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THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[August, 



northern ranee, althougrh they have been shot in 

 Massachusetts. They feed on small fishes, crusta- 

 ceans ami insects. This specimen seems to be a 

 young female, and not yet in the full adult pluma^'e. 

 Some years atro when the "Tucquan Club" de- 

 scended the Susquehanna in an open boat, a great 

 many of these birds were seen just above Port De- 

 posit. 



A specimen in alcohol, of an immature species of 

 liankhe, or frog, by Prof. Baker. This animal, in 

 its tadpole state, had been placed in an aquarium in 

 November, 1S79, and had developed almost to the 

 frog form in July, when it died, from causes not 

 clearly known. 



Dr. M. L. Davis donated a bottle of the larva 

 '^Scimra Toxo7teura,'' commonly called, in their col- 

 lective capacity, "Worm Snake," from their habit of 

 moving in a procession resembling a snake. These 

 little larvie were found by Dr. Davis in an alley in 

 Jlillersville about 5 o'clock on the morning of July 

 39, 1880, and is a repetition of the phenomenon ob- 

 served by Mr. Eaby at Spring Garden, and described 

 in tbe Examiner. See page — of The Farmer. 



Mrs. Zell presented an interesting member of the 

 Mint family for inspection, and also a "leafy 

 raceme" of the flowers of a species of Mohicella^ 

 commonly called "Molucca Balm," or "Shell 

 Flower," which is a native of Syria, and is occa- 

 sionally cultivated in flower gardens, but this speci- 

 men was found accidentally growing wild in the 

 vicinity of Lancaster. The genus is notably dis- 

 tinguished for its enlarged bell-shaped menobrancus 

 calyx, with clusters of spines subtending each. 

 Donations to Library. 



"Official Gazette of the United States Patent 

 OfBce," No. 2U, Vol. 17, and Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, Vol. 

 18. "Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sci- 

 ence," Part I, January, February and March, 1880 ; 

 Lancaster FARMEF.for July, 1880; "Proceedings 

 of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences," 

 Vol. 2, Part 2. Sundry catalogues and circulars re- 

 lating to scientific and other publications. 

 Historical Section. 



Five envelopes contaiuinir fifty-one local and gen- 

 eral scraps of history and biography, ten of which 

 immediately relate to persons and things of Lancas- 

 ter county. 



Papers Read. 



A paper on the experiences of Messrs. Baker and 

 Kathvon, relating to the development of the frog, in 

 which both failed. 



Under scientific gossip it was stated that an error 

 existed in the proceedings of the June meeting. The 

 "RedChick Weed" does not belong to the genus 

 ateUaria and family Caryphyllacea:, and, properly 

 considered, is not a Chick weed at all. It is a "Pimp- 

 ernal," and belongs to the genus Anagallis, and 

 family Primulacccf, and the record stands so cor- 

 rected . 



Adjourned to Saturday, the 38th of August next, 

 without further notice. 



Agriculture, 



Agriculture. 



Agriculture is a progressive art. This is attested 

 by the spirit that now animates the greater part of 

 the rural population of the country, it is proven by 

 the rivalry in our State, county and local exhibitions 

 of farm productions. It is seen, too, in the recent 

 formation of agricultural societies and farmers' 

 clubs in difierent parts of the country. 



The spirit of inquiry is certainly abroad among 

 farmers who have thus been almost the very last to 

 form associations among themselves for their own 

 advancemcut. The interests and the wants of the 

 agriculturists are now discussed in these humble as- 

 semblies as well as tbe principles that underlie the 

 science of agriculture, as never before. 



In short, the farmer has begun to think and to 

 study the position he holds among his fellow beings 

 in other pursuits of life. These facts, I maintain, 

 are promises of a greater degree of future pro- 

 ficiency in his calling than he has yet been able to 

 show. Whether anything in the shape of unity of 

 interests and protection of farmers as regards the 

 prices of the articles they produce for sale will re- 

 sult remains to lie seen. While almost every trade 

 and occupation of man has now its Trades Union for 

 the protection of the prices of its own labor, the 

 farmer has none, every one sells when he can, or at 

 furthest when his necessities dictate, and buys when 

 he is able. 



Often at times when our markets are most de- 

 pressed and when prices languish, his necessities 

 compel him to throw his produce upon the market 

 and the result must, be a low price. Now if the far- 

 mer could have some kind of organization that 

 would afford him some pecuniary aid, and allow 

 him to hold his crops until the markets were re- 

 lieved, it seems to me all that is reasonably possible 

 would be obtaiaed. In a depressed market, as every 

 one knows, when the supply so largely exceeds the 

 demand, an immense- loss of produce must result. 



and this must be followed sooner or later by a 

 greater rise in price than would otherwise have been 

 possible — hence a surcharged market is a loss both 

 to producer and consumer. 



