1884.] 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



iO^ 



deed, in the vast majority of cases we feel 

 that it is useless to make the recommpiiclatinn 

 for we are very sure that the farmer lias no 

 roots. It is a neglect which should not be so 

 prevalent. The dcmaiul in stock feeding; to- 

 day is more for roots than any other one 

 thing. Almost every farm has all that it 

 needs of other kinds of food ; but while the 

 flesh-forming foods contain more moisture 

 than the fat-forming, and therefore arc more 

 like roots in character, they fall far short. 

 There is nothing to take the place of roots ex- 

 cept ensilage, and we are not (juitc ready to 

 believe that even that can. At all events 

 ensilage costs the most, and if we allow it all 

 the advantages over roots that its warmest 

 admirer would claim, the difference in the 

 cost would still, wo think, make roots prefer- 

 able. Why cannot we inaugurate a reform 

 in this matter, and those of us who have 

 never given attention to root crops begin now 

 to do so ? The mangel wurtzel is not diffi- 

 cult of cultivation, and yields enormously, 

 though there are those who believe that the 

 sugar beet is most desirable. However, man- 

 gels are good enough. It would be well if we 

 grew root crops just as we grow other crops, 

 with the object of raising the largest quantity 

 that could be produced consistent with 

 quality. That is the way to grow anything. 

 It does not pay to grow half a croj). If a 

 thing is worth cultivating at all, it is worth 

 cultivating well. But it is better to grow a 

 half crop of roots than none. It is a very 

 careful operation to cultivate roots upon badly 

 prepared or poor land, for it costs just as 

 much to grow an acre of roots on poor land as 

 it does upon rich, and it costs no more to 

 grow them on land that is in proper condition 

 than it does on land that is lumpy, trashy, 

 etc. If the planting is properly done in rows, 

 and the plants are made to stand in line in 

 the row, the cultivation may be done by horse 

 power, and thus save the greatest expense of 

 cultivating roots — hand cultivation. Unless 

 this is done the land should be made scrupu- 

 lously clean of weeds before planting, for 

 every weed adds to the expense unless it is 

 permitted to grow unmolested, and it will add 

 to the expense then in the shape of a dimin- 

 ished crop. When there is a very large acre- 

 age, large gang implements are used by which 

 two or three rows are cultivated at a time. It 

 is better in root cultivation to plow in the 

 fall, and to replow in the .spring. Then level 

 and thoroughly pulverize, and the soil is 

 ready, so far as the mechanical work is con- 

 cerned. — Western Mitral. 



ON HORSEBACK. 



There .seems to be some diversity of opinion 

 as to the practicability of making a combined 

 saddle and harness horse. Many of your 

 readers may be astonished when I tell them 

 that nearly nine-tenths of the horses in the 

 Southern states are accomplished in both 

 directions. The colored people of that dis- 

 trict are fond of horseback riding, especially 

 after the moon goes down. These same col- 

 ored citizens long since learned how to force 

 a young horse into the most comfortable sad- 

 dle gaits, and any one following their in- 

 structions will be amazed at the ease with 

 which the most awkward colt can be made to 

 adopt an easy gait. If the horse is clumsy 



and stupid put a severe curb bit on him, and 

 mount with an aggravating pair of .spurs. 

 Urge him forward into a lively trot, if that is 

 his natural gait. Then rein up sharply with 

 the curb, set the spurs into his Hank, and he 

 will strike a good many distinct and pre- 

 viously unknown gaits in the first hundred 

 yards. When he drops to the movement you 

 like hold him to it with a steady hand, and, 

 when he leaves it, keep starting and stopping 

 him until he finds it again. Such harsh treat- 

 ment is needed only with stuborn and stu|>id 

 colts. A horse of ordinary intelligence and 

 activity will need but a few lessons to take 

 the saddle git, known familiarly as the rack, 

 and, indeed, alAost any of the fancy gaits, 

 and when once the motion is acquired it will 

 never be forgotten. 



At our fairs in Kentucky numbers of horses 

 are yearly shown that combine great style 

 with rapid saddle gaits and a speed of less 

 than three minutes to harness. A thoroughly 

 trained horse will take any gait at the slight- 

 est intimation from his rider. A raising of 

 the hand will send him into a canter. He 

 will fall into a rack at a pressure ou his 

 withers, or into a trot if his rider rises in the 

 stirrups, if in active use every day, he will 

 take his instructions almost by intuition. A 

 .slight pressure of the knee will turn him ; 

 leaning the body forward will start him in his 

 gait, and settling back in the saddle will 

 bring him to a walk. 



The most difficult gait to teach ahorse, and 

 the best one for him to know, is a smooth 

 fox-trot, which is a rapid kind of walk. The 

 slightest roughness to it, however, gives the 

 rider a side-ache. This gait will carry a horse 

 over more ground in a day than any other. I 

 have myself, when riding courier in the army, 

 made 100 miles a day for three consecutive 

 days with the same horse at this gait.— Blue 

 Grass in Philadelphia Press. 



Our Local Organizations. 



FARMERS' INSTITUTE. 



[Continued.] 

 Wednesday Evening. 



