<!.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



75 



u iilr milk cows. Farmers should do as they used to 

 iln, keep soiiif! of their Holds in k^ss for years. 

 With care and mauuring a Qeld cau thereby be kept 

 in a good condition and its crop improved all the 

 time. I had myself ticlds In grass for ten years. 



We can make Kentucky blue grass farms.if we man- 

 age right. The custom at the present time is to leave 

 A field only one year In grass and then plow it again 

 for corn or tobacco. Fast cultivation has made our 

 soil so loose and light that it frcfzes and dries out 

 much sooner. That is the reason that we have so 

 many grass failures from time to time. Raising hay 

 is just now as proGtable as any other crop. A farm 

 iu the northern part of the county, in what is known 

 as the "Swamp," sold i2,SD0 worth of hay. We 

 may have other substitutes for feeding our stock. 

 Corn i9 cheap; branstuff Is now delivered to us 

 from the West at $18 a ton. There is still another 

 material that will improve and will be relished by 

 our cattle: that Is, wheat straw and chaff, provided 

 it is not spoiled by rust and mildew. When iu a 

 clean and white slate It is devoured with avidity. 

 Cuttle go fed with corn and branstuff will mend bet- 

 ter on it than when fed with bad hay. 



M. D. Kendig asked how much cornfoddcr could 

 he grown from a sown crop of corn. He fattened IH 

 head of cattle from November 1 to March 1 with the 

 fodder of 6)^ acres of corn ground. The rough fod- 

 der was led without any preparation. 



C. L. Uuusecker had occasion to make a trip of 

 some extent and found the grass very poor, only a 

 few good fields ; but the wheat, he thought, would 

 make a very fair crop. 



Levi S. Reist said a good grass Held is a rarity ; 

 the hay crop will-be even shorter thau last year. 



Henry M. Englo did not believe our short grass 

 crops are attributed to a too frequent change of the 

 grass fields. It depends, he believed, on the seasons. 

 When these latter are favorable, we will again have 

 plenty of hay, and as cheap as in long gone years. 

 We may eke out our fodder corn by raising a hay 

 crop, then plowing the ground and sowing it broad- 

 east with corn. Catile need a variety of food. 

 Straw, hay and fodder are sometimes preferred to 

 cornmeal and bran. Corn sown late is difficult to 

 cure ; it is likely to mould. 



James Wood said a neighbor sowed about two acres 

 and obtained enough fodder from that aTnount of 

 ground to feed a cousiderable number of cattle. 



M. D. Kendig said some of his neighbors have 

 raised a great deal of eonifodder, and are keeping 

 their hay mows filled in consequence, gown broad- 

 cast, it yields an immense amount of fodder, which 

 is cut up finely before feeding. 



By special request H. M. Engle will visit the silc 

 of Houston Mifflin, Esq., near Columbia, and write 

 a report on it. Mr. Wood also promised to read a 

 paper at the next meeting of the society. 



The following question was proposed for next 

 meeting : " What effect will a free pipe Hire' have 

 upon Lancaster county in case it should run through 

 it." Referred to John H. Landis. 



On motion, the society then adjourned. 



THE POULTRY SOCIETY. 



The regular monthly meeting of the Lancaster 

 County Poultry Association was held Monday morn- 

 day morning, May 2d, the prusideni, H. H. Tsliudy, 

 in the chair. 



The following members were present: J. B.Liclity, 

 city; Frank Uriest, city; J. W. Bruckhart, Salunga; 

 George A. Geyei^, Spring Garden; Frank R. Diffen- 

 dcrffer, city, M. L. Grider, Mt. Joy; H. H. Tshudy, 

 Lititz; S. 8. Stack, Spring Garden; J. M. Johnston, 

 city; and C. A. Cast, of the Ejnmin,)-. 



Election of New Members. 



Addison Eby, of Elizabethtown, and .Jerome Shultz, 

 of the same place, were nominated and elected to 

 membership. 



New Business. 



