76 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



that which was planted upon the hills. The differ- 

 ence in the yield, he said would be hut triflinjj, and 

 he thought practically there was but little argument 

 in favor of drill planting. 



Mr. Witmer thought hill planting was preferable, 

 because the farmer can put into the ground just as 

 many grains as he desires. 



Mr. Miller said he had tried both hill and drill 

 planting, and he found after the corn was cut that 

 planted by drill was largely in excess of that planted 

 in the hills. 



Mr. Engle said that it was generally conceded that 

 the corn drilled iulo the ground yielded a larger crop 

 than that planted by the other method. 



Mr. Bollinger's observation led him to be in favor 

 of row planting. He also believed in a thorough cul- 

 tivation of the soil, and the application of plenty of 

 manure. 



The question was also discussed by other members 

 of the society, and many ^views were brought forth 

 upon the subject. 



The following question was then taken up : "What 

 percentage of land should be planted in tobacco?" 



Mr. Landis said the question was an important 

 one to the farmers of Lancaster county. It was of 

 vast importance for the raisers of the crop to know 

 what percentage-could be planted and the county re- 

 tain its standard as the best agricultural county in 

 the country. Too great an acreage should not be 

 laid out in tobacco, else the farmers will soon find 

 their soil deteriorating in value, as it has done in 

 Connecticut. 



Mr. Hoover agreed with the preceding, speaker. 

 He thought no farmer should cultivate more than 

 six per cent, of his land in tobacco. Some farmers, 

 however, could cultivate ten acres with as little 

 damage to the soil as he who only plants six acres 

 out of every hundred. He did not think the farm- 

 ers of this county would ever fall into the errors that 

 the Connecticut farmers have done. Our farmers 

 look far ahead, and try every means in their power 

 to keep the soil good. 



Mr. Brosius said he did not apprehend any danger 

 in the future from the cultivation of tobacco. Tne 

 farmers are very careful of their soil, and he saw 

 numerous fields that were last year planted with to- 

 bacco, this year growing wheat. 



Mr. Engle thought there was no doubt that the 

 raising of tobacco was of great bcuelit to the county, 

 but he could not see the advantages that accrued to 

 those using the weed. 



Mr. Miller did not think more than three per cent, 

 should be planted in tobacco. 



Mr. Reist said Lancaster has been a tobacco grow- 

 ing region for the past 25 years, and he thought the 

 soil compared as favorably now as it did then. 



A motion was made to the eftect that it is the 

 sense of the society that five per cent, of the average 

 of the farm land be sulficient to be put out in to- 

 bacco. 



The question was amended by making it three per 

 cent. The amendment was lost, and the original 

 motion carried. 



The question of the amendment to the by-laws, 

 noticed in our last month's rejiort, wae then taken 

 up, and the amendment was, on motion, adopted. 



Mr. W. L. Hershey presented to the society for 

 distribution some rye, oats, barley, wheat and clover 

 seed sent to him from (jermany. 



J. C. Linville presented to the society some fine 

 specimens of Komanite apples. 



On motion of Cooper, the 8th, 9th and 10th of Sep- 

 tember were selected as the days upon which to hold 

 the proposed fair of the society. 



The lollowiug questions were referred for discus- 

 sion at the next meeting. "At what stage of the 

 growth of corn should the stirring of the soil cease?" 

 Keferred to Jacob Bollinger. 



"Does fermentation increase the nutritive proper- 

 ties of feed ?'' keferred to H. .M. Engle. 



"What are the relative values of timothy and 

 clover hay as feed !" Keferred to Peter Hershey. 



"What is the best period of growth for cutting 

 grass or hay ?'' Relerred to Calvin Cooper. 



The president appointed Mr. Ve'.er S. Heist and 

 Dr. S. S. Kathvon to fill the vacancies in the Board 

 of Managers caused by the resignation of Messrs. 

 Landis and Miller. 

 On motion adjourned. 



POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 



The Lancaster County Poultry Society met statedly 

 in their room in the City Hall, at half-past ten 

 o'clock on Monday morning. May d. 



The following members and visitors were present : 

 J. B. Lichty, city; William Schoenberger, city; Frank 

 Griest, city; Frank R. Ditfcndertfer, city; C. A. Gast, 

 city; J. W. Bruckhart, Salunga; John A. Stober, 

 Schoeneck; J. B. Eshleman, West Ilempfield; Rev. 

 D. C. Tobias, Lititz; John Schum, city; H. H. 

 Tshudy, Lititz; Chas. Lippold, city; J. B. Long, 

 city; Ferdinand Schaeffer, city; J. M. Johnston, city. 



The president, Mr. Warlel, being absent, Hon. 

 John A. Stober was called upon to preside. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read 

 and approved . 



Mr. A. E. Bare, of East Cocalico, was elected a 

 member of the society. 