How shall we remedy this evil? Will the forma- 

 tion of farmers' Trades Unions prevent it, by com- 

 pelling every farmer to hold his grain, meat and 

 vegetables till they will bring a certain price, or 

 until the necessities of the consumer compel him to 

 pay more? Would it be right thus to keep bread 

 from the mouths of the hungry while plenty really 

 reigned abroad ? Would it be right thus to inaugu- 

 rate a war of prices of the prime necessities of 

 life? 



That the formation of the many so-called Trades 

 Unions among our mechanics has been of any ad- 

 vantage to the country at large admits of grave 

 doubts ; that their results have been detrimental 

 would not be dithcult to prove. If it were possible 

 it would be a matter of regret that such a state of 

 things should be brought about among farmers, but 

 perhaps the same argument that justifies Trades 

 Unions in one case would not forbid them in another. 



There is probably no class of men so generally in 

 debt as the farmers. In lookiiig around among one's 

 neighbors we must see that almost five-sixths of 

 them cultivate mortgaged farms ; the necessities of 

 these men are therefore imperious and must not be 

 disregarded if we would keep the sheriff away. 

 Everything must be made the most of; the labor of 

 his own hands as well as that of his wife and family 

 mnst all be made to contribute to the preservation 

 of their common home. In short, economy must be 

 practiced in every department of the farm and house- 

 hold; it is the vital watchword of success. 



In course of time there is no doubt that new im- 

 provements in the methods of cultivation of the soil, 

 in making manure and in the simplification of farm 

 machinery will result from these associations among 

 farmers. This it is reasonable to expect. It may be 

 within the limits of possibility that these improve- 

 ments of the farmer ivill reduce the real cost of the 

 necessities of life and thus practically lower their 

 price. — T. S., in Lanoaster Inquirer. 



Changing Seed. 



Thei-eseemstobe no idea more thoroughly believed 

 in by experienced farmers than that it is a great 

 benefit to change seed occasionally ; yet it is by no 

 means an undisputed fact, andwe know of some in- 

 telligent men — indeed some who stand among the 

 most thoroughly educated and experienced in the 

 farming business — who contend that this supposed 

 necessity for a change of seed is entirely imaginary. 



We confess to a sympathy with those who think 

 an occasional change necessary ; and yet we have so 

 often found in the light of a new and careful ex- 

 perience, that even practices very time-honored come 

 to be abandoned, that we are always to reconsider 

 any opinion, no matter how strongly held. The 

 change is thought to be particularly useful in pota- 

 toes, and a change of seed in this article is generally 

 made as regularly as crops are rotated from year to 

 year. But one of our friends is very emphatic in re 

 gard to the potato, that no change of seed is required . 

 He has had one potato — that is one variety of potato 

 — year after year for ten years, and they are as good 

 as ever. In his opinion it is not that a variety is sick 

 of the ground that it sometimes gives out ; but that 

 it is diseased from ordinary unhealthy causes. It is 

 simply a change of an unhealthy stock for a healthy 

 one, and not a wearing out of a variety. 



The matter has a practical importance, as people 

 often put themselves to a great deal of trouble and 

 expense in order to make a change in the seed. If 

 the suggestion made be iii the line of a true reason 

 for the supposed benefits of a change, proper care in 

 saving healthy seed will be as good as a change. 

 But we must be satisfied that the suggestion is cor- 

 rect and that the truth lies in the few experiments 

 made. There are two sides, and sometimes several 

 sides, to all questions of this nature. We have per- 

 sonal knowledge of trials made by farmers forty and 

 fifty years ago, when the varieties of potatoes gener- 

 ally cultivated by our best farmers were compara- 

 tively few to what they are now, and whose crops, in 

 using the same kind of seed year after year became 

 poorer and poorer, though there was no apparent 

 disease, and the only remedy they had was a change 

 of seed. Sometimes it was the same variety ob- 

 tained several hundred miles away— from the State 

 of Maine, for instance — and the yield was double, 

 the potato larger and quality better. — Germanton'n 

 Telegraph . 



Old Time Agricultural Implements. 



A correspondent of the London Times writing from 

 the interior of Turkey, says in regard to the agricul- 

 tural stagnation of the country : " The common 

 plough of to-day is of the same pattern as that 

 which, as is shown by ancient monuments, was used 

 before the time of Moses, and winnowing may still 

 he seen performed as in the days of the Ninevites. 

