Title: Quarterly report of the Pennsylvania Board of

Agriculture, no. 34

Place of Publication: Harrisburg, Pa.

Copyright Date: 1887

Master Negative Storage Number: MNS# PSt SNPaAgOl 7.8

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THIRTY-FOURTH

QUARTERLY REPORT

OF THE

PENNSYLVANIA

Board of Agriculture,

)

1887.

HARRISBURG:

EDWIN K. MEYERS, STATE PRINTER.

1887.

£(o30.873

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'■■ c. ' ' V ''--f'V,-'

f

T II I R T Y-F O U R T n

qtj^^rtih:rly report

OF THE

PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF AGRICULTURE, 1887.

:^

.1.

Members Ex-Ofllcio.

Hon. James A. Beaver, Governor,

Hon. J. S. Africa, Secretary of Internal Affairs.

Dr. E. E. Higbee, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Hon. J. B. Niles, Auditor Oeneral.

Dr. G. W. Atherton, President of the Pennsylvania State College.

Appointed by tbe Governor.

Term expires.

Col. James Young, Middletown,Pa., ]888

Dr. John P. Edge, Downingtovvn, Pa., 1889

Will B. Powell, Springboro', Pa., 1890

Elected by County Ajj;"riculturiil Societies.

Adams,
Armstrong,
Beaver, . .
Bedford, .
Berks, . .
Bucks, . .
Blair, . . .
Bradford, .
Butler, . .
•Centre, . .
Chester,
Clinton, . .
Columbia, .
Crawford,
Cumberland
Dauphin, .
Delaware, .
Erie, . .
Indiana, .
Jefferson, .
Juniata, . .
Lackawanna
Lancaster,
Lebanon,
Lehigh, . .
Luzerne, .
Lycoming,
Mercer, . .
Montgomery,
Montour, . .
Northampton, .
Northumberland,
Somerset, . .
Schuylkill, .
Sullivan, .
Susquehanna,
Tioga, . .
Union, . .
Venango, .
Warren, .
W^ashington
Wayne,
Westmoreland,
Wyoming, . .
York.

Term expires.

1888
. 1890

L Garrettson, Bigler,

Jos. Painter, Kittanniug,

A. L. McKibben, ...;.. Green Garden,

J. E. Noble, Waterside, .

J. G. Zerr, Geiger's Mills,

E. Reeder, New Hope, .

J. D. Hicks, Altoona, . . .

H. L. Scott, Towanda, . . .

H. M. Wise, Harmony, . .

E. W. Hale Bellefonte, .

Thomas J. Edge, Harrisburg,

J. A. Herr, Cedar Springs,

Chandlee Eves, Millville, .

M. W. Oliver, Conneautville,

C. H. Mullin, Mt. Holly Springs,

G. Hiester, Harrisburg, ,

E. Harvey, Chester,

, J. C Thornton, Avonia, .

W. P. Gordon Black Lick,

J. McCracken, Jr., .... Frostburg,

D. Wilson, Port Royal, .

H. H. Colvin, Dalton.

H. M. Engle, Marietta,

C. R. Lantz, Lebanon, .

J. P. Barnes, Allentown, .

J. B. Smith Kingston,.

D. H. Foresman,* Williamsport,.

R. McKee, Mercer,.

H. W. Kratz, Trappe,

, Thos. L. Clapp, Limestoneville,

. A. D. Shinier, Bethlehem, .

John Hollk, ..... Milton,

C. C. Musselman, .... Somerset, .

, J. S. Keller,t Orwigsburg,

, L. B. S[)eaker, Hill's Grove,

R. S. Searle, Montrose. 1889

J.W.Mather, Wellsboro', 1889

, J. A. Gundy, Lewisburg, 1890

Wm. Gates Oil Citv 1889

.F.R.Miller Sugar Grove, 1889

J. McDowell Washington, 1890

N. F. Underwood Lake Como, 1888

F. Y. Clopper, Greensburg, .... 1889

N. G. Bunnell, Vosburg, . 1888

. W. S. Roland York 1889

1890
1890
1889
1890
1889
1889
1888
1888
1890
1890
1888
1889
1888
1888
1889
1889
1889
189>1
1888
1888
1889
1888
1890
1888
1888
1890
1890
1889
1888
1890
1889
1890
1888

Died April 21, 1887.

t Died February 22, 1887.

QUARTKRLY Rlil'OKT.

OFFICIAL LIST.

President.
^ Hon. James A. Beaver, {ex-ojjicio.)

M. W. Oliver,

Hon. James A. Beaver,
C. C. Mussel man,
E. Reeder,

Vice Presidents.
Dr. J. P. Edge.

Executive Comrnittee.
W. S. Roland,
G. Hiester,
J. McDowell,

N. F. Underwood.

J. P. P>arnes,

J. A. ITerr,

T. J. Edge, {ex-ojfficio.y

W. S. Roland,

Advisory Coyntiiittee.
J. P. Barnes, G. Hiester.

Thos. J. Edge, (ex-ojjicio.)

^Secretary.
Thos. J. Edge, Harrisburg.

Botanist.
Thos. Meeban, Germantown.

* Pomologist.

E. Sattertliwaite, Jenkintown.

Chemist.
Prof. F. A. Genth, University of Pennsylvania.

Consultirig Veterinary Surgeon.
Prof. R. S. Uuidekoper, University of Pennsylvania.

Veterinary Surgeon.
Dr. F. Bridge, V. S., West Philadelphia.

Microscojnsts and IJygienists.
Dr. H. LefTmann, Philadelphia, Prof. C. B. Cochran, West Chester*

Entotnologist,
Prof. W. A. Buclihout, State College.

Ornithologist.
Dr. B. II. Warren, West Cliester.

Meteorologists.
Prof. 1. T. Osmond, Stato College, J. L. Heacock, Quakertown.

Mineralogist.
Prof. J. Willcox, PhiladeJphia.

Geologist.
Prof. J. P. Lesley, Philadelphia.

Stenographer.
Col, II. C. Demming, Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania .Board of Acjkiclilture.

8

STANDING COMMITTEES— 1887.

Hon. J. A. Beaver,
(./. C. Musselman,
E. Reeder,

W. S. Roland,

Dr. J, P. Edge,
J. McDowell,
J. A. Gundy,

G. Hiester,
11. M. Engle,
M. W. Oliver,
H. W. Kratz. .

W. Gates,
J. E. Noble,
H. M. Engle,
J. Young,

M. W. Oliver,
I. Garretson,
Arthur Todd,

J. P. Barnes,
W. Gates,
G. Hiester,

J. McDowell,
Will \\. Powell,
J. A. llerr,

D. Wilson,
H. H. Colvin,
Chandlee Eves,

I. Garretson,

J. A. Herr,

N. F. Underwood,

J. A. Herr,
J. McDowell,
J. C. Thornton,
R. S. Searle,
C. R. Lantz,

N. F. Underwood,
J. McD )well,
J. C. Thornton,

E. Reeder,
H. L. Scott.
M. W. Oliver,

C. C. Musselman,
B. H. Warren,
G. Hiester,

H. M. Engle,
J. E. N<)l)ie,
I. Garretsan,

B. H. Warren,
E. Reeder,

C. W. Roberts,

Executive Committee.
W. S. Roland,
G. Hiester,
J. McDowell,

Advisory Committee.
J. P. Barnes,

T. J. Edge, {ex-officio.)

Lk< J I station.
W\ S. Rolnnd,
W]iliani (hites,
J. W. Hicks,

J. P. Barnes,

J. A. Herr,

T. J. Edge, (ex-Ojfficio.)

G. Hiester,

N. F. Underwood,

C. C. Musselman.

T. J. Edge, (e.r-q/^tcio.)

Fruit and Eruit Culture.

C. C. Musselman,
N. F. Underwood,
J. A. Herr,
J. Calder.

J. Painter,
Dr. J. P. Edge,
C. H. Lantz,
H. L. Scott.

J. Shallcross,

Mrs. M. E. Thomas,

A. L. Mclvibben.

D. Wilson,
W. S. Roland,
T. L. Clapp,
H. H. Colvin,

Forests and Forestry.
I. Garrets :)n,
J. A. Herr,
J. McOracken, Jr.,
T. Meehan,

Apiary
H. H. Brown,
G. Prizer,

E. Harvey,

Silk and Silk Culture.
R. S. Searle, G. W. Atherton,

Dr. J. P. Edge, J. U. Zerr,

D. H. Foresman, H. H. Colvin.

Wool and Textile Fibers.

R. S. Searle, Chandlee ]']ves,

Asbury Struble, Edward Walter,

J. Young, J . C. Thornton.

Roads and Road Laws.
T. L. Ciapp, George W. Hood,

J.Hotl'a. , J. i>. Hicks,

H. W. Kratz, F. R. Miller.

Farm Implements and Machinery.

M. W. Oliver,
C. C. Muiselman.

G. Hiester,

E. Reeder,
W. Gates.

Cereal Crops.
R. McKee,
T. L. Clapp,

F. Y. Clop per,
A. D. Sliiiner,
H. M. Engle,

Grasses and Fodder CRors.
W. R. Shelmire, J. A. Herr,

F. R. Miller, J. G. Zerr.

N. G. Bunnell,

Dairy and Dairy Products.

F. R. Miller,
H. M. Wise,
J. G. Zerr.
Chandlee Eves,
C. C. Musselman.

C C. Musselman,
I. Garretson,
J. G. Zerr,

Useful Birds.
N. G. Bunnell,
H. L. Scott,
J. E. Noble,

Poultry.
G. Hie ,
T. L. <^lapp,
F. R. Miller,

Ornithology.
Joseph II. Jackson,
C. C. Musselman,
C. J. Pennock,

Chandlee Eves,
R. S, Searle,
C. B. Cochran.

E. Reeder,
Dr. J. P. Edge,
J. B. Smith.

W. C. Gordon,
J. A. Gundy.

Will B. Powell,
(t. B. Sennett,
G. W. Atherton.

QUARTEKLY ReporT.

m AN ACT

To amen.i au act entitled "An a.t t. ...

or t„e State Hoa.. or ^::!J^^:^:;:X^"^ -^ ^indln, of t„e .eport«
SKCTIoy 1. ^e ,Y ^^^ . , , ^ ''°"^<'^«'*""'g"cmtura! reports." ^

f^^^f '^ ^^^^^^/ enacted h, tiZ^^^^^^^^^^

ourth of an act, entitled ^^^Ij^t^^^ '' ''^ "^"^' ^^^^^^ -^tio a
r^^ of the reports of the Sta e Eo ml of a"" ' " ^"'^^^"^^^ ^^^ ^-^^'

agricultural reports/' whic.l/re.r -^f ^^''"""^^^^^'^ ^'^^ other State

Of ^*rop returns from corresnnn.ll f ^^^^^'^^^ ^orm quarterly reports
among domestic animaseZrit^ ''"''™^' ^^' -^^emic d se^se
exceed '"'^r^.H.^^Zl'ZZX''""' It' ""■"''"' ■'«' »
be amended so as to read as follows uThr^'^'''^^"'"' """^''''"
authorized to publisli in pamnhhJ f' '"^ ^^^^^^ ^^'^^'^ is hereby

han one hundred and 'Cp ^l T," ^
copies, of which two thousand Shan be fo h """'' '^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^-"«and
tl^e Senate, three thousand cop t 2'/^ '''' "f ^^* ^^^^ members of

House of Representatives, and one ho. T '^ '^'^ ^^^^^^'« of the
State Board. ' "^ ^'^^ thousand copies for the use of tho

Tennsylvania Board of Agricoltuke,

OBITUARY.

JOSHUA S. KELLER.

Born August 7, 1810.
Died February 22, 1887.

Joshua S. Keller, late member of the State Board of Agriculture
from Schuylkill county, was elected to represent his society at the or-
ganization of the Board in 1877, and continued to serve in this ca-
pacity to the time of his death, having (January 29, 1887) been re-
cently reelected for the term of three years.

Mr. Keller was born in Greenwich township, Berks county, Pa., Au
gust 7, 1816. He received his primary education in the schools which
characterized that date, and ai'terwards completed it at the Maiden
Creek School, at Franklin and Marshall College, and at Mercersburg,
Pa. For a number of years he taught school in the counties of Berks,
Centre, and Schuylkill. During a portion of his life he was engaged
in mercantile pursuits at Hamburg, Berks county, Pa. After his mar-
riage, he engaged in agriculture and horticulture at Orwigsburg, and
there continued until the time of his death.

In addition to his membership in the State Board of Agriculture,
Mr. Keller was a prominent member and officer of the State Agricult-
ural Society, and also an active member of the State Horticultural As-
sociation. He was one of the founders of the Schuylkill Couuty Ag-
ricultural Society, and after its organization served for a number of
years as its secretary. He relinquished the work of the secretary's
office to assume that of president, whicli he continued to exercise to
the time of his death.

In his own locality, Mr. Keller was depended upon for advice upon
matters pertaining to agriculture and horticulture, and was a promi-
nent correspondent of various agricultural and horticultural journals.
His essays were invariably practical, and were received with perfect
confidence by the reader. He was the originator of the '* Keller's
. Seedling Strawberry," and during the latter part of his life was a care-
ful experimenter with new fruits, honestly giving the results of his
experiments for the benefit of others.

I

6

QtJARTERT,Y KkpoRT.

LOCAL OU COUXTY FARMERS' IN^STITUTES.

the^'i'ru'i'' n.Tnl''""' ""^ ^^^ appropriation granted to the Board " for

tne aaual and necessary expense of coiidiiclino- locil Cnrm^.V',- !?■

tutes.'^meetings have been held at the fbllowin|p£s and dLesf"

Titusville, December 22 and 2H, 1885.
J.ock Haven. January 21 and 22, 1886.
iionesdaJe. February 22 and 21^. 1886
Oxlord, February 25 and 26, 1888.
Montrose, xMay 5 and 6, 1886.
Atiiien, May 20 and 21. 188-5.
Mifhntown, June 1 and 2, 1886.

Doylestovvn, Noyember 10 and 11, 1886.
Washini,non. December 2S and 29 1886
Lewisbura:, January 5 and 6, 1887.'
Mackey ville, February 3 and 4, 1887.
Montrose, February 9 and 10, 1887.
Bloomsburg, February 16 and 17 1887

1886; Conneaut"?lle! Octbfr 'Ts ,n U4 TsS^^^ ^"'l 28,

17 1886; Ilarrisburg, JaiV26^i 27. 1887 """"^«»' J"- 1« -^^

oni::'add;4ro?'2sTv "' """ ^^"^ ™«'-^ ^'-^'-^'''^ ^'-» thrsubsts
s She'.- o? iipisrr iL^':f -^ r^e f nUtl7i:t;= t

attempt at ho^ n 'thi'd Js 'f mp^ff w uch has attended their first
Board has Teh fy varS^^^^ ^T Y""- «« ""'"-k^'l ^lat the

appropriation for this purpose ^^'^'"- ^'^^ I^^S'^l^^t-n-e for a larger

ence t'::::rZ^!^t^li^::^:J^ji-^ ^^en the prefer-
for tliis chiss of meetin<^s wivti. i A ® Board) m all grants

1 he limited amount at the command of the Board and fhe .,p«,t r.r

priali,,,, asked brilS Bo rite"';''*' S'""."'» '»>="-<iase<l appro-
lation or else i, o4a» iMo a , , f'"'? '"l"''''.!'' ■''""ve this stipu-

ia^:'peSj:'?;.x„„y'rt^^^^^^^^^^^

I

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

ADDRESSES AND PAPERS

OF

LOCAL OR COUNTY FARMER'S LNSTITUTES.

WASHINGTON COUNTY INSTITUTE.

XN ADDRESS.

By Hon. W. S. Siiellenheikskr, Washington, Pa.

[At the opening of the Washington Institute.]

Gentlemen of the Institute : It is made my pleasant duty as an
honorary member of the Washington County Thoroughbred Stock-
breeders' Association and in its behalf, to welcome the State AVool-
Growers' Association, the State Board of Agriculture and the farmers
of Western Pennsylvania here to-day in joint convention as a Farm-
ers' Institnte. The intert st of the Stockbreeders' Association are" so
closely interwoven with those of the Wool-Growers', and both with
the interest of agriculture, in every State and Territory, that joint
meetings are peculiarly helpful to each. The State of Pennsylvania
did a wise act in placing under control of the State Board ot Agricul-
ture a limited fund for actual and necessary expenses of conducting

local institutes. ..... i i ^ ..i i • i

The prosperity of American agriculture is indispensable to tlie high-
est security, if not to the perpetuity itself, of our political system.
Our government differs essentially from the monarchies of Europe in
this, that the people make all laws and choose from among tliemselves
those who execute the laws. Equality of sull'nige confers equal
power and ec^ual responsibility upon the citizens. The high duty of
the Legislature therefore is, in so far as it may safely do so, consistent-
ly with personal liberty, to diffuse knowledge by encouraging dis-
cussion on all economic questions and by seeking the elevation, occu-
pation, and contentment of the citizen. Some would have us believe
^ that the government is exhausting its high duties and privileges by
limiting expenditures to the minimum regardless of the necessities
which constantly arise for higher development. There is not a spot
in the Union so'well adapted to tlie education of children in the high
duties of citizenship as on the moderate sized farm, owned and oper-
ated by the father and his family.

No other occupation develops character, in its conservative, selt-
reliant, conscientious, and robust features as does that of mixed farm-
ing in its present progressive spirit.

When we remember that Ibrty-seven per cent, of our people are
engaged in agriculture, and that no legislation can be carried through

8

QlJAKTEK[,Y RkpoRT.

|i

tl'ei'- power I ,„.«p-.re tl.eSSb It,'^^! ""Tf ''"'' '"'"^

iu,..h ,„ justify fe,„e„i ,4.tsryc„nve , ° , r'lc ' 'zr:""'

then and with suf'li miM ocH.^ c< 4- ^^^ivt^iujonb (Kc, but even
;"n,i«,, ..rtiJi'bt iinSfe Su^/lir !',: C^T^"^' ^^'^"

of farmers LrS^^£Zity ^'^^'^S^^^Seril't^'"''''''^

These facts however i tei sV he nrol''. T "'? '"T '^''^y '''^^^^^■
and as I haVe said! t e h 3 sue ..? ^ * T '^^ "*-.'"?' >"««tutes as this,
aidin. ,,op,dar discusL'n^lfrono^^iclts^ir^^^' "" ^^^^--^ -

fa^iiiii^f^rr^S,^^^^

be found in wX'/lw/lvanla ""'"' ''"'^' '" ^'^^ ''"""*'•>' ^'^ '^

^e^'S^^l^^X^J^^lS^^^.S': r'^'f "' W-.hi„,ton has
to the production of tine Merino woAu t T^'^ Pe';"liarly adapted
impetus J,as been L^ve^tf Uie nrnd?,;. 1 rn *""' V?^ «" immense
organization of thif as"oda('i;;n/S;'vers to'"""""''"'^ "'"« ^''«
Motne;wllS!^f ^S^t;' president of t^he association, Mr. Julius Le-
into sp^cla ies^ nd lu' ceTho'pi;;^^ f f American industries is to drift
to improve certai wd hnnw,! I f '"'' ' !"' «'-g'''"i^ation is not only
distinct amwS4nt U^of /rf^' "V ^^P?^' '^.t also to originate
continued sele riZ nSf.fil!!^^'']! ''''^^^^ <'»"^1 ''y accurate and

Pennsylvania Board ok Agriculture.

»

are taking k a p oducers of -o 1 ' T^'"'' ^V^^'^^ ^"^^ Territories
high priced Hnd^n^l o,; .J ?■ F ^'^ '''""' compels those Avho Jive on
thtn quantity"^^ '"'^ ""^^'"^ lagh-pnced labor to study quality rather

foi'^r^'Cg';" 1ses;rer:iSr *''" \"^--f'l-ow own and keep
various breed^s an of them S?o dil^nf'!'^ ^\TI' '""•^ '''"'•"''''^ "'"the
eral registers. This iSe^S;! ?J,t£'lS:- S'^i: iSo^f

cattle and swine. Indeed the most marked advance in the past few
years has been made in breeding these animals, doubtless owin^!; to the
depression of the wool industry, but in the greater ])art, 1 am assured,
to the organization and efforts of the Stock-Breeders' Association.

The depression of the wool industry, its causes and cure, together
witli the metliods calculated to correct the self-evident and self con-
fessed mistakes of the friends of high tarilf are subjects likely to en-
gage much of your attention, as indeed tliey should. The sentiment
in favor of free raw materials, which is now so vigorously supi)orted
by the power and j^atronage of the National Administration, destroys
your great industry if once it obtains legislative sanction.

No locality in the United States is more favorably regarded at the
present time as the center of this important industry thnn the county
which is honored by your x^resence to-day. No county more deeply
interested in a calm review of the situation and none more likely to
reacli conclusions safe for the country at large.

In the census year 1880, the wool clip of this county was, in round
numbers, two million four liiindrcHl thousand i)ounds. No other county
liad two million i)ound8. Only two other counties exceeded one mil-
lion five hundred thousand pounds. Only nine reached one million
l)ounds.

Pennsylvania has sixty-seven counties, and yet the five counties in
the south-western end of the State, with Washington as a center, in-
cluding Greene, Fayette, Beaver, and Lawrence, x)roduced more than
half of the entire clip of the State. Not only so, but the wool-growers
of this county, headed by the late honored and indefatigable president
of the county and State Association, Mr. John McDowell, have estab-
lished a rei)utation for effective efforts, because of the temperate and
judicious work in Legislative circles.

For reasons named this audience numbers within it th.e largest pro-
I)ortion of practical fine wool -growers to be assembled anywhere. The
discussions of the institute should be wise and its conclusions authori-
tative.

That a great depression has fallen upon the wools and woolen in-
dustries since the tariff of 1883 was passed cannot be questioned.
Prices are lower, wool-growers have l)ecome discourged, sheep have
been slaughtered, and the future of domestic wool a subject of solici-
tude.

I was opposed to such reductions, just as every protectionist on the
floor of the House of Representatives was opposed to the reduction,
and strove in every vote and by every effort to avoid it. But the fight-
came on woolen goods rather than on wool. The ablest free-traders
in Congress had for years exhausted their rhetoric on the exorbitant
tax paid by the people in the shape of duties on clothes, flanilels, blan-
kets, etc. This being necessarily a compound duty, first to compen-
sate for the duty on wool, then to protet^t tlie manufacturers by a rea-
sonable duty, made it easy to prejudice the people against a high per
cent, of duty on woolens.

The necessity for a general revision of tlie tariff to correct certain
incongruities and reduce revenues was unanimously conceded by both
political parties and demanded by conventions of business men all
over the land. The commission met at once the demand for a reduc-
tion of duty on woolen goods. Other industries were forced to accept
a slight reduction.

When duties were reduced on woolens it would have been madness

i^

10

Quarterly Report.

'•This was not protection, hut simply an equivalent dutv whir-I,
placed he woolen manufacturer on the iree-trade leve To Siri '
cific duty was then added a duty of thirty-five ner cent ■«/.?«7 '
woolen .,n>ods as a protection to the manutS.rer " ""^ ''''^'''"' ""

Mark these words of the late President Garlield.' They brin- out in
hold relief he injustice of the plea that inannfacturers have more m-o
tection in tlie present schedule than the wool-grower^ Tl.iw^^ '
cent, protection for manufacturers wa 'a l-f " ^'been am^^f ind
grieved o see in a paper presented bv Ohio wool-o-rowers rtte SV.
retery of the Treasury, adetermined effort toS rih^fr^e h-adei^Tn
prejudicins the people against the present duty on woolens clafmin^
the whole compound duty as protectioii for manufaSrs moieTl^f

market N^m'Sl-id-l T' ^'^"^ ^""^-^^"^ tot^rjh'emTh S

man, Harpster, and leading friends of ^^'^'ol hi": ev^i vw^^^^^^^

tect^^vf le'ilSf ''Itr'^^- It creat^es sentiment'^against iH pro
fnl int *^T r J^ drives away a kindred industry— Fong a power-

IhJ^h '^"'^ ''tt^™^ "^^^-ket for wool is the sole and sore need if

tmneces a^rr'hi:.h n ' TT' T'"^^^ '''^'' ^™'" ^^ ^-i"' S s even
TtKes wool On n ^;r^^T'"''/"^: *'^^» '^^ i^ ^"'•eo*"^^ demand
S he becauseS'fbSv i? ""' '>=y\d, if woolen goods are imported,
incrensPd 'onr? n I ' 'v ^''■' ^^"t'duty is reducedor the duty on woo

increased and a corresponding increase not made on woolens the ml v

of\tUl Tand of- ;f,f ^t-^^d-. I^"'' f I '--e sdd^trs'endm^i^
VI uie countiy and of the commission and of Coii'--ress wis fm- Ir^wo-
duties 0,1 woolen goods. Therefore, . neither Jud'ge Sy no • ^v

SSSt n?tfie'whore"T.iil'""'f 'T''^'' reduction on wooY^xcrpt'b^
inipmSnce In i '"••|ud.ng revenue reduction of imperative
impouance, demanded hy universal puh ic sentiment Lono- did th^

oo.,„Hli„„ describell by M^KbiT^ZaJ^Z Zll'tvttuiuZf
ceive the acciimiilaled accrelioiis of all Iheso venrs ^^.^M n'f:, ,L
judgment could ,>revc„l a geueral revi i ,"2 ,J,t ,tm'°u d£ coodf

[l;e"Sd„Ir'■^¥-ri■re":2■I^^,-^.s-L;„^r^

Pennsylvania Board cf Aoriculture.

11

trary to the claim of protectionist that a judicious tariff tends to in-
crease production, widen the field of competition, and lo^ver prices.
The Ohio committee, for instance, assuines theeifect of the act of 1883
to be a loss oi* fourteen cents per pound on three hundred million
pounds of wool — but to be safe, count it at ten cents per pound, thirty
million dolhirs instead of forty-two million dollars, which the first
li<>ures WT)uld give, and this amount, presumably, the wool-growers
would collect again it" the tarilf of 18G7 were restored. II' all w^ool is
sold in this country to our own manufactures, (and no one doubts it)
then a restoration of 'he duties means that just thirty to forty millions
of dollars must be added to price of woolen goods, Avhile other goods
remain at low prices, while wheat is seventy-live cents, and sugar
lower tiian ever known, and labor fighting to retain present \yages,
and manufacturers compelled to close their establishments ; while all
articles of commerce are low, our Ohio friends expect members of
Congress to ask their constituents to allow the sum of forty million
dollars to be given to wool-growers, and this as a result of addingonly
two or tliree cents per pound to the duty on wool. It is not surpris-
ing to find Mr. Morrison, in his report of June, 1886, adverse to the
restoration of the tarilf of 1807, nuiking use of the line of argument
adopted by our friends in Ohio, to prove his own position that wool
ouj2:ht to be on the free list. Hear Mr. Morrispn in his ow^n words :
'' The arguments submitted to your committee, or to its predecessor in
1884, in favor of a duty on wool, have been founded solely on theory,
while in practice those arguments proved to be fallacious.*' He
then takes the period from^ 1860 to 1865, low tariff, to show an
unprecedented increase in number of sheep and pounds of wool.
^'Tlie domestic wool clip increased during. that period from sixty mil-
lion in 1860 to one hundred and fifty-five million pounds in 1865."
He says furtlier : ''In March, 1867, an enormous increase was made
in the duty on foreign ^^ool, * * What followed? In

thereport of th? Agricultural Bureau for March and April, 1869, the
decrease in the number of sheep since 1866 was declared to be not less
than twenty per cent. * * The lowest estimate of

the slaughter was four million." Again lie says : ''The total clip ot
the United States was officially reported at one hundred and sixty-
eight million pounds in 1867, and at only one hundred and fifty million
pounds in 1871. * *

" The result, therefore, which followed the protective tariff enacted
in obedience to the clamor of wool-growers in eight States, was the
falling oil" of one-half of their production." And he asks, '; Were the
w^ool growers of the country benefited in the price of their product?
* * The average price of domestic wool for the whole

period since the enactment of the wool tariff of 1867 has been nurh
lower than it was during the period in which wool was admitted either
free or under a very small revenue duty."

Please notice this argument of Mr. Morrison's. How adroitly it is
copied from that of liie Ohio committee of wool-growers, in order to
nullify it. They furnish stntistics showing that the number of sheep
has been greatly reduced and the price of wool lowered since the
slight reduction'of 1883, therefore, the tarilf ulone did it, and nothing
but the restoration of the tarill' of 1867 will increase prices. Wool
gro vers from lighting other industries. Morrison shows that the num-
ber of sheep w^as greatly reduced, and the price of wool greatly low-

12

Quarterly Report.

bu '^irirrsrwoori^Sr^JiS^ n.uu,facturers, who must

turers, have demand" 1 f ee woo T .^ t P lY "'^y' ^'^« ^anufac-
able, let me quote the lan^irjr ol'.l f 'o, mi.t^''"f "* '"^T- "'^•'■^'^^"-
manufacture.'s tliey say : ^' We are un^Jt " speaking of the

<li:>l (hey should be m'III n- to ^^} r 1 ^^^-^Pr^ss our amazement
must result in e ?ttlr deftr teti ^ 5U^ '''^T''''' -^^^ ^ P"l'°>' that

i" tl.e face of the fact H.S th Tr ^odu fa^^^^^^^^ ^"^

aging sixty-seven ner oenf th^J^r. I i ^^ P^^^cted by chities aver-
^VY)ls iree of duty.^'^^ ' ^^'^^ ^^"^^^^^^ ^''' ^^'^ admission of foreign

Tliis, coming from the very indnsfrv nV oil ^fi ^i .

the close ally and friend of tlfe mS acn rer ?s f^J"!i ''f ""^'''* <^ '^^
co-operation. Is it warranted " Fv^n Ar \t -"^ *^'' n.rmony and
who heard all the ar- u u ,ts sav. nf /i ^^lornson, the chairman,

jority of then, fwh ch n ^o i Vf. J "^ manuiacturers : " The ma-

not iKKl the coi rac^e o "sli^r iiwf'?.^ "'''°""', organization) have
their material I vTtdem'dnn " the wayof loM-er taxation u^on

at large for tteir reimZSie'l^ts ""''' "' '"^"'^"^ "P"" "'^ P-'P^^

tention to the good w^ of ralHsT"^'''' ^"1'^''^" 'P^"^^>-^ invite at-
viteattentioi^niV action ^n.^^^^^^ He says : "We also i„-

Manufacturers the diJelt "onI.mer,^rf ^^sociation of Woolen

pearthat <hose\vho are t iv rtroverTh,'^;v h"" ^r'^' " ^"" '^P"
are not the rpil h„f ii,„ "^ ? overthiow the duties upon wool

the country "' """^ "'" '''''"^'^' representatives of the farmerof

approvingly copiilh to l^^rv flT ""'' '""I '''"«' ^^"ties, ariruments
from the NatioTal AsSiSion of W "l ^^o^l-g^'jer's journal, came
its able secretary, Hon SoinrHal^f" *f"""^-t"rers, written by

-S^::l^^^^!:rtJ^l ^.^^i> --tion wocd.growers against
fer from Ihem as o meHmdl /. "'^icisms o those who honestly dif-
end. Much of the p^seSl^ w ^^ "'"","'"- ^o seek the 'same

failures to see their wo. - ^ H ' """"^ ^vool-growers and all of the
heartily as they deserve ^;.?ii«''',r"'"^^"' ''•^' "^ber industries as
who magnified' the "I.tg^ '%'' ,^ th ' H^f ofist^ TJ' '^" 'T^!'''^
who tailhlullv worked while t /^ - if. f ?\ ^^'^' ^^enounced those
demoralizing theii mv.T orn. ^f^l ^*^' 'T^ ''''^^^ ""'^ succeeded in
they have lost the conf den c^n ^?-^^ '*™-^ ""^ protection while

lated and dange^^ous nosi ion . ^"PP"'•t^»^^ c"rP« becau..e of the iso-

the general li.eoJ^tKndi^^^H^^^^^^^ '" ^''^^''''''^^ «f

reinforced. But 4 ftr n« T i/ . '''''' °^ ^ powerful enemy, lately

true as steel, an iuJ^^ L!'!!':! "^ S>-««t 'od.v of wool-grow'ers are

prices th;n e n nd w evervl f'^'- ?"" ''^"^ ''^tle to do wuh
to an i^nnien'se «>"„;, i,!'^V'^'' '"'^ 1'"^^' advanced responsive
supply. The vast we? waste' of"!■nr""''■^T''^^ ''"' ''"^^'^^'^

=•".. woolen ,abrics^S^\li:Xf?ei^^^^^^^^

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

18

prices stimulated our production, and were high enough to encounter
a duty at last of nine cents per pound, gold. No fair comparison
can be made of that period with any other live years in our liistory.

But in saying that the j)rice of wool was not maintained l)y the tariff
of 1867, Mr. Morrison is correct.

But what of this? It is the pride and glory of i)rotectionists that
free-traders like Morrison are compelled to witness the wool-growing
industry thrive magiiiliciently under high tariff of 1867, nnd prices,
hotli of wool and woolens grow less and less to the consumer, steadily
in a series of vears.

Manufacturers of steel never could have gained a hearing by claim-
ing a tarifi' that would keep steel rails up to one hundred and twenty-
eight dollars per ton. No industry can afford to base its plea solely
on the assertion that prices must be kept up.

Wheat was one dollar and twenty-five cents per bushel in 1880,
now it is seventy-five cents. Fifty cents a bushel of a decline. Sup-
pose wool to be even as low as thirty cents to-day. It was fifty cents
in 1880 according to table furnished by Prof. J. K. Dodge, of the
Agricultural Department. Wheat seventy-five cents to-day, one dol-
lar and twenty-five cents in 1880. You can take five i)ounds of thirty-
cent wool and trade for two bushels of wheat to-day. In 1880 you
could take five i)ounds of fifty-cent wool and get for it no more wheat.
Other causes than tariff have brought down the price of wheat.

Do 1 say that the price of wool is a paying price, thirty cents ? No,
I do not. Something must be done to compensate the farmer for the
-decline, or wool growing on these high ])riced lands will fail. Is
seventy-five cents a fair price for wheat ? No, it is not. But will tariff
certainly do all that is claimed by its friends for wool growing? I
think not. Will it do much? Yes, every way. It will give us a
market for every pound of wool we can raise, adopted to any of our
manufacture. Foreign wool should not be used unless purchased at
prices higher than American wool can be laid down in the same
market. The prices of domestic materials or wares will take care of
themselves. The country is large enough, competition is great enough,
€apital is active enough, to give lower prices whenever we' are fully
protected in our markets. I say the first demand of the wool-grower
should be for a market. In our own country, we must compete with
the most highly favored sections in supplying that market. Improve
the breed, increase the clip, strengthen the fibre, reduce the expense
of caring for sheep if possible, pay more attention to the carcass, seek
legislative protection from dogs, reduce the charges or dispense with
the services of middlemen, and never be discouraged. The country
cannot aflbrd to give up its excellent wool, its bountiful supi)ly of
wholesome fresh meat, saving the nation as it does in the price of
beef more than any possible appreciation of woolen fabrics by reason
of the tariff. It needs the restoring qualities of sheep husbandry for
its soils, soon to be impoverished. More than this it needs the political
sympathy nnd cooperation of agriculturists, whose typical protected
industry is the universal favorite in every State and Territory, sheep
husbandry and wool growing. It is quite possible that just now the
tariff on wool cannot be increased, because the general duties on wool-
ens cannot be increased to correspond. I regret that it is so, for I am
sure foreign wool is imi)()rted that ouglit not to come in. I'lie vast
production abroad has lowered prices so as to admit it.

One thing might be done possibly that would create a market for

14

QUAKT£RI,Y EePORT.

just, such comI)ing wool as Western Pennsylvania Ins to <,p11 j, ;
heartily witli ellbrts made to correct the dcMonn iV'k ^^ "

partment under which the immense Sn^.ts^r ^J^it^sl^n
more t/w 7""'^'"'*^ manuCacturers, but, it would aid vvool t,we^"
moie. It would make a deman( (or nrobablv sivi.nllinn ,?r,„ f 7.i

Vn-ginia wools Irom three to five cents pernound tl a ev^f i f
ralion of the lariir of 1867, if it were done w fl,n f n • '^"^ '■^'^°;
the dul ies on woolens. The tarml^who seek a Se of .irn "'"T V^
market gardening wants lirst to know what market he Ims^S'lf hi

Ses-'hl^llliS^lSr dn;y^.Sre^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ -

e ulilV ffi e«ec;' .'^^''^^V^"''T ''''''''' to keep \hem ^ ^ti "
sieaaijy. ihe efiect of a good market on nrices wn^ illnefvof^ri '^

president of (he Sea.eAssooS,T«,™; IS J^^

Our wool i.roduct must continue to L a Lces'i>v to u^S ^*'' 'T
urers." This is hopeful. Now let ns ask nn ^^Lir .^'"''""''''^^
manufacturer how L make oui ^oducrsdirmre'^ira'tceSly"]^^
these times of depression. Manger & A verv nf Not. v "^.*^^®^Vy "^
quoted in Congressional discussions, say ^' York, m a letter

"By reason of the reduction of duty on worsted vnvT.^ nh^^^ ■
made from wool which can be combed) irthetarUract^^^^^^^^^
value of twenty-five to thirty per cent of the cHn n f n? ? -f f '^
heretofore always commanded a price (hroefn«^ ° ''''"'^'' ^"*'

above ordinary Ohio wool is now^?oS niTor "thl, Zn^t'iZ:^
II It were possible to at once correct the decision of tl.lT'^ tleece. '
worsteds,! should have hope lor a very active demn.ll -^'easury on
in this, Washington, count.', and of coni'^J better c^ "'tfT'l
shou (] be done the moment public sentiment can be aron^P.ln f *
two interests of wool growing and wool manukTuring can be SiJy

Pennsylvania Board of Agkiculture.

15

united is to advance duties on both concurrently by the aid of a Con-
gress and an administration that will be in sympathy with it. There
can be no sound reason given lor the importation ot thirty-five million
dollars' worth of woolen goods in 1885 and seventy million pounds of
wool. Let the cheapest carpet wool come if you please. We do not
perhaps want it as the product of free labor, but so adjust the tariil* at
the earliest opportunity that these foreign goods andibreiirn wool can-
not be sold at as low prices as our own. Meanwhile, let us correct ad-
verse decisions and get what little comfort the law of 1883 will bring
us. 1 have a letter quite recently from the secretary of the National
Association of Wool-Growers, Hon. Albert Chapman, of Vermont, la-
menting the apathy of the organization as was manifest in the failure
to appear against the Morrison bill at the present session of Congress
and expressing the conviction that what Avool-growers most need at
present is such a construction of our present law as would favor manu-
facturers against the importation of w^orsted goods and yarns. This
opinion is concurred in by many other leading wool-growers. It is
certainly not the time to waste energy and accept inevitable defeat,
with whatever of discouragement it involves, in the persistent effort
to secure the restoration of the tariff of 1867 on w^ool alone.

The officers of the National Association need material encourage-
ment. They cannot be expected to spend valuable time and money
in the interests of this great industry and then appeal in vain for re-
imbursement. There ought to be a close alliance between all the
State organizations; a symstematic collection of funds ready for
emergencies like the present; a careful and cordial co-operation with
all other industries on a platform that Avill commend itself to the sup-
porting and co-operating forces, and then a steady and heroic resolve
to crush out all minor or personal differences in maintaining a general
line of battle that will eflectually i)reserve and protect. American
soil, American labor, and American invention for all the diversified
industries possible to a country so marvelously capable of develop-
ment. All industries are likely to be unnecessarily frightened by
slight adverse influences, none more so than sheep husbandry. After
the war closed, in 18G5, the sudden demand for woolen goods found
the market in the world gorged as it were, and immense quantities of
army overcoats and military clothing, added to the raw materials, com-
bined to glut the market in this country, and cause a slaughter of
sheep in the next few years that even the tariff of 18fi7 could only
partially check for years after. So now there has followed in the
wake of the unwise reduction of 1883, a scare that was not justified
by the law itself, which has led to the slaughter of sheep and the de-
moralization of wool-growers. I say a scare not justified by the law
itself, and in proof of this I submit figures given me by Mr. J. R.
Dodge, of the Agricultural Department, in a letter dated December
21, a week ago. No one hesitates to accept his statement of facts.

For the four years, 1879, 1880, 1881, and 1882, 290,962,882 pounds
of wool, of all kinds, were imported. For the four vears since, name-
ly, 1883, 1884, 1885, and 1886, there were 31S,607,257^pounds imported.
The value of importations in the four years preceding 1883 was
actually more tliini in the period of four years succeeding that law
being $49,562,213 in the first period, and $48,9(J0,01 1 in the last. The
value of importations ot wool this year is larger than any year since
1880, but the value of imijortations last year, 1885. two years after
the reduction of duty, was less than in any previous year since 1880.

f

16

QUAKTEKLY RePoRT.

Pennsylvania Board of Aoriculture.

17

li.eso ll,„.tu;ilions mlmonisli us nofto allow the tariff of ISR^ f,.
/ng hten us mto hasty confessions of defeat and n i,, \iL if ^
study ii.,w best to turn defeat into victorfsi IVl ^il ? i ^""^ "'

KiL'biVl't'^r'^^" r "='r -•n';j;'ea::"::kealt;,::;Sr.*^^s
SlrsiTghte • 1 o " fn^a^rti^^^^^^^ ^^"'r/"i^ «•"■ «"-p '«

use inferior wools iVc.m orSu par "t prl Std tt ?o"f"' "' *^

That prejudice must and should be corrected M.ro . l.Vl.o .n
actjve, uiuted eUbrts of wool-.-rowe,,. StL liluTS^ "SS

U„n'°'" "''' '■"""'"'^ '^'""''"••' 1" me s„„,„„,ri.e by . few p,,p„,i-

it deserves they strike it to the heart '""'"""!» lie»"y support

Bhouhl receive at least thirtJ-Vve p'e" en . prSeS'' """"'""' '""'

x\N" ADDRESS.

By Eev. J. R. Johnson, D. P., Tr«.9/»V,./<,,„,, p«. .

fin reply to the address of welco.ne at the Washington Ins.itute.]

As 1 walked up liere this afternoon I fell h, uid. .
who were coniins to the instit. tP .?nr ' V^'' 1^^^ gentlemen

tion had referen':;. t^> i 0 e "f tlu m' l',v?" "'^"'■*^' «"r ^onversa-
proffrannne,askedmV if whit I sh M ;?,r '^'"^''^-^^ "=^'"^ "" ^''^
told him I ;as hardly 'l^^t 1^1^^^/^^ 'l^iS^^J-ui

J

meeting and talking* witli some members of tlie Association, T became
8til] more uncertain, and I am tliereibre compelled to fall back on the
old expedient of Kobert l^urns, who said, you remember, so long ago:

But wliether it l)e short or langj,

Let time and chance determine ;
Perhaps it may turn oot a sang,

Perliaps turn oot a sermon.

I was greatly pleased to liear and am ghid to resi)ond to the excel-
lent address that you, Mr. Shellenberger, have made to the Associa-
tion T am sure the members of the institnte understood it, enjoyed
it, and will prolil by it. It might not be safe for me to attempt to
travel over the same ground, or to follow along lines that are parallel.
I am not so well read in matters relating to the tariff and the wool-
growers as I might be, and perhaps should he, and might find myself
somewhat confused if I were to adopt such a method. It might re-
quire me to make the confession that Dr. R. J. JJreckenridge once
made after preaching in Oannonsburg. He was, as some of you may
remember, tor a short period president of Jefferson College. One Sab-
bath, after having preached, a man came up to him as they went out of
church and said, '^ Dr. Breckenridge, some way or other, I didn't nn-
derstand you to-day." ""Oh, that's nothing," (piickly replied the Dr.,
''I didn't understand myself." It might be that way precisely with
you and me if I were to speak about the tariff and wool.

There are kinds of industries that, for certain reasons, come, have
their day, and pass aw^ay again. They are dne, some to temporary
necessity and some to local opportunity, and when these have disap-
peared they are gone. But with agriculture it is different. It was
interesting last year, it is interesting this year. It was interesting cen-
turies ago, and it will be interesting for centuries to come. We have
a striking illustration of this in our own community For many years
the peaceful ])ursuits of farming and grazing have been going on upon
our fertile hills and in our rich valleys, and until recently there was
no sign that they would ever be interrupted. But suddenly there was
the discovery of oil, wliich started a ne\v industry, with all the excite-
ment that belongs to it and to kindred enterprises. This has engaged
the attention of many persons, some of them strangers and some of
our own citizens, and on every side we see derricks and tanks stand-
ing like forests and villages over the landscape. The drill is in opera-
tion, and going dowMi a thousand, and two thousand feet, and more,
the treasure of t he rocks is l)rought to the surface and conveyed to the
market. But after a little while the field will be drilled and devel-
ojjed, and then the interest will recede and finally pass away, because
there will be nothing more to do. And then, that being ended, the
derricks will come down, the holes will be filled up, and over tlie hills
the plow will 1)0 going again, and harvests will come and be gathered
just as if the oil had never existed. And thus it is that this agriculture,
in which we are all so deeply interested, remains even when so many
rivjd occupations appear and perish again. The reason is that it is a
necessary one in all places and all ages, and this requires that it shall
continue. But there is another reason. There is a kind of native
charm about it that recommends it to the tastes of humanity. There
is something in the fields of summer; in the growing crops and gath-
ering harvests ; something in the ripening fruits of the autumn that
is alluring and that gives it a precedence over all other i>ursuits.
There is something in us that makes us wish to be near our mother
2

18

QUAHTKKIA' Klil'OK

r.

earlh, mikI we Uierelore turn witli constant partialitv to the oallin-
that invites us to kneel down and put our lingers in the soil *'

In onler to respond properly in behalf of the institute, 1 should be
able to Identify myself with the farmers who compose it, but th s if
done at all, should be done honestly. To profess a symp h Ju {
does not exist is to act the part of a quack. My claim, perhaps may
be based lu part on this, that I was born and reared on a farin^ It w?s
in the Cumberland va ley of this State, which is, 1 1 hink, one ot the nSt
beau Uul p aces on the earth. It was there I had my native home

^i^Z^VfT'^V^'^f- ' '^""";''' '^'""i"-' "«t simply a" I
saw It, but as I took part m it m my earl v years. Permit me to make

his remark, that comin j, out to this company and becoming acq.mb, I ed

with tiie larmmg here I entertained the opinion that it was a

ways so good as it might be, and that I could improve upon it But

a little better acquaintance with it persuaded me that I was mistaken

no? SKrt^o'ii^S.^ -^ ''^'- -- ^- "-^ <^-- ^"-' ^^^

T ,f "f'-Y^o^^'i*;!- reason why I am not wholly out of place here is, that
I have been living during tbese latter years in a rural commun ty
Ihe home in which I am residing has one side towards the towi and

sit'^vvfu '' ^"T'"-^' ''^" '•"""**"^'- ^'•"•" tl.o window at which I I^ua y
sit, with my lexicons, commentaries, type-writer and so on T { ,11

out over the lields and see the operation^s\h.^ar: re^nth g^. n on
there In the summer, when the crops are planting or harves r^ T

But, more than this, I have some farmin- inq.lements, thus I have a
plovv I must confess it is only a one-horse plow, an, on^l orse S m
iff hfl,^'^;i '' r' «""f l^re.l very popular. I must confess I'l.tl^,
that the handle of my i)low is broken ; but since that shows it h is

foTcXism 7 if ''"'^'^' '' '. compliment rather than as" reason
i?T ;• • ¥!f '"i •'="-row, also, and some other implements and

or still aiothei that is on my premises, it is a snow plow, which he
had constructed some years ago, and which we nse.l Ibr c earin off
our walks when they were blockaded by the storms. It has ever
been used very much and is in prettv good repair If I m ?v
be permi ted to mingle a little business\vrth the se nient oHli
occasion, I would suggest that T think it is for sale, and il ny of you
rem need ol such an article you should call up< n Mr Si' I
have one other remark in this direction. Ti.e in.lustry w d vou
pursue IS devoted to certai., kinds of culture. But th7mSeS
calling which IS mine has that also for its object. Now! w™at is ci 1
m"ns iK '"l^l " '^'^;'""f ^"«1J""'-^>T you will learn' thafc Itu re
uieieiore, ot a prolession like mine, we are reminded ofthewivin
which we are allied to the soil. Even up in Bost(., , diere thev H k
so much of " culcha," and seem to walk L though th^; In lly touched
the earth, they have to come down, when the tests ar mX f > fi!i
common soil like the rest of us. For fl.ese reSsons I m'xy c d^^^^^^^

sTntSie^ "" "'^'"' "'"" ^1""'^"'^' ^-- ^'- larmii-rS thel'rejre!

thil!;: amL^?i;;tutt:le\wth';TA '"• --y-

Deen so gieat that it can hardly be overstated. The very fact of this

Pennsylvania Board of Aukicultuke.

19

institute meeting here as it does is proof of this. Some years ago it
would have been impossible. There might have been a meeting, but
it would not have been one marked by the practical intelligence that
is manifested here to-day. Tf we look at some of our institutions ; if
we go along our railroall and see the magnilicent buildings erected
fortius county fair, we will be met by siniihir impressions. These
buildings, a while ago, would have been callod scandalously expen-
sive, but they now commend themselves to the whole community as
creditable to its taste and progress. We enter them, and when we
see the implements exhibited there in which there is so much of skill-
ful invention and mechanical ingenuity ; as we look at the machines
and tools of so many kinds and adapted to so many uses, and all in
such perfection, we can hardly comprehend that for the calling of
simplv tilling the soil they should have been produced. When, also^
we visit the stalls for the stock, some for horses and some for cattle^
and others for sheep and swine, with so ample provision made for
chickens, geese, ducks, and poultry in general, nnd for^ the fruits^
grains, vegetables and other products, we are again reminded of the
remarkable progress that has been made in these directions. We can-
not but conclude that there is great out-come in this calling, and are
glad so many of our citizens are engaged in it. But we do not stop
there. AVe think of the journals and magazines devoted exclusively
to agriculture ; of the newspapers, too, secular and religious, which
have a department for the discussion of rural topics. We read, too,
of one invention after another, of scientilic fertilization, of new en-
terprises and departures, and putting all together, we are surprised
at the amount of intelligence, and of the highest kind that is given to

this pursuit.

It may be interesting to present an example or two of this advance-
ment in recent years. My memory goes back some years, and enables
me to recall some of their incidents. The old sickle, with which tlie
wheat used to be cut, was su])erseded before my day, so that I never
saw it in actual use. Some old specimens were hanging about my
lather's house and barn, remaining as mementoes of the past. Occa-
sionally thev were taken out when a bit of wheat was '' lodged "—the
word, i think, the farmers used— and the older harvesters would wield
them with the facility of experts. 1 have reason to remember some
of tliem, for,being rough on edge and awkward in shape, they frecpient-
ly lacerated my hands when I was tempted to meddle with them.
But the cradle came after the sickle, fighting its way as all im])rove-
ments must, and iinally drove it from the field. I am told that when
it was first introduced into Washington county it encountered no little
protest and ridicule. One man, a champion reaper, treated it with
scorn, and went to a field one early harvest day, tilled with the ])ride
of showing how superior he was to another, who purposed using his
innovating invention. He climbed upon the fence top and sat to
watch the cradle try and fail. But as the cradler proceeded, sweep-
ing down the grain and laving it in regular swaths at his side, he
lapsed into silent disgust. When, at last, he could stand it no longer,
he sprang from the fence in w rath, and the tradition is— I do not
know how true it is— that the air of the place was blue with his pro-
lan ity. But after the cradle came the reaper, rude at first, but
quickly improved, till it has grown into the majestic thing,we see

it to-day. , i /. ..-

We have a similar illustration in comparing the methods of cutting

20

QirAKTKRLY Rkport.

i|

dovvji the grass. When I was a hnv nn ry^^r f..n. ^ r

as many as fourteen (•olore.r.uen en^a-S to^I.e/l''"' ^ """^^ ^*^ ^^^

stretched across the meadov., Tped" c^l 'e Tef Jre "eXd""'^^^^^^^^

lat was beaul.lul to look at. Their scythes woukf S^t per £
time, gleamiu- as they <lr<nv them back in the mornin- smi he m<r
rows of ghsteiunj,^ grass pili„. themselves nn in the re'^r Am^ !

lev moved qt^-idilir f,.> uii ^i i '^^ "i' '" me icdi. Anu tills
„LJ -i ■^fea lily on till the leader, perlia])s, would '--et into -i
nest o bumble bees, then the whole process oi wo d ?o. IT^
would be very courageous, of course, and with w letsto e or mddle
arid sometimes with bits of grass, wciuld light the t ou "'ome ene V

v.n hi ^'f. ="-■"• ""-^ *''''■'' '^^''^ ^ fe^v "nen who pride, themselves
which I have some fee [n'stlmoi sni te ni R • ^ '"i™"'''-' ^'''^''''^'

can ,iii(le,-sl,„i.l l,,„v m.,cli K|ii(f I luive .? ho nl,f ™ n "*"">■""
clean, i„to Sc't "3 " n V"l ■Z^rS'S-e','''' f l?'"' "■°' i'"

But I sometimes tliiiik that wlieii Ave t'lll- nf fiw

E«.,.,, f„. i„.»„,., ,1.;;' -'r'„ -r 'S,;',;,,'/:,!",,,'^"! '>-„.I;i

Pennsylvania Board of Ar-Rien/n re.

21

careful farming to provide for it. Agriculture, therefore, engaged the
most intelligent attention of the people. Let me read something of
the fanning done at an Egyptian villa: —

''Egyptian villas comprised all the conveniences of the present day.
Besides a mansion with numerous aj^artments, there were gardens,
orchards, fish ponds, and preserves for game. Attached to it was a
farm-yard, with sheds for cattle, and stables for carriage horses.
Grain was stored in vaulted chaml)ers furnislied with an opening at
the top, reached by steps, into which it was emptied from sacks, and
witli an aperature below for removing it when required."

That sounds like something much more recent than the Egypt of
anti(|uity. 1 suspect many of the farmers of Washington county tliink
fish ponds for raising carp a luodern invention.

What is told us of Eome and its imi)rovements is equally surprising.
Agriculture was a jHirsuit engaged in by many of the noisiest citizens,
and it was cultivated to an extent that we hardly think of. AVe even
find that some of the families got their names from the kinds of vege-
tables and fruits that were cultivated and poi)ular. Some of you,
perhai)s, will recall the words put into tlie mouth of Cato by Cicero,
and will be interested in hearing them quoted. *' I come now," says
this noble Roman, "to the pleasures of husbandry, in which 1 greatly
delight. They are not interrupted by old age, and they seem tome to
be x>ursuits in which a wise man's life should be spent. The earth
does not rebel against authority; it never gives back, but with usury,
what it receives. The gains oi* husbandry are not what exclusively
commend it. I am charmed with the nature and productive virtues
of the soil. Can those old men be unhappy who deliglit in the culti-
vation of tlie soil? In my opinion, there can be no ha])pier lil'e, not
only because the tillage of the earth is salutary to all, but froin the
pleasure it yields, the whole establishment of a good and assiduous
husbandman is stored with wealth ; it abounds in pigs, in kids, in
lambs, in poultry, in milk, in cheese, in honey. Nothingcanbe more
])rofital)le, nothing more ])eautiful, than a well cultivated farm."

