THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



155 



OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTU- 

 RAL AND HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The I.aiioiistcr County Agrieulturnl Society met 

 statedly OD Monday aaernoou, October Otii, In their 

 room. 



The following members were present : Calvin 

 Cooper, Bird-in-Hand ; Casper Ilillcr, Conestoga; 

 Johnson Miller, Warwick ; Martin D. Kendig, 

 Manor ; C. L. Hunsecker, Manheim ; Joseph F. 

 Wttmer, Paradise; John H. Landis, Manor; J. M. 

 Johnston, J. B. Hippie and F. I{. DilTenderffer, city ; 

 W. n. Brosius, Druraorp ; S. P. Eby, city; E. S. 

 Hoover, Manheim. 



In the absence of the President, Calvin Cooper was 

 elected to serve as as temporary chairman. 

 Reports. 

 The committee which had charge of the Farmers' 

 Institute last June made the following report : 

 Mv. President and Members of the Lancnster County 

 AgricuUnral aud IforlicuUural Society : 

 Your committee have been somewhat tardy in 

 making this rejjort, from a misunderstanding as to 

 whose duty it might be to write it out. One of the 

 most learned members, who is undoubtedly the best 

 parliamentarian in the society, says " that duty de- 

 volves on the chairman of the committee." 



The idea of holding a Farmers' Institute seems to 

 have originated in the State Board of Agriculture, 

 and an attempt made in one or two of the counties to 

 hold such an institute. As to their success or failure 

 your committee have not learned. Our member of 

 the Board introduced the subject here, and was met 

 with sufficient encouragement to make the experi- 

 ment in this county, and authorized your committee 

 to make the arrangements and conduct the same. 



A general invitation w:is given by both large 

 posters and private letters of invitation, in which 

 every one interested was freely invited to attend the 

 sessions of the Institute and take part in the exer 

 cises. Excursion rates were also secured from the 

 railroad companies at reduced rates. Each of the 

 daily papers generously contributed frequent local 

 notices, calling the public attention to the enterprise. 

 Lectures and addresses were delivered by men of 

 the best talent in the Commonwealth, and also by 

 the United States Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. 

 George B. Loriug. Each in his specialty exhaustively 

 ■ discussed the subject assigned him in the most en- 

 tertaining aud instructive manner. 



The attendance was not what had been hoped for 

 by your committee. After the general notice that 

 had been given ; with such prominent men as Dr. 

 Loring, Governor Pattison, Dr. Atherton, Col. 

 Piollet, Dr. Harvey, Mr. Hazzard, Secretary Edge, 

 Dr. Caldcr, Profs. Jordan and Ileigcs, and other 

 essayists with contributions that made a programme 

 of exercises that would profitably entertain any one 

 intrusted in agriculture or horticulture. But when 

 we take into consideration the indifference of our 

 people in scientific and experimental agriculture, we 

 have reason to congratulate ourselves that some of 

 the best citizens attended tlie several .sessions, and 

 congratulated us upon the excellency of the lectures 

 and address. If we had had some musical enter- 

 tainment, horse race or side show, it would have 

 doubtless filled the Court House to sulTocation. 



Of the results of the experiment, your committee 

 have reason to believe in future it will be better 

 patronized. The subjects discussed were such as to 

 attract the attention of all practical men, although 

 there is so much diversity of opinion as to what pro 

 duces the best results in the various crops of the 

 husbandman. The science of chemistry tells us 

 there are certain ingredients requisite to produce 

 certain crops, and without them available iu the soil, 

 failure is the inevitable result. Hence we conclude 

 the thought and query will create a search for such 

 knowledge as was imparted by the professional men 

 who addressed the institute. 



As to finances the Institute was not a success. It 

 had been suggested that the admission should be 



free, and the accessions In membership to the society 

 might be sufficient to pay all expenses. Such, how- 

 ever, did not occur, but the eenerous donation of Dr. 

 Wickersham, one of the committee, has reduced the 

 actual outlay by the society from $122.98 to fH3.4S, 

 all of which has been paid from the treasury of the 

 society. 



On motion, the report was unanimously adopted, 

 and a vote of thanks was tendered the committee. 



Johnson Miller also read a report made by him as 

 one of the commitee sent from this society to visit 

 the State Fair at Philadelphia. 



Crop Reports. 

 Casper Hlller said they had nothing to complain 

 of in Conestoga. There were good wheat, hay and 

 corn crops. The latter might be better, but It will 

 average about 80. The fruit crop was plentiful. 

 Apples are nearly all off the trees. Those on low 

 landsdid best. Winter apples will be a partial failure. 

 Some seeding has been done. Many have not been 

 able to sow— cannot plow their ground . 



Johnson Miller said they had considerable rain. 

 The ground Is now in excellent condition. The corn 

 crop has come out well. There has been a good sup- 

 ply of apples. 



M. D. Kendig said seeding is ten or twelve days 

 later than usual ; much remains to be sown. Farm- 

 ers are busy in buying their stock cattle. The price 

 runs from 4'i to .5 cents per pound. The quality is 

 poor. 



W. H. Brosius, of Drumore, said their crops were 

 good ; seeding Is nearly completed ; apples have 

 fallen very badly. 



Joseph F. Witmer was surprised to see that corn 

 on corn stubble land was better than that planted on 

 sod ; usually this is not the case. 



C. L. Hunsecker, of Manheim, said all the crops 

 taken together are good ; wheat, oats and potatoes 

 are all good ; sowing is going on rapidly ; the tobacco 

 crop is excellent ; on the whole, the present Is the 

 best crop year he had for twenty years. 



Mr. John H. Landis read the following essay on 



Protection to Farmers. 

