1880.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



-13 



Turkeys, Geese and Ducks. 



Hon. A. J.Stolier, 8cli(ienook, Pa. : Special premi- 

 um for large bronze turkeys. 



Mrs. Colin Cameron, BriokervlUe, Pa. : First pre- 

 mium for Embilcn geese; second for Hong Kong 

 geese. 



T. D. Martin, Litiz, Pa ; First premium for Hong 

 Kong geese; tirsl for .Muscovy ducks. 



Miss Winnie Brcnenum, SIrasburg, Pa.: First and 

 special premiums for Pekin ducks. 



George A. ((ever Spring Garden, Pa. : First and 

 special premiums for Koueu ducks; second for Pekin 

 ducks. 



Miscellaneous. 



Charles Lippold, city : First and second premiums 

 for German canaries. 



Mrs. Ellen H. Flager, city: First prcniiuiu for 

 Talking Parrot. 



Pigeon Fly, 



The carrier pigeon race took place the 71 h, having 

 been postponed from the 6lh on account of the in- 

 clement weather. The jiri/.e was a silver cup offered 

 by the association, and to be awarded to the owner 

 of the bird lirst brought back to the Exhibition. 



There were eight entries, by the following named 

 persons: Ferd. Schacll'er, \Vm. Schoeuberger, 

 Thomas lluniphreyville, John E. Sebum, .T. .M. iiulh, 

 Frank U. Howell, Harry (i. llirsli and Charles Lip- 

 pold. The birds were taken to Mount Joy in the 

 morning by Wm. Schoenhergcr, but at what hour 

 they were let lly is not known. The tirst bird 

 brought back to the exiiibition was Mr. Schaelfer's, 

 at 1:25 p. m., and the cup was awarded to him. 

 Mr. Schoenbergcr's bird was brought in second, 

 about live minutes later. The other bin':* ar- 

 rived at their cots, but were not returned to the ex- 

 hibition. 



The winning bird is a Blue Antwerp hen, tivc 

 months old, and was bred by Charles Lippold. 



Agriculture. 



LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 

 The Linnaean Society held their stated meeting on 

 Saturday, December a7th, 1879, in the comfortable 

 rooms of the Y. M. C. A. Kcv. Dr. J. H. Dubbs 

 was in the chair. The monthly dues were paid in 

 and the minutes disposed of. The donations to the 

 museum were only two jars — one containing three 

 gold ash, among whicli the curious triple-tailed 

 specimen owned by Master C. F. Long, son of Chas. 

 E. Long, and after its death donated by him to the 

 Linnasan ; one that was in an aquarium among 

 others of Mr. George Hensel's collection. This mani- 

 fested a phosphorescent oblong spot, in the dorsal 

 region, near its head, when seen in a dark room, 

 prior to its death. The other was from Mr. Kalh- 

 von's aquarium. A bottle of miscellaneous insects 

 collected during the summer. 



Additions to the Library. 



Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science of 

 Philadelphia, part II., April and October, 1876; 

 Proceedings of the American and Oriental Section of 

 the Ethnographic Society of France, per Dr. Dubbs ; 

 Second Annual Report of the Agricultural Society of 

 Pennsylvania, 1878; IT. S. Patent Office Gazette to 

 December 33,1879; The Lancasteu F.MLMiiii for 

 the month of December, 1879. 



Historical Section. 



Four envelopes containing fifty historical scraps, 

 perS. S. Rathvon, Ph.D. 



Papers Read. 



A highly interesting paper was read, No. 533, by 

 Rev. Dr. Dubbs, on Archisology. — (See page 4.) It 

 was listened to with much interest. J. Staufler read 

 an illustrated paper, No. 5.3-1, on gold tish in general, 

 and the triple-tailed specimen in particular. Like 

 specimens have been seen before. 



Annual Reports of Officers. 



The Recording Secretary read his annual report, 

 and found the dues received to tally with the 

 amounts in the Treasurer's report. Notwithstanding 

 the finance is small, and many of the active members 

 fail to attend the stated meetings, the Curator's full 

 report shows lUrge and valuable additions to the 

 museum and fixtures ; forty vQjumes added to the 

 lilirary, besides pamphlets and serials ; twenty-three 

 original papers read, and one thousand five hundred 

 and thirty objects added to the collections. In 

 short, much that deserves encouragement has been 

 performed by the Society, weak as it is, in means 

 and numbers. Those who come short in doing their 

 duty, no doubt are aware of it. 



Election of Officers. 



It being the time for electing the officers for the 

 ensuing year, on casting the ballot it resulted as 

 follows : President, Rev. J. S. Stahr ; Vice Presi- 

 dents, Rev. Dr. J. H. Dubbs, Prof. T. H. Baker ; 

 Recording Secretary, Jacob Staufler ; Assistant 

 Recording Secretary, W. P. Bolton ; Corresponding 

 Secretary, M. L. Davis, M. D. ; Treasurer, S. S. 