Perhaps it might l)e said of Cato that lie was like some gentlemen
of the present day, wlio get their enjoyment from agriculture, because
they farm with bank stock, and yet the genuineness of the language
forbids so ungracious a suggestion.

Now let us take an illustration from the more recent past. IMany
of you take the Century Magazine: It is an embellisliment to any
home into whicli it goes. In the December number there is an article
descriptive of the home life of Henry Clay, our distinguished states-
man of a generation that is gone, and who was once so familiar to the
citizens of this community. Mr Clay was charmed with the pul)lic
life in which he moved; he also had his ambitions and even aspired
to the presidential chair, but he also had great delight in his farm,
down in the blue grass region of Kentucky. Let me read a letter he
wrote, to show that he and Cato, though separated by so many cen-
turies, where yet agreed as to the i)leasures of agriculture. ''My
farm." he says, "is in line order, and my pre])arations for the crops of
the present year, 1830, are in advance of all my neighbors. I sliall
make a better farmer than statesman, and I iind in the business of
cultivating, gardening, grazing, and the rearingof variousdescriptions
of domestic animals, the most agreeable resources. Since my return
from Washington, I have been principally occupied with the operations
of tlie farm, which have more and more interest for me. There is a

22

Quarterly Report.

gieat diftereiice I tlunk, between a farm employed in raising dead
produce „r market, and one which is applied, as mine is, to f rear
ing of all kinds of lives took. I have the Maltese ass, the Aral)ian horse
the Merino and Saxe Merino sheep, the English Hereford nd I), r-'
ham catt^ e, the goat, the mule, and the hog Tlie progres, of these

va viS suWc 'of"i T'^'T '"i I'""" '"'^"""^>^' P-sints\ constanSy
vaiyingsubjectof interest, and I never go out of mv house without
meeting some of I hem to engage agreealily mv atten'tion. Then our
iin.. greensward, our natural parks, our beautiiul undulating coi nt"^
everywhere exhibit u.g combinations of grass and trees and b x -i ,^^
aIh' ^o»«l'i''e to render home delightful » J'lxnnant

When It was asked some one as to how Mv. Clay ranked with the
formers around him, it was said "0, none rankL^ighen exce t h s
wife " It was also said that when h<> was away on public \bities s
good wile could take hold of the farm and manage it wi as much
success and profit as himself. And Ihus we see how he ami Oato
clasped hands across the great cliasm of two thousand years

1 should not pass this point without making another comnarison
They knew in those days how to cut their grain so tha it wo dd be

M^Lrthef ^ ''< •"""" l^r ^"^■^'^^^^"" ^-"^ the same Cato
\\ lieat, the later it is reaped, the better it casts, but the sooner it is

reaped, the fairer the sample. The best rule is to cut it before the

pearance. Better two days too soon than two days too late ' is a -ood
old maxim, and might pass for an oracle." I have rea that c n^?se

BUtS'So"dl^-;:P,r^' "":};;'-;"^^»'t it related t'o L'new SL^' ^^
iim neai Oato still further. " Cato would have this point esneciallv
to be considered, that the soil of the farm be good and fW-til dso
that near it there be plenty of laborers, and tluU it be o f'ar fmm x
Large town; moreover, that it have sufficient means for ran SDort

i>i t,.ui(l flu In (1 about It be well managed." Now this that wns
tidked of so Intel igently then, is what, in diderent la m, . 1 ^^1
be discussed in (his institute; the importance of ml ng he so'l Jer
tde, of good Ullage, of means of transportation, (.f havin-- 'oodlui Id
ings, and comforlable homes. The (w.. thousand years Cade
present, are at one on those subjects. When Cat >* w ,s asked wh.?
was the most assured ,.rofit arising out of lan.l, Ve rJplild ^Mo ted

^t/ -f '''^"- • ^^"'" "''^«^^ '^S^^"'' " ^vl'at was next " fc said "to
feed with moderation." But just yesterday I was lookin'o-over anartf
cle in the New York Trifmne, written by Col. F D Sis Z'tll'

"/.'■'the s^m^Thfd oro„""'i^^ '^''^'y^-^^ ^-^ i tbuti l^^'St

thus we learn that our improvement -reat is i k '.'*'"f "1*'"'"»- f »<i
we sometimes think. '^ ^' ^^ ""^ ^^ ^reat as

This other thought is interestiiKr f]>nf fi.^ ;, , . .

come about, has l>een by ^"y oTevol'ution T l^ ""i;'-"7'"^"<, t'^a^ has

the., ,i,i„,.. „,„e »,„„t. (T.rerr'r,,:ri„';.;f,,'4ri°li''S'i 's"5

Pennsylvania Board of Acuuculture.

23

Suppose we illustrate by a reference to some of our couiuionest imple-
ments. Take the plow. If we were to go to a hardware store or agri-
cultural store in the town, we would be shown a beautiful ])low ; the
'' chilled ])low," I l)elieve is the name of the poi)ular sort. Now that
plow, handsome as it is, is simply an outgrowth from the lirst imple-
ment used for its purposes in the early agriculture of the world. They
then took a forked stick, with some one to "push it, or some one, man
or woman, to pull it. After that they used an animal, a horse, ox, ass;
making improvements meaniime on the tool, and tlien more improve-
ments, slowly but surelv, until at last we have the full evolution of
the plow as we have it to-day. The same principle is recognized m
the production of the machines used ibr cutting the grain. It would
look impossible to show that the reaper, a fully equipped McCormick,
was evolved from the sickle ; and yet if we study them we will con-
clude they are not so far apart after all, indeed, we will agree that the
one has simply been an improvement on the other. The old sickle
had its rough edge for cutting or sawing off' the wheat, and a mail
using it gathered up this he cut into sheaves to be bound and stacked.
What does the reaper do? It has the sickle still, and its office is to
saw off" the stalks and produce the sheaves. The one idea runs through
from the bediming to the end. This is a beautiful thing to think
about. In the production of the tools we use to day there lias been
as clear an illustration of the law of development as in the rose and
apple that grow in vour door-yard and orchards. Tlie one has come
under culture i'roni the sweet briar that grew in tangles in a lence
corner, and the other from a sour crab that re-opened on the hillside.
But tlie progress, notwithstanding what I have said, has been real
and great. In order to understand it we must look at the subject
broadly. I will liere venture a remark that it would not do for a
stranger to make. I do not know that we would even allow Mr.
vShellenberger to make. In Washington county, I suspect, there has
not been so much improvement as in some other places of equal in-
tellic:ence. The implements, I think, have not been introduced here
so early and so rapidly, and their employment has not so much inter-
ested ihe people as 'in some other places where they might not so
naturallv have been looked for. You know we are a conservative
people. ^ We are of Scotch-Irish blood. The Scotch-Irish have a great
manv excellent (pialities. But one of their traits is to hold on to
what thev have, refusing to adopt anything new till somebody else
lias tried'and proved it. If it does its work they will slowly use it.
I heard this said, a dav or two ago, by a gentleman— I tlunk lie is m
the house. Possiblv he was not speaking accurately ; but having
been on a visit some place east of this, and in a rural community.
He said, when talking of it*: '' .Air. Johnston, I tell you ^yhat is true.
In this, Washington count v, which is one of the best places in the
world, we are just ff fty years behind.'^ That was his remark, remem-
ber, not mine,' and lest I should imperil his safety, I will not men-
tion his name. . i i • n i • i r
But with respect to the country at large, it leads in al kuuls ot

agricultural progress. Our implements are turning up the «^>il "^
India, right in the presence of the gods and their temples, and the
earth on which our Savior walked, and that was marked by the loot^
steps ol Paul, is disturbed bv the instrument sent Irom America. 1
was interested some time since in looking at a plow, and the lu'ocess
of plowing, in the north of England. The plow was exceedingly long

24

Qn.ARTKRLY ReI'OKT.

from tlie ma i ^ho l s ho -f f, "ir "^'i^'' '7 .'*'"- t-^^^^^' «« t'.at
tance was con. llSe i | m^ h^/.'f ?' " "'" '^T'^"^ ^'''^ ^^i^"
horses. Thev all seempil t^ f '^, ^'"* ^''"''^ '''"'1 one led the

done I rem ,i id^-n^r / ''l^-g'^ 'larcl, nor was their work well

looIdn,U't"e£l", . ;: ,j:?ri..^;;^™' 'r- '"' '--^^---t pleasure
the premises of our iriendroml T f f l^'' '"'^" ''''^''^ mowiuj.- on
them. Thev used cv her. I, ,t n ., ?/ T* "r'-"'!""'''"-^ <« '""'^ at
'''<'"'<iin.n-{\n-ubscvV^e.n,t J^'^^^^^^^^ '^'^"'^ "*' '^''"^^ ''^tween

thisoountr^^ la is?hevwlilf '' "''''/'i "" ^''^ ''^'^'" '•'■'"H^ of
thoseusedhM The hTolJr^^ ""t ^'n-Ii like

shoulder. The mower wu 1 on .*"^' '"1 ''^ •'"i^' '"^^^''^l «'>"ve the

oil- (he grass, thi^^;;";;'^'^sr'^',:-''^^^^

call "dirty work" O.a rio,r t • i . . • '^s'^'I'i"' workman wou d
that scythe "He lo.l l!l .? '•"*^ ^"JV"'' «"l>pose you let me try

and stood a^ide to s2;S,vZhr'''"'''^Tt' Y ''■'' '''^'^y '^ <1« i
wlietted it up as I S k inu d !1 *", ^[ '*• ^ ^^^'^ ^''« ^^-^'^ ''^ and
fence, c,,tti„l Vo(^^broi?^^l^ ']r\ '^"^"'^ ^^^°»« ^Iie

maldn, a sward ti:£'^t::Sl^^'^;[^^^^::^ ^o the ground,
and tunung I lie irrass over Jnf^ ., .1 v • ! "ty girl to dance on,
I stopped a^ul loo led blek t wo '•'"'•'^ '"''• When,aftera little
when he was able to speak e S ^''f\"lf"." ^f"' ^ftonishment, and'
Well, I had, buti had an .Hon if ^11 f''' I"" '^'r*^^l""« ^'i^t before."
Then he went <.n numin " '1 kLL ^'^' •'""' '^'^l' '"'t^ou never did it."

I recall anoVler scene fvhlhf''"' '''P^* •"^' "''^ ^''« S^'''^^ ^P^-
the shadow of some of the Ml ''^ ^- ^"'eresting to mentio.i. In

waspleasaLtoTet^e ^o le'.ur''''''''-%V^*''f ^^'P^"^ "-^^^i"" ^^
summer days Lool m,'!?,?/ f. ^ Uhenng in their harvests on the hot

winter, for "there wifc'^L^nhr.'Zw "'ti'. ''' '7^^^'^''' "'''^ «*'
soil for centuries. In one nhre tL'i ? ^''e sun had not seen the

had a scythe, too, an was cutHnl?! V ''■°"'^" '"'''^"'- '"'>'• She
do. But that was no he mS hffl V- ^^'^ ''^'''^' 'i"*^' "*^ ^' '"^n would
wit i. her six childre^'and .""ey veS "^1' 's "" ^^T^;, ^'^^ '^'^^
playing about in the grass she l,n ,?.!,» '^^'"^ "* ^^'^™ ^'ere

swath pulling at the s^ra ws m.lT.rot le^ thV;"d ''"' ''"^"'^ "V -/'^^
carriage, resting there whi e he mnti ' ^''^ J ''by, was in a child's

this is some po,^ wi^ow ^ oVe ,'Xu7has dll?'^' T?" . ^ ^'"^"-''^'
"P the work of the farm herself R,? has died and she has to take

"Pontheman whuw sViS^^^ V"^^ farther, I came

the mow. And so J s nv t w f ' ^''■''''' '""^ -^'"iug it ready for

We speak oitVn of "cluir'^"Ji,%"r/'t'i "!''•' "!T'"'r '-'''Im-
provement becomes most distin<^ r f' V I '' ''^'"^ m''«' '"'*' '^^ im-

si-nply farming in wl^lf ttr^Ts^knowl^dl:: •' U.Tt^?!"^ 'TI^' '• , '^'^'1'
edge. In the long past they knew nSn ^abo 'ft ''n ^"''\^ 'r^"'^'"
instinct and experience tli^^v uSLl-l'^ ^'^'^"'."- Ihey acted upon
little or nothingofthTwaviwI ,"/.''''"''?' "* •■""'■^^' '^"t we know
of their application But te.lv '^^P'T^''^^! them or the method

provement took a ew d"reci o,? V evv'^? 7^^ <'^"*^ t''«" "'^ i"'"
into (he agricultural vocabular v VZ ff ^'//^^^.^-'''^ introduced
a special soil needs an.ll ow t^'nrov d^^o T^''^"'•'^''''m ^"''^ "f '"<>«1
us the value of guano me boneV ?.« i'""^';'-'' '^- '^ ^'^' taught

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

25

farming? It is simply farming after nature ; that is to say, we study
nature to see what it recjuires, and then seek to provide it. Nature
says, for instance, liere is a stalk of wheat. It ought to grow and
stand upright. But in order to do that the soil in which it grows must
have a certain constituent. We provide lliat constituent in using a
certain fertilizer, and then nature says, ^' All right," ai^d the wheat
stands up and i)roduces its quota of grain. Sometimes people are dis-
posed to say this scientitic farming is bookish, and they look upon the
scientitic farmer as a kind of agricultural dude. But they are wrong
in this, for farming by science is simply acting witli nature and doing
the best in that respect that it is possible to do. In this, as in other
things, it is intelligence that wins. You all remember the story re-
lated of the old painter, Opie. Wlien some one looked at his work
and admiring it, asked, " IIow do you mix your i)aints'r'' he replied,
MVith brains, sir.'' And it is precisely so with farming. We need
intelligence, and in proportion as we have it will we succeed. More
and more it gets to be so tliat if one is asked, '' How do you mix your
soils so as to secure such crops?" the reply will be that of the old
painter, '' With brains, sir."

Sometimes we see something that seems to contradict this. Here,
for instance, is a large brick house and iine out-buildings. The barn,
stable, and other structures are convenient and handsome. The or-
chard is thrifty, the fences good, the tlocks comlbrtable. When look-
ing at such an establishment a gentleman, a neighbor, said, '^ That
man is the best farmer in the community." I replied, " You can see
that in the buildings he has and tlie care he has for liis premises." '' Yes,
sir," he said, ''he is the best farmer in the community, but he never
reads a word. He never had a newspaper in his house, unless, perhaps,
his boys who go to college have carried one in." Well, that looked
like an argument the other way. From that as a point of view we
might proceed to say the thing necessary to make a good farmer is to
see that one never reads anything. But you see that sometimes a
man has the quality of absorbing knowledge from other men. He
" catches " intelligence from his neighbors. This man was of that sort,
and, therefore, profit ingl)y what othermen read and knew, he became
the best farmer in his neighborhood. It is always true that intelli-
gence wins, and the man who seeks information and, getting it, wisely
uses it, is the one who will succeed.

I must leave unsaid a great many things I had i)ur])osed, but will
delay for this one reference. This intelligent and skilllul agriculture
will naturally growMuto the practice of seeking to ornament our com-
munities. A beautiful field opens to us here, which, however, I must
not enter. I believe in the old theory propounded a long time ago,
even in the Garden of P^den, that man was put on the earth to dress
and keep it. That is, he is to dress and make it beautiful. We have
no right to use the earth merely to get all we can from it witii no re-
gard to its appearance. God did not put us here to deform the work
that he said was very good. We sometimes talk of the blemishes in
this town — Washington — and what is true of it is true of any other
town in the region. Itouiiht to be an ornament to the beautiful land-
scape in the midst of which it is situated. Instead of that, it is a kind
of deformity, a sore place on the fair face of nature. Our streets grow
up with weeds and are littered with stones, old tin buckets, and some-
times even with dead animals, to say nothing of their ragged side-
walks and puddles of mud. We thus produce a scar where we ought

26

QuAKTEiufy Report.

to give a touch of liealincr. Wliy, God says take tliis world and dress
It and make it a deliglitful palace for man to live in, treating it with
the pride one should have in ids home. I wisli for the time to come
when we slijdl not only ask how much we can get from the earth
but Jiow much we can give it. We shall then plant trees on every
highway, spread out green swards about our homes and on the hill-
sides, make ornament and utility work together as one, and inin^de
our industry with the music of an advancing life. When that comes
about, we will have grown into a real appreciation of the noble call-
ing which has assembled us here to-day. I thank you, gentlemen for
your kind attention. - ^ ^

THE MOKROW OF THE FARMER.

By J. B. McBkide, Cannoiislurg, Pa.

When we consider the magnitude of the calliug in which we
are engaged, how it effects all the industries and interests of the coun-
try, and indeed of the whole world, in its commercial pulsations, it
becomes an important cpiestion for us to study what the opportunities
ot the present require of us, in order that the future status of the
lanner may be what those opportunities suggest it can be, if we but
act well our part. It has been said that the dollar represents the uni-
versal language of the world. Bills of credit and exchange never need
interpretation, when the bank speaks, every man hears it in tlie lan-
guage in which he was born, and thus banks are the golden-ton^ued
polyglots ol the world. Now, wliile we doirt claim so much for
agricultural mlluence, we have a right to demand a areat deal in its
behall. Ihe grand development of agricultural interests in the past
quarterola century nil our hearts with pride and hopeful inspira-
tions. iOi Its possible miluence, we can form no adequate concep-

The incrrease of the leading farm staples, as shown in the last Com-
mission of Agriculture report, furnishes us a striking exliibition of the
growth of the countryand its development in agricultural wealth
Ihe grain crops of the present year are given at one thousand six
hundred am thirty-hve million bushels of corn, four hundred and
forty-six million bushels of wheat, five hundred and seventeen mil-
ion bushels o oats, twenty-five million bushels of rye, fifty million
bushels ofbarley, and eleven million bushels of buckwheat; makiuL^
an aggregate cereal i>roduction of over two million six hundred and
eighty-six mi hon bushels, or about fifty-three bushels ;..r capita, and
other products in the same scale of magnitude, and so of' the live
stock in character as well as quantity. These gratilyinc^- results are
due largely to the increased knowledge of the science of^a^ricultuVe
and the improved character of the machinery now used, and the in-
creased value of ,tock, to the intelligence and enlerj,rise of the Hock
masters. I lie past was the age of the Hail, the sickel, and the wooden

The reaper the mower, the binder, and other labor-saving machin-
ery? types of the present, must be improved or go. So the great in-

Pennsylvanta Board of Agriculture.

27

ventive genius of the nation is pressing forward to meet these de-
mands for the farmer of to-morrow.

At the breaking out of the civil war, such was its character and
magnitude that there seemed to be no military hero fitted to successfully
grapple with its gigantic proportions, until training and discipline de-
veloped the qualities necessary for the work. So education in the
science of agriculture is necessary, especially the relation of chemis-
try to agriculture, so that proper kinds of fertilizers may be used in the
increased devel()])ment of crops, and that we may be aide to know
whether those [articles of commerce contain five, ten, or twenty i)er
€ent. of value, and the residue, as druggists say, a vehicle to carry the
thing through.

In England and Germany a new imi)et us was given to agriculture
wdien leading minds were devoted to the study of chemistry, as rela-
ting to plant and cereal food, and thus. Shears, Leibig, Arthur, Young,
Lord Karns, and many others obtained a world-wide reputation. The
farmer of the future will also require a higher standard of taste and
judgment, so that he can appreciate the good and reject the bogus.
We cannot longer please the want of time, nor sneer at this as '' book
farming," mid the onward march of improvement and intelligence in
farming. It used to be with the farmer's boys, well : James and John
are promising fellows, w^e wdll make a i)reacher of one and a lawyer
of the other. Jack and Joe are dull boys, we'll make farmers of them,
they will do well enough for that occupation. Now. we ask for just
as smart boys for farming as for other professions, and for just as
smart, good looking, intelligent ladies for their wives. And its telling
already on the character of the other professions.

Mid the changes of fortune, a damsel from the wilds had the good
fortune to marry a young ranchman who had suddenly became rich.
A bridal tour of all the large Eastern cities was planned, and away
they went, jubilantly happy. On their return, the bride was asked if
she enjoyed herself. '' Well, I should smile," was her positive reply.
'' What did you think of Niagara Falls T' ''Oh, they were real nice,
but I didn't care much for them." '' How did you like Washington?"
^'Oh, just toleral)le. The capitol was pretty fine, but I don't take
much stock in such things." '' Did you go to New York?" '' Yes, we
dandled round there a week, and got tired of it. Brooklyn bridge
w^as a good deal of a show, but I didn't see anything else I cared for
much.'' ''Well, now, do tell me, what did you see that you'd like
most to see again'? What pleased you more than anything else?" The
young l)ride's face brightened visibly, her eyes twinkled joyfully as
she said : "Well, when we was in Chicago, we went to a dime museum,
and we seen there a calf with two heads and two tails. It was born
that way. I tell you, it l)eat anything we ever heard of. John and
me, we've both said many a time since, that we'd rather see that calf
again tlian all Washington, and New York, and Niagry Falls put to-
gether. It just beat all." So, we thiidv the time has come when the
farmer must discard this dime museum way of getting through ihe
world. He must have an education in keeping with the o])i)ortuni-
ties and duties that are pressing upon his consideration. It has l)een
said that the press rules the sentiment of the world. Let us see to it
that the agricultural press is so sustained that its benign influence
may l)e felt in elevating and refining the mind of the farmer. Some
of the grandest pen and penril pictures are those taken from tlie
scene of the farm house, or its surroundings. Peace, plenty, and in-

28

QUAKTEKLY El^PORT.

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dei)eiKlen(.e are some of its cliaracteristics. But we dismiss this, for
the l.nuht side ot country home life will unfold its beauties and joys

Many pressing duties are suggested tons, l)ut we cannot follow them
out. f.very interest must be defended bv its friends. M'e have wool-
grower s associations, and thoy are doing much for that depressed in-
austry. btock breeder's associations are improving and elevatin- the
standard ot our live stock. We lead the world for tine wooled sheep '
And many ol the herds of cattle, hogs, and horses are the pride of
tlieir conununides and a credit to the country.

In legislation we have much to demand', and in this direction a
brighter day is dawning. The I're.i.lent of these United States speaks

the interests of the tarmer. Congress is grappling with inter-State
discriminaliou. Corporate wealth will be required to bear its share
ot the burden ol taxation. But to accomplish these results, eternrd
vigilance must be our watchwo.-d. We represent a majority of the
voters of the nation What will we do? Shall our inlluen.e be any
longer ignored i Shall we continue to be a mere child »
In the early mining days, in California, many men left their

1h'!I!i'i"' m IT^ ^T "''''''■ -''"'^ '^^^'' t" f''^^™' to gather in the covet-
ed gold, so that their homes and families might be benefited. In one
of tiiose mining districts a meeting of the miners was called. It was
a sort o a gala day will, them. In the midst of their enjovment,
above the sound of the music of the band, a voice was heard It was
the cry of a child. It so moved the hearts of those sturdy miners, as
It brought scenes and recollections of their homes to mind, that a
s alvvart man, in its behalf, arose and demanded that the noisx Ian
1 ould stop and give the child a .-hance. So we should demand tha
the noisy liand of empty compliment should cease, and this child of
agriculture be given a chance. '

THE FARMER'S RESPONSIBILITIES AND ROS-

SIIilLITIES.

By B. R. L. MuNCE, Cannonslmrg. Pa.

In casting about for something to i)resent to'-dav, not only to be a
theme for myself but also that would have a tendency to h cite otherJ
to talk upon and discuss, this subject seemed to keep Jont lualK m^
ing up, and when we began to think of the great respo Vbilitv that
rests on those who profess to be farmers, we'also soo H nd 4 ves

J^|^Xs'i^^:Sj;!n:^

ng, all his actions, his achievements, plans, exa.nples ^k ami in
fluences would also perish, we might say let bin, a Lne ; bu yo dear
hearers, know otherwi.se, hence his responsibilities. It s lould be the
aim o every honest man, in the prosecution of whatever binesso
do only that which is useful ; that which will add t "he i S Wn'ce
the comfort, the virtue, or the legitimate riches of the woill md
among the laborious vocations of life we reganl tlu^e st mli ,.; f' s

4

wliich j)ro(luce sometliin<i; lliat is valuable, sometliinir tlial the world
stands in need ol* and must have.

Tlie first thing man seeks is food; the second clothing. Conse-
quently, persons who ])r()duce these essentials ought to take first rank
among men. In this country, at least if we think of the West in con-
nection with our more Eastern States, we will iind that we need more
farmers. We Iind our farms are too large; we should have more of
the intensive and less of the extensive farming. We iind many men
who control hundreds of acres, pretend to work over entirelv too
much space. They work on the rush-it- through i)rinciple; their re-
sponsibilities are entirely too much for them. They must let some-
thing slip, or more likely a little of everything they do ; and when a
halt is called at the end of the year or life, they Iind they have been
failing, miserably failing. Not onlv that : thev have set a bad exam-
pie to others, probably their own children. Who is responsible?

If this same man had been concentrating his forces, putting all his
brain power, as well as his muscular, on probably iifty or one hundred
acres he might have been a success ; he might have been teaching his
neighbors the possibilities of a well-tilled farm. Men should learn to
till the soil well to make every acre i)roductive. They should learn
to leave land in better condition than they have found it. They should
teach this art to succeeding generations ; they are responsible for the
condition of the farm they are leaving to posterity. They are respon-
sible for the men and minds which are to take up the work where they
lav it down.

A farmer should not be understood as a man who raises corn and
wheat, beef, pork, wool, and mutton of the most common grade. He
should enlarge on these; he should raise fruits and berries and the
dilferent kinds of vegetables tliat are considered luxuries as well as
the more common sorts or essentials. These are the responsibilities
he owes to his familv, that he mav cater to their tastes and comforts.
Then if he can make thirty or forty bushels of wheat grow where but
fifteen or twenty grew before, he should do it. He should show his
neighbor how to do it. This is possible ; it has been done. If he can
take those old, hollow-necked, high-hifted, Hat sided, gimlet-pointed
cows, and, in the course of a few years raise, by judicious and wise
crosses, a straight-backed, lengthy, round, well quartered, neaty cow or
steer, should he not be made responsii)le for such an one? It is pos-
sil)le ; we find them every day. Nor should ])ork be grown on an un-
sightly hog frame any more. In fact, you might almost ap])roach the
shape that some of our caricaturists have given them, that of a barrel,
that the hair and tail may be ru])bed off, hoops put on, and we have
the ])orkall ready for market. We have little patience with the man
who raises mean hogs these days ; he's the worst sort of a failure.

Get your ideal sheep in mind, whether that be a long wool or a fine
wool. Keep breeding nearer and nearer to that pattern every year,
and impress on the minds of those with whom you associate that your
ideal is a possiblity, for it is, if you are not asking figs of thistles.

The stock-raiser more especially than the grain farmer needs to l)e
a patient, energetic, llioiiglitful man; one who has hope enough to
wait his time for profit and pleasure. He should read and think; be
fond of exercise and exertion. These are essentials to his success. Such
a man need not be a drudge. He may be ambitous and enterprising,
and by all means let him impart these qualities to his children and
€0-workers. They are his responsibilities in this sphere. Again, with

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Quarterly Repor

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a territory of such breadtlu a clinuite so varied, a soil so generous
with one thousand acres in the great West, rich, nay rank, with un-
shorn luxuriance, awaiting the tirst footprints of the farmer, and beck-
oning the gathering hand to take possession of their untold riclies
prairies all hut boundless, even to-day, nod their rich verdure to the
stirring breeze with no owner to call it mine or admire its beauty; no
hand to garner up the teeming crops this sunnv expanse on the bosom
ol nature is capable of giving.

With a continuous stream of agricultural iniinioration pouring into
our midst, with the constantly-increasing advantages derivable from
im])roved skill and ingenuous labor-saving machinery and devices we
say there is necessarily corresponding responsibilities resting on those
wiio are the farmers of to-day and are molding the minds and training:
tlie hands of those who are to be the farmers of to-morrow

lo day tlie farmer must have a liberal education that he may stand
a ])eer among those with wliom it is necessary for him to associate
t lia t he may ])e a success. '

To-day the farmer must know more of mechanism than he did yes-
terday; yesterday as it were, all t he machinery and fixtures on a first-
class tarm could be hauled in a two-horse wagon. ' A plow, a three-
cornered harrow, a cultivator, three hand rakes, a mowing scythe
and grain cradle, plenty of muscle and bull dog tenacitv, earTy in the
morn and late at night, always at work, and you have a \rue picture of
a htst-class farmer and a well equipped i'arm.

Then little skill was needed, compared with the present day, with
a virgin soil and new plots every year, the farmer had but to tickle
the sur ace drop in the seed, and she would laugh in return and bring
forth abundantly, and the husbandman was merry and content in

L Ll i. 11.

But to-day the situation is fliflVMvnt, we are in dufv bound to my
special homage to the deman.ls of abused nature and' the inventors of
labor-saving machinery; instead of so much muscle we want, in fact
mus have more brains and skill ; we want men who can ride the self-
bender in her majestic sweep across the lields of the merest farm and

adanMfsplf";^'n^' r^ii '"*'■ 7f ''n " ^^l^'^ '^'"^ adjustments that it may
adapt Itself to our hills and hollows, doing the work of human hands,

but^far more periectly ; we want men who can take the moweirtie
are lound on many farms. Men who can work these that thev mav

tu^'e ToT nf "'*! ■;•■ !r^ '^'^f '''''^'' ''^'^^ ^''« team frombe g
lugged to deatli, and do the inventors a credit

Not^withstanding all the labor-saving machinery that has been in
vented, orever will be,letit be of the most perfect kin ..'rewils iU

but that a man ol genius and talent, with an equally stronj: body
would make a better laborer than a stupid blockhe/id who only knows
how to use his physical strength. ^ Knows

Farmers you are responsible if you are drudges and intellectual
drones; if you make your children the same ; you s1k,,,1,1 'tu y ,) he
requirements of the soil, know the nature of the plant the n.n'rties
of food, and the sanitary laws ; prosecute your vocation in teiienly

tl'^nflU't Vr%^T""'"^.^ profitably, \some are fooll e Sg li t^^
think that brute force is the only essential quality of a farmer I

tliey .vould find out ere long that there was force enough in

Tennsylvania Board of Agriculture,

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to

the business to demonstrate to themselves, as well as others, that they
were failures, and unless they are armed with a well-filled purse, ob-
tained from some other source, thev would be driven from the business
they assumed to know so much about.

A man of thorough cullure, a real agriculturist, will get as much
from iifty acres, as one without this knowledge would get from one
hundred and fifty*.

It is one of the farmers responsilnlities therefore, to turn the atten-
tion of our young men toward farming, and if there is not enough of
refinement and intelligence in the present race of farming, let more
of our men ot* culture, especially our young men, go manfully forth
and redeem the l)usiness from the disgrace of ignorance and conse-
quent unthrirt, thus they may acquire a generous support, instead of
shivering around the outskirts of the already more than crowded pro-
fessions, let those who are anxious to be investing in stocks and
shares, invest in cattle, sheep, hogs, and plow^ shares.

Let them carry their intelligence and means to tlie cultivation of
the soil and raising of good stock, and kind nature will repay them
2:eneraily well.

Teach the coming farmer that he needs courage and strength ; teach
him energy of character and perseverance; develop in him combative-
ness and destructiveness sufficient to give him force and the spirit of in-
dustry ; teach him cautiousness, that he may learn to be prudent ; teach
him economy, he needs a fair degree of constructiveness that he may un-
derstand the i)rincii)les of mechanism, enabling him to wield the tools
and implements of his calling wilh skill and elFect; teach him to be
observant of all the surrounding facts of nature ; encourage him to
cultivate and strenghten his memory, so that all the facts in past ex-
perience may be drawn iiinm whenever needed, and, above all things,
teach him contentment and love for his calling.

In fact, we would be better pleased to find our farmers having every
organ well developed, thus making him more of a man, and more use-
ful to the world. Teach our young men that every mercantile crisis
is a severe test of virtue, for we find more defalcations and failures in
almost any other business, for there Jire scores of blanks to every
prize, when we consider those who wish to l)e more than a good
farmer.

It has not been many years since tlie world knew little dilference
between good and bad farming; there was a time when there was so
little good farming that poor farming did often not suffer by compari-
son. Sharp competition and rivalry urged manufacturers toward i)er-
fection much more rapidly than any influences then, or even now
operating, tend to perfect agriculture.

But there has been a wonderful change in the last few years in
farming, there is yet plenty of material for reform. We find now-a-days
but few communities but what have men who are doing their work
better, and making their farms and surrounding more real and com-
fortable; their fences are made neat and straight ; their field laid out
more systematical ; briers, w^eeds, and nil kind of trash is cut and
burned; their buildings are made with a view to appearance as well
as utility, the result is, what a fine place ; '' you have a well improved
farm; he is a good farmer." Such commendations fall from the lips
of all who may pass that way, and often these praises, and words of
encouragement reach the ear of the firmer, and to say that he feels good

32

QuARTKRIa' ReI'ORT.

^lii

li.e Uleii ol improvement and flu-ifl. aii<l l.elore Ion- we iind them not
better )l'^''*'^ asking tliem.selves if there is not just a little

Show me a comnumiiy where a thrifty, euerfietic, neat-workine
armer has moved into ten or iifteen vears afro, and I will venture
that iiere I t-an point out many advances toward civilization and
social comfort. Ihis is a thin- that is catchin- I am glad it is so
contageous. I should not mourn mucli if those who ])rove themselves
proot against tins spirit slionld die. Such corpse would he rnucli bet-
ter under ground than walking around associating with living men

It we take but a short journey through almost anv section, we will
hnd at certain intervals, the general way of doing things changes
One section will be noticeable for its thorough cultivation of crops
iu^ery one, or nearly so, in a certain radius, will do nearly alike In"
another we imd good houses, poor out-buildings, and inferior stock
Jn another, we find the buildings nnd improvements all good, the
farm well kept, and good stock. i, uic

ThPrp'^;''''')^.^^'i''^*'"''"/^^*^^""T"*"^- '^^^'^^^ "^»«t ''e some cause.
ifl- 1^*^ V'^™ers themselves are responsible for the condition

cLmnnijf ^^r.^'^"*^- }' '' ^^"^^^'''^ ^''' ""<^ >»'"^ ^« '"^^O"" ^ ^'^'le

ft hli -^ 1 i'"''v', ''"^ '""""''y .years, probably after he is dead, but
If he has worked in the proper direction, and made his works perma-
nent as every man should, the result is certain. Young America is too
vide awake not to catch on. Farmers, it is our duty Therefore, to la^
a foundation that they may safely build upon. If we do not we mav
live to mourn with them in their fall. ' ^

Last winter I had occasion to make a short trip in mv own neigh-
borhood. My attention was called to a large lo of corn foddeTthat
had been hauled alongside the road, in a field, just ahead of me I
struck me as a very peculiar place to put fodder, as I knew the field
across the road was in grain, and it was not likelV to l>e fed out on

?n- Now if'io:;' "^"'ft''^ '^"^-/'P »" ^vhere the fodder wass'and
ing. JNow, 1 you are half as much surprised as I was when I did
come up. and foun.l that that man was feedin- his fodder out „ the

, '• ^oi V \"""'^^'^''^>'0"^^'i"»ever do such a thin- There
he was, feeding thirteen head of cattle and about one 1 n Ired head
of sheep right m the mi.hlie of the roa.l. The stock had o h st le lo
one side to let us pass, and while we drove over their U"d Those
corn stalks and the droppings from those cattle and sleep lave i-
since made the.r contribution to the delta of the Miss s2p i "

My acquaintance with that farm told me there were nruiv snots
begging or the manure that was being washed aw^xv. In cl th
very fodder had been hauled across several fieldf o,/ u.v one of
which It could of been very profitably fed. But no,' it s hauled over
there to be pu on the road, and why ? Because it saved b Id n i
fence around it or taking 1 he stock to it. Now, I ani io d Is is the

Sv f It'""^ '^'^"'' f^ "^''y y'^^-' '••«"• This oe^ og
likewise. He is raising a family. Some of them, bovs in fact two

o them are now young men. Will this example S many others

are noping not. F?ut am afraid it is hope against hone in this ci<5p

Along side a road 1 frequently travel there stan Is'^a 1 oi louse It '
8 bml! on I he edge of a considerable stream. All the mm re hat is
made about the pens is shoveled out into this run and wa Jd l^y

Pennsylvania Board of Agricultitre.

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I was passing there one day in company with a neiglibor, and he re-
marked to me that, that was a splendid phice for a hog-liouse, water
was so plenty, and all the dirt and lilth could be washed away, thus
keeping- everything so clean. I was willing to admit these advantages,
but asked him about the propriety of wasting so much valuable
manure. He said he had not thought of that, and l)elieved he would
rather save the manure and do with less water. Now there was one
man who was likely to make the same mistake. It is hard to tell how
many more there are.

Farmers, your responsibilities are that you make good farmers of
both the old and young. It is possible. Teach them to get out of the
old and ruinous ruts. Show them how to do it. Teach them that not
always what was good enough for tlieir fathers is good enough for
them. Teach them that they must make some changes, or at least,
look out for the changes that are continually being made around
them. Stop, think, examine the ground carefully, to be sure tliey
are not on the wrong track. A farmer fast in the old ruts is like the
old minister (all respect to the ministers present). As the story goes,
his son had been casting the pulpity Bible. The preacher starts thus :
'^ And Noah went into a far country, and took unto himself a wife,
and she was three hundred cubits long, lifty cubits wide, and thirty
cubits high. And she was pitched within and pitched without with
pitch."

There is a common mistake among farmers, that is, not to take
good advice, especially when they know it to be good, because those
advising do not always practice what tliey preach. But every one who
gives advice makes himself subject to the retort, that '' those who live
in glass houses ouglit not to throw stones." Now, there is no connec-
tion between the character or the practice of the person giving the
advice and the goodness of tlie advice, and should not be so considered.

The farmers- responsibilities are not only to educate tlie youth to be
good farmers and efficient dairy maids, but to give them a liberal lit-
erary training, that tliey may be litted to fill any position in life,
whether executive or domestic.

The higliest offices within the gift of the people have been and are
being lilled by those wiio go from the farm. Many of the women
who till the most honored position, that of a christian wife and de-
voted motherto men of every profession, go from ourcountry homes.
Hence his possi])ilities are, men who are litted to lead in every pro-
fession ; women who are worthy to be his companion and counsel.

WHAT WE SHOULD LEAR^N^.

By Hon. John M. Stockdale, Washiiigton^ Pa,

I will not attempt to entertain you with things tliat are novel, start-
ling, or imaginary, but ask your attention simply to the brief consid-
-eration of a few topics which concern your welfare and should receive
your earnest attention.

If tiie sessions of your annual meetings, devoted, as they are, to the
most useful and practical essays and lessons drawn from experience
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QUAKTEKLY KePOKT.

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Pennsylvania Hoaud of AoRicui/ruKE.

35

and learning, are treated only as a social pleasure or a song whose
sweet strains delight and charm you as they are borne away by an
eternity of succeeding waves into the illimitable and unknown^ the
benefits will not have met our just expectations. It sliould, therefore,
be the object of every one during the progress of your varied and in-
teresting entertainments to grasp those things useful and embalm
them in the memory ibr future reference.

It has been said that to enable one to know am/ thing v^k^W he should
know of everything. The l)usy life of the agriculturist, liowever,
leaves too short a time to explore all the avenues oi' vast and varied
learning, and we do not propose to sacrifice the practical and attain-
able by advocating unpractical and unattainable theories.

The question, What should we learnt is not asked for the purpose
of indicating that all the sources of knowledge have been explored,
but to enable us to seek that whicli is most important in the bound-
less fivld that stretches out before us. It means that we shall learn
those things that increase our pleasure, secure a just return for indus-
try, enterprise, and perseverance, that will expose the impostor, defeat
and punish extortion, and lighten tlie burdens of waste and taxation,
that will help to disclose and wisely use your power — moral, political,'
and linancial ; increase the productiveness of your land, encourage the
weary hand of toil, and promote the public welfare.

We should first learn ilv^i just criticism is not an offense to be con-
demned or barely tolerated, but should be encouraged and invited as
a means to point out our errors and teach us how to avoid them in
future. Flattery and praise excite grateful feelings and ai)peal to the
vanity of the hearer, l)ut rarely promote research, industry, and pro-
gress. If we never weary of recounting the successes we have achieved
and trmmi)hs accomplished we may forget that sleepless vigihince is
as surely the price of success now as it was when our fathers l)egan
the heroic task of conquering a wilderness filled with wild beasts and
savage men.

We live in an age of intense activities— revolutions in our mental
conception of moral responsibilities and in the unknown of material
things. The old road wagon, drawn bv the splendid Connestoira, is su-
perceded by steel tracks and steam carriages tliat annihilate distance
and move their vast burdens with ever-increasing velocity and un-
wearied energy.

The old Maytlower and her plodding successors, with mast and sail
that gave the passenger a weary journey of months from Liverpool to
tli^W Gate, are replaced by the magnificent ocean steamer, that speeds
along at the rate of four hundnnl miles a dav, defying storm and an^nw
billows, she rides proudly into your harbors, freighted with life ar.d
C(jmmerce, demonstrating the progress and invincible genius of man
But you already know the strides with which imi)royements and ])r()-
gress are moving— telegrai)hs, manufactures, machinery, chemistry
engineering, and the arts, the ponderable and the inipon\lerable ' '

We must learn that in this wild, mad whirl— in this methodical and
accomp isIhmI progress— there is ademand and a i)lace for the farmers
11 they become straggders and laggards, the great l)attle will have been
fought and the world's victory will have been won before they arrive
at the tront. '^

There is no vocation in [he Union that can command such a vast
array of intelligent voters as march in the ranks of agriculturists.

'i

Their political power, if united and wielded with wisdom and modera-
tion, might control the resources and shape the destinies of the nation.

Power always commands admiration, and, if properly used, the allec-
tion of the i)eople. This splendid heritage is either neutralized by
profitless antagonisms or wasted in the bitterness and folly of ])()litical
abstractions and hates. No other interest in the nation so rashly
squanders its splendid oi)portunities and without an e(iuivalent divests
itself of the rich legacy inherited from the fathers of the republic.
You complain that monopolies wrong and oppress you, that railroad
discrimination in freight charges rob you of the just rewards of your
labor and compel you to pay an unjust tribute to heartless and soul-
less corporations, and yet you have never demanded that your repre-
sentatives at IIarrisl)urg or Washington should redress these great
wrongs, nor even held them to accountal)ility for their shameless neg-
lect.

In all the three luindred and twenty-five members of the lower
House of Congress, how many are known as earnest, vigilant, and com-
petent friends of the farmer ? The land i)lunderers, the railroads, the
banks, the manufacturers, the protectionists, the free-traders, the syn-
dicates, and monopolies can point to their unfaltering friends and un-
tiring workers, but the friendship and iidelity for the interest of the
farmer cease when his vote is secured and the election is over. When
we learn that the power to redress these wrongs is in our own custody,
that we must get out of the old political rut and break the shackles
that drag us into party demands inimical or indilYerentto the farmer's
interests, we will be 'better prepared to begin a reform whose full
fruition will redress many wrongs and remove some of the l)urdens
under which we stagger.

All taxation is oppressive and can oidy })e justified upon the ground
that the citizen agrees to bear the burden in compensation for the
benefits of a just and secure government. To lay and collect more
tax than is demanded for the public well'are is public robbery. It has
heretofore been reckoned an achievement worthy of great statesmen
to seek sources of revenue that will supply the demands of the public
treasury with as little friction and as few inequalities as possible, but
American statesmanship now draws upon all our credulity and claims
to l)e making an earnest, though fruitless effort, to abate the increas-
ing volume of unnecessary tax, or to lind an honest use for the money
wrongfully, because unnecessarily, taken from the people. It must
indeed be ?. vicious policy, perpetuated by sellishness or imbecility
that involves such false logic and unnatural consequences.

It was the successful work of tlu^ farmer that made it possible and
prolitable to build railroads through tlu^ country and lill the valleys
with manufactories. In fact, agriculture is the foundation of wealth,
]>rogress, luxury, and civilization.

Political and financial writers dwell upon the importance of so
guardiuii; and conducting commercial transactions as to leave with us
at the cfose of each fiscal year a balance of gold to our credit.^

Our foreign exports for the year ending, Noveml)er 1, were, m round
numbers, of the cash value of seven hundred million dollars. Oi this
vast sum and volume of business, more than eighty per cent., or hve
hundred and sixty million dollars were agricultural products, and less
than twenty percent, was contril)uted ])y manufacturers and all other
interests in the nation. It is thus shown that two years failure to ex-
port the products of agriculture, would create a deficit larger than

m

Quarterly Report.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

37

tlu^ whole camount of gold and silver coin in the nation, and virtually
baiikiu|)t the treasury. In seeking a foreign market for this enor-
mous sui-plus of your productions, you are compelled to compete,
unprotected, with the cheapest labor in Europe and the world. Is
it your interest to sneer at these customers, and alienate a recip-
rocal commerce that sends the life-blood throuizli every vein and
artery of business, and this day saves to your toil and enterprise its
chief hope of independence and success. We are prepared to extend
and continue to the industries of our own people and country, ample
and even generous ])rotection against foreign, competing cheaper
labor and capital, and to concede all that is requisite to secure our
home market to American labor. We demand a reciprocal policy
for the farmer, including in its scope all the productions of the
farm that are subject to competition by the same dangerous ibr-
eign pauper labor and cheaper capital.

The highest success of the farmer, how-ever, w411 be obtained by
the cultivation and encouragement of ibreign commerce and friendly
exchange of merchandise. Safety and common sense avoid extremes.
Exorbitant and unnecessary protective duties may stimulate unhealthy
growth and impose unjust burdens upon the consumer.

Inliated prices and wages invite a Hood of foreign inmiigration,
with all its vicious results and attendant dangers. A few years ago,
as a consequence of these artificial and abnormal conditions, there
came to our shores, in a single year, more than seven hundred thousand
foreign immigrants, collected from every port and country in the
globe, exceeding in number the entire population of the State of
Maine. The crowded cities of Europe collected from tlie lanes and
alleys, from prisons, hospitals, and almshouses, this vast concourse of
human beings, of every race, and nation, and tongue, and religion,
paupers, criminals, lepers. The inevitable crash follow^s, and this vast
swarm is left idle, stranded, and starving, an element of great danger
to our institutions, a burden to society, and a curse to our civilization.
In a lew years they are endowed with full citizenship ; with all the
rights and immunities of American citizens; are led to the polls,
bril)ed, corrupt, and ignorant, to help select our law-makers, and de-
cide the characters of our institutions.

Besides all this, we are unable to assimilate the vast, crude, unlet-
tered stream of human accretion, and thus our institutions are endan-
gered, the blood ol* the nation corrupted, and moral and physical
degeneracy invited.

Ijznorant and debauched voters cannot be safe custodians of your
property. It is such indifferent or corrupt law-makers — national.
State, and municipal — that are the terror ot the people w^hom they
profess to represent; regardless of the public w^elfare and destitute of
personal honor, they despoil the public lands, deplete the public
treasury, and grant special privileges and franchises, including the
right of eminent domain, resulting in monstrous corporations that
over-ride the rights and consume the substance of the people.

We do not have to learn, but already know^, that railroad pools,
money syndicates, pools to increase the price of nails, glass, petro-^
leum, cotfee, sugar, iron, lum]>er, and many other articles of prime
necessity are simply devices to extort money from consumers, and
that the chief sufferers are laborers and farmers. These syndicates
and managers of pools and deals tell us that railroad and other
monopolies do not pay a fair return for the investment and risk. Look

at the results. The president of nearly every leading railroad in the
Union is a millionaire, and less than a dozen of them have acquired
more wealth in a few years than ecjuals the whole circulating medium
of the United States, countingboth coin and greenbacks, (vompensa-^
tion is the law of the universe, and such vast w^ealth in the coifers of
the few indicates great poverty in the homes ot the many. Within
the last few months, a wealthy syndicate of Chicago and Eastern cap-
italists have entered into an arrangement to control both the syndicate
price of beef cattle and ot dressed beef, and a second of ^Minneapolis and
New York capitalists have entered into a permanent arrangement to
control the price of wheat and of Hour. The object of both is to com-
pel the farmer to sell wheat and beef cattle at a low^ price, and to
compel the consumers of ffour and beef to pay a high price. These
vast corporations and monopolies, controlling unlimited capital, wield-
ed by adroit and unscrupulous men, must be crushed out, or the farm-
ers and laborers of America will become dependent peasantry tributary
to a more galling tyranny than ruled and ruined Europe in the days

of the feudal system.

We wdll neither submit to these impositions, be intimidated by their
conscienceless authors, nor beg for quarter.

Demands enforced by the ballot must be substituted for solicitation
and remonstrance ; stern rebuke and strict accountability for mild re-
X)roof and renewed o])portunity.

When bad men combine,
Good men should confer.

The day for talking has passed and the time for action has come.
Remonstrances, petitions, and earnest appeals are received with con-
tempt, treated wdth derision, and disregarded by your legislators.

While your Congressmen discard or neglect your interest, they are
attentive to and voting for measures in wdiich their own fortunes are
created at the expense of the people.

The judiciary, though not corrupted, is being remodeled and recon-
structed in the interest of corporations, syndicates, and monopolies.

The common law, that gave the people a degree of protection against
the power and cnpidity of common carriers, is being gradually but
surely undermined and enfeel)led or reversed. The desperate, reck-
less, mad infatuation that inspires the unscrupulous to seek vast mil-
lions of wealtli for w^hich no equivalent has been rendered, that does
not belong to the thief and the robber, is poisoning the fountain of
puldic virtue and is a greater menace to free institutions than is the
combined armies of despotism.

The most decisive mode of checking these great dangers and evils
is to refuse longer to contribute the money that feeds their vital power.

By such a reformation, inaugurated in wisdom, justice, and liberality,
you will confer the greatest boon upon your pursuit, and add to the
security of propertv and the happiness oi* man. Oh, mortal, immortal
man, how^ thy pathway down the w^aste of centuries lies strewed with
wreck and ruin and stained with tears and blood because of the un-
hallowed avarice and ambition of thy fellows. As the morning light
of a briiihter day dawns upon the rural world, we should learn to fol-
low those wise, just, and generous precepts wdiich lead to the victories
of this world and open the portals of omnipotence for our reception.

38

Quarterly Report.

SOME POLITICAL DUTIES OF, AND SOME LEG-
ISLAJ ION NEEDED FOR, FARMERS.

By M. H. BoRELANi), Venice^ FennsT/lvania.

The tlierae which I have chosen for discussion assumes that farmers
have duties political to perform,as every citizen under a republican form
<>-overnment. We do not intend to claim that the political duties of
the farmer difter from those of other i)atriotic citizens, for it is tlie
duty of everyone to faitli fully, conscientiously, and intelligently
perform those duties. But in a great agricultural county like
Washington, farmers are largely the predominant class, and have it
in their power to choose our public servants, and are consequently re-
sponsible for the character of those servants. Again, viewing the
question economically, we are deeply interested, more so than any
other class. I presume I am not far from the truth if I assume that
farmers pay two-thirds of the taxes of the county. This being true,
they are not only accountable for the character of our public servants,
but also are deeply interested in the manner in which they perform
their duties, in short, tliev have more and weightier reasons than any
other class for desiring and striving to secure a wise, judicious, and
economical administration of county affairs.

Now, as these objects can only l)e obtained by a faithful perform-
ance of our political' duties, it is pertinent to inquire what some of

these duties are.

It is the duty of every farmer to be an active politician. I do not
mean that the'farmer should be an active politician, in the sense that
the low, cunning, selfish, office-seeking politician is, to whom office is
the end, and whose motto is '' the end justifies the means." This class
of persons are the most despicable and dangerous connected with our
political system. But I do mean that every farmer should be an
active politician in the higher and true sense of performing actively
all his political duties.

I fear those halcyon days will not soon come when the ])eople of a
county will meet and select persons to be voted for the various oflices
in their gift on account of their superior qualifications for those oflices,
without regard to their partisan views. As yet we must work through
the partv organization with which we affiliated.

Be active in the way of in Ibrming yourself as to the character and
qualifications of the candidate, i^ut how shall you learn certainly
these important matters ? Ah, there's the rub ! If we would believe
the stories of the suppliants for our votes and influence, each individ-
ual has peculiar qualifications for the position he seeks, such as has
always voted the straight ticket, been an active i)arty worker, and
now "thinks he must have his reward, what he's been working for ; or
been unfortunate in business and wants a start a suggestive (lualifi-
tion; or there's been no candidate from my section of the country,
therefore we should (in my person) be recognized. But you are
all familiar with the ])leas of candidates. I need not recount them. One
thing is plain, you can never gee the information you desire and must
have, if you would instruct, conscientiously and intelligently, from the
candidates themselves. You must either know the candidate ])ersonally^

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

39

or get your inlbrjnation from one (in whom you have confidence) who
does.

This being true, tlien of what use is the personal canvass system ?
I can think of luit one use; that is to kee]) first-class men off the
track and bring inferior material to the front. Our best men, those
best qualified to serve us, will not go begging for an office; it is
a humiliation to which they will not submit. I would not say that
good men have not in the past canvassed the county. They have,
humiliating though it was ; but their friends demanded it as the im-
perative condition of success. I do atlirm, though, as a rule, that our
best men will not allow the use of their names as candidates under
the personal canvass system. Then, what shall we do it my prom-
ises are correct? Why strike it down, root and branch, and as we have
to depend on the views of others as to the fitness of candidates where
we are not personally acquainted, I would say" for myself that if ten
good, reliable, and prominent men will come out publicly, over their
own signatures, and endorse a candidate as to character and qualifica-
tions, I would feel safe in sui)porting him. And now, having decided
who are the best qualified persons for the several offices to be voted
for, goto the primaries, vote your instructions and use your influence to
have others do likewise. Remember that the primary election is tlie
important election, for if competent men are not nominated, compe-
tent men cannot be voted lor or elected.

Aside from the personal canvass system, the expense connected
with even a successful canvass, is such as to deter good men from
entering the list. I presume I am not wide off the mark when 1 say
that the successful candidate spends from one fourth to one half his
legitimate first vear's salary to get the otfice, the effects of which are
pernicious and corrupting. 'Aside from the stretch of conscience which
it reciuires to enal)le him to take the oath required by the Constitution,
he will ledtimatelv argue, the people have re(iuired me to spend one
fourth of mv salary to get here, I must get it l)ack ; and, as a rule, he
does; and we can't verv much blame him. Farmers, if we would have
honest officials, this bleeding of candidates must be stopped. Political
expenses have increased ten-fold in the last twenty years ; with one
result, and that pernicious. More work for our country and less for

pay, is what is needed. • n .