A motion was made and carried .that the sura of 

 $5 be paid on account of rent of Hall which the so- 

 ciety has rented from A. E. Roberts. 



Young Chicks. 



Mr. Bruckhart said he had -tO chicks— I'lymouth 

 Hocks, Holands and Hamburgs. He has lost only 4 

 chicks during the past four weeks. He has 40 laying 

 hens, which averaged '.'fl eggs daily during -March, 

 and 27 during April. The sapes have developed but 

 slightly thus far and he lias lost none of his chicks 

 from this disease. He finds the Plymouth Rocks to 

 lay about as well as the iillicr two varieties. 



M. L.Ciridersaid his early sittings did not hatch 

 so well. . He has about seventy chicks, and has lost 

 oidy two or three. He lias no diseases among his 

 fowls. 



George A. Oeycr has twenty chicks that arc doing 

 very well, as are the old ones also. His birds are very 

 healthy, and no disease has so far been developed. 



J. B. Lichty remarked that his pullets all wished 

 to sit earlier than his old birds. This is because as a 

 rule pullets begin laying earlier than the old birds. 



J. W. BruclJliart, in response to a question, said 

 that it was doubtful whether eggs would hatch if 

 the contents rattle. He thought this was caused by 

 the air chamber in the shell becoming destroyed and 

 giving the contents more room thau they originally 

 had. 



F. R. Diffenderfer remarked his young chicks were 

 all afflicted with that dread disease, the gapes. By 

 the timely use of a horse-hair probe he has been able 

 to remove all the worms and has lost no chicks. The 

 remedy must, however, be applied as soon as the 

 symptoms are fully devloped. At that time the 

 young bird is still strong and able to bear the severe 

 ordeal. If left, however, they cease to eat, become 

 weak and then when an operation is performed on 

 them are likely to die in the operator's hands. The 

 remedy is an infallible one if practiced iu time. The 

 worms are not detached only, but removed, which is 

 certainly better than to leaye that to be done by a 

 bird enfeebled by disease. The failure which some 

 report iu removing the worms Is they do not probe 

 far enough. The parasites are at some distance from 

 the orifice of the windpipe. Dr. Dickey has written 

 a very excellent article Jon this subject, in which he 

 takes the ground that once this disease becomes 

 fully developed in a poultry run there are only two 

 ways to eradicate it; either the run of the birds 

 must be changed or else their runs must be plowed 

 or dug up deeply. There can be no doubt that, of 

 itself, it will not disappear,but makes its appearance 

 every spring with renewed vigor. 



J. W. Bruckhart asked, What is' the best time to 

 hatch out chicks to produce the best results ? 



The general opinion was that the earlier the birds 

 were hatched the [better it would be. They would 

 lay the earlier. Early-hatched Leghorns have com- 

 menced to lay at the age of five months, and Ply- 

 mouth Rocks at five and a-half months. 



Mr. Bruckart stated that very early birds began to 

 lay earlier with him, but they stopped when cold 

 weather came on. Those hatched later kept on lay- 

 ing during the cold weather. 



THE LINN.ffiAN SOCIETY. 



The society met on Saturday afternoon, April 30th, 

 In the anteroom of the .Museum, Vice-President J. 

 H. Dubbs in the chair, and Dr. M. L. Davis, Secre- 

 tary. Reading of the proceedings of last meeting 

 dispensed with, inasmuch as they had been publish- 

 ed, and were accessible to all. After the formal or- 

 ganization, the following donations and additions 

 were made to the Museum and Library. 



A large spceimen of Silicious fossilised wood, was 

 donated by Mr. J. William Roeting, of Elizabeth- 

 town, Lancaster county. Pa. This fossil seems to 

 abound in that part of Lancasler county, and forty 

 years ago, or more, when the tunnel on the Lancas- 

 ter and Middletown railroad was excavated, large 

 quantities, embedded in sandstone, were thrown out, 

 and appropriated by collectors of minerals and fos- 

 sils. This specimen was found exposed by the wash- 

 ings of a ravine In the vicinity of the town, although 

 at a different locality. 



