1882.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



93 



lodge. Ite outcome will depend on the condition of 

 the weather for the next four weekt; if it should re- 

 main cool all will be well ; but if It should become 

 hot and dry tlie crop will sutler. The grass is thin 

 in many places; the corn well set, owini; larjfcly to 

 the superi'jrily of the seed; the heavy rains, however, 

 have packed tlie ground and the cold weather retard 

 Its growth. Potatoes look well, but there are a great 

 many bugs. In regard to the controversey liad 

 some months ago as to whether exclusively cold 

 I weather would destroy the eggs and larva? of insects, 

 'I Dr. Rathvon had taken the position that it would not 

 I affect them. Mr. Englc was inclined to think that 

 It would destroy some species, but not the iron clad 

 I potato hug. He noticed that the cabbage worm and 

 I eirculio are very scarce this year and lie attributes 

 i their scarcity to tlie cold and wet weather. Peaches 

 and apples are fairly promising, but many of them 

 are dropping fioin the trees, and there will not be a 

 full crop ; cherries are very poor, there not being 

 one-tenth of a crop ; all kinds of small fruits look 

 exceedingly well. The rainfall for the month of May 

 was nearly live inclies. 



Pruning Apple Trees. 



John C. Linville read the following essay : 



Now is the right time to prune the apple trees if we 

 want the wounds to heal over quickly. If the wounds 

 are large it is well tn cover with grafting wax or 

 varnish, to exclude tlie suu and drying winds. It is 

 seldom necessary to remove large limbs if the trees 

 have been properly cared for at the start. I think 

 there is more harm done Ijy too much th»n too little 

 pruning. Vigorous growing trees are very impa- 

 tient at havina' part of tlicir branches cut away. 

 Dormant buds along the upper side of the limbs push 

 out into "suckers." These have to be removed 

 again and again, until finally the bark along the top 

 of the limbs dies and the tree is ruined. I have al- 

 ways met with this trouble in attempting to thin out 

 dense heated trees. Great care should be taken in 

 summer pinning not to jar the bark loose. 



In old orchards there will every year tie fo'ind some 

 dead limbs that must he cut away. This had better 

 be done in winter, but may be done now. In many 

 orchards may be seen unsitrhtly stumps of limbs 

 left from six inches to a foot in length. I liavenever 

 heard any reason given for this mode of pruning. It 

 is pitiful to see nature making desperate efforts to 

 cover over these deformities, the "sap wood" creep- 

 ing year after year further and further out on the 

 useless member, until finally the dead stump decays 

 away and leaves a hole in the trunk of the tree. This 

 makes a capital place in which the flickers may 

 build their nests, but it is death to the apple tree. 

 Dead limbs should be sawed off at the shoulder, and 

 they will heal over even if four or five inches in di- 

 ameter. 



In order to cut off large limbs neatly the saw 

 should be put in good order. After the saw should 

 be laid on the work bench and a flat file run from 

 heel to point along each side of the teeth. This pre- 

 vents the points of the teeth from scratching the 

 wound and leaves it smooth. 



Casper Hiller said there can be do particular rule 

 laid down for pruning; one kind of tree will require 

 one method and another kind another. In pruning 

 apple trees, his plan is to commence when they are 

 young and cut off the tops so as to keep the tree low. 

 Ordinarily the large limbs if cut off close to the 

 shoulder and painted to prevent the escupe of sap; 

 but if the tree is old the limbs may be cut off a few 

 inches from the shoulder; the slump will then decay 

 gradually for several years and not affect the tree 

 until it has become too old to be useful. He thought 

 an orchard ought not to be allowed to stand more 

 than thirty years, and that a young orchard might 

 be safely planted on the same ground by placing the 

 young trees in rows between the old ones, removing 

 the latter when the former comes into bearing. 



John H. Laudis took exce|<tion to Mr. Linville's 

 statement that too much pruning was worse than too 

 little, especially as applied to peaches. If the trees 

 are allowed to go unpruned the fruit is sure to be 

 small and scrubby. 



- The question was further discussed by S. P. Eby, 

 Esq., Peter S. Keist, Levi S. Reist, Henry M. Engle, 

 and John C. Linville. 



When to Cut Grass. 