Eight o'clock was the hour set to commence the 

 exercises. Dr. EUwood Harvey, of Chester, Pa., 

 and Col. Victor E. Piolette were programmed to lec- 

 ture respectively on " The Horse " and " The Present 

 and the Past as they Relate to American Farming." 

 Unfortunately both lecturers were unable to be 

 present. 



Dr. Harvey was at his home sick. Col. Piolette 

 arrived before the exercises were over, but being 

 fatigued he declined to deliver his lecture, but 

 promised to do eo Thursday. A small audience was 

 in attendance, among them being a number of citi- 

 zens of Lancaster. In consequence of the absence 

 of the two lecturers another programme was in order. 

 Agricultural Readjustment. 



Dr. A.M. Dickey, of Bucks county, a representa- 

 tive of the Doyleetowu lutellicieticer, read an essay. 

 He wished to speak on a subject that has been of in- 

 terest to farmers of Bucks county. His subject was 

 " Agricultral Kcadjuetment." Bucks county is as 

 exclusively a dairy county as Chester county. In 

 Bucks they have as much trouble as those of Chester 

 county with adulterated dairy goods. Tou in Lan- 

 caster county will need some readjustment, for dairy 

 Interests are growing here. 



The revision of agricultural pursuits is not acci- 

 dental, but undergoes a regular change. The prac 

 tical question Is not whether there Is any necessity 

 for it. Systems adopted are not off hand ; they 



grow. They are born of necessity. The vast strata 

 that surround us have been gradually formed. 80 

 with the methods of agriculture. They must be 

 shaped gradually. Old systems of warfare do not 

 answer the present wants. In the present struggle 

 there must be a palpable system. There must be 

 established methods. The continued growth In new 

 fields overthrows the old methods. The stimulant 

 of compellllon will go far to bring new methods. 

 The belief that the Eastern farmercan compete suc- 

 cessfully with the Western farmer on equal grounds 

 needs to be dispelled. Systems need to be simplillcd. 

 There Is a recognized need of a revision of old 

 methods. Although the progress of farmers clubs, 

 agricultural colleges, etc., is slow, It will In time 

 blossom out in fine results. Tlic competitive field Is 

 bold and aggressive among the people In various 

 pursuits In different sections. The dairymen of the 

 speaker's section, a hundred miles from New York, 

 pay more for the transportation of their goods than 

 do the farmers of Nebraska and Kansas for theirs to 

 the same point. He believed that Individual efforts 

 will be lost and that in its stead will be a healthy or- 

 ganized effort. The dairy needs adjustment. He 

 must raise his own stock and see that his goods are 

 of an excellent class if he wishes to be successful. 

 Lancaster county boasts of her $.5,000,000 tobacco 

 crop while Bucks countlans are not boastful of their 

 ?3,000,000 poultry productions. We must adjust 

 ourselves to the new era of things that must be In- 

 troduced. 



H. M. Engle, of Marietta, saw no reason why nuts 

 could not be cultivated in Lancaster county. In his 

 opinion this culture would pay better than the culti- 

 vation of fruits. This pursuit, he was convinced 

 from the experiments by some, would pay. 

 The Cow. 

 Willis P. Hazard, of West Chester, said the farmer 

 must be more of a manufacturer than a farmer. On 

 account of the sharp competition this statement he 

 thought was substantiated. Referring to the old 

 dash churn by which butter was made, be traced 

 down to the present creamery the various revolutions 

 that produced the different changes. The milk 

 separator, he said, was on the principle the centri- 

 fugal force threw the heavy bodies to the outside, 

 carrying along any refuse that may be In the milk. 

 The cream being light it remains in the centre, the 

 milk next. By a system of pipes each is put In Us 

 proper receptacle. The question of introducing the 

 separators was discussed and important facts de- 

 veloped. By the use of the sejiarator from 10 to 15 

 pounds can be economized out of every hundred. He 

 recommended the separator to the consideration of 

 of the farmer. The machine can he run by steam 

 or horse power. Imitation butter or butterine is 

 another factor that the dairymen must consider. 

 Laws have been passed prohibiting the production of 

 oleomargarine. Their success he doubted. He 

 thinks these laws will have to be repealed. One way 

 to guard against false butter is to Impose upon It a 

 tax, the same as the sale of liquor or tobacco is regu- 

 lated. Dairy products are the leading ones of Den- 

 mark. From theie come some of the best experi- 

 ments in that line, and the American dairymen would 

 do well to book himself on statistics of that country. 

 Prejudice against book knowledge Is a popular pre- 

 judice. If the farmer would only think of the infor- 

 mation that could l)e derived from farmers' institutes 

 this prejudice would he eradicated. At such gather- 

 ings the experience of one is compared with that of 

 another. The objects of these Institutions are to Im 

 part Information. Comparing the growing crops of 

 Chester with those of Lancaster, be found the wheat, 

 the grass, are all Inferior to those of the first named 

 county. 



The Discussion. 

 On the centrifugal method of separating cream 

 and milk, Dr. Dickey had something to say. There 

 are .S8 or 39 of the separators In Chester county. 

 One creamery, not far from Doylestown, the Saul- 

 bury Creamery, a separator was placed therein In 

 December. At the end of three months he had 16 

 per cent, better results than by the old method. It 