 Rathvon; Librarian, Mrs. L. A. Zell ; Curators, 

 Cbas. A. Heinitsh, Phar., S. S. Rathvon, Ph. D., 

 W. P. Bolton, Esq. ; Microscopist, Dr. .M. L. Davis. 



Seasonable Hints, 



Among the hints most seasonable on either the 

 garden or the farm, few things are more serviceable 

 than those relating III the sharpening of tools. Too 

 often these things arc thought of until the articles 

 are wanted, when niuib valuable lime is lost In put- 

 ting in order what might as well have been done 

 during the dull winter days. Even the smartest of 

 us do not think enough of these things, and iinloed 

 hardly know bow much we lose by having dull tools 

 to work with. It has been tolerably acccurately 

 computed that the same man can do as much In two 

 days with a sharp scythe, as with one but compara- 

 tively dull and with the same expenditure of force, 

 could do in three. .\nd it is just the same in regard 

 to all other tools or implcnients, whether operated 

 by hand, steam or horse-power. The engineer, con- 

 tinually oils the machinery, and a good saw or file is 

 oil to h;inil implements. We know one who has a 

 great deal of hand hoeing to do by hired labor, and 

 he believes that the continued use of the flic on the 

 hoes makes a diflercnce of nearly one-half in the 

 labor. His calculation is that every ten-cent tile he 

 buys save him ten dollars in his laborers' bills. Now 

 is the time to look after spades, scythes, hoes, 

 chisels, saws, etc. 



A good grindstone and a set of files are among the 

 best of farm investments, especially at this season. 

 It is always nice to be forehanded, to get things well 

 ahead ; but the best of all forehandeduess is that 

 which prepares in advance a full set of good and 

 well-repaired tools to work with.- — Oertnnnfnwn 



Winter AValks About the Premises. 



As the storm-king may soon be expected to visit us 

 to stay for some months, we are inclined to repeat 

 the advice we have hitherto given at this period, 

 when so many farmers in all sections are in the habit 

 of neglecting matters that cost but little lime and 

 money about their dwellings and out-buildings, but 

 which impart in themselves great comfort and pro- 

 tection to their families. Among them there is 

 nothing that adds more, not merely to the comfort 

 and convenience, but to the health of the family, 

 than qood inalkv. We have known these in many 

 instances to be utterly neglected. They are i-cganied 

 as good eniiugh when the weather is dry, and when 

 the weather is wet they cannot be made better. 

 And thus year after year the members of the family 

 :ire left to wade through mud to the cow stables, 

 hog pens, wood or coal shed, to the pump or spring- 

 house, to the place of drying the wash, and so on. 

 Now, the little labor it would cost to make hard dry 

 paths to all these points is not worth mentioning. 

 About every place there are stones, old mortar, 

 bricks, Ac, which could be laid down at an excava- 

 tion of six inches and covered with coal ashes. This 

 would last for a dozen years, and would always be 

 dry in five minutes after a rain. Or, in lieu of this, 

 lay down boai-d walks, which, if taken up in the 

 spring after the weather is settled and carefully 

 piled up, will last from eight to ten years. 



Try it. It will save in shoe leather and doctors' 

 bills four times as much as the cost, leaving out of 

 the question the great convenience and comfort en- 

 joyed. 



Farm Food. 



Where we make one load of manure now we ought 

 to make at least three, says an exchange; These 

 are some of the multitude of ways : The liquid waste 

 is as valuable for manure as the solid portions, and 

 yet on seven-eighths of the farms it is nearly all 

 lost. It can be saved by storing a supply of muck 

 or common loam under the stable where the oxen 

 and cows and horses are to stand, and putting a 

 fresh coating upon the pile often enough to keep it 

 from lis foul odors ; or is much better still — for few 

 men can be trusted to manage a barn basement — 

 make a shed or pit for the compost, and convey the 

 liquids away from the stable by suitable drains, 

 which should be provided in every decent barn. One 

 hundred loads of saturated earth will be worth to 

 any farmer one hundred and fifty dollars, putting it 

 at the least. Put the absorbents where they will do 

 the most good. One other thing, leaves of the forest 

 are wasted when they should be saved. They make 

 excellent bedding and most excellent manure, and a 

 few days given to transporting them from the woods, 

 where they are not wanted, to the bam, where they 

 are, will pay. 



Pierre Lorillard's Farm. 



A committee of the Burlington Agricultural So- 

 ciety recently visited the farm of Mr. Lorillard at 

 .lobstown, New Jersey. We give the following from- 

 their report : 



F'or the most profitably cultivated crop, the profits 

 of which shall exceed JlOO per acre, they award the 

 premium of 510 to D. E. Howatt, farmer for P. 