 The chronic'grumbler complains that we have so 

 great an over-production that our crops have yielded 

 too heavily, and that as a consequence of this over 

 production the prices are so extremely low that 

 agricultural labor is but slimly rewarded. 



Bounteously has the Almighty blessed the efforts 

 of the American farmer in this year of grace 1^84. 

 Five hundred million bushels of wheat, and nearly 

 two billion bushels of corn, reward the industry of 

 the American agriculturist. God's sunlight, dew 

 and showers joined hands with the son of toil in the 

 production of this unparalled yield. Good crops 

 will insure cheap bread for man and cheap food for 

 beast. Wheatjand corn may bring a low figure per 

 bushel, but with a big crop, so much more can be 

 turned into beeves and porkers. There is always a 

 demand for good beef and pork, and they always 

 command a fair price. So, while the price for the 

 grain may be low, to convert it into meat will bring 

 ample compensation to the farmer ; besides, his own 

 bread will be cheaper and his cost of living will be 

 comparatively less. 



The farmer must plow and sow and reap all the 

 same for a poor crop as for a full crop. The fuller 

 the yield the better be is paid for his labor. He who 

 realizes forty bushels of wheat from the acre can 

 afford to sell it for much less than he whose yield Is 

 only thirty bushels per acre. His labor and expense 

 In prepalring the ground, sowing the seed, reaping 

 and threshing, is very near, if not altogether, the 

 same, yet if his yield Is forty bushels per acre, and 

 he sells it for eight cents, he dealizcs thirty-two dol 

 lars per acre, while if his yield is thirty bushels per 

 acre and gets one dollar a bushel he realizes only 

 thirty dollars from an acre. So we have no occasion 

 to complain, and we should look upon our heavy 

 grain crop as a blessing. 



The average farmer appears to be puzzled to know 

 what to do with his wheat. He feels as though he 

 ought to have a higher price. At the same time 

 there is a lingering suspicion in his mind that per- 



haps he had better sell after all, as there Is nothing 

 within sight that satisfies him that there Is much 

 likelihood of an early advance. Hopefully he casts 

 his eyes toward to the cast and looks for " a foreign 

 demand." There is nothing, however, beyond At- 

 lantic's waves that gives him substantial encourage- 

 ment. Now, what does this show ? It points out 

 the fact that " a foreign demand " Is an uncertainty. 

 It shows the uncertainty of a foreign market and It 

 should lend our agriculturists to Ih'; conclusion that 

 the only safe market for the American farmer Is the 

 American market and that the only reliable buyer 

 from the American producer is the American con- 

 sumer. 



There Is a duty of 20 cents on every bushel of 

 wheat imported into this country, a duty 10 cents on 

 every bushel of corn, a duty of 10 cents on every 

 bushel of oats and so on, and it is to this protective 

 policy of our government ihat the farmer Is largely 

 Indebted for his prosperity of recent years and they 

 are those protective features of our tariff laws that lie 

 cannot afford to have wiped out. 



The acreage devoted to agriculture in Southern 

 Russia, Iu India and in other fon-lirn lands Is yearly 

 Increasing with astounding rapidity. India alone 

 has .55,000,000 acres of fertile soil thus far untouched 

 with the plow, through which the British Govern- 

 ment contemplates building railroads, and there are 

 strong reasons for believing that at no very distant 

 day this entire region will be turned into one vast 

 wheat field. In India laborer feeds on rice and on 

 millet seed, which costs him but a few cents a day, 

 while his wages range from eight to ten cents a day. 

 In this way India can raise her wheat at a cost of not 

 more than thirty-five cents a bushel. 



The American farmer cannot compete with thirty- 

 five cent wheat in the European markets. His only 

 hope is in a home market. So it is to be hoped that 

 he will know his interests sufficiently well not to 

 allow the protective policy of the government to be 

 changed, but that under It a home market for the 

 farmer may be continued, and in that way enable 

 him to dispose of his surplus crop at home and se- 

 cure him a fair price for the products of his soil 

 without depending upon the uncertainties of a for- 

 eign demand to have the fruits of his labors duly re- 

 warded. 



This essay led to a prolonged discussion, which was 

 participated in by nearly all the members present. 

 Mr. Johnston was the principal member who took no 

 stock in the protection theory, although some of Mr. 

 Landis' views were pretty severely assailed from 

 several quarters. At times the discussion was very 

 lively and a good many very peculiar views were ad- 

 vocated. It was the liveliest affair that has taken 

 place in the society in years. 



A motion was made and carried that Mr. Geo. W. 

 Hansel, of Quarry ville, this county, should be in- 

 vited to give the society his observations iu farmlog 

 and farm life in Europe. 



Calvin Cooper presented some handsome apples 

 for a name. 



Daniel Smeych had a late seedling peach, of good 

 size and quality. 



F. H. DIffuuderffer had some very fine specimens 

 of Hubbardston's Nonsuch and Uomanite apples 

 from Cass county, Missouri, and some handsome 

 Tompkins King from Lancaster county. He also ex- 

 hibited specimens of Sumatran tobacco — a foreign 

 article and a home-raised article grown from pure 

 Sumatran seed. 



On motion the society adjourned. 



FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



The Fulton Farmers' Club held its September 

 meeting at the residence of E. H. Haines, in Fulton 

 township. The members' families were all repre- 

 sented, except Lindley King. Visitors present by 

 Invitation— Timothy Haines, Franklin Tollinger, 

 Wm. Ingram and Layman C. Blackburn. 



There was a great variety of fruit on exhibition. 

 8. L. Gregg exhibited Howell pears and three varie- 

 ties of apples. C. C. Cauffman, Gravenstein and 

 Madicns' Blush apples and a variety of apples for a 



