Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 359 



straw for the price that the flax mills pay for it. I think it worth 

 fully one-half as much as good hay for feeding milch cows, young 

 cattle, and sheep. I have more than once been saved from buying 

 hay by having flax straw on hand. I feed it alternately with hay; 

 say hay in the morning, and flax straw at night. My stock has 

 invariably improved upon it. I have never found a better way of 

 harvesting flax than to mow it by hand, turning two swaths together, 

 what is called " turning a double swath," and letting it lie until 

 dry enough to thresh or stack, when it can be readily pitched upon 

 a wagon. 



TAN-BARK AS MANURE. 



Mr. James Morris, Pittston, Pa. — Is there any way to use refuse 

 tan-bark' as manure. A neighbor of mine has tried it without 

 success. 



Mr. J. M. Allen. — Put it on a dry clay soil, and plow it under. 

 It acts as a mulch, and it will enliven the soil. 



Mr. S. Edwards Todd. — Tan-bark is good to put in the stall or 

 yard, if it is dry. My practice has been to spread it in the fall 

 under cover to dry, then use it as a litter, when it will absorb 

 large quantities of liquid manure. If used when wet, it is of no 

 value. Adjourned. 



December 24, 1867. 

 Mr. Nathan C. Ely in the chair ; Mr. John "W. Chambees, Secretary. 

 AGRICULTURE OF MARYLAND. 



Dr. James Higgins was introduced to the Club. He said the 

 operation of causes set in action by the late civil war had so impov- 

 erished the former landholders of that State, that a large portion of 

 their lands were now in market, or soon would be. He described 

 that State as aflbrding a great variety of soils, and permitting a 

 great variety of products, all of which were nearer to great and 

 growing markets than farm products of any other State. The 

 great cities of Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and New 

 York, are all within a few hours of thousands of acres that can 

 to-day be bought for from ten to fifty dollars an acre — land so 

 good that it will grow from ten to twenty bushels of wheat per 

 acre, and from forty to fifty bushels of corn. Dr. Higgins spoke 

 of the three general classes of land in Maryland — the slate lands 



