158 



THE LANCASTKE FARMER. 



[October, 



piven in books as 15 inches. The class Batrachia is 

 subdivided into three conspicuous orders — namely, 

 Anoura, or tailless ; Urodela, or tailed, and the 

 Apoda, or snakeshaped, being entirely destitute of 

 limbs, and are confined mainly to the tropics. This 

 subject then belongs to the tailed order of Batra- 

 chians, and to the family Amphiumidoe, or gilless, 

 breathing through a branchial orifice instead of 

 gills, at all periods of their existence. They are 

 most "unwelcome guests" in the Susquehanna, or 

 any other streams, for they 'are voracious devourers 

 of flsh, mollusks, and other small water animals. 

 They live entirely in the water, and have a very de- 

 fective locomotion out of it, and yet it is conjectured 

 that they must have somehow passed frem the head 

 waters of the Allegheny to those of the Susquehanna. 

 Skeleton of the anterior limb of Cervus Virginanis, 

 donated by Geo. Flick. Two birds nests collected in 

 Lancaster county, in July, 1883, and four mounted 

 specimens of Exotic Ferns donated by S. M. Sener. 

 Specimens of Dodocathean Miedia and seed stem of 

 same from Perry county, per Mrs. Gibbons. Speci- 

 mens of JuDcus Balticus, found in|Dillerville swamps, 

 per Dr. S. S. Rathvon. Specimens of " Thrydop- 

 terix ephemariformis," by Prof. Stahr. Piece of 

 coal and splinters of a mast from wrecked vessels on 

 Atlantic coast from G. A. Heinitsh. Two old style 

 fire hats, one old fire bag, and a fire horn (which 

 was presented to the Union Hose Company by Thos. 

 E. Franklin, in 1840) purchased for and donated to 

 the Linnsean by C. A. Heinitsh. A paper entitled 

 Linnsean Notes was then read by Mrs. Gibbons, and 

 an article on the picture of the Indian altar was 

 read by W. L. Gill. Robert C. Bair, of York Furnace, 

 was proposed as a correspondent, and Walter P. 

 King, of Lancaster, as a regular member. Laid 

 over for one month according to constitution. Two 

 communications from the Department of the In- 

 terior in reference to exchange of publications were 

 then read and acted ujjon. Secretary ordered to 

 send them a copy of Lancaster Farmer monthly. 

 Action on amendments to constitution deferred until 

 next month. Action of curators in purchasing some 

 Indian relics was approved and bill for same, and 

 also bill of $1.35 for taxidermy and alcohol, etc., 

 ordered to be paid. Treasurer reported that since 

 last meeting he had 29 serial volumes bound, and 

 would present bill for same at next meeting. The 

 Society then adjourned to meet on Saturday, October 

 27, at 2}4 P. M. 



STATE ORGANIZATIONS. 



PENNSYLVANIA WOOL-GROWERS. 



At a meeting, August 13lh, 1.S83, at the Fulton 

 House, Washington, Pa., of the Executive Commit- 

 tee of the Pennsylvania Wool-Growers' and Sheep 

 Breeders' Association, it was 



Besolved, 1st, That thorough organization of the 

 Pennsyvania wool growers can only be attained by 

 united eflort to assist organization in the different 

 counties represented through the State Association, 

 and that the State Executive Committee have 

 posters adapted to the use of the different counties 

 of the State, which to furnish Vice Presidents or 

 others desiring to organize auxilliary associations to 

 the State Association, through the Secretary of the 

 State Association. 



2d, That the time and place of meeting be ar- 

 ranged by Vice Presiiients of districts, or in counties 

 havinn no Vice President by some person corres- 

 ponding with the Secretary of the State Association. 



od, "That the Executive Committee, or some mem 

 ber thereof, will meet and assist counties to organize 

 auxilliary associations. 



John McDowell, Pres. 

 J. C. McNaky, 

 Wm. a. Herriott, 



Executive Committee. 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



The following from the Erie Gazette of August 

 12th is of interest to all Agriculturists. 



