28 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ February, 



water is not good. He alluded to a substance lately 

 found in Scliuylkill county which draws the mois- 

 ture from the atmosphere and retains it around the 

 roo'.s liver which it is |)laced. It has all the consti- 

 tuents of ordinary liarnyard manure, with the addi- 

 tion of gypsum. Alum shale is what it is called. lie 

 related an experiment which proved prolific of frood 

 results. He also directed attention to the ucccesity 

 of destroying insects on fruit trees. 



Domestic Progress. 



C. L. Ilunseckcr read a very lengthy essay on the 

 above subject. Prices, transjxirtation and [progress 

 in travel and in a thousand other directions were al- 

 luded to. Many statistics of many kinds were given, 

 all of which were very interesting, but which would 

 require too ntuch of our space to reproduce in detail. 

 It was listened to with close attention, and afi'ordt'd 

 many hints of which those pres nt will no doubt 

 avail themselves. Theeontrast between tlic methods 

 of to-day and those of one or two hundred years ago 

 was as forcible as it was truthful. 



On motion, a vole of thanks was extended to 

 Mctsrs. Hiller and Hunsecker, for their productions. 



Discussions. 



Levi S. Reist, to whom the question of planting 

 forest trees had been referred, not being present, on 

 motion, the question was continued until next 

 meeting. 



Does the Stock have any Influence on the 

 Graft ? 



Calvin Cooper s:iid the question has two .sides. 

 Certain stocks influence the size of trees; in some 

 cases even the fruit is a little changed. It has, and 

 it has not. The question is not ddiuite enough to be 

 answered definitely. The stock rarely aiJ'ects the 

 fruit. 



H. .M. Engle thought we had not the time to-day 

 to discuss this matter. He referred to a Massachu- 

 setts report where there is an exhaustive discussion 

 of the subject. It has been shown incontesfably that 

 stocks do affect the grafts somewhat. He believed 

 when grafts were put on old or bearing trees, the 

 tree affects the graft. 



Casper Uiller has had much experience in graft- 

 ing, but with all his knowledge he was not prepared 

 to discuss this question. He related some iiersoual 

 experiences going to show the stock has a consider- 

 nble influence on the graft. 



H. M. Engle thought there is a difl'erence in the 

 sap of trees: where the sap in the tree preponder- 

 ates too largely over that in the graft it maybe 

 sufficient to work an influence. 



Ephraim S. Hoover grafted a harvest pear on a 

 wild stock ; the fruit was like that of the graft in 

 appearance, but the flavor seemed to be a mixture 

 of the two kinds. 



Dr. Greene said that as salt can be forced into a 

 graft through the roots of the parent stock, if you 

 force into the tree certain elements, you will also 

 tind them in the graft. 



Calvin Cooper differed from some of the other 

 siiciikers. He believes the leaves impart more of 

 the flavor than the stock. You can put twenty 

 kinds of apples on one stock, and they will all be 

 different. If the stock had any influence, would 

 they not all be alike.' He believed the moving cause 

 was tiie foliage. 



H. M. Engle believed .Mr. Cooper's theory was 

 eorreet as a rule, but there are certainly exceptions 

 to it. 



John H. Landis said he had written to the Secre- 

 taries of all the various Slate Agricultural Societies 

 for copies and had the pleasure of presenting those 

 of North Carolina and Virginia. 



A vote of thanks was extended to Mr. Landis for 

 his efforts to procure the society these books. 



.Joseph F. Witmcr, to whcm was referred the 

 question, " Is there sullicicnt evidence that ensilage 

 is a successful method of preserving food for stock ?" 

 read a very lengthy essay, giving the results of the 

 few experiments on this question that have hitherto 

 been made in tills county. IL' knew nothing of the 

 matter himself. The o|>iuion of some members of 

 the society was, that for the present this method of 

 feeding stock would not find much favor among our 

 farmers. 



The President said that if we mean to hold an ex- 

 liibition next fall, it was time to announce the fact, 

 BO that we can make thi^ necessary preparations. 



Calvin Cooper also thought this matter should not 

 be put off longer than next meeting. 



M. D. Kendig made a motion thai at the next 

 meeting this matter be taken up. il. .M. Engle 

 amended it by iustruetiiig the Board of .Managers to 

 look about for a place to hold au exhibition so that 

 they may report at the next meeting. Agreed to. 



Referred Questions. 



Root crops, are they profitable f was referred to 

 H. M. Engle for discussion at the next meeting. 



The rain fall, as reported by II. M. Engle, was 

 2 1.5-16 inches for the month of January. 



The society on motion then adjourned. 



POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 



A stated meeting of the Lancaster County Poultry 



Association, was held in the Agricultural .Society's 



Room, City Hall, Monday morning, F' bruary 2nd . 