A bottle containing several alcoholized specimens 

 Sai.tinamlra erytUronota el S. glutitwia, collected 

 and donated by master James Munsen of the Lan- 

 caster High School. Cold as the past winter has 

 been, iind late the spring, numbers of these reptiles 

 were found in a very active condition about the mid- 

 dle of March. They are perfectly harmless, and 

 yet, mauy people foster the deepest prejudice against 

 them, ou account of their reptilian aMiliatiuns. 

 Librai-y. 

 Five volumes of the Second Geological Survey of 

 the State of Pennsylvania, from the department in 

 charge, at Harrlsburg, Pa. A copy of the Agricul- 

 ture of Pennsylvania, from the Secretary of " State 

 Board of Agriculture." A list of Patentees and 

 Inventions for July to December, 1880, from the de- 

 partment of the Interior, Washington. Nos. 14, 15 

 of the Official Patent Offlcc Gazettc,.from the same. 

 Eleventh Quarterly Report of the State Board of 

 Agriculture, from the Secretary. Annual Report of 

 the Superintendent of the Yellowstourt National 

 Park, for 18R0, from Wm. J. Hoffman, M. D. Pro- 

 cecdlngs of the "Wyoming Historical and Geological" 

 Society, for 1880. The Lancaster Fak.mek, for 

 April, 1881. Annual Report of the Library Com- 

 missioners of Nova Scotia, for 1881. Enumeration, 

 classification and causation of idiocy. Sundry 

 pamphlets, catalogues and circulars, relating to the 

 sale of scientific and miscellaneous books. 

 Historical Relics. 



Mr. Roeting also donated a quaint looking knife 

 and fork which have been in his possession for twenty 

 years. The knife is fifteen inches in length when 

 opened, and It closes like an ordinary pocket knife. 

 It Is supposed to have been a German pruuing knife 

 of a past century, although Mr. R., does not profeai 

 to hare a knowledge of Its history or Its use. The 

 fork Is a common looking Iron trideul, about six 

 inches In length, difFering in its proportions from the 

 modern fork. In demolishing a very old building In 

 Elizabethtown, it was found in the attic between the 

 roof and rafters. It evidently Is a rural relic of a 

 past period; and of a. fashion that never will return. 



Five envelopes containing sixty-five biographical 

 and historical scraps. 



Papers Read. 



Mrs. P. E. Gibbons read a paper on miscellaneous 

 subjects entitled, "Liunieau Notes." 



Prof. Dubbs read an interesting and elaborate 

 paper on " Book-worras," with several sharp edges 

 which cut more ways than one. Miss S. S. Le Fever 

 was present and became au active member under the 

 rule unanimously addopted at the last stated meet- 

 ing of the society. 



Committees appointed at the last meeting reported 

 progress and were continued. 



A vote of t honks was passed to the donors for 

 their generous contributions. 



After some "Scientific (iossip " the society ad- 

 journed to the last .Satur.l.vv in M.iy, (28th.) 



AGRICULTURE. 



Encouraging Reports from All Over the Union. 

 The reports of .\pril Ist, received at the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Washington, show an Increase 

 of nearly four per cent, in the area sown In winter 

 wheat. Kansas and Missouri show the largest In- 

 crease, Ohio and liliuois but slight, and New Tork 

 and Pennsylvania remain the same as last year; In- 

 diana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, each re- 

 port some decrease. Owing to the prevalence of 

 snow at the date of the returns, the condition of the 

 crop was not given In large portions of the principal 

 wheat-growing States, but wherever mentioned It 

 was stated as below the average of lust year ; the 

 alternate freezing and thawing during the month of 

 March was the most detrimental of any weather 

 during the winter. The live stock of the country, 

 notwithstanding the scarcity of food and provender 

 caused by the long and severe winter, has come out 

 in fair health, though reported very low in flesh . 

 No malignant or prevailiug disease is reported over 