The State Board of Agricultui*e was in session in 

 this city last week, and with much routine business, 

 many valuable papers were read. On Wednesday 

 the board visited W. L. Scott's farm and inspected it 

 generally, pronouncing it one of the best farms in the 



country. We make a few extracts from their doings 

 as being of both general and local interest. 



At the discussion of " birds vs. Insects," by Pro" 

 fessor W. A. Buckhout, entomologist of the board' 

 there was considerable interest excited when the 

 English sparrow came up for comment. Of all that 

 august body, representing 67 counties of Pennsylva- 

 nia, there was not a soul had the hardihood to say a 

 good word for the foreigner, even for argument's 

 sake. He was denounced in general terms of con- 

 tempt on account of pugnaciousness, lack of tidy 

 habits, keen appetite for grain fields and general 

 uselessness, except as a terrorizer to all the bird 

 creation. One member in the course of his rejecting 

 over the law which provides for the birds' destruc- 

 tion, said that he had seen a sparrow give battle and 

 vanquish a crow. The Board of Agriculture as a 

 body " go agin" the sparrow. 



Potato culture was discussed at length after the 

 reading of M. W. Oliver's paper. Mr. Oliver was 

 cble to give the convention considerable information 

 in regard to this important industry in this section of 

 the State. 



Mr. Reeder, of Bucks, who read the report on 

 dairy and dairy products, furnished the following 

 important information secured by him in answer to 

 printed forms sent out. 



The whole number of horned cattle in the State 

 was thus found to be as follows : 



Milk cows, 854,1.56, at $40 a head, valued at $34,- 

 166,240. Other cattle, 861,019, at $20, $17,220,380. 

 Oxen, 15,062, at $40, $602,4S0, making the total 

 value of horned cattle $51,839,100. 

 Dairy Products. 



Butter, 79,336,012 lbs. at 25c., $19,834,003; milk, 

 36,.540,540 gallons, at 15c., $5,481,081; cheese, 

 1,008,686 lbs. at 13c., $121,042.33. Total, $35,436,- 

 136.32. 



The average annual price of butter per lb. in the 

 State was found to be 25 cents, cheese, 10 

 cents, milk 4 cents per quart, and the average price 

 of dairy cows $40. 



Regarding the cost of production it had been as- 

 certained that for butter it is 20 cents per pound in 

 55 counties. In 24 counties the cost of producing 

 cheese is to put at 8 cents per pound, and 55 coun- 

 ties reported the cost of producing milk at 3 cents 

 per quart. The average cost of raising dairy cows 

 until three years old is $30 in 60 counties, the highest 

 figures being given from Erie, $35 to $40, and the 

 lowest. Clarion county, $10. 



The profit upon these products was given to be 5 

 cents per pound on butter, 2 cents on cheese, 1 cent 

 on milk per quart, and $10 per head on dairy cows. 



Regarding the principal market for dairy products, 

 53 counties report that they are mainly engaged in 

 supplying their home markets with dairy products, 

 the remaining 15 only supply a portion and send 

 more or less to other States. 



Statistics as to the number of creameries in the 

 State show that there are 194 in full operation in 

 the State. The introduction of creameries into this 

 State is considered a great blessing and relief to over- 

 worked housewives. 



There were 6 creameries in Erie county in 1870 

 and there are 28 at the present time. The average 

 price of butter per pound in Erie is giVen by two 

 correspondents as 35 and 37 cents per pound ; cheese 

 at 12 and 14 cents ; milk at 5 cents. 



D^vid Wilson, of Union, volunteered an exceed 

 ingly well written paper on the agriculture of Erie 

 county. 



The paper by G. Heister, of Dauph'n, upon grapes 

 in eastern Pennsylvania, varieties of profit, etc, elic- 

 ited considerable argument, in which Calvin Leet, of 

 Harborcreek, spoke intelligently. Mr. Beebe, from 

 Venango county, reported that his vines had been at- 

 tacked by the " black knot." Nothing of the kind 

 had been heard of before and no remedy was sug- 

 gested nor cause assigned. Professor W. A. Buck- 

 hout, entomologist to the board, discussed the mat- 

 ter at some length. 



