76 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[May, 



yard manure, applyinc: it in a manner that secured 

 good results, thus leading many to credit the good 

 crops more to liming than their otherwise good farm- 

 ing. Some remarks having been made on the wheat 

 field of the host, one-half being much better than 

 the rest, he explained the difference to be caused by 

 drilling fertilizer with the wheat on the part that 

 was best, and on the rest it was sown broadcast pre- 

 vious to drilling — the result, so far, having neen much 

 in favor of drilling with the wheat. Members of 

 the club then read their farm reports for the past 

 year, giving the number of acres in grain, with the 

 yield and average bushels per acre, as follows : 

 Wheat. Corn. Oats. 



Aor. Bua. Acr. Bus. Acr, Bus. 



D. Webster 10 31 17 65 14 30 



T. Baker 13 28 U 07 10 36 



W. N. Wood— 14 32 15 60 8 22 



T. Whitsoii 19 29 10 70 5 29 



Wm. Jackson- 15 30 15 83 15 28 



Asahel Moore.- 11 22 9 57 13 26 



Alison Baker- 14 18 10 52 5 24 



J. Jackson 17 34 12!^ 74 10^ 32 



Wni. Jloore— IS 28 lOX 50 10^ 32 



Dr. Brosius 10 36 18 42 10>4 30 



S. Whitson 22 34J^ 22 65 13 29 



A. Brinton 10^ 24 10 72 8M 39 



H. Brinton 10 20 12 40 12'J 30 



Total acr e a g e 



and average 



1882 179)-^ 28H 170 62 13S)i 30 



Compared with 



last year, 1881. 183 18 163 36;^ 103 38>^ 



Other items were mentioned in the reports, includ- 

 ing potatoes, tobacco, (though the latter has not 

 been encouraged by the members in general, and but 

 two have made a business of growing it to any 

 extent) dairy products, hogs, sheep, fat cattle, 

 poultry, etc. A few 



Items Worthy of Note 

 were the profits from the dairy of one who averages 

 $109 for each cow. This included butter sold, 

 calves, and value of pigs fed on the milk. Another 

 item reported was that of a yield of five hundred 

 bushels of salable potatoes, raised on one and a half 

 acres of ground, sold at an average of sixty-five 

 cents per bushel. The host read a practical essay on 

 the construction of plows and plowing, recommend 

 ing in their structure short beams and longer handles 

 than are now in common use, so as to give the 

 ploughman greater power in steadying the plow and 

 being able to guage the depth and width of the fur- 

 row with greater ease, discountenancing the use of 

 the jointer, on the ground that it threw the surface 

 too much in one place in the bottom ol the furrow, 

 instead of turning it on its edge, as the plows did 

 previous to the jointer's introduction. Two instances 

 were cited of a perceptible diS'erence in wheat where 

 the ground was ploughed, usins; the jointer for part 

 of the field, the wheat being best where it was not 

 used. 



A Discussion. 



Anna Balcer read a selection entitled " The 

 Teacher's Dream," after which the question dis- 

 cussed was, " Is it advisable for farmers to engage 

 in the cultivation of special crops, such as tobacco, 

 potatoes, etc ? " It was thoiight best to not discard 

 any regular crop and devote too much time and 

 labor to any specialty, owing to the liability of fail- 

 ure and sometimes poor market for farnr products, 

 which happen with all at times. A safer plan was 

 to have variety ; then, in case of the failure of one, 

 there would be others in reserve that could be de- 

 pended on. The next question was as to whether it 

 would pay farmers to procure combined reapers and 

 binders for their own use the coming harvest. A 

 few encouraged it, to those having a large acreage 

 of wheat to harvest, in view of the difficulty of pro 

 curing good harvest hands who would do the work 

 as well and rapidly as it can be done with a binder ; 

 but most objected to them, owing to their cost, the 

 amount of room they require for shelter the greater 

 part of the year, being impracticable for harvesting 

 oats. The question was also asked — "would it be 

 profitable to feed cows while pasturing?" Most of 

 hose present thought it would pay to feed them a 

 little, particularly if the pasture becomes short or 

 scant. The following books were received and dis- 

 tributed by the corresponding secretary : Agricul- 

 tural Department report " The Grange, its origin, 



progress and educational purposes ;" report upon the 

 number anil value of farm animals, etc.; "Climate, 

 soil and agricultural capabilities of South Carolina 

 and Georgia ; " report on the distribution and con 

 sumption of corn and wheat, and the rates of trans- 

 portation of farm products; compendium of the 

 tenth census of the United States, in two volumes. 



