1883.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMEK. 



155 



better. Some books on fruit culture, the 

 French esi)ecially, give diagrams to show how 

 the tree should be shaped. The.se are well 

 enough as suggestions, but as no two trees 

 grow precisely alike, the only guides in such 

 matters are, a general idea of tlie laws which 

 regulate tree growtli, and common sense in 

 their application. Working to pattern can 

 not be followed. If one has a young orchard, 

 the first point to be considered is the heightat 

 which he will make the heads of his trees. 

 In localities where the summer is long and 

 hot, it is claimed that low heads shade the 

 trunk, and thus are a benefit. Others wish 

 to have the heads high enough to allow of the 

 passage of teams beneath them, if need be. 

 While there is no objection to cultivaling 

 crops in a young orchard, and indeed it is 

 better to do this than to neglect the soil en- 

 tirely, the pr ctice is becoming more general 

 of seeding the bearing orchard to clover, and 

 using it as a pasture for swine, to the mutual 

 benefit of pigs and trees. The height of the 

 heads being decided upon, all branches that 

 start below this should be removed. The next 

 point should be to secure an open and well- 

 balanced head, with the main branches evenly 

 disposed. Beyond this, all branches that 

 crowd, or cross one another, all " water 

 shoots," vigorous growths, that sometimes 

 start up in the growing season, should be cut 

 away. The season's growth being completed, 

 the removal of branches at this time will 

 cause no check, and as the branches to be cut 

 away are all small, no large wounds will be 

 exposed. Hence we say, by all means do 

 such pruning in autumn, while the weather is 

 mild, and other farm work is not pressing. — 

 American Agriculturist for Auyiist. 



Our Local organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL 

 AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A stated meetiog of the Lancaster County Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Society was held in their 

 room in city hall Monday afternoon, October 1st. 



The following named members were present : 

 John C. Linville, Gap ; Henry M. Engle, Marietta; 

 M. D. Kendig, Cresswell ; Wm. H. Brosius, Drumore ; 

 John Wood, Little Britain ; W. W. GrieBt, city ; F. 

 R. DifTenderfl'er, city; S. P. Eby, city; John H. 

 Landis, Millersville ; P. S. Keist, C. L. Hunsecker, 

 Manheim township; Dr. W. H. Bollinger, city; 

 Ephraim S. Hoover, Manheim township. 



In the absence of the President, Henry M. Engle 

 was called to the chair. 



The Lehigh County Fair. 



Johnson Miller, from the committee appointed to 

 represent the society at the Lehigh county annual 

 fair, sent in a paper which was read. It states that 

 the committee, consisting of Messrs. Miller, Landis 

 and Brosius, visited the fair and found 3.5,000 persons 

 in attendance. The fair was in every respect a great 

 success. The floral department was magnificent ; 

 the horticultural department showed 977 plates of 

 fine fruit ; there were 2i'2 stalls filled with fine cattle 

 aud 100 stables of superb horses ; the cereal and 

 vegetable departments were very well represented, 

 as were also the household, machinery and other 

 departments ; the grounds aud buildings are com- 

 plete in every respect, and are valued at $3,800. 

 The society numbered 700 active members and is in 

 a flourishing condition. 



Mr. Landis, from the same committee, re.ad a 

 supplementary iu which it was stated that notwith- 

 standing the immense crowds iu attendance the 

 order and decorum on the ground was of a most 

 marked character, and conduct of the people being 



unexceptionable, and the presence of the rowdy 

 element scarcely observable. In answer to a ques- 

 tion Mr. Landis said that there were trials of speed 

 of horses at the fair, and there were the customary 

 sideshows on the grounds. 



The Oxford Fair. 

 James Wood, from the committee appointed to 

 attend the Oxford fair, reported that he had been 

 there, found a very creditable display of stock, a 

 rather small exhibit of farm madiinery, a jioor repre- 

 sentation of household manufactures, and other 

 articles usually seen at fairs. The order upon the 

 grounds was good. 



Crop Reports. 



M. D. Kendig reported that in Manor township 

 the corn crop was a fair average and had escaped 

 any serious damage by the frost ; the farmers are 

 now busy seeding, this work having been put olf 

 later than usual on account of the late frequent 

 rains. The pear crop is abundant, there are a few 

 peaches, but scarcely any apples. Tlie pasture Is 

 excellent ; potatoes are very plentiful and of good 

 quality ; nearly all the tobacco has lieeu safely housed 

 and is curing well— a few frost bitten patches being 

 yet uncut. Unusual interest is manifested among 

 farmers in the matter of feeding cattle, the object 

 being to obtain stable manure for the tobacco fields. 

 The rainfall for September, (not including the heavy 

 rain of Sunday night) was four and seven tenth 

 inches. 



James Wood said .the corn crop in Little Britain 

 was on the whole very fair ; in some fields the yield 

 was extraordinary, though it was rather slow in 

 ripening, and not more than one half of it has been 

 as yetcutofl'; it received but little injury from the 

 frost ; the sweet potatoes, however, were badly 

 nipped ; tomatoes, of which there is an immense 

 crop, escaped injury thus far. 



Levi S. Reist reported the corn to be generally 

 very good, but owing to the lateness of the season he 

 thought there would be a great deal of soft corn, 

 aud advised farmers to be careful in selecting their 

 seed next spring. 



Wm. H. Brosius said the corn in Drumore was 

 very fine and had not been hurt by the frost ; the 

 grass and the clover are excellent ; the fall wheat is 

 yet too young to say much about. 