The following members were present : 



J. B. Lichty, Secretary, city ; tieorgc A. Geyer, 



Spring Garden ; Frank R . Difl'enderffer, city ; Charles 



E. Long, city ; John F. Kced, city ; Win. A. Schoen- 

 berger, city; J. M. Johnston, city; Henry Wisler, 

 Columbia ; H. H. Tshudy, Litiz ; C. A. Gast, city ; 

 Frank Griest, city; S. F. En^le, Marietta; Henry 

 Greider, .Mount .Toy; John Bruckhart, Salunga; T. 



F. Evans, Lititz; Johnson Miller, Warwick; .Jacob. B. 

 Long, city; Joseph F. Witmer, . Paradise; Charles 

 Lippold, city. 



President Tobias being absent, Vice President 

 Geyer was called to the chair. 



Kccording Secretary Lichty presented his annual 

 report which was read, received and entered on the 

 minutes. The report shows that the society, which 

 was organized January U, 1879, had held regular 

 monthly meetings since that date, and two adjourned 

 meetings, making 14 meetings in all; the aggregate 

 of attendance at these meetings was 2.5:i; four- 

 teen questions relating to the poultry interests were 

 discussed; l:i7 members were elected of whom 93 

 paid their dues; receipts from all sources during the 

 present year, ^'^18.4:5. 



Treasurer Evans presented his annual report 

 which was read. That part of it referring to the 

 late poultry exhibition shows the receipts from all 

 sources to have been $•'517.49, and the balance in the 

 hands of the treasurer $1.5.5.4(1. 



Messrs. H. H. Tshudy, Jacob B. Long and John 

 F. Keed were appointed a committee to audit the 

 accounts of the secretary and treasurer. 



The report of the executive committee of the late 

 exhibition was read. It contains a detailed state- 

 ment of the number and kind of fowls exhibited, the 

 amount of premiums paid and other information. 



The following propositions for membership were 

 made and the nominees elected : John Grosh, Landis 

 Valley; Dr. J. C. Brobst, Litiz; H. S. Garher, .Mount 

 .Joy; Wm. I). Snyder, city; John H. Baumgardner, 

 city; Liuna3us Rathvon, city; Frank Griest, city; 

 Jeremiah Kohrer, city. 



The secretary read a eommunicatiou from Rev. D. 

 C. Tobias, returning thanks for th« honor done him 

 in his re-election a.» president of the society but re- 

 spectfully declining the same. 



The declination was accepted and the following 

 nominations for preiident were made ; S. S. Spencer, 

 city; S. N. Warfel, Strasburg; B. J. McGrann, Man- 

 heim township; Chas. E. Long, city. 



Under the rules these nominations lie over until 

 next meeting. 



Mr. Lippold made inquiry as to the donation pre- 

 miums oflered at the late exhibition; some of them 

 have not yet been received by the exhibitors to whom 

 they were awarded. 



The secretary replied that he had notified all those 

 who had oflered premiums to forward them to those 

 to whom they were awarded. He will again notify 

 those who have not responded. 



On motion an order was drawn on the treasurer 

 for 75 cents in favor of -Master Garber on payment 

 for a pigeon belonging to him that escaped from its 

 coop. 



The especial thanks of the society were tendered 

 to Secretary Lichty, the members of the executive 

 committee, and several members outside the com- 

 mittee, for their disinterested efforts to make the 

 exhibition a success. 



Tlie following questions were proposed for discus- 

 sion at next meeting. 



"How e;u-ly in the season should we set hens ?" 



"Did the larger fowls receive enough premiums, 

 compared with the awards to the smaller varieties, 

 at the lute rxliibition." 



FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



The Fulton Farmers' Club met at the residence of 

 J. R. Blackburn on January ii, and the meeting was 

 called to order by the President, all the families of 

 the members being re|jresent.ed except one. Visitors, 

 Joseph Lincoln, Thomas P. King, Levi B. Kirk, 

 Edwin Stubbs, Mr. Speiiee, .John Evans, Ed. Brogan, 

 La'nion Blackburn. 



F. ToUinger exhibited one ear of corn, containing 

 1,6S0 grains, raised by a neighbor, Amoa Smith ; J. 

 R.Blackburn, a very fine pumpkin, weighing 33Vi 

 pounds, rais3d on the .Meadow Island. 



1. How many members will raise tobacco next 

 year? Answer: Only one. 



'■i. What kind of treatment should young orchards 

 receive ! Answer : Work well while young, and 

 manure, but not so heavily as to force too rapid a 

 growth. Hogs cultivate an orchard better than 

 ploughing. Wash the young trees with lime mixed 

 with strong soap-suds. Keep the bark smooth. 



The club was now invited to dinner, and therefore 

 adjourned until afternoon. 



The gentlemen, as is their custom, took a walk 

 to view the farm, stock, etc., of Jthe host, -\fter re- 

 turning to the house, an article, entitled "Churn- 

 ing," by Prof. J. B. Arnold, was read by the host, 

 showing how every step requires care and skill, •r 



the product will be injured. Also, that more in- 

 jury is done by failing in churning than by any 

 other one thing. Jersey, with large globules, will 

 churn as easily at 5SO as native cows at (1(1°, or ihe 

 Holstein at fi2°. Not one in one hundred stops 

 when he has churned enough, which is wlien the 

 granules are hard enough to be handled without 

 sticking together when washing, either in or out of 

 the churn. 



