1883.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i89 



published by the " Smithsonian Institution," the 

 orieinal being the oldcsl and tlrst contribution to 

 scientific entomological literature in the Unitcil 

 States of America, its date tieing about IHl'J. He 

 always accorded a willinir help to students in ento. 

 mology, and lilierally compensated them for any 

 favors granted him from their collections. His 

 labors are now ended on earth, but his name will be 

 transmitted to posterity as long as the changing 

 things of time endure. 



Dr. Kathvon read an article clipped from the 

 daily papers in reference to a species of white ants, 

 infesting and undermining the wood-worit of the 

 State capital building of Massachusetts, and com- 

 mented upon the same. He also read notes on some 

 of the articles donated to this meeting, and also 

 additional notes upon tlie grape lly donated at last 

 meeting. 



Dr. Dubbs then read an article on the " Phallic 

 Statuette," exhibited by him to the members. 



Action on constitution and liy-laws was continued. 

 There was quite a number of visitors in attendance. 

 After discussing the various donations and papers 

 read the society adjourned to meet on Saturday 

 afternoon, December 29, ISSS, at 2 P. .VI., which will 

 be our annual meeting. 



FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



The Fulton Farmers',Club met at the residence of 

 E. H. Haines, on Dec. 1,188.S. The members were 

 nearly all present and Edwin Keynolds and wife, 

 Samuel Haines, James Hadley and wife and James 

 Mason, were present as visitors. The minutes of 

 the last meeting were read and approved. 



Sol. Gregg exhibited several Dominie apples and 

 Wm. King showed a sample of his variety of field 

 corn. 



Questions and Answers. 



Williiam King aslced if is profitable to use more 

 than 500 pounds of South Carolina Hock to the acre 

 on one crop ? Lindley King thought it was not 

 profitable. 



Sol. Gregg said he has experimented with from'200 

 to 1 ,200 pounds per acre, and thinks that .500 pounds 

 is the maximum amount that it is advisable to apply 

 at one time. He also thought that it is better to use 

 smaller amounts and apply oftener. 



This question raised some discu.=siou in the club as 

 to whether South Carolina rock was really a manure, 

 or whethei it only acted as a stimulant, but all pres- 

 ent were of the opinion that it was the cheapest fer- 

 tilizer farmers of this section could buy. Several 

 members cited cases where "200 pounds appeared to 

 make as much show as 800 or 1,000 pounds did. 



This leads one to suppose that its action on the 

 soil was only stimulating. 



Sol. Gregg thought there is a limit to the applica- 

 tion of any kind of manure to a profit. 



There being visitors from other sections of the 

 country, Montillion Brown asked them how lime was 

 acting in their neighborhood. Mr. Edward Keynolds, 

 of Cecil county, Md., said lime was not giving much 

 satisfaction with them ; and James Hadley, of the 

 same county, was of the same opinion. 



E. H. Haines asked what was the best kind of hay 

 knife? There were several kinds spoken of. The 

 old fashioned kind and a patent one, which could be 

 bought at any hardware store, were mentioned as 

 the best. 



Rebecca King asked if German carp would live in 

 stagnant water ? Edward Keynolds, a person who 

 has had several years' experience, and has been very 

 successful in raising these fish, answered that he 

 thought they would not. Mr. Keynolds read from a 

 pamphlet, published by the United States Fish Com- 

 mission, answering all questions relating to carp 

 culture. 



The club then adjourned for dinner, after which 

 the usual after dinner stroll and inspection of the 

 host's farm, buildings and stock, was made. 

 Afternoon Session. 



The club being called to order, the minutes of the 

 last meeting held here were read, and criticisms on 

 farm management was called for. 



Mont. Brown spoke favorably of the host's fine 

 herd of Jersey cows. 



\Vm. King noticed a new porch on the east side of 

 the house and a new kitchen In the rear, and every- 

 thing that came under the observation of the club 

 was in good order, but some of the members noticed 

 his silo, which was built some years ago, empty. 



Tlie host read an article from the rntclicnl Farmfr 

 entitled " Farmers of Today," giving a comparison 

 to what they were fifty years ago. 



Miss Bell Mooney read a well written essay on 

 " Decorations of the Farmer's Homo." 



Carrie Blackburn recited Paddy O'Sheff. 



"Are eannnrics of any benefit to the farmers of the 

 communities in which they are ?" ihe question posi- 

 poneil at a former meeting, was then taken up lor 

 discussion, but the drift of the remarks showed very 

 little personal experience as regards profit. 



Sol. Gregg, the only one present who had fur- 

 nished cainierics in any amount, gave the following 

 report as the results of the present year's operations: 

 One acre of corn, a good application of barnyard 

 mamn-e and 400 pounds of South Carolina rock, 

 yielded 97 bushels of corn at 7.5 cents, or a total of 

 $72.75 ; one acre of tomatoes, the ground treated 

 the same as for the corn, yielded 375 bushels at 25 

 cents, or a total of §9:).75. He stated that the fod- 

 der was a total loss, as it was impossible to cure it 

 so as to keep. This acre of ground would have 

 raised IJO bushels of field corn. As to any advantage 

 to farmers living in the neighborhood of canneries, 

 the club was of the opinion that they were of no 

 benefit ; that they demoralize farm labor and by 

 bringing large bodies of men, women and children 

 together and also compelling night work, it was of 

 no benefit to the morals of a neighborhood. 



Edward Reynolds spoke of the benefits and pleas- 

 ure it gave him him in attending this meeting, and 

 made a donation of 100 German carp for the benefit 

 of the club. 



A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Keynolds 

 for this generous gift. 



The club then adjourned to meet at Grace A. 

 King's, on January 5, 1884. 