Id answer to a question referred to him at last 

 meeting, Casper Hiller answered as follows : 



I am not prepared to answer the question : "At 

 what period of growth should grass be cut to make 

 the best hay f" from actual test of the feeding 



quality of hay made at different periods of cutting. 

 If my opinion would be of any value, I would say 

 that the proper time to cut is when the plant is past 

 full bloom, and up to tlie time when the seed is lialf 

 formed. When grass and clover are cut too young 

 they are too watery, make no weight, and are ditll- 

 eult to cure. If left until the seed is ripe the jilant 

 becomes woody and will lose its best feeding quality. 

 I believe It has been satisfiietorily shown that so.'L'liam 

 contains the most saccharine matter if cut when 

 nearly ripe, and I think the same principle holds 

 good with tlie grasses. 



Henry M. Engle said that owing to a misapprehen- 

 sion he thought the above question had been referred 

 to him for answer, and hud accordingly prepared a 

 pai>er on the subject, which if there wa» no objection 

 he would read. 



He read it as follows ; 



In order to answer this question satisfactorily I 

 present it in an essay rather than in a few verbal re- 

 marks According to statistics (which we have no 

 reason to question) the value of the grass crop of 

 this county exceeds that of any other crop. It re 

 quires but a small amount of either loss or gain to 

 each farmer in utilizing it to best advantage or other- 

 wise to swell the aggregate to millions. The period 

 to cut grass for hay in order to realize the greatest 

 value therefrom is the subject of a wide difference of 

 opinion, much wider indeed than should exist in the 

 use of so important an articl • during thonsamls of 

 years. It is, however, interesting to know that for 

 some years past, practical tests have been made in 

 Europe and also in this country by chemical analy- 

 sis as well as feeding tests, which seem to agree that 

 grass cut in bh oni will make the most valuable hay; 

 that in proportion beyond that period until ripe it ap- 

 proaches woody fibre and consequently loss of im- 

 portant nutritive qualities. My own experience 

 would dictate to err (if error It be) by cutting a 

 little earlier than later, i. e. before full bloom, 

 especially clover. 



The dliiculty of curing is claimed as a strong 

 objection to cutting early, and is perhaps the leading 

 cause of error on the other side; the result is, a very 

 large proportion of hay not much better than straw. 

 As proper curing is as important as the proper 

 time of cutting, I would add that possibly one 

 halfof the h.ay made (in this section at least) loses 

 much of its value by being gathered too dry. The old 

 adage " make hay while the sun shines" I believe 

 to be applied to excess. Were it always practicable 

 hay as well as her'is and seeds would be better if 

 dried in the shade and housed or stacked as damp as 

 will allow, only so as not to mould or mow burn, in 

 fact a little of the latter is preferable to housing it 

 in a very dry and brittle condition. 



Although grass is more difficult to cure when cut 

 young than when more nearly ripe, in the former 

 condition it will bear much more rain without injur 

 ing it, thap when cut nearer ripe. The difference in 

 bulk is in favor of late cut grass, hut the difference 

 in weight is trifling, besides stock will relish the 

 early cut much better than late cut, and fed to milk 

 cows, the butler will have a richer color from early 

 than from late cut grass. Another important con- 

 sideration applies to grasses which make second 

 growth, is that early cutting does not stunt the plant, 

 so much, consequently the second growth will be of 

 so much more value as to outweigh any amount of 

 weight gained by delay in cutting the finest crop. 

 My experience and observation of forty years has con- 

 flriiied me so strongly in favor of early cutting of 

 grass that I do not hesitate to recommend a trial to 

 all who have any doubts of its advantages, and 

 would suggest that as many members of this society 

 as can to test the matter fairly by cutting some early 

 and other a week or ten days later, a^d the coming 

 winter feed to milk cows each kind alternate two or 

 three weeks at a time and report results to this 

 society, after which we may talk more intelligently 

 on this important subject. 



Peter S. Reist, 8. P. Eby, esq., John C. Linville, 

 James Wood and C. L. Hunseeker, discussed the 

 matter further, reviving some pleasant recollections 

 of the old mode of curing hay, and comparing its ad- 

 vantages with the present mode. 



White-Marked Tobacco. 



