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THE LANCASTER FARMER- 



[September, 



by veins ol' sand or gravel, sometimes by a 

 layer of vegetable matter whicb has collected 

 in a crack or fissure, but so long as there is 

 no outlet beneath, these conducting veins are 

 inert, but when underlaid with drains their 

 action is at once apparent; the subsoil that 

 previously held water like a basin now trans- 

 mits it like a filter, and as the w^ater sinks the 

 air follows ; the rains descend freely through 

 the soil, carrying to the roots the nutritive 

 elements with which it is charged ; the ab- 

 sorbing property is increased, it holds more 

 moisture in suspension, and crops remain lux- 

 uriant even in seasons of drouth, and super- 

 fluous water being removed from below, the 

 heat of the sun is economized in warming 

 tlie soil, instead of being expended in the 

 evaporation of surface water. 



Briefly it may be stated that some of the 

 advantages of underdraining consist in the 

 removal of stagnant water from the surface, 

 and excess of moisture from heavy rains; the 

 temperature of the soil is increased, which al- 

 lows early planting of crops, and hastens 

 their maturity; it equalizes the temperature 

 of the soil during the growing season; it 

 equalizes the moisture of the soil; so that 

 crops are in a great measure exempt from the 

 evils resulting from excess of rainfall on the 

 one hand, or from a deficiency of rain-fall on 

 the other; the roots of plants are supplied 

 witli soluljle food carried down by rains, as 

 well as that which is rendered available by 

 the decomposing influences of air and moisture 

 on the surrounding soil, and on such manures 

 as are applied for additional fertilization: the 

 land is more economically worked, and culti- 

 vation suffers less interruption at all seasons, 

 and as a consequence crops are increased to 

 their maximum production, at least so far as 

 they are de[)endcut upon the physical condi- 

 tion of the soil, a factor of equal importance 

 with that of its chemical constitution. — Wm. 

 ISaunders. 



THE PRACTICAL AND THE SCIEN- 

 TIFIC IN AGRICULTURE. 



The earnestness and zeal with which agri- 

 cultural investigations are conducted in our 

 day, indicate not only great intellectual ac- 

 tivity in the agricultural community, but they 

 indicate also a deep desire to ascertain the 

 best fountains of agricultural knowledge. The 

 work of the college is becoming more and 

 more aeceptable, but the work of agricultural 

 associations is becoming more and more use- 

 ful. The experimental science of farming, 

 that science which, without exercising undue 

 curiosity with regard to the laws of nature, 

 observes and collects all the facts which may 

 guide us in such an observance of these laws 

 as will secure our prosperity and success in 

 farming. And ^this is the science we most 

 need; " a science founded upon the accumu- 

 lation of facts and the accumulation of ex- 

 periments." For, as the Duke of Argyle re- 

 cently said, "we can never have agricultural 

 science unless wc know the facts with which 

 we have to deal. So long as we want a system 

 of, agricultural statistics, we are deficient in 

 one of the very bases upon which an agricul- 

 tural Science can be founded." 



Of the value of this kind of science to the 

 farmer the most enterprising, agriculturists 

 have long been aware. The foundation of all 



knowledge of agriculture is the accumulation 

 of fixed facts, suggested perhaps by accident, 

 discovered perhaps by science ; but, however 

 obtained, proved or confirmed by the practi- 

 cal farmer on the land. A theory which bears 

 this test may become a law at once for the 

 farming community, and until it has borne 

 such a test it is theory still, no matter what 

 its origin may have been, whether college or 

 farm yard. While, therefore, an agricultural 

 school may be devoted to science as a guide 

 to agriculture, and may be engaged in culti- 

 vating a single farm according to the best 

 known principle, it must depend upon a wide- 

 spread community of farmers for the last 

 grand process of proving and diflusiug its 

 theories. And when we remember that agri- 

 culture is not an exact science, and cannot be 

 until the skies and the seasons are subdued 

 by man, and that the facts discovered in the 

 field by the diligent cultivator are often of 

 more practical value than those laid down by 

 the student in his closet, we shall not be sur- 

 prised at the success which associated farmers 

 have met with in the work of advancing agri- 

 cultural education. In fact the most substan- 

 tial and useful literature of agriculture goes 

 to prove this. 



The books to which the farmer turns most 

 eagerly for knowledge are those which con- 

 tain the facts which now constitute the 

 treasury of his library: Arthur Young, 

 traversing all England for the materials out 

 of which to write his admirable volumes, 

 Jethro TuU toiling with his own hands to ex- 

 tract from the soil itself the doctrines of 

 horse-hoeing and drill husbandry with which 

 to enrich his native island; Mr. Cully, de- 

 voted to the improvement of cattle as the 

 best college in which to learn how to discuss 

 their breeding and feeding; Fitzherbert, who, 

 although justice of common pleas, was as 

 he tells' us "an experienced farmer of more 

 than forty years," and wrote the "Books of 

 Husbandries;" and so the admirable writers 

 of modern days all write from the great stand- 

 point of experience, AVhat richer fountains of 

 agriculture knowledge can be found than the 

 transactions of our agricultural sscieties ? 

