THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



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Our Local organizations. 



LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTU- 

 RAL AND HORTICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



The regular moutlily meeting of the County Agri- 

 cultural Society was lield on Monday, Dtcembcr 1st, 

 in the City Hall. 



The following members were present : James 

 Wood, Little Britain ; J. C. Linville, Salisbury ; 

 Calvin Cooper, Bird-iu-Hand ; Henry M. Englc, 

 Marietta ; Casper Hiller, Conestoga ; M. D. Kcndig, 

 Manor; Joseph F. Witmer, Paradise; C. L. Hun- 

 setker, Manheim ; John U. Buckwalter, Salisbury : 

 Henry Wise, Gap; F. U. DiffcnderfTer, city ; Dr. J. 

 P. Wickereham, city ; John H. Landis, Manor; W. 

 H. Brosius, Drumore ; L. S. Kcist, Manheim ; John- 

 son Miller, Warwick, and J. M. Johnston, city. 



In the absence of the President, Vice President 

 Engletook the chair. 



On motion, the reading of the minutes of the pre- 

 vious meeting was omitted. 



Henry Wise, of the Gap, was proposed and elected 

 to membership. 



Committee Reports. 



Mr. J. C. Linville, from the committee on the 

 premiums to be awarded to the competitors who 

 tried to grow the largest yield of corn from a given 

 plot of ground, read the reports of the competitors. 

 The competitors were under fifteen years of age, and 

 the plot of ground in each case was a measured 

 eighth of an acre. 



Frank Buckwalter's Report. 

 The ground was timothy and clover sod, from 

 which a crop of hay was taken the previous year. It 

 was plowed about the 10th of May, harrowed three 

 times and rolled once. 40 pounds of phosphate was 

 drilled in on the 17th of May and the coin was 

 planted on the same day. The rows were marked 

 out with the plow 3 feet 10 inches apart ; the corn 

 was planted in bills 3 feet apart, '2 grains being put 

 in each. It set well ; shovel harrowed it on June 

 4th, I'-'th, 13th and 19lh ; hoed and shovel harrowed 

 it again on the 21st of July. I cut the corn about 

 the middle of September and husked it in the begin- 

 ning of November. There were 14 bushels of corn 

 in the ear and 6 bushels and 4fi pounds of .'<hellcd 



Franklin B. Hershey's Report. 



I proceeded to grow the eighth acre of corn in the 

 following manner : I plowed around sod in the 

 spring, without manure or fertilizer. I harrowed it 

 three times with a Penn harrow. The corn planted 

 was of Burpee's Chester county Mammoth corn. 

 Drilled in the corn on the 16th of May. Shovel-har- 

 rowed it three times, and gave it three hoeings. 

 Out it ofl'on the 2.5th of September. Husked the 

 crop on the 11th of November. The result was 602 

 pounds of corn (12 bushels.) 



Owen H. Buckwalter's Report. 



The ground planted was timothy and clover sod 

 plowed down. A crop of bay was taken from it 

 during the previous year. It was plowed about the 

 10th of May, harrowed three times and rolled once. 

 I drilled 25 pounds of phosphate on two-thirds of the 

 plot, on the 17th of May, and planted the seed on 

 the same day. The rows were marked out 3 feet 10 

 Inches apart. The corn was planted in hills two feet 

 apart, with two grains to each hill. Ou June 4, 12, 

 13 and 10, the corn was shovel harrowed ; on the 

 last named day 10 pounds of phosphate was put on 

 the other third of the plot. On June 13 the corn 

 was hand-hoed. It was cut about the middle of 

 September and husked early in November. The 

 result was (i bushels and 37 pounds of shelled corn. 

 Crop Reports. 



H. M. Engle reported a fine crop of corn, both in 

 quality and quantity. Winter grain does not look 

 very promising. Grass fields look as well as usual. 

 Late potatoes did not do as well as the early ones. 

 The apple crop was disappointing. Drouth and 



great heat caused the apples to drop, and they had 

 to be converted intb cider. 



Casper Hiller reported a good crop of corn, but 

 not an extra one. Potatoes were a moderate crop. 

 He said the White Elephant potatoes were the best 

 he ever had. The grain fields look well. So does 

 the grass. Apples were a poor crop. The winter 

 apples are few. 



M. D. Kcndig reported the farmers as busy with 

 their tobacco. Grain looks well ; the stand is good. 



J. C. Linville said the farmers have put their 

 fattening cattle into their stalls ; they are the poorest 

 seen around here for some years ; the prices paid 

 were 4'., and i}4 cents per pound ; they are not only 

 thin in flesh but ordinary in quality. 

 Shoeing Horses. 



J. C. Linville read the following essay on the 

 above subject : 



If we were to believe all the statements going the 

 rounds of the papers in regard to the fallacy and 

 uselessness of shoeing, and the positvie injury re- 

 sulting therefrom, we should be led to think that a 

 new and important discovery had been made in the 

 management of horses. 



The fact is, that most farmers work their colts 

 unshod until lameness or icy roads compels them to 

 have them shod. A horse is never safe on solid ice 

 without shoes with steel foes and caulks, although 

 he may do well without on soft snow or frozen 

 ground. In fact, unshod horses never "fall" in 

 soft snow, and arc, in that respect, safer than with 

 shoes. The fact is also overlooked that there Is a 

 great difference in the quality of horses' hoofs. 