At the last meeting of the association attention 

 was called to an article in the Germantown Tele- 

 graph from the pen of William T. Smedley, of 

 Chester county, in reference to the housing of fowls, 

 and it was made the subject for discussion at this 

 meeting— the discussion to be opened by Rev. D. C. 

 Tobias. 



The article was, on motion, read by the secretary, 

 and is as follows. 



At the risk of being considered rather inhuman, I 

 feel inclined to dissent from the views of many of 

 our progressives in regard to the housing of poultry. 

 In common with a good many other agricultural en 

 thusiasts, I imbibed some very advanced ideas at the 

 setting out of my career as a farmer. Time has mod- 

 ified most of these views considerably. Among 

 other things, I have recently come to the conclusion 

 that mistaken kindness kills more poultry than 

 it saves. I had always good shelter for my 

 fowls when they choose to avail themselves of it, but 

 some half dozen years ago I put up an apjiroved 

 bouse for them, with plenty of windows to admit the 

 sunshine, and tightly fitting doors to exclude the 

 cold, and after a time of driving and coaxing finally 

 got them reconciled to their new quarters. Since 

 then I have been wintering from eighty to one hun- 

 dred and twenty-five hens. But, while under theold 

 regime of roosting where they pleased, sometimes on 

 trees or fences, sometimes under shelter, occasionally 

 a comb got frozen, they were in the mam healthy. 

 ITnder the new order things did not work so well. 

 Though I had what I considered among the hardiest 

 breeds. Black Spanish, many died. Some would 

 linger for days and even weeks, others would drop 

 from the perch at night without giving a hint. De- 

 siring to change for a larger fowl, a couple of years 

 ago I got the Rose-combed Dominiques. Then the 

 mortality became greater. This fine plump breed is 

 not hardy in ray hands. A larger percentage of 

 them died than of the Spanish, until the past autumn 

 when the mortality became an epidemic, and they 

 died at the rate of four and five a day. This went 

 on till a friend suggested that I was killing them 

 with kindness; that my pleasant quarters were not 

 healthy for the number I had. Willing to try the 

 hint I closed the house, and though it gave both the 

 tenants and myself great annoyance for a time, I 

 finally forced them to take to other quarters, princi- 

 pally the apple trees, and soon the balance (about 

 seventy,) ceased showing any signs of disease. 



My location is high and exposed, hut up to the 

 present I do not see that the exposure has harmed 

 them, as they are laying better than for many win- 

 ters, ana much better than those of my neighbors. 

 Now, while feeling very kindly to the dumb crea- 

 tion, I cannot help thinking that we bring on them 

 more diseases by our care than they used to know- 

 when they <rere being what we are accustomed to 

 call "neglected." While on the chicken question, I 

 will mention that several of my neighbors have tried 

 a remedy for chicken cholera, that they feel sure is 

 a sovereign cure for the disease. As it is not my 

 property I do not feel at liberty to make it public. 



Mr. Tobias read an essay upon the subject, taking 

 the opposite view of the question. He thought that 

 if Mr. Smedly had better houses built and did not 

 overcrowd them with his fowls he would not have 

 had such bad luck with them. Eighty or one hun- 

 dred fowls are entirely too many to allow in one Hock. 

 Not more than fifty should be allowed together, and 

 even a smaller number would be found advantageous. 

 Mr. Tobias thought the houses should be bright, 

 roomy and airy and they should be kept clean, and 

 disinfectants used frequently. He thought Mr. 

 Smedley's ill success when he housed his fowls was 

 due principally to over-feeding. More are killed by 

 feeding than arc carried ofl' by disease. 



Mr. Tshudy thought Mr. Smedley, in his article, 

 should have told liis readers how many fowls he had 

 and the condition of his chicken house aud its venti- 

 lation. Had this been done, readers could have been 

 better able to judge of its merits. He agreed with 

 Mr. Tobias in regard to over-feeding fowls. 



.Mr. Bruckhart 's exjjcricnce was that fancy fowls 

 were liable to many more diseases than the common 

 chickens. He thought the reason for this was that 

 so much more care was taken of the fancy than 

 of the common ibwls. He thought the plan of hous- 

 ing them continually was a mistaken idea. 



Mr. Lippold agreed with Mr. Bruckhart. When 

 he kept common fowls he never knew what disease 

 was; but when he took to raising games his fowls 

 took cold nearly every fall and winter, and many of 

 them died. 



Mr. Tobias reiterated his statement that fowls 

 were not killed by kindness but by over-leeding. 

 They should be treated properly aud housed well and 

 the consequence will be found to be beneficial. He 

 thought too much inbreeding would in the end tend 

 to reduce the quality of their blood. 



Mr. Bruckhart did not think the question was 

 shelter or not, fowls which were housed died atonce. 

 It should be evident to every one that housing them 

 would tend to make them more tender. A fowl 

 which has to stand all sorts of weather would cer- 

 tainly become hardy and more capable of resisting 

 disease. 

