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"THE FARMER IS THE FOUNDER OF CIVILIZATION."-- WEBSTER.

A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER:

DEVOTED TO

AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE, PRACTICAL ENTO-
MOLOGY, DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND GENERAL

MISCELLANY.

EDITED BY PROF. S, S. RATHVON.

VOLUME VIII.-1876.

LANCASTER. PA.:

JOHN A. HIESTAND, PRINTER AND PUBLISHER.

1876.

"THE FARMER IS THE FOUNDER OF CIVILIZATION.""WEBSTER.

fM>

A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER:

DEVOTED TO

AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE, PRACTICAL ENTO-
MOLOGY, DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND GENERAL

MISCELLANY.

EDITED BY PROF. S. S. RATHVON.

VOLUME VIIL-1876.

LANCASTER. PA.:

JOHN A. HIESTAND, PRINTER AND PUBLISHER.

1876.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME EIGHT.

A Plea for the Chicken-hawk, 7
Abortion of Cows, 8
All Hail ! Centennial Tear, 9
A Birds-Eye View of the Build-
ing and Grounds, 10
A new Industry, 14
Agricult'l Lile iu Missouri, 10
An Open Winter, 19
Arrival of Birds in 1S75, 29
An. Meeting in Doylestown, 26
All about Fruit-Grnwiuff and

General Horticulture, 26
Address by the Pres dent, 26
Annual Address of Master Ja&i
McSparran,of Fulton Grange
No. 66, L'5
Artichokes, 33
A Good Investment, 35
Ancient Gardening, 35
Apples and their Varieties, 38
An Essay-Hints to Farmers, i'i
A Return to Economy, 46
Applying Manures, 47
A Large Poultry Yard, 48
A Profitable Experiment, 48
A Nut for the Botanists to

Crack, .57
An. and Biennial Flowers, 58
An Acre, 62
Ammonia as a Cure ior Snake

Bites, 63
A full Tobacco Vocabulary, 04
American Tobacco, 68
American Fruits, 68
Adaptinir Means to Ends, 70
A Wrinkle for Young People, 74
Advantage of Drainage, 79
A Simple Microscope, 79
Ans. to Corresp'ts, 85, 101, 115
A Pair of Texas Travelers, 85
About Flies, 86

A Complete Remedy for To-
bacco Fly, 86
About Grasses, 87
About Cheese, 95
Ashes for Crops, 95
Application of Lime, 96
A Hen, 96

A Fact for Farmers, 96
An Enemy of Potato Beetle, 102
A Valuable Discovery, 104
Adamstown & Billingfelt, 105
Artificial Tobacco, 106
Apples, 106
A Fragment, 106
A Cure for Colds in Head, 112
A new Pest, 113
A new Enemy in Corn Crop, 114
A Strange Fish, 115
American Lunar Moth, 115
Advance of Pear Blight, 116
About Mushrooms, 12?
A Model Dairy, 128
Arctic Wolverine, 132
About Potatoes, 133
Answers to Correspond'ts, 134
A Rare Bug, 134
Agricultural Papers, 138
A Long Furrow, 142
Apples at the Centennial, 143
A little every Day, 144
A Neglected Apple, 145
American Coot, 148
A Bit of Penn'a History, 149
Artificial Fertilizers, 1.50
Amer. Grapes and Wine, 153
An Exhibit at Centennial, 156
Agricultural Miscellany, 157
A Cheap Carpet, 100
Applied Science, 160
Ants Destroy Caterpillars, 161
A Word for the Snake, 164
A Flat Seed-Beetle, 164
Amateur Farmers, 170
A Wholesome Drink, 175
A Good Word lor the Hog, 175
Autumn Care of the Lawns, 175
American Poultry, iii
Adoration, 97

Agric'l and Hort'l Soc'y, 99
Adulterated Clover Seed, 12
About Plant'g Forest Trees, 31