 Lorillard, for 6?j' acres of carrots, yielding liy esti- 

 mate (after pulling a few) 400 bushels per acre, 

 making 2700 bushels, which, at forty cents per 



bushel, is 81,0S0; expense of seed, drilling, hoeing, 

 cultivating, thinning and six per cent, interest on the 

 land rated at 51.50 per acre, $213 ; leaving net profit 

 on li^; acres, ?8(i8. 



The attention of the committee was called to a 

 Held of thirty-live acres of good corn reiently cut 

 and stackcil up, and the ground (a sandy loam) was 

 then being seeded with wheat. Tlu-y estimated the 

 crop at fifty bushels to the acre, making 17.5(1 bush- 

 els, which, at fifty cents per liuslii-l, gives $.S75 ; the 

 whole cost of ploughing, plantinc and cultlvaliug, 

 i-ating the terms at?3.50 perday, laboring men ?1.18 

 per day, boys seventy-five cents, amounting in all lo 

 $242, which, taken from the value of the crop, leaves 

 a profit of $fi"3 on thirty-five acres, being an average 

 of $18 per acre. Tlu-y thought the above crop 

 worthy of notice, as showing that farming when 

 properly managed will pay, even In these dull, hard 

 times. 



Cuzco Corn from Peru. 



A consigiunent of 1 ,.100 [lounds of this corn, which 

 is produced in the province of Cuzco, in Peru, atiout 

 41)0 miles inland frotn Lima, was recently received 

 in San Francisco, and is described as follows: "The 

 Cuzco corn is as large as a butter bean, has a thin 

 white skin and is all flour or meal. II is as wonder- 

 ful in quality as it is in size, resembling a well-baked 

 cracker and being two or three times larger than our 

 "large yellow" variety. When simply boiled, the 

 grain breaks into the finest, largest and whitest 

 hominy ever seen, and this without grinding or 

 crushing. It is said by corn experts to be admira- 

 bly adapted for the manufactdre •' '.ilsky, and 

 also of starch, and very valuable In its green Hate 

 for I'odder. It will also form, as green corn, a new 

 vegetable for the table. The weight of Cuzco corn 

 is forty-three to forty-four pounds to the bushel." 

 The consignment is lo be sold for seed at one dollar 

 per pound. 



Why Belgian Farming Pays. 

 The fact that Flemish farming derives such abun- 

 dant returns from a soil naturally [loor is due to the 

 following reasons : The perfection of the work of 

 cultivation, whether performed by the plow or spade; 

 the perfection of shape given lo each field, whereby 

 cultivation and drainage are facilitated ; the most 

 careful husbanding of all the manures ; the great 

 variety of crops grown, especially of industrial 

 plants, which yield large returns and admit of large 

 exportation to distant countries ; the abundance of 

 lood for cattle ; the house feeding of cattle, by which 

 cows give both more milk and more manure; and 

 the system of minute weeding, or the most careful 

 and thoroughly clean culture. The capital in use 

 in farming operations in Flandres amounts to tl20 

 per acre. 



Horticulture. 



The Best Time to Plant Trees. 



There is nothing perhaps on which most of us are 

 more prone to dogmatize than on the subject of tree- 

 planting. If we plant in spring and the tree dies 

 we are very likely to attribute the loss to the season, 

 and decide never to plant in spring iigain. Or, if we 

 plant in fall and have no succe.«8, then we arc quite 

 as decided against fall-planting. 



There is no doubt but that fall-planting has risks 

 from which the spring is free. Trees which have 

 not been transplanted, but have grown well in the 

 one place for twenty years, have been destroyed by 

 the dry cold winds of winter. Not only evergreens, 

 such as arborvita's, balsam Ifrs, hemlock spruce, 

 and even Norway spruces, but deciduous trees, as 

 cherries, tulip-trees, oaks, and many others wilt) 

 the best established reputation for hardiness. And 

 then small things besides the risks 'of those frosty 

 winds to dry up the little sap in them, are usually so 

 much drawn out as to be seriously injured. The one 

 great argument in favor of fall planting is that 

 where the trees escape all these risks it generally 

 grows much stronger and more vigorous in spring 

 than one planted at that time, as the bruised roots 

 seem to heal, and the tree is ready to push out in the 

 spring almost as well as many not transplanted. It 

 saves a year. 



But, after all, spring with most people will ever 

 be the favored time. The hoi dry summer may come 

 and destroy, just as the cold dry winds of winter 

 may, and thus in some measure equalize the risk, 

 but yet it is at this season that planting will be the 

 most popular. 



But there is one thing on which people need cau- 

 tioning. A large number of persons start to plant 

 as soon as the first bright sun shines through a 

 snow cloud, and before the earth is dry enough to 

 powder about the roots. No matter how fine over- 

 head, the earth should not he wet or frosty at the 

 lime of planting. 



As a general thing the best time to plant trees In 

 the spring season is just before the buds push, or 

 even after they have started. This implies an active 

 condition of the root, and it generally occurs at a 