One of the members had difficulty in getting the 

 butter separated from the milk. 



3. Can any one give an instance when Jersey 

 marl did good? Answer: Some of the (pembeis 

 knew instances, and one had tried it without any 

 good result. I 



4. Did any one use Powell's prepared chemical ? 

 Answer : An instance was related where enough to 

 make a ton had been bought. 



A recitation by Carrie Blaekbnrn, entitled "O 

 Sunny May, O Blue-Eyed May;" also, a communi- 

 cation from "The Old Woman," explaining how 

 she and the old man have been annoyed with people 

 talking about unnice folks, showing how some people 

 will talk and slander their neighbors, and how some 

 people borrow what every one ought to have. She, 

 on one occasion, loaned her wash-tub and had to do 

 her washing in a barrel. The old woman thinks she 

 is hard to arouse, but judging from what has hap- 

 pened in the times that are passed, when the cat 

 peeped around the corner of the himse and then left 

 without a farewell, we should say her disposition was 

 not of the best. 



Has the cutting away of the timber had any effect 

 upon the rainfall of the country ? 



Great ditferenee of opinion was exjjressed upon 

 this question, and dates were given going to show 

 that although many claim last season to have been 

 the dryest, there have been other years when a 

 longer time elapsed between the rainfalls than last, 

 and streams that no one now living had ever seen 

 dry, had been entirely so wheu there was an abun- 

 dance of timber in the vicinity. Yet in Egypt they 

 have rain where trees have been planted, and in 

 Gi^riuany the rainfall is regulated in a measure by 

 planting trees. One argued that countries where 

 there were no trees were more subject to drouth and 

 floods. One member gave 1792 as the date when 

 there were 128 days without one drop of rain, and 

 that two hundred years ago there were between SO 

 and 90 days without any rain. 



Question for discussion next time : 



Rtsob'e<}, That women take more interest in agri- 

 cultural aflairs than men. 



The club were appointed to bring literary exer- 

 cises for the next time, to meet at Lindley King's, 

 7th of February. 



LINN.EAN SOCIETY. 



The Liniuvan society held their stated meeting, 

 Saturday, January 31, 18^0, President J. S. Stahr in 

 the chair. The preliminary buriness being attended 

 to, the donations to the museum were examined and 

 found to consist of six bottles of specimens in alco- 

 hol. One was a common house mouse, infested 

 with a scurvy, disease involving the tissues of the 

 head, this being at least one of a-half dozen similar 

 cases found during the last few years past in this 

 city, and had been submitted to Dr. M. L. Davis, of 

 MiilcrsTille, for .xamination. This mouse was given 

 by E. J. Zuhni, of this city. Two Batrachiau speci- 

 mens of the salamander family, the Soto/>t/iaii/ius 

 tnimiutas, p r Prof. Stahr. The Kotoplilhaluius 

 tiiiUepunctatux, per J. Staulfer; bottle larvae of the 

 lomoih. Two goldfish; a small, rather peculiar 

 sun fish; a package. No. 40, of prepared corundum 

 from Chester county, per Mr. Rathvon; a fine sjieei- 

 men of brown oxide ol iron (Hematite,) jier Mr. C. 

 .M. Ilesb, of Quanyville; a large sized stone Indian 

 implement of the stone age, found in the grounds of 

 the Wiiodward Hill eemelcry, this city, jjcr Mr, Wm. 

 Dcverter, a kindof wedge or pick-axe; a number of 

 very large chestnuts, grown by .Mr. David ilerr, 

 from specimens I'eceived from France. These are on 

 an average three times as large as our native elicst- 

 nuts. 



Additions to the Library. 



Proeeeilings of the American Pliiiosoj)hieal society 

 of Philadelphia, vol. XVIII., .\o. 104, July and De- 

 cember, 1879. Pamphlets, one on buttei-fiies and 

 moths, per Mr. H. Strecker, Heading, Pa. Reports 

 upon the condition of crop.s, Deeemlier 1st, 1879. U. 

 S. Patent Ottiec (hizeltc u[i to January 27tli. 1^80. 

 Specimen papers of the NciriiHflc AiiiirU;m and con- 

 tents of supplement, as also a small band-hook. 

 The Laxiastkk Faiiubk for January, 18 0, besides 

 books, catalogues and circulars. Historical section, 

 4 envelopes coutaining i>2 scraps of historical interest, 

 per S. S. R. 



Papers Read. 



Dr. M. L. Davis simply read from a slip notes and 

 observations on the diseased mouse. An the matter 

 was of interest the docior was urged to write them 

 out at full length and dejiosit the copy among the 

 archives of the society. The disease is known as the 

 Porrif/o fnnvosa, well known as asjiecies of fungus, 

 analogous to the fungus, called yeast plant. Mice, 

 in snutling around breweries or larders, may come 