Adjourned to meet at Theodore Whitson's at the 

 usual time in May. 



THE TUCQUAN CLUB. 



The Tucquan club a social and scientific organiza- 

 tion, which has been in existence for several years, 

 recently resolved to hold annual banquets. The first 

 was given Friday evening, April 20, and was a great 

 success in every respect. The club consists of twenty 

 six members all of whom were present except two. 

 who were absent by reason of ill health. The sup 

 per was served in Mr. Wise's best style, the viands 

 being choice and wines generous. Toasts and 

 speeches, witty sayings and interesting anecdotes 

 kept the company in good humor until midnight, 

 when the party broke up. 



Following is the roll of the Tucquaners : 

 President, Dr. S. S. Rathvon; Vice President, 

 Lewis Haldy; Secretary, Maj. A. C. Reinoehl ; Win. 

 L. Gill, J. B. Warfel, Dr. J. P. Wickersham, T. B. 

 Cochran, E. J. Zahn, H. R. Breneman, George B. 

 Wilson, Capt. W. D. Stauffer, John B. Roth, 

 Alderman A. K. Spurrier, Hiram Stamm, A. H. 

 Fritchey, Sam. Matt. Fridy, H. C. Demuth, Wm. A. 

 Wilson, J. B. Kevinski, G. M. Zahm, Philip D. 

 Baker, John H. Baumgardner and Dr. M. L. Herr. 

 Dr. Engle, of Chester county, was present as an 

 invited guest. 



LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 



The Linnajan Society met on Saturday, April 28th, 

 at 2 P. M., in their Museum-rooms, in Y. M. C. A. 

 building, the President, J. P. Wickersham, in the 

 chair, and seven members in attendance. The min- 

 utes of the previous meeting were read and approved, 

 and dues collected. 



The donations to the museum consisted of about 

 fifty specimens of gold, silver, lead, iron bearing 

 minerals from the Eureka mines in Nevada, and 

 also a small box of gold bearing sand from the same 

 locality, donated by Mrs. L.V. Rawlins, formerly 

 of Lancaster, but now residing at Grand Island, 

 Nebraska. These minerals yield $.500 worth of pre- 

 cious metals to the ton, and the mines are said to be' 

 the most productive on the Pacific slope. Also, a 

 number of dried botanical specimens donated by the 

 same, Mr. George Flick, taxidermist, of this city, 

 donated a cranium of the deer (Cervus Virginianas), 

 five bird craniums and the vertebra of an unknown 

 animal, all nicely prepared. Specimens of Corydalis 

 Flavula, liof., found in Lancaster county, and 

 Anemone Patens, var, Nuttalliana, Li?i, donated by 

 Prof. J. S. Stahr. Dr. S. R. Baker donated a speci- 

 men of terra cotta lumber, a newjpreparation which 

 is being used instead of wood in buildings. It can 

 be sawed and planed like ordinary wood . 



The donations to the library consisted ofNos.5 

 and 9 of vol. 1 of Science, published weekly at Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., by Moses King. Lancaster Farmer 

 for April, 1883. Two numbers of Lippineolt's 

 Monthly Bulletin. Circular No. 4. 1882, of Bureau 

 of Education, on subject of "Planting Trees i" 

 School grounds," from Department of Interior. 

 Three catalogues and four circulars relating to rare 

 and valuable books and publications. Patent Office 

 Gazette, Vol. xxiii., Nos 1 to 17 inclusive. Annual 

 Report of Commissioner of Patents for 1881, The 

 American AnIiqiMrian, for January, 1883, and The 

 Interchange for April 1883. 