One word more on this part of my subject, and that is all, after
nominations are made, sift again, look over the tickets nominated
<;areruny, and if you find on the ticket you are not accustomed to vote
a nominee you })elieve to be better than that made by your own party
vote it. This may be considered heterodox l)y some, your party organ
will talk verv ditierently ; l)ut remend)er that it makes little difler-
ence to farmers what the partisan views of a county officer is, while it
is of first importance that he be honest and capable.

This conscientious, independent voting will do more to assure good
nominations than any other; for if political parties feel that t^he ])est
men, as regards character and qualifications, are the ones that will
get the votes, they will trv to nominate such.

Again, farmers," while it is important that we have good men for
every county office, all are not to us e(iually important. We are much
more deeplv interested, economically, in some than others, with the
distinctively court-house ollices the most of us have ])ut little busi-
ness. If we have, we pay for it at rates ])res(*ribed by law. It does
not cost the tax-payer anything. But not so with the offices of com-

40

Quarterly Report.

missioner, director of the poor, and auditor. Every farmer, and in-
deed every tax-payer is deeply interested in the character and quali-
fications of tlie incumbents of these othces, and the manner in which
the duties are disc]iar<2;ed. The first name is, doul)tless, the most im-
portant. Our commissioners liave lar^e powers conferred on them by
law. They fix the rate of \ind levy our county tax, act as a court of
appeals and a board of equalization of taxes, erect and keej) in repair
our most important and costly public buihlings, build and repair
bridges, &c. Should not the men chosen to exercise these important
functions be the very best in character and cpialiiications that we com-
mand, men of integrity, good judgment, iirmness, and fine business
tact. Have we not sometimes elevated to this important office men
wdiom wo would not trust to manage our own private atfairs ? Not be
cause w^e did not believe them honest, x>erhaps, but for the reason that
we lacked confidence in their good judgment, shrewdness, and busi-
ness tact. If it would be an unwise thing to confide to such men the
management of a small i)rivate business, what shall w^e say of those
wdio place such men in cliarge of the affairs of a great county. Their
course is worse than foolish, it is criminal. Looking as I do on the
commissioner as the most important county ofiice for the I'armer and
taxp-ayer, I would like to impress upon you the imperative duty of
choosing our best qualified men for this position.

As a rule, you will not get these best qualified men among those
that seek tiie officio. 'Tis true that competent men have sought the
ofiice and served the i)eople faithfully and with great credit to them-
selves. They are the exceptions. You will find the right men for the
place among those who do not seek it and who will have to make sac-
rifices to accept it.

What is true of commissioner is true of director of the poor and
auditor. They are very important offices, and we should be equally
careful in the selection of persons to represent us on these boards.

And now let us turn to the second part of our subject, ''Some leg-
islation needed for farmers." This is an important part of our subject,
and an opportune time to discuss it. The National Legislature, re
cently convened, is now in session, and the State Legislature on Mon-
day next will meet to enact laws for our benefit among others. It is
certainly the proper time to demand of them the enactment of new
laws, or the modification or repeal of laws already on the statute book
if desired.

The first needed legislation to which I would call your attention is
an amendment to our election laws prohil)iting the payment of taxes
as a qualification for voting by any otlier means than the elector him-
self.

The State Constitution provides, among other qualifications of the
voter, that he shall be a resident of the election district in which he
may ofl'er to vote at least two months, and shall have paid a State or
county tax within two years, which shall have been assessed at least
two months and paid at least one month before the election.

The object of the first clause named was to prevent the coloniza-
tion of voters, and the last to prevent persons who did not feel sufli-
cient interest in alfairs of State to pay the paltry taxed named, because
they would be unsafe voters.

I am not in the confidence of the political managers of the county,
but I presume I am not far from the truth when I assert that one
thousand persons voted at the recent election who had not paid tax^

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

41

There may have been more ; certainly not many less. True the
treasurer's books would show their tax jjaid; yet not one cent of these
voters' money went into the State or county treasury.

How then did they secure their vote i: Why the political managers
paid their tax, lifted their receipts, doled them out their tickets, being
careful to see that they had the right ticket before they receive their
receipts ; in brief, the managers of the i)olitical parties in the country
practically cast one thousand illegal votes, according to a lair and
common sense construc'iion of the Constitution. And the money to
pay the tax which procures these votes is largely furnished by the
candidates voted for, who, if elected, must take the oath prescribed
by the Constitution before entering on the duties of the ofiice, in tak-
ing which oath he solemnly swears, "that he has not paid or con-
tributed, or promised to pay or contribute, either directly or indi-
rectly, any money or other valuable thing to procure his nomination
or election, except for necessary and proper expenses expressly pro-
vided by law ; and he has not knowingly violated any election law, or
procured it to be done by others on his behalf, &c." If the contribu-
ting of money for the payment of the taxes of those the officer elect
expected to vote for him' is not one of the proper expenses expressly
provided by law, (and it is not,) then when he takes this oath he
must, to say the least, take it with a large mental reservation. Gen-
tlemen, it' is a corruption of the ballot, affording an opportunity to
manipulate the vote so as to defeat the will of legal voters, and places
the officer-elect in a most unenviable position, familiarizing him at the
very commencement of his official career, I might abnost say, with

perjury.

In short, it is a great, growing, and dangerous evil, and should be
prohibited by stringent legislation and heavy penalities. I mention
this needed legislation, first, because the ballot is the very corner stone
of our republican institutions, and the purity of the ballot its safety.

Surely then no class are more deeply interested in the purity of the
ballot than the farmer. I may say here, that honest political mana-
gers would gladly see such a law on the statute book. It would re-
lieve them of a very unpleasant and embarrassing part of their work,
but which they feel compelled to do as methods now are.

The second needed legislation is a thorough revision of our tax

laws.

According to act 9, section 1, of the Constitution, it is provided that
the legislature may, by general laws, exempt from taxation pub-
lic property used for public purposes, actual places of religious wor-
ship, places of burial not used or held for private or corporate profit,
and institutions of a purely public charity. Section 2, provides that
all laws exempting property from taxation other than the property
above enumerated, shall be void. .

It is evident from these sections that it was the intention of its
framers that taxation should be based on property, and that all prop-
erty except that above enumerated should be included in that basis.
It is worthy of note that the Constitution does not really exempt any
property from taxation, but gives the Legislature power to exempt it,
if thought best, by legal enactment, certain classes clearly and deh-

nitelv defined. . . • i -. ^

A little reflection will satisfv you that all property is not included

in the present basis of taxation. Some kinds of stock are subjects of

taxation, while others are entirely exempt, consequently a person en-

42

Quarterly Report.

gaged in one ])rancli of rariiiing will pay relatively more tax than his
neigiihor engaged in another branch, which is manifeslly unjust.
Property being tlie recognized basis ol' taxation, I believe that every-
thing having a money share should be included \u that basis. Then
would each one pay his just share of tax.

If Jill property, real and personal, should be included in the basis of
taxation, then there must be a full and accurate return made by the
taxable. Tliat the mode prescribed by the present law will not secure
such a return, past exi)erience most forcibly attests; and that there is
a method by which a full return of ])roperty to the assessor can be se-
cured, our experience under the law passed by the last Legislature to
increase the State revenue conclusively demonstrates. That law un-
earthed" I might almost say, millions of property in Washington
county, of the existence of which our assessers never heard, and never
would have under the old law.

The return of taxable property under oath should ])e extended from
those classes liable to State tax to all classes of property liable to
taxation. With such an amendment to our tax laws, Washington
county will have enough more land on the tax books to make cpiite a
number of good sized farms, and i)lenty of farm animals to stock them.
Let the return of taxable i)roperty be made under oath.

Speaking of the manner oi' raising State revenue leads me to re-
mark that here we need, as I see it, a more ecpiitable law.

Now the State revenue is raised olf corporations, bonds, mortgages,
money at interest, e^c, paying three mills of State and being exempt
from all other taxation. State tax is collected olf whatever^uay call
surplus capital, that is, capital over and above Avhatis needed in mak-
ing a living, and this surplus capital does not pay, on a average, more
than one third as much tax as real estate and other personal ])roperty.
Let us see how it works. Mr. A. invests twenty thousand dollars inV
mortgage and pays three mills State tax, is exempt from all others.
jMr. B. invests the same amount in land. He pays as much county tax
as Mr. A. does State; then, if he has good schools, with adequately' paid
teachers, and a sutlicient length of school term, he pays three mills of
school tax, if the roads are kept in proi)er repair, he pays three mills
of road tax. Each have the same protection under law; each have the
same privileges in our schools and on our highways. Yet for the en-
joyment of this ])rotection and these sciiools and' highwav ])rivileges.
Mr. A. pays three mills, while Mr. H. pays nine, or three times as
as much tax on the same investment as Mr. P>. Is this not pali)ably
unjust^ This surplus capital should pay the larger share of taxation,
if any one class should pay more than another. And vet it escapes
with one third the tax of other i^roperty. Would it not be l)etter,
more ecpiitable, if the State revenue was raised by direct taxation,
and these classes from which the revenue is now raised be made to
pay their full share of all taxation '^ Or, if it is not passible to reach cor-
porate property for local taxation, then impose on it such a rate of
State tax as will place it on an equality with other i)roi)erty, and re-
turn for local taxation the other classes now taxed for State pui-poses.
Third. Farmers need and should demand the enactment of just and
wise anti-discrimination laws. We are largely dei)endent on owx rail-
roads for the transi)ortation of the products of the farm, and it is very
important that the charges for trans])ortation be just and eciuitable.
J hat they are not I need hardly stop to prove. This every intelligent
man, every reader of the news of the day knows. How 'often do we

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

43

read of cuts in rates as a result of keen competition from the more re-
mote points (say Chicago for illustration) to the great Eastern
markets, carrying freight and passengers at a loss, and making u]) this
loss by higher charges on trallic from less remote ])()ints and lines
without c()m])etiti()n. To illustrate the freight charges from McDonald
to Pittsbuigh are, or were not long since, one dollar ])er mile i)er car,
or eighteen dollars, while the charges from Central Ohio, where com- ,
peting lines are struck, are twenty-five cents x^el' mile per car, or one
fourth the amount from ]\[cDonald ; and I have known the rate from
Chicago to Pittsburgh to be as low as four cents i)er mile i)er car, or
one twenty-fifth that from McDonald. Here there is a palpably gross
injustice done the farmers, a heavy and unjust tax imposed upon our
farm ])roducts that the products of the Western farmer may be carried to
market at a loss, and the railroad companies l)e enabled to make up
this loss and declare their dividends. What is true of freight is ecpially
true of x)assenger rates. lama believer in the principle of protec-
tion. I believe that the American working man should be protected
against the cheap and pauper lal)or of Europe. I ])elieve that the
Washington county wool-grower should l)e ])rotected against the cheap
(because cheaply grown) wools ol* Australia and South America.
But I believe that there is no protection which we so imi)eratively
need, and which will do so much good, financially, as protection against
unjust discrimination in the rates of transportation. We do not ask
anything but what is right, just, and equitable. We are willing to
pay a fair consideration for the transi)ortation of our farms. All we
ask is that others shall do the same, that ours shall not l)e taxed to
carry theirs at a loss.

And then there is the rebate system, by a\ Inch consolidated capital,
by getting lower rates, is enabled to cripple if not crush out private
enterprise. It was the rebate, the lower rates given the Standard Oil
Company, that giant monopoly, that enabled it to crush the small
capitalist who engaged in oil refininir, and has enabled it to almost
completely monopolize the transportation and refining of oil, not only
in this county but throughout the world.

The very same thing is true of the handling of farm products. Con-,
solidated capital engaged in dealing in farm produce can get much
better rates than thel'armer himself. Consequently we are shut out
from competition in the general markets and are placed at the mercy
of the middle men. Put is there no protection':? Yes, am])le ; but the
rub is to get it. Act 17, (which is devoted to the regulation of rail-
roads and canals,) section 8, says : ''All individuals, associations, and
corporations shall have equal rights to have i)ersons and property
transported over railroads and canals, and no undue or unreasonable
discrimination shall be made in charges for or in facilities for trans-
portation of freiirht or passengers within this State, or coming I'rom or
going to any other State. Persons and property transported over any
railroad shall be delivered at any station at charges not exceeding the
charges for transportation of persons and property of the same class
in the same direction to any more distant station ; but excursion and
commutation tickets may be issued at special rates." Section P2, the
closing one of the article, says: ''The General Asseml)ly shall enforce
by appropriate legislation the provisions of this article." So you see
we have not only ample protection in the Constitution, but legislation
giving protection is made mandatory, which is not the case with a
single other article of this instrument. This Constitution went into

44

QUAllTEKLY RlJPOKT.

effect oil tlie 1st of January, 1874, almost thirl ecu years ago. And yet
this mandatory article is not complied with. With amazement we ask,
why IS it? Is It because the people do not desire much legislation If
that were true it would not be a sufficient reason, for our hiws should
conform to the fundamental law, whether the people desire it or not
If the fundamental law is defective or offensive the people have le<^ai
redress. Amend or repeal, as the case mav be, but don^t disregard ""or
nulhly, or allow your servants to do so. Either course is dangerous
But the people do desire anti-discrimination legislation. They have
been praying for it by petition at everv session of the Legislature
since 1874.

Is it because the language of this article is so obscure that our le^>-is-
lators have doubt as to the meaning intended to be conveyed bv'^its
trainers. On the contrary, it is so plain and explicit that any intelli-
gent school boy can understand it. Then, why is it that we don't
have this much needed and commanded legislation? The reason is
plain. The Pennsylvania Kailroad Company is opposed to it This
power behind the throne '' is greater than the throne itself

We have been taught to believe that ^' the servant is not greater
than his lord," but here is the servant openly, deliantly, and imperi-
ously disregarding the wishes of their masteV the people, and to, as it
were, add insult to injury," use the people's representatives as their
tools to accomplish these ends. They use arguments more potent than
the Constitution, more binding than official oaths, and more persua-
sive than the importunate and oft-expressed wishes of the people.
I^ut, It is said, that anti-discrimination should be national, applyins
alike to all railroads; that such a law enacted and entbrced bv
Pennsylvania alone would be ruinous to our railroad system; which
IS equivalent to saying that if they treated the people of the State,
which gave them their chartered rights and privileges, as well in the
matter of rates as they do those of Illinois, Iowa, or Missouri,

It would be rmnmifi Tr. ofof^ fU^ ^K'.^^.- „ _• . .,'

g

. ,,,^ v^v,ixoL,xouiiuii Lucit 1 nave read ana tliemanda

tory clause Ihe duty of our legislators is plain. Enact laws to en-
force article 17 to the letter, and do it 'though the heavens fall."
Ihis is not the on y p ace that this great railroad company thatlhave
named boldly dehes the Constitution. Section 8 for1,ids the issuin- of
free passes or passes at a discount to other than employes of the com-
pany. Now, It IS notorious that, in the face of this constitutional pro-
hibition, they issue them even to the members of the General Assembly,
the power that is to enact the laws to entbrce this clause. This should be
an insult o ourlegis^lators, unless, indeed, they are employes of the com-
pany and in view of our experience during the last thirteen years, it al-
most looks that way. Again, you are all cognizant of t he recent attempt
of his company, m def^^ance of the plain let'ter of another section of tMs
same article, to gobbe the projected and partly constructed -South
Penn," a parallel and competing line, and had k not been for the ex-
ecutive branch of the government, this llagrant wrong would have
been consumated. The present State administration deseW^s lie gat'
tude of every farmer, as indeed, of every ])atriotic citizen for stand
mg up fear essly for the people and their constitutional riVhts

Sf.fp?n H?! r^^'^ff'^V"^ the Pennsylvania railroad has done for the
State m the way of developing her resources. All of this I appreciate

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

45

But it gives her no right to openly and defiantly trample on the Con-
stitution and rights of the people.

Let us see to it that article 17 is enforced by appropriate legislation.

But, gentlemen, I have already trespassed upon your time much
longer than I had intended, and I will close by calling your attention
to some needed legislation without attempting to discuss them. We
need a better road law; a law prohibiting stock running at large; an
amended fence law, requiring each farmer to fence his own stock in-
stead of to fence against his neigh])ors, as I understand the law to be
now. We need an amendment to the school law, increasing the mini-
mum length of the school terms from five to six, or seven, months, so
that we may have sufficient school to adequately educate our children.
And last, but really first in magnitude and importance, whether we
consider it politically or economically, socially or morally, is the need
of wise and stringent legislation regulating the licpior traffic. Just as
certainly as the Legislature meets on Monday next, just so surely will
there be legislation on this most important subject. Let us see to it
that it will be such as will reduce the evils of intemperance to the
minimum, and that in it the local -option x)i'biciple is certainly incor-
porated, so that Wasliington county may continue to have practical
prohibition, though other counties in the State are not ready for it, and
let us consequently aim and labor for the total and constitutional pro-
hibition of this giant evil and crime.

Farmers, on you rests the responsibility. The great agricultural
counties of the State, such as Washington, are the strongholds of tem-
perance, while the cities are the citadels of the rum power. If wise
and judicious legislation is secured, it will l)e because you have done
your whole duty. If not, because you have failed to do so. If we
would succeed, we must be thoroughly organized and go forward in
solid column. For the rum ])ower, stimulated by an ardent desire for
illicit gain, is meeting us jn solid ])halanx, and if we would thwart
their designs we must meet them in like manner. It is no time to di-
vide into factions and fight each other. Such a course is not only un-
wise, but suicidal. Pursue the former course, and success is certain ;
the latter, and defeat is inevitable. Remember, that '' United we
stand, divided we fall."

SOME POINTS IN OUE LOCAL GEOLOGY.

By Prof. Edwin Linton, Washington^ Pa.

I ask your indulgence to-day while I speak of some very common-
place matters relating to our local geology. I shall treat the subject
in a somewhat general and wholly elementary way. First, because
I do not feel myself familiar enough with the details of the geology
of any considerable i)art of Western Pennsylvania to speak in any
other than a general way; and second, because of the little knowl-
edge of the principles of the science of geology possessed even by
intelligent and otherwise well-informed persons.

To the ordinary mind, our valleys and the streams that How through
them, and the hills that border them, our limestones, sandstones, and

46

Quarterly Report.

Pennsylvania Board of AoRicuj/ruRE.

47

coal, are all taken as a matter of course and no tlioiight expended on
them. I remember, (juite well, when I was just at the age when I
was a walking interrogation point, of asking an uncle of mine what
made a certain ravine in the woods. He told me that the Lord had
made it. I don't remember now, that I had any sceptical doubts
about that; but I wanted to know how he made it, and wliathemade
it with. The discovery of the presence of a hitherto unsuspected
natural ])roduct, such as oil or gas, awakens popular interest, and the
questions what? whence? how? of chi]<lh()()(l are lieard from those
no longer cliildren in years. And yet the history of these lluids fur-
nishes little, if any, more that is worthy of intelligent speculation
than the coal to which we have always been accustomed, or indeed,
than any of the rocks and minerals of the earth's crust. When the
Hess well, the first to be bored in this region, was located, it appeared
to many a wonderful display of knowledge that a fair approximation
of the depth and character of the underlying strata could be made by
the gentleman who told the owners where to bore for gas. My desire
in this brief presentation on the subject is to bring before you some
of the principles which guide geologists in drawing their conclusions
from observed facts. In the first place, it will be well to keep
in mind this princi])l(- llie facts with which geology has to deal are
explained by causes that are now in action. This, of course, does not
mean necessarily that these forces are in action in this place in the
same way as in the past. For instance, if you wish to see the forma-
tion of coal in progress now, you would have to go to a region of peat
swamps.

In order to understand the method by wiiich most of our rocks
were made, it will be necessary to study phenomena connected with
the work of vast bodies of water and the gradual elevation and de-
pression of extended regions of land. For the sake of clearness, let
us look througli the big end of a telescope at Washington county, and
having reduced it in size until it is about a quarter the size of this
room, attempt to show its structure and formation. Washington
county is magnified on almost every occasion, so I think vou will par-
don me for magnifying it this once. A study of the region will soon
show that certain rocks are more persistent than otliers ; that is, it is
possible to trace the same stratum with certainty over a wider region
than can be done for others. I will hnve occasion to speak fnrTher
on of the Pittsburgh coal ; we generally speak of it as '' the coal " in
this county. It is that wliich is mined at Allison's and Ewing^s, and at
Cannonsburgh; it is the coal that crops out along the Monongahela
river. Over in Fayette county, it is the famous Oonnellsville coal.
Take, lor example, this Pittsburgh coal, which is well known, 1 sup-
pose, to almost every one in the county, although it is lost sight of in
the southern and central portions of the countv. It is lost sight oi*,
but has not disappeared; it is in the southern part of the county, but
IS overlaid by newer deposits. In the northern part of the county it
IS more exposed. In Hanover township, it has almost disappeared;
not \)y reason of having other strata on top of it, but because it, along
with the newer rocks that covered it there, has been carried away in
the process of time by erosion. What its northern limit formerly was
is a matter of conjecture. Dr. Stevenson, who made a survey dl' this
county, says it probably exten(l(Ml as far north as Lake Erie! If we
were to confine our study of Washington county rocks to the limits
of Washington county, and did not have the advantage of deep bore-

holes, our knowledge of rocks below the Pittsburgh coal would be
very meagre. Along the Monongahela river, in the valley of the
Chartiers, as far south as Cannonsburgh, and in the north-western X-)art
of the county, some older rocks are brought to view. This body of
coal is by no means conlined to this county. It extends not only in
the places mentioned above, but has been identified with a coal of
West Virginia and Eastern Ohio. It has, probably, an extent of be-
tween two thousand and twenty-five hundred square miles. The next
in ini[)ortance is limestone. Several distinct horizons of limestone
are known in the county. One of these, wliich in this immediate
locality, is a rock of great importance, is known as the Upper AVash-
ington limestone. It lies in this region about six hundred feet above
the Pittsburgh coal, and about one hundred and sixty-five feet above
another coal, known as the Wasliington coal. It has been observed
in nearly all the townships ol Greene county, and occurs in all the
southern townships in this county, except the extreme south-eastern.
This Upper Washington limestone is a rock, which is from twenty-five
to thirty feet thick, near town. It is the limestone from which the
dark rock is obtained which is broken up on the National road and
upon our streets. Like all the rocks of this region the northern limit
of this Upper Washington limestone is soon reached; it runs out to
the north. Smith township is its northern limit. It does not extend
as far north as the Pittsburgh coal, which is found in some of the higher
hill-tops north of Pittsburgh. Remembering that in this place this
limestone is about six hundred feet vertically above the Pittsburgh
coal, it may be easily understood why it should run out to
the northward sooner than the Pittsburgh coal. In this
connection, perhaps, I ought to mention one tiling more; that
is, the interval between any two rocks is not constant. Take for
instance, the interval between the Upper Washington limestone and
the Washington coal. This coal is here about four hundred and thirty
feet above tlie Pittslmrgli coal, and may be seen in the first cut on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad west of town. It is the cool which has
been worked in South Strabane township, in Franklin, Amwell, ALor-
ris, Buffalo, and Canton, and occurs also in Mt. Pleasant and one or
two adjoining townships. In the southern part of Smith township
the distance between the Upper Washington limestone and this Wash-
ington coal is a little over a hundred feet — about one hundred and
ten feet. Coming down this far south it is about one hundred and
sixty-five. You notice they are more widely sei)arated ; that is, some
of the intervening strata are growing thicker. In the southern part
of Amwell townshii), it is about one hundred and eighty feet. Near
Waynesl^
ard creek,
is three

serted between these two rocks ; or in other words, there has been a
thickening up of two hundred feet between these strata in the course
of forty miles. Now, in these instances, I have attempted to show
twothinirs. First, the fact that certain rocks are continuous over
large parts of the county, and second, from the fact that the interval
between two of these strata cited is valriable, that some of the strata
must also be variable. With this preface, let us proceed to the mak-
ing of our model. Let us take a tray the size of our model, and i>re-
pare some mixture of clay or plaster of Paris, which will serve to
illustrate the dilferent strata and color diilerent parts of it with dill'er-

vell township, it is about one liundrea ana eigniy leei. rsear

sburgh,it is about two hundred and sixty feet; while at Dunk-

[3k, about forty miles south of Smith township, this county, it

hundred .and\wenty-five feet. That is, here is a wedge in-

48

Quarterly RiipoRT.

ent colors; with dilTorent shades of blue to represent the limestone
some diflerent shades of brown for the shales, gray for the sandstones'
etc., and lay them out here in order, as near as we can, according to
wliat has been found out with regard to these strata. Then in onler
to make this model illustrate the rocks, it will be necessary to apt)lv
pressure on the sides, so. Suppose we have the model lying in a <'en-
eral north and south direction, the bottom being so constructed that
llexures will be made along certain definite lines, the result will be to
told It, as this paper is folded, in gentle llexures like that Now if
our lines ol least resistance are at the right places the result will be
hve well-defined folds or llexures, running in a norlh-east bv south-
west direction. Then carve out the valleys, conceal the surface with
paint, leaving only such places exposed as will illustrate the railroad
cuts and flie ordinary exposures along the river fronts, and then at-
tempt to identify these dillerent strata according to their thickne'^s
tlieir color, &c., and we have reconstructed the problem on a small
scale which geologists have worked out in the interpretation ol' the
surface geology of our county. Of course, no model could be made
to show the method of formation. In order to understand our surface
geology It IS necessary to think of some of the causes that determine
the topography of our county. And first let us notice a iew prelimi-
nary tacts. I shall not at this place speak of the origin of the diller-
ent lands of strata. Suffice it to say, that the evidence is quite con-
clusive that they have been deposited in water. The details of the
origin ol the difierent kinds are, however, very dillerent. Ooahas everv-
body knows, is ot vegetable origin, while limestone is usually of
animal origin. If you take some of this limestone which is broken
up on our streets— nearly black when first broken— and let a piece of
that be ground down until it is transparent, this curious fact becomes
evident, that it IS made up almost entirely of minute animals, such
as you may see m stagnant water ; most of them are bivalve Crusta-
cea, little anima s with two shells, one on each side, a little like the
shell ot a mussel.

Sometime in the past, after the last stratum now known to the re-
gion was hud down, the land was elevated permanently above the sea-
level. Coincident probably with this elevation, which wasverv -rad-
ual and may have continued for ages, there occurred a sJi-ht 'llexin-
pi the strata, so that instead of lying horizontally Ihevare sentlv roll
mg. The axes of these rolls, or anticlinals, as thev are called liave a
north-east by south-west direction, in general para'llel with the moun-
tain ranges to the eastward, and without doubt have a common ori-in
uili the mountains. These flexures probably had but little ellect in
determining |],e direction of water courses. ' As soon as the land be-

the wor^t-f Tr^'''' ''t^"" \'^' <^^«'^e!»li"S rains, of course, began
the v^oik of denudation. This has continued through the ages until
we have what we now regard with scarcely a thou«ht-valleys lar-^e
enough for rivers and a surface made up of alternating hills and v."l-
eys. It is to borne in mind, therefore, that all our valleys are vallevs
that have a community of origin with the cullies that are made bv a
June shower in a freshly-plowed corn-field. Further, the distance from
the top of a hill to the bottom of an adjoining valley does not bv • in v
means measure the full amount of erosion \y|,i,.|,' iuakenpl^e'^
Dur ing a I the time that the valley has been deepening the top of the
hill has been wearing off, so that it is nearly in possible to est ma e
how much material has been removed from this region s nee it was

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture. 49

permanently elevated above tlie sea-level. To give a little illustra-
tion of how much has been removed: In tlie upper rocks of Greene
county there are, above a well-delined stratum, at least five liundred I'eet
ot rocks, it they co'jLI be collected in one place and measured. Now
in this county, down to another well-defined horizon, there are four
hundred teet. A good part of Greene countv rocks have been traced
up into this county, and it is certain that at least nine hundred feet of
rocks, and how much more nobody knows, have been removed from
this region.

A hill that is much higher than its neighbor is usuallv capped by a
rock that lias resisted the wear of the elements longer than other parts
ot the same rock, which, of course, once extended far on every side
ihe explanation of such interesting localities as '' Walkers Rocks ■' in
Cross Creek township, and the loose blocks of sandstone at Scenerv
Hill IS, ot course, to be found in the fact that thev are remnants of
strata of sandstone that once covered the whole region where they oc-
cur. The explanation of the occurrence of some strips of thin land
wduch are to l)e found in a few places in this countv, is of the same
nature. That is, they are usually traceable to a pretty thick sand-
stone which withstood the wearing action of the elements longer than
other parts near by. During the process of this extensive wearin<>-
away all traces of the llexures, already spoken of, have been ol)litei^
ated so far as any etlect they might have liad at first on the landscape
IS concerned. They are only to be made out bv patiently collecting
data from exposures of rocks and noting the amount of variation from
a horizontal in every case. It often happens that the apex of the roll
IS found in avalley at the foot of a high hill, while the trougli is at the
top of a hill. It may, therefore, now be understood how it is possible
to calculate the depth of a given stratum such as the Pittsburgh coal.
From this fact it is plain, also, why the wells on the hill north-east of
town have no further to go in order to reach a given stratum than the
Shrontz well in the valley to the east of town, one hundred and fifty
lower. It is not only possible to calculate very nearlv the depth at
wliich a given stratum will be found, but it could be told very nearly
what strata have been removed from many localities. For example,
the Upper Washington limestone is seen oil top of the hill north-east
of to\vn and also at a i)oint near the cemetery south-w^est of town.
Now, if you sight across from one of these locations to the other you
will have the position wliich that limestone once occupied. It, there-
fore, formerly lay near the position which the figure of George Wash-
ington now occupies on the top of the court-house, or perhaps a little
above it. A section, therefore, could be made which would show with
reasonable certainty the strata whicli are missing over the borough of
Washington.

Your attention has been called to the fact that all the stratas of
which mention has been made come to the surface towards the north
while older rocks take their place as the surface rocks of the country!
Take, for instance, a rock in which lu^irly everybody is interested, one
of the oil and gas rocks of this region. It was i)ossible to tell about
where that would be found in this region from a study of the out-
cropping rocks to the north; and that long before any wells were
l)ored here. It is not to be regarded as a mysterious thing, therefore,
that it was possible to calculate pretty nearly where a given stratum,
as the sandstone of the Venango oil field, is to be found, provided it
extends this far, and there has not been too much thickening or thin-

a

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Quarterly Report.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

51

ning of other stratca. Now, it is demonstrated, I think, beyond mucli
doubt that the sandstone which we call here the Gantz sand occupies
the place of the upper stratum of the Venango group, a sandstone
which is a surface rock in Nortliern Venango county. Speaking in
round nuinl)ers, the rocks which are here two thousand feet under us
are surface rocks a hundred miles to the north. Since the oil and gas
territory is not strictly defined in this county, I suppose almost every
land-owner has a hope, if not a belief, that immediately under his
farm is one of the richest i:)ools of oil in the county; and that, of
course, has led liim to pay some attention at least to the therories
with regard to the occurrence of oil and gas. One of the favorite the-
ories at present is known as the anticlinal theory. There are about
five of these pretty well defined running in a north-east by south-west
direction. One passes directly west of town ; two others west of this ;
one to the east, known as the Pin Hook anticlinal ; and another farther
east, near Centreville, crossing into Greene county near Zollarsville.
The theory, in brief, is this : That since the rocks are elevated along
the region of the axes of the anticlinals and there is a trough between
one anticlinal and the next, since gas is lighter than water, gas will
be found along the crest of the anticlinal, oil down the side, and salt
water in the trough between. This theorv is one which the facts do
not justify ; certainly not in every particular. Then it is to be re-
membered that the general southerly dip of all our rocks is about
twenty-two feet to the mile. That is the reason why the Venango oil
sand crops out a hundred miles or more to the north of us; and here
the top of it is eighteen hundred feet, or a little over, below the Pitts-
burgh coal. Then, not only the rocks themselves dip, but the crests
of the anticlinals also slope, like the comb of a roof which is not hori-
zontal. Then, if there is anything in the theory, there should be a
place on the anticlinal where gas would be found not only on the
ridge, but would extend on each side into the trough ; and further
south, say ten miles, the crest having dipped meanwhile two hundred
and twenty feet, a place where oil, or even salt water, would be found
on the crest of the anticlinal. While it will be true that, given oil,
gas, and water, under conditions that will allow freedom of motion,
they will arrange themselves in the order of their specific gravities,
gas on top, oil next, and salt water next, it is not pro])able that such
can be the case under the conditions in which they occur. They are
held in a porous rock under great pressure and their freedom of motion
much impeded.

With regard to the origin of gas and oil, it is only necessary to add
that their origin from vegetable remains is undoubted, and the ma-
jority of geologists believe that they are distillations from thick de-
posits of bituminous shale which underlie tlie sandstone in which they
are held. The containing rock, usually a conglomerate sand rock, is
porous and is cappod by an impervious stratum which prevents its
escape through overlying strata.

The supply is certainly not inexhausitble.

WOMAIS^ S OPPORTUNITIES m COUNTRY LIFE.

By Miss Bell M. Day, Lagonda Pennsylvania.

There is an idea prevalent tliat farm life is an unpleasant life for
the women of the farmer's family, that it is made up principally of
limitation, of deprivations, of hard work— ^'^ZaW^/^ work," J heard a
neighbor of mine call it— and of the utter absence of opportunity for
the vvoman so situated to make of herself anything but the merest
machine for accomplishing the household drudgery. There can be no
doubt as to the prevalence oftliis notion. Farm journals, and women's
columns in all our papers, are too often full of the peevish grunil)lin<>-
of the women of the farm against their lot. And in many of our farm
homes the women accept this as a true view of their case'. We see the
results in the fact of so many tanners' daughters crowdinir to towns
and cities; seeking places behind clerk's desks, in printing offices
school-rooms, shops, and factories; willing to do almost anything'
even the dreaded kitchen-work, so it be away from the milking arid
churning, the feeding of calves and poultry, and all the country ''sight
and sounds, ^vhich are to her only so many signs of inferior positiom

I am speaking of the average farm home, representing the mass of
the farming community, of the home of the farmer who depends upon
his I'arm ak)ne lor a living. There are those, who, by inherited
wealth, or skillful dealing, by other means than legitinuite farming,
are in such circumstances that the labor of the family is not required'
or needed. Yet even here, almost without exception, (within my ob-
servation,) is found the same restlessness, the same discontent, the
same longing to leave the farm ; if but for some rural hamlet, in whose
streets the S([uirrel may play, and upon whose sidewalks plantain and
burdock run rampant.

That there is no cause for this discontent I am not prepared to as-
sert. It is needless to deny that there are hardships connected with
all life on the farm, especially on farms far distant from commercial
and educational centers. But to show that the opportunities of women
in the country compensate, and more than compensate, lor these de-
privations is the object of this paper.

In order that these opportunities may be fully enjoyed, there must
be a sturdy independence in thought and action. Nowliere else is
now to befbjind so true a type of that spirit which animated the heroes
of our early history, as in the rural districts, on our farms. But even
here, in its last strongliold, there is observalde a tendency to yield to
that delusive siren fashion. I am aware of my proximity to a dilemma
at this point. I will not say that fashion must be ignored or opposed ;
but I do say that an independence of judgment must be maintained,
that we may choose or reject according to the fitness or untitness of
that which fashion otfers us. No woman who is a slave to fashion can
accomplish anything anywhere, except to publish her own slavery.
And this attemi)t tolbllow blindly every caprice of fashion, even as
far off as we must needs follow in the country, leads to inevitable use-
lessness on the part of every woman who undertakes it. I refer now,
not merely to dress or personal decoration, but to housefurnishing and

II !

52

Quarterly Keport.

decoration, table service, and all else which fashion ever touches with
her mniiic wand.

Perhaps it ini<rht be said that the cultivation of this independence
is one of the oi)])ortunities of the country woman. Certain it is, she
can secure and hold it with much greater ease than can her sister of
town or city.

Account must be taken of the necessary diflerences in the modes of
life in town and country. Many customs that are wise and needed in
the one, are just as needless and absurd transplanted to tlie other, as
would be uniformed policemen stationed at every cross-roads. But
the absurdity is not quite so palpable.

Let our farmers' wives and daughters keep themselves free from
useless bondage to useless fashions ; let them realize tliat the dw^eller
in the country is the only autocrat; then will there be opportunity
for their opportunities.

In no other place in our civilization is there so great an opporttinity
to have and to keep perfect physical health as on our farms. The
vigorous out-door exercise required in many instances, and so easily
obtained where the exigencies of life do not demand it; the possibility
of clothing the l)ody according to the laws of hygiene, ratlier than of
fashion, and still keeping both self-respect and the respect of one's
neighbors , the abundant sleep, for it is in the country alone tliat
''the dask w^elcomes to slumber profound, and the davm inspires with
new vi<2;or:"no midniiiht revellers are likelv to disturb this slumber;
the occasional winter entertainment scarcely breaks in tipon it, and
summer's rest may be absolutely unbroken ; the foo 1, i'ruitfid source of
ill-liealth ; but here fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats, simply pre-
pared, without the dyspepsia breeding vagaries of style in cookery;
free sunshine, pure w\aters, fresh air, all these are here. Wiiere can
we hope to lind healthy women, it* not in the country.

My second proposition is more important. It is, that there
are remarkable opportunities for mental culture within the reach of the
country woman. This statement is the expression not of theory, but
o{ proven fact. Mental culture, as you all know, does not imply mere
collection and assimilation of knowledge from books. \h\Qw if it were
that, woman in the country has so few social demands; has, as a rule,
her time so completely at her own disposal, that she may generally be
very sure of her reading or study period, if she will but distinguish
between actual disturbances and calls which she ??i//y disregard. But
it is not book- knowledge to whicli I have reference, though she may
acquire much of it, and it is not without its value. It is that broader
and deeper culture which comes from original observation and inves-
tigation, and which has its own intrinsic value, even if. its i)()Ssessor
lack a nice percex)tion of the agreement of nouns and verbs, and be
innocent of dictionary prontmciation.

The country woman's library and cabinet and laboratory are ready
made. Nature opens books all around her, l)rings specimens to her
feet, and forces her attention to chemical experiments every day in the
year, and each hour of the day. Book knowledge is not even necessary
as a preparation. In proof of tliis I venture to repeat tlie well-known
story of the lad who went to Agassiz to st udy natural history. Expect-
ing to be given a ])ook, with a certain number of pages or of iacts to
learn, he was led into a room and seated at a table, with a lish on a tray
before him, the jar of alcohol from whicli it had been taken standing
near. Agassiz left him, telling liim to look at that fish, and to moisten

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

53

it occasionally wdth the alcohol. The boy looked keenly for a time,
then, satislied that he had seen the fish, began to think that his teacher
had forgotten him. So he looked at the fish again and again, and thus,
restlessly wondering what delayed his teacher, he passed three hours.
Agassiz returned, asked him a question about the fish, and said, ^' you
have not seen it yet, come back to-morrow and study it." For days
and weary days the process was repeated, until the ^boy had learned
how to observe, and found the benefit of his great teacher's method-
observation first, books afterward.

So the daily round of household duties may go on simultaneously
Avitli this study. Thus, the churning may be done while the habits
(and dispositions, too,) of the bumble-bees' that have their nests in the
foundation of the milk-house, may be studied. Or the birds that choose
their homes near our own— the swallows, the robin and blue-jav, the
blue-bird and wren— but the list need not be lengthened. It is not
necessary that one know the class name, or special name, of these birds,
or of anything, in order to observe closely, intelligently, and success-
fully. Take a homely illustration— plucking a fowl. The hands may
be kept busy while the mind is free to observe the feathered tracts and
unfeathered spaces ; to note the dilferent kinds of feathers, the man-
ner of their insertion in the skin, the beauty of their arrangement, and
the wonderful complexity of their structure as for as it can be detected
by the unaided eye. What an added zest is given to the labor! and
how slightly that pleasure would ])e increased by a knowledge of the
names tlie ornithologist has given to these various parts.

What lessons in botany, too, there are to be learned all summer
long! The garden, tlie yard, the walk to the orchard, the fence rows
by the roadside, the wood-lot — wliat an array of lessons! If nature
changed as some schools we would all l)e bankrupt. Then how deter-
mined the insects are, that we shall study them, and how wilfully and
wickedly most of us decline. Yet we can learn more, absolutely
more, of entomology in one summer from insects alone than we could
from books alone. Let every housekeeper write her pledge for the
extermination of spiders, in imitation of that other f)ledge — ''every
spider must go except those needed for medicinal, mechanical, or
scientific purposes," and thus save one for observation. The sewing
need not progress more slowly that there is an ol).ject of interest.
And, if fears are entertained for housewifely reputation, by all means
put up a placard, stating the reason of this spider's salvation. The
poultry yard, the milking lot, the pasture where the sheep are kept,
the stable, where man's best friend is found, all atlbrd abundant
opportunity for the study of that ever-fasciniiting subject — the intelli-
gence of the lower orders of animals. As suctcessive generations of
these are observed, tliere is that still more fascinating and important
subject — the law, so called, of heredity.

Let those who long to hear the music, and see the paintings and
sculpture of the master of artists, listen to the deep organ tones of
the wind iii the forest, and l)e thrilled by its varied and almost intel-
ligent intonation as it rushes past tlie liouse, on a stormy night, in
midwinter; or catch the gentle murmur of the summer breeze in the
tree-tops, and know that the greatest musician of them all, said : *'Thou,
O wind, art my teacher and master." I think itis Buskin, who says —
and I dnow^ that Principal Shairp has, in substance, said the same —
''The common man cannot see nature, the poet and artist must inter-
pret it to him, and only through their eyes can he see beauty." Is it

54

Quarterly Report.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

55

not, then, a higher culture to train ourselves to see these beauties at
lirst hand ? Is it not better to be able to appreciate a landscape, than
to be a])le to criticise, in learned talk, a painted landscape '^j And are
there not beauties in nature beyond the power of poet or i)ainter to
transfer to printed page or painted wall '^ Melodies which oratorio and
opera alike fail to reproduce. Can the changing skies, or rippling
water, or waving grain, or rustling corn, be put on canvas ? Can human
voice or most perfectly constructed instrument give us

**Tlie moan of doves in immemorial elms,
And murmuring of innnmerabie bees?".

To her who l)rings humility, susceptibility, and a desire to learn,
nature is most bounteous, and gives lessons which no school can teach,
no wealth can buy — truths imperishable, and pleasures without alloy.
in her humble round of toil, the farmers wife or daughter may be
learning r.ol)ler, holier lessons than can ever be taught by books,
may see ''The light that never was on sea or land.-' May show the
depth of feeling expressed by nature's own poet :

'* To me the meanest flower that blows, can give
Thouglits that do often lie too deep for tears."

Of a truth, there is no limit to the extent of this opportunity.

Here, tco, is surely the place for the cultivation of the moral quali-
ties. If Goldsmith wrote as cause and consequence, ''Where wealth
accumulates, and men dacay," there can be no application to our
rural districts. In this absence of wealtli, this abnost impossil)ility
of accumulating wealth, lies oue of the greatest blessings of the
farmer, for there is no question in the mind of any impartial observer
as to the evil inlluence of possessing great wealth, or of the manifold
and seductive temptations which Ibllow in its train. In the country
we iind the absence not only of wealth, but also of the attractions to
social gayety which surround and so often charm the dweller in city
or town. The ostentation, the mad race for social distinction, or for
leadership in a "set," of whatever grade socially that ''set" may be,
the competition in matters of dress and fashion — all these things so
warp the judgment, and dwarf the conscience, that the relative im-
portance of duties is not recognized. Fashion sits on duty's throne,
and at her mandate even wrong is made to seem to be right. These
things are of far greater Ibrce in the cities than in the country, as you
very well know. But how great an obstacle they are in the way of
higher moral and religious life not mere observation will tell — expe-
rience alone can reveal it.

For a woman of scholarship, country life holds all these opportuni-
ties in greater measure than for tlie unschooled, and it gives her the
added chance of helping others. Here her years of poring over phy-
siology, natural philosophy, and chemistry; astronomy, natural his-
tory, and literature may be made to yield practical results outside
her own life. In unobtrusive but helpful hints and lessons to neigh-
bors as she mingles with them socially, or is called ui)on ibr advice,
assistance, or sympathy, when sickness and sorrow invade their liomes,
she may do much to raise the intellectual standard in her neigh])or-
hood. Feople are never elevated by masses. To a spectator distant
in time or place such may seem to be the facts; but to those engaged
in the work nothing is more certain than that all permanent improve-
ment is wrought only by the inlluence of the individual upon the in-
dividual. One at a time must they be lifted. No measure can, there-

fore, be taken of the effect upon her associates and acquaintances of
the life of one such woman.

Those whom we have always with us— the poor— need especially
this kind of help. The very poor, the sutfering poor, are rarely found
in a farming community. But of those who have a hard struggle,
year by year, to keep themselves and lamilies in comparative comfort,
there are many. These may be helped, not by aggressive work, but
by suggestions conveyed so skilfully that it is never realized help is
being given. So may they be led to a conception of true economy
and right living. By right living, I have in mind now not moral right,
but right according to sanitary laws.

^ To a woman who is self-dependent, the country offers many attrac-
tions. If she is penniless, the position of domestic servant in a farm-
house is respectable if the woman herself be worthy of respect. She
becomes a member of the family, and a sharer in the benefits of the
family life, to an extent impossible in the more artificial homes of
town or city. If she is a teacher in the public school, cheaper board
may be had in the country — fresher air, more exercise, and more
leisure. If she has something more to depend upon for a living than
the labor of hand or brain, the more she has, the better the country
suits her. If she owns a little home, there are bees, poultry, small
fruits, general gardening — any or all. How infinitely better tlian the
pent-up, monotonous life of dressmaking or millinery! If she owns
a farm. Ah! then^ where will you find a woman who cannot manage
a farm? With a sufficient income to make her independent of the
need to increase her capital, — 1 insist that the country is still the best
j)lace, and always the best place for her.

The very hardships are in themselves an opportunity. Without
them, the country dwellers would lack that development of self-re-
liance, of energy, of pluck, of perseverance, which is their birthright;
and is the birthright of those only who are born to an inheritance of
war with untoward circumstances. That strength is born only of
struggle is so well known that the saying is trite, and yet all Ion
and strive, for '*the costly purples of inglorious ease," for their chil
dren, if not for themselves.

These opportunities are not all entirely absent from large towns and
cities, but they are greater, and their benefits more easily secured in
the country; and the city has nothing to offer to the country woman
which will compensate her Jbr the loss of them. In a stronger and
better sense than the usual interpretation is it true that '' God made
the countrv, but man made the town." In the countrv alone are we
compelled to be ever conscious of that *' indwelling life" and "up-
holdiuii: love" ''that are the soul of this wide universe."

it

DOMESTIC A:N^D HOUSEHOLD ECO^NOMY.

By Miss M. J. Haft, Cannonshurg^ Pennsylvania.

Economy, political and domestic, is the well recognized bulwark of
all progress and prosperity. That decay commences where economy
ends, all history testifies.

Have we, as a people, learned this lesson truth of history?

Nature, in our land, is truly bountiful, munificient. Whence, then,

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Quarterly Report.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

57

come tliese widespread murmurings of want, these tramps and pau-
pers, tliese strikes and social earthquakes that shake the huid?

The answer is contained in the statement of the autliorities of Brad-
dock, given last summer. Of some of the impoverished strikes of the
steel w^orks, they say: '^ Forty dollars per month are spent for strong
drink and tobacco." We read in the census of our country, '' nine
hundred million dollars per annum for strong drink," overtopping
the sum^ of all food consumption. We say, and say truly, ''• behold
the prodigality that impoverish the masses, that destroys all domestic
peace and prosperity ; the dynamite that has shivered to atoms all
past governments.

These are indeed facts in the social and domestic customs of our
country, over which w^e may well tremble, but for the present, wx^ will
roll the burden of this danger on our law-makers and our law-break-
ers, promising them, however, as women, that they will olten hear
from us hereafter.

Our more immediate concern to-day is economy of the household.
In Europe, American extravagance and prodigality is proverbial.

Our sex, doubtless, deserves to share the responsibility of this im-
putation. Our American love of show, and desire for ascendency and
position, lead us into reckless expenditures, of which, comparing our-
selves with ourselves, we are unconscious.

Under monarchical governments, •peo])le more readily and wisely
accede to their condition, and dress and live accordingly.

The sensible American housewife will do the same, fo a good ex-
tent, though the tide be against her. Her chief aim in the household
management will be the comfort, culture, social enjoyment, and pros-
perity of the family, and to attain this end, she will endeavor to use
her means and opportunities to the best advantage. The greatest re-
sults, with the least expenditure of time, labor, and money— t/iis is
economy.

We include time and labor, for the busy housewife can never ac-
complish her multifarious round of duties without the greatest econ-
omy of both time and labor.

There is the culinary department with all its multitudinous duties
and cares; the general household department with its beddini^, car-
pets, furniture, and furnishings; the clothimi: department with its
making, mending, and changing; and the laundrv. Kacli one of these
IS a calhng of itself. In the country we have to add dairy, the garden,
etc. If to these we superadd the duties of mother and hostess, can we
estimate the effort necessary in sucli a compound establishment to
lurnish economi(*ally, to avoid losses, and so to order all parts as to
o))tain the best results.

John Stewart 3Iills declared that to superintend a household estab-
lishment well required all the executive qualities of a governor of
State or general of an army.

The manager of the household must have stated times for special
work, hours of the day, days of the week, seasons of tlie year, as tlie
nature ot the duty may re(iuire; so that in the muhiplicdty of details,
no loss l)e sustained from any being postponed or forgotten. She will
also endeavor to learn from lier own exi)erience and tliat of others,
and from books, the most economical methods of performing*- her
varied duties. ^

The aim of the cook will be relish, liealtluand frugality. We are
told of the marvelous gifts of French and German women, who can

)

make a delicious dinner out of a bone and a handful or two of vege-
tables, with a llavoring of garden herbs. We Americans are extrava-
gant enough to require llesh on the bones, and a good many additional
items. But we may well learn from them this lesson: Tliat in order
to have a good dinner, it is not necessary to make the table groan. The
simple meal, carefully cooked, nicely llavored, and iieatlv set down,
is the one that commands both appetite and health. Thi's is a lesson
that no women need more to learn than the women of our own West-
ern l*ennsylvania. This rival cake-baking, jellv and fruit-butter
making, pastry-using, cotfee-drinking proclivity ;'^ tliis varied lead-
loading of^ the digestive apparatus at company dinners, like extrava-
gant dressing and house iurnishing, are simply pernicious contributions
to vanity fair; and those persons of moderate means, who go in at the
main entrance, and enter the lists, may expect to retire through the
wicket gate. '^ Feasts in the parlor," says Franklin, ^'put out the
kitchen lire."

In the city, garden vegetables are much more in demand than in
the country. And why '^ They are there known to be less expensive
than other kinds of diet. They are also used therein greater variety,
and are cooked more carefully, the form and seasoning being varied
from day to day, so as not, by sameness, to pall the appetite. ' Towns'
people, too, ol)tain these products by money outlay, and so value
them more. If the rural population w^ould thus live more on the
simple products of their own garden and fields, liow much they would
curtail the cost of living, and how much enlarge the boon of' health.
Sound digestive organs may not be gain to the physician, but they
certainly are to the household.

In the rural districts of this prolific land, fruits and vegetables, for
lack of timely and proper care, are often allowed to go to waste. We
have repeatedly heard the remark from those who have to purchase
these articles, that a small family might live off what they had seen
going to loss about the farm. This surely ought not to be, so long as
there are i)eople and animals in need. Even if there are not markets,
tlie true economist will profitably dispose of them. ^'Give audit
shall be given you." Yet w^e must own it recjuires no little labor
and care to prevent waste. And this is esi)ecially true in the farm-
house, where so much is always to be stored away. The fruit for the
winter must be ])ut up in such time and in such manner as will best
preserve it from frost and decay. Potatoes and other vegetables must
be cared for in like manner. Failure in these particulars is simply
money thrown away.

The culinary department, everywhere, requires both experience
and constant vigilance. The sx)ecked fruit and vegetables must be
picked out for use, to prevent decay of the whole. The bread must
be neither sour nor sad, neither over-done nor under-done, if we would
avoid loss. Tiie meats, the vegetables, the desserts, must be brought
up with the right heat, in the right time, to save them and make them
acceptable. Fragments of meals must })e prepared and put away for
future use. Accidents and breakages must be constantly guarded
against, and so on, ad iniirittam. Those who have careless hired help
know well the necessity of such watchfulness. Flour and meal, and
other provisions are sometimes set around, or thrown around, in such
wasteful profusion as to rear a progeny of rodents that would bring a
fortune to a heathen Chinaman. Tabby and her offspring become
disgusted with the abundance of game, and seek a more savory diet

a

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QUARTKHLY IvEPuKT.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

59

in tlie cupbord or cream -crock. Our recipe for all this thriftless con-
dition ol* things wouhl l)e to clear up the premises thoroughly, ship
Tabby and her offspring to the barn, and give all the meandering
rodents an early l)realvfast that will bear them that day to Jericho.
In other words, get rid, at once, of all unprofitable boarders.

In the curing of pork, there is often much loss from negligence. It
is, perhaps, carelessly salted, or left too long in the brine, and not
dried and put away till the fly has lighted on it. Eesult — the dog has
a summer festival on salt ham. But in reference to his canine majes-
ty, we do not grudge him his feast. His master and mistress seldom
recognize the fact that he belongs to the carnivora — must have ani-
mal food, or be fit for nothing but a football. As he is neither a
laborer nor a producer, he is supposed to need nothing ; or, like
"'mine frau," to be able to make a delicious dinner on a bone. If he
is a spirited animal, he, naturally enough, "''casts a sheep's eye " on
the flock. Being denied beef and pork, he chooses his companions
and goes out on the search of mutton. Tiie financial winding up is —
slain dogs, murdered sheep. But why do you blame him, iViends,
when your economy ignores the laws of nature. Dame Nature made
him do it; for, like any other dame,

** When slie will, she wil , 3^011 may depend on't ;
And she won't, she won't, and there's tlie end on't."

The dairy and poultr}'^ yard, in rural districts, usually constitute the
mint of the housewife. An enterprising and intelligent woman will
inform herself fully, and also note her own experiments in these de-
partments, with a view to the best financial achievement.

We had, once, occasion to note the difference of results betw^een the
good and the careless management of the dairy. A bright, cleanly,
honest, hired girl, in a certain household, had charge of the butter-
making. The pasture and milk were abundant, she used neither but-
ter nor cream herself, yet the butter product was barely sufficient for
the family. To remedy the failure, one of the family undertook, when
the milk was brought in, to manage the butter making. The cream
was left to rise undisturbed, churned at the riglit time and temperature,
and the butter carefully separated from the milk. The result was a
full supply for the family and six pounds each week to spare. But-
ter was then forty cents per pound, and the clear gain two dollars and
forty cents per w^eek. This illustrated what may be done in this de-
part nuMit by intelligence and care.

Only those who are accustomed to purchase butter know the vast
dilTerence there is in the quality of this article, especially in its preser-
vative quality. This property, in particular, is required to command
the highest jjrices.