 Some hoofs are so tender they will not stand work 

 on the farm, much less to travel stony roads. With 

 good hoofs I do not And it necessary to have much 

 shoeing done in the summer season, not having much 

 teaming on the roads. In the winter time I always 

 have one span of horses "roughed all around" to do 

 the mill going, &c., ou icy roads. The assertion that 

 all horses can travel unshod the pavements of cities 

 and stony country roads is absurd. 



The Tramp Question. 



Henry M. Engle read an essay on hard times, 

 ascribing them principally to over-production. It 

 described the situation at the present time very min- 

 utely and laid down some general rules whereby re- 

 lief could be extended to such as needed it most suc- 

 cessfully. Economy was inculcated as a main feat- 

 ure to tide over the period of stress. 



Jos. F. Witmer made some remarks on the subject 

 of the essay. Alluded to the tramp question and 

 the abundance of work in his neighborhood during 

 the past twelve months. 



C. L. Hunsecker said the beggars have always ex- 

 isted. No matter how good the crops are, the needy 

 will always be with us. Our crops, both here and 

 in England, are cheaper than they have been for 

 many years and yet there are hungry men in 

 America as well as in Great Britain. We shall al- 

 ways have the poor and the ignorant. It is the 

 duty of those who have to give to those who have 

 not. 



The tramp Question was very fully discussed by 

 Messrs. Kendig, Hunsecker, Engle and others. It 

 was stated that all farmers stood ready to contribute 

 to aid the poor in thgir neighborhood, but the ques- 

 tion was bow to apply the farmer's charity most 

 effectively. 



How to Keep Seed Corn. 



Joseph II. Witmer said he selected his seed corn 

 at husking time. He picks out the choicest ears 

 and then puts it away carefully. He never had 

 trouble about its coming up. If corn is kept where 

 it dry out before freezing weather comes, no trouble 

 will ever be had with it. 



W. H. Brosius said the grains at the butt end of 

 an ear always give the earliest com. 



Dr. Wickersham stated that his father selected his 

 seed corn at shelling time, and then took off the corn 

 at both ends of the cob, using that in the middle for 

 planting. 



Others members alluded to the experiments made 

 at the experimental stations, which demonstrated 



that the corn at the ends of the ear gave better re- 

 sults than that out of the middle, 



H. M. Engle said that the State Horticultural So- 

 cletv would meet in this city In next January, and he 

 suggested that a committee be appointed by this «o- 

 clety to make such arrangements for the proper re- 

 ception of the members as were necessary. 



On motion, Dr, Wickersham, M, D, Kcndig and 

 James Wood were placed on the committee. 



M. M. Kendig stated that he had spoken with Mr. 

 George W, Hensel, of Quarryville, about delivering 

 a lecture before the County Society on his observa- 

 tion in Europe on the condition of agriculture there. 

 Mr, Henf el consented to lecture before the Society at 

 an early day. 



It was also announced that a meeting of the State 

 Agricultural Society would probably be held in this 

 city at an early day. 



Referred Questions. 



The following questions were offered for remark at 

 the next meeting; 



Is it best to allow cattle to run in the yard In win- 

 ter during fair weather ? Referred to James Wood. 



Do insects play an important part in the fertiliza- 

 tion of blossoms? Referred to Ur. J. P. Wicker- 

 sham. 



Does it pay to cover strawberries in winter ? If 

 so, what is the best material for the purpose. Re- 

 ferred to Henry M. Engle. 



Does the soil lose fertility by being plowed In the 

 fall and exposed to the freezing of winter. Referred 

 to J. R. Buckwalter. 



On motion, the Society adjourned. 



FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. 



The December meeting of the Fulton Farmers' 

 Club was held at the residence of Lindley King, In 

 Fulton township. The members were all present 

 except Solomon L. Gregg. The visitors present by 

 invitation were Samuel Davenport, Thomas J. Ring, 

 Alvan King and Edwin M. Steeblcs. 



Lindley King exhibited a sample of his corn, 

 which was very fine. 



E. Henry Haines asked if a field from which a 

 crop of wheat had been cut last harvest, and which 

 was well set with grass, would raise as pood corn 

 next year as it would if let stand a year and moved ? 



Montillion Brown had never experimented to test 

 it, but the prevailing opinion is that it is better to let 

 it stand a year, as the roots will grow longer. 



Lindley King would prefer It to stand one or two 

 years, as It would be more likely to stand the dry 

 weather. 



Marshall Nesbit would let it stand at least one 

 year. 



E. M. Stubbs said that it would depend on the 

 condition of the soil. Manure heavy enough and 

 nothing would be gained by letting it lay. He had 

 raised as good corn the fourth year as he did the 

 first. The seventh year the best of all. 



Day Wood had a lot that had been in corn for 

 thirty years, and still raised good crops. 



E. H. Haines knew of a lot that had been In corn 

 for seventeen years, and it would take all that had 

 been raised in that time to make one good crop. 



William King asked what would be the best time 

 to apply rock or phosphate to grass as a top dresa- 

 ing. 



E. n. Haines had success in applying it both In 

 the fall and spring, and would do it now If he had 

 the rock. 



M. Brown had never tried it but once. Put it on 

 clover when about six inches high. It about doubled 

 the amount of grass. 



M. Nesbit would apply It right away. 



Lindley King : Would a large growth of clover 

 left ou the ground injure the next year's crop of 

 grass ? 



J. R. Blackburn : If it has been pastured it will 

 not. 



E. H. Haines : If it has been pastured would 

 rather have it on than off. Sometimes when not 

 pastured it will smother the grass ; it also makes a 

 harbor for mice. 