 Mr. Schum agreed with Mr. Tobias. He did not 



believe in housing fowls, only at night. During the 

 day they should be allowed to run around the yard. 



Mr. Lonif also found the same trouble witli his 

 fowls when he had a defective house. It should be 

 M'arm, dry aud have plenty of ventilation. This 

 should be only used for roosting in. 



Mr. Stober related some experience he had in re- 

 gard to over-feeding. His fowls have feed continu- 

 ally at their command, and he found them to thrive 

 very much. He did not think it harmed fowls to 

 over- feed them. 



Mr. Lichty thought the idea of doing injury to 

 fowls by having the flocks too large was long ago 

 exploded. In support of his statement he read an 

 extract from Wright's book on poultry, which de- 

 scribed numerous large flocks, in none of which dis- 

 ease had m.ade its appearance. 



Mr. Long desired to know whether the prevalence 

 of chicken cholera among fowls made the youug 

 chicks liable to it. 



Mr. Stober had considerable experience with the 

 chicken cholera, but he never knew the chicks to 

 take it at the time older fowls had it, but when 

 they grew to be larger, he found them to die by the 

 score. 



Mr. Tshudy had found that cholera was no re- 

 specter of "age, color or former condition." He 

 found his fowls to die off from the age of four days 

 until they were full grown. 



The following question was proposed for discus- 

 sion at the next meeting : "What is the proper food 

 for old and young chickens during hot weather?" 

 Referred to Mr. Tshudy. 



There being no further business, the society, on 

 motion, adjourned. 



THE BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The Beekeepers Society of Lancaster met Monday 

 afternoon, May 10, at the Black Horse hotel. 



In the absence of the president Mr. I. G. Martin 

 was called to the chair. 



The following members were present: I. G. Mar- 

 tin, Earl; Ellas Hershey, Paradise; John H. Mellinger, 

 Strasburg; John Eitemiller, Strasburg. 



Mr. Martin said he went into winter quarters with 

 thirty-two colonies, and they all came through well; 

 he lost none and was not obliged to feed any this 

 spring. The bees were strong and active, and nearly 

 ready to swarm. The prospects for a good crop of 

 honey are at present very promising. He wintered 

 his l)ees in their summer stands, and has done so for 

 several years, his experience teaching him that this 

 is the best plan. 



Mr. Hershey said he wintered thirty-one colonies, 

 all of which got through safely except two, which 

 died of starvation. The remaioing colonies are all in 

 good condition and the prospects are promising for a 

 liood croj) of honey. He had no swarms at present, 

 but had heard of some. 



Mr. Eitemiller wintered twenty-six colonies and 

 lost seven. The rest are all in very good condition, 

 and almost ready to swarm. Prospects for a heavy 

 harvest are good. 



Mr. Mellinger went into winter Ofuarters with six- 

 teen colonies on their summer stands. He used no 

 packing, and only lost three colonies — whose queens 

 had died in the fall. 



The question being raised as to the best plan of in. 

 trodncing queens, Mr. Mellinger said his method was 

 to take out the old queen and place the new one at 

 once in the hive. 



Mr. Hershey had also followed the same plan with 

 much success. 



Mr. Mellinger thought that a better plan was to 

 remove the old queen three or lour days before In- 

 troducing the new one. He also takes aw-ay the old 

 queen cells. 



Mr. Martin said he placed the queen to be intro- 

 duced in a wire cage. He then removes the old 

 queen and at once introduces the n3w one in its cage. 

 Aftei'- allowing it to remain in the cage twenty-four 

 hours he opens it and allows the queen to come out- 

 side the hive on a comb. If the bees are kind to her 

 he does nothing more, but if they do not want to ac- 

 cei)t her he places her in the cage again for the same 

 length of time. This he does until she is accepted. 

 Since he has tried this plan he has not lost a queen. 



Mr. Eitemiller said he removes the old queen first. 

 The new queen he places in a cage aud plugs up the 

 apertures with honey and comb, aud hangs it in the 

 hive, where he leaves it three days. At the end of 

 that time if the queen has eaten her way out, all is 

 right, but if not, he then lets her out quietly, so 

 as not to disturb the hive. He tried this plan oh 

 fifteen colonies and did not lose a single queen. He 

 always introduced them in the latter part of August. 



In reference to the best plan of getting bees to 

 work in section boxes, Mr. Hershey said his ex- 

 perience was to give them a comb foundation, 



Mr. Martin said that when he had colonies which 

 refused to work up the upper stories of his boxes, he 

 took a section already filled with comb, and placed 

 in it the bees who refused to work, and he always 

 found they would then work toward the upper story. 



The question was raised as to whether it is profita- 

 ble to invest in what are known as "dollar queens" — 

 queens that have only commenced to lay — and the 