Dr. S. S. Rathvon read a highly interesting and 

 valuable paper on "What is an Insect?" This paper 

 was ordered to be published. The committee ap- 

 pointed to revise the by-laws reported progress, and 

 on motion were continued to next meeting. The 

 thanks of the society were, on motion, tendered to 

 the donors to both museum and library. The presi- 



dent then made a few remarks in reference to an 

 address on Objects of the Society, and said that he 

 would be prepared to deliver one some time during 

 the fall. After a chat on various scientific subjects 

 the society .adjourned to meet on Saturday, May 30, 

 18S3, at 2 P. M. in Museum. 



AGRICULTURE. 



Potato Growing. 



If a potato is planted very shallow, or if the soil 1 

 gets washed off so that there is but little space be- 

 tween the planted potato and the surface of the i 

 ground, it will be seen that the new tubes may have 

 little or no soil to protect them from the strong sun- 

 light in which case they also will take on the green 

 color of the stalks and leaves, and become worthless 

 for table use. A good potato must be grown beneath 

 the surface ; and it is entirely contrary to its nature - 

 to form below the level of the bud from which it 

 starts. Roots incline to extend downwards into the 

 soil as well as horizontally, but the underground 

 stems or root sticks, which will swell and enlarge at 

 their terminal bud into the esculent, starchy potato, 

 do not work downward to any considerable degree. 

 The lesson to be learned from this fact is, that if we 

 desire a full crop of good eatable potatoes we must 

 by deep planting or subsequent "hilling up" (or by 

 mulching) give the new tubers plenty of room to 

 form and to grow under the surface, and the hills 

 must be broad enough to contain the potatoes with- 

 out danger from exposure of the ends through the 

 sides of the hill. 



The Supremacy of Grass. 



The great arable crop of the country is maize, 

 worth three-fourths of a billion last year, but the 

 value of grass was very much greater. That portion 

 which is cured for winter use is small compared with 

 what is gathered by the farm animals themselves, in 

 summer, and in every season of the rolling year. It 

 is not the grass farm in England that fails to rent, 

 but the arable rain and turnip lands on which the 

 pinch of competition falls soonest and hardest. 

 Illinois has mainly gone to grass, except about a 

 fourth of the area given up to corn, and prospers in 

 proportion to the extent of verdure. Iowa is fast 

 following the example, and is reaping the reward of 

 this stroke of rural economy. Southern Wisconsin 

 and Southern Minnesota are rapidly extending mow- 

 ing and pasturage, and enlarging flocks and herds, 

 and establishing: butter and cheese factories. The 

 South is beginning to think better of grass ; there is 

 a field for enterprise in dairying and meat produc- 

 tion on the AUeghanian plateaus and slopes which 

 will one day make the fortunes of multitudes. Land 

 can be had at nominal rates, capable of growing 

 clover and orchard grass, in a climate healthful and 

 Comfortable as any in the United States, where a 

 near market for butter and cheese at high prices 

 could be enjoyed until competition should equalize 

 the superior advantage. 



A Good Way to Cultivate a Small Patch of 

 Potatoes. 



Last Spring I planted some Early Ohio and Mag- 

 num Bonum potatoes, covering them from four to 

 six inches with soil. When the weeds began to 

 sprout 1 took a garden rake and raked over every 

 hill, taking off an inch or more of the covering. 

 This operation killed the young weeds coming up 

 in the hills. I then took my shovel plow, cultivating 

 the patch as if the potatoes had been up, (the 

 raking enabling me to see where the hills were.) 

 As soon as the potatoes were up so as to show the 

 rows I plowed them again, repeating the operation 

 every week until the potatoes were on the eve of 

 putting forth buds, when, with a good hoeing (hill- 

 ing but a little) I laid them by. 



And now for the result : I never had as little 

 trouble with weeds, because they didn't get a chance 

 to get a "foothold," and I never harvested bo good a. 



