floor or elsewhere, disfiguring and soiling 

 the clothes aud furniture, when the tidy, overworked 

 wife, mother, or sister, must get down upon her 

 knees and scrub her finger ends sore, if she wishes 

 to have her house presentable in anticipation of a 

 visit from some dear friend, and indeed absolutely 

 necessary for the comfort of herself and family. If 

 I have digressed, and drawn too strong a picture, I 

 beg to be excused for expressing mv cont 'inpt of 

 what to me seems a very filthy, and, "indeed, a very 

 expensive and unnecessary habit. But such is the 

 weakness of human nature, that having aciiuired a 

 habit from having seen a friend indulging therein, 

 we are too apt to fall, without for a moment stop 

 ping to weigh in the balance the cost of an unnatural 

 appetite. Alight I say to the young man with his 

 chew or cigar iu hand, halt ? observe aud consider 

 before you soil or wound a mother's pride in her son 

 just blooming into manhood. 



But to the other side : Having created a market, 

 mau will o,-ow that which brinss the most (as it is 

 called) of the "filthy lucre," liftle caring whether 

 the article produced is a necessary commodity for 

 the comlbrt or happiness of mankind, or a deadly 

 poison to all animal life inhabiting the globe. 



The crop of tobacco grown the past season is, 

 beyond doubt, the greatest this county has ever pro- 

 duced. The prices being realized are among the 

 best, if not the very highest, that have ever been 

 paid for the article here. I trust the extravagant 

 returns received from the growth of the weed will 

 not lead you to neglect other less remunerative 

 crops that are so essential for our comlbrt, and 

 indeed absolutely necessary for our existence and 

 the health of the whole human race. I have many 



forbodings, that the country of our choice may 

 some day suflfer from too great a production of the 

 plant, which, if it continues to increase, will soon be 

 worth more than all other crops combined. The 

 barrens of Virginia and North Carolina bear testi- 

 mony that we, too, might suffer the penalties, and 

 our now fertile become a barren and unproductive 

 soil. I am well aware that many of you will take 

 exceptions to the little hints thrown out, but trust 

 you will pardon me for expressing my convictions of 

 what might be the result of too great a percentage 

 of your farm being devoted to the growth of a 

 poisonous weed. 



The incorporation of our society during the past 

 year should also remind us that the beginning of a 

 new year is a good time to commence some new 

 work. By the reorganization and the election to- 

 day you assume a new position and standing in the 

 business world ; you are recognized as a legal body, 

 aud prepared to battle with the world, as it were, for 

 a sphere of usefulness, and enjoy the praise and con- 

 gratulalion of many friends in sympathy, though 

 not members of the society. The good works that 

 some of you have been doing in experimenting with 

 various seeds and fertilizers, and so generously giv- 

 ing the results of your care, labor and expense, is 

 one of the most convincing proofs that the advance- 

 ment of agriculture and horticulture is the prime 

 object in view. These might be carried on on a larger 

 scale and of greater diversity, a wider field 

 might be opened, and we might acquire such infor- 

 mation as would be sure to produce better paying 

 crops. 



The press, in their unflagging zeal in gathering 

 the reports of your deliberations, has done much to 

 further the interests of the society. Having scattered 

 to the four winds of the earth full reports of the 

 proceedings, it has created an interest in many sym- 

 pathetic minds, which will some day bring its re- 

 ward, and assist in establishing an organization 

 from a lew itinerent members second to none in 

 the State. 



As a corporation, there is a new sea opened on 

 which to float our ship. But not being experienced 

 seamen, we should not sail out of sicht of land, lest 

 we lose our reckonings and encounter storms, that 

 older mariners might use to speed them on their 

 way. 



Our late exhibition, though not financiallv a great 

 success, will have its benefit, should you conclude to 

 try it again on a larger scale. As has been said by 

 a member, the experience of a little fall fair would 

 be a great help should the society conclude to 

 branch out upon a regular agricultural exhibition, as 

 are held by some of our adjoining counties. Since 

 passing the gulf ou which we floated our new ship, I 

 see many small leaks that could be averted on the 

 next trip, and also many cargoes that might be car- 

 ried at a less cost. I cannot but advert here to the 

 apathy of some of the members, who never came 

 near us to see whether we sank or swam over the 

 terrible sea of selfishness on which they cast our 

 bark. Others, too, who had repeatedly asked, 

 "Why don't you hold an exhibition?" when we did 

 make an effort stood aloft, as it were, to look down 

 at the modest display as beneath their recognition, 

 and cast a smile of contempt upon it, because they 

 could not gratify some selfish propensity by which 

 they might individually reap some benefit. The in- 

 sinuation was repeatedly thrown out that we would 

 fail in getting up a creditable display, which had a 

 tendency to deter mauy who otherwise would have 

 assisted with their contributions and would have i 

 filled the building from pit to dome, all of which, I 

 can assure you, was exceedingly discouraging to tlie 

 management. On the other hand, I wish to con- 

 gratulate and extend ray sincere thanks to those 

 who bravely stood by the helm, notwithstanding the 

 adverse winds we eucount-'red, and assisted in pilot- 

 ing our vessel over the stream that threatened to 

 swallow us forever. With the experience of the 

 past and the knowledge that this county can hold a 

 successful exhibition, together with the proof already 

 established that you will go through with it, there is 

 little doubt in my mind that it would be safe to 

 launch out into open waters, where the foul atmos- 

 phere of selfishness could not taint nor pollute this 

 new organization. Upon your assurance to the 

 manufacturing interests of the country that you 

 will hold, annually, exhibitions in the interests of 

 agriculture and industry, I doubt not they will fill 

 all the space you could provide witli the new and 

 improved machinery of the day, aud themselves lend 

 a lively interest to make it a success. But it is all 

 important to begin early in the season, that any one 

 contemplating making a display can prepare iu time. 

 In soliciting exhibits I encountered this difliculty on 

 every side at our late fair. One gentleman alone 

 said he would have filled half an aisle in the market 

 house if he had been notified iu time, and many 

 others knew nothing of it until it was too late. The 

 liberal use of printers' ink, judicious advertising, by 

 conspicuous posters, and otherwise, that will attract 

 attention, will do more to spread the news abroad 

 than all the discussions you can contrive at the 

 meetings of the society. 



One of the growing features in farm economy is 

 the displacement of middle fences aud the adoption 