A similar difference is found in the management of poultry. The
economist will note the habits of the fowl, and will follow nature, ex-
perience, and common sense, in all the details ol producing and mar-
keting the products. If the notion of luck were expunged from the
minds of the masses, and that of intelligence and care substituted,
many a household would reap therefrom a harvest of gain.

in the (juantity of fuel used, there is great room for practicing eco-
nomy. The stoves, drafts, and fire-places, should be so constructed as
to retain the heat in the house. The fuel should be wholly consumed,
cinders and all. The economical house-wife will accomplish all she can
while the kitchen stove is in good heat. She will prefer ventilating

her house by means of the doors, rather than through broken panes
and other air-holes. One house may thus have more heat-comfort
than anolher, in which d()u])le the amount of fuel is used.

In the furnishing of her house, the sensible house-wife will adapt the
selections to her means, as much as to her social standing. Her intel-
ligent self-reliance Avill prompt her to study taste and consistency in
maintaining her position, rather than the glare of expensive trappings.
She will choose that Avhich is good and substantial, and best fitted to
the conditions in which it is to be used. Her carpets throughout her
apartments, will be suited to the kind of boots that are to tread them ;
that her whole family may be permitted to enjoy them, parlor and all,
without the fear of their l)eing injured. She will mend and turn the
worn ])arts to the edges, not only in carpets, but in bedding, and simi-
lar furnishing, till each article, thoroughly worn out, goes down like
the one-horse shay.

So, in the matter of personal clothing; she will o])serve neatness,
taste, adaptation, and consistency througliout. In tlie language of an
old writer : ^'She will make plain cloth, velvet, by the style of wear-
ing it."

Two worthy gentlemen, in the same rank of society, were once over-
heard, discussing the cost of living. '^ How is it," said the merchant
to the salaried gentleman, 'Mhat you can support your family on
twelve hundred dollars ^^ twice that amount does not more than keep
mine." The families were about the same size, yet that of the salaried
gentleman had the more real comlbrt. He had, however, a sensibly
cultured, practical wife, who made the best of everything, and, by
her taste and kindly social qualities, always maintained her position

in society.

The merchant had a dashing, fashionable partner, whose chief en-
joyment was in dress and company, the hirelings doing much of the
ho\iseliold management. The difference in living doubled the ex-
penditure.

Years have passed. The salaried gentleman has become wealthy
and the merchant has failed. Tiieir wives, respectively, had, doubt-
less, much to do with the results; not more, perhaps, in the dill'erence
of their expenditures than in the influence exerted, severally, on
their husbands by their dilference of sentiment and proclivity.

The gains, through the economical management of the liousehold,
are much greater than they are usually su])posed to ])e. Thousands
of families, with small incomes, live comlbrtal)ly on half the amount
for which anv one would undertake to board, clothe, and otherwise
furnish then/in the same manner. Whence comes the dilference?
Whence, if not from the labor and economy of the housewife':!

Earnest, assiduous, weary iiousewives, do not under-rate the value
of your labors. Keep a strict account of your resources and expendi-
tures, and estimate carefully the results of your efforts. You need
this encourgement to bear you up, cheerfully and hopefully, through
the ceaseless tension in which your life is held.

Temporal blessings are not given to be carelessly flung away, nor
to be used in vain show and self-seekiug, nor yet to be hoarded idly
away. Let vour aim and trust be high and your gains well applied.
Be assured you are thus endeavoring to fill the niche in which the
Lord of all has placed you. Look up and claim the blessing.

60

Quarterly Report.

DOES POULTRY PAY?

By Mrs. J. Ernest Scott, Ilanlin^ Pa.

The first question to suggest itself to the American niind when any
new thing is talked ot, is— will it pay ^ And it seems that I am ex-
pected to answer that question in respect to the keeping of poultry
on the farm. As a foundation upon which to restour argument in the
discussion of this very proper question, we will venture to lay down
this principle, namely : Any industry in which the su])plv is noteciual
to the demand will yield a i)roiit to tliose engaged therein, that is, if
said business be pursued with energy and intelligence. Ixegarded in
this light, what is the condition of tlie poultry industry of the coun-
try i* A retrospective glance over a few years will coiivince any one
that the outlook in this direction Avas never brigliter than it is now.
The demand for eggs is almost constantly above the supply. Scarcely
any of the great cities are fully supplied. New York, aloiie. importing
above a million dozens annually, and the other cities a proportionately
large quantity. The census of 1870 givesthe total value of the poultry
111 the United States as four hundred million dollars, while the census
of 1880 raises this to the enormous amount of eight hundred million
dollars, an increase of one hundred per cent, in ten vears. And yet,
in the lace of this great accumulation of stock. ])ricos during the same
decade have more than doubled. Just at this time there is a boom in
every ])ranch of the poultry business that has never been equaled.
Fanciers and breeders are overrun with orders from all partst of the
country for both fowls, and eggs tor hatching, thus showing the wide
dissemination and violence of the 'Mien fever." It also shows that
the tarmers are coming to see the superioritv of thoroughbred poultry,
as well as rf thoroughbred horses, cattle, slieep, and liogs. This great
and rapidly increasing activity is certainlv most convincing evidence
that poultry raising is yielding a good return.

To prove this let us do some liguring. Taking the price of corn or
Its ecpiivnlent, at fifty cents per bushel— which I think is no! far from
the average in this section of country— seventy live cents ])er vear
will feed the ordinary hen. And with the average farmer, who keeps
but a small ilock, with unlimited range, picking up scattered i>Tain
that would otherwise ])e lost, the cost may be reduced to one third of
that sum IJut with the seventy-five cents as an item against the hen
lor board we will proceed. If she is not an entire failure as an eo-**-
producer, she will give you at least eight dozen eggs and raise one
brood of chickens per year. If you find that you have a hen that will
not lay ninety six eggs per year, I would suggest that vou serve her
up at the next day s dinner. If you market these to the best advan-
tage, you will get about fifteen cents per dozen, in summer, and thirty
cents in the winter, an average of twenty two and one half cents per
doxen, hut (or the sake of even numbers we will call it twentv cents
We may theretore, set down the eight dozen eggs as one dollar and
sixty cents on the credit side of the account.

Allmving for a bad hatch and probable loss, your hen should raise
you at least six chickens. This is '^ counting your chickens before

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

C)l

they are hatched," but sometimes we are obliged to do this. If hatched
reasonably early, and fed and tended properly, these should dress four
pounds each by Thanksgiving or Christmas. For these you should have
no trouble in getting ten cents per pound. AVe usually get from
twelve to fil'teen cents— oftener the latter. But calling it ten cents
per pound, your chicks will bring you forty cents each, or two dollars
and forty cents for the brood of six. This added to the one dollar and
sixty cents for eggs, gives a total of four dollars as the years income
from the hen and her brood.

From experience we are convinced that a chick may be raised from
the shell to maturity at a cost of five cents per pound. This would
make your six four pound chicks cost you one dollar and twenty cents,
but to be generous we will call it one' dolh^- and twenty five cents.
Then adding the seventy five cents, the cost of feeding the hen, will
make a total exi)ense of tw^o dollars; which, being deducted from the
gross income, four dollars, leaves two dollars of a profit from a single
hen. If the farmerkeeps fifty hens— which he can do without any con-
sideral)le outlay of time or money— he can add one hundred dollars
clear cash to his yearly income. A little item that is not to be sneered
at in these times of depression and reform. If followed as an exclu-
siveb usiness, four hundred hens may be kept, and ten acres will be
enough land to accommodate them. Carrying out the same ratio of
profit, which really ought to be increased, this minature farm, that
could be tended by one person, would yield an income of eight hun-
dred dolars per year. More, I venture, than any farm of ordinary size
in Washington county is yielding to-day.

Does this appear too big? Indeed I feel that I have told oidy half
the story. I wish to be considered truthful, so I was afraid to tell the
Avhole storv, lest vou might not believe any of it.

We well know that there are scores of farmers who will tell you
there is no money in poultry — that they have tried the experi-
ment to their heart's content, and wouldn't have a fowl on their
premises, except to please the women folks, and I believe they mean
just what they say, and say just what they mean. For we know from
observation tliat poultry keeping on hundreds of farms is a failure.
We Avould like to ask such farmers as declare the hen to be a nuisance,
if they know wdiere the source of trouble and failure lies — whether in
the fowls or in the owner. Of course they — the farmers — would try to
shulllethe entire l)urden of blame upon the unsuspecting hen ; but we
would ])eg leave to lay all upon the broad shoulders of the owner, releas-
ing the innocent and well meaningbiddies from all resix)nsibility for the
failure. Every firmer before me knows full well that cattle raising,
sheep raising, that in fact any branch of farming, may be managed so
ignorantly and carelessly as to prove a failure, and a source of absolute
loss ; and, just here, we would drop the ojnnion that mismanagement,
or lack of manngement, is the source of failure in the case of those who
are so disgruntled with poultry.

Thus far we have only tried to make it apparent to you that poult ry
on the farm may pay — mark you, may pay — not will ])ay, for Ave are
well jnvnre that in very many cases it does not pay. Now comes the
most delicate and diflicult part of our task — that of showing how vou
may rea]) this profit that I have told you can ])e coaxed from each in-
dividual hen. In selecting a breed of fowls to keep on the farm, first
study carefully the prominent characteristics of all the breeds, then
choose that one which suits your aims and needs best. If you desire

62

QUAKTEKLY RliPORT.

I

eggs cln-(.|ly, select tlie Lreed thai, from Llie evidence, you tliink are
the best egg producers. "v aie

If you wish a market fowl, then one of the large, growthv breeds
o^L^^T^' >'«"[. I^"/:P««e best. Likewise for other in.portant points
or lor tlieir combinations. ^

It requires but little care or attention on tlie part of tlie owner to
persuade almost any hen to lay well in summer, when egijs are so
cheap as to hardly pay her for the time and trouble. But Tt is in the
winter, when they are thirty and thirty-five cents per dozen, that we
like to ga her in the golden eggs, for then they represent gel 1 „ Its
more tangible iorm, and just then, on a majority of farms, thev re Ibout
as scarce as Aen teeth. For fowls that are forced to roost on the warm
side ot a ience, or in a tree, amid the genial breezes of zero weather
and to scratch a living out of the lilth about the stable and barn are
not liable to reward the expectant farmer with an over supplv o leo^s
If you expect to get eggs, build a house for your hens; not lecessaTriv

a sawS'dHvr.' ''"S" ^o^f-'table one. 'if you are able to £dK
a saw and drive a nail, you can do the work vourself ; and bv usin-
cheap lumber the outlay will be small. One to accommodate filU hens

Ton H, M ell?" '"T t« tw«nty-five dollars ; and I cln 'as ure
you that the droppings, if properly saved, and applied to garden or
field, will m two years be worth more to vou than the house cos Rnt
whatever kind of a house you build, look carefu v to W esse'iti^ls •'
Make It warm, dry, and with good ventilation, and keep it as clean Is
you wou d like to see your house kept. Guai'd againJt the n.oad of
eto"i 4u wHl r f :^-'"t,7f' '' «"IP'l'"-- kerosene, caiVolL acicl

o herd senses tln^

omer diseases that oiten annoy and discourage us And list but on

important, lurnish your house with a dust bin for voui'bdeso
bathe in. Ihe eeding is a matter of even more iinportance th^in
housing, as it calls into constant use all (he poweis ™ jud "St 'nS
discre ion at your command. It is not possible to lav down" any fiSd
formula for eeding, as it must be varie.l to suit the iSri a rcondi
"/. ''^.*!*^^'1«,' t'»e weather, etc. But this much we ca.rs' v Let
their bill o fare be subject to as frequent changes as vou 1 ke'in'vout
own I eed corn sparingly, for in fowls, as in other stock corn is a

tention that your fowls will rec, i e for w'nter Z" -rn^l t" r

sure some of you are saying this is too muS troSSlf'welTt isso'^^^
trouble to be sure. But (hen this workin- da v w -Id i« f„n J// .^
and bother, and we may just as well take our 4ieon-t\^-l^^^^

other, ^^ot 'i ^12 Srcltr rn^rn- g^Te Z^^^Z

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture. G3

agement of the chic^ks : Disturb tliem an little as possible the first day
a ter incuba ion is complete, as nature has made ample provisio S
them tor tliat length of time. One or two visits may be made t th^
nest to remove the empty sliells, to avoid crowding, and pro a e
tramping o the chicks. After being removed from the nest let your
rule ol eeding be ^^ little and often." Scalded meal, bi^'dcrum
and mi k, constitutes a very good bill of fare for the 'first few C
When en days old add to their ration a little wheat, and increase the
amount as they learn to eat it. Give them mu-ked corn a soon as
^ley can swallow it. From here out variety and plenty is a good mot t^
By plenty we mean just so much as they will eat up clean and no
more lor lood that is trampled over by the chicks will not belaud
should not be eaten. It will generally be found best to confine the hen
in a coop; though sometimes the hens that run with their ])roods do
best 1 will give you our plan for a coop— one that is clieap, light and
we think gives good results ; and, since it is not patented, you will not
mlringe on rights if you tliink worth while to try the plan It is a
common sense coop, as it were, though I hope it has more practical
value than the^ Common Sense Incubator," that we used to hear so
much about. lake a box-a coffee box that you can get from your
grocer for a few cents, is perhaps the best, remove one the larger of
sides, leaving the one that you think will make the best roof Fasten
the boards thus removed together by nailing cleats across them— this
IS your floor— cut a square out of one end large enough for a hen to
pass through easily. Nail two leveled strips on the outside edges of
this opening, so that a board may be sli])])ed down in the groves thus
formed, closing the aperature—t his is the door. Next nail together four
pieces of stufl, two being as long as the box is hiiih, the othcM- two as
long as It IS wide. Upon tliis frame and the box nail light lath, two
or three feet long— this is the run for the use of the hen durin<>- the
day. After boring a few holes in the ])oxfor ventilation, and placing
it over the floor already provided, your coop, comprising a dining and
bed-room, is finished. The box furnishes shelter from storm and from
enemies, il the door be closed at night as it should be. While the
floor being separate from the box renders frequent cleaning as easv as
It IS necessary, its principal use, however, being to keep the chicks off
the cold, damp ground. This coop, we think, combines all the impor-
tant points to be found in those costing ten times as much, and it seems
to be just as highly ai)preriated by ^^ biddy" and her faniilv. AVhen
tending your poultry, go al)out quietly among them. Make them tame
if possible, and our word for it, they will thrive better. We think it
a good jdan, of whatever stock we inay have the care, to be on good
terms with it— on " speaking terms" some one savs. We have come
to believe most thoroughly in this '' moral suasion" idea. We believe
in it- as a teacher in the management of the ])oy, which, next to the
setting hen, is the most unmanagea])le of God's creatures, and we be-
lieve in it in tlie management of stock on the farm, irrespective of
kind. The poet tells us '4t is better far to rule by love than fear."
We have now touched hurriedly upon a few of the salient points that
must be understood nm\ observed to insure that poultry keeping on
our farms will pa?/. We think poultry will always be in demand, for
in the past the demand has more than kept pace witli increased pro-
duction, and we are assured that the principal part of this article of
food must always come from the farm.

We do not wish to be understood as advocating the idea that every-

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64

Quarterly Eeport.

body sliould cro into (he poultry business to a <>:reater or less extent
By no menus! Hundreds to day, are rushin- into it, who will, in the
near iuture, be in as great a hurry to ^ret out of it. Thev have no
taste lor it— no adaptation, either by instinct or education, conse-
quently they will fail.

The clerkship of Charles Lamb, and the apprenticeship of Columbus
and John Smith do not stand nlone in history. The world is full of
misfits— of men who have missed their callin^^or never had any— and
got, by mistake, into the niche carved outbv the Creator ibr some one
else, [he records of every year bring their ])urdens of failure in all
the professions, trades, and industries; failures from lack of adap-
tation. ^

Follow your tastes. If you like farming, then be a farmer, and
exerfinji- all your powers of brain and brawn, the soil will not fail to
respond to your ellbrts, with a rich and bountiful harvest. If vou
incline to a professional career, then enter a profession, and with 'the
exertion, that congenial employment will render a pleasure, the fame
or lortune you seek will surely crown your efforts

If you have a taste for the "" feathered tribe," and like to handle
aiid care ior your pets, then you may become a poultry man, assured
that the same munificent nature that visited the others with success
will certainly not pass you by unrewraded. '

PERNICIOUS FOOD AND FEEDING.

By Dr. F. J. LeMovne, Pittsburgh, Pa.

■ The agricultural interests of this country might seem to be almost
submerged in the commotion of commerce and manufactures. Quiet
peacetul, rural scenes do not impress the mind so decidedlv as the
crowded shipping o a sea-port, the busy trains of a railroad' cent ei

^'rin7s;t;il:tdi\:""'"''^^"""^'^°^^"- ^»^ statistics show the

Sf^i'T- ^n'"'%r'^ Pennsylvania are tlie two largest manufacturing
;?o o ■ 'l\ .^'"«.\ Tl'e value of the combined manufa-.turing cap^
al of these two States is less than one billion (.tnsS.ToT 508) while
he tota valueof their farms is more than two billioii (S'l 866
151 ). his vast interest is conspicuously occupied in pro lucing food
although It must be admitted that farmers have thei prefentfo ,s as
cons^umers of food also. But in both capacities theyaredeeply ii ter
ested 111 Its character and effects. ^ >^ict^pi> uuer

"Self preservation is the first law of nature," and throughout the
;;Se''"'"=^' '^^'^^^'^°™ the strongest impulse is prompted by lliat

It is true that we often witness wonderful examples of ha/irdous
exploits and heroic efforts, which would seem to Sli?t wbl hnt
Idea, but they are usually undertaken for the purpose of pmlnf
the existence, promoting the happiness, or securing the weif' re of"
actors, or those whose lives are dearer to tliein tluii. iheh- own

Ihedespera ion of the mother in defending her vouu- is historic
and proverbial. Nature has endowed Ikt witli7ui iustinc fve pas ?on
which becomes paramount to her individual selfishness P'^^'^'on,

the

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

05

Ihe prehension of iood is one of the first and most important acts
of early hie, and it is practiced independently, at varying periods, by
the diHerent orders of animals, the independent age being more' re
mote m the hi-her orders. ^

an(l pointing out its natural and i)roper use.

The naturalist may exhume the skeleton of an animal which has
been hidden m some cavern of the earth or covered by the debris of
some ancient eruptions, and discern at a glance the habits and char-
acteristics ot the being to which it belonged.

The teeth of the carnivora, such as the dog and cat, are formed for
tearing cutting, and splitting; and after having been detached and re-
duced to a practical iorm, the food is bolted without chewin^'-

Herbivorous animals, on the contrary, subsisting upon tough, hard
and libnnous materials, have all teeth grinders, with broad flat'
toughened surfaces, suitable for reducing those substances to a duId'
and preparing them for digestion. ^ '

Man is omnivorous, and has digestive organs suitable for the appro-
priation ot nearly all kinds ot iood, although many of us can testify
that even his digestive powers have a limit. Young children are nat-
urally restricted to milk for the lirst year and a half of their lives and
when the teeth have become developed, and not until then, should the
diet become extended.

It would be equally un])liilos()phical and unpracticable to attempt
to^nourish an miant on solids as to restrict an adult to liquids.

The relinements of the culinary art and the cultivation of luxurious
tastes have done much to destroy the usefulness and impair the nutri-
tious (lualities of a large proportion of valuable articles of diet. Those
who have vigorous and healthy digestive organs sutler but little in
consequence, but the average system must sooner or later feel the ef-
fects of unnatural and injurious indulgences. One of the most per-
nicious table practices of our busy, headlong people is rapid eatin<^
and the evil effect of this habit is made worse by Uie fact that many
people in the United States have defective teeth. A large proportion
of our diet is composed of starch, which in its unchanged form is not
capable of l)eing digested, but must first be converted into sugar by
the action of the saliva.

Two conditions are recpiired to accomplish that effect; first, that the
food shall be comparatively dry, in order that it mav be a good ab-
sorbent, and, second, that it shall be well chewed, so as to thorouglv
commingle the substances. Tiiis result is capable of a very simple
illustration, which consists of chewing pure bread until it shall be-
come quite softened and saturated by the saliva. It will be observed
that with the complete insalivation the flavor will become quite sweet.

That conversion is very much retarded by soaking the food — rapid
eating and combined eating and drinking. "^ Another obstacle to nat-
ural digestion is the general practice of combining farinaceous and
oily substances so intimately as to prevent the separation of their par-
ticles, which is so essential to their proper treatment by the digestive
organs.

Those who can indulge in the memories of a military campaign will
justly claim that there are circumstances when a fry is not only par-

5

6Cy

QiTAHTEiiLY Report.

w

I

IP

(lonaLle, ])ut mii2;ht 1)0 a luxury, even if occasionally followed by the
penalty of '" cramp colic."

The adulterations which are practiced in important articles of food
are not, as a rule, such that they exercise any deleterious etfect upon
the health, except so far as they render less, nutritious.

The substitution of oleomar<i;arine and butterine for ])utter is very
objectionable as a fraud, but it cannot be denounced upon hygienic
grounds, as the spurious article miglit be (piite as nutritious and digest-
ible as the genuine. Not so, however, with the dilution of milk.' Jn
1882, an alalysis of the milk supply of New York city, Brooklyn, and
Jersey City showed an adulteration of two iifths with skimmed inilk
and water. By rigid enforcement of the laws and penalties the adul-
teration was reduced from two litths to one fifth, and the mortality
among children under five years of age was diminished tliree thou-
sand six hundred and seventy-three in one year. In this instance the
adulterating vehicle, although harmless in itself, w^as the cause of
great injury by depriving those dependent upon it of a large propor-
tion of the nutriment wdiich they re(]uired.

We have an exami)le of tlie converse in the dilution of whisky. I
am not sure that the experiment has ever been tried, but 1 ^vould
venture to i)redict that the longevity of men would increase in pro-
portion to the w^aterlng of tluar whisky, until tinally, if pure water
could be substituted for it altogetlier, \ve would reach the greatest
average of human life that it would be possible for a population to
attain.

Milk has been frequently known to disseminate disease, and should
be carefully guarded against exposure to poisonous inlluences. A
striking and interesting instance of tliis fact occurred a i'ew vtars ago
in an epidemic of typhoid fever which occurred in Allegheny City
Many of the cases fell under the care of Dr. D. N. Bankin, and'in con-
nection with the authorities of the board of health of Allegheny City,
he investigated the subject. They found that nearly all of the families
atfected were using milk supplied from tha sam3 establishment. An
inspection developed the facts tliat a young man w^as sick with typhoid
lever in t he cooling room of the dairy ; also, that the well of the estab-
lishment, the water i'rom which was used for the cows, the milk vessels
and the iamily, was badly befouled l)y the cess-pool, which was quite
near it. According to the popular estimate of the practices of milk-
men this might be cited as an illustration of water contaiiiination ;
but the report states that of the forty cases which could clearly be
traced to this source, those who consumed the cream ])rincipally were
the worst victims. That would seem to ])oint to tlie iact that the con-
tagion al)sorbed Irom the atmosi)liere of tlu^ sick room, was the poison,
rather tlian that contained in the water, which may have been mixed
with the milk, or a combination of both.

Meats, both fresh and cured, are almost constantly the source of
danger. Beside the effect of decomposition, from keei)in- them too
long or imperiectly, tliey harbor the germs of some of the most formid-
able enemies of comfort and healtli.

The tape worm, which is so persistent and successful in disturbing
the peace of its victims, is su])])osed to.be introduced into the human
system tiirough the consumption of measlev pork as food. The pig
a so bears the odium of iFilroducing the trichina spiralis to the system
ot man. ihis is the most troublesome and dangerous parasite which
the human body is subject to. The first recognized case of trichiniasis

'4

Peskstlvadu Bo.mo or AuuiiuLToEii. C7

<lnce 1 in (he common clii.'ken, tnrkev, pii;eon .^srnn vL ^

In all recorded instances of the disSts^.'^XctinnAa iSild be
traced to tl,e use of pork food. When triclu„,,us mea is eate. ht
n a.1 or certam of the lower animals, these little wo^s a e W er.ted
i.ito the cavity of the intestines, where they multiply immeniv md
acquire lie power of penetrating the tissues in eviry 1 ict ^ '']/
durino- this active stage that the disturbance and dange ol' k dise Je

resuU ' 'soon'!;;"^ '"'"'i ■^""".' '"^^ "^' '""''""' '^^"^^ ^onietimes al a al
result, boon a ter reaching the muscular tissue, the trichina becomes

ueiini e du at.on I he worst epidemic was in 1S(j5. The disease oc
curred in lledersleben a German town of two thousand inlablants"
Ihere were three hundred cases and one hundred and one deaths

ilie (isease is caused by eating uncooked lean pork. The fat does
no contain the trich na. Tlie pig may have had the disease!and seem
to have recovered, showing no signs of ill health, and vet hi. iS
be loaded with the disease germs, and the cysts are too small t a'
tract the attention of the butcher or M.e dealir. Pickling and smok"
mg are no protection, and the only saleguard is thorough'coddn?^

One hiindred and sixty degrees Fahrenheit is necessary to desTroy
the vitality o his parasite, and care must be taken that all parts o^'
the meat shall be heated to that degree. The ham should be sXned
Il.roughout, and the fresh meat deprived of its red color. The most
vigilant care shou.l be exercised that all ollal, which could possibly
contain trichina, should be excluded from the ibod of hogs. The most
probable source of infection is from their eating the bodies of rats or
feeding upon the refuse of slaughter houses. Microscopic specimens
ol the trichina spiralis may be examined here alter the reading of Ihis
paper, by all who desire to see them. *

Water is the most important ingredient of the food of man It con
stitutes about seven tenths of the weight of his bodv. and each adult
consumes lonr-and-a-half pounds in twenty-four hours. Pure water
sliould l)e clear, odorless, and free from taste.

At the level of tlie sea, and sixty degrees Fahrenheit, its density is
one thousand, or the standard of comparative specific gravity It is
such a general solvent, that absolutely pure water is unknown in
nature.

That of the crofon aqueduct, which supplies New York city and is
comparalively pure, contains 4.1() grains of solid matter to the 'gallon

Ihere is no greater physical blessing enjoyed by any comnnmitv
than a supply of good water, and no evil can l)e more relentless and
persistent in its horrible effects, than its contaniiii.dioii.

It IS not only what is used as drink that is to be considered in cal-
culating its influence, but it constitutes a large proportion of thecora-
mon articles of food.

In considering the subject of potable water, it is necessary that the

|i!

68

QuARTKKJA' Report.

II

utmost vigilance should be exercised. If the source be a stream, it
should be followed to its headwaters, and its origin traced to a region
beyond the suspicion of contamination. Every tributary should be
treated in the same manner, and creeks, or runs wliich receive the
drainage of cess-pools, barn-yards, pig-pens, house drains, shuighter
houses, &c., should be rejected unhesitatingly, even if such inlluences
should be many mih^s distant from the point of supply. No barn,
stable, olfensive out- house, hog pen, cattle shed, or liouse drain should
be placed or allowed to remain for a day near a spring or well, the
water from which is used for drinking or cooking. In the rural dis-
tricts, the most frequent cause of water contamination is from the
proxinuty and communication of the cess-pool wilh the well.

This is probably more common in towns than on iarms, because in
towns the limited space necessitates the close grouping of. the family
possessions, while on farms, the expanse of land admits of a more
liberal separation.

It is very common, on a tow^i lot or farm-yard, to have the well and
the source of its probable contamination situated within lil'ly feet of
each other, the former being from thirty to sixty feet deep, and the
latter from ten to twenty feet, and often uncemented.

During, and after each rain, the surface water settles in this recep-
tacle and creates strong pressure, by means of which every crevice of
the surrounding earth is searched out for means of escape. The well,
being twenty or thirty feet lower, becomes its natural drain. Eeiiance
cannot be placed upon the elevated position of a w^ell ibr protection,
as the subterranean formations do not necessarily correspond with
those of the surface.

In 1847 a very striking illustration of this fact occurred witiun a

-very short distance of our present place of meeting. A tire occurred

:in the stable of the hotel of David Brown, which was on the property

now known as the Gow Homestead, which, it will be remembered, is

:in the hollow northwardly from the court-house. During and alter

the fire, the debris, partly composed of charred hay and grain, was

scattered around the yard and in the well. The next' day the scorched

grain and blackened water made their appearance in a' spring in the

cellar of Koechlein'S house, on the corner of Main and ^taiden streets,

and also in the spring at Huston's tavern, on Main street, a few lots

southwardly from Maiden street. These points are not only one fourth

of a mile from the scene of the fire, showing that the water vein was

continuous for the several wells and springs, but the surface line was

over the hill and the vein a water fall.

The late Dr. Austin Flint, of New York, related an instance of an
epidemic of typhoid fever in a little town nnmed North Boston, in
Erie county, N. Y., which he considered clearlv due to the contamin-
ation of well water by a cess-pool, situated about tiiree and a half rods
distant. The town consisted of nine families, embracing Ibrty three
persons, poimlating a space of one hundred rods in diameter.

Previous to the 21st of September, 1843, tvphoid fever had been
unknown in Erie county, N. Y. On th.it day a young man on his way
from Massachusetts, where typhoid fever had prevailed, became so
sick in the stage coach, that he had to be left at the hotel in North
Boston, where lie died on October 19. Upon October 14, the son
of the inn-keeper was attacked by the same disease, and between that
date and December 7, twenty-eight cases occurred in the com-
munity, ten of which terminated fatally. All of the people in this

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture. 69

settlement used the water from the tavern well except two families
who lived iarthest away and had their separate water sup r nd

hoSTv wltlf It' •'"^; '^^^ ^'^'^"^ '''' ^'^^' who. being onS'eiVnsof
hostility with the inn-keeper, were prohibited the use of his well

f^ver b^^ r' r' ''' '^}^V''''' ^•^^^>^nized as a cause typhoid

of ti; d l^^^^^^ '""f ^''^''r'} ''' this instance to ])e the cause

friendlv w1;r^^ ^^'^ neighbor who was un-

lendly ^^ tli the hnn lord, had maliciously ])oisoned his well. The

X ™f ' ^ 1 -^ f separate water supply, were the only families
m the community which escaped the disease.

An epidemic of typhoid lever occurred in the barracks at Ziirich
bwitzer and, in 18G5. Thirty-three recruits of the infantrv s. hooi
were attacked withm seven days. After the dismissal oi the recruits,
twenty-two more were seized. All of the cases occurred in tlic in-
fantry school Ihe members of the artillery school and the police,
sta loned in he same barracks, escaped. The cause was ibund in a
well, situated m the exercise grounds, only used bv the infantry,
from which they frequently drank. Close to this well was a recep-
tacle into which w^ere thrown refuse matters from the city

(diemical analysis showed the water of the well to contain impur-
ities Irom this receptacle.

When the well was closed and the refuse removed, no more typhoid
fever appeared in the barracks.

It is not necessary that the delicious waters of the springs and wells
in which their owners justly take such pride should be abandoned,
but they should be restored and preserved in their natural ])urity and
wholesomeness. Condemn, renounce, and abolish the sources of their
contamination. Let every citizen be a health officer. Let the garb-
age and tilth of all kinds be cremated or utilized to renew and enrich
the soil. Let cremation l)e adopted lirst where it is most needed, to
render harmless tlie common and most oilending objects. Give the
system ()f earth closets a fair trial, and let the ino'en'uitv and energy
which IS so often exi)en(led upon less important objects, produce such
a system as sliall meet the wants of tJie people and be a credit to the
advancement of the age.

The analysis of water has received very general and able attention
by modern chemists, and we may justly hope for a continued and
marked progress in that science.

One of tlie substances wliich results from the i)resence of orccanic
matter in water and is very generally present under such circum-
stances is nlbuniinoid ammonia. The test for that which 1 will illus-
trate is simi)le, and should be tried u])on all suspected waters, not
with the belief that it will be thorough and conclusive, but as being
one evidence of impurity. It was discovered by Nessler and is called
his test. One drop of contaminating liquid in a pint of water can be
readily detected by it. The ibrmula for this test will be found in the
U. S. Dish., fifteenth edition, 188:^, page 220. I am sorry that I can-
not offer you a potent talisman which could search the waters of every
home, and tell the deadly secrets which may be lurking in the bosom
of the eartli. There is none but eternal vigilance.

Some specimens of trichina spiralis may be seen under the micro-
scope if any one present cares to examine them.

Ii>!

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m

70

Quarterly Report.

ACCOMPLISIIaIENTS— WHAT TITEY AHE A^^D

AVllAT TITEIIi VALUE.

By Miss Eliza 0. Hart, Washington^ Pa.

At the breaking out of the great struggle wliieli led to our iudepend-
ence, agriculture was the leading industry. It was a farmer called
like (Jincinnatus, of okl from his plow, who led the American army to
victory, and who guided our ship of State over the tirst eight perilous
years of her voyage.

To-day, as tlien, agriculture is the chief source of our wealth. Eng-
land's staff of life is furnished by the grain lields of tlie Mississippi,
and the beef for the court of St. James is fattened on our great i)]ains.
Queen Victoria, even, eats honey i^rovided by American queen bees.

The raising of swine, the making of butter and cheese, the cultiva-
tion of liay, potatoes, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat, the productions of
our forests, pitch, tar, turpentine, are sources of immense wealth.

More valuable than the gold of California, the silver of Nevada, or
the black diamonds of Pennsylvania are our vast fields of corn, wheat,
cotton, tobacco, and rice.

Greater sources of wealth are the sheep of Washington county,
feeding on her thousand hills, than the petroleum of all her nunierous
wells.

As Americans, we are justly proud of all our Yaidvce notions, of all
our great and growing industries. As residents of the old Keystone
State, we rejoice that Pennsylvania furnishes the lluid which enlight-
ens almost the entire gh)be, and as citizens of Washington county, are
glad that slie contributes so generously to the general illumination.

But, while feeling a national pride in all our resources, it is becom-
ing for an airricultural society to consider that agriculture furnishes
most of the raw material for all our manufactories, and that the needs
of agriculture called into existence many of our greatest inventions.

As representatives of the most prosperous ])eoi)le in our land, it is
just and pro])er tlierefore, that you should desire to raise up sons and
daughters whose God is the Lord, that tliey may inherit the good land
which He has given you. Not only do you iiKpiire how your garners
may be full, alfording all manner of store, how your slieep may in-
crease thousands and tens of tiiousands, but how Vour sons may be as
plants grown up in their youth, and your daughters may be as corner-
stones polished alter the similitude of a palace.

With reference to your children, we are now to consider accom-
plishments, what they are, and what tlieir value.

We will confine our remarks to the daughters. The sons, with ad-
vantages so much sui)erior, can speak for themselves.

Our ideas dilfer so widely as to what constitutes e^^cellence of mind
or elegance of maniiers, that it is dillicult to make a catalogue of ac-
couiplishments, arranged according to their rank, orto afiix to them a
definite valuation. Too many persons regard accomplishments as tiie
lustre given by the varnish brush instead of tlie beautiful rays of light
refiected from the diamond as it comes chaste and polished' from the
hands of the lai)idary. Such persons begin the education of their
daughters as Patri(dv began to build his chimney, by holding the top
brick u}) and shoving the others in below.

i

Pennsylvania Boaud of Agriculture. 71

Tlie iMtriiisic word, of the (luimon.l in (lie rough may never be dis-
covered, but polished, It becomes u thing of beauty a.id a joy forever,
bo many an intellectual gem, many a beautiful character may, lack-
ing the roiinmg mlluences of education, lie hidden under the rubbish
of Ignorance, as the treasures of Pompeii under the dust and ashes of
Vesuvius.

Too maiiy of the young, in these days of higher education, have so
many subjects thrust upon tlieir attention that they are unable to
master any ot them.

At the immature age at which girls are graduated they are ex-
pected to know, ^

" Words to the witches of \fjicheth unknown,
Deoprics, opiios, ctrbon, and nneuniatics,
Chlorine, iodene, and aerostatibsi."

A young lady was presented to King James the first, as a prodigv
ot learning. I he gentleman who introduced her said, *^ I assure your
majesty that she can both speak and write Latin, Greek, Hebrew,
i^rench, and German ; she is skilled in music and painting " '' These
are rare attainments for a damsel," said the king, ^^ but, pray tell
me, can she spin ? " Spinning, in those davs, was a necessary work,
done in every household under the careful supervision of the house
mother ; and perhaps the king struck the key-note of all true womaidy
work when he inquired if the maiden were'instructed in that humble
accomplishment of making home comfortable.

Let si)inning represent the house-wifely art of the present day, the
skill to make home happy, and you have the foundation stone of a
gui s education, upon which to erect a beautiful, accomplished,
womanly character. Having this, the superstructure may be as im-
posing, as magnilicent as you please ; without it, it is a splendid piece
of folly, covered with veneering, which, like beautv, is only skin
deep.

Perhaps the most perfect description of noble womanhood found in
any literature, is that recorded in the words of King Lemuel, the
pro])liecy that his mother taught him.

The first accom])lishment of a woman, that in which she should l)e
trained from the time her mother kisses her dimpled baby hand, is to
work willingly with her hands.

*' Reantifnl hands are they tliat do,
The workut Llie noble, good, and true."

Her hands guide the ways of her household, and beautify and ideal-
ize home

The daughter, as well as the son, should be taught the dignitv of
labor.

It is an accomplishment to be the careful, painstaking housekeeper,
"who looketh well to the ways of her household and provideth them
all with scarlet raiment." She scorns not to consider the food of her
family; "she giveth meat to her household."

It is an accomplishment to care intelligently for her health ; "she
girdeth her loans with strength, and strengtheneth her arms;" "she
openetli luu* mouth with wisdom." Geology has taught her to read the
rocks, and ])ond(M- the story they tell. Botany has given her the language
of the tlowers. Natural liistory has introduced her to bird and beast
and reptile. Chemistry has taught her the science of her kitcdien.
Astronomy has unfurled to her delighted investigation the canopy of
the universe.

72

QUARTEKLY RePORT.

H

" Iler toiijiue is governed by the law oi' kindness." she knowetli,
*' Of all the ills that hapx)en to men, temper is cause of nine in ten."
The truly accomplished woman has some knowledge of business, '^She
considereth a lic^ld and buyeth it." SJie is also social, '" her luisband
is known in the uates."

''She stretcheth forth her hands to the poor and needy." Never
was there a time in the history of the world wlien there was a greater
necessity for women to siiow tlieir common sisterhood. The wail of
misery that comes i'rom the poor working class of our great cities is
sounding loud in our ears. The song of the shirt is being sung with
ever-recurring, mournful variations. In tlie contest between labor
and capital, every voter has a duty to perform, but here is a problem
of labor and capital that can be solved only by women. To us, who
are country-bred, these tales of horror that reach us from our large
cities make us dou])t whether the ])argains we have made in recent
years, of ready-made garments, were not, after all, dearly bought with
the life-blood of our sisters. Let every accomplished woman ask herself
the (luestion, ''Am I my sister's keeper ?" " She maketh herself cov-
erings of tapestry, her clothing is of silk and purple."

Since the days when Bezaleel, the master builder, asked the women
who were willing-hearted, to make curtains of purple and scarlet and
iine-twined linen for the tabernacle, needle-work has ranked as one
of the accomplishments of women. Lemuel's ideal womnn made for
herself garments of tapestry. She being a king's wife, dressed her-
self in silk and royal purple, teaching every woman that to love dress
and to dress in a manner suited to her rank in life, is not a folly to be
sneered at, a vanity to be excused as a woman-s weakness, but an ac-
complishment at wdiich she should aim.

A woman provided with these substantial accomplishments has in-
trinsic worth. She is a gem capable of increased lustre. Her charac-
ter is gold, that can be tried in the tire.

Surround these homely accomplishments with the learning of the
schools, with music and art, and you have an honorable woman, an
accomplished woman out of the ivory ])alaces, whose garments smell
of myrrh and aloes, and cassia, a king's daughter, all glorious within.

WHY

WASITmGTOX COUNTY SHOULD BE
PKOUD Ot^ HER FLOCKS.

By John G. Clark, Lagonda^ Pennsylvania,

In a county so distinguished for wool-growing, and in a community
60 intelligent, it will be dilhcultin occupying your time, either to in-
struct or entertain. The production of wool is of such general and
universal im])ortance that it becomes a matter of interest to every in-
dividual. Wool has been an important factor in the civilization of
the world.

The barbarian can dress himself in skins of animals, captured in
the forest; but civilization demands the clearing of \\ex forests, and
the introduction of line w^ools, as a covering for the race on a higher
plane of existence.

I

f

I

PennsylvanIxV Board of Agriculture. 73

Your committee has invited me to answer the (luestion : '' Why
should Washington county be proud of her Hocks'^" Pride is a very
complex word, having almost, if not altogether, opposite meanings,
ihere is a pride which l)orders on vanity, and vanity indicates an ex-
cessive idea, destitute of real worth or importance. ^' Pride goeth be-
fore destruction." " The Lord abhorreth the proud."

These are texts which would indicate something to be avoided. I
cannot suppose for a moment your committee intended the word in
this sense. On the other hand, there is a pride which is an ennobling
quality of heart and mind, which incites to worthv deeds. The house-
holder, who takes pride in the welfare of his family, is a better hus-
band and a better father.

The farmer who takes pride in his farm, will till his soil better;
will repair his fences ; will improve and beautify his buildings, and
thus contrd)ute to the upl)uildingof the community in which he lives.

And the stock-breeder, in whatever class, whether it be slieep,
cattle, or swine, when he feels that he has improved his stock, and
produced something worthy, something useful, not only to himself,
but to the community, and those who come after him will be moved
by an enthusiasm, which will lead him on to the highest possible at-
tainments. And anything which tends to lift us above our selfish in-
terests, and move us to greater ellbrt in behalf of the general good,
is a motive which should be fostered and encouraged. We conclude
that pride may ])e good or evil, according to the direction it may take,
or the result i)roduced.

Our local history tells of a time when it was the pride of our county
to manufacture the largest sui)ply, and best quality of whisky. Then
the best citizens entered with zeal into the production of this leading
article of trade ; and the man who tailed to set before his friends a
sample of the highest merit, was regarded as lacking in public spirit
and enterprise. And now, looking back to those days, we regard it
as a mistake, a dis[)lay of ])ride in a wrong direction.

When the national road was completed, and became the main line
of transportation between the East and the West,it was but natural that
our farmers should emulate each other in placing on the road tine
teams and large wagons. But broad harness became the leading pecu-
liarity of the times. An extreme breech-band and a mammoth housing
indicated the enterprise and thritt of the owner, and were, of them-
selves, almost suilicient to admit him to the higliest social standing.
Time has exi)loded the idea that a super-abundance of leather adds
anything to the beauty or comfort of a team, and this, too, is now re-
garded as a mistaken pride.

And in the iutroduction and propagation of our domestic animals
serious mistakes have been made, which have resulted only in loss and
disai)])ointuient. AVashington county is millions of dollars poorer to-
day, on account of the infatuations which have taken hohl of lier
stock-breeders at dillerent ])eriods. We conclude it is a matter of the
greatest importance that our couiity j)ride be turned in a proper chan-
nel; tliat our enthusiasm may result in permanent good. The ques-
tion, ''why should Washington count}^ l)e proud of her flocks?" im-
plies that we have something to be proud of. And have not only
in sheep, ])ut in all classes of stock.

Washington county is beginniug to be known as the "home of the
thorough-breds." Hence we are entitled to a little county pride. And
in these annual meetings we should encourage each other to think

74

Quarterly Eeport.

HI

well of our county, even if we indulge in a little self-o-lorification
We have been croaking lor a lew years. Dull times, hard work, and
poor ])ay. Let us cheer up. We have a grand county, dotted all'over
with happy homes, beautiful hills, lovely vallevs, and sparklinu: streams
ot^ water. Our barns are lilled to overllowing, our cribs are 'bursting
with corn, and beneath the surface are vast treasures, in coal, oil, and
gas. '^ Truly the lines have fallen to us in pleasant places." Let us
sing of the goodness and mercy of tlie Lord, and at the same time in-
dulge in a little honest, county pride. But to return to my subject,
\\ ashington county should be i)roud of her sheep, on account of what
they have done ibr the improvement of the county.
^ Nature gave us a productive soil. Our fathers liad a regular warfare
m clearing the forests, and for many years the virgin soil yielded large
returns. But continual cro])ping exhausted the soil and reduced the
products until many good citizens abandoned our count v as worn out
and located on the Avestern frontier, known as Ohio. It was not until
the introduction of hne-wooled sheep that AVashin-ton county began
to occupy a conspicuous place among the great counties of the State
Ihe pioneers, m the introduction of sheep, accomnlished wonders in
the advancement of the country, and deserve a monument to perpet-
iiate their memory. Under the system of pasturage then introduced
the soil became more fertile, the products more abundant, the people
increased m substantial wealth, and to-dav, Washington county is
known as the great wool-growing county of the State,and has a national
reputation. And m all the advancement as shown to-day throuo-hout
the county, with its productive farms, its substantial iniprovenTents
and Its thrifty, intelh'gent people, we know the sheep has been an im-
portant iactor in bringing it about. Hence we conclude, Washington
county may be i)roud ol* her Hocks. ' "^

We have had discussed in some of our meetings the inlluence of the
breed upon the breeder.

I believe the conclusion was, that the stock a man reared and cared
tor had a wonderlul inlluence in moulding his temper and disposition
.1 .'% '• .^'''^ county papers,in advocating the dairv business, chiimed,
that il introduced, it would have a great inlluence in improvin<'- the
morals of the community. This part of the (piestion is open fo? dis-
cussion I will leave for others. But if it be true in caring for cows,
what a wonderful inn nence the gentle, peaceful sheep would have on
the good people of W ashington county. Although a little skeptical
myself on this point I will give it as my second reason why we should
be proud of our Hocks.

But leaving this f;or each one to determine for himself, I will present
one on which all will agree. We may l)e proud of the liabits, dis-
positions, and deptjrtment of our sheep. The sheep has always
nP^rirffri ^V^'^ n'^ personification of innocence, and com^s
"rlYfo ^''^^'l^'^P ^^^^ (::o Iden ru e than any of the animal creation, the
greater par of mankind included. They are peaceful ; always slow-
ing a regard for the welfare of their neighbors. They are social al-
ways grooping together in the most friendly manner. * Thev are indus-
trious ; early and late they pursue tlieir daily avocation.' They are
prompt; always on time, favoring yearly payments, ever ready to as-
ily bills'.'''''''''^ mortgage from the farm, paying the taxes or fam-

We have all read with pleasure, of the lamb that Mary had, with

si

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Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture. 75

fleece as white as snow. Each holiday season brings some new verses,
descriptive ol this wonderful lamb. Perhaps the most practical one is :

"Hut this lamb of Mary's
Ifaci siioh an atni^hle disposition,
That when the s(^ho'»l was ended
The laml) paid the tuition."

And this is the disposition they all have. How many of our doctors
ot divinity, doctors of law, and doctors of medicine*^ are indebted to
the amiable disposition of their father^s sheep in regularly pavin.o- their
tuition^ Here is something to stir our country ])ride. "^ AVe may be
proud of what has been accomplished in the improvement of our
flocks.

Profiting by the experience of the past, discarding the evil and re-
taining the good, very much has been gained. Each breeder has his
aim, and standard of excellence. I am not here to discriminate be-
tween brepds. A friendly rivalry has done much in the development
ot each We believe in the ^' survival of the fittest." Let us be sure
our zeal is bestowed in a line that is useful. We want the sheep that
will pay the best per cent. Let us be lionest, and our work will en-
dure A higher standard is the watchword of the Washington county
breeder to-day. And he is gaining it gradually, but surely.

Our county has accpiired the reputation of a great wool-growin^>-
center. Let us endeavor to merit this distinction. Our soil, climate";
and surroundings are all favorable. We have shown a remarkable
abihty to grow all classes of wool. When the call came for line wool,
in the early development of the country, we produced the finest of
the fine. When heavier fleeces were in demand, and our breeders
began to see grace and beauty in the folds, or wrinkles, our county
soon produced most excellent specimens. And even when still more
weight was wanted, a limited amount of oil and coloring were added,
sufficient to show the al)ility of our breeders to meet anv emergency!

And I venture the assertion, that if very greasy wool is wanted,*
Washington county, with her usual zeal will come to the front, and
perhaps utalize the petroleum which gushes from our hills, and thus
combine the oil and wool business on a scale never dreamed of by our
fathers.

It has been claimed, and perhaps is true, that our location is natur-
ally favorable to the growth of tirst-class wool.

Manufacturers of woolen goods give us credit for producing the
finest, the strongest, and most elastic wools grown anywhcMv.

And whether the aim has heen to grow the largest fleece of medium,
or the longest staple of Delaine, or the beaulit'ul, white, crimi)y wool
of the Saxony, all have l)een eminently successful. I will conclude
with a single remark. We have accomplished much.

Let us continue our etlbrts. But our future skies are not all bright.
There are dangers which threaten this industry. We cannot fore-
cast the future. The clouds which hang in the horizon may yet break
over our heads.

But we will hope for the best, and if crowded out by importations
of free wool from the wilds of Lidia or Australia, and we should be
reduced to poverty; even then, we will remember with gratitude our
gentle sheep, which ministered to our wants in days gone by.

On the othcM- hand, we are threatened with gushing oil wells, and
if our green hills are to be marred and seared in the development of
this industry, we must abide by the inevitable.

m

76

QUARTEKLY RePORT.

But il' this shall continue, and our wealth shall increase, and wo find
ourselves elevated to the dignity of oil kings, or encumbered with the
cares, and anxieties and responsibilities of millionaires, our memories
will still recall, with fond recollection our happier days, when we en-
joyed the real pleasure of seeing our /locks reclining in the green pas-
tares, and our lambs playing on the hill-sides.

ESSAYS READ AT THE DOYLESTO WN INSTITUTE.

WHAT DOES THE FAEMER MOST NEED TO

KIS^OW.

By RoRT. K. ToMLiNsox, Brownshwff, Pennsijlvania.

In answer to this question I would observe that probablv the thin"-
wliicli a larmer first and most needs to know is that he does not know
much In almost all occupations the knowledsie which has accumulated
m perhaps hundreds of years, by the efforts of tliousandsof active, in-
(puring nnnds, is so much greater than that which can be gained by anv
single individual, that the latter should seem very small indeed in com'-
parison. Hence, in most business it is freely conceded that some kind
ot preiinunary training or ai)pren1iceshipis needed before undertaking
their inanagement. But in agriculture we freouentlv see citv men''
whose knowledge of stock has been mainly gained in tussels with the'
bulls and bears ot the stock exchanges, undertake at once the care of
costly and delicate Jerseys or Guernseys. Or we see youn- men
whose main iclea of farm imi)lements is that thev must necessarily
mc ude a trotting horse and fancy buggy, buy all the nicely painted,
ugh priced implements that their cash or credit can command. Or we
beliohl enthusiasts in farming undertake a farm with the calm confi-
dence not merely that they do not need the experience of others, but
that hey can at once vastly improve upon all their jn-ocesses. The
result we see in the Jacob Biggies or George E. Warings, whose citv
capital IS sharply drawn upon to keep alloat their costly countrv ex-
periments. Or we see it more sadly in the sherilF sales of' the proi>erl'v
of bright and enterprising, but too-confident young men. The truth
IS that arming IS so complicated by diversities of soil, climate, pro-

a^ f,; n ^rn ""f '""■•'^^'' ^''''* ''^ ™"^"*^ t''^"''^"^' «ther business, needs
all ilie aid that experience can give.

Hence,! M'isli first, to give to young farmers that advice which,

upon looking back, I am sure I most needed myself. Do not be too

careful! V wlf.TT ""''V^^^^T- i^"'"''" attempting any new methods study
caielul].\ what has already been accomplished, even at the cost of a
few more years probation. In every branch of farming v^uwi 1 lu\
some men who have attained a marked degree of success. Ohoosins

mal e'i 'ev^ ''tn fr'"r/-rSf ''V^^'J ^« -^'""^ «^^" ••"Pi'al and laboi^
make it, even to the details tlip l^i^^i^ of a^/ah.. <:.. .f «• '

tions It may be hard ^^t.^^^^^^^
o make it pay but stick to it if possible, ren.embeSrt at twfu
probably be still harder in untried fields. Much has been said about

Pennsylvania Board of Aoricultuke. 77

getting out of old ruts in farming, but llie worn tracks of a road are
always safer traveling than across lots or in unexplored regions. Alter
some degree of financial stability is assured, then comes the time for
experiments and improvements. Prudent as it is to avail ourselves
of the wisdom of the past, yet the increase of human needs makes it
equally necessary to go forward. Not hastily or recklesslv, but slowly
and cautiously, as behls explorers. "

Many young farmers have been crippled at the start bvinvestino-
too much capital in farm machinery. Much farm machinerv is an
economical necessity, owing to the scarcity of farm labor, rather than
economic saving compared with Inmd labor, if the latter is possible
Hence, a farmer needs to know, not only the principles and operation
ot the machinery he uses, but also wliich, among the vast number of-
fered, he can most easily dispense with. For many a stout voung
farmer, especially on a small farm, the costlv patent harrow, the
sulky plough, the potato planter and digger, the combined thresher
and cleaner, the hay tedder, and possibly even the reaper, are luxu-
ries rather than necessities. 1 am old fashioned enough to be sorry
that the graceful and invigorating exercise of swinging the cradle is
so nearly a lost aft, both in and out of doors on the farm.

In agriculture, as in morals, I believe the most necessary things to
learn are also the simplest. Thus, far more important thaii geological
or chemical knowledge I hold to ])e a clear understaiuling of'^the
mechanical condition of our soils. Scientific men have hithert'cj turned
their attention mainly to the eificiency of drainage and culture in im-
proving this mechanical condition. Put I believe that much of our
soil that is well drained, naturally or artilicially, is frequently injured
mechanically by heavy rains, so as to greatly' lesson crops, 'like corn
and ])otatoes, which need a friable, mellow^ soil. And in the severe
droughts which generally follow such rains it is almost impossible to
give a high mechanical condition by tillage alone. In seasens of ex-
traordinary Hoods and droughts, which are becoming the rule rather
than Ihe exception in our climate, some additional aid is i)lainly
needed. We know that a rich, firm, yet elastic sod turned under, not
to dee]), will break the evil effects, not only of a heavy rain, but, when
well tilled, jdso those of a severe drought. "^ How shall we secure such
a sod lor the first year of the rotation, and its ecpiivalent for the other
years so thnt our soils mny be ever line, moist, and friable, rather than
scd l(Mi, hard-baked, or cloddy ( Can we best obtain it by commercial
fertilizers, with barn-yard manure, or with green crops ploughed un-
der i' These are all questions which it very greatly concerns the
farmer to know.