John C. Linville said the corn was a fair average 

 in Salisbury, but some of it was frost bitten. Taking 

 the farm crops altogether, he would say that all 

 were good. and none very extra. 



S.P. Eby said he was more fortunate than some 

 others in that he liad a good crop of peaches. In 

 regard to other crops he endorsed what other mem- 

 bers had said. He added that the acorn crop, which 

 is not often referred to, was a very large one. 



Henry M. Kngle reported the corn crop along the 

 river in the vicinity of Marietta as unusually good, 

 and some of it suffered a little from frost. He never 

 saw the grass, and clover more luxuriant, from 

 young clover sown in the spring he had cut two good 

 crops of green feed for his cattle. The seeding of 

 fall grain has been late, on account of rains. The 

 rainfall for the past month was three inches. 

 Darwinism in the Cornfield. 



John C. Linville read the following paper : 

 ■ We often hear the remark that the " weeds grow 

 faster than the corn " or the " weeds grow but the 

 beans do not," and surprise is manifested that such 

 should be the case. We need not go far to ascertain 

 the cause. It is a striking example of the " survival 

 of the fittest," in the "struggle for existence" 

 among plants. 



Most of the weeds are native, although many of 

 them have been imported, and finding a congenial 

 home here have become adapted to their environ- 

 ments and are widely disseminated. The hardy and 

 proliflc plants crowd out the less vigorous ones 

 whether they be " weeds or not. A weed has been 

 defined as "a plant of place." Tobacco is very 

 properly called a " vile weed," but if left to struggle 

 with rag weed, toad flax and Canada thistle would 

 soon cease to exist. 



Another reason why cultivated plants so soon 



Boccumb to the encroachments of weeds Is that by 

 artificial selection and careful culture an enormous 

 development of fruit has been obtained partlv at the 

 expense of the hardiness of the plant. The environ- 

 ment of the plant has been so changed by high fertll 

 izalion of the soil and thorough culture that there 

 is no longer any necessity for that vigor of constitu- 

 tion found in the plant In Its wild state. If the 

 wheat plant were left to fight its way with the many 

 weeds found In our fields It would rapidly deteriorate 

 into a condition similar to the wild wheal from 

 which it is said to have been obtained. The plant In 

 this struggle would, If It did not become extinct, 

 develop a fruit probably utterly unfit for human 

 food, and yet It would be a survival of the fittest. 

 In that sense, the flltest Is the plant which is best 

 adapted to its environment, aud can best reproduce 

 its species, without this the surface of the globe 

 would soon become a " howling wilderness," and as 

 destitute of animate beings as the moon. 



A Free Discussion. 



At a former meeting of the society a question was 

 referred for answer to W. H. Brosius as to whether 

 the meetings of the Lancaster County Agricultural 

 Society were of any benefit to the community, and If 

 so why they were not more largely attended. Mr. 

 Brosius, not having been present to answer the 

 question at last meeting, Levi S. Kelst prepared a 

 paper which he read at this meeting. He showed at 

 some length that the society had been of great ad- 

 vantage to the community, having introduced among 

 our farmers many valuable varieties of fruits, grains, 

 trees and vegetables unknown to them before the 

 society was organized ; and further that many 

 valuable suggestions had been made and essays 

 read before the society which had been published In 

 the newspapers and spread broadcast among the 

 people. He thought the society and the public 

 owed much to the newspapers for the full reports 

 which they published ol Its proceeding. And yet 

 this was, perhaps, one reason why the meetings 

 were not more largely attended by farmers ; they 

 all take the papers and expect to see the proceedings 

 of the meetings pulished in them. Another reason 

 for the slim attendance may be that younger and 

 more vigorous men are needed at the head of society 

 than the old members who organize and have thus 

 far carried it along. For one, he had done what he 

 could during the past twenty years to help it along, 

 but he was ready at any time to give place to 

 younger and more vigorous leaders ; but he would 

 not like to see the old society go down, even If It 

 could not get up great fairs like those of Lehigh and 

 other counties. 



Mr. Brosius, after apologizing for his absence at 

 the former meeting, said that it docs not argue be- 

 cause Lancaster county is behind Lehigh and Chester 

 and Lebanon in getting up big fairs that we are 

 behind them in agriculture. On the contrary we are 

 in this respect ahead of any county in the State. 

 While it may not be true that our precedence in this 

 respect is due to this society, he felt sure that the 

 society exercised great Influence In this direction. A 

 large proportion of our farmers are plain people, 

 who dislike parade and show, who keep themselves 

 well informed on all matters pertaining to agricul- 

 ture, but take no interest in fairs, horse races and 

 side-shows. 



S. P. Eby, Esq., said the local society was doing 

 good work, and Its members need not be ashamed 

 bocause they had not organized great shows like 

 their neighbors In Lehigh and other counties. These 

 fairs are no true test of excellence. The markets 

 are a far better test, and he was quite willing to 

 compare the products of the farm brought to our 

 markets two, three or four times a week, with the 

 products of any other farmers carried to any other 

 markets. He had attended the fair lately given in 

 this city and regarded it In most respects as a show. 

 He had seen nothing worth seeing except the agricul- 

 tural implements and the live stock, and he would be 

 very sorry to see this society attempt to get up such 

 a fair with its side-shows and horse races and pool- 

 gceling. It would be below the dignity of this 