 But there have been striking instances of the readi- 

 ness of the people to accept new ideas. An English 

 Consul some twenty years ago introduced the potato 

 root into the neighborhood of Antioch, and after some 

 suspicion had been overcome the people became very 



fond of it, and gave diligent attention to its cultiva- 

 tion ; and at the present time hundreds of poor fami- 

 lies are largely supported by it. An American mis- 

 sionary only a few years ago brought out an ordinary 

 farming mill for winnowing grain^ and there are now 

 150 such mills in use in one district alone. Only the 

 other day the first American plow that had ever been 

 seen in Aintab arrived there. It excited nearly as 

 much interest as would the appearance of a Zulu 

 savage in the streets of London ; but every man who 

 went to see it went away muttering to himself that 

 ' the English have a great deal of brains.' There is 

 no doubt, it would seem, the people would avail 

 themselves of good agricultural implements when 

 once introduced, and would soon adopt improved 

 methods of cultivation. The soil is there and the 

 people, and both are capable of ample development. 

 Nothing is needed but the most elementary condi- 

 tions of good government, personal security and pro- 

 tection to property." 



Bone-Dust as a Fertilizer. 



The more this substance is used for fertilizihg pur- 

 poses the greater its value is appreciated. It is well 

 known that in England it is valued higher than any 

 other substance. There farmers do not only use up 

 all the bones of their own country, but the importa- 

 tion of bones from other countries has assumed 

 gigantic proportions. All the old battle fields have 

 been ransacked, and unless report do them injustice 

 many an old fellow whose bones were supposed to 

 rest in peace in some grassy, daisy-dowered church- 

 yard, would have to hunt some modern turnip field 

 to find all that remains of them. Foreign countries 

 have not only to pay tribute to England for their 

 wealth during life ; but even their bones have to fol- 

 low, in order to enrich British soil, as while living 

 they worked to fill British pockets. Australia sends 

 an enormous quantity of bones to England. It has 

 become such a heavy trade that the article itself was 

 found too light for profit. Science has been called 

 in to enable the ship-owner to take the same weight 

 in less bulk. The bones are first ground, then the 

 dust mixed with some substance which will give it 

 just enough adhesiveness to make the particles stick 

 together. Then the material is put under heavy 

 pressure in mounds about six inches square, so that 

 it can be packed in the hold without any loss of 

 space. One ton of this bone-cake measures only 

 twenty-six cubic feet. Of course these bones are all 

 of wild or domestic animals, but still "silence is 

 golden." — Oermantown Telegraph. 



Barbed Fences. 



R. Noyes, of Coles county. III., writes: "I have 

 no direct or indirect interest in any fence, except that 

 I want to use the cheapest and best. Six years ago 

 I put up 40 rods of barbed wire fence and each year 

 have added to it, and like it so well that this year I 

 am selling off (good) and burnmg up (decayed) 

 both rails and board fence, because I think it better 

 and cheaper to build wire fence than to repair the 

 old, although I am making and selling new wooden 

 rails on the place. As to posts, I find that a few good 

 posts answer, with young trees set in the rows so 

 that when the posts are gone it leaves your fence an 

 ornament instead of an eye sore. Then it is so cheap. 

 Two wires will turn the worst large stock ; three for 

 calves and sheep, and five for hogs. The railroads 

 use nothing use nothing else here ; and as a man 

 and a boy can put up half a mile in a day, after the 

 posts are set, it saves labor. 'Travelers' do not steal 

 it for kindling or seal boards, or travel across your 

 land. As to its being 'barbarous,' I have never 

 known an animal really hurt with it, and if they are 

 scratched they will not try it again. The only place 

 I have found it would not do was around small lots 

 where numbers of cattle are kept; they will hook 

 each other through it." 



Spike Fences. 



Those fences, we notice, are getting more and more 

 into favor, and so far as we know directly they are 

 much approved of. The objection made to them iiy 

 those who have not tried them, we do not think will 

 hold good — that they injure the cattle in being forced 

 by one another against them. Against those we 

 have examined this objection will hardly stand, for 

 while the sinkes are likely to keep olT the cattle after 

 they once find out what they are, the spikes are not 

 long enough to do any injury worth mentioning, or 

 really more than the wire without the spikes. Be- 

 sides this, the fence is an excellent protection against 

 trespassers — in fact, they may be considered as a 

 perfect protection ; and in this respect will serve 

 the interests of farmers and others very satisfactorily. 

 It will debar even dogs from trespassing. The ex- 

 pense also, when its durability is considered, is in its 

 favor when once understood, as there will be no diffi- 

 culty in attending to the repairing of it. — Oerman- 

 toini Telegraph. 



^ — 



Salt and Ashes. 



A few years since I had an old pasture that had 

 almost run out, covered with weeds and patched 

 with moss. I mixed a few barrels of salt and wood 