But some knowledge of the j)rinciples of chemistry is also valuable,
if not necessary, to the i';n*mer, especially since the advent of com-
mercial fertilizers. Thnnks to the efforts of our States Poard of Aiiri-
culture. and to th(^ faculty of our agricultural colleges, aided. I am
glad to say. I)y nuniy of the manufacturers themselves, such know-
ledge is being disseminated very ra])idly. Farmers now^ generally
know that nitrogen, phosi)horic acid, and potash are the most valuable
ingredients to add to our soils. They can also readily know the com-
mercial value of these ingredients, and compare them with the guar-
anteed analysis of manufacturers. It is true that there has sprung up,
during the last few years, a warm discussion concerning the necessity
of applying nitrogen to our soils, some holding that plants can obtain
all that they need from natural sources. Without entering now fully

fi

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i

78

Quarterly Report.

into (liis (liseiission, wliicli would be foreign to tlie oI)ject of tliis paper,
1 wish to say that it is conceded by all that, whenever there is an
abundance of vegetable matter in the soil, then there is also an abun-
dant supply of nitrogen. Remembering that nitrogen is the most
costly ingredient of our fertilizers, remembering also that more vege-
table matter containing nitrogen is needed to improve the mechanical
condition of our soils, it would seem that when the latter can be ac-
complished without the direct api)licati()n of niti'ogen then none need
to 1)(^ contained in our I'ertilizers. In all cases of heavy feeding of
higlily nitrogenous food, especially if purcliased outside of the farm,
it seems almost cei'tain that the refuse, if ])r()perly saved, will supply
suflicient nitrogen. Oi' the other two ingredients, phosphoric acid
seems most needed for the development of the grain of wheat, while
corn, clover, potatoes, and fruit need potash also. On all these points
farmers can greatly assist science and their own pockets by carefully
conducted exi)eriments.

It goes almost without saying that farmers need to knoAv enough of
the architecture of buildings and of road-making to act in both direc-
tions with taste, judgment, and economy. Upon both of these points
w^e liaye received much urging from oiir town and' city friends, but
when it comes to erecting our great public buildings allthey seem to
ask of us is to pay the taxes. During the last week I have been visit-
ing in a sister 8tate, where the roads, aided it is true by great natural
advantages, were almost a model in grade, smoothness, and firmness.
And this had been attained, not by the costly processes of city parks,
but simply by using chea]) machines with judgment and persistency.
The homes of these farmers were tasteful, cointbrtable and unpreten-
tious— in striking contrast to some of the gorgeous structures erected
by metropolitan neighbors for summer residences. Throughout the
State the farmers are in almost as great a preponderance as in this
community; and, so far as I have observed, are also marked bv judg-
ment, taste, and moderation. Yet in the capital of that State, in
Albany, there stands an immense structure, necessarily cold and un-
comfortable, for who would care to live in the caverns of a mass of
rocks, unadapted to its purpose because of the rever])erations from
its arched chambers and marble slabs, so costly that approi)riation
after appropriation has been swallowed up, and decadence, from its
own weight, has begun before the structure is completed. Surely,
farmers need to know how the moderation in display, the judgment
and even the just economies cxhilnted in their nineteenth century
homes, shall in some degree be represented in these their public
structures, rather than the mere semi-barbaric splendor of Greece or
Rome.

. For on(^ more word I crave your earnest attention, and this perhaps
too lenghty essay will close. European statesmen have always pre-
dicted a crisis in the history of our country when the wealthy will be
arrayed against the poor. We have ever scorned such predictions,
but the events of the last few years may well cause us to pause and
ponder the grounds of our security. We know that there is a great
middle class in the country who combine the functions of both labor
and capital, and who, unblindcd })y sellish interests, are therefore well
iitted to arbitrate impartially between them, and wdio, moreover,
have the power to enforce their judgnuMits through the ballot-box!
A\ hether this crisis api)roach us, or whether it keeps afar, it behooves
farmers to know that the truth and right in such struggles is never

Pennsylvania Board of A(iriculture.

79

entirely with either party, but lies between them. And if tlie citv

press servikdy copied too olten by that of the countrv, sliould lean

f™ ^\'^'''^'' f the wealth and i>ower whicli upholds them,

irn 'f ' r /• }'''''' ^'r^ ^^ ''''''^'^ ^^''^'' l>^'^M'^^^li^'^^« by an appeal tJ
JZrtl oi his ory, whose verdict in the long ages of the past has
ever leaned to the side of the struggling and sullering manv.

FKUIT FOR THE FAMILY.

By John S. Williams, Solehurij, Pennsylvama.

Away back in \]w ages, as far as the mind of man can reach, we find
grandmother Lve passing the fruit basket to grandfather Adam,
and enjoining mm to eat - because it is good ;" and in that beautiful
garden othden, we learn of nothing more sul)stantial being ollered its
occupants than fruit. The fact that one tree therein bore the forbidden
a])2)le was not suihcient reason tor ignoring the rest, for many of us in
later years, with far more experience than our fair ancestor is sup-
posed to have possessed, in our haste and anxiety to obtain the mys-
terious marvels of the ^^ catalogue,^' have had to be satisfied with some
very sour specimens.

All the way down through the ages we find that Iniit has been an
important part of the sustenance of the people; and we are tempted
to believe that civilization may be measured to some extent by the
attention given to its cultivation.

In no generation of the past in our own countrv has so much
thought, and labor, and care been bestowed ui)on its propagation and
improvement as in our own, and in no era has it tilled so large a place
in our thoughts, our homes, and our market, as in the present.

No class of men are more worthy of the grateful thanks of their coun-
trymen than those who have devoted their best years to the introduc-
tion of new varieties of fruit and the improvement of old standards.
We can more readily appreciate their efforts when w^e remember the
insignificant strawberries of our childhood and contrast them with the
Sharpless and other melting mammoths of the present ; or the seedy
raspberries of our hedgerows with the Cut hberts and Greggs of to-day.
Scarcely more dillerence is there in those named than in' most of the
fruits now propagated, compared with those grown a generation or
more ago.

With the improvements in the size and quality of our fruits has
kept pace the demand. To-day the trade in them is an important
factor in our prosperity.

The failure of any one of the principal fruit crops is a misfortune
wdiich is felt in the commercial world as well as in the domestic cir-
cle; producers complain of hard times, railroad dividends are cur-
tailed, commission houses are minus profits, and the vast army of
middle men are left for the time without an occupation.

The facility for transporting fruits, both perishable and staple, adds
much to their domestic value. Even the most frail varieties are now
shipped hundreds of iiiiles uninjuied, and are thus placed in homes
widely distant from the point of production. At a neighboring rail-
way station, in September last, peaches were being shipped at the same

11^

mi

80

QuAiiTEKLY Report.

time to Boston, Cincinnati, Syracuse, New York, and riiilatlelphia.
Tlie orange and berry crops of Florida are distributed in almost every
hamlet of our country. The choice productions of the Tacilic coast
are sold in every market, wliiU^ the canned and evaporated fruits of
our factories traverse the woi'ld in search of consumers.

Can we doubt that the bountii'ul ])roducti()n and successful distribu-
tion of iruit together with the improved metliod of preservation, have,
to a great extent, revolutionized tlie contents of the family hirder'^
Within the memory of t he writer, it was the prevalent custom of many
farmers to ^' salt down" every fall from eight to iifteen hundred
pounds of pork for family use; and jK^orZ^vas served hot for dinner,
cold for supper, and very often in some other form for breakfast. But
customs change. Now many farmers sell all their pork, buying what
hams and lard mav be needed. And why ? Because the fruit can has
banished the pork barrel. Fruit in its various forms and endless va-
riety, fresh from the vine, or tree, or can, or ricli with its juices safely
cared lor from the evaporator, has taken the place of the heavier
meats, and forms an important part of almost every meal. It is tempt-
ing alike to the eye and appetite, pleasing to the palate, and cooling
to the blood, leaving the mind clear, and the body ready for the active
duties of life.

An aged and intelligent physician of very large experience re-
cently remarked in my presence that scrofulous diseases had de-
creased fifty percent, within tlie last fifty years. How do you account
for it '^ I asked. ''By the decreased consumption of pork and the
increased use of fruit,'* was his ready answer.

All physicians tell us tliat sanitary conditions of families having
ready access to fruit is much better than those deprived of it. Then
let us have fruit, not merely a taste, not as a luxury, but plenty of it.
Let us consider it a necessitv evervwhere it will fit in our household
economy. I\ipe fruit is better for luncli than cake, better for dessert
than pie, better for medicine than pills. The growing of it is a source
of unending pleasure. The blossoms of spring greet the producer with
their perfume. The summer shade of his trees is not the less gratify-
ing if ])roduced by fruit and leaf alike, while full grown, richly-colored
berry, cherry, i)eacli, or pear gladden the eye and 'Mnake the mouth
water.''

And yet, scarcely one farm in ten is liberally supplied witli it, while
many are entirely destitute of its attractions. A ([uarter of an acre of
ground that would yield fifty bushels of corn per acre, with but little
if any more care than would i)r()duce the corn, will yield an ample
supply for a large family, beginning in June with strawberries, fol-
lowed by raspberries, currants, blackl^erries, grapes, peaches, and
pears, if judiciously selected and well cared for will give you fresh
fruit until January, wliile the surplus canned, and supplemented by
the aY)ple orchard, will carry you over to June again.

AVhy are so many witliout t'ruit and its many advantages? Simply
for the want of a little attention at the right time. Every l)ody intends
to plant. They l\dly make nj) their minds to tliat effect wlien they
are enjoying tlieir neig]d)or's sui)i)ly, but the I'ipening season and the
planting season are several months apart, and they forget or neglect.
Want of time to care for it some urge, yet it takes no more care than
the vegetable garden, and not so much if so planted that it can be
worked with a horse.

Of varieties I will not speak at length. Each location lias some

Pknnsylvania Board of Agrkultlke. gl

kinds that suit its soil and circumstances better (1).... nil.^rc ti
can be readily ascertained and will be Sfe to r Tl e?e nre h^^^^^^
ever, some varieties of each fruit that do well Reneralh These wll"

be v^tooS'lmH, TV'''' ''''' '"i^-^- ""^ »^'' ^l'"";;"' iest , t
ue veiy good until better ones are found Tn Hii^ liJf t ^i i ^

•m 1 n^: uf n r.*''*'1 f ^P*"' ^'^^ Ri^''"'>o"d plum, most of the ptnf hes

i i n o t o atTon "^f"'" ""'''' f .having proved most CceS-'
good! 'o^'ition''- lliey may not be the best, but they are all

In the great multitude of kinds, old and new, now on the market

hemour'n"^ T'"^'''].' ^^1" "^^^^ the demands of Ulstek
.hem out. P ant and care for them. They will vield von -i vh-hvl
turtj on your investment of money and time. '

HOW CAI^^ WE BEST MA IX TAIN THE FEK'

TILrrYOF OUK FARMS?

By AV. :\r. Large, Donlesiown, Penmylcaum.

This is a question about \vliich these always Jn.s and i.robablv alwavs
^Mll be various opinions. AVhat was good husbandrv in 1 le , as m,f
IS at this time, may not adapt itself in the future. Th ■ o 1 v v .V
.ny judgment, for me to answer this n.o<,ted .|uesti(,n is nan- aH.
my own experience in agricultural pursuits ' "**''''t"'J^

About the first of Sixth menth, 1841, (married a little while before )
pretty highly charged with and.ition, l\)ur..|,ased a farm o e hu„
dred and six acres, situated in the upper section (.fEuckinohri t< w "
ship, Bucks county, together with the meagre i-rowimr crops lereo"

pants had live.l more than Iron, the products raised upon fheiarm
liie dwelling house was a small stone structure, the first floor of which
was some three feet higher than tlie surrounding surfare with n
cypress vines or morning gh.ries growing about its door or windows
An appendage of porch had lately been added to the front, to ascend"
whi.-h and gam entrance into the castle, several old knotty logs from
the wo.Ml-pile which was directly in froni of the door, had been
nlilizrd lor steps. Under this so-called porch, the several Jiead of
swine that I had purchased of the occupant had tlieir sleepin- unar-
ters. And well do I remember listening to the sonorous sounds of
those rei.osing aiumals, as I lay in my restful bed, while first in pos-
session of that forlorn outlook. My better-lialf, taken from a lar-e
family and jdeasant surroundings, was not much in harnionv wilh the
new home, which I endeavoi-ed to mt'Ilow by telling her there was a
large growth of sunflowers in the garden that would soon be in bloom
and fragrance, and after that other joys will follow.

The barn, a little wooden shack, supposed to hold about half a dozen
loads of hay, and stabling for lour horses and about as many cows, con-
stituted all the buildings upon the premises. 1 at once began making
6

li

82

Quarterly Report.

preparations for l.uiMin^^ a l>arn the following ^ "^' P «^^^;f ^^J
lim ng the field in the fall that was to be P^^^^ed vitJi c , and
many^ther essentials to lighten tie spring ^7' ^,'f «\^^, ,*;' ;;;^
fOTTiideted in time for the crops ol that year. 1 had no sli< nc i loi my
?U ' op, a very nice appendage for a young man courlmg a wife
a 1 fcSan-ed it for lime that was spread upon the premises A
Zl larm w^lon, somewhat nobby with red ™--»^f ^,-\^* ;^:
body, was the family carriage, until such time '^^_thecai age house
oniiid be erected. Well do I remember going alone to Buckingham
monthly me'eUng in that farm wagon, and in return ^^1^^^
Imd of lime In 1846 a new house was built, and slioitiy auei loi
owed the othe needful out-buildings. A good many acres o that
Sertv was covered with tussucks and bog, was thoroughly ditched,
and a 1 the small stone about the premises was utilized in lil mg the
Slfc J which dried the surface, and then plowed and limed the year
fo lo V ;.g, bi^'uirht forth large crops of every k ml in the order of ot v
tion In the early spring-time, sometimes m Third monlh, it was my
Som o ow S out\wot.ushels of plaster to the acre upon all the sod
hells that were to be mowed, at that time acting like a chaim, m
mm- ins ances almost doubling the crop. The ground, therefore,
e n ^ saturated with clover and grass roots, ai-plication of manure
St. ^n Slition to that which was liome-made 1 alwa^-s purchased
w lei oim tu litv offered, produced large crops of corn, the farmer's
verv best crop Sheep and cattle feeding was a fashionable industry
at that time particularly sheep-many farmers feeding large flocks of
wet S-s?Udu ins it more profitable than feeding steers. Upon one
ol^tlose occasion's I remember of more than trebling my money.

Al the corn and a good deal of the hay was consumed, and conse-
n„en 1 the manure pile was largely augmented from year to year, as
wen s the production of all farm crops. Then I commenced hau ing
av t^P iladelphia, as well as load after load of other produce tot at
marl et an thus, b} a little methodical management, the new build-
^/.s that 1 ad been erected were paid for, beside a number ot shares
o Dov lestown bank stoc-k, and a small bank account to my credit was
?nn%mted At the end of thirteen years I sold the farm for even
il 1,000, for whi^^ I had paid $4,500. to keep it from being sold by the
^llprilF from tlie former occupant.

My ownership and occupancy of this farm was beiore lertihzers
other tlrln manure and lime, (of which I gave it two coats of about
Sir bushed e^ time,) came into use, although about that time
Peruvian S^^ was inti'oduced and occasionally used-but only to a
UmU^Hl extent, by reason of the high price for which it sold-sixty

"^luTsorH^^^ at sherifTs sale what is now known as^' Chest-

nut Grove .. Varm, containing 130 acres of land, also in Buckingham
tmiMiship Bucks county, on which I now reside. John Bradshaw a
bache or/and a Friend,' who always used the plain language very pret-
tilv died after having lived beyond the fourscore years. He had long
Sn t ' Vwu^ of this and the adjoiningfarm where he lived. Alter his
Eh it was sold to persons who had an eye to utihzing the arge
crrowtli of timber that covered more than one half ot its surlace. Un-
c e Jolm," as he was familiarly called, was marvelously accurate in
financial matters, and never failed to collect the rent of this property,
which was one hundred dollars per annum, on the tirst day oi the
Fourth month. Approaching the tenant, whose given name was

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

83

Samuel, he would say — ^Svell, Sam, how did thee make out the
year?" Samuel's response would always be — ''poor, very poor, in-
deed." Uncle John would then say — *'well, Sam, give me thy check
for eighty dollars, and that will do." I made mention of this circum-
stance to fairly present the sterile condition of this farm anterior to
my reign. The timber that was so long cherished by Uncle John was
cut olf ; no one left to imi)lore the •' woodman to spare that tree," and
disposed of without much beneiit to any one.

Two or three years of first occupancy was spent more in burning
brush, taking out stumps, blasting of rocks asunder, (willi whicli an
entire new suit of buildings was erected,) than to legitimate farming.
Clearing up some forty acres of virgin soil, added to the sixty already
under plow made one hundred acres of farmland. The buildings upon
these premises were a trifile more ample than those noted in the be-
ginning of my farming career, and still stand, and where I lived until
the more eligible home was completed. The old house now used as a
tenant house.

In the beginning, very nearly the same methods were practiced as
before related of my first farm life. At first liming the two five acre
grass fields and corn field, after the plowing, the first two years, and
after that the liming was upon the grass or stubble fields, as soon after
the wheat was taken off as practicable. My supposition is that no lime
had ever been put, or used on this land befoi:e, judging from the won-
derful increase of crops that tbllowed the application. Encouraged by
the luxuriant growth, another coat of lime was applied in the second
rotation of farming with increased results. In due time, a third ap-
plication on several parts of fields, to ascertain if more w^ould do good,
w^as not attended with any perceptible dilference, either in the grass
or any crop that followed after. This was eight years ago, since which
time no lime was used until last fall, 1885, when seven hundred bush-
els w^ere applied to parts of three different fields without the slightest

paving benefit. .

Some ten years back we l)egan carting hay to the Philadelphia
market — aping after other farmers living nearer Philadelphia. I,^
too, concluded the team carefully driven could bring home a load of
manure, with less grief than to be trotted home on a long trot with
an empty wagon. Soon a four-horse team was almost weekly taking
down about two tons of hay and bringing home on an average eighty-
five hundredweiiiht of manure, an exchange that added to the fertility
of the soil. Surely not less than one hundred and sixty to two hun-
dred tons each year, for eight years, lias been applied to this farm, to-
gether with what was made at home, feeding ten or twelve steers,
and nearly as many milk cows through the winter, we were in shape
to top dress the timothy sods, as well as a heavy coat on the corn
field they bring the two crops we were most anxious to propagate.
Then a light coat, or whatever was to spare, for the wiieat, with an
application of say four hundred pounds of Kenderdine's (A) phos-
phate and a propitious season would always bring reward to the
husbandman. The phosphate was used particularly for the purpose
of stimulating the i2;rass crop, in order that the four-horse team should
not be idle. Of later years, iive or six acres of potatoes, well manured
and phospiiated, have been grown each year, with reasonable sucx^ess
and mostly a paying crop— better it was done, than left undone. Less
Uian three hundred bushels of corn the first year was the crop, while
of these later times twelve to fourteen hundred bushels are about an

84 QUAKTERLY KeI'ORT.

averac^e A minute account of all products sold oil ll.is I'arm in 1885,

experience iroiii which every one may make lu^ ^^\ \~™^^ ^^r-
snminff it to be true, that all soils are susceptihU; of bem^ ''^flV^Z
rbv culture, must contain originally, in some lorni or ^'o"^!;!^ f >^;;
a libei-ar^rc^ntage of whatever inorganic elenjei^s^iOer . U U e

oroanization of the crops we desire to Pi'^^^'^'^V ,^|^^;^;f,/; '^^^^^^^
to mv mind: First, That thorou-h and persistent ^^^^/3^^ ^,^^^ '[^
Ih.rwill expose to the -reatest possible extent each particle ol soil to
; f diLlSl and ^^^^1^ action of air and moisture heat and

H .Mud thus Ireak down these natural combinations so lar as ma
S ^; ul "t its materials ibr plant lbo.l-is tlie pr.nar, cWmon
II ZZ^^^ in farmin-- Mv experience, also, indicates that lime may

^^w^Xf""^^ eLntial,as -V^"^\lie ^In'^utX^

tinn and recoiiposil ion of important elements in the soil, but wliere

S when it can be used with proiit can be determined only by care-
^uf^e^JrT Bv this continued cult ure year by year, these original
elements^^^^^^^^^^^ become more and more assi^milable, and irom this
poimp fertilitv will be promoted and maintained,
^nt m llcts te^ me secondlv-that there must l)e, to secure the
]>e?t re ults a S^^ admixture of organic matter in the soil; not
sbn)h a elements, but in orpinic forms. This is necessary, both to
h\ m Uie sc n'S^ making ft more retentive of moisture, more open
o^ mo heHc inlluences and the absorption of such ^-ases as may in-
vest Tt and aUo furnish from the decomposition ot, this orpnuzed
matter' process p-eatly promoted by the conditions just relerred o
hP r\di cS^^^^ combination with the earthy e emen o

;;; ic^ t^^^^^^ to maintain these conditions oltertihty

r>rrmane^^^^^^^ be necessary to retain all the productions, re-

u ; thei^^^ elements to the soil-or, if removed, restore in

lo T^^e miS^^^ shnpe-such as feed, stable manure, or manuiac-
u x^red i^^^^^^ a filll equivalent for all that has been taken away

T know is held by som( that by plowin- under clover and otlier
Le^?^r i) w th so^>ed and assimilated by growing P^^^^t. and ani-
^'iJl- d hat this (pialitv is increased to an unknown, ami possibly
^.tiini e eXit bv the pVocesses of growth and decay. Hence it is
mSfest th^^^^^^^^ ^vill naturally increase fertility simply

S bicrea^^^^^^^^ of fertilizing matter-but nothing is added

o Uie oS stock by any of these processes, and the moment we
)e<^n to e, without restoring an eduivalent, impoverishment begin .
It is true that this mav not tor a time be perceived-even a gene a-
tion m -ht pass awav, without the balance between apparent wealtli,
w Sn of ncn^a^^^^ availability, and actual impoverishment being
destrSed as it must surely be in time, and woe to the owners when

'^'intmd'S* I would sav, sell all that is needlul to sell and what-
ever humanitv re(iuires-but if you wouU permaneuMi/ maintain ler-
tilitv seize upon whatever resources are most easily commanded—
SX^^^^ niineral in sutli<«ient cpumtities to lu ly com-

Ten^^^^^ for all that is sold or lost. Change is the magician ot time-
chanoe in everything, in science, philosopiiy, religious opinion in
farms an(l farming as well, and blessed are they who alter deep
thought and patient industry arrive most nearly to the truth.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

85

SUCCESS AND FAILURE IN FRUIT GROWING.

By Wm. H. Moon, Morristowu^ Pennsylvania,

The subject assigned to me is a very extended one and can only be
treated of in a general way in the short space of time allotted, but in
this brief period I hope to show that success at fruit culture is readily
obtainable here in our county of Bucks and vicinity. This section of
the country, situated as it is witli such convenient access to the two
largest cities of the Union, and in close proximity to several smaller
cities and tow^ns, all of which are consumers of fruit, sliould. un(iues-
tionably, become the fruit garden of tlie East. New Jersey has been
styled by some the vegetable garden of New York and ]*liiladeli)liia,
and she has also developed great adaptal)ility in raising small fruits.

Since grain has ceased to be a prolitable crop, and the farmer has
to turn his attention to butter, poultry, eggs, potatoes, and such articles
as require liim to attend market, why should he not introduce fruit
culture in connection therewith, and thus add many new opportunities
of making a livelihood out of his farm than if he continued to grow
wheat, corn, and oats only^ AVhen our successful home orchardists
tell us that their apple orchards yield on an average over one hundred
dollars per acre annually, and have done so for twenty years; when vine-
yardists report that one liundred dollars per acre annually is hardly an
average yield from their vines for fruit actually sold; that a ton per
acre is less than an average yield, and that twelve dollars per ton
should be the limit of expense iiecessary to gather and pack for market
this quantity of fruit; when peach orchards prove very profitable or
very unproiitable investments; when quinces are selling at eighty
cents to one dollar per basket, and are as productive as they have
been in lower Bucks county for some years; when good pears are in
active demand at renumerative prices; when Spanish chestnuts yield
annuallv from eight to twenty dollars per tree, of lifteen or twenty
years' growth, is it wise to continue to deny that fruit culture doc^s pay?
These prool*s are attainable, and it is tlie object of this essay to give a
few suggestions as to liow these results may be obtained by others who
may wish to V)ranch out into IVuit raising for proiit.

'^If a merchant were to commence business without any knowledge
of book-keeping, we should exclaim at his folly and look for disastrous
cense(iuences; or if, before studying anatomy, a man should set up as a
surgical operator, we should wonder at his audacity and pity his pa-
tients." This, to a considerable extent, holds good in regard to tlie
fruit grower. Theie are very many experiences that have been ob-
tained by successful pomologists in the past, that have been noted
down, and are now to be found either in book form or in extracts pub-
lished in our leading horticultural and agricultural journals of the day,
and it is well to consult these authorities.

To succeed in fruit growing the idea must be dispelled that trees
once planted will grow and thrive and take care of themselves until
the time they commence to bear and become prolitable. Some twenty
or twenty-five years ago a gentleman living near Burlington, N. J.,
pul)lished a book entitled '-Ten Acres Enough." In this work he
portrayed in glowing terms the immense profit tliere was in small

g6 Quarterly Report.

fruit growing, and how a comfortable li^'i»g "" Vof 'thltXeTthe
could be realized annually by settling on a tract ot that size in tlie

'"SiTenlptin' wlsX'snare that many actually purchased- tracts and
settlelfo t lemTbut not one of them I believe ever realized a living,
ffsav no h ng of the handsome surplus. The trouble was, the book
miskad its readers to suppose the results were sure, that no previous

experience was necessary. , -.

Fruit culture of anv kind needs care and attention to make it suc-
cessf Fi Mhe choice of a suitable location is one of no small im-
porta ce Though the theories of iruit growers may not coincide as
to whether a hillside or bottom land is preferable, whether a northern
or Touthern exposure, although we believe the majority iavor the lat-
ter But on this one point there seems to be unanimous assent, hat
vlatevei S^l^ elevatioli or aspect the land ^J-'l^^ ^e rich and fertile^
T •md that will vield the greatest number ot bushels ot giam to the
^rellll in ail pi<>babilit yTgive the best retur,u^

grapes, and small fruits. The second requisite to «"f^«,^^^^^,^.^'\%^^j^^^^^
Uon of varieties, one of the most important essentials, and 1 wouia
su-est I-ood wav to attain this. Consult with those raising truit in
vorrtmmedkte neighborhood, ascertain what does .well for them and
let this form one criterion oi what to plant.

But do not stop here, or you will never know how many really val-
uable varieties of recent introduction there are ; but be wilhngto try
some of' the newer sorts, even if it be only a ^-e or t.^ ot a kind oi
some six or eight newer varieties in an orchard of one hundied tiees
Sy can\e grafted over if they should prove undesirable, or not
aSted to your locality. At .the present time I ^vofj. "j'";:,;;]^^^;
fruits of this class, Ben Davis, York Imperial, Red Beitinglieimer,
Ma Wealthy, Yellow Transparent, and Nero in apples; Lawson,
Slt'erMt Vernon, and Kiefer in pears; Empire State, Niagara,
Worde'n, and Moore's Early in grapes; and numerous others to those
who wish to go more extensively into the testing business, with new
Torts ad iniinitum among small fruits. For strawberries too large to
eat whole, we always anchor to the Sharpless. . i *

Ot ippies, the inclination in this county has been to plant very
largely of the Smith's Cider, which is a native, and is unquestionablj
a verv productive and proiitable kind. . „ . . ;

One of the most common causes in failure in fruit growing, especi-
ally in apples, comes from choosing varieties of little or no value in
this latitude. Those which are very valuable winter truit in the noitli
and east, here ripen in the autumn, falling off the trees too early to be
housed and kept for winter use. Noticeably among this class are the
King of Tompkins county, and Baldwin, excellent varieties, but not
such as can be depended on here. . fi,„ c=o,^o Inti

That apple trees do better when taken from about the same lati-
tude and will ripen nearer their proper season, is my hrm beliet. but
Iknow this opinion does not coin.iile with the nurserymen of the
North. Tiie dilference in change of locality is not nearly so marKea

^^'i)oi?t be'deceived in purchasin^^ iVuit trees. It ^vill take years to
discover the mistake. There are liundreds of orchards m existence in
Bucks county to-day, whose owners would ]iave been far better oil il
thev had never seen them. It is a nurseryman s duty to keep all va-
rieties distinct and true to name, and to exercise the greatest care that

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

87

they sliall not become mixed. All nurserymen are presumed to be
honest, but some of them evidence more presumption than lionesty,
when thev put wax fruit into magnifyin<i; jars and impose upon your
credulity m asserting that it is the fruit of nature and not the iruit of

art. , , ,

Tlie judicious selection of location, and the judicious choice oi va-
rieties, having been accomplished, two important points towards suc-
cess have been made. The next is the proper ])1 anting of trees or
plants, which consist not in a merely mechanical act oi digging a hole
and tilling it up like planting a post, but requires that the roots should
be properly spread out so that the soil may come m contact with all
portions and no interstices be allowed to remain. A little well-rotted
compost is desirable as a stimulant in tree planting.

The newly planted orchard will recpdre more or less attention every
year. Constant care should be given to discover the earliest signs ot
the borer, which attacks the tree near the ground, and is irequently
traced bv small portions of tine saw dust near the opening he has
made. Remove him with a knife, or other sharp instrument, as soon
as discovered. Frequent pruning is beneficial to a growing orchard to
keep it in good shape. Keep your orchards and fruit grounds clear ot
weeds and rubbish. They help increase the borer and insect ene-

Tnies

In peach trees the most dreaded disease is the yellows Without
discussing the why or wherefore of this peculiar enemy, I would say
that, within a few years, many peach-growers areinrliued to attribute
the cause to a want of potash in the soil, and they recommend severe
pruning, and an application of kanite to restore them to heallhlul-
ness. Tiiose that I have seen that were treated in this way one year
ago are looking greatly benefited. The later varieties of peaches are
considered the most profitable here, as we are unable to compete witn

the early fruit of the South. . . ■, • j. u

In conclusions I would state that it must be borne in mind in Iruit-
growing. that thev who raise the best and most attractive Iruit are
much more certain of selling, and generally at a profit, while the in-
different grower, who allows his crops to take care of themselves, is
apt to pronounc^ fruit culture a failure. The expense of marketing
poor fruit is greater than that of good, for tlie one sells itsel I by its
appearance, and the other requires to be sold. As a rule there is b
rarely, if ever, a surplus of the very finest Iruit m the im i ket. In
re-anl to fruit culture, it can be said that^success is obtainable by any
one who has tlie intelligence to inform himself the judgment to ap-
p"y this knowledge, and the energy to push whatever is undertaken
to success Otherwise the failure of any or all of these important
particulars will probably bring adverse results.

The president having declared the subject matter of Mr. Moon s
essay open for discussion.

Mr HERU of Clinton. Can Mr. Moon teU us anythina; of the successor failure of the

niaenitieci duriiiu; their passay:e eastward.
Mr llKUK. How ahout the Russi-in apricot?

gg Quarterly "Report.

attempt to eat it ni.til it is fully ripe. They are said to ^f^l^YJv'^T^^^

have attained the art of ripening thetn properly. Some say the> aie very nice to pre

'Tlai)^. Did Mr. Moon ever hear a lady Kiy that they were nice to preserve, and if
so, will he tell us how to do it? ^ e i- -^

^^[Xsrot ff Zc;^s.^I^hhl^ YpH^U^l/t hai Mr. Moon has some of the trees to
^^^^e;:i^"E^/^^^^U^^r^ l^U- ^n^ trees not the Ki^^^^-^^een sc^ ^r it

^o^r ti^:i^d!j;^^V^^^^^ ^^^^ iS;^id^^.Jd^r s!^ru.ie^^ ui^i

""'Mr' MooN^.^The is one of the easiest pears to grow, and one of the handsomest

Srovvht^ trees ; I oa.. see no reason for substituting anot her for it, except <> "/f ^e some
old varW se 1, and tlms make money outof it. But there i«"«/^<>\!^;t,^a in certain
localities the Keifer does much better than in others. In the State ot Michigan I saw
Sr pears about the size of our Scckle ; they tell us that it is too far "^rth for them
there; grown as far south as Fhihidelphiait matures fruit of a good size. ^N«^^. Jersey
fruit grower has assured me that he has in his cellar sixteen hundred baskets ^t K ete
nears for which he had refused one dollar per basket. They were gathered trmn ten
acres and from trees from which he has grown and is growing large quantities ot

small fruits for market. ^ . . i x- i.^ «„<-fi««. r.-

Secretary Edge. Can Mr. Moon give us any information m relation to grafting, or

working the quince upon the "white thorn?" . ., .^ v. ^ i ^ i «„^/i

Mr. >?ooN. I do not know tliat it has been done on the white thorn, but have heard
of it being worked upon a closely allied variety. It was tried extensively some years
8<ro in one of the New England States; latterly I have been told that it did not prove
a'success: why, I do not know, but I believe that it did not produce a sattsfactory

and steady growth. _ . i. ^ . o

Secretary Edge. Is there any difficulty in effectmg a perfect union?
Mr. Moon. They will unite temporarily, but I believe the union is not lasting, and
that this is one of the reasons assigned for the failure and abandonment of tlie plan.

Secretary Edge. Mv reason for asking the question was, that at the Bloomsburg
meeting of tlie Board of Agriculture, a gentleman present stated that he had been
very successful, and had produced good bearing trees which were absolutely borer
proof nothing injuring the collar of the thorn which then grew wild in the edges ot
the swamps and low lands and which, if taken young, could readily be transplanted.
His plan was to i ut the white thorn stalk olf about two feet from the ground and
work the quince in; he allowed the white thorn stalks to grow out below the gr«ft,
and twined them in with the quince stalks growing above, and thus supported the
tree. He admitted that unless properly done the union was not permanent or lasting,
but that if done as he described there was no trouble in securing borer-proof quince

tref s in this way. .

Mr. Hkkk. I rise to repeat what I stated this morning; that I am perfectly surprised
that fruit growers, or that fruit men in general, in America, should give their approval
to so worthless a pear as the Ki^fer ; and. yet so far as I have heard, none of them will
even say that it is a tolerably fair pear. I contend that such a course has done much
to injure fruit culture in general, and pear culture in particular. In place of being
the largest in size, as stated by some of the largest fruit growers of the country, we
have, after the expenditure of time and money, a pear dwindling down to the size of
the Seckle, and not good in taste; this knr>cks all the ardor out of the fruit grower.

Can Mr. Moon tell us anything of the Champion (juince? I have heard one of our
county fruit dealers say that he had a lartre order for Champion quinces, and an-
other advised him to have nothing to do with it. Some claim that the Orange quince
is much better and a more reliable bearer; what do yc.u know of the two?

Mr. Moon. First let me answer as to the Kiefer pear: I was told this afternoon that
the people of the cities can so much fruit. The Kiefer pear though raised in the
country are not eaten there, but are sent to Philadelphia and find a ready market
there and in Boston and New York. There they want pears and are not so particular
as to quality; they pay good prices for them and we give them what they want and
will pHV for. They buy first and f)ay afterwards ; they do not always buy the same
kind tvvice in succession, but they buy and at good prices nevertheless. They may be
good enough for city pe >ple to eat, but country folks can do better, and do not want
them. There are other new pears coming up, which, while they are little better than
the Kiefers. are more productive. The day has not yet arrived when (in all cases)
quality tells; when that time comes the Kiefer will not be planted, but will have
been driven out of the market by better fruit.

I have had considerable experience with the Champion quince, and liave grown it
for several years; it is a very valuable and reliable quince, bearing the second or third
year from the l)ud, which is more than can be said of any other variety of quince which
T know. They ripen (juite late. If the ladies want a (luince to do up early they want
the Orange; if they want a late prese-ving riuince they want the Chamf)ion. For pro-
ductiveness, other things being equal, the Ctiampion is the best ; the Orange grows all
over your garden, while the Champion grows up into the air, and you Ciu plant tl >w-
ers and vegetables close up to it.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

89

Mr. WiLT.TAMS of Bucks. In relation to the Champion quince I would say that I
have raised it and can endorse what Mr. Moon has said in relation to it ; the first few
years I did not find the fruit to be as good as that of the Orange, but now it is as good
or better, and more productive. .

The Russian mulberry I have also tried, but have never yet had any fruit from it.
In this connection. I would say that many fruits are highly praised as a market va-
riety without knowing how they will do in the locality for which they are recommended.
I believe as the gentleman has stated, that it is diricouraging to the fruit grower to be
thus disappointed. There have been large numbers of Russian pears sold m this coun-
try because they were cheap, and the colored plate accompanying them very hand-
some; thov have been claimed to be very productive, but I do not believe that tliose
who sell them tell all that has been said about them, or, that is known of them. After
they are once tri< d in any locality they are not praised so highly. I hnd that Mr. Moon
and other practical men are not very l<md in their praise, although they may have the
trees to sell : we have not tested them here yet sufficiently to warrant us in giving an
opinion of their merit, either as to quality or productiveness. , ^ ^ x r.

Secretary Edge. It has often seemed to me that the result of local tests, too otten
based upon the products of a single tree, are very misleading, and often are the real
cause of the trouble ; twenty feet either way may give an entirely dirterent result with
any variety when single specimens only are considered. Twenty feet may possibly
make as much difference as twenty miles. We can only properly judge by the result
of orchards of considerable size, or, from the collected evidenceof a very large number
of single cases; any other evidence is liable to deceive us. In mv travels over the
State I have found fruit growers divided as to the merits of the Kietler pear ; some
look at it from a market standpoint and judge of its value by the price ^yhlch it com-
mands in the market; others value it from the standpoint of an amateur, and, ot
course, make quality the sole criterion of value. It is often the case that a pear of sec
ond rate quality, if productive, will pay the large market ^^^''^.^^'f '* J"''^* \/^^t^,^^'„^^';^'l
some of our finest kinds; he looks at them from the standpoint ot proht and not ot

^^Whli'i new fruits or varieties are placed up<,n the market the prices are high and un-
scrupulous dealers will very often sell old and discarded trees •^'y\\''^f2TJ'-\u\l
new and disappoint the grower; in such case the new variety gets the blame how
often has this been i)roven true within the past ten years, and with every variety of
fruit'? From the varying specimens which have been shown to me for the Kietter,
I anVsatistied that many have been deceived in their trees, and that they have not the
true Kieffer. It must be admitted that the Kietler is not a first-class pear, and that ts
Quality depends very much upon the success of the grower in ripening it. yet its
be^utv of growth, and in propeV localities, its productiveness will insure it ^ Phic« on
the nmrket list until we have something better which will come into the market at the
same time and be as productive.

BREEDING AlsD RAISING CALVES FOR THE

DAIRY.

By Ezra Michiner, Carversville, Bucks count i/., Pennsylvania.

Tliis subject has been written about and discussed until it would
seem that all had been said that could, in any mannei% enli^liten the
dairy farmer in his endeavers to keep up to the times in his calling.

a" proper consideration requires that we should study the dillerent
breeds of cattle intelligently, that we may be able to decide which we
will adopt, as I claim it to be an absolute necessity that to breed and
raise a profitable dairy, and keep it supplied for a litetime, some one
of the distinct breeds of cattle must be selected. It is true that theie
are manv valuable dairy cows among the common stock ot the
country V)ut thev haye been bred in such a haphazard way for gener-
ations'that no reliability can be placed upon them to duplicate them-
selves and, if you caniiot have a reasonable assurance ot what you
are KOI"'' to breed when mating anin.als, you cannot obtain a first-
class dairy of fifteen to twenty cows in a liletime.

Therefore, the dairyman who does not raise his oNvn stock must buy
the commmi cows which may be for sale in his vicinity, as the thor-

90

QUAKTEKLY KePORT.

oii<:li-bred ones are too high in price to purchase merely for their milk-
giving qualities.

Our subject, however, does not reach this class, and we must pre-
sume that all are to raise their own cows.

The surroundin«:s of diilerent persons are such that the breed \vhich
would exactly suit in some localities would be entirely unfit in
others.

The way the creameries are numaged in Bucks county, it would ap-
pear to be a good policy ibr each patron to raise cows that would give
a large (punitity of milk, without regard to the quality. A difficulty
is met here by the fact that if all dairymen had the large milkers,
whoso njilk was delicient in butter, that the price paid at the creamery
would be less per hundredweight, and the receipts not amount to as
much as they now do. While a few who have cows of the Jersey or
Guernsey breeds patronize the creameries, they do so with the full
knowledge that they are not getting value received for i)roduct, and
are l)eneiiting their neighbors more than themselves.

In the western States they are ahead of us in this particular, and
buy their cream at a price per inch, governed by the amount of but-
ter each i)atron's cream will make by repeated tests.

To get at our question fairly, I will state that, when I was invited
to prepare an article for this meeting, it was stated that the best breeds
of cattle w^ould very properly be considered a legitimate branch.

I will, therefore, state my preference by saying that I think the
Guernsey is the best cow to raise for the average dairyman in this
section, whether he intends to manufacture his butter at home or take
his milk to the creamery.

I do not claim, as some breeders do, that my choice is a perfect gen-
eral-purpose cow^— that is, a perfect milk cow— and a perfect beef
animal in one— a combination of two qualities as essentially different
as to combine a race horse with a draft horse, and expect the combin-
ation to be equal to either pure bloods to a heavy load or on the
track.

We very freciuently hear the remark that our cows are too small to
be profitably fattened and sold to the butcher when done milking,
and, consequently, a great loss must result. This idea is as prepos-
terous as it would be for the housewife to buy a stove about three
sizes larger than was necessary to do her cookinii; properly, and that
would consume one third more fuel than the smaller one,^nerely for
the sake of selling it for old iron when no longer useful The beef
whicli now comes from the West has driven our farmers out of the
business of fattening old cows that will alwavs cost more than they
conrie to, whether a diminutive little Kerrv, oV the massive Hereford,
or JJurham, provided they have spent a dozen or more years in profi-
table milk-giving.

The Guernsey cow is a cow of fair size, averaging fully one thousand
pounds at maturity, and possessing a good constitution, and no more
liable to disease of any kind than the native cattle. They will make
as much butter in a week or year as any other breed of cattle in ex-
istence, and make it richer. Their milk and butter is higher colored
than any other race of cattle. No coloring material, or oleomargarine
oil need ever be used, even in winter, to color their butter

1 heir own color shows this, even to an inexperienced person, as
they look like butter, being generally of a rich, golden, yellow fawn

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

91

They are very quiet in disposition, and become much attached to their
herdsman.

The bulls are less apt to become cross than many other breeds, and
can be profitably kept as long as wished.

Having chosen our breed, we now start to improve upon it if pos-
sible. The first selection has much to do with our luture success or
failure, as both are ])ossible with any breed. It is a saying among
breeders, generally, that the bull is half the herd, and my experience
confirms this statement. I had the choice of two bull calves when I
first started breeding, and chose the inferior one, on my poor judg-
ment, at the same price. When I made my selection known I was
promptly refused the calf, the owner saying that he was not worth
raising, and that he should be killed on the premises. The other one
he said would make about a perfect animal, and would perpetuate his
good qualities in his off'sp ring, a statement which proved to be correct.
I would, therefore, advise all young beginners to take counsel of trust-
worthy persons, before beginning, as they will gain, by so doing, a
great amount of useful information.

In selecting a bull I am firm in the belief that (piality is the first
essential point to be looked after. You can breed and feed for quan-
tity, but the quality is harder to obtain, and when once established re-
quires constant watching that it does not deteriorate. I have made
my selection of bulls on this plan, and feel that I have been highly
successful in every one purchased.

It is not necessary to pay fabulous prices for stock to commence
with, as good cattle can always be bought at reasonable figures.

Having selected the bull the next point is to get suitalde females for
mating with him. What I mean by suitable is that they should cor-
resi)ond in general makeup and constitution, as near as possible, as a
greater unitbrmity of their i)rogeny will be the result if this plan is
carried out.

Our calves are now ready for the making of our future cow^s, and,
perhaps, the greatest difiiculty w^e have to encounter stares us in the
face, as I believe the first six months of the calf's existence is the
most critical time of its life as regards its future usefulness. They
should be taken from the cow at about a week old and well fed on
food adapted to make a healthy growth without making it too fat, or to
reach the other extreme and become poor. The calf is very a])t to be
neglected in a busy time, and not fed at regular intervals, and the
consequence is that when fed it eats too much and too hurriedly, and
indigestion follows with its many evils, and the calf suffers from this
want of care more in one day than can be repaired in a week.

An article in a recent co])y of the American Dairyman suits the
case so well that I take the liberty of using it here.

''We w^ould advise that you now give the calves a severe overhauling
to see what condition they will be in when cold whether reaches them.
Are they i)lump enough to make a good stand against a sleeting nor'-
wester, or will they, on account of being in thin llesh, need a great
deal of coddling to get them through the winter so that they will come
ont in the spring spry and ready to take to grass and push ahead with-
out the delay of needing to be rebuilt in order to reach the point they
were at in the fall. Of course we are not advocating a i)lan of fatten-
ing calves so that they can stand any kind of weather and needless
exposure. We believe in good, w\arm, dry stables; but we know" full
well that few farmers have such things for the use of calves and the

92

Quarterly Report.

other young sto(3k of the farm. Such critters are usually left to shift
for themselves, while the cows in milk, and especially the horses that,
being old and tough, could stand bad weather better than any of them,
have the warmest corner of the stable, and not only the deepest but
the only bedding of any animals on the farm. No one can complain
of lavors shown the cows in milk, for they are generally thin of llesh
and highly sensitive to cold, but the young stock of the i'arm, though
they may look in good condition and be comparatively fat, yet their
llesh is tender and their hair and hides are comparatively thin, making
them feel the eifect of raw, cold weather to a very trying degree. It
is easy enough to confine such stock in a large dry room to themselves
where they can keep warm and comfortable; such treatment is not
only human, ])ut there is money in it.''

Of course the calves should have regular exercise, and not be con-
lined to the stalde at all times, but be out every fair day in winter, in
a sheltered yard, as their appetites will be keener and their digestion
better for this diversion.

If kept in this manner they should be allowed to come in profit at
about two years of age, so as to have the milking habit earlv estab-
lished in their lifetime. If they are allowed to go much beyond this
period before becoming cows they will probably take on coo much
flesh, if well fed, as they should be, and this is a point to be iruarded
against, as the llesh forming habit once formed in their earlv life be-
comes a second nature, which will take years to overcome.

There is no use of any man attempting to raise a heard of dairy
cows unless he has a natural aptitude for the business, and will give it
a fair share of personal supervision, as raising good cows by proxy is
not very often successfully accomplished.

FARMERS' DAUGHTERS.

By Miss Lizzie E. Blackfan, tsolelury, Pennsylvania,

Much has been thought and written of late years of farmers' sons,
their education, training, and destiny. How shall we make the home
pleasant and attractive enough to keep them there? As there seems
to have been no conclusion reached, we propose to turn our thoughts
in another direction and query as to what is to become of the farmers'
daugliters. Are they of such slight importance that so little has been
said ot them? What of their education, their training? How is tiie
home to be made attractive to them ?

One hundred years ago the question was easilv answered. The
farmer s daughter was a healthy, happy, ignorant ^irl, who was well
instructed m the art ot making butter and cheese, of cooking and
bakmg, spinning and weaving. She had also a knowledge, gained
from experience, of the outdoor work of t lu^ farm. Her mental (fulture
was small, consisting of the reading, writing, and arithmetic of the
district schools of those days. She married some young farmer, and her
chief aim m hie was to have the best cheese and butter, the lightest
bread and richest most toothsome preserves and pickles in tlie coun-
U' f ^^^^^ farmer 8 son sometimes went to college and out into the
gieat world, but such a thing was never thought of for the dau-hter.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

93

The opportunities then were not what they are now, and it was said
then, as we still occasionally hear, that woman did not need educa-
tion; that her special work — that is, housekeeping— was more devot-
edly attended to when there were no books or papers to distract at-
tention.

The insult in this reasoning to the wisdom of the power which
created the brain of both man and woman was apparently never
thought of. Education, it w^as reasoned, would take her away from
home, she would lose tier love for it, and then what would become
of us! Trial has proved this false. In fact, it is becoming more and
more recognized that a woman's best field of work still lies within
the four walls of her home. That is her kingdom. But she must l)e
there as man's companion and equal, not as his drudge or plaything,
as the case may be, otherwise the home, and consecjuently the coun-
try, will degenerate. Will not the home be happier and better if
ruled by an intelligent and cultured woman, than by one of feeble
uncultivated mind? The heart may be all right, but the heart needs
the control of the judgment, else the love which might be the blessin**-
becomes but the curse. ^

Samuel Smiles says, "It is not too much to aver that the happiness
or misery, the enlightenment or ignorance, the civilization or barbar-
ism of the world, depends in a very high degree upon the exercise of
woman's powder, within the special kingdom of home." Many of the
greatest men of the world, greatest in mind and character, have ac-
knowledged with grateful tenderness all thev have owed to their
mothers: Samuel Johnson, George Washington, Lord Chancellors
Bacon, Erskine, Brougham, and many others too numerous to men-
tion. Ex-Bresident Adams, in a speech acknowledging an address
presented him by the pupils of a girls' school in Boston, took that op-
portunity of referring to the lasting inlluence which womanly train-
ing and association had exercised upon his own life and character
'^As a child," he said, " I enjoyed, perhaps, the greatest blessing that
can be bestowed upon a man— that of a mother who was anxious and
capable to form the characters of her cliildren rightly. From her I
derived whatever instruction, religious especially, and moral— has
pervaded a long life— I will not say perfectly, or* as it ought to be;
but I will say, because it is only justice to the memory of her whom'
I revere, a\ liatever imperfection there has been, or deviation from
what she taught me, the fault is mine, not hers."

With the extension of railroads, the multiplying of schools and col-
leges, and especially the cheapness and plentifulness of books, there
has come a great advancement in the condition of all our farming
communities. Look round Bucks county to-day. Go into the iarm-
houses scattered over the country and compare' them with what they
\vere a hundred or even fifty years ago. Then the kitchen was the
sitting room, as well as the eating room, and the family gathered about
the fireplace, a beautiful open fire, it is true, but tlie crackling lo^'-s
never half warmed the room, and the smoking, tlickering ligjit of the
tallow candles made reading an impossil)ility, even if there had been
anything to read. The conversation was u])on larni matters. There
was a parlor, but it was a cold, still' apartment, to enter which would
send a chill over any one, and was reserved lor state occasions, wed-
dings, funerals, etc. Truly '4he strength of a nation is in its homes,"
and nowhere is the progress of our country toward true greatness so
marked as in the improvement in our homes.

94

QUAKTEKLY RePOKT.

Go into one of our representative Bucks county homes to-day, and
mark the air of comfort, even refinement, which characterizes it. Tlie
room is warmed, and carpeted, and comfortably furnished ; books and
papers lie scattered upon a table, lighted by a well-trimmed lamp.
There is a piano, perhaps, or, at least, an organ, and music lends the
charm of its presence. The farmer himself is changed. He is no
longer a kind-hearted, but blulf, rough, and uneducated man. He is
not less honest and kind-hearted, but he is well educated and well
read. His wife is no longer a weary, overworked drudge, too tired at
night to think of anything except the next day's weary round.
Science has lifted the l)urden of work from her, as well as Irom the
farmer. She has had more leisure to cultivate mind and heart. And
the daughter — what of her? Instead of the blooming, bouncing lass
of long ago, whose thoughts were devoted to the rustic "' beaux," so
called, whose knowledge of books was little, and whose liking for
them less, we have a lady whose graceful bearing and manner show
the effect of education and thought. She can talk politics, and read
Carlyle and liuskin, and hold her own in any society. Let us hope
the lingers that touch the piano keys so lightly can yet wield the
l)room and mould the bread, and that her pies, cake, and preserves
show that she is the true farmer's daughter, and has the common sense
to know that. Although accomplishments are good, a knowledge of
housekeeping in all its branches is one of the truest accomplishments
a woman can possess, and without which she is a failure.

Therefore, for our farmers' daughters, we plead for education ; not
a superficial one, embracing a smattering of all fashionable accom-
j>lishments, but one of mind, and heart, and body ; for, in developing
the mental powers, do not forget the physical. "A sound mind in a
sound body " is as good a maxim now as it ever was. Let the
foundation of the education be well laid. To all of us, opportunities
aie not given of attending the best schools, but do not let that discour-
age you. If there is no good school near you, and you cannot go to
seek one, then study at home. There are many courses of reading
open to you. Interest your families and companions in them. For
less than ten dollars per year the Chautauqua Reading Circle olfers a
four years' course, embracing all the principal parts of Greek, Roman,
English, and American history and literature. Who need despair
when learning, and learning worth having, is made so cheap and at-
tainable ^ If schools are possible, go to as good and thorough a one
as possible; buti do not think when through school that your educa-
tion is finished — it is barely well begun. The mind grows rusty by
disuse, and to do away with study, because througli with school, is
throwing away what you have already gained. It is like letting land,
partially seeded, lie to grow up with weeds. Read, study, think.
Your household tasks allow you plenty of time for thought.

One good book, carefully read and thought over, is worth a dozen
skimmed and then forgotten. Above all, cultivate method, accuracy,
in habits both of work and study. Mr. Bright has said, '* Teach a boy
arithmetic thoroughly, and he is a made man." Why? Because it
teaches him method, accuracy, value. But, alas! for an ordinary
girl's arithmetic; and who needs it more than a housekeeper? No
d()u])t, many a one has failed to make Imth ends meet from sheer
ignorance of how to keep a record of expenditure, and of the value of
things. The value of method in house-work cannot be overestimated.
Disorder, hurry, everything uncomfortable flies before it. ^'There-

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

95

fore, get wisdow; and, with all thy getting, get understanding." Seek
to develop what talents you have. Few can be great, but all can be
good, women.

As all farmers' sons cannot be John Whittiers, or Daniel Websters,
neither can all farmers' daughters be Alice Carys or Mary Somer-
villes. You may never become great authors, poets, artists'; for ge-
nius is born, not made. But the inlluence of a good woman is as wide
as that of a great one; and, though your name may never be known
beyond the limits of your own neighborhood, your influence — the in-
lluence which nobility of character and devotion to duty will exert —
is practically illimitable. '' Be what thou prayest to be made," and
help to make the name of farmers' daughters a synonym for all that
is best and noblest in cultured womanhood.

FARMERS' WIYES— THEIR RIGHTS A]^D DUTIES.

By Mrs. Huldaii P. Mattison, A^ew Hope, Pennsylvania,

Dilferent people will, of course, have different views on the subject.
What one thinks the rights and duties may not be regarded as such
by another, and vice versa. We can, therefore, only give our own
views, and let each one think as he pleases after all.

A farmer's wife should be the partner of her husband in every
sense of the word, just as thoroughly as two men entering into partner-
ship are both to know all about the business, so should the man and
wife be acquainted with all the financial affairs of the farm. In look-
ing over the county papers we notice many farms for sale by sheriff
or assignee. AVould this be true, we wonder, if more of the wives knew
the straitened circumstances of their husbands. A woman is gener-
ally proud of her husband's prosperity, financially, and will lend heart
and hand to help it along. Very often the husband's failure is a com-
plete surprise to the wife, he, from a false sense of ])ride or shame, or
something of the kind, having led her to think that they were in com-
fortable circumstances at least. A farmer's wife, and every other wife,
has a right to all the comforts and luxuries they can afford, but no
more. If some one else must pay the bills, the right to such things
ceases to exist. No one has a right to luxuries at some one else's ex-
pense. A woman should assert her right to know the state of her hus-
band's finances, and then, by prudence, economy, and industry, do her
duty toward getting along.

