30 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[February, 



through a fissure in a garden walk, in hundreds of 

 thouBande, if not in millions. From this we may in 

 fer that those now appearing will survive the winter, 

 however cold it may be. They have been known to 

 be destructive to the cotyledons or seed leaves of to- 

 bacco, cabbage, radishes, peas and other vegetation, 

 under the names of "black flj,"" black spider," 

 and, perhaps, other names. 



Additions to the Library. 

 The donations to the Library consisted of a volume 

 entitled " Correspondence of Dr. Baldwin," com- 

 piled by Wm. Darlington, M.D. This is quite a rare 

 book, and was presented by Miss Emma Musser ; 

 No. 23 of volume 22 Patent Office Gazette : Proc. of 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, from 

 May to October, 1883 ; Farmer for December, 1882, 

 and January, 1883 ; circulars 2 and S of Bureau of 

 Education, and three other pamphlets on education ; 

 lot of pamphlets from effects of Dr. A. P. Garber, 

 deceased ; 6 circulars and 20 envelopes of scraps. 

 The Librarian then presented a report showing con- 

 dition of the Library, and the Treasurer also pre- 

 sented report showing financial condition of the so- 

 ciety. The following bills were then ordered to be 

 paid : Taxidermist's bill, $9.S0 ; Proc. Academy of 

 Natural Science, 8.5.00, and four years' subscription 

 to the Farmer was ordered to be paid and continued . 

 On motion, the treasurer was ordered to procure 

 keys for offlcers. 



Election of Officers. 

 The following officers were elected for the ensuing 

 year : 

 President — Hon. J. P. Wickersham. 

 Vice Presidents— Dr. J. H. Dubbs and Dr. T. R. 

 Baker. 

 Recording Secretary — Dr. M. L. Davis. 

 Assistant Recording Secretary — S. M. Sener. 

 Corresponding Secretary — Dr. H. L. Knight. 

 Treasurer — Dr. S. S. Rathvon. 

 Librarian — Mrs. L. D. Zell. 



Curators— Prof. J. S. Stahr, Dr. S. S. Rathvon, S. 

 M. Sener and Charles A. Heinitsh. 



Report of the Curators. 

 The following report of the Curators of the Lin- 

 nsean Society for the year ending December 31, 1882, 

 was presented and ordered to be entered on the 

 minutes : 



The year 18S2 has not been as prolific in material 

 results to the Linniean Society as some that have 

 preceded it ; still it has not been altogether idle. In 

 canvassing the proceedings of the ten meetings held 

 during the year we find there have been added to the 

 museum six vertebrates, over three hunded articu- 

 lates — mainly inseeta, twenty archieological speci 

 mens, five botanical, eleven minerals, five fossils, 

 and three miscellaneous objects. To the library 

 have been added eighty-six books, serials and pamph 

 lets, fifty five catalogues and circulars, and to the 

 historical department thirty envelopes containing 

 two hundred and- seventeen biographical, historical 

 and miscellaneous scraps, many of which are of 

 local value. 



Twenty papers have been read before the society 

 during the year, which have been either published 

 in detail, or a synopsis of them published in the 

 proceedings. 



It would be useless to indulge in any complaints 

 that we are not permitted to do more, or iu regrets 

 that we have done so little. Our highest wisdom is 

 to reconcile ourselves to the inevitable, and patiently 

 wait ; one thing we can assure ourselves of, the 

 Linnaean Society does not belong tojthings impon- 

 derable. It is a living, growing, tangible and visible 

 fact, vihlch cannot be historically obliterated, even 

 if it should be materially dissipated. Its record will 

 descend to posterity. It has maintained its vitality 

 for more than twenty years, in spite of systematic 

 neglect. It is, perhaps, the only living organization 

 in Lancaster city, about which the public has never 

 exercised itself; and whether it survives or perishes, 

 the small number who have thus far sustained it 

 have nothing to reproach themselves with. 

 Committee Appointed. 

 A committee, consisting of the retiring president, 

 recording secretary and assistant secretary, was then 



appointed to collate the amendments which have 

 from time to time been made to the constitution and 

 by laws and report the same to the society. The 

 evening meetings not having proved satisfactory, on 

 motion, it was then resolved to discontinue the 

 same, and the society then adjourned to meet in the 

 museum, on Saturday, February 24, 188-3, at 2 

 o'clock P.M. 



FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



The Fulton Farmers' Club met at tue residence of 

 Josiah Brown, near New Texas, on Saturday, Feb- 

 ruary 3. 



Wm. King exhibited a sample of oleomargarine 

 on a plate along with four samples of bfltter. The 

 plate was passed around the company, and each one 

 was requested to give bis or her opinion as to which 

 sample was the counterfeit butter, and after a great 

 deal of tasting and smelling, four out of twenty-one 

 persons guessed right. 



Questions and Answers. 

 Day Wood asked " Is it advisable to sell wheat 

 now?" No one present seemed to have much faith 

 in any great advance in price soon, but as the price 

 is low now it was thought safe to hold it a while 

 longer, and several expressed a determination to do 

 so. 



S. L. Gregg asked " What kind of commercial 

 fertilizers did the best on corn last season ?" With 

 but few exceptions all had used dissolved South 

 Carolnia rock and it had done well, and by nearly 

 all it was considered the cheapest manure in the 

 market. 



Montillion Brown asked what is to be the coming 

 cow and read a selected article in favor of Ayrshires 

 for cheese. 



J. K. Blackburn and Lewis Brown thought that 

 the Jerseys stand foremost. 