Prof. Rathvon sent to the meeting several leaves 

 of tobacco upon which there were very pretty and 

 curiously wrought lace-like tracings. [The leaves 

 were presented by Wm. Xoeting, of Elizabethtown, 

 and Morris Gershel, of this city, and a description of 

 them formed the subject of a paper by Dr. Rathvon 

 which lias already appeared in the Intellioekcer 

 — Kepokter.] 



Yellow Lucan. 



A printed circular from Alfred M. Kennedy, of 

 the State Agricultural Society, in which he recom- 

 mends farmers to try the experiment of substituting 

 yellow lacan for red clover, was read; but as the 



season is too far advanced to make the experiment, 

 DO action wa6 taken. 



Double Peaches. 



Casper Hiller brought to the meeting several twigs 

 pulled from peach trees, on which there were a great 

 many remarkable growths of double peaches. Other 

 members present stated that they had noticed the 

 same phenomenon in their several neighborhoods. 

 This abnormal growth was attributed to the excep- 

 tionally dry and hot weather of last autumn. 

 Books for the Library. 



Mr. Engle presented to the library bound copies of 

 the last Pennsylvania ngrieultural reports; annual re- 

 port of the Michigan Poniological Society, and the 

 sixth annual report of the Agricultural Society of 

 Kansas. 



Ajourned. 



POULTRY ASSOCIATION. 



The regular monthly meeting of the Lancaster 

 County Poultry Society was held on Monday morn- 

 ing June .5ih. 



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

 F. R. Dilfenderffer, city ; George A. Geyer, Florin; 

 M. L. Grider, Mount Joy ; J. M. Johnston, city ; Dr. 

 E. H. Witmer, Neflsvlllc ; Charles LIppold, W. W. 

 Griest, city; T. Frank Evans, Lititz; John A. Sclium, 

 city; E. C. Brackbill, Strasburg ; L. H. Brooks, 

 Marticville. 



The meeting was called to order by President 

 Geyer. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and 

 approved. 



On motion, John E. Schum was elected treasurer 

 by acclamation. 



Charles E. Long was elected to fill the vacancy 

 created in the Executive Committee by the transfcr- 

 auee of Mr. Schum to the treasurership. 



The time for holding the next society show was 

 taken up and discussed. 



On motion, Thursday, the 11th of January, was 

 chosen as the o|iening day of the exhibition, to con- 

 tinue during a period of six days, namely the llth, 

 I'ith, i:ith, 1.5th, Ifith and 17th of the mouth. 



William Powden was nominated and elected to 

 membership. 



On motion of J. .M. Johnston, F. R. Diffenderffer 

 was re(|uested to prepare a paper on gapes Id chick- 

 ens for the next meeting. 



There being do further business, the society ad- 

 journed. 



LINNAiEN SOCIETY. 



April Meeting. 



The Linn^an Society held a stated meeting at the 

 residence of Dr. H.D. Knight, Nortli Queen street, on 

 Thursday .evening, April 26, 18S2,Prof. Stahr occu- 

 pying the chair. 



The Curators reported no donations to the .Mu- 

 seum during the month. 



The librarian reported the following donations to 

 the library : Annotated list of the birds of Nevada, 

 by W. I. Hoffman, M. D., 25(5 pp. octavo, with a 

 map. Donated by the author. Bulletin of the 

 United States National Museum, 2(i4 pp. octavo, 

 with a large folded map — a guide to the flora of 

 WashingtoD— from the Department of the Interior. 

 Report of the Commissioner of Education for 1879. 

 Same. Internal Commerce of the United States for 

 1880. Same. Production of gold and silver in the 

 United States, 1880. Same. Transportation routes 

 of tlie seaboard, Nos. 10 to 15, Official Oatctte of the 

 United States Patent Office, volume 21. From the 

 Department of the Interior. Volume 12, Congres- 

 sional Record, from Hon. A. Herr Smith, M. C. 

 Lancaster Farmer for April, 1S82. Two envelopes 

 containing twelve biographical, historical and mis- 

 cellaneous "scraps." SuDdr; catalogues aod circu- 

 lars. 



E. K. Hershey, of Cresswell, w«s balloted for aud 

 unanimously elected an active member. 



S.M.Seoer was proposed for associate member, 

 which, UDder the rules, Is laid over to the next meet- 

 ing for defiDite action. 