There are a few husbands who deny their wives the right to anything
but to work and to save, and when they could afford to live comfort-
ably, at least, allow her the barest necessities. No help is allowed
her, and she, too weak to insist on her right to a fair share of
help, drudges from morning to night, day after day, year after year,
witli no time for reading or recreation of any kind. Nothing but in-
cessant toil. She becomes old before her time, and perhaps by a ''dis-
pensation of Providence '' leaves her husband a widower, before mid-
dle age. It is hardly likely that he has hurt himself working, for it
has been my experience to notice that where the man thought there
was nothing to do indoors to need help, he was pretty sure to need an
extra share outside. When left a widower, he finds himself so young

96

Quarterly Report.

that he seeks consolation and finds irsoon, in a new \vire,w]H) i)resides
over his home. What the departed worked so liard ibr is now enjoyed
by another, for it is seldom you find the second edition walkin<; in the
footsteps of the first.

The question, should the wife have an independent purse? is often
debated. She certainly has a right to have one if she desires it. But
we tliink when both parties are of moderate intelligence, possessing a
I'air share of good common sense, each having full confidence in the
other, as it always should be, the purse should l)e as free to the one as
to the other. Where between the farmer and his wife exist mutual
sympathy, and a full clear understanding, the twain will be one flesh,
with one mutual purse. But as farmers are apt as other men to marry
girls who have never luid a chance to learn the value of money, or an
opportunity to test its wings, for it hath wings, verily, it may be best
in such cases to allow the wife a stipulated sum for certain expenses,
and in this way, in time, slie may learn the use of money.

Some wives, it' they have a share in some of tlie farm products, will
put more enthusiasm in their work. To raise the poultry and see to
the selling of it and then spend the money as she pleases, though it
should be prudently, of course, or to have an interest in the dairy,
lends a zest to efforts, and gives her a feeling of independence and
confidence in herself, a feeling that she is earning her own living, and
getting an insight into the workings of the farm, that some will not
have without some stimulus, and which she has as good a right to as
her husband. It' any husband thinks otherwise, if he thinks one
enough to feel independent about money matters, and that one him-
self, of course, and that it is all nonsense for a woman to have money
without treml^lingly asking for it, let him try his own doctrine, take
his own medicine, for one year, at least, and we think he will squirm
as much as any physician put to the same test. Let his wife hold the
purse and dole out to him grudgingly, do as he has been doing all
along, never give him money unless he asks for it, and then with
many ({uestions as to what he is going to use it for, and always give a
little less than he asks for, and wonder aloud what he did with the
fifty cents he got a week or two ago. We think a year of this will con-
vince him, and he will feel that their rights are"^ more nearly equal
than he ever thought before.

But it is no doubt best for a wife to think more of duties than of
rights. It seems to me that one of the paramount duties is to be a
good housekeeper. A farmer's work is certainly hard, wearing work,
and he needs good, nourishing food to repair the waste that is con-
stantly going on in the system if he would keep strong and well. The
harder the fire burns the more fuel it takes to keep it going. The
harder the muscular work the more food required to feed that fire.
The farmer's wife should, therefore, be a good cook. We don't mean
that she should of necessity be able to prepare all the dainties re-
quired by an epicure, but that she should cook well such food as is used
on the tal)le of the average farmer. Her bread, meat, and vegetables,
at least, she should know how to cook perfectly. It is a duty also to
know which foods are healthy and which injurious to the system. We
do not live to eat, but we do eat to live, and we should have food that
will help us live the best and most comfortably. AVe have no doubt
in our own case that the stomach would give*^less trouble now if in
our early days we had known no such thing as fried potatoes for sup-

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

97

per and pie for dinner at school, day in and day out, and perliaps for
sup])er and breakfast too.

There is much agit ation to-day about temperance, and a great effort
IS being made to teach children the evil effects of alcohol on the
human system; but very little is said about the evil effects of im-
proper, ill-cooked food, wliich produces effects, if not as serious as
alcohol, only second to that great evil. Wives, see to your duty in
this direction, for this ought ye to have done and not to leave the
other undone. Children cannot be healthily fed, as we know many
of the children throughout tlie land are fed. Many wives and mothers
tliink the eating department of only secondary importance. Anything
that will fill the stomach is, in their opinion, good enough to eat. As
far as our experience extends, we have found more poor cooks among
the farmers' wives than drunkards among the farmers. Among the
children brought under our notice in the last twelve years, we have
seen as much, if not more, ill health produced by lack of nourishing
food than we have by tobacco or alcohol, either directly or indirectly.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness in housekeeping as in everything
else. Then we should say be clean. Have your table set as neatly
as possible and arrange the food upon it in a tempting manner. Let
the cloth be nicely laundried; let the dishes, though Uiey be neither
€hina nor i)late, be perfectly clean. If you have flowers, by all means
have a boucjuet on the ta})le. Every little refinement that can be
added to your homes adds to the liappiness of the family.

It is the wife's duty to keep her house in good order, that when the
farmer comes in tired at night his home may look pleasant and rest-
ful. She should be tidy and cheerful Iierself, for nothing is more
pleasant to the tired farmer when his day's work is over than to come
in and find everything cosy and to look at his wife with a feeling that
she is a real companion and homemaker.

It is a duty to know how to do, and to do, if necessary, all tilings
needed for the comfort of the family. Buttonless shirts and heelless
stockings are not among things that delight the heart of man, and it
IS the wife's duty to see that the wardrobes of each one in her family
are in good order. Some women think the more ruffles and tucks
they put in their children's clothes the better they are doing their
duty, even though body and mind both be neglected for the adorn-
ment of the person.

It is the wife's duty to see that economy is practiced in every de-
partment under her control. Many wives know their dutv, they know
exactly what should be done, but poor health and no "^help compel
them to leave undone many things which it were better to have done.
Good health and good help are requisites to carry out our ideas of
duty and good housekeeping.

It is not a wife's duty to do outdoor work, to the neglect of the in-
door work. But if she has time and strength she may help her hus-
band in any way she desires. Outdoor work is healthy work, and to
attend to the poultry and help with the gardening is work which any
woman might take delight in. No one knows exactly what another's
duty is entirely, but it should be the great business'of every wife to
try and find out what her duties are for herself; and if slie, with a
brave, true spii-it, goes to work in earnest she will find what her duties
are. But she must be in earnest. ''There is no substitute for thor-
ough-going, ardent, sincere earnestness." Earnestness is something
indispensable. Our great trouble is we are not enough in earnest. If

7

98

Quarterly Report.

we go to work with true spirit, ])rave lieart, good liealtli, good help,
and sincere earnestness our duties will be revealed to us, and our
rights will take care of themselves.

OUR CUEAMEKIES— THEIR USES AXD NEEDS.

By Joseph Eoberts, Soleburf/, Bucks county^ Pennsylvania,

Having been requested to prepare an article on creameries, I have
made an cllbrt to present to you a few thoughts, experiments, and
facts relating to this subject. Trusting you will pardon all inoiiicioncy,
and that in expressing my honest convictions, I will call forth i'ree and
earnest comments from those who diifer in opinion. Prejudice and
ignorance are two enemies that must be overthrown.

Though only five years have elapsed since the introduction of cream-
eries into Eastern Pennsylvania, some twenty establishments have
failed, and many others are not doing a profitable business. On the
other hnnd, several factories have been remarkably prosperous and
show a striking contrast when compared with their unfortunate neigh-
bors.

The increasing demand for creamery products shows that in many
instances the factory process is growing into popular i'avor. The in-
troduction of separators, by which ten per cent, more butter can be
made than by the ordinary process, has placed our creameries on a
firm basis. The excellent quality of this butter insures its future use.
In comparing the value of creamery with average dairy butter, we
find the advance in price in favor of creamery butter to be about four
cents a pound. This, at the rate of four x^ounds to the hundred-weight
of milk, yields a gain of twenty cents. A factory receiving five thous-
and pounds of milk daily will more than pay all expenses connected
with its operation.

In speaking of dairy butter I have taken the price i)aid by the
stores, and in neighborhoods where the creameries are not so located
as to make it convenient for the farmers to sell their milk. Of course
there are many dairies that exceed the creamery in price of butter,
but they have always been in advance of the average farmer, and gen-
erally market their own product.

The (luality of creamery butter may still be improved, and the low
prices received during a part of the year avoided by a little difierent
management and arrangement. Many of our creameries have not
proper facilities for ripening their cream. They should have a place
where the tem^^erature is the same as they desire to churn, without,
using ice-coolers. Each creamery needs a place in its ice liouse, or
better still a separate building may be provided by several creameries
joining together, where the butter made during the very low price in
summer can be stored away, thus relieving the market from so much
surplus butter which may i3e sold to an advantage in the fall or win-
ter.

I do not think that the creameries in this section have advanced as
carefully and thoroughly as they should in some things. I am sorry
to say that there are creameries that are noticed more on account of
their uncleanly condition than any other one feature they possess.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

99

This state of things is to be deplored, as it reacts upon the whole
creamery system, and has great intluence with our best customers, be-
side giving us the reputation of not being calculated to produce the
most desirable grade of butter. Men, as a rule, are not as neat and
clean as women, and do not take pride in scrubbing and scalding, con-
se(iuently creameries operated by men not adapted to the business
fail greatly in this respect.

A spirit of strife and competition is a stimulant, and in many ways
has a good influeuce, ])ut genuine co()peration among the factories
will aid vastly more in their improvement. I regret, exceedingly, the
apparent inditl'orence of the managers and their operators in making
an eifort to attend meetings expressly designed to promote their wel-
fare. Any enterprise, springing into existence so rapidly as the cream-
ery system has done, must recjuire time to correct the many errors
that have been made by pei sons not familiar with the business. I
presume that the majority of the creameries were planned and fin-
ished by those who know but little about the real requirements of
dairy factories.

In many instances costly buildings and improper and expensive
machinery have contracted a debt so large, that though the persons
interested were competent business men, they found the expense
greater than the profit.

Another cause of non-success or failure is traceable to dissatisfac-
tion among the board of managers. This diversity of opinion and in-
harmonious action of the persons empowered to conduct the business,
resulting in discontent among the patrons and indifference with the
operators, who feel that no matter what they do there will be fault
found with their labors. Still another source of trouble arises from em-
ploying persons not calculated to properly run a creamery. We need
more live men to work ibr the iurtherance of our own creamery in-
terest in all its departments. We need greater care in manufacture
of our butter.

AVe need to learn difi'erent methods for the making of skim milk
into some good and wholesome article of food, to take the place of
these hard skims, that are a drug on the market most of the year.
We know so little of the manufacture of the variety of cheeses made
in the old country. There are various kinds of soft cheeses that could
undoubtedly be made and sold to advantage in our cities.

I do not think there has been sufficient importance given to the
testing of milk to determine the real value of the different dairies.
Having made several such tests, I am well aware of the extra labor
that these experiments require. In using the butyrometer the cost of
chemicals is also a drawback, as well as the knowledge of the strength
of materials.

Being informed that some of our creameries have decided to pay
for milk according to lactometer and cream gauge tests, I desire to
mention a few facts that I have gleaned. It has been clearly proven
and decided in several cases brought before court that the lactometer,
so extensively used by our creamery and factory men, is not accurate,
and cannot be relied upon as determining the ])urity or richness of
milk, 'i'ho Frankford cheese factory, of Heikimer county. New York,
brought suit against one of its patrons for the adulteration Of his milk.
The case was considered a very important ones and intense interest
was manifested by factory men and others. The trial lasted two days,
and eminent counsel was employed on both sides. The decision was

100

QUAKTERLY KePORT.

rendered in favor of the def^^ndant, it heini:- proven that the lactometer
will show a variation of ten degrees in pure milk taken from the same
breed of cows while being fed on the same kind of food. Protessor
Volker, in making four tests of pure milk, found a variation of 16. 10
degrees, as recorded by tlie lactometer.

Our creamery men will find it important to investigate the cream-
gauge and as(*ertain if it be any more reliable than the lactometer.
Now, that which at first seems clear becomes doubtful, and further
search proves fallaceous, as fifteen per cent, of some cream will pro-
duce less butter than ten per cent, of others. A creamery m Illinois
in testing thirl v-six patrons' cream, by the ^'Fairlamb cans, that
should yield one*^ pound of butter to an inch of cream,*' found a varia-
tion of eight to tweuty-four ounces of butter from an inch of cream.

L. H. Harding shows in his writings that it is impossible to deter-
mine the true value of milk by any cream-gauging system. There are
so many things to be taken into consideration— the time of year, the
food, the breed, etc., and not least, the care exercised in making the

test.

It is well known that if milk is allowed to stand and the cream is
once separated that the second attempt will not show as large a per
cent. This is especially true with Jerseys, or such cows as yield milk
in which the globules of butter fat are large. It is equally true with
milk that has not been properly cared for. Here lies the difficulty
with creameries receiving milk but once a day.

Thoroughly chilled milk, or milk from which the cream has once
separated, or milk that has been allowed to get almost sour will not
show a large per cent, of cream. Yet the butter is there, and by
churning, the whole milk may yield more butter than milk diil'erently
managed and showing a greater percent, of cream. Thus milk show-
ing only ten per cent, of cream may i)roduce more butter than milk
showing fifteen per cent.

Shall we then churn our milk in small samples as the correct test?
This method is said to be successfully jn'acticed in some parts of the
West, and has been adopted by some of our best dairymen. In this
test, also, there must be great care exercised as it has been shown
that new milk may not yield one half of its butter, as apjjears in the
following test :

One hundred pounds of new milk yields one and one half pounds
of butter; this milk churned the next day, one and five eighth pounds
of butter; churned again on the following day, nearly one pound
more. Several experiments made gave similar results, the tempera-
ture in churning being sixty-four degrees.

All milk tests are considered by may persons to be unsatisfactory
and useless. This belief retards progress in improving the quality of
milk, and encourages among managers and operators an indifference
that I consider akin to failure.

If the cooperative creamery system is to be a greater success in the
future, the managers of the various factories must meet together to
compare their views on the dairy and kindred subjects; to make their
cause more popular in State affairs, and see to it that they are properly
protected by law. They must not permit a few earnest people to do
all the work. A more united action is absolutely necessary in this
direction, and it is through farmers' meetings and conventions that
much good can be accomplished. The laws that have been passed in
our favor must be watched and enforced, or we will lose our vantage

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

101

ground. Let us put more enthusiasm into our work. Farmers should
take more interest in their creameries, which not only add to their
profits, but remove a heavy burden from their wives and daughters.

SOME KEQUIREMENTS I^ FRUIT CULTURE.

By J. A. Herr, member from Clinton county^ Cedar Springs^ Penn-
sylvania,

Among all people, in all climes where fruit can be grown, it forms
a prominent and healtliful portion of human diet. In the heated
portions of the earth, it forms the principal food of the natives.
Growing spontaneously, as it does over a great portion of the earth,
it invites to indolence and sloth, while reposing beneath its foliage
and subsisting on its gratuitous productions. These facts, perhaps, will,
in some measure, excuse the very prevalent idea, entertained by a
great majority of our people, that fruit, even in this climate and local-
ity, is a sort of spontaneous production, rerpiiring but little except the
planting to realize the luscious fruits with which our markets are sup-
plied, affording a sufficient excuse for the marauder to help himself to
whatever comes within his reach.

Fruit is looked upon as a gratuity to man from the '^ Giver of all
Good," whicli he, in turn, should offer as a free gift to all desiring;
and this idea affords sufficient excuse for the passer-by to help himself
as liis appetite may crave or as opportunity affords. Every school-boy
feels licensed to partake of the fruit growing near the path Avhich he
travels, and a person w^ould be considered mean who refused a mess
of fruit to any one asking for the same. There is no other product of
the farm that affords so much license for stealing, unless it be the
^'iniquitous watermelon." If the premises in this case were correct,
the conclusions might justly follow.

The practical fruit-grower realizes the fact that this is not the cli-
mate of spontaneous production, and that it is onlv bv constant and
repeated efforts tliat his labors meet with success! there is no de-
partment in agricultural pursuits requiring so much close attention,
well-trained management, and diversified knowledge as the propaga-
tion, cultivation, gathering, preservation, and marketing of all the
different kinds of fruits suitable to be grown in one locality, each in
its proper season. The fruit-grower who personally manages his farm
is constantly employed, and very much of his labor is of such import-
ance that he cannot delegate it to another. This is especially the case
during the marketing of his more perishable fruits.

The. care and preservation of his fruits and fruit trees afford him oc-
cupation during almost the entire year. This employment is remun-
erative, or otherwise, just in proportion to the intelligent manage-
ment of the business and the labor employed, provided the natural
advantages of situation, soil, and climate are of average quality.

The first item of importance in successful fruit growing is the study
of the situation of the grower as to climate, character, and quality of
soil, drainage, access to fertilizers, and adaption of these to the varie-
ties of fruit grown.

The majority of our fruits thrive best in a sandy or gravelly loam

102

Quarterly Keport.

soil, with a sufficient drainage to prevent water from standing any por-
tion of the year. Plums and quinces will endure a more moist soil
than other fruits. An inclination towards the south or south-west is
generally desirable, but that is largely a question of locality as to cli-
mate. An easy access to fertilizers, especially to towns and cities
where stable manure can be obtained in quantities at reasonable
prices, is a very desirable consideration. '' Feed the soil, if you would
have the soil feed you," is as applicable to fruit growing as to any de-
partment of agriculture. I am well satisfied that high manuring will
pav in fruit growing as well as in growing any other product.

Thorougl/ cultivation is a necessary requirement, but will not take
the place of fertilizer to any great extent, but combined with it will
produce the verv best results. This is more especially the case in
growing small fruit and in young orchards. After apple trees have
become older they may be left in grass, it the proper fertilization be

not neglected.

Another item of primal importance is a careful study of tlie market
to be supplied. To have fruit come in at the time when the nuirket
is glutted with fruit from a source where such fruit is a specialty, will
not afford remunerative prices. By observing the proper time that
fruit is in demand, the grower can vary his product so as to have either
early or late varieties, as best suits the market.

He must also study the demands of the market and grow with a view
to supply that demand, as far as his peculiar location will allow. If pears
or peaches can be grown to 1)est advantage, lie will plant more largely
of them, observing, however, to keep up such a succession of fruits as
will keep his force of employes regularly employed and his farm im-
plements and equipments used with the greatest economy and advan-
tage. This, however, may be varied to a specialty of one or two fruits,
or to growing small fruits where plenty of help is obtainable at the
proper time.

The successful grower must keep abreast of the times in growing
the kind and (luality bringing the fancy prices in the market. This,
perhaps, is as much a matter of qrcalit]/^ or the grading of fruits, as in
the introduction of newer varieties. The nearness of the market has
much to do with the varieties of fruit grown. The grower living far
from market will want fewer varieties and less perishal)le fruit than
those who have a near market.

The average grower needs but few varieties, and tliose varieties
such as succeed best in his immediate localitv. This can onlv be
learned by close attention to the productiveness and (piality of fruits
near by or in similar localities. Better have a tree which bears regu-
larly and abundantly, if only of average quality, tlian another which
can never be depended on to produce a crop, although of a much higher
quality. Apples are largely local in tlieir successful cropping. A
variety may yield well and be of excellent (juality in one neighl)or-
hood, and yet in a locality but a short distance away will fail both in
yield and quality. It is folly to attempt to grow fruits when the soil
and climate are unfavorable.

Other fruits are not so local in their habits as apides, and the same
varieties can, with more confidence, be recommended over a greater
extent of territory.

The culture of plums is deserving of increased attention. They
need but to be protected from the attacks of the curculio to bear abun-
dantly, and, as they always command a fair price, w^ould prove re-

Pennsylvania Board or Agriculture.

103

munerative. The only successful way of destroying this pest is by
jarring the trees and catcliing them in a sheet or canvas and destroy-
ing them. This operatian should conmience about the time the blos-
sorns are off and continue for two or three weeks. As it requires but
a little time, and children can assist in the work, it is very inex-
pensive and is time profitably employed. I have been in the habit of
attending to this labor just after breakfast each morning during the
season and but once a day, and have not failed in a crop since adopt-
ing this xdan.

Quinces are easily propagated by planting cuttings in the spring of
the year, which, in a favorable season, seldom fail to grow. They are
very subject to the attack of the borer, but if these are attended \o in
time and destroyed, there is very little troul)le in growing (piinces.
They always command fair prices and are deserving of more attention
than they generally receive. I am in the habit of sprinkling salt about
quince trees once or twice in a year, as I believe to a profit, having
never yet failed in a crop.

I do not desire to discourage experiments in fruit growing. Every
grower should experiment to a limited extent, for by experiment old
varieties are often improved and new varieties obtained. It is only
by actual experiment that many valuable facts are learned. We
must remember, however, that experiments are expensive and more
frevuently result in failure than success, and he who jumps at con-
clusions and tries all the ^Miew valuable experiments" he hears of,
will surelv come to grief.

Give a wide berth to tlie tree agent, who, with handsome pictures
and fine samples of fruit preserved in alcohol, urges upon you the im-
portance of investing largely in some new and, in your locality, untried
fruit at fabulous prices. Better give your order to some reliable adja-
cent nurseryman, or local agent, who understnnds the peculiarities of
your situation and will assist you in making a desirable selection, and
at the sametime iiuarantee to the (lualitv of the stock.

The importance of planting good healthy stock cannot easily be
overestimated. We generally get better results by planting trees and
vines that are ([uite young than in planting those which are older, as
young trees do not sutler as much in shipment, nor in digging, as older
trees. The effect is also more noticeable in transplanting trees in
different kinds of soil from that in which they were originally grown.
A tree transplanted from a very rich soil into a comi)aratively poor
soil is very apt to become stunted and permanently injured.

In the propagation of fruits, either in the nursery or in the orchard,
by top grafting, great care should be exercised in selecting scions that
are healthy and thrifty, and from trees that bear tlie choicest fruit of
the variety selected; as the same variety in a different locality may
have inferior fruit, and, ])y an injudicious selection of, buds,an inferior
fruit may be proi)agated.

Every fruit-grower should keep a correct map of each of his orchards
— memory cannot be trusted to retain all tlie items of information re-
corded in a map. Information thus recorded will be of service to all
interested, and can be transmitted from one to another with all the
data of the transaction. Perlia])s two maps mights be still better; one
a temporary one in which might be noted the constant changes taking
place in the orchard at the time, giving all the data of experiments;
the other to contain the names of varieties and locality after tests and
experiments have been made. The maps will be valuable to the

lOi

Quarterly Report.

whole neighborhood luiving access to them, as well as to future gen-

f I'M ll OTl ^

In addition to these maps, or instead of a temporary map, a careful
memorandum should be kept, noting the time and manner of planting,
condition of soil, variety and condition of trees planted, and luture
treatment received. This memoranda might also contain the pecu-
liarities of growth and habits of trees, as to time of leaiing, blooming,
ripening, and length of keeping. A description of the fruit as to color,
size, llavor, shape, and (piality would also be very valuable, a,nd \vould
at once enable the grower to detect errors in the names of varieties
planled, and save liimself and others from future errors and mortilica-
tions over disappointments once endured.

Fruit growing is a liie work, and the earlier in life one engages in
it the greater are his chances of success. To be successful, a person
should have an enthusiasm ibr the work, and then the longer we are
engaged the more we are interested in it. Thence the necessity of
enlisting the young in this most interesting and delightful occ'upation.

Naturally attractive, by virtue of the luscious fruits which tempt
the appetite and tlie unfolding of the liowers and leaf in their season,
the development of which is an ol)ject of interest to all, the youth of
our farms might easily be induced to interest themselves in the plant-
ing and care of fruit trees and vines. They should early be instructed
in the propagation of trees, and if given a pecuniary interest in the
business, and given access to works on the varieties of fruits and their
culture would readily become enthusiastic workers in the business, and
have time to improve, witli experience, so that when tliey arrive at the
age at which the ordinary fruit-grower commences to learn, they would
be experienced, and, as the possibilities of the business are unbounded,,
might become illustrious in their chosen vocation, useful beyond meas-
ure in their day, and leaving to prosterity a wealth of information
obtainable only by a life of intelligent labor.

THE MOST PERPLEXING THIJsT4 FOR HOUSE

KEEPERS.

By Mrs. Mattie Ely.

If this question had been what is the most provoking thing for a
housekeeper 'i in one sense, I should have had a wider field from which
to gather my answer ; whereas, as it is restricted to the fraternity of
farmers' wives, I feel that I am handling edge tools within a small
compass, and must be careful or I shall cut myself or drag out the
skeleton from the closets of my worthy sisters as well as my own. The
question seems to imply that farmers' wives are thought to have bet-
ter or worse dispositions than the wives of men engaged in other l)usi-
ness, or that we have more to try us than other men's wives ; but liu-
man nature is human nature the world over, and here, at least,
we are on an equality even with the dwellers in the palaces of the
Vanderbilts and the castles of the Rothschilds. We have, too, a
chance even to be their superiors, for that woman is the superior who
can best curb her passions and control her temper, whether in a farm
house or in a palace, for one with divine authority has said, ^' greater
is he that ruletli his own spirit than he that taketii a city."

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

105^

^ There maybe two farmers' wives Avith eipudly good or bad disposi-
tions, as the case may be. To-day one thing may be the most provok-
ing thing for one, while tlie other may be as cool as an iceberg. Soon
after, the very thing that so tried the patience of the one in the first
instance, may not rutlle her in the least. S/ie has now become the
saintly one, while the iceberg will fret and fume like an Arabian
liorse under restraint.

We farmers' wives, like our husbands, have our pet hobbies and
nny infringernent on that hobby is for Die time the most provoking
thing. For instance, one wife has a natural abhorrence for a soiled
table cloth, and when she has spread her spotless linen on her table
her most provoking thing is the careless Jiand that knocks over the
gravy bowl on her immaculate linen.

Another wife makes a hobby of her cook stove or range, and her
most provoking thing is to have some person equally careless throw a
bucket of water on the polished surface in which her face could have
been reflected as in a mirror. Of course it was only an accident, but acci-
dents are provoking particularly when carelessness produces them.
Another thing which is very trying to most liousekeepers is the wait-
ing for meals, and I think every farmer's wife will endorse it. It not
only inconveniences and delays indoor work very much, but tlie meal
which we have oiten taken so much care to prepare is not nearly so
good ; the coffee has lost its aroma, the steak its deliciousness, and the
meal altogether depreciated fifty per cent, in value. Now do not turn
scornfully away, husbands, and say these are but trifles. So they are,
but trifles makeup the sum of human things, and human things make
lives of happiness or unhappiness.

I have mentioned many things that are provoking to farmers'
wives and might do to add hifi/iitum, and still I do not^think I could
decide which is the most provoking. It is my belief there is no one
thing which is more provoking than all others to all farmers' wives.
If there is, like perpetual motion, I think it has not vet been discov-
ered, and I will leave it with that great problem Vor posterity to-
solve.

WOMAN'S SPHERE I^ AGRICULTURE.

By Mrs. C. S. Holcomr, JVewtown, Bucks county, Pennsylvama.

The subject which has been assigned me, '^Woman's Sphere in
Agriculture," is without limitation. Tt does not refer especially ta
a past, present, or future spliere, and so i may be pardoned if my
treatment of it is rather discursive.

There is no branch of history so little dwelt upon by historic writ-
ers as the position of women. Was it anthropology,' or physics, or
literature, any library could furnish (juantities of data upon which to
build; but to set out to learn what position women have held in the
time-honored pursuit of agriculture, one is met bv such meagreness
in the printed page as to ])roduce the thought that either justice has
not been done to their work, or they are of very little account.

It is highly gratifying that the Board of Agricult nre asks for a paper
on this subject, and asks it, too, from one of the number. It shows an
aw^akening in our behalf, and is an indication that our wants and our

I

106 Quarterly Report.

interests will be respected if they can be made known. I accept the
trnst willini^ly, and vet ray pen moves timidly, lest I may not speak
of my sisters of the'^farm 'in the way that the abundance ol my heart

couki wish. ^ ^1, 4-1 4 r 1.1

If there is one class of women more than another that 1 would
<da(lly serve, it is this to which 1 belon^^ I was born on a farm, raised
awd married there, and hnve never spent three consecutive weeks
elsewhere, so with a degree of justice I claim to know somethino: of
tlie tedium and hardships that beset farm life, and also ol its joys and

blessings. ^ . • i. • . 4- • n

As a rule, the wives and daugliters of agriculturists are not idlers,

not the dead weight that women sometimes are in other situations.
The earliest record we can find will testify to the same fact. In scrip-
tural times they mingled freely and opeidy with the other sex m the
duties and amenities of ordinary life. The value of a virtuous and
active housewife forms a frecpient topic in the Book of Proverbs. The
management of the household affairs devolved largely on the women.
In the xxxi chapter of Proverbs we find an account of the model
woman assistinii; in the vineyard, and seeing well to the ways of her
household, eating not tlie bread of idk^iess. The business of making
<dothes also fell to tlieir lot— Acts ix, 39. Indeed, the wealth of a
family was estimated l)y the robes they possessed, and were able to
furnish to guests and others.

Nor were the industries of women in Bilde times confined to indoor
pursuits. Rachel kept and watered her father's sheep. Gen. xxix, 9,
and Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz.

It was while engaged in these pursuits that they captured the eye
of their future husbands. They were no doubt representative women,
and watering Hocks and gathering sheaves, likewise catching hus-
bands, were among tlie common pursuits of the women of those days.
History informs us that the Indian found here by the early settlers
regarded all labor as degrading and lit only for women. His squaw,
therefore, built his wigwam, cut his wood, and carried his burdens
when he journeyed. While he hunted or fished, she cleared the land
for his corn by burning down the trees, scratched the ground with a
crooked stick or dug it with a clam shell, and dressed skins for his
clothing. She cooked his food; and the leavings of her lord's feast
sufhced for her, and the coldest place in the wdgwam was her seat.
Poor Indian I one is tem])ted to exclaim; had he been educated and
<;ivilized as we are, he would have treated his women more tenderly
than this!

Well, let us see if education has the softening iniluence on man
that is accredited it. The Germans are an educated T>eople ; their
schools and seats of learning are of world-wide reputation. Baring-
Gould's " Germany — Present and Past," says : '-' The schools for girls
are excellent, and the instruction is so thorough that a servant girl in
Germany is better grounded than most young ladies in England. But,
though the education given to women is adnurable, they can make no
use of it. With much less, English ladies can charm, and attach, and
influence men. They may have little learning, but what little they
have they know how^ to use; lor they are taught how^ to use it by
<!onstant association with the other sex. In Germany there is no such
association, and, therefore, no such teaching." The same writer says
' the men of Germany have excluded women from their society, and
both sexes suiter from this estrangement — the men are rude and

pENNSYLVANlxV BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.

107

coarse, and the women something comparable to tame domestic ani-
mals.

Professor Green, who visited Germany a few years ago, says that
among the peasantry the men do the reaping and the women the
binding. The women take care of the cows, clean out the stables, and
feed the cattle. One place he stopped at for dinner at a farm house,
the man was well dressed and seated at a table, evidently studying
something, while his frau had every appearance of being a menial ser-
vant. H. H., in her " Bits of Travel," says it is no uncommon thing
to see women hitched by the side of an ox or an ass assisting the plow.
Wliat shall be said of an educated nation that treats her women after
the manner of the untutored savage ? Surely, Germany, much learn-
ing has made thee mad !

I do not wish to be considered as condeming outdoor pursuits. It
is only compulsory labor beyond woman's strength that linds an op-
ponent in me. Our New England grandmothers, of whom we are
justly proud, l)eside their house work and spinning, assisted at husk-
ing bees and such, and the female slaves of the South worked in the
fields while their mistresses were looking after the clothing and gen-
eral wants of the whole plantation — often as busy and hard worked as
a slave herself. I can tind no history concerning farmers' wives and
daughters that refers to them in any other capacity than as busy
helpers, either indoors or out.

In Northumberland, in England, much outdoor labor is done in the
fields during harvest time by mothers and daughters. Women are
hired by the day there, as men are. A child's day and a woman's day
are much the same — nine hours — with an hour and a half for meals.

In Dorsetshire the custom of hiring w' hole families prevails. Escott,
in Ids work on England, says of Northumberland county : '' In this,
the most prosperous of English counties, the labor of women, which
consists of clearing land, picking stones, and weeding, turnip-hoeing,
hay-making, and harvest work, barn work, with threshing and win-
nowing machines, is considered absolutely essential for the cultivation
of the soil, yet the Northumbrian women are physically a splendid
race. Their work in the held is justly considered to be conducive to
health. 'I shall be glad,' writes Mr. Harley of those who hold the
opinion that field work is degrading, ' if they w^ould visit these women
in their own homes after thev become wives and mothers. They w^ould
be received wdth a natural courtesy and good manners which would
astonish them. ' " Vol. 1, p. 323.

In our own countiy there are notable incidents of women carrying
on I'arming and stock raising successful!}- ; but, for the most part,
women wdio engage in i)ursuits of that character are not considered
ladies of refinement. This, of course, brings the custom into disre-
pute; for, if there is anything American women have an insatiable
hungering and thirsting for, it is to be considered ladies. So, for the
most part, '^ W^omen's Si)here in Agriculture,'' in our day and country,
is to attend to h^n* household alfairs, make butter, assist in the garden
and poultry yard, and cook and attend to the needs of the men in her
husband's employ. These, you will admit, give scope for a great deal
of hard work. Tiiey are important and indispensable branches, and
yet, perhaps, the farmer's wife, as a rule, receives the least reward
for her labor of anv worker under the sun.

In the older settled States we have comfortable houses and many
of the refinements of life about us, but hard work is the price we pay

108

Quarterly Report.

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l!l«

for them. Many of you can testify to the difficulty of getting indoor
help on the farm, indeed, it might be said, to the impossibility ot get-
tin ^>- it Women are more and more shunning the kitchen and seeK:ing
the'^sewing-room, Die factory, and other more congenial means ot earn
ing a livelihood; and the farmers' wife is often left to struggle alon:
as best she may without any assistance that would stand lor much

Do you ever realize, good brothers, how much ;:your wives are do-
ing ^ or course you can't, for it would be impossilde lor you to put
yourself in her place. But you have only to look about you, and you
can see what duties your business brings to her that other women es-
cape. Compare her, for ijistance, with the wife of your lal)orer, who
lives in your tenant house, and settle within your own mind which
has the most leisure and the fewest cares.

You, no dou])t, feel comfortably superior to the German larmer,
who sutlers his wife to assist in the fields, and in all sorts ol farm la-
bor, but isn't it splitting an aristocratic hair to think she is engaged
in a less dignified pursuit than your own wife, who washes and irons
and mends the cloths, cooks the food and cleans the fioors, and tends
to the nectessities generally of your hired help.

Was there ever a busy farm housekeeper, who has not, m moments
of despondency, thought she would be willing to give a small world,
if she had it to give, to be able to go out and plow, or reap, or glean,
or drive to mill, or to market, or attend public sales, or any other of
the needful manly parts of our business, if she could only get away
from the perpetual three meals a day, interladed with the thousand
needful ithings, not dreamed of in man's philosphy, which must be
done from garret to cellar ^ Because the drudgery we do is in the
kitchen, and not submitted to public gaze, can we be considered as
lifted in social standing far above our English sisters, whose outdoor
etforts have given them great physical strength and endurance, with-
out in the least degrading or detracting from their gJ)od manners, as
the historian states ?

We pity the pooi* savage for his treatment of women, and are
ashamed of the educated German that he does no better ; but Ave dote
on the Pennsylvania farmer, whose wife is simply a servant for liis
laborers ; or, if that does not sound pleasant, the keeper of a third-
rate boarding house.

You may say this is a mistake, for farmers who have tenant houses
are beginning to have their men board themselves, and let their own
wives take care of them. Yes, they are beginning, but they can never
get it done until there is more money in the farmer's purse. Our
farms generally are too small to support more than one family ; and
married laborers in tenant houses are a much greater drain on the
farmers' purse than a single man at his own table, and so the latter it
must be. One who is born with a good farm in his hand may, by ex-
cellent management, arrange to let his women be exempted from
boarding the help ; but my subject, as I understand it, does not con-
template any small favored class of agriculturists, and I must take
them as they are.

The only way to measure tlie worth of a business is to find out what
it pays on the capital invested. I feel safe in saying it does not pay
enough at j^resent to afford the women any escape from the old ])lan.

I know your generous natures, gentlemen. I know how much
larger is the heart of the farmer than his pocket-book. If he could, he
would gladly lift his wife and his daughters above the unpleasant du-

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

109

ties that beset them. It is in the poverty of the business that the trou-
ble lies.

What is women without money? A woman who is not as full of
wants as an egg is of meat, is not worth having. It is this reaching
out of her nature for something more tlian siie has, which controlled
by the christian virtues, enables her to minister to the diversified
tastes of her family, and make her home a haven of comfort and rest
for its inmates. She will do without help, deny herself untold pleas-
ures and self-gratifications, to secure the money for this end, which
her husband cannot afford to give.

I am sorry to say that there are those who, in their over anxiety
for comibrts and luxuries, go far beyond their resources, and the con-
sequence is an ignoble failure, and bankru])tcy for the family. This
state of aflairs is not always owing, however, to her willful imprudence
and extravagance, but quite as often because she has not been made
acquainted with the true condition of the family purse. With all the
unpleasant duties and liard work with which the farmer's wife has to
contend, it is not so much this that disturbs her, and furnishes the in-
sane asylum with a larger percentage from our ranks than any other
class, as statistics show, as because of the isolation of her position,
and the lonely hours she spends. She must of necessity some times
be left entirely alone, with no one within call. These hours by timid
women are often passed in mortal terror, lest some tramp, some vag-
rant, or incendiary will appear; thus brooding in loneliness, over pos-
sible woes, the health is undermined, reason totters on her throne, and
the chances are the farmer may wake up some morning to find a fit
subject for the lunatic asylum at his fireside.

I like the plan of the Canadians in locating farm residences, as I saw
tlieni some years ago in an eight mile ride from the city of Quebec to
the falls of Montmorenci. On either side of a splended macadamized
road were situated snug and comfortable dwellings near together,
while the farm land extended back in narrow lengths. Thus the fami-
lies of farmers had all the advantages of society that village people do
in Pennsylvania.

I have dwelt at some length on " Woman's Sphere in Agriculture"
as gathered from history and observation and experience. Let me now
give my own views in the matter. Were I asked to state in brief
what her position should be, I would say: To do the work that lies
nearest her hand that seems good to be done; and to be a counselor
as well as a co-worker with her husband, what is woman that she
should expect to be carried through life without an effort on her own
part. All needful labor is honorable, and she who cannot turn her
hand to any brancli of it without fear of losing cast, is already very
low down in the scale. It is Christianity that historions regard as the
greatest cause in modern times of the^ liigher estimation in which
women is held, and not any particular kind or quality of work she may
do or not do.

So let me say, if duty seems to call her to the field, then go to the
field; if it lies in the house, the garden, the dairy, or the poultry yard,
so let it be ; but whichever way her hand may be turned in uset'ulnes,
let her remember she is not a beast of burden, but a responsible hu-
man being, with an immortal soul that must render an account of stew-
ardsliip in every earthly relation.

When man was placed in the garden of Eden to dress it, and keep
it, and it was found from his wavering movements that he was not

110 Quarterly Report.

likely to get on alone, a helpmeet was made in the form of a woman
and thev t wain were pronounced one; it was nowhere set down that that
one should be the man. It was - to them" that dominion was given
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth 1 he Omnipo-
tent i)ower that saw that it was not good for man to be alone, i ieel
assured will never permit him to prosper who abuses this last con-
siderate gift, which he cannot do without. , r r
T have mentioned the lack of money as one reason why iarmers
wives are often obliged to carry a heavier load of care than is desir-
able And I have also dedicated women to the work of counseling in
a<'riculture. As my audience is rather small at home, and Jiome lec-
tures are not always treasured and rehearsed to the outer world, may
I have a word here'^ The eves of women are upon you. ihey are
awakening I'rom a long slumber, and demanding l)etter times A scion
of that great world-wide woman's organization working lor ' (jod and
Home and Native Land," is looking towards your boards ol agricul-
ture. It sees the devices and traps, at so called agricultural lairs,
that tempt the boys, the voung sons of our love and tender care, into
ways that are dark, and that must sooner or later end m destruction.
It is urging women to join your societies in large numbers, and help
by their votes in the govern'ment of its alTairs. And why '^ Is woman
losing herfaith in man?

It will be an unhappy day for us, and for you, when we no longer
trust our fathers, and brothers, and husbands, and look up to them as
protectors of ourselves and our children. We take pride in looking
to you, dear brothers, as our superiors in strength and intellect, and
altogether worthy to be our caretakers. Are you managing things m
a way to win and keep women's approval? You are industrious,
many of you work harder than should be recpiired;^ and yet all the
time farming is steadily looking downward, and it is harder and
harder for those of moderate or little means to make both ends meet.
You are numerically stronger than any other class of men; and can
you see no festering sore on the body politic that is undermining your
business and the whole machinery of trade that it is your duty as
citizens to help to heal?

Can you stand on the street corner of a great city and count saloons
by the half dozen, and see men of every variety going in and out in
great numbers, and then follow your line of observation through the
markets, where poor women without money would be only too glad to
buy your produce if they could, without knowing that rum is Ihe
chiefest enemy to the farming interests to-day?

Is it not so plain that one may read as he runs, that if the $90,000,000
spent annually in drink were put into the pockets of the wives and
housekeepers they would buy liberally of your choice farm products,
and create a profitable market for you ? And you would go home and
give generously to your wife, and she would at once proceed to spruce
you up — for there is nothing a woman so likes as to see her husl)and
looking like a gentlemen — and there would be no end to the happiness
and prosperity we might enjoy if those sinful repositories for the
people's cash w^ere closed.

Then, too, the other $900,000,000 which you must pay out in taxes,
(for land you know is never allowcMl to escape taxation,) to educate
the children of drunkards, and to support i)risons and almshouses, and
homes of every variety, which are filled in conse(|uence of beastly in-
dulgence in this unholy beverage could be saved, you might have a

Pennsylvania Board of Aoriculture.

Ill

snug balance in bank for a rainy day. Prosperity can never dawn on
you and your work again until' the ra])idly growing liqour tralfic is
diminished, or, better still, wiped out. If this is ever done, you must
aid in the work. There is no other way. It is not enougli for you to sit
beak in retirement, and urge the women to pray on ; vou are in hearty
sympathy with them, only you don't want anyone 'to know it until
the battle is over. You will have to come to the i'ront with breast
bared to the foe that assails the home of the sober, as well as of him
who drinks.

My ])rincipal sphere in agriculture, dear brothers and sisters, shall
be to devote my most earnest elTorts to hasten the day when the
farmer's grain and fruits— God's good gift to man— shrdl iio longer be
distorted and turned into tliat which crazes the brain, and sends man
—our companion and protector— out into the highways, a terror to
lone women and children, and an offense against Heaven.

FRAGMENTS— mCLUDIXG DAIRYMEN IN THE

NORTH-WEST.

By M. W. Oliver, Mentber from Cran^ford.

After miraculously increasing the nutritive power of the five loaves
and a few small lishes to an amount sufhcient to satisfv the hunger of
the thousands wlio liad gathered to hear and be healed, the greatest
teaclier and wisest counsellor that ever lived upon the earth said to
his disci])les : '' Gather up the fragments that remain." Whv ? That
they might have them to satisfy their hunger on the morrow? No I
That they might sell them in the market? No ! The simple reason
was " that notliing be lost." In these four simple words '' that noth-
ing he lost^''^ is a mine of untold worth. This, in short, answers the
(piestion : Why are fragments worth saving ? Because thev have a.
value, and tlierefore should not be lost. We are often assured '^ that
no particle of matter under Divine supervision is ever lost." U this
be true, then certainly no fragment of any kind under human control
should be lost, because it has value, the amount of whicli is to be de-
termined by circumstances. In the fragments which the disciples were
commanded to gather up there must have been a value, or He who
understood the relation of things, one to another, perfectly, would
never have given this command.

It is sometimes said '^ life is made up of fragments." If this be true^
may it not be well for us as farmers, dairymen, or men of any other
calling, to consider for a few moments, at least, some of the fragments
wliich we are losing, but which, if gathered up and put to proper use^
would represent a value of no small amount. Among the many frag-
ments lost are fragments of time, of material, of force, of energy, of
ex])erience, of opportunity, and of moral character. So inseperable
are these, the one from the other, that any waste of one involves waste
of another, therefore the consideration of these must go hand in hand
together.

The engineer wlio puts on more steam than is necessary to insure
his safe arrival at a certain ])()int, at the required time, wastes not only-
water and fuel, but the wear of machinery, and more than tliis, the

I

112

Quarterly Report.

hi

n

ins, on tlie farm at least, causes irritability, and with it a general iin-
comCortableness during' the entire day. The farmer starts liiirriedly
to the held, to iind that he has left some important article at the liouse *
or at the barn ; a fragment of time is lost in returning for it, and with
it a fragment of opportunity and of strength. How many fragments
of opi)ortunity are lost ^ One writer has said: ''Tell me what a
farmer does with his so-called leisure hours and days of winter, and
he can, in some measure, predict his success in \ho busy days, seed
time and luirvest." Winter is the time for planning, as the summer is
the season of execution. Winter is the time for tiiought, as the sum-
mer is the season for carrying thought into action. It is the way that
farmers open their winters that makes them long or shortheaded. It
is he who carries in tiiought one season over to the next, that makes
his ends meet and lap. It is he who sees the end from the beginning,
who works from the beginning towards that end. Every farmer
should sow every crop and harvest every grain field, while the soil is
bound in the icy fetters of winter, and the seed from which that crop
is to spring, is still in his granery. He should plan his whole coming
season's agricultural campaign during the long winter evenings, so
that when the spring opens he may put his forces into the field, and
lead them wisely and well. As the great farmer, soldier, and father
of his country has said : '' In time of peace prepare for war." Frag-
ments of experience in the feeding of stock, especially young stock, is
sadly allowed to go to waste. Especially is this true during the winter
months. Too many keep their young stock througli the winter months
without gaining, by furnishing tliem with the food of support only.
It is to lose entirely the winter's food and care, besides the perma-
nent injury to the animals, by stunting them in their growth in some
degree, and from which they are rarely able to recover i'ully, and even
if they do so, it takes^a considerable portion of the next summer's food
to accomplish it. English farmers have for some years been reducing
the age at which to market beef, and have so far succeeded tliat much
of their stock is now sold at from twelve to twenty-four months old,
and it has ])een found quite satisfactory to both dealers and consum-
ers. Their experience, together with the successful feeders in our
country is, that early maturing stock, with full feeding from birth,
and marketed at the age above mentioned, is where the greatest pro-
iit lies. It has been demonstrated time again, that a pound of flesh
can be put on an animal at less cost during the lirst twelve months of
its existence than at any subsequent time, and that the cost increases
month by month. The production of this young l)eef should command
the attention of our farmers, ibr if it pays in England, it ought, witli
our facilities, to show good returns here. To make the largest amount
of beef, pork, or mutton, in the shortest possible space of time, and,
also, the biggest pile of manure, should be the aim of every farmer.
It is the road to his success.

The winter feeding of stock is a question of the highest importance
to the farmer and dairyman, and one on which more definite informa-
tion is desirable. The opinions and i)ractices of feeders vary so greatly,
even in the same section, that notliing seems to be settled that will be
applicable to all sections. The relative cost of food and labor will, in
fiome parts of the country, be the pivot upon wliich the question will

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

113

turn, and each farmer from his own standpoint must, by careful study
and experimenting, decide what is ])est for him in his situation
Nevertheless, there are some general principles that govern it, and
are applicable everywhere aiul under all circumstances. Prof Cam-
eron well says: '^A knowledge of the kind and quantity of food re-
quired by animals may be gathered from the composition of the sev-
eral parts of the animal body and a study of the functions they per-
form. The muscles must be sustained,' therefore, gluten, albumen,
etc., popularly called muscular matter must be eaten. The fat of the
body must be renewed, therefore, fat should be represented in the
food, and as much carbon escapes from the lungs and skin, it seems
natural and necessary that starch or sugar should be introduced into
the stomach with a view of supplying it. The minerals of the flesh
blood, and bones must be in like manner provided." This is essen-
tially true; and just here is where science comes to our aid, in show-
ing us by analysis the constituent properties of cattle foods and their
equivalents; showing how to combine albuminoids with fat forming*-
elements and minerals with proper proportions to obtain the best re"-
. suits ; and at the same time a great saving may be made in some kinds
of food wliich would be fed to excess, while that actually required to
make a well balanced food, might be, without this knowledge, unwit-
tingly withheld. Many dairymen have been a long time in learning-
while some have not yet discovered the fact, that the best butter ra-
tion must have a larger proportion of albuminoids or nitrogenous
food than for the production of quantity of milk. Clover is one of
the most nitrogenous of our fodders, and should, therefore, he more
generally grown by our dairymen. Warmth and shelter are large
lactors that enter into the (piestion of winter feeding and care of dairy
cows, as well as all animals, insomuch as tlie animal system is, like a
steam engine and boiler, continually consuming fuel in the shape of
iood to keep tlie animal machine in working order. Just how much
heat is the equivalent of food is, of course, not certainly known. Ex-
perts estimate the saving at one quarter. However wide or close this
estimate may be, as to the truth, there is no one point more generally
admitted among dairymen than the fact that cows exposed to tlie
rigors of winter will not do as well as those properly cared for and
comfortal)lv housed.

But I was to say something about dairying in the north-western part
of the State. Its history is not unlike that of other i)ortions of the
country. Crawford county is comparatively a new country, or, more
particularly, the western half of it. The flrst female white child born
in this half of the county is still living, and is not vet an hundred
years old; so that in some portions of the State, as well as in other
States, dairying had made some progress and was being carried on
somewhat as a specialty, while as yet this part of the country, and, I
may add, a considerable portion of the north-west, was unimproved.
When we review the history of dairying we are surprised at the won-
derful progress which it has made. It was not till 1857 that the asso-
ciated system of dairying was given birth. Since then its peculiar
features have been spread over the entire continent. This svstem of
dairying has given rise to the establishment of dairy associations and
a literature for the dairy, and we find that for the decade from 1855
to 1865 the question of milk and its products began to be more tiior-
oughly investigated and to be treated in a scientific manner. During
this period the manufacture of cheese was becoming shaped into a

J14 Quarterly Report.

r,g„l.r »y.tem and our J.iry produ* -™-«f ^rf"™']'8'S''S

rg^s'lKSeV^LiT^nf utlo S. w.'rSS,id.r;d .o ^

l^bb me piue oi ' "«^?f^ f^Unrv svstem commended itsell more

traorduKiiy tigure while the facto,^ p'^an was found to be especially
and more to old daiiymen, ana ui« y^^^^ i- . • fo Tr. iftp^Q t h^ fnt^^l
dapted for introducing the dairy into ne^v^llst^cts. In 859 the tot^
exports of American cheese were only/ 287 000 POunds^ but m i »oi
thev had risen to 40,141,000, and in 18(,4 to 49,755,842 pounds a quan
tity^at that time thought by many to be near the ' •"^Iv^^^^.'^g^^^^
f;,;n Tn 1859 the average price of cheese was, in INew lorK ciiy,
eSt ^u.d oSilf c'el^tsriJ in 1861 it 1-^1 f oPped t^o -ven^^^^^^^^
while in 1864 it had risen to fifteen and one hall cents. J^uttei i)ronglU
Tn 859 et^^^^^^ in 1861 fourteen cents and then adv^^^^^^^^^

twenty foSr cents in 1864. The period from I860 to 1875 1. known
throii<diout the United States as '^ flush times. , • 1 ,, ti.o

It was a period of inilation. Men - made haste ^^ get^^^^^^
wildest schemes of speculation were '^^""^'"'^^^^Jl^^^^^^
dered recklessly in all kinds of extravagance. Fictitious values weie

urupon all kiL of property, personal and real, -^ --^^^
of Davin- debts, invested their surplus earnings m railioad bonds and
l?ks which, in a short time, proved worthless, and, in this way,
many n^i ions of dollars were wiped out. In many parts o the coun-
Sy good dairy farms were not infrequently considered a bargain at
from one hundred to two hundred dollars per aci^. Persons with a
•Lrthousands of dollars were often eager to purchase dairy farm, at
hi V T)rices, and thev, in consequence, became hopelessly involved.
Cheesrin '1865, had^ risen to an average price of twenty cents per
pound/and it continued to bring from sixteen to eighteen cents until
1872 when it dropped to thirteen and one half, the lowest point dur-
in- the decade. But it advanced to fourteen and one quarter in 1873,
and to fourteen and three quarters in 1874. It was during this decade
that butter factories and creameries began to attract attention, and to
spring up in widely-separated localities. Fancy butter yot infrequently
was sold at a dollar per pound. The average pnce of ^-f.%^-,^^^^^^
York in 1865 was forty-five cents per pound. In 18bb and IbbMt was
but thirty cents. In 1868, it was again forty-fiye cents when it grad-
ually declined to its lowest price (fifteen cents) in 187-2 It closed the
decade at twenty-seven cents. It was during this decade that tlie as-
sociated dairy svstem was carried to Canada, being hrst establislied
at 1 n-ersoll in 1867, and all through this decade it was largely patron-
ized at its annual conventions, receiving aid from tlie government. In
this decade, also, dairv associations were established in the eastern
States in Ohio and Illinois, and in the North-west, and the annual
conventions brought out large numbers of persons to attend the meet-
incrs, the gatherings not infrequently numbering five hundred persons.
Bv the published reports of these conventions, and by books on the
dairy, as well as writings in the agricultural papers, dairy literature
began to take prominence, and to compare favorably with that of any
branch of farm industry. It seems hardly necessary to speak of our
increased production and the commercial history of the dairy during
the past ten vears ; it is fresh in the mind of every one engaged m this
interest. Dairymen have felt, at times, the extreme pressure of low
prices; at other times they have felt to congratulate themselves on
the fair prices obtained for their goods. For a considera])lc ])ortion of
this decade, however, the result has been that neither producer or

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

115

g

buyer has made much money to boast of. Our dairying in the north-
western portion of the State is unlike yours here in the eastern, in
that ours (associated dairying) is the production of cheese, while yours
is the making of butter.