S. L. Gregg and .Josiah Brown thought that there 

 is an excitement about Jerseys now and that they are 

 being overrated, but eventually they will have to 

 stand on their real merits. 



Day Wood thought that the Jersey will not be the 

 coming stock, but that they will deteriorate in our 

 climate. He believes a cross of the Jerseys with 

 common stock will be preferable to the full blood. 



E. H. Haines said he would prefer Jersey cows, 

 even if they did not make more butter than other 

 cows ; there was not near so much milk to handle 

 for the same amount of butter. He found that from 

 his Jersey cows he could make a pound of butter 

 from 1.5 or 16 pounds of milk, while from ordinary 

 cows it takes from 25 to 30 pounds of milk to make 

 a pound of butter. He had been told by a person 

 who had a creamery that taking the milk from the 

 run of the cows in his neighborhood that it required 

 from 30 to 37 pounds of milk to make a pound of 

 butter. The butter from .Jersey cows is firmer, bet- 

 ter colored and stands marketing better th.an ordinary 

 butter. 



Wm. King expressed a preference for the Guernsey 

 cows ; he thinks they give a richer milk and make a 

 higher colored butter than the Jerseys, and read a 

 letter from Thomas M. Harvey, of West Grove, in 

 support of this view of the matter. 



J. P. Hutton asked " Is it better to cut timothy 

 while it is in bloom, or not until it gets ripe? " 



Day Wood said if the hay is for home use, he pre- 

 ferred to cut it while in bloom or even before, but if 

 the hay is to be sold, he would let it get ripe. 



8. L. Gregg and Josiah Brown, said that when 

 they have fields all timothy, theyjlet them stand 

 until after wheat harvest. The hay was then easily 

 cured, often being ready to be hauled in the same day 

 that it is cut. 



Several others said they had been In the practice 

 of cutting it while in bloom, but were undecided 

 about it being the best time. The ripe hay sells as 

 well, if not better, than the green, and weighs more. 

 After assembling for the afternoon session, the 

 report of the last meeting held at this place was 

 read, and some unimportant criticisms made on the 

 appearance of the farm and condition of the stock 

 M. Brown read a receipt for making butter gather. 



which is to add a gallon of weak brine at a tempera- 

 ture of sixty-five degrees, churn a little and let it 

 stand fifteen minutes ; then skim off the butter, 

 disturbing the buttermilk as little as possible, then 

 put the butter in another weak brine and there will 

 be no trouble in gathering the butter. 



After the reading of several selections by different 

 members of the club the following question was 

 adopted for consideration at the next meeting : 

 " Does it pay farmers in this section to take up their 

 land with orchards or would it be better to farm the 

 land and buy their fruit ?" 



The next meeting will be held at the residence of 

 Jos. R. Blackburn, on the second Saturday in March. 



AGRICULTURE. 



A Two-Story Milking-Stool. 



The AqricuUurist tells how to make a two-story 

 railking-stool that presents a number of conveniences. 

 A board the width of an ordinary stool seat and 

 twice the length, forms the first floor and rests upon 

 four stout legs. The two rear legs pass up through 

 the long board and furnish two legs for a short 

 board above that forms the seat, two front legs being 

 placed in the stool. A cleat is placed on the front 

 edge of the long board to keep the pail, which is set 

 on the front half of the first floor, from falling off 

 during the process of milking. This arrangement 

 prevents any necessity for placing the pail on the 

 ground and brings it nearer to the udder. 

 ^ 



Small Farms. 



One of the most marked and striking features of 

 present conditions throughout the country is the ten- 

 dency towards small farms. Things have been 

 taking this direction in New England and the more 

 thickly-settled States of the North for a long time 

 but it is only within a few years that this has come 

 to be the case in the South. There, under the 

 slavery system, large plantations were the rule, but 

 this is rapidly becoming changed In Florida, for 

 instance, a large portion of the land is becoming 

 utilized for truck-fai-ms and the raising of fruits- 

 This business already demands very extensive trans- 

 portation facilities, and the " Land of Flowers" 

 expects bye-and-bye to be able to supply the Northern 

 market with an almost unlimited amount of early 

 vegetables and fruits. Last year tomatoes, green 

 peas, cucumbers, and other delicate vegetables were 

 received here as early as the 1st of February, and 

 strawberries at fabulous prices began to appear very 

 soon afterward. In portions of Florida vegetables 

 may be raised every month in the year. Whether In 

 Florida or upon Long Island, the best returns are 

 found to be derived from a small area highly cultl. 

 vated. Year by year the number of farmers who 

 own very much more land than they can properly 

 cultivate, and upon which they are hard pushed to 

 pay the taxes, Is diminishing, and the number who 

 have small farms, and better still, who own them 

 free and clear. Is Increasing. It is a good omen for 

 the future of this country, and there is wisdom iu 

 the old and homely Hues that describe as the best 

 possession of a man : 



" A little farm well tilled, 



A little barn well filled, 



A little wile well willed." 

 Flalbush, L. I., Rural and Brighton Gazette. 



Bone Meal Manure. 



Last year we gave ground bone manure a pretty 

 thorough trial, and on the whole we are better satis- 

 fled with It than with any other commercial fertil- 

 izer we have ever used. Its effects are not so imme- 

 diate as those of the superphosphates and guanos, 

 but it has staying qualities far beyond any of them, 

 and when properly applied will give satisfactory re- 

 sults the first season. We prepared it by mixing 

 one part bone with two of wood i.shes and then wet- 

 ting the mixture, after which it was shoveled over 

 several times at Intervals of four or five days, when 

 the boue was thoroughly reduced and incorporated 