The question " How shall a farmer spend his 

 winter evenings so as to promote his general inter- 



ests ?" was ably written upon at length by Hon. A. 

 N. Perrin, of Crawford county. 



Place for Next Meeting. 



The board at the morning session fixed the time 

 and place for the next meeting. Lock Haven and 

 Bloomsburg, Columbia county, were named, but 

 finally the board selected West Chester and fixed 

 the time for the third Wednesday in October, with 

 privilege to the advisory board to change date. 



AGRICULTURE. 



Corn Fodder. 



When the farmer has stored up the ears of corn in 

 his bins he has laid by only two-thirds of the feeding 

 value of his crop. The stalks that bore his corn hold 

 another third. Yes, the stalks or corn fodder, as it 

 is called, is worth nearly or quite one-half the grain 

 for feeding stock. Governor Boutwell estimates the 

 value of his fodder at one-half the value of his hay ; 

 that is, if hay sold at $20, fodder was worth $10, 

 and for every ton of fodder used he sold one ton of 

 hay. Dr. Sturtevant estimates his fodder at six- 

 tenths the value of his hay ; that is, when he sold 

 his hay at $23 his corn fodder brought him in cash 

 $13.20 a ton. Yet so many farmers ignorant of -its 

 true value regard it only as a necessary evil, and 

 waste it or even burn it. It should be cared for when 

 husking time comes with as much certainty as the 

 grain. The few who have large barns and only mod- 

 erate fields of corn can stow it away loosely in their 

 barns, but this method is not generally feasible. To 

 handle it easily bind it near the middle into small, 

 compact bundles, tying with rye straw or tarred, 

 twine. After a dozen or so are tied set them up 

 carefully in shocks. As soon as possible after husk- 

 ing carry them under sheds or into barns, have them 

 ricked or stacked convenient to the barn or cattle- 

 yards. The great essential is to keep them from be- 

 ing washed and bleached by the rains. By expos- 

 ure, the carbo-hydrates, the nutritious parts, are 

 changed to fibre. Dr. Lawcs is authority for the 

 statement that dried fodder loses nothing hut the 

 water in the drying. Therefore, its value is equal to 

 that of green fodder, and it can be restored to its 

 original condition by soaking in water. — Vaughn's 

 Manual. 



How Much Wheat Seed Per Acre ? 



Where wheat is not at all crowded, in a rich, mel- 

 low soil, and the tilleringis not impeded, the average 

 number of stems for each plant is about sixteen. 

 Each one produces a head or ear, containing on an 

 average, under reasonably favorable conditions, fifty 

 grains. Thus one grain yields eight hundred grains. 

 At this rate, the man who sows two bushels to the 

 acre, would harvest sixteen hundred bushels per 

 acre, or else much of the seed is lost. The average 

 yield of the country, however, is less than (ifteen 

 bushels per acre. A bushel of wheat contains, or- 

 dinarily, seven hundred and fifty thousand grains ; 

 two bushels, oi e million five hundred thousand 

 grains. An acre of land contains slightly above six 

 million square inches. So that each plant has four 

 square inches from which to derive sustenance. 

 Measure that on the ground, and see how small it is. 

 Can you expect the plant to make a vigorous 

 growth on four square inches ? Can you expect it 

 to tiller and produce sixteen stems ? Can you expect 

 it to mature sixteen full heads ? The result of this 

 crowding is plain. The plants cannot gain nutri- 

 ment when growing so densely. Some must die that 

 the others may live. The strong triumph and the 

 weak succumb. This struggle for life begins as soon 

 as the plants appear above ground. As the plants 

 grow larger, they require more room, and others 

 must give way, and very few, if any, attain a full 

 growth. All are cramped and starved. Tilleringis 

 impeded ; many plants do not tiller at all, and those 

 that do, tiller imperfectly. The same is true of ear- 

 ing. Full ears cannot be expected. An ^re of 

 wheat contains about eight hundred thousand heads. 

 It is safe to say that, on account of tillering, these 