The first factory built in the North-west was in 1865, and within five
years thereafter, in the counties of Erie, Crawford, and Mercer, there
were nearly one hundred factories in active operation, each receiving
the milk of from two hundred to six hundred cows, some factories
making daily from twenty to twenty-six cheeses of an average weight
of sixty pounds. This industry gave a new impetus to the clearin^
up of our lands, and while we have considerable of woodlands yet re
maining, we have no more than will be sufficient to meet the demands
for fuel and building purposes — not much more than sanitary laws
should demand in every part of the State. At first the factory system
had much to contend with. Some patrons seemed to think that any-
thing bearing the name of milk was good enough to take to the fac-
tory, and then some of the factorymen had never learned that ''clean-
liness w^as next to godliness," much less had they learned that clean-
liness was essential to the making of good cheese. Hence, when a
factoryman who did demand good milk rejected some that w^as unlit
to work up, he quite likely lost a patron, which patron was gladly ac-
commodated at another factory not so scrupuously clean and exacting.
Patron and factoryman alike had to be educated. They found their
interests were not dissimilar, but that they were in common. Factory-
men found their goods had to be sold, and if sold at all, upon their
merit, hence the importance of attaining as near perfection as possible
in their make of cheese to secure the top prices, and thereby give
satifaction to their patrons. The wide margin of difference in' price
between strictly fine butter and cheese and the lower grades, as
quoted in the market reports, was suflicient evidence of this fact.
Though the establishment of this associated system of dairying was
during the ''Hush times," yet the fact became patent that it did not
pay to manufacture anything but the best article; that all inferior
goods were manufactured at a loss. It became, therefore, the interest
of the i)roducer to inquire into the causes of the production of so large
a quantity of inferior goods, the result of which was that each patron
was required to give special care to his milk pails and cans; see that
they are perfectly cleansed and scalded; thoroughly brush tlie cow's
udder and clean it of all foul matter, and under no circumstances
allow the cow's teats to be wet with the milk for tlie purpose of
softening or cleaning them. This is a very iillliy li.ibit and should
never be allowed. The cows were not to be hurried or worried by
dogs in driving, and if perchance the cow sometimes became heated
she should be left unmilked till she has cooled off and gotten over
the excitement. Should the cow be ailing and out of condition her
milk should go to the swill barrel rather than to endanger a whole
vat of milk. In fact the patron w\as to do everything he could to
secure to the cheese-maker good, sweet, pure, wholesome milk. He
should never leave his cans in the barn while milking, or over night.
It will almost invaribly taint the milk. The patron should also de-
mand from the factoryman the utmost care and neatness in all his
work. These are some of the general rules which are being insisted
upon in the handling of milk. In the increased make of dairy pro-
ducts the market can find no place lor inferior sorts at anything like
living prices to the producer. They are, and will be in the future.

' i'

116

QUAKTEHLY ReI'ORT.

1

A'.

slow or sale, if not next to unsalable. The demand is for line goods
and that the demand must be met, and it will be met by those who
have resolved upon standing lirmly by the dairy industry ; who are
intelligent as to its needs, and who have faith in its luture pros-
])erity. With a uniformity of tine goods, both in the home and foreign
markets, consumption may be so promoted and increased that our
dairy industry will again be lifted into a highly prosperous condition.

ESSAYS READ AT THE ATGLEN INSTITUTE.

MORE BUSHELS— LESS ACRES.

By J. ¥j. Baker, Octoraro^ Pennsylvania.

To produce the greatest amount of food products at the least pos-
sible expense is now the principal question to be decided by the
farmers of Pennsylvania, a question which urges greater ingenuity
and more improved methods. The good, old, easj/ iDay of farming
spoken of by our seniors is no longer a safe course for the Pennsyl-
Ivania farmer to pursue. Success in farming depends much upon
good judgment and true economy. The cultivation of many of the
food products, especially some of the cereals, is no longer a protitable
business. But as they are necessary for home consumption, and also
well adapted to the rotation ot crops, it seems compulsory that their
cultivation comprise a part of the farm operations.

An agriculturist of considerable eminence has urged eastern farmers
to work their land harder, keep more stock, and thus, by increased
production at a greater expenditure of capital and labor, strive to
counterbalance the low prices olfered for farm produce. Would such
a course add anything to our return^ Are we not already producing
more than can be disposed of at a profit ? Take wheat for instance, the
cost of production has been variously estimated at from ninety cents
to one dollar and fifteen cents per bushel, and yet, few of us have
received more than the miniiinim i)rice named for the crop '85. And
whnt are the prosx)ects for the next and succeeding crops of this cereal.
True, the present showing in this locality indicates more tlian an
average crop; but with it comes the assured fact that the price will
be correspondingly low. Under the present circumstances, it can not
be otherwise. The fact is, we, as a nation, are over-producers of
wheat as well as many other agricultural products. Our once exten-
sive export trade in wheat seems destined to total destruction. Eng-
land, the great mart for our surplus, is fast utilizing her territorial pos-
sessions in the far East, a country whose natural fertility equals that
of our richest river bottoms, and whose climate is admirably adapted to
the the production of wheat. Railroads are penetrating tluit half
civilized country, and r(Midering it accessible to English civilization
and capital. Already, nearly three fourths of the English market is
supplied from her own territorial possessions. This, together with
her home peoduction, leaves only a very small percentage of her de-

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

117

mand for us to supply, clearly indicating the fact that America must
look elsewhere for a future market for her surplus wheat. But the
prospects in other countries seem equally discouraging, many of them
are almost or entirely independent of a foreign supply, and moreover
the cheap labor, natural fertility, and suitable climate of the distant
East are destined to supply the markets of Europe with a cheaper
product than can be furnished bv the high lal)or, exhausted fertilitv
and uncertain climate of Pennsylvania. What is our conclusion then ^
With millions ol acres of excellent wheat land, '' black with accummu-
lated fertility of ages'' of nature^s feeding, still unclaimed on the
Western prairie, which, with no manure and a comparatively small
amount ol labor, is capable of supplying the markets of the Atlantic
sea board with a cheaper bread product than high-]M'iced labor and
liberal fertilization can produce on the Eastern hillside; and with an
already weakened export trade doomed to entire destruction, it is use-
less for us to expect any material and permanent advance in the price
of wheat. True, a partial failure in some of the wheat producing
States, either at home or abroad, or the dreadful possibility of war, foT-
either of which no true husbandman would be selfish enough to hope,
may produce a sudden activity in the market. But, with an abundant
surplus m our elevators, and the promise of good crops to Ibllow, no
such dire calamities as war or pestilence would continue to atfect the
grain niarkets, which are largely controlled bv supply and demand.
Iherefore, if tlie price realized for the wheat crop of '85 was nearly 20
per cent, lower than that received for the crop of '84, what can we ex-
pect but a corresponding reduction in the value of the crop now grow-
ing. But can we afford to take less for it than for those already har-
vested. In short, though the market price is decreasing each yeai%is not
the cost of production in many cases on the increase? The stubborn
glebe resists the improved plow of the present day about as much as it
did its worthy but less expressive predecessor. The durable farm
team costs as much now as when wheat w^as one dollar and a half a
bushel, and the food consumed by the present im])roved dralt horse
compares well with that required to maintain the durability of the race
in years gone by. The great number and varietv of farm implements,
now indispensable to the agriculturist, together with the cost of the
repair of the same (which amounts to about five per cent, annually)
is no small factor in making up the cost of producing the cereals.
Though labor-saving machinery has wonderfullv increased, yet, how-
ever paradoxical it may seem, the price of farm labor has also ad-
vanced, unjusttaxes, too,and insurancesmaintain their high standing.
These facts, together with tlie necessary and rapidlv increasing appli-
cation of artificial fertilizers will continue to x\v^\;^^ the cost of produc-
tion equal to if not greater than the market price. But can we afford
to raise that which costs us as much and in many cases more than we
reaJze liom it? Since we cannot control the market we must man-
age our farm operations so that the cost of producing may be mate-
rially diminished.

If the signs of the times indicate that wheat will command but sixty
cents a bushel then we, with Yankee ingenuity, must raise it ibr filfy
cents. But how shall this be accomplished is a question far easier
asked than answered and ibr your speaker, a tyro in the ])n)res-
sion, to venture an opinion in the presence of so many veterans
would savor of egotism, but as the issue is fairly presented we shall
take the risk. According to the judgment of the most expe-

' 1

lis QUARTERLSr REPORT.

rienced farmers the three cereals— corn, oats, and wlieat are the best
rotation of crops, calcuhited to thoroughly cultivate the soil and pre-
pare it for the production of the hay crop that should lollovv and which
is the most vnluahle crop to the Pennsylvania farmer.

As already stated, I do not think that an increased acreage will
remedy the evil, for the cultivation of large areas necessitates the ex-
penditure of more capital for fertilizer and labor, and while the jooss*-

l<i

I

r)ear a iwo-ioia rauu lu tut? acvano piv^nt^ i,.^,..^ ...- —

perhaps several reasons for this. If a given farmer has a ten-acre plot
to plant he will give each acre a liberal amount of fertilizer in addi-
tion to the accumulation of the barn-yard, which would give that held
a thoroui^h ap])li(uition. But if the same farmer should plant twenty
acres it is hardly probable that each acre would receive the same
liberal iertilization nor tliorough cultivation that it would receive
were there but ten acres in the iield. The average farmer by emp^loy-
ing one farm hand can cultivate ten acres of each cereal. But it that
amount be doubled or tripled the additional team and labor will be a
direct investment for which, at present prices, the return will be very
meairre. Is not the actual profit from ten acres, liberally fertilized
and tiiorou-hlv cultivated, greater than that from twenty acres spar-
ingly fertilized and poorly cultivated? A, with tlie assistance of a half
hand, plants nine acres in corn from which he harvests eiglity busliels
to the acre, while his neighbor, B, with two full hands and an addi-
tional team on adjoining farms of seemingly equal fertility, plants
eighteen acres in the same cereal and his return is but forty bushels
per acre. Now, where statistics put the average cost of producing a
bushel of corn at forty-four cents, wherein is farmer B profited by
his large field of corn '^ This comparison is not the product of the au-
thor's imagination but the parties represented have come under his
own observation. Each of the men is possessed with an average in-
stallment of business vim, industry, and thrift necessary to the suc-
cessful agriculturist. A practiced thoroughness in all his operations
and received a satisfactory recompense, while B sowed largely and
reaped sparingly.

We do not think it possible for any improved plan of farming to
cause tico blades of grass to grow where but o?ie now finds sustenance ;
nor do we advocate the straining of every resource to produce '* fancy "
crops in order to excel our neighbors or win newspaper notoriety.
But so long as Pennsylvania's average wheat production is less than
sixteen bushels i)er acre and her corn, barely thirty bushels to the
acre, we think tliere is vast room for improvement.

Then, departing from the literal meaning of our subject, is not the
same thought a])plicable to the dairy interests of Eastern Pennsylva-
nia? The erection of creameries has been the signal for a large in-
crease in dairy cows. By the statement of those having an interest in
such factories, we are informed that this increase amounts, in many
cases, to two or three hundred head. And while we recognize the su-
periority of the creamery system, the great imi)rovement it has made
in the butter ])roduct of the country, l)oth in (]uantity and (juality, yet
we doubt if this increase in the number and size of our dairies will be
productive of better ])r()flts than would be attainable from fewer num-
bers better selected and better feed.

Many farms, within our own observation, are to-day pasturing fifty

II

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

119

per cent, more stock that they fed ten years ago. After making due
allowance for the imx)rovement of the soil by the application of South
Carolina Hock, (which speaks for itself,) we still notice that the snows
of winter too frequently fall upon fields void of all vegetation save
only the naked roots and an occasional weed, whose woody stem was
uni)alatable to the improved cow of the present day. Hardly any need
to remove the bounty on the captured hawks in order that they may
destroy field mice, when our acres are so void of nature's fertilizer
that even these small vermin cannot find sufficient shelter from the
frosts of winter. We think the keeping of too much stock not only
poor policy but also bad economy. And, in conclusion, let it be re-
stated that as farmers never have nor ever will control the market
price of farm produce, our great aim should be to lessen the cost of
production, so that each product may furnish an honest return for the
capital and labor invested, that increased acreage, sparingly fertilized
and i)oorly cultivated by the greedy yet injudicious husbandman, yields
a trilling and uncertain profit, and that moderate areas well fertilized
and thoroughly cultivated is thepolicy best suited to our circumstances
and best calculated to improve our soil.

WIRE FEIS^CES.

By John I. Carter, Esq., Chatham^ Chester county^ Pennsylvania,

The growing scarcity of suitable fencing timber in this country is
])ringing this class of fence into more general use. Besides its cheap-
ness, tlie wire fence i^ossesses other advantages which commend it to
the serious consideration of our farmers. 1 will briefiy name some
of these advantages, and then discuss its relative cost.

A wire fence is a light fence, presenting slight obstruction to the
winds as compared with board or rail fence, and hence not nearly so
liable to be blown down. When a lieavy post and rail, or even a
board fence, begins to lean a little from any cause, its great weight
makes an increasing leverage on the post hole as it gradually declines,
and the fence is soon thrown down ; whereas the taut wires on a
wire fence have a tendency to hold tlie whole fence in place.

Wire fences along the public highways lessen the danger of im-
peding snowdrifts, as they make less eddies than board or rail fences,
letting tlie winds sweep unobstructedly across the roads.

A wire fence gives a better oppo/tunity to keep the fence rows
clean than almost any other kind of fence, and, in view of the fact
that many fence rows grow weeds and trash enough to pollute a
a whole farm, it is quite a consideration to have a fence that presents
no difiiculties in the way of cutting the weeds. Tliere is very little
excuse for having a foul fence row^ if you have wire fence.

The posts in a wire fence can be made of very cheap timber, be-
cause they may be light, knotty, and crooked, and still answer — if a
handsome fence is not desired; whereas, a post for a post and rail
fence has to have some size and (luality, and more valuable timber
has to be used in their manufacture. This is quite a consideration in
sections where good timber is scarce and dear.

The rapidity and ease with which these fences can be put up is an-

I

120 Quarterly Report.

other advantage, but tliis will l)e considered under the head of rheap-
ness and cost.

The main arii:ument against the use of wire fences— more particu-
larly barbed wire— is tlie danger of injury to stock. I have made
many inquiries to learn to what extent this fear is well founded. The
evidence so far has been that wiien a barbed wire fence has been well
built, with the posts not more than twelve feet apart, of four or live
strands of buckthorn or ribbon wire, or other conspicous wire, that
the danger of cattle running against it, or injuring themselves upon it
is slight indeed. Horses are somewhat more liable to run against
thenC but our best farmers seldom let their horses run in the general
pasturage. I have talked with ranchmen and Western stockmen, wdio
used no other kind of fence, and their testimony was conlirmatory of
this view of the sul)ject. If especial safety is desired, a top board of
four or five inches wide can be made to take the place of one of the
wires, or some painted pickets can be attached to the wures in sufficient
Tiumbers to make the the fence conspicuous. A good deal of the preju-
dices against tliese fences grew^ out of the cheap and imperfect way
they were first put up. The posts were too far apart, too few wires
were used, and the fence put up in a flimsy and imperfect manner.
The wires should be kept tight and in good order, so that no encour-
agement would be given to cattle to tamper with them.

In my judgment, a wire fence, firmly put up, with whitewashed or
painted posts, not more than twelve feet apart, and with four strands
of well stretched buckthorn wdre, will make a secure and not par-
ticularly dangerous fence.

I will now give the cost of the different kind of wires used in wire
fences, and of the other items making up the cost of the wire fence :

Plain annealed wire. No. 6, running nine and one half feet to the
pound, costs three and one tenth cents per pound.

Ribbon wire (plain flat wire) running twelve feet to the x>ound,
costs four and one half cents per pound.

Buckthorn wire (a flat barbed wire) running eleven feet to the
X)ound, costs five and one half cents per pound.

Common barl)ed wire (two points) running fourteen feet to the
l)ound, costs four and five eighth cents per pound.

A wire fence post, undressed, twelve cents; dressing the same, five
cents; cost of setting post, five cents.

A MILE OF FENCE.

Posts and setting, twelve feet apart, $97 02

Four strands of Ribbon wire per mile, 79 20

Putting on wires, 5 00

Whole cost per mile, $181 22

Buckthorn Wire, posts, and setting, $208 06

Barbed wire, posts, and setting, 173 77

Plain wire, No. G — 5 strands, 188 oi

One of the best and most substantial wire fences I ever saw w\as
made of five strands of plain annealed wire. No. 6, built with iron
posts set ten feet apart, in large stones, with holes drilled in them
three and one half inches deep; the posts imbedded in a mixture of
two tliirds pewter sand and one third sulphur. The iron posts weighed
about nine pounds. After the fence was set a furrow was thrown

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture. 121

close to the fence, and a small ridge or bank was raised directly under
the lower wire; this not only made the low^er wire nearer the ground,
but made the api)r()ach to the fence, more observable. As there is
nothing perishable about this fence it should last fifty or seventy-five
years. Its probable cost would b^ about five hundred dollars per
mile.

In com])aring the cost of a post and rail fence in our section, I find
it to run about as ibllows :

A four-holed post, dressed, $0 22

Four pointed and dressed rails 44

Setting the fence per panel, 10

$0 70
The cost of this fence per mile $401 OO

The importance of the fence question to our farmers may be under-
stood by reciting that we have in our township — Londongrove — about
one hundred and forty farms averaging eightv-one acres, each farm
requiring, as now fenced, about three and a half miles of fence. To
fence these farms w^ould require about as follows :

Plain wire and iron posts, $1,500 00

Post and rail, four rails, 1 404 00

Buckthorn, four strands, 728 21

Plain wire, five strands, 658 14

Ribbon wire, four strands, 634 27

Common barbed, 608 19

I have not spoken of live or hedge fences. My friend, Mr. Reeder,
will probably refer specifically to them. We have found serious ob-
jections to them in our section; first, it takes too long to make a fence
— from three to four years — often longer if the soil or other circum-
stances are against them; secondly, they are expensive to keep in
shape— usually requiring three ann\ial prunings; third, they are ex-
haustive to the soil and rob the adjoining crops; fourth, they beget
foul fence rows and occupy too much land ; and lastly, they cannot
be moved.

When this Board comes to decide what shall be deemed a legal
fence, it should not forget that we have very many kinds of fence;
but the great trouble in specifying any kind of fence will be its con-
dition. A fence may be a legal fence one day or month and the next
day not be, by any means. The only practicial way that occurs to me
is to take a four rail post fence, making that a standard fence; but
leaving the question of the status of any special fence— Avhen disputes
arise — to the decision of the township auditors or some other township
board, believing that only a personal inspection of a fence can deter-
mine its precise condition at the time of the dispute.

But I do not wish to forestall the discussion of the fence law and
will therefore close.

THE FARMER AXD THE NEWSPAPER.

By S. R. Downing, West Chenter, Vtnnsylvania.

In advertising a prospectus for a weekly issue, I am not altogether
surprised that a prominent Philade1i)hia evening journal should state

^22 Quarterly Report.

that tl,e i.nmused weekly "will -^^^7 ^^^ ^i'^'^^^'tlf^'^l^^al
newspaper in the United States winch will not have an agucultuial -

dav! if edi ed by superior talent, becomes at once a success m cities
and towns without an agricultural department. Then, again an agri-
c ltu4l department is only an additional means to success when cor-
rectlv ecS. We have noticed that some of the current agricultural
literature published in newspapers is but

A REHASH

of ideas worn so thin by constant repetition that a reading of but one
sentence is only useful in saving the further reading ot any succeeding
sentence. To make an agricultural department more than a mere sop
to Hatter farm readers, and with the idea of showing that larmers are
simply not overlooked by the newspaper proprietor, is a very idle at-
tempt to secure patronage. Dead agricultural matter in a newspaper
is disappointing to agriculturists, a blank to town readers and lost
space to newspaper proprietors. ^ ^ 1 4-1 f^

Yet there is profit in using with the news sound, fresh, sympatliet.c
agricultural literature. In time, I have no doubt that the city journal
referred to will seek its share of out-of-town patronage by adding to
its news a share of useful farm literature. And this, too, because that
farmers will, as formal discussions among themselves as to their
interests and modes of cultivation may grow in extent, demand, in ad-
dition to the current news, that which will equally interest them— tacts
as to new methods in their arts. The improvement in farm operation
is but the

REFLEX OF AN ADVANCE

and increase of thought in this direction. The JVeio York Trihune,
through tlie love of the lamented Horace Greely for an industry that
lies at the root of all civilization and the common weal, became
national in its circulation because of its brightly edited farm column.
Its dependence, however, in the early days of its history, so iar as
farm patronage was concerned, was upon a national reading. Popu-
lation has so increased and the popular mind become so identilied with
the industries around us that even country dailies can find it expe-
dient to broaden their intelligence by adding to what' has happened,
as to who is sick or who is here and who there, that which is attract-
ing more j ud more interest — the tilling of the hundreds of fields that
lie between town and town.

It may not be far out of the way to say here that the new^s collec-
tor's desire to please and interest all people is to be appreciated, so
far as he is concerned. The reporter of the county journal is just
where we place him. It he hunts gossip, it is surely because we the
people, have

A HUNGER FOR GOSSIP.

Ashe swings around among the public upon Uie uni)leasant errand
of collecting that which makes our evenings so pleasant, he should as-
suredly have our courtesy and good will. In our relations with the
reporter we should be sure, I think, in exercising what it may please
us to tliink is a matter of dignity, to consider whether it is, after all.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

123

dignified or consistent to spurn the reporter and at the same time feed
upon the food that he gives us. If it is undignified to give him items,
is it not a more grave offense against dignity to read his items ? If,
through his industry in gathering news, we spend among the happiest
hours of our lives in a daily reading about other jjeople's business —
accidents, goings and comings — why should we loftily pick up our gar-
ments at his a])proach and refuse to give him the esteemed pitch witli
which we defile our own minds day after day '^ So long as we may not
scorn to read his items, verily then it seems that just so long should
we not scorn to give theili. The thus using of dignity as a mask for
our weaknesses looks to us all, when we think it out, like a veneering
of wood that, if not rotten, is dotted with inconsistency.

Journalism is a business. There is no question as to this. Out of
this business families are supported, homes created, children educated,
churches sustained, taxes paid, and the little Dailf/JVews-one-cent-
news-boy is here atforded the first chance at a business career upon his
onw diminutive capital and his own childish energy. Sometimes we say
we can never forgive

OUR PARTICULAR EDITOR,

because, forsooth, the small things of life creep into his sheet. We
may Ibrget in this that there are many little people in the world,
smaller, perhaps, than the newsboy in generous or mental breadth,
and as the pennies of those go equally far with ours, they, too, must
have a chance to find in the daily sheet that which is just about as
high as they can most easily and enjoyably reach. The standard of a
journal is as the standard of the general mind, and in the standnrd of
our choice of journalisin lies tlie greatest chance for success in journ-
alism in the way of securing a livelihood.

It is pleasant, however, for us to know as farmers that the dailies,
weeklies, or monthlies of our country devoted to the highest farm
literature are not only making money fast, but as agriculture and farm
discussion broadens their circulation increases. This fact is certainlv
complimentary to the farmer of our land. Another fact is equally
honorable to our class, to wit : that the matter most valuable advanced
by these periodicals is mainly and directly from fields, nurseries, truck
areas owned by farmers, nurserymen and gardeners. The farm cor-
respondence gleaned from the fields of a nation helped vastly to make
the N^ew York Irihune the paper of the nation.

Already, in our live country dailies and weeklies, the farmers is reach-
ing out and adding that to our journalism which tends to promote the
common good. His communications are generally courteous, solid, and
always welcome to the country editor. If, then, tlie farmer, along with
those of other classes, is welcome to voice his opinions or to collate the
lessons of experiment, why should any of his class hold aloof and at
once grieve that the editor is not battling for the higher ideals ? Tlie
editor always says welcome to a courteous, strong advocacy of a right
thing. It is then a very cheap matter to use the editor's columns to

FIRE OFF A PREJUDICE

or a selfish squib under an assumed name; a name that is an enigma
to the entire public. A writer who cannot have such a "courage of
his convictions" as to ))a('k his words with his identitv should hurdly
expect an editor or ])roprietor of a journal to risk values to do that for
his accommodation which the writer is afraid to do without any name

124

Quarterly Report.

U '

'1

i

or risk. No honest writer, courteous, free from malice, direct and ed-
ucational, need have any grounds of fear. One of the most gratifying
tlii!igs in tlie line of a man's life is the feeling that he is a gentleman.
So long as he is loyal to a gentlemanly desire and bearing he is safe.
Where his communications are criticised without a basis or in bad
spirit, or under both conditions, such is the growing intelligence of
the people tliat he can depend upon that intelligence for justification,
and thus safely keep his silence and manhood. It is doubtless this
fear of criticism, coupled with a like fear of mistakes as to evidence or
reasoning, that withholds many useful writers from the public column
or forces even those to write under cover of an assumed name. The
day is passing when the matter of writing for a newspaper is simply
a base ball arrangement, by which one correspondent is pitted upon to
whip the other by the use of a kind of logic of the

HOP, SKIP AND JUMP ORDER

— a logic that is no where and yet every where — that bushwhacks.
Surely the public, that we most seek to communicate, with will not for-
get the truer lines of all that one may happen to write notwithstand-
ing the accidentally false. The tirst ideal of a politician is to reach
the public heart. While he may do it by a mixture of hypocrisy and
llattery, I think the day has come when a writer can reach the same
heart by courteous, sincere, educational communication, which is either
yea, yea or nay, nay.

Farm operations need open discussion ; the claims of husbandry
need brave and fair advocacy. Thus throughout our land the demand
for accurate jounrnhnm is such that nearly every city. East and West,
has its stock, farm gardeners, dairy or even x)oultry journal. The su-
perior type of this journalism, illustrating, as it does, a high standard
of farm intelligence, should be indeed, as I said before, gratifying to
farmers, dairymen, gardeners and breeders. Scarcely a city in our
Union is without a farm journal that is

SOLID IN TONE

and, as a following result, enjoys a circulation that puts money where
it is possible to be best merited. The farm patronage of such journal-
ism is simply due and owing to the proprietors thereof, and farmers by
tluis paying such pro])rietors to be true, independent and wisely enter-
prising are pursuing the spirit of that comprehensive policy having in
it a lesson and saving good for all classes both to learn and adopt.

And yet when we come down to a small field for newspaper circu-
lation ; when, instead of a nation of farmers, a county of all classes of
people is depended upon for patronage, a close hunt must be made in
order to reach a circulation sufficient to sustain the publication, espe-
cially of a county daily. It is one thing to make monev bv tlie advo-
cacy and defense of one industry or policy, and quite another to run
the gauntlet of closely-packed interests and opinions various as the
hues of a rainbow. The mass must be depended upon. Not a circle
upon which a city journal can rely to widen its circulation because of
its independent, square editorial work, nor say a rich iron interest
upon which strong iron journalism can base success, but the mass.
Now, the mass want news, and thus items. The family, from grand-
sire to grandson, want items, and thus they yield their pennies to the
proprietor for items. It is the want that makes the demand, and tiie
demand makes the local paper.

VA i

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture. 125

Having said this much, let me go farther and state that, as I verilv
beJieve, the columns of our county are, if anything,

TOO FREE to THE PUBLIC.

The generosity of our press, instead of being handsomelv reciprocated
by a universal advocacy of what is good and true on our part, is at
times abused. No child should l,e allowed to read a newspaper wran-le
by any two persons who are sutliciently educated to write and spell
because such a wrangle is a dishonor even to tlieir writing and spell-
ing, and a shadow cast between the child and its conscientious teacher
Away back years ago I was taught in a little Uwchlan school house
that, as a child, I should let only ^^dogs delight to bark and bite.'' Mv
teacher is dead now, my book wasted, but the homely line lives and
will live thanks to my teacher and book, so long as my heart beats
JNo thanks, however, to the newspaper wrani^ler.

I know that we have not as yet reached the stature of the perfect
man, but it is a part of the divine economy that we should grow in that
stature. Perhaps, as a pleasant indication of such growth, I can cite
you to a somewhat amusing remembrance which comes from the days
ol boyhood now and then: I can see now very distinctly across a
wide distance of many years, two farmers, one a Wliig, the other
IJemocrat. They were neighbors, and yet, alas! not very neighborlv.
Ihe Whig took his hery weekly ; the Democrat took an organ equally
hery. When the Whig ])aper poked the ^'Lokies" the ohl Whi-
thought how the jibes of his darling weekly was lacerating the theories
of his political neighl)or, and felt good. So, vice versa, thought the
Democrat and felt good too. Neither knew, poor fellows, what an
awlul fusillade was Hying over their heads, because neither of them
would touch the opposition paper with the tongs. Thus the powder
of this paper warfare ever lost its food, excepting at second liands.
±Jut If the Whig organ failed to baste to a dead brown the ^^Lokes"
every week, forsooth, the old Whig would seriously question whether
the ^; blasted" Democrats in their deviltry liad not really bought up
his lifetime political bible. Thus, too, with the Democrat. Both the
old Wing and the Democrat loved their editors as the owner of a
game cock loves the fighting standard of his favorite bird. The feud
between the old neighbors was as obdurate as the stone wall that
divided their farms. It colored all their relations to things of this
world. The old Democrat was a Baptist. The old Whig could never
hear of the Baptists without using largelv of tobacco. The old Whig
had just the top sort of pigs, but the Democrat would raise the Whig's
dander to an ollensive point by openly scouting his pigs at the store.
\\ hen they met on the way from the store with bandannas in liand,
laden with a little tea, coffee, sugar and a tolerable lengtji of pig-tail
tobacco, their conversation was quite snappy. The old AVhig would
curl the side of his broad-brimmed straw hat, cock it on the side of his
Jiead and throw hot shot into the old Democrat and a stream of tobacco
at his dog. The old Lokey would retaliate as effectually in a screed
supplied by the last number of his Democratic sheet. The school
board was A\'hig. It Avas forever and to the last peg infamous in the
conceit of tlie old Democrat . The cider mill that crushed and squeezed
the Democrat's apples could not make the right kind of Harrison cider
for the old Whig. Thus between their lives ran a chasm that was
never bridged by the hand-clasp of fellowship. At times, when
I visit the fields they used to plow% I sit on the old wall rememberino^

to

126 Quarterly Keport.

so vividly the Hash of argument that once was poured over it as to
tariir, free trade, annexation, compromise, etc., etc.^ it living ^p-^l'^y^
I tliink the Whig woukl shoot into the Democrat his denunciat on of
President Cleveland bv reason of his secret appointments, while the
Democrat would return fire by scorching the Republican Senate on
the score of the secret sessions. On this head, really, as it seems to
me, the two old gentlemen could enjoy a pretty squares cuffle without
either advancing or retarding any great movement tor the public good
If, in the heavenlv home which I hope may be ours some time, these
old partisans may' now nestle in each other's bosoms, it must lead us
to the thought of how delusive are the things ot this world, and how
far exceeding is the peace and good will of that which is to come.

Times are ever changing; changing, ibrtunately in the stature ot
and toward a higher manhood and womanhood 1 here is a disposition
upon the part of the people to give the editor the freedoni of the truth
Beyond agriculture farmers must look. The duties of citizen and
christian we owe as an heritage to the children ot our land. Thus let
us make our journalism a weapon against WTong and selhshness and
for the right in everything and always.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

127

OUR CEREALS, AN^D THEIR TENDEN^CY TO

DETERIORATE.

By David H. Branson, Esq., Atglen^ Chester county. Pa,

Man's first necessity is food, and in civilization this is drawn from
the soil, either by the growing of crops, or by breeding domestic
animals. In former times, and even yet, in most countries ot partial
civilization, these two departments of agriculture have stood in more
or less antagonism to each other, but in countries of a higher civiliza-
tion, and where soil and climate permit, they are so naturally related
that neither can be discussed independently of the other. The art of
agriculture is older than history. The science of agriculture ^ is
entirely modern. The beginning of the art dates with the beginning
of civilization, and the condition, methods, and prosperity of this
industry, in any country at any time, are related to the whole pre-
vious history of that country,and it cannot be absolutely killed short
of driving out civilization, or exterminating the inhabitants. It sur-
vives all sorts of political or social change ; revolutions may occur,
dynasties change, and even new races occupy the ground, l)ut agri-
culture endures, and perpetuates within itself the methods and tradi-
tions of previous generations.

This industry has, therefore, its own peculiar history, and has
grown developed, and kept pace with our advanced civilization. It
is, and must be of necessity an eminently adaptive industry. And
we cannot better impress the importance of the calling than is con-
tained in the following ({uotation :

< "The merchant, he nuiy buy and sell,

The teacher, do his duty weU,
But men may toil through busy days,
Or men may stroll tliro'igh pleasant ways,
From king to beggar, whate'or befall,
The faimer, lie must feed them aU."

Thus we are reminded of the grave responsibility devolving upon
the tiller of the soil. Wheat being an important factor in this con-
nection, although ignorant of its origin and its native country, it was
known in ancient Egypt and Assyria. Egyptologists tell us that
three thousand years before Christ, or near the very beginning of
definite history, it was the most important of the cereals there culti-
vated, and down to the present day, it has been regarded as the
choiciest and most desireable of the bread-plants. All of the most
important cereals have been known and cultivated from remote
antiquity, and have so changed under the fostering care of man, that
we are ignorant as to what their original wild progenitors were.

After a long and patient investigation by some of the most eminent
scientists and historians, notwithstanding its close connection with
the history of civilization itself, botanists up to the present time do
not agree as to what is the original parent species from which any
one of our cheif cereals has been derived, nor do they know wdiat
succession of changes they underwent between their wild state and
their present cultivated varieties.

Certain facts have induced others to believe that our cereals never
were wild plants existing without cultivation, but instead, w^ere the
direct gift of God to man, and at the same time dependent upon His
care and labor for their preservation and continuance. That species
and varieties change by selection ane cultivation, that new varieties
are formed, that some do better than others, must have been noticed
from the earliest times, and man probably learned some of the ways
by w^hich new varieties might be made, or old ones improved, almost
as soon as he began to till the soil. There is much evidence, however,
that there is an inherit tendency to change the best indications of
science are that they need not wear out or change materially, if the
same conditions as that which made them good are kept up, deterior-
ation may be attributeable to the exhaustion of the soil, climate,
carelessness of cultivation, or the improper selection of seed

It must be remembered that choice and improved varieties are very
artificial productions. There is nothing like them in nature. They
have been produced by man's labor and especial care, and they can
only be maintained by similar treatment.

It is unnecessary, however, to further discuss this point, because all
experiments endorse the fact and the law is universally recognized.
The principle is never denied; it is simply too often neglected in prac-
tice. It is easier to deteriorate or neglect a crop by using imperfect
seed or careless cultivation than it is to improve an already good va-
riety. The down hill road is the easiest traveled. Illustrating this
point regarding excellence of seed, there are numerous experiments
recorded, but the exhaustive experiment of Frederick Hallett, of
Brighton, England, may be taken as a good illustration. They were
ccnducted with so much intelligence, patience and care, were so profit-
able in their results, and have been confirmed in so many other ways
and by so many practical men, that they are entirely reliable and
worthy of being quoted in this connection. He began with a single
head of wheat, chosen irrespective of size or vigor, but of a variety
producing a good quality of grain. The head was four and three
eighths inches^ long, and contained forty-seven grains, which were care-
fully planted in rows, one grain in a place, twelve inclies apart each
way. At harvest, the plants were carefully compared, and the one
with the larirest number of heads was chosen, and the grains from the

Pi
I

I

I

128 Quarterly Report;

best head were again planted, always selecting the best head from the
mc St prolilic plant. At the first harvest the best plant or stool bore
ten heads, at the second twenty-two, at the third thirty-nine at the
•o rth fittv-two. The best head of wheat was then eight and three
fourths inches long and ])roduced one hundred and twenty-three grains.
Tliis is so strictly in conforniily wit h all our tests on experimental plots
ic, that we are glad to be able to (luote such a reliable e.ulorsement
as to change of seed. We have so many cases where varieties ot gram
maybe pn^litably grown with a frequent change ol seed m regions
wliere the varieties cannot be maintained without such change the
cases are so numerous, and the deterioration so certain and rapid that
many farmers believe it to be a law of nature that varieties will ulti-
matelv run out in every place, sooner or later, if the seed is not
clian-ed. Using seed which has been grown m some other locality
has b'een practiced in all ages, and tliat it is frequently attended with
an increase of crop has been coniirmed by the experience o centuries.
Com— Hie cereal corn is more generally distributed over the
country than any other. The place most congenial to its giwth and
of its <zreatest production, is on the fertile prairies and river bottoms
of the^Vest, where all the conditions of its favorable giX)wth exist in
better combination than is found elsewhere in the United States or
probably in the world. Of the cereal production of the country, Indian
corn stands first in amount and much exceeding the sum of all tlie

others. . ... ^ n ^ j

That Indian corn is of American origin is most generally conceded.
Yet some early writers maintain that it originated in tlie East, and
other authorities think they have found evidence that such is the fact;
])ut more recent investigations have failed to confirm this theory. On
the other hand, every new discovery bearing on the ([uestion only
points more certain to the fact that maize was entirely unknown m
the Old World before the voyage of Columbus.

It is quite certain, however, that shortly after the discovery of
America by Columbus the history of maize begins with a certainty,
and it is stated in history that it is one of the gifts he brought back
from the New \\^)rld and presented to Her Majesty Queen Isabella.

The name maize appears to be of Haytian origin, and was later
adopted by tlie Europeans. Like most of our cereals, there appears
to be no wild i)rogenit()r known. All our knowledge of the species is
derived from cultivated varieties. No other cereal is so well adapted
to a savage or barbarous people practicing the rudest arts of cultiva-
tion. At the other extreme, no other grain is produced in such enor-
mous quantities as this is in our Western States. The cereal oats has
played a much less important part in the early history of our race than
either wheat, barley, or rye. In the hot, dry climates of the Mediter-
ranean and eastward, the cradle of our civilization, this grain does not
grow well. It is not mentioned in Holy Writ — (Solomon fed his
horses and dromedaries on barley) — but it appears to have been culti-
vated in a small way in Italy as early as the christian era as a food
for horses; but we have but little information relating to it until long
after. No greater or commendable service can be rendered to any
country or peoples than to improve or add a useful plant to its culture.

The first aim of the agriculturist of any new country is the i)roduc-
tion of the materials required to feed and clothe the inhabitants of
that country. Many of the conditions of growth, however, will ever
remain entirely beyond our control; hence the importance of attend-

Penxsylvania Board of Acriculture,

129

ing to all which science and practical experience lias taught us. Yet,
with all our knowledge, and that of generations preceding us, agri-
culture is even yet so largely an art and so little a science that its in-
troduction into any new country is a matter of experiment, and can-
not be predicted, with any certainty of success, what crops will be
profitable, and what will grow and be unprofitable, and what will be
total failures.

WOME^^VS WORK AKD INTDUSTKIE

^

By Mrs. A. M. Holstein, Bvldgeport, Pennsylvania.

With the subject selected for this paper looms up a kindred topic,
'^ Woman's Work." We are prone to associate with ^//^./ deeds of
goodness, acts of patriotism and benevolence. Many such were found
amid the horrors of our late civil war, and as the years roll on, sepa-
rating us from the days which have passed into the history of this
great Republic, w^e begin to treasure the events of the wartime and
gather up even the stories of '' Woman's Work, " as evidence of the
part they had borne in it. But passing from this to the one chosen,
we find from the records and traditions that have come down to us,
through the century of industries in wliich women then engaged, are
few indeed. They w^ere principally confined to household wants and in
wliat would add to the comfort of the home, but in these they were
adepts.

It was tlien deemed an accomplishment in which girls should be
proficient— to understand the best method of making bread, cakes,
pies, and puddings ; the nicest butter, the finest clieese, jjickles, pre-
serves, jellies, dried fruits, iSzc. AVhile the daughters of the present
day have learned that in the articles named a handsome income can
be derived. They were familiar witli the culture of flax, and its sub-
sequent preparation, until it was ready for the loom. Children were
taught spinning at an early age, and if the maiden became skillful in
weaving the wool and the flax it gave her an employment which she
could make remunerative if desired. Her interest in the fabric would
not be lessened until coverlet or blanket was completed, or the linen
ready for the bleaching process upon the green grass of the early
spring time.

Deft fingers embroidered dresses, linen, and lace, and learned the
intricate darning— in patterns, as it was termed, that they might
understand repairing them, following the different styles in which they
were woven. In many old homes in our land are still treasured home-
spun and woven articles, the work of beloved hands, long since dust
and ashes. These beautiful relics of the olden time came down to us
as part of their everyday duties.

In cities and towns the instruction of the daughters was of necessity
entirely difterent. Tlie accomplishments of music, painting, and
needle-work, were thought important, and in a measure took the place
of the more practical employments of farm life. I liave heard my
mother speak of taking lessons from a noted pastry cook in IMiiladei-
X)hia in making pufl* paste, cakes, &c.

The idea is becoming more firmly established that it is a woman's
right to engage in whatever employment may be agreeable to her

it

P

j;>Q Quarterly Keport.

^ << With fingers weary and worn,

With eyelids lieavy and red. "

It Should be a parent's duty to see that the ^anjhters acqu^^^^^^^^^
oecumtionby which a competence may be secured bo they would
rhSrnd-^ of reverses [>f fortune. Many ^^^^^^'^Z
to iall llack upon should adversity be their lot. Ihese tilings ou^ht

''"iVVom^n full V comprehend, in all details, the business of their
husban s r fathers, such discipline of study and work would be
a" greatest delights, and give their presence increased value

™her in the home, office, factory, or whatever the industry might

%omen are so sharply taking rank in all the av^enues of labor that
the oirl of the next period is sure to be on a leve with man in all ]n.
mportunities. It has ceased to be a surprise tliat women are capa-
ble of managing business pursuits, from the thrilty lactones m
Waltham and other towns, to the immense reaper industry in Uncap.
Thev are to be found shaping successful enterprises and handling in-
tricate financial and business details with all the conhdence ol the
most experienced man. So that in no counting-room, ofhce, or stoie
is she ineligible, and to but a very few of the shops or work-rooms.

This much secured, the promise for usefulness is in any direction
that her talent and ability may seek. As school and music teachers,
women are numbered bv the tliousands, beyond these employments,
manv insist, thev are trespassing on f()rl)idden ground. I here is rap-
idly Vising in this and other communities anew profession lor women.
A vocation of dignity and honor, no less than useiulness. ^

Not until tlie true status of women in medicine was recognized and
o-ranted in the communitv was the want fully met of a band ol
thoroughly trained nurses, filled with a high sense ol the moral re-
' sponsibilitv of their profession. .i ^ • i

Now, and hencefortli, tliroughout a century ot progress, the trained
woman nurse may supplement the educated woman physician, and
eacli tind in her own lield the fullillment of a lofty ambition, and the
realization of the truest ministry of woman outside the lamily rela-
tion. , . . . .

The study and practice of medicine lor woman is becoming increas-
inglv prominent. In 1880, there were, in theTnited States, two thous-
andVour hundred and thirty-two women doctors. In IMuladelphia are
eight women physicians, whose annual practice amounts to twenty
thousand dollars each ; twelve whose income average above ten tlious-
and dollars each; and tw^enty-two whose practice exceeds five thous-
and per year. Yet, tliirty-live years ago a successful woman physi-
cian was unknown there.

Dr. Alice Ben net t, in charge of the women's department,at Norristown
Insane Hospital is a case in point ; lier care and management of over
seven hundred insane women, is most judicious and gentle; no harsh

measures used.

Many w^omen have become interested in dentistry ; and, by reason
of their delicate touch, and gentle movements with their patients,
have established a good business. Others are adepts in stenography ;
are valuable type-writers; are proficients in drawing and painting, in

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture,

131

w^ood carving, and watch making; large numbers are engaged in the
Elgin watch works ; over twenty thousand are occupied in the watch
making trade in Switzerland, doing much of the finest work. House
decoration, as a profession, is especially suited to the refined taste of
women, and in England is said to be popular. ^

Raising cocoons and reeling the silk is an industry that is on the
increase, and one that children can readily be taught to take part in.

In Washington large numbers are in government employ, and prove
to be valuable clerks in all kinds of remunerative w^ork. As i)ost-
masters, they till the position well Numerous establishments prefer
women as book-keepers and cashiers ; it is very seldom they are
tempted to use money not their ow^n in dissipation and extravagance ;
with scarcely .an exception, are found efficient and reliable. They
fre(juently prove to be successful lecturers, readers, and elocutionists.
Some are known as acceptable pastors of nourishing churches. Seventy-
five women have chosen law as a profession. Names of w^omen as
inventors are always found in the list of patents granted weekly. Bee
culture may be made a source both of pleasure and profit. I have
heard a gentleman in one of our western counties state that he owed
the foundation and increase of his now large fortune to these busy
little workers, who, never idle, labor without pay, and return an
abundant harvest of sweets in lieu of rent for the inexpensive dwell-
ings furnished them. California seems especially suited to. this in-
dustry ; tliere are numerous bee-ranches in certain districts which
produce, in a good season, hundreds of tons of excellent honey. But
to succeed in this, as in anything in which prosperity is desired, the
subject must lirst be studied, in all its details, before embarking in it.
In nearly all our large cities and tow^ns, good home made bread is in
great demand, making a safe, steady, profitable l)usiness. ^A souths
ern paper suggests architecture as a profession for w^omen. There are
handsome, costly houses whose kitchen arrangements are a marvel of in-
convenience ; where the wife often says with a groan, '^no w^oman would
have planned things so." By all means, let women be architects;
there are, or could be, a thousand little intricacies about our homes
which the masculine mind would never conceive, but which w^ould add
immeasurably to the comibrt and convenience of the tidy, ambitious
housewife. Since the trace of a woman's hand is so easily discernible
in in-door decorations and adornments, why should she not cultivate
and develope this as any other talent, giving to her varied genius a
wider field of activity aiid usefulness? In almost every community
some few^ women, stepping aside from the beaten track, are classed as
successful farmers. In (Vhester county, not many miles from this hall,
is one, known to me by name, but not personally, for whom 1 haye
always had the greatest respect. When war called her brothers to
'^the*^ front," she was but a young girl, and, that no loss might result
from th(4r absence, she took up f/ici?' work on her i'ather's farm, and
has continued it prolitably, I am told, ever since, buying and selling
as farmers do.

in the vicinity of Lawrence, Kansas, a widow lives, with fourteen
children ; l)y her own good management, and their help, she has made
enough money to buy three large farms, two of which she has given

to her boys.

A Mrs. H. K. Farr, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is the sole manager
and ])roprietress of a fashionable hair emporium ; employing thirty

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lg2 Quarterly RtroRT.

l)er8ons in Chicago, two in St. Paul, and nine in Minneapolis; eommand-
ini- a trade of thirty thousand dollars ])er year.

In Detroit, Michigan, a Mrs. Spaflord carries on the making of
mince pies, plum puddings, and delicious cakes, readily selling all she

''""Akdy^inoneof our Eastern States receives a very large income
from the sale of her home-made cakes, preserves jellies and pickles.

Some twelve years ago a little girl in Cleveland Ohio now knoxyn
as Mrs. Ella Grant Campbell, started to sell a single basket ol l)ouquets.
She has now become a successful llorist of wide reputation. lo her
was awarded the iloral decorations for the city of Cleveland upon the
death and burial of President Garfield. Tlie Jennings avenue green-
houses, of which she is i)roprietress, have become lamous; her whole
career is a strikiiii;- example of what any woman can accomplish by per-
sistent efforts, aided by some natural talent lor the work undertaken.

Bythecensusof 1880, it requires two hundred and eighty-two tliou-
sand milliners to make bonnets for the women of the United States.
Many of these do a most lucrative business. Dressmakers equally so,
that, again, is the toil of the needle.

In most of our large cities. East and West, are places known as wom-
an's exchange'' or '' woman's industrial exchange." These are, com-
paratively, of recent date, but few having been in existence over ten
or twelve years. They vary somewhat in their working arrangements,
but similar, as far as 'l have learned, in this: Their principal object
being to receive and dispose of the product of women's labor; charg-
in**- therefor a fair commission, sulhcient to pay the running expenses
of'the establishment. The goods received must be saleable and pop-
ular, and of the very best quality, without variation i'rom one time of
delivering them to the next, whether they consist of bread, cakes,
pies, puddings, and the like, or preserves, jellies, pickles, &c., or
needle work, in variety, knitting and crotcheting; these last seem to
be the delight and resource of all feminine hands, when at a loss for

employment. . . ^r

Julia Ward Howe states that the Decorative Art Society, in ^ew
York, aims to induce art workers to master thoroughly the details of
some one kind of decoration, in order to attain skill and make for
themselves a reputation of commercial value : to enter into ])usiness
relations with manufacturers and importers; to obtain orders from
dealers in decorated pottery and porcelain, cabinet work, carving,
draperies, embroideries, and other articles of household art. To de-
velop the art of needle work, and assist in adapting it to the require-
ments of house decoration and furnishing.

Some years ago there were in England eleven thousand women
telegraphers. The number has, without doubt, largely increased since

that time.

I have no record of the number in our own country.

Nebraska has two women insurance agents. Both are doing a good
business and making money.

Mrs. M. E. DeGeer is a lawyer in Syracuse, Kansas, and lately edi-
tor of the Western Times^ at Garden City. She is very successful in
her various undertakings, has x>h>i^^<?(^ more than one town in that
young State, induced emigration and transacted much land business.
She built the first house in Greeley and Scott counties. She has now
placed the Western Times in the hands of one daughter in Scott City,
and her land office in charge of another daughter, while she has opened

p*

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

133

a new land and law office in Syracuse. I have selected the few women
I have named as well known ibr their great ability in the widely dif-
ferent vocations they have chosen, to illustrate the fact that a woman's
success in a Imsiness venture depends mainly upon her energy and
close application.

Even partial data prove that a large amount of woman's talent is
to be found in employments ordinarily thought to be limited to men.
With the competition there is in the business world, women who mean
to succeed in making for tliemselves a name and fortune, must give
to their chosen vocation the very best efforts of which they are ca-
pable. All their thoughts, energy, and application must center in it.
No woman has ever gained a high reputation in any occupation or
calling but with intense, persistent working.

Skilled labor, whether of head or hands, is always in demand.

Of the two hundred occupations now open to women, I have named
but a few, to show what a wide field there is in which woman's skill
and labor can be utilized and made remunerative. I have only given
those of which I had some knowledge.

" Tiie workine- life is the life of peace,

Not the days ihat are passed aiiiid S)ng8 and flowers,
In dreamy, inactive leisure,

hut the days that are stronj^ witti tiie stress of toil
Are those of the truest pleasure.

FARMER'S WIVES.

By Mrs. Josephine Jackson, Lancaster county. Pennsylvania.

We farmers wives are sometimes inclined to think our lot in life has
been cast in unpleasant places, and are liable to allow a feeling of dis-
content to creep in where only thankfulness, or at least contentment
should till our hearts. It is true we iiave many cares, and much liard
work too, but if we could only look more at our i)rivi]eges tlian our
extra cares, more at the advantages which we do or could enjoy than
of the disadvantages we endure, doing that which is required of us
cheerfully, leaving out the worry and fret, which is more wearisome
than the work, anddoing what we must do well and faithfully, remem-
bering that ^* here all t lie honor lies, " how much happier we might be.

At least by our maniibld duties the sin of idleness cannot be laid at
our door, and we are saved from any compunctions of conscience in
regard to that, for truly do we farmers and farmers' wives fulfill the
command to earn our bread by the sweat of our brow, and he who
gave the command so controls our destinies that they are happiest
who obey. And even the natural reward of labor comes to us in its
sweetest sense, for when the opportunity lor rest and jecreation oc-
curs we the more fully enjoy ii, not only because we need it but be-
cause we feel we have earned it.

*' What if tiie toil be hard and lonjjj
And sometimes I ife seems dreary ;
Tiiey never Icnow how sweet is rest
Who never have been weary !"

It is becoming entirely too failiionable to look at work as something
to escape and a life of leisure as very desirable, but let us not allow

^34 Quarterly Rkport.

this foolish notion to enter the fanners' households Woj-k in some lV>r,n
hns Mlwavs been and always will be the only ^■"•'^ f^l'^^ -^ '^ins
pennanent greatness or f^oodness, and we can p ace on tJ e^^
tables of our farm-houses biography «"•! 'f ^ory tl . t ^^l t ac^, lu anu

our children that work, if well done, ^"'-^^^''"v^^Tises our work
our n.ental culture isennoblingand not deS-n<«ling ^e^^^^^^^ nm

T.rin<.-s its reward in other wavs we as a class are suiiounueu vviin
: nt ;' N^t^re Ivlu.ndantly provides for us. -^ we hav^^^^^^^^^^^^^
nppp^sarie^ of liCo within our own domain, so that ^ve ha\e litue anx
STS^l'hc^ we shall provide ibr the many -^-^^^^^ ^^^^^
nnd if our friends sliould come unannounced, we have the satifelaaion
oi I vin'^l em cordial reception, knowing that we have

t^r^^sS. Willi some of the luxuries too, with which o extend
nr loSitv in the extending of which all women delight not hat
the 3s t^^^ is the only sul>iect to be considered m

enter a nini our friends, but we are certainly better prepared lor the
SS^^^^^^ of life when our minds are at ease on this subject

Another reward of our labor is the feeling that we are hying a lite
of dependence, and are doing ... share in helping bear he Wen
which often falls so heavily on the shoulders of ^^\Vin of ^
and by helping diminish expenses and ^^^'^\'''f''^^^'^^^^^^^^
we can sometimes have our own I'^^ources instead of ca^^^^^^^^^^
on our husbands, the best of wliom sometimes must teel that the last
installment should have lasted longer. , - - r fi.oiv

A-ain, mothers should care more for the proper training oi then
children than for their own ease and convenience, and where can we
Sthe ecpial ol the farm for the home of childhood ? There they can.
fid an abundance or amusements that are healthlul and harmless
and plentv of emplovment to learn habits of indus ry and thrilt, and
fnve the strength of muscle that cpialilies them the better lor any call-
Uvr that they may pursue, indeed, the advantages ot hirm hie tor the
ri<dit training of children are so universally acknow edged, and so
apparent to every one, it is unnecessary to mention them here, and
this alone should be sullicient to make us thankhil that the larm is
our home.

»* Dear country life of child and man,

For hr.th the best, the strongest,
That with the earliest race be«>;.in,

And lias outlived the lonirest.
TIappy the man who tills the lield

Content Aitli rustic labor;
Earth does to him her fulness yield,

Ha{) what may to his neighbor.
Well d^ys sound niirlits, O can there be
A life more rational and free? "

And now, sisters of the farm, let us avoid that most common error
of the farmer's wife, the sin of making herself a dritdge, and neglect-
in^ her higher nature. Let mental culture be considered one of our
duUes as well as what our hands find to do, let us have our books,
periodicals, and papers, and so arrange our labor that we may have
time to study and read tliem, for God will require these things ot us
too. Let us do our share to sustain and encourage farmers' clubs,
institutes, and meetings, as sucli gatherings, properly conducted, must
assist in our moral, mental, and social training, let our faces be seen as
often as possible in the lecture-room, wdiere a ^- feast of reason'' will
only make our liome duties lighter when again taken up. Then let
us try to perform our duties cheerfully and at the same time be thank-

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

le^5

ful that '' the destinv that shapes our ends " has given us the farm for
our home, M^/^l/'^r that our hves are not spent in idleness and dis-^
sipation, or that we are not placed wdiere we might become slaves ol
fashionable life, in which so many family altars have been destroyed;
thankful, as we ask tor daily biead, we can feel we have done what we
couhl to bring us wdiat we ask ; thankful that the feet of our children are
far removed from the dens of vice that line the streets of our cities,
pitfalls for the voung before the years of mature judgment w^ould have
warned them of the dangers ahead ; thankful that we can breathe the
pure air of heaven as it is w^afied down to us from a loving Father,
and fill our beings with a breeze free from impurities and disease, and
where w^e can see nature in all her beauty, fresh and clean, with no taint
of city smoke or dust, and let us be so thankful for the purer moral
atmosphere which surrounds us and our little ones, and let us so live
tliat when our work is ended and our hands folded for their long rest,
those we have left may call us blessed, and may we hear that sweetest
of all blessings, ^^Wel'l done thou good and faithful servant."