 Where can a better lesson be read than is con- 

 tained in those modest volumes issued an- 

 nually and containing the recorded experience 

 of successful farmers ¥ We turn to this foun- 

 tain of knowledge with confidence, and we 

 turn from it with new light and courage for 

 the pursuit of farming. What a treatise on 

 sheep-husbandry might be written by sitting 

 at the firesides or roaming over the pastures 

 of our great wool-growing States and taking 

 notes of the experiences and labors of the 

 farmers there? What fund of information 

 upon the cultivation of crops, the manage- 

 ment of orchards, the use of manures, the 

 conduct of the dairy, lie concealed in the 

 farm-house everywhere ? It is a combination 

 of this practice and economic science which 

 should be the desire and motto of every 

 farmer's a.ssociation, and is the foundation of 

 the farmer's best knowledge. 



Let the example thus set be followed always 

 and everywhere. Let our scientific teachers 

 learn to respect the practical knowledge of 

 the farmer, and let the farmer lay aside his 

 jealousy of the learning of the schools. To 

 this just and proper combination of mental 



forces how would the earth unfold her secrets '. 

 how would the fields rejoice under well- 

 directed cultivation ; how would the whole 

 animal economy of the farm be developed and 

 improved ; how would the whole business of 

 agriculture be brought into subjec'.ion to sys- 

 tematic laws. Without this combination, de- 

 prived of this accumulation of facts, science 

 in agriculture becomes powerless ; with it, it 

 becomes a most important ally to the farmer ; 

 in fact, it is reduced to one mode of practice 

 itself, and meets with the highest success. 

 For in whatever the farmer does he is obliged 

 to recognize an influence which the hand of 

 man cannot reach, which no investigation can 

 fathom, no human power guide. Agriculture 

 obeys the laws of nature ; science endeavors 

 to ascertain and explain them. Science may 

 attend upon agriculture as a guide and stimu- 

 lus to the best exertion ; but it is the patient 

 and prudent and experienced farmer who 

 knows what land he needs, what crops he can 

 raise, what fertilizers he requires, and what 

 labor he can best apply. It is the union of 

 practice and science which makes farming 

 perfect. — Hon. Geo. B. Loring. 



OUR Local Organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 

 AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Lancaster County Agricultural and Hoiticul- 



tural Association held a stated meeting on Monday 

 afternoon, September 4, 1882, in their room in City 

 Hall. 



The following named members were present : 

 John C. Linville, Salisbury ; S. P. Eby, Esq., city ; 

 James Wood, Little Britain ; W. B. Paxson, Cole- 

 rain ; Daniel Smeych, city; F. R. Diffenderffer, city; 

 C. H. Gast, city ; Peter Hershey, city ; J. M. John- 

 ston, city ; J. Frank Landis, East Lampeter ; John- 

 son Miller, Lititz ; Levi S. Reist, Oregon ; Phares 

 Buckwaltcr, East Lampeter ; Eph S. Hoover, Man- 

 heim ; W. H. Brosius, Drumore. 



The president being absent James Wood was 

 called to the chair. 



John C. Linville stated that Henry M. Engle had 

 informed him that he had corresponded with Prof. 

 Thomas M. Edge, of the State Board of Agriculturs, 

 and that Prof. Edge had consented to deliver a lec- 

 ture before the society at its next stated meeting in 

 October. 



Crop Reports. 



Levi S. Relet, of Oregon, reported that the crops 

 in all sections of Lancaster county were good ; the 

 wheat and hay had been garnered and produced 

 bountifully ; coru and potatoes promised equally 

 well, and even the tobacco, which only a short time 

 ago it was feared would be almost a failure, is turn- 

 ing out unexpectedly good. Within the past ten 

 days it has grown wonderfully ; the leaves are large 

 and clean, of good color and apparently good 

 quality. The peach, pear and apple crops in his 

 neighborhood are quite fair, and taken all in all, the 

 farmers have to be thankful for as prolific a harvest 

 of all kinds as he has any recollection of. 



J. Frank Landis, of East Lampeter, reported that 

 there would be about three fourths of a full crop of 

 corn and potatoes in his section; the late tobacco is 

 growing finely and will yield much better than was 

 expected; apples are scarce and imperfect, and 

 grapes are rotting on the vines. 



John C. Linville, of Salisbury, agreed that mostof 

 the crops were good, as represented by Mr. Reist, 

 but in his neighborhood the oats was not a good 

 crop. He does not grow tobacco, but he has seen it 

 in his neighbors' fields, and never before saw such an 

 improvement as there has been within the past ten 

 or fifteen days. Notwithstanding the long drouth, 

 the grass and clover fields look well — the young 