AGRICULTURE. 



The Benefit of Drainage. 



The land can be utilized for crops to the depth 

 that it is drained, but no deeper. Drainage not only 

 deepens the soil but improves its texture and quality. 

 The air will penetrate the soil as deep as it is drained 

 and impart to it fertilizing qualities ; it enables us to 

 work sooner after rains; it makes the ground much 

 warmer, and docs it much sooner by the warm rains 

 passing through it ; it enables us to get at our work 

 much earlier iu the spring ; it starts our crops two 

 weeks earlier ; it prevents crops from freezing out in 

 winter ; it enables us to get the full benefit of manures 

 that W'ould be soaked and washed away if not 

 drained ; it improves the quality of hay and pas- 

 ture ; it gets our fields in a cleaner and healthier con 

 dition ; it prevents surface washing ; it makes the 

 surface more friable and mellow, and easier to culti- 

 vate ; it prevents land from becoming sour by remov- 

 ing all standing water before it becomes stagnant ; 

 it banishes the chills and fever, and other forms of 

 malarial diseases. 



Tile drainage is much the cheapest and most 

 cfl'ectual way of drying up wet and muddy roads ; it 

 will assist in drying up the mud around farm build- 

 ings ; it will change that pale and sickly hue from 

 your children's complexion to that of the blooming 

 rose. As more of the mysteries of vegetable growth 

 are solved, the more will successful farmers learn of 

 the great benefit of tile drainage. — Oermatitowii Tele- 

 graph. 



Absorbing Power of Soil. 



" Fill a bottle which has a hole in the bottom 

 with fine river sand or half-dry garden earth, pour 

 gradually into the bottle thick and purified dung- 

 liquor until its contents are saturated. The liquid 

 that flows out at the lower opening appears almost 

 odorless and colorless and has entirely .lost its origi- 

 narproperties." Liebig found that " water holding 



ammonia In solution when poured upon clay ran 

 through deprived of this substance." Prof. Way 

 has made elaborate experiments to determine the 

 composition of drain-water from grain fields. He 

 found that In 100,000 parts of drain water there were 

 from 35 to fiO parts of Impurities consisting of ten 

 mineral substances and a little organic matter. 

 These were pretty satisfactorily proven to be dis- 

 solved from the soil. What Is called ordinary pure 

 water does not differ nnilerially from drain-water as 

 thus determined. Bronner comes to this conclusion: 

 These examples sufliciently |)rove that the soil, even 

 sand, possesses Ihe property of attracting and ab- 

 sorbing the attracted matter, «o that the naler which 

 guhsef/iienthj paitnex is not fthle to remove Ihetn ; even 

 the soluble salts are absorbed, and are only washed 

 out to a small extent by new quantities of water. 



The practical bearing of these facts Is apparent. 

 The absorption of matter from the wafer of the sur- 

 face as it passes through the soil would be lm|K>Esl- 

 ble iu an undrained, or surfa-'erdralned soil, for the 

 water must flow over the surface to some outlet 

 channel, or be evaporated and leave the surface Iu 

 the form of volatile gas. 



A drained soil acts as a collector and condenser of 

 gases and vapor from the air. While it Is true that 

 water absorbs and holds within itself large quanti- 

 ties of ammonia and carbotilc acid, yet in this coodt- 

 lion tliey are of but little value to plants. — Elmira 

 Husband man. 



Raspberry Canes and Crops. 



I used to think it of little consequence when the 

 old canes of blackcaps were cut. Wild raspberries 

 continued to bear well, though the old wood was 

 never removed. But recent experience and experi- 

 ment has convinced me that they should be re- 

 moved as soon as the fruit Is gathered. At this 

 season the old bearing canes are yet alive and may 

 be cut easily with a sharp hook attached to a handle 

 two feet long, after which the field may be more 

 thoroughly cultivated and hoed than if the encum- 

 bering canes were in the way. 



But aside from this the old canes appear to draw 

 on the vitality of the plant, and seriously atfcct its 

 subsequent capacity for beari[ig fruit. It is now 

 held by scieuiiBc men that a dead branch exhausts 

 the vitality of the tree as much as though alive. 

 The dead canes on raspberry bushes would appear 

 to affect them in like manner. Bushes not cleared 

 of old canes produce small, defective, crumbling 

 specimens. The first year or two the bushes are not 

 so seriously affected. Hereafter we will trim ours 

 as soon as the fruit is gathered, sweep them out of 

 the spaces between rows with a one-horse rake, sim- 

 ilar to a steel-toothed hay-rake, but very short and 

 no wheels, and save the aslies. 



Blackcap raspDerries are one of the most certain 

 crops, and are as sure of sale as wheat. If not 

 wanted fresh picked they pay as well cva[X)rated. 

 After one learns how to manage them there is no 

 more trouble to harvest them than most farm crops. 

 A young girl often has charge of fifty pickers on our 

 place, but it pays to have a competent person walk- 

 ing about to see that the work Is well done. Our 

 blaikcaps bring in about 8150 per acre, gross 

 income, on the average for the fruit alone. The 

 crop of plants from the same acre is as valuable as 

 the fruit, often more so. The blackcap abhors low, 

 wet ground, but if such Is drained it will thrive 

 therein. Souhegan or Tyler, for early, and Gregg 

 for late, are the best varieties. — New York Tribune. 



HORT2CU .rURE. 



Care of Raspberries. 



Not only is the raspberry one of the most delicious 

 berries, but If properly managed Is the most profit- 

 able. The raspberry is no more trouble to raise than 

 corn, and will yield a profit of from $200 to $300 

 per acre. 



Now that tha fruiting season Is past the old canes 

 should be cut out. This should be done that all the 