AGRICULTURAL FAIRS.

By Hon. T. K. Stubbs, Crford, Chester Co., Pennsylvania,

The word fair is frequentlv defined as '' A great periodical market
where merchandise is sold," but I shall use it in the modern sense as
a substitute for the word exhibition.

The interest which the people take in the cultivation of the earth s
products, and the improvement of their character, is nowdiere brought
to view more prominently than at agricultural fairs. All around you
meet with a sample of the product itself, or the improved implement
by wdiich it is cultivated. A larger number of farmers can be collected
at an agricultural fair than at almost any other kind of a local gather-
ing. By relating experience and observation, with an object school
beh)re them, learnini.^ their ditferencesin judgment, management, and
practice, much knowledge must surely be gained. Agricultural iairs,
and the agricultural departments of expositions, are divided into in-
ternational, national. State, district, county, and local tairs. J here
are now nearlv one thousand agricultural fairs, i)roper, held each au-
tumn in the United States and Canada. Tlie efficient secretary oi the
Pennsylvania State Board of Agriculture will sui)ply persons enclos-
ing him postage, with a careiuUy prepared i)rinted list of the dates
and places wdiere fairs are to be lield in this State. , , . .

We have a record of agricultural fairs held in Italy at the beginning
of the last centurv. In Scotland as early as 1723, and one hundred
vears ac:o, its reixi'ilations resembled the rules of our county fairs ot the
present'^day. Fiftv vears aiio the Koyal Agricultural Society of England,
a nationaf institution, was organized, and now most of the countries
of Continental Europe have their agricultural fairs. South ^/n'ohna
started the first agricultural fair on this side of the Atlantic, in 1 (85,
and awarded premiums, but held no public exhibitions.

The popular price for admission to agricultural iairs, nearly lilty
vears ago, was twelve and one half cents, and the present times do not
■^eem to warrant more than double that amount; unless extraordinary
attractions are offered and extra expenses incurred. New \ ork seems

136

Quarterly IIeport.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

137

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to have or^ianized a State Agricultural Society lu 1791, and alter reor-
ganizinii: lield the first State fair that was ever held in the United
States, in the year 1S40, Tlie New York State Board of Agriculture
was organized as early as 1819. .

The ()})ject of the Georgia State Society, organized in 1846, is some-
tliing attractive, ])eing lor the purpose of holding annually an '' Agri-
cultural Fair and Intenud improvement Jubilee." Reorganizing
since the war with four thousand volumes in its library, of rare and
valuable works on agriculture, the Southern Central Agricultural So-
ciety built a foundation, which insured the success of the late great At-
lanta Exposition.

The New England Agricultural Society is perhaps more successful
with its fairs than any other organization east of the Alleghenies. The
turnstiles have registered fifty thousand diilerent persons in attend-
ance during one day, and the exliibitions are held in a different State
each year. A i)ortion of the regular programme is an opening address
by th'e president of the society, and an annual address by the Gov-
ernor of the State in which the fair is held. Farmers' meetings are
held each evening during the fair in the town hall, court house or fair
l)uilding, where exercises similar to those at this institute are con-
ducted.

Our own Pennsylvania State Agricultural Society has accomplished
wonders in the thirty-five years since it has been organized. ^

The ])eginning of^ the general improvement in stock, the introduc-
tion of modern machinery, and the increase in the quantity and qual-
ity of agricultural ])roducts is largely due to the observations made
and knowledge gained at its agricultural fairs. Its exhibitions have
become so extensive of late years that they might be appropriately
styled State expositions.

My time is so limited that I w^ould be a trespasser if reference was
made to other States, but I cannot refrain from questioning the pro-
priety of the Illinois State Fair last fall in making a class for imitation
butters. Many persons think the country would be healthier if neither
oleo nor dynamite had been discovered, instead of offering premiums
to encourage the manufacture or sale of either article.

It is true that agricultural fairs have done as much as any other
agency in settling up and developing the prairies of the great West,
but I do not believe they have done more good there than here, be-
cause it is easier to start rujht than to get ri(/ht.

In regard to the rise and progress of agricultural fairs in Chester
county, my audience is more familiar with the iacts than I am, and
vour own observations convince vou more of the value of their l)ene-
fits than any special statements I can make. They have all been suc-
cessful and in keeping with the progressive spirit of an educated
people. After a careful inspection of the various exhibits at an agri-
cultural fair, the mind of the visitor will be naturally stimulated to
think over the numerous new ideas and the information gained.

Exhibitors are always earnestly and actively intent on supplying
such machinery, fertilizers, seeds and other articles as are exactly
adapted to the requirements of diilerent localities. Then the advan-
tages are mutual and the benefits reciprocal, for while the exhibitor
may show something that is new in that i)articular neighborhood, the
best means of perfecting his exhibit may be found in the suggestions
from intelligent farmers, who^e thoughts run beyond its actual attach-
ments. They complain of defects, when exhibitors devise methods

for providing a remedy. This leads to the develoiJinent of ideas and
improvements.

The rapid progress in y)erfecting agricultural machinery in the last
few years has been largely due to the thinking started at agricultural
i'airs. My subject comprehends too many divisions for my time, but
I shall suggest a few ideas on practical work. There is nothing that
creates more dissatisfaction among exhibiters at fairs than when the
right ]n-emiuni card is found on the w^rong article.

A first premium card may drop olf, i'all down, or be blown away,
and is picked up and put on an article near the same place by an inno-
cent but accommodating visitor.

The exhibitors usually take their premium cards home and then pre-
sent them at an early interview with the officers.

After the list is published they are almost tempted to doubt the
integrity of the reporters, w^ho usually aim to copy the correct name,
but try harder not to miss the next train. Much of the trouble can
be obviated by fastening the colored premium card securely on the
right article or pasting colored preiiiium papers carefully on glass jars.
Then, if it cannot be fastened on easily, the committees should mark
the exhibitor's number on the back of the premium card. The card
may then be handled and returned to the right exhibitor. If the loose
card is leaned up against a can of peaches next to pears, the word
^'peaches" should be written on the back of one premium card, in
addition to the exhibitor's entry number.

To do this with ink, I admit, will make considerable work, but there
is nothing so successful as success, and success mejAUS well directed
w^ork and its worth. After premiums have been awarded and the
cards issued, exhibitors should write their name jwid residence on the
articles receiving premiums, and other meritorious or new exhil)its,
so that visitors can incpiire concerning it and secure knowledge re-
garding its care and management, or manufacture.

This is the chief object and purpose for which agricultural fairs are

held.

The judges require an unusual amount of force of character, must
be specialists or experts in their respective departments, and need an
experienced clerical assistant.

The linal report should be commenced when they start out at first;
not a rough memorandum made, intelligible to the committee alone,
for it willrarely be rewritten or corrected. I can recall one instance
where six ffrst premiums and as many seconds were offered in one
class, and the good natured judges awarded twelve ffrst premiums.
All entries should close at least ffve days before the fair, the awards
should l)e inspected by officers before publication, and then with
printed reports, printed pay rolls and tw^enty days to revise and cor-
rect them, few errors would occur.

The children's department in a local fair is an important educational
feature, but should not be abused by too much adult assistance, and
if limilcMl to children under fifteen years of age the sweet sixteeners
should be excluded from competing with infants. Smaller premiums
and more of them generally give better satisfaction in the ladies' de-
partment, l)ut the amount offered for speed premiums and thorough-
bred live stock are rarely too large w^hen compared with the risk and
ex])enses connected with their transportation.

The rules adopted by a board of managers must be legal, moral, and
equitable.

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;lgg QuAnTERLY KePORT.

If ll.e ..mcers evince a spirit of ^^rfrt:^^^'''""'"'' '" *^'
right, many mistakes will be overlooked by *^^ ^^ ;_^ ^^ ^^^j j.^

come m<.ney-losing enterprises. The C"^?'^^'^ i'^^' . "^ f ^^^^^^ A
,ivin-i<vor« officers, visitors, and exhibitors is essential to success a

rielf sl^ul I be 'carefnl not to give f^-<^^^^^^!j^^:'S^;,
af ex dbits in eood order, nor agree to pay out moie piemiums i i. i
the g receipts of the f=;ir. The retnrn checks, ^^^^f- '>'.['- ^^^ ;
out special insurance on contents, would bankrupt =i f .'^J^^^^f ^e tn^^^^

ry. To harmonize and solve the relations ^^''''^r:,'^^''Zu^^
tions, exhibitors and the public is much more dilhcult than many

""ii;me"f™rs complain of stock l>-e^^--f,-l>'"'''f- .J"" ."^
nremiums and amateurs confess tliey can readily see w/u/ but c.mnot

SrS .'they should be protected from ^•---^--^''-J' f™Vom:
iessional exiiibitors. The expert system as a ^i^\>» _f^»fe loi the com
mittee judge, is finding many supporters, particularly the ^^^^f^

departments. The Burlington .■ounty f'-^:"' '':"!, itAent to the
sev will take especial pains this spring to display exliib ts sent to tne
socielv by parties who cannot be present in person, and requires a
new vL-iet es of strawberries upon exhibilion to be "Po" vines and n
o row!, g position where possible, with a history ol the plant its geii^
eral clmiacteristics, and the merits claimed for it, so that it .•an be

conveniently inspected. i-.\Ua u ..rr^rds

Where altitude and latitude are marked on ne^y exhibits, it ailoid*
information for those seeking knowledge. Liberal premiums at iairs
ave encouraired the introduction of silk culture, the tea plant, map e
sugar, beet sugar, sorghum, and other new industries where tli3
cliTnate and seasons are suitable. . ,. ^, „„,„rV

Tlie rapid growth of the country necessitated the division oi he w ork
of the older agricult ural societies. Farmers" Clubs, Grangers 1 rotec-
tive Association, "The Chester County Farmers Association and
other organizations, have taken up diderent dei)artments of agricul-
tural science. The agricultural societies still have an open field lor
holdiu"- agricultural fairs, and the additional privilege of furnisliing
members for that faithful promoter of the farming interests, the 1 enn-
svlvania 8tate Board of Agriculture. • , v

' This State Board usuallv consists of about fifty members, including
five State officials, three persons appointed by the Governor and one
person appointed from, or by an agricultural society, in each county,
raising a sum of money for the promotion (jf agriculture, so as to be
entitled to an annual State bounty from the county, i his institute is
under the auspices of these gentlemen, by virtue of powers conferred
bv a late act of Assembly. ■ i. i

'Since nearly allot them have been or are managers of agricultural
fairs, I regret that some one of them had not been assigned my sub-
iect The war that they are waging against counterfeit butter,
counterfeit fertilizers, bad roads and weak fences, is bringing about
good results, and the zeal with which they are pushing other meritor-
ious enterprises promises to bring success.

Pennsylvania Board of Ac.kiculture.

139

Notwithstanding all these changes, the annual fair wi 1 still con-
tinue to be the great event of the year with most of our local socie-
ties. It will likewise continue to be an educator, and the managers
will be responsible for its character and teachings.

FENCmG.

By John S. Hope, Es(j., Voatesnlle Pennsylvania.

The rapid consumption of timber, causing a scarcity of fencing ma-
terial, as well as the spirit of improvement everywhere manifesting
itself among our farmers, combine to make the question of fencing
one of the most important which a Pennsylvania farmer is called upon

to decide. , n i -n i i ^i-

Suppose we ascend to the top of some of our valley_ hills and look
down upon the great valley that lie beneath, with its broad acres
numbered by the thousands, no feature of the landscape is more likely
to strike our eye, or attract our attention, than the vast net-work of
fences that covers the surface, dividing into all imaginable shapes and
sizes the territory Iving before us; dotted here and there all over the
view are tlie liomes of the farmers, and their lands embracing from
fifty to two hundred acres, these are sometimes divided by beautiful
ancl expensive fences, and, at others by unsightly wooden structures
according to the wealth, taste, and al)ility of the owner. W hen God
put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, I imagine he did not ma,
the beauty and symmetry of the landscape by unsightly fences ; would
it take too greata fiiglit of imagination to believe that Adam was the
first farmer who practiced the soiling system, and I have no doubt liis
..■ood old cow thrived and was happy. Before entering upon the
merits and demerits of the different kinds of fences m use in this
State, and their value to. or useless tax upon the farmer, let us look
a soAie of the laws regulating the use of fences. The fence laws o
this county are very meager and unsatisfactory. There seems to be a
dilliculty in enacting a law whi.-h will suit all counties, and i"sonuich
as the new Constitution forbids local or spe lal legislation, the mat-
ter of a uniform fence law has been neglected until the last session of
the Legislature, a kind of a local option law was passed, leaving the
qm^snLn to each county to say, by their votes, whether or not they
desire the act of 1700 repealed. .

Tiisact has not been voted upon in this county, and it remains the
law governing us at this time. It requires the inclosures to be well
fenced, five feet high,of snflhient lailsor logs close at he bottom, and
wdosoever has not hi.s fence in lawful condition, sha 1 belialde or the
mlin' o • 1 illin^ of their neighbors animals while in their mclosure.
i made the'duty of the sheriff, at the request of the <-o"'iy com-
missioners, to cause this act to be published, and voted on at he ext
General ele<-tion. The eflect of the repeal of this act would be to re-
Tid t he <-on,mou law. wbh^h would require every farmer to keep his
stod< o his own premises at his peril, no matter what the cond tion
o is oighb<.r's fences. Every farmer is thus only required to keep
sufficient f'VM,..es to keep his stock at home and fn.ni injuring his nei^h^
bors, which to me seems to be a common sense law. I NNould unite
discussion on this subject.

ill

140 Quarterly Report.

Two land-owners adjoining- are required to divide the line fence into
equal portions, and each make and re])air one hall. All dispules in
regard to fences are to be settled by the township auditors, who aie
tlie fence viewers. It has been decided by the Supreme Court that a
linc^ fcMice standing unchanged for twenty-one years, tliougli crooked
is the true boundary, notwithstanding the deeds ol both parties call
for a straight line. It is estimated in Pennsylvania there is about
l(s374,(>40"icres fenced in, taking 15(3,377,821 rods of fence, costmg

about $2()(),000,000. ^ • i ^ i •

Tliis enormous expenditure of time and money we wish to bring
l)efore our farmers in such a way as to awaken thought and provoke

discussion. ^ ^, , . i no

We will lirst give a description of some of the kinds of fences m
common use in Pennsylvania. It is estimated we haA^e in this ^tate
sixty seven per cent, of worm fence, the most unsightly, and perhaps
less substantial, of all prominent fences, and more liable to blow down
by high wind. It is made zigzag or worm shape, witli two stakes, one
on either side at the corners, with single or double rider or top rail.
It is usually seven or eight rails high. A panel in a straight line would
be about eight feet. i -n

This fence covers a breadth of nearly one half rod, and will occupy
at least four acres to the one hundred. The cost of construction would
be about one dollar and sixty cents per rod.

Seventeen per cent, of our fences are post and rail. Ihe posts are
hewed and mortised, the rails sharpened or pointed, so as lap in the
mortise. It is usually four or live rails high. This makes a good lence,
more siditly and substantial than the former, costing, when set lour
rails high, one dollar and fifty cents per rod.

We have about twelve per cent, of board fence, usually made by
plantinir sawed or hewed posts in the ground eight to ten feet distant,
and board nails on them. The cost of making is varied according to
material and manner of construction. A good fence of this kind can
be made for about one dollar and fifty cents per rod. Then we have
the stone fence, made of useless stone on the farm, budt together as
a walk hauling and building costing about two dollars and twenty-
per rod. The osage hedge is used to some extent in Chester and Lan-
caster counties. It is a good and substantial fence when properly
rimmed, which costs time and labor, besides uncertainty in starting,
from the effect of ground mice destroying the roots. In mellow land
some object to it on account of the trouble in plowing near to it, and
the roots extend out into the field, destroying the fertility of the soil.
It will occupy a space in widtli from four to \\\e feet.

The sweed or herring back fence is used some little on steep hills.
It is made by laying rails at an angle of about forty degrees, held by
stakes driven into the ground. In some sections of the State pine
stumps are used for fencing. They make a substantial, but not pretty,

fence.

The wire fence is coming into more general use year by year. The
wire has become so cheap that a good fence can be constructed for less
than the labor of making nnd setting a post and rail fence, the mate-
rial being furnished. It will stand longer in its true position, have
less occasion for repairs than any other fence.

The wind hns less alfect upon it, lighter posts will do, and when
needing repairs it can be done with little expense. The objection
some make to barbed wire fence has been overcome by the use oi* the

^ ^:i

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

141

twdsted steel ri])b()n wire, wliich makes a strong, durable, and pretty
fence. Each strand of this wire is warranted to stand a pull of two
thousand pounds. I would set the posts from eight to ten ieet distant ;
four strands will make a good fence and can be readily seen by stock.
I have never known animals to attempt, of their free will, to jumj)
over it, and have never known stock to be injured by it. The cost of
construction is about sixty cents per rod.

The great question of to-day, can the farmer be. in any measure, re-
lieved of this burden. Go to the farm and ask the owner why he thus
barricades himself behind this array of fences, and he will doul)tless,
with a look of pity at your simplicity, tell you that these are a necessary
part of the eciuipment of a well-regulated i'arm. and that no man
would, for a moment, think of paying full price for a farm destitute of
good, substantial fences, inside and out. Count the cost of the build-
ings and fences on the best improved farm in Chester county, and
you have the land for nothing.

The method generally pursued by farmers in this county is to di-
vide their farms into fields of ten to twelve acres each, and to raise
upon these certain different crops, succeeding each other in rotation,
occupying from four to seven years; the plan further consists in pas-
turing stock ui)on the field, which necessitates division fences, to pro-
tect the growing crops. Is it necessary, in order that our stock may
be properly cared for, that they should run to pasture at the enormous
tax of making and keeping up so many fences? Would not the soil-
ing system remedy this evil, at least in a measure?

Experiments have clearly demonstrated that cows will thrive, and
produce more milk and butter by this plan than by any system of
pasturage ever yet devised.

In Germany it is the common practice. In France, travelers tell us
that you can travel for days and see no fences. In England, this sys-
tem is practiced extensively, and here in our own country there are
numerous instances of the successful practice of feeding in the yard
and stable during the summer.

All the statistics and experiments upon the matter go to prove that,
with plenty of green food supplied in yard or stable, cows will not
only eat with avidity, but thrive more rapidly, and double the quan-
tity can be kept on the same space of land. Mr. Isaac Quincy writes,
that for vears he has kept twenty head of cows on seventeen acres
of land, and that they never lacked food. That, by the old system, it
required fifty acres to feed the same stock; here is a saving of thirty-
three acres out of fifty and the expense of inside fences. Joshu a St.
Claire states that tliirty head of cows wree soiled on seventeen and one
half acres from May 20 to October 1. In general in this country one
half acre to the head is sufficient for summer food for one cow^, or a
ratio compared with pasturage of one to lour. In England, the pro-
portion is greater, being one to seven.

There w^ould be a saving of three fourths of the land, all the inside
fences, and the manure would be worth the extra labor. Is this not
a better and cheaper way, and one wdiich would save the annoyance
of stock breaking fences' and destroying crops? But there is a diffi-
culty in persuading many i'armers from the good old way their lathers
trod, so we must now try, for their sakes, to find some cheaper way of
l)uilding fences. Take a farm of one hundred acres, which is about
the average size of the farms in Chester county, divide this farm into
ten fields, with garden, yard, and road fences, we have about eighteen

^1

I ■

J42 QrAKTKUi.Y TJKiMMrr.

hundred rods of fence. Comdin, this all vvorm |^^;l;^^;W;;;;^ ;;-^^
to the acre, would cost for the one lumditnl nne. *A.m, uimI nnouM
occuDV a space of about four and one hall aoroH. n ... .

Posl and rail fence would <H>st about the san.^ bm u .uhl (UMMipy
less o-round and be less liable to be leveled .v tlH^ \s in«l. •

^tp/l W galvanized willcostfor a farm ol one huhiliv,! ihmvh

at sSl ce^^^^^^^^^^ a dilference or navin)^ of *^,(rn; In favor

of t h^^^ w^^^^^^^ the wcmd fence. Tliere are four InnidnMl and Mi^yeniy-
wo thousand three hundred and twenty acren in / ^>'*^^>V|;;;;'';'» .V ;'''
der fence. Takin- ei<.diteen rods to tlu^ acre, we have MOIJfK mdn
ol fence, costing, a? $1.40 per r(>d,$l-^^^^^^^^^^ ll nnuleol wnrn. lence,

it would cover a space of about twenty thousaihl acivH.

Thecostof steel galvanized twiste(l ribhnn Wliv Umico al nlxlycon H
per rod would be $5,101,105, a saving in the lenct^H ol (lioK ler counly
of $7,651,584 over the wood fence, not taking inio accoiml dninl.ibty.
It has been estimated that the inside fencers alonc^ o ( nie.ler counly
actually cost more than $12,(M),001), ()r an auHMinl iMpud In t he enl ire nri)-

duct ot- all the farms of the county for one year, or twice an much as
the value of all the live stock in the county. TheHi^ Inncen n^u'eHent
a vearlv cost to the farmers of the counly of aiH)Ul $r)()0,t)00, an mnmint
nearlv equal to the value of the corn crop of Ihe counly, and wotihl
pav the State, county, school, and mad tax ol c^vei'V larnM.r In the
.ounty,and is e(pml to an annual tax of lillrriM lollai'H per head on
everv man, W(mian, and child in th<' rouuty. Il Iu.n iMjei. e. Imalrd
that^he cost of making and nudntamnig lences in i he I nilrd S lates
is greater than the war d(d)t at the (dose of ihtMvar ol llip reladlion,

whi(di was nearly three billion. ,,,,,,. , . , ,

The farmer of to-day is recpured to labor hard, iliive early and ale,
year in and year out. He cannot live as men in olhrr prolri^HionM ive;
he must stint, scrape and economize, llin wife nni.-d lol and Mlav(s
and why ^ That he may gain a living and i)ay hln JMUieHt deblM. Vwv-
mers, come and let us Veason together in the light nl I he MmiIIih I have
so ieebly tried to present to you. It is not tin* amount w«M'ec(dve lor labor
that gives usopulence; it isihe amouid wesave. I have tried tonliow yoii
there are at least two ways we may save nnnh of tin* linuMind ex penm^ol

fencin<'' which might be devoted to the improvement of llie land, IIih
educatmn of our children, self-cnlture, and e|evali(m of IIm- llrM and
noblest calling God has given to nnni, in till Ihe hoII, and for Hie pro-
motion of (diristianity throughout tiie land, rhilanlhroidc Klalenmen
and wise men of all nations and generations have riicked I heir braiiiH,
spent months and years of i)reciou8 time, Wjuanden^d rnllll(MiH of the
* people's hard-earned money discussing <|ueKtionH of oolll leal economy,
which as yet have resulted in little, if any, pracllcal ulllllVj nnd have
overlooked the greater (piestion of domehtic economy, which beginn
and ends at home, and winch every farmer, yea, every clll/en of iImh
threat and prosperous nation, are and shoidd be deitply InlereM-ed in,
and wldch is eating holes in the po(dvet« and dragging out the hard
earnings of every farmer in the land.

i

l*KxNiNSV! V VNl \ ImMKP CV Ai'lUrriTntK.

14a

siLouLi) i\\mii:!.*s' \\!\h:s iiA\i: a:n inde-

Pi:\ DINT iriJSK?

J^y IIowAun rKi':sTON, Oxford^ ChvHtev cof(nl)/^ IViut^si/lcania.

[Reaii at OxtorU Institute. J

This essay is partly true, partly imaginative, i)artly ditlative, but
altog(*th(u* meant as an earnest plt\a for t lu^ allirmativtM)!' thisipies-
t i()n,and, if il would add l<> the lorci* of my argumiMit, I might say that
mv ])racti('e for many vears accords with mv thoorv, and that the re-
suit is everv wav satisfactorv.

Perhaps more t lian ninetenths of onr farmers start in d(d)t, and it is
onlv bv (dose econonn' and ixM'st^viu'inu' industrvthal a satisfactorv
competenccMS attaiiKMl ; and duiingllu* early jx'riod of niaiTied life,
when unex])ect(Hl demands for mont^v b\' thi^ \\if(\even to huv the
necessarv food and (dolhing for the fannlv, ari» sometimes met bv cold,
looks and words, to a\'oid tlu*s(\ and for many reasons that nuiy
suggest themselves, or be brought out by this essay, I ladieve that
evei'v farmer'^s wile should havi^ monev to bt» used for hous<di(dd an<l
|)ersonal ex])enses, to be* ))aid her at staloii peiiods, or (dso have t he
inconu' of some i)()rtion ol' the produce of the farm, so that in her de-
partment she may be as independent as the husband is in his. I be-
lieve su(di an arrangement would work to their nnitind advantage' —
eacdi knowing what funds they |)ossessed, without Ixdng liable to have
them reduced by unexpected demands.

As it some timeshajJixuis, the hushand has just enough money to
neet a maturing m)te; tlu^wife neiMJs money to do her shopping —
somebody is disai)pointe(l, whi( h need not have been the case lual
ea(di an independent ])urse. Tli(>re are those who Ixdieve that many
wives are not lobe truste(l with nnmev; that Ihev would rinn tlndr
fanulies if they had the opporluinly lo spen<l all ihey desired. Tin*
linancial honor of ihe honu' is as dear to the wife as to the husband.
The trouble, too often, is the wife does not know how tlndi' alfairs
stand, does not know what the d(d)ts are, is ncd ccnisulted in matters
pertaining to their mutual iidei'ests, as nien consull their husincHS
partners.

Do you know wiviss that were considerecl extravagant were the oc-
casion (the world said) of their husbandV failure. ^'et till the day
they were recpnred to sigii pajau's of assignment or till t In^ Hherill'came
tiever suspected but they wei'e ricdi. And yet Ihese women, after I In*
crash was over, were Indpmeets indeecl, helping to retriev<' their
brokcui fortune by industry, by econoinv, and s(df ih'uial. I Ixdievc*
that not only wives but daughters should be educated in the use of
money as men are.

How many girls grow up and, uid il tlieyar© marrie(|, have lu'ver
spent a dollar of tlndi' own and have lit lie idea of ils coh! '^ If parents
would only i)ay these a lair comp(»nsation loi* tlndr lahor and hi them
s[>end it for tlieir own use, a busim'ss training would coninnMU'e
with their first purchase. Any tendency toward extravagance will be
clu'cked by the necessitic^s of th(» case, and a spirit of economy will he
developed whi(di will help to pi'epare them lor tin* (bitiesof life. I
inive said that perhaps nine tenths of tin* farmers cornmenci* in debt.

II

MO

Quarterly Report.

Two land- owners adjoininji; are nMiiiired to divide the line fence into
equal ])()i1i()ns, and each make and re]>air one hall'. All disputes in
regard to fences are to be settled by the township auditors, who are
the fence viewers. It has been decided by the Supreme Court that a
line fence standing" unchanged for twenty-one years, tliough crooked,
is the true boundary, notwitlistanding the deeds of both parties call
for a straight line. It is estimated in Pennsylvania there is about
1(),374,()40 acres fenced in, taking 156,377,821 rods of fence, costing
about $200,000,000.

This enormous expenditure of time and money we wish to bring
before our farmers in such a way as to awaken thought and provoke
discussion.

We will first give a description of some of the kinds of fences in
common use in Tennsylvania. It is estimated we have in tliis State
sixty seven per cent, of worm fence, tlie most unsightly, and perliaps
less substantial, of all proiiiinent fences, and more lial)le to blow down
by high wind. It is made zigzag or w^orm shape, with two stakes, one
on either side at the (corners, with single or double rider or top rail.
It is usually seven or eight rails high. A panel in a straight line would
be about eiglit feet.

This fence covers a breadth of nearly one half rod, and will occupy
at least four acres to the one hundred. The cost of construction would
be about one dollar and sixty cents per rod.

Seventeen per cent, of our fences are ])ost and rail. The posts are
hew^ed and mortised, the rails sharpened or j)ointed, so as lap in the
mortise. It is usually four or live rails high. Tiiis makes a good fence,
more sightly and substantial than the former, costing, when set four
rails high, one dollar and lil'ty cents per rod.

We have about twelve per cent, of board fence, usually made by
planting sawed or hewed posts in tlie ground eight to ten feet distant,
and board nails on them. The cost of making is varied according to
material and manner of construction. A good fence of this kind can
be made for about one dollar and liity cents per rod. Then we have
the stone fence, made of useless stone on the farm, built together as
a wall, hauling and building costing about two dollars and twenty-
per rod. The osage hedge is used to some extent in Chester and Lan-
caster counties. It is a good and substantial fence when properly
rimmed, which costs time and labor, besides uncertainty in starting,
from the eflect of ground mice destroying the roots. In mellow Innd
some object to it on account of the trouble in plowing near to it, and
the roots extend out into the field, destroying the fertility of the soil.
It will occu])y a space in width from lour to live feet.

The sweed or herring back fence is used some little on steep hills.
It is made by laying rails at an angle of about forty degrees, held by
stakes driven into the ground. In some sections of the State pine
stumps are used for fencing. They make a substantial, but not pretty,
fence.

The wire fence is coming into more general use year by year. The
wire has become so chea]) that a good fence can be constructed for less
than the labor of making and setting a post and rail fence, the mate-
rial being furnished. It will stand longer in its true position, have
less occasion for repairs than any other fence.

The wind has less affect upon it, lighter posts will do, and when
needing repairs it can be done with little expense. The objection
some make to barbed wire fence has been overcome by the use of the

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

141

twisted steel ribbon wire, which makes a strong, durable, and pretty
fence. Each strand of this wire is warranted to stand a pull of two
thousand pounds. I would set the posts from eight to ten feet distant ;
four strands will make a good fence and can be readily seen by stock.
I have never known animals to attempt, of their free will, to jum])
over it, and have never known stock to be injured by it. Tlie cost of
construction is about sixty cents per rod.

The great question of to-day, can the farmer be. in any measure, re-
lieved of this burden. Go to the farm and ask the owner why he thus
barricades himself behind this array of fences, and he will doubtless,
with a look of pity at your simplicity, tell you that these are a necessary
part of the equipment of a well-regulated farm, and that no man
would, for a moment, thiiik of paying full price for a farm destitute of
good, substantial fences, inside and out. Count the cost of the build-
ings and fences on the best improved farm in Chester county, and
you have the land for nothing.

The method generally ])ursued by farmers in this county is to di-
vide their farms into fields of ten to twelve acres each, and to raise
upon these certain different crops, succeeding each other in rotation,
occupying from four to seven years; the plan further consists in pas-
turing stock upon the field, which necessitates division fences, to pro-
tect the growing crops. Is it necessary, in order that our stock may
be proi)erly cared for, that they should run to pasture at the enormous
tax of making and keeping up so many fences? Would not the soil-
ing system remedy this evil, at least in a measure?

Experiments have clearly demonstrated that cows will thrive, and
produce more milk and butter by this plan than by any system of
pasturage ever yet devised.

In Germany it is the common practice. In France, travelers tell us
that you can travel lor days and see no fences. In England, this sys-
tem is practiced extensively, and here in our own country there are
numerous instances of the successful practice of feeding in the yard
and stable during tlu^ summer.

All the statistics and experiments upon the matter go to prove that,
with plenty of green food supplied in yard or stable, cows will not
only eat with avidity, but thrive more ra])idly, and dou})le the quan-
tity can be kept on the same space of land. Mr. Isaac Quincy writes,
that for years he has kept twenty head of cows on seventeen acres
of land, and that they never lacked food. That, by the old system, it
required fifty acres to feed the same stock; here is a saving of thirty-
three acres out of fifty and the expense of inside fences. Joshu a St.
Claire states that thirty head of cow^s wree soiled on seventeen and one
half acres from May 20 to October 1. In general in this country one
half acre to the head is sufficient for summer food for one cow, or a
ratio compared with pasturage of one to four. In England, the i)ro-
Ijortion is greater, l)eing one to seven.

There would be a saving of three fourths of the land, all the inside
fences, and the manure would be worth the extra labor. Is this not
a better and cheaper way, and one which would save the annoyance
of stock breaking fences and destroying crops? But there is a difh-
culty in persuading many farmers from the good old way their fathers
trod, so we must now try, for their sakes, to find some cheaper way of
l)uilding fences. Take a farm of one hundred acres, which is about
the average size of the farms in Chester county, divide this farm into
ten fields, with garden, yard, and road fences, we have about eighteen

!■

142

Quarterly Report.

hiindrcMl rods of fence. Counting tliis all worm fence, eighteen rods
to the acre, would cost for the one hundred acres $8,150, and would
occupy a space of about four and one half acres.

Post and rail fence would cost about the same, but would occupj^
less ground and be less liable to be leveled by the wind.

Steel wire fence galvanized will cost for a farm of one hundred acres
at sixty cents per rod, $1,080, a dilference or saving of $2,070 in favor
of the "wire over the wood fence. There are four hundred and seventy-
two thousand three hundred and twenty acres in Chester county un-
der fence. Taking eighteen rods to the acre, we have 8,501,7()0 rods
of fence, costing, at $1.40 per rod, $12,752,640. If made of worm fence,
it wouhl cover a space of about twenty thousand acres.

The cost of steel galvanized twisted ribbon wire fence at sixty cents
per rod would be $5,101,105, a saving in the fences of Chester county
of $7,051,584 over the wood fence, not taking into account durability.
It has been estimated that the inside fences alone of (Chester county
actually cost more than $2,000,000, or an amount equal to the entire pro-
duct of all the farms of the county for one year, or twice as much as
the value of all the live stock in the county. These fences represent
a yearly cost to the farmers of the county of about $500,000, an amount
nearly equal to the value ol' the corn crop of the county, and would
pav the State, county, school, and road tax of every farmer in the
county, and is e(iual to an annual tax of fifteen dollars per head on
every man, woman, and chikl in the county. It has been estimated
that the cost of making and maintaining fences in the United States
is greater than the war debt at the close of the war of the rebellion,
which was nearly three l)illion.

The farmer of to-day is required to labor hard, drive early and late,
year in and year out. ^ He cannot live as men in other professions live;
he must stint, scrape and economize. His wife must toil and slave,
and wliy :* That he may gain a living and pay his honest debts. Far-
mers, come and let us reason together in the light of the truths I have
so feebly tried to present to you. It is not tlie amount we receive for labor
that gives us opulence; it is t lie amount we save. I have t ried to show you
there are at least two ways we may save much of the time and expense of
fencing, which might be devoted to the improvement of the land, the
education of our children, self-culture, and elevation of the first and
noblest calling God has given to man, to till the soil, and for the pro-
motion of Christianity throughout the land. r]iilaiithro])ic statesmen
and wise men of all nations and generations luive racked their brains,
spent months and years of precious time, S(iuiindered millions of the
l)eople's hard-earned money discussing questions of political economy,
which as yet have resulted in little, if any, practical utility, and have
overlooked the greater ([uestion of domestic economy, which begins
and ends at home, and which every farmer, yea, every citizen of this
great and prosperous nation, are and should be deeply interested in,
and which is eating holes in the pockets and dragging out the hard
earnings of every farmer in the land.

Pennsylvania Board cf Agriculture.

143

SHOULD FARMERS' WIVES HAVE ATS' INDE-
PENDENT PURSE?

By Howard Preston, Oxford^ Chester count t/^ Pennsylvania,

rilead at Oxford Institute.]

L -J ,^

This essay is partly true, partly imaginative, ])artly didative, but
altogether meant as an earnest plea for the aihrmative of this ques-
tion, and, if it would add to the force of my argument, I might say that
my practice for many years accords witli my theory, and that the re-
sult is every way satisfactory.

Perhaps more tlian ninetenths of our farmers start in debt, and it is
only by close economy and ])ersevering industry that a satisfactory
competence is attained ; and during the early jjeriod of married life,
when unexpected demands for money by the wife, even to buy the
necessarv food and clothing for the lamilv, are sometimes met bv cold,
looks and words, to avoid these, and for many reasons that may
suggest themselves, or be brought out by this essay, I })elieve that
everv farmer^s wife should have monev to l)e used for household and
personal expenses, to be paid her at stated periods, or else have the
income of some portion of the produce of the farm, so that in her de-
partment she may be as independent as the husband is in liis. I be-
lieve such an arrangement would work to their nnitual advantage —
each knowing what funds tlu\v possessed, without being liable to have
them reduced l)y unexi)ected demands.

As it some timeshappens, the husband has just enough money to
neet a maturing note; tlie wife needs money to do her shopi)ing —
some])()dy is disappointed, which neinl not liave been the case had
each an independent purse. There are those who believe that many
wives are not to V)e trusted with money; that they would ruin their
families if they had the opportunity to spend all they desired. The
iinancial honor of the home is as dear to the wife as to the husband.
The trouble, too often, is tlie wife does not know how their affairs
stand, does not know^ what the debts are, is not consulted in matters
pertaining to their mutual interests, as men consult their business
partners.

Do you know wives that were considered extravagant were the oc-
casion (the world said) ol' their husband's failure. Yet till the day
they were re(piired to sigii pai)ers of assignment or till tlie sheiilf came
never suspected but they were rich. And yet these women, after the
crash was over, were helpmec^ts indeed, helping to n^trieve their
broken fortune bv industrv, by economv, aiid self-denial. I believe
that not only wives but daughters should be educated in the use of
money as men are.

How many girls grow up and, until they are married, have never
spent a dollar of their own and have little idejiof its cost '^^ If parents
would only pay these a fair c()mi)ensation tor their labor and let them
si)end it for tlieir own use, a business training would commence
with their lirst purchase. Any tendency toward extravagance will be
cluM'ked by the necessities of the case, and a si)irit of economy will be
develoi)ed which will help to prepare them for the duties of life. I
iiave said that perhaps nine tenths of the farmers commence in debt.

144

Quarterly Report.

There may be a tenth that hepn with farms stocked and paid for, but
observation has sliown that these, as a rule, are not successful. They,
too, started wit liout the necessary trainiuij: — tliey didnot appreciate the
value of money that cost them nothin<2;. The importance of economy
and industry was not ground into them by the stern circumstances
tliat surrounded tlie young iarnier that starts witli the knowledge
that lie can only prosper by the practice of these virtues. 1 have full
faith in the good sense and native ability of our wives. They are
ready at all times for self-sacrifice when they know that it is neces-
sary. We, who passed through the dark days ot the late war, linoio
how heroically they gave up husbands and sons to die if needs be
that their country might be preserved, that this should indeed be the
land of a free people. Are not these women and their daughters to
be trusted % The home is safe in their hands, if not, the fault is our
own. Make them your confidents in all things, consult them on all
important matters, keep no secrets i'rom them, then all we have and
all we hope to acquire will be secure in their keeping. Yet there are
husbands who gather into their own purse all that is sold from the
farm, and when the wife needs a dollar she must ask for it as though
she was a child, as though she had not earned it, as though it was not
hers by right.

That farmers may see how humiliating it is for tlieir wives to be
placed in this condition, and how they would feel if their positions
were reversed, I will narrate the following story, which, as I said
in the beginning, was partly true and partly imaginative: Young
farmer B U)l(l the old, old story to the bright daughter of the village
merchant. The oiler was made, the terms agreed to, the contract
sealed. As a scholar, Mr. B was not a success in school, llis recita-
tions were not up to the average, but in all athletic sports he w^as
chosen first, and later in his father's field could swing the cradle or
plow as straight a furrow as the best. It was a bright spring morning
when ]\[r. B and his wife drove to their new home. There was enough
paid on their farm to make tlie investment reasonably secure, and
debt enough to make them feel that it was only by economy and in-
dustry they could hope to make it their own. When the harvest was
over and money began to come in for their produce, Mr. B decided to
keep a l)ook account of receipts and expendit ures. But they w^ere hard
to keep. His decimal points got out of joint, his multiplication would
not agree with the merchant that bought his grain, and Ins cash ac-
count would not correspond with money on hand. In his trouble he
appealed to his wife to helj) him, and suggested that she should be the
treasurer and l)0()k-keeper of the firm, receiving all the money and
paying bills, as the husband usually does, with only this difference,
that she took the position by nnitual agreement wliich men usually
assume as a right. For a time this arrangement worked nicely, all
Mr. B had to do when he wanted money was to go and ask for it, and
she, with a gracious smile, would hand it over. After a time, how-
ever, as the family grew larger and the expenses more heavy, and as
it sometimes happened, the income less, then there were times when
the requests for money were not always met with a smile so genial,
and occasionally there was intimations that she thought became for
money rather too often, and she was afraid that he was not as careful
of llis expenses as he should be. Indeed, these lectures became more
frequent than comfortable. But Mr. B remembered scenes in his
early youth, when his mother had received similar caution and repri-

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

145

mand and took comfort in believing that what was fair in that case
might be fair in this.

He remembered how his father, though a wealthy man, had refused
his mother money to buy a book that she fancied, and told her, in the
presence of others, that she did not need it, and he could not afford to
spend his money for such a purpose. He recalled with vividness his
mother's look of mortification and humiliation, as she with tears in her
eyes turned silently away. Nor did he forget his own w^onder; how
it could be that, after his parents had worked jointly thirty years to
gain a competence, his mother had not money enough to buy even a
book. And this is the condition of thousands of married women to-
day. But I digress. Mr. B brought up his horses one day for the
purpose of taking them to be shod. Before starting he went into the
house to get the necessary funds. Things had not gone well with Mrs.
B that day. The wood was green, the stove smoked, the bread would
not rise, a combination of circumstances not favorable to serenity of
temper. Mr. B saw at a glance that this was not a time to ask a fa-
vor. For some time Mrs. B seemed to look upon giving money in
that light, even if the purchases were of a character equally needful
to both. Just as I have known husbands grudgingly grant money to
their wives to buy clothing for themselves and their children. I was
saying Mrs. B was not in a very good humor, the best of wives some
times show temper if the provocation is sufficient, and perhaps the
same might be said of husbands. So Mrs. B, instead of quietly hand-
ing over the expected tw^o dollars, as she certainly would have done
had all things gone smoothly, commenced talking, by saying that she
thought he went to the shops entirely too often, and if he would spend
a little more time in getting wood and less in ridingabout, it wouldbe
better ibr their affairs. She had no money to spare ; all that she had
would be wanted to pay the note given for her sewing-machine. Mr.
B did not sw^ear, for he was a gentleman. He did not sit down and
cry, as a woman would probably have done under similar circum-
stances, and declare he would never ask for another dollar as long as
he lived, for he was a man. But to say he felt hurt and mortified
— that his rights were outraged would be a very moderate statement
of his feelings, for he was human. As to Mrs. B, the moment after
she had spoken these cruel words, she felt how unkind and unjust
they were, and had she obeyed the promptings of her heart she would
have thrown her arms about her husband's neck and ask his forgive-
ness ; but pride caused her to hesitate and the precious words were un-
spoken. Indeed, I cannot but think in all this, she acted as husbands
have done before and will continue to do so long as they constitute
themselves the sole recipients and dispensers of their own and their
wives' joint earnings. In the course of time Mr. B became more and
more dissatisfied with the arrangement, but he could not exactly find out
where the trouble lay. Would the result be any better if their posi-
tions were reversed, would not the same difficulties occur? The only
diflerence being that his wife and not himself would be the subject of
arbitrary power. For it matters not how good a man is, how pure a
party is, or how near perfect a government, give them unlimited
power and they are almost shure to abuse it.

Mr. B felt, perhaps, here was one cause of the difficulty, he had agreed

to give his wife a power, which she some times used to his discomfort,

a position which husbands usually assume, often to the discomfort of

their wives. Mr. B had no wish to control all the money of the con-

10

146

Quarterly Eeport.

cern. All he wanted was to be so situated tliat he could carry on the
work in his department without being dependent on one who knew so
much less about his business needs than he did, and he proposed that
a certain portion of their income be paid to him to ])e used in paying
such bills as it was his province to contract. EutMrs. B. did not like
the proposition, it seemed to her too much like dividing their interests
— too much like giving him an allowance, lie knew she would give
him all the money he needed for paying his bills. Mr. B remarked
dryly that perhaps she would, if she was in a good humor. Do you
not i>elieve the husband and wile are one ? Well, yes, he replied, but
1 some times think you act as if you are that one, and while 1 believe,
said Mr. B, that our interests are one, yet our work is not the same;
you attend to the duties of the house 1 to those of the farm. Each
should have a freedom to carry out our own individuality in minor mat-
ters. 1 am supposed to know the needs of the farm, you of the house
and family. 1 certainly can trust you to buy what you think neces-
sary for our comfort, and you are the wiser and and better qualitied
for' business by having this responsibility thrown upon you. Show me
the wife whose husband makes all the purchases, who hands out all
the money she asks for, ever so kindly, and then thinks he has done
his whole duty, and 1 Avill show you a woman, who is indeed depend-
ant if the stern duties of life are'forced upon her by the death of her
husband. Men have no long lease of life assured them, and it is a duty
they owe to their families that their wives, who may soon be the sole
heaxls, should be educated as much as possi})le by actual experiece in
the business of life. Mr. B felt more and more that his comfort de-
pended on his having some money he could use without asking for,
without having to feel that every time he needed a dollar it was nec-
essary to explain that it was to buy this or that particular thing. You
may think it was very foolish for him to feel this way, that his wife
had a right to know how he spent the money. Husbands, you know,
when their wives want to do their shopping often do the same thing,
and she explains that so much is to buy shoes, and so much to get
stockings, (fee. 1 believe husbands and wives should work for one
common end, the happiness of themselves and families that the indi-
viduality of each should be recognized. Each has some peculiarity of
disposition or taste which the other should respect, and which neither,
because they hold the purse, sliould have the power to deny the
other. In conclusion, 1 will inquire of the farmers here present if they
would enjoy occupying the position in which Mr. B voluntarily placed
himself?' Yet this is the enforced condition of mnny, many farmers'
wives. If you would not like it, then 1 think you must agree with
me, that the affirmative side of this question is the right side.

THE WHEAT CROr OF 1887.

Our data leads us to estimate the area in with wheat and now grow-
ing at 1,250,000 acres, or about tlie average of the past ten years. The
area seeded to this crop does not materially differ from year to year,
and is seldom increased, except by a general failure of the grass seed,
when the re-sowing of a number of fields, (in order to secure a set
with grass,) leads to an increase in acreage.

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

147

.

At this date, (June 4th,) it is of course impossible to give any definite
estimate of the possible yield, and we can only arrive at even an esti-
mate by the comparison with crops of former years at the same date.
In the wheat growing counties of Lancaster, Bucks, Chester, Mont-
gomery, Lehigh, Cumberland, York, Lebanon, and Delaware, the crop
will fall considerably below that of an average of the past ten years,
and for the State at large the ])robable result will be Ix^ow the small-
est crop of that period. The data at hand will not warrant us in an
estimate of over 10,750,000 bushels. This falling otf is due to one or
more of the following causes :

First. Dry weather, just after seeding time, last fall, during which
there was enough moisture in the soil to sprout the seed, but not
enough to keep it growing after sprouting. In many fields the loss
from this cause was considerable.

SeconcL The blowing off of the snow during the winter, by which
many fields were either left bare and thus suffered, or by which the
snow was drifted to such a depth as smothered the growing plants.

Third. To high drying winds in March, at a time when the ground
was bare and exposed to the full force of the wind ; during this time
many fields were irrecoverable injured, and tlie x>lants died for want
of proper moisture.

Fourth. To a snow of four inches in depth, which was followed by
a heavy soaking rain and cold weather, which congealed the water-
soaked snow and thus smothered out the plants, in many cases, on
high grounds, which had ample drainage.

Fifth. In the north-eastern counties much injury was also done to
the crop by i)r()longed dry weather during the middle of May, by
which many plants were dried out and died.

In the counties which we have specified above, it is perfectly safe to
say that the total yield will not pay the expense of the preparation
of the ground and the subsecpient seeding. In some cases the lields
were plowed up and seeded to oats, clover, and timothy, being sown
with the grain. If one third of the remaining fields had been so
treated the owners would have been better olf, for it now seems evi-
dent that the grass is also killed out, and that the only dependence
for the coming grass crop is in the clover sown this spring. We may
assume that the largest crop of the past ten years gave a yield of
23,250,000 bushels, and the smallest one of the same period, 11,250,000
bushels. Taking former data into consideration, w^e may estimate that,
after deducting for seed the coming autumn, we shall have to obtain
(for bread) at least 6,500,000 bushels from sources outside of the State.

Our county reports furnish us with the following data:

Adams. A very poor crop; mainly due to winterkilling and un-
favorable weather during the whole winter and early spring ; some
loss from windy weather in March.

Allegheny. JMuch frozen out by hard freezing weather when the
ground was bare ; and much lost from high winds early in the spring;
crop very short.

Armstrong. Much loss from winterkilling and some from fly; good
weather during early May very much improved the chance for a crop.

Beaver. Somewhat injured by unfavorable weather during late fall
and early winter, but much improved by good spring weather; some^
what injured by dry weather late in the spring.

148

Quarterly Report.

Bedford. Crop in many fields very poor; some few good fields, but
the crop will be below the average.

Berks. The injury sustained during the winter was partially repaired
by good weather later, but the crop is below an average, and consid-
ably below that of last year.

Blair. Much injured by severe March winds and severe freezing
weather during the winter, at times when the ground was bare.

Bradford. Very irreguhir in appearance and yield; some fields will
give good crox)s and others scarcely worth cutting.

Bucks. Somewhat winter killed, but some fields are good and with
a favorable spring and early summer will give a good yield.

Butler. Some injury done by unfavorable winter weather, but on
the whole, looking as well as could be expected ; above the average
crop of the past ten years.

Centre. Fully fifty per cent, lost from winter killing and other
causes ; many fields re-seeded with oats and grass seed.

Chester. Prospects somewhat improved by good weather in April
and May, but crops in many cases very j)oor ; many fields should have
been plowed and seeded down with oats and grass.

Clarion. Injury mainly due to winter killing and loss from high
winds early in the spring, when there was no snow on the ground.

Clinton. Much loss from winter killing; some little injury from
drying winds.

Cumberland. Great injury done by high winds during the winter
and early in March ; injury greatest in positions where the snow was
blown off; a few good fields east of Newville.

Columbia. Wheat on low lands badly winter killed and not worth
cutting; many fields will scarcely give the seed. Higher fields will
produce better crops, but the crop will be a short one.

Crawford. Prospects of the wheat crop slightly improved by more
favorable weather.

Dauphin. All low spots frozen out; some injury from a snow storm,
which closed up with rain ; this in turn froze hard and thus injured
many fields permanently.

Delaware. Crop much injured by winterkilling; very little damage
from fly and other causes.

Erie. Some injury by unfavorable weather during the winter; low
fields and wet spots suffered the most.

Fayette. Badly spotted on low land, but general prospects fair to
middling.

Franklin. Fields badly injured, especially upon low grounds.

Greene. Crop below that of last year; fields somewhat spotted by
winter killing and dry weather.

Indiana. Prospect for crop below the average.

Juniata. Fully fifty per cent, of the crop cut off by winter killing
and other causes.

Lackawanna. Much injury from winter killing, freezing out, and
dry weather.

Lancaster. Some improvement by the favorable weather of spring,
but the crop will be comparatively short.

Lebanon. One of the worst spotted crops that we have had for
many years; low lands kilh^d out entirely.

Lehigh. Damaged by dry weather in fall and during early spring.

Lycoming. Badly winter killed, but some fields (without an appar-
ent reason) still look well.

^:

Pennsylvania Board of Agriculture.

149

^ Mercer. Bad prospects early in the spring; have been somewhat
improved by later and more favorable weather, but the crop will still
be a short one.

Mifflin. Not less than one half of the crop irretrevable gone.
Montgomery. Will be but a poor crop; loss caused mainly by* win-
ter killing.

Northampton. Less than one half of an average crop; badly win-
ter killed ; very little damage from fly.

Northumberland. Crop badly winter killed, and past redemption.'
Schuylkill. Badly injured by winter killing on low lands and wet
spots ; little damage from fly.

Somerset. Some very good fields, but general crop will be verv
light. ^

Susquehanna. Crop short; sufl[*ered from dry weather about the
middle of May ; badly winter killed on low or wet fields.

Tioga. Fields very irregular; some fair to good, but many very
poor, and some scarcely worth cutting.

Union. From fair to good on dry up lands, but very poor and short
on low and wet fields.

Venango. Fields not too badly injured by the unfavorable weather
of winter are slowly improving, but will not have enough of good
weather to make the crop.

Warren. In very poor order, owing mainly to unfavorable winter
weather, which caused much loss by winter killing.

Washington. In many fields, especially those so situated astohave^
the snow blown ofl*, look very poor and thin, and some will scarcely
pay for cutting and harvesting.

Wayne. Crop somewhat injured by winter killing; very little fly.

Westmoreland. Crop in poor condition, especially in low or wet
fields, or those in exposed positions.

York. Fields very irregular in appearance ; a few will give a fair
crop, but many will not yield half of an average crop.

150

Quarterly Report.

Omi^UAKY.

DAVID HAMMOND F0RE8MAN.
Born February 15, 1834.

Died April 21, 1887.

David Hammond Foresman, late member of the Board from Lycoming
county, was born in Washington townsliip, Lycoming county. Pa.,
February 15, 1831, and died at his home in Williamsport, April 21,

1887.

His early life was spent on the farm, and he there imbibed that love
for and interest in agricultural affairs which clung to him throughout
his life and whicfi made him so valual)le as a member of the Board of
Agriculture ; he received the principal part of his education at the
McEwensville Academy, and for several years taught school in the
counties of Northumberland and Lycoming; in 1854 he settled in
Williamsport and soon became deeply interested in the welfare of
that city ; he was for fourteen years a member of the common council,
and in 1877 was chosen its president ; he also tilled the difficult position
of chairman of the highway committee with signal ability.

He was twice elected president of the Lycoming County Agricul-
tural Society, and was identified with tlie grange movement having
served several terms as master of the Williamsport Grange.

He was elected by the Lycoming County Agricultural Society to
represent them in the formation of the State Board of Agriculture in
1877, and continued their representative until the day of his death,
having been elected for four consecutive terms.

Mr. Foresman was a man of superior intelligence and of marked
energy and executive al)ility ; with the valuable faculty of self-control,
he ruled with wisdom and fairness; like all strong men, he possessed
a strong emotional nature, and was capable of being inlluenced through
his emotions ; in his friendships he was remarkably constant and de-
voted ; in the domestic circle he was at his happiest and appeared to
the best advantage, and his affection for his family was one of his most
conspicuous traits.

As a mem])er of the Board, his council was always received with
the respect and appreciation which it deserved, and his opinions were
advanced with force and strength, begotten of a feeling that they were
correct and right; as one of the vice-presidents of the Board, his
rijlings were always fair and just, and his firmness tempered with
justice.

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