Ans. by George Geddes, 139

Agricultural Hall, 184

Arab Horse Maxims, 191

Agriculture & Horticulture, 192

Bermuda Grass Growing in
Favor, 15

Black Cochins, 17

Best Varieties of Apples, 37,76

Bay Windows for Winter
Flowers, 37

Bee-Keeking for Farmers, 45

Borrowed Plumes, 45

Bees and Bee -hives, .59

Best Variety of Apple Trees
for Planting, 60

Brown Tree Borer, 60

Brittle Hoofs, 64

Biting the Nails, 80

Be Sociable with Y'ngCatt!e,95

Bees on a Small Scale, 96

Buckwheat as Poultry Food,96

Bureau of Agriculture, iii

Barn Yard Manure and Chem-
ical Fertilizer, 107

Berries for Birds, 111

Boys, do Something, 111

Bitter Butter, 119

Black Hamburg8,135

Boiling Eggs, 136

Bat Guano, 158

Beets for Cows, 159

Benefits Derived from Read-
ing Newspapers and Maga-
zines, 167

Bread Sponge, 175

Beets for Cows, iii

Breeding Horses, 13

Breeding Asses, 12

Breeding Sheep, 12

Breeding Swine, 12

Baltimore Oriole, 21

Buckwheat as Poultry Food ,96

Benson & Burpee's Second
Queen of Yorkshire, 165

Buckwheat Cakes, 180

Beefsteaks and Pies, 184

Butter Culture, 185

Best Food for Swine, 191

Corn Culture, -5

Cultivation of the Cherry, 28

Currants and Gooseberries, i;9

Celery, 163, 31

Corn Starch Cake, 32
Care of Lambs, 48
Correctivesin Feed'gPoul'y,48
Culture of Asparagus, 55
Cultivat on of Wheat, 60
Condition of the Crops, 61
Care of Hogs, 63
Care of Horses, 63
Controlling Bulls, 64
Cooking by Cold, 64
Cabbages (BraesicaOleracea),

82, 66
Choice Ever-Bloom'g Roses, 71
Choice Vegetable Crops, 72
Commercial Value of Hen Ma-
nure, 73

Condition of Crops, 75
Cutting & Curing Tobacco, 79
Calla Lilies, 79
Care of Fowls, 80
Cauliflower, 82
Care of Canary Birds, 93
Culture of the Yam, 94
Convenient Barns, 94
Cutting off Lower Liaib», 96
Confession, 97
Crop Returns for June, 108
Castile Soap and its Counter-
felts, 109
Chinese Agriculture, 119
Cheese, I:;7
Climatology, 136
Christian Laconics, 143
Covering Manure, 144
Centennial Biscuits, 157
Centennial Snake Story, 162
Centennial Apples, 162
Care of Young Orchards, 164
Cleaning Window-Glass, 174
Corn Cribs, 174

Chemistry of the Fattening

Process, 175
Corn Cakes, 180
Canada Frult-G rowers. Re-
port, ill
Cabbages — Sourkrout, 180
Chester White Swine, 181
Crossing for Improvement of

Common Sheep, 190
Collection of Pigeons, 191
Corn Cribs, ill
Death of the Apple Tree

Borer, 5
Dress Orchard Trees, 8
Details of the Live Stock De-
partment, 10
Dogs, 11
Domestic Economy, 14, 93,127,

159, 174
Dominique Fowls, 16
Destroying the Bark Lou9e, 28
Different Modes of Pruning, 36
Discussion on Forest Trees,

Rain Fall, etc., 43
Dairy House Ventilation, 44
Dried Potatoes, 46
Dorkings, 49

Dew — Eepec'y Honey-Dew, 49
Don't Chop with a Poor Axe,63
Decorating Flower Gardens, 70
Destroying Weeds, 158, 78
Don't Use the Hatch or Saw ,79
Dry Buckwheat Flour, 79
Death of a Famous Horse, 79
Dottlngs from Leoline, 149, 87
Drum Stick Asparagus, 93
Dish Wash'g without Soap, 128
Decay of the Trees in Hyde

Park, 129
Draining Orchards, 143
Deranged by the bite of a

Hog, 144
Domestic Hints, 149
Directions for Calclmining, 160
Deficient Ingred'ts of Soils,169
Dairy vs. Creamery, 176
Ducks, 176

Dottings from Leoline, 180
Domestic Economy, 189
Experimenting with Sheep, 11
Educating Horses, 1.5-
Experiments made at the Ex-
perimental F'rm,WestGrove,
Chester co.. Pa., 25
Election of Officers, 28, 27
Evergreens, 29
Economy vs. Hard Times, 30
European Artichoke, 33
Economical Feed'g of Stock, 60
Everlasting Fence Post, 64
East'n and West'n Wheat, 64
Economy, Efficiency, Safety, 69
Early Tomatoes, 79

Elder Bushes, 87

Egg Custard, 87

Expenses, 90

Experience with Bees, 110

Economy, 112

Elm Tree Leaf Beetle, 131

Edible Mushrooms, 149

Eating too Much, 174

Exhibition Notes, 184

Eggs, ISO

Fat and Draught Cattle, 11

Fat Sheep, 11

Fat Swine, 11

Fish, 11

Farming and Stock Raising on
Continent of Europe, 11, 60,
75, 91, 108, 155, 172

Fruit & Veget's by weight, 14

Fruit Trees from the North, 28

Failure of the Beet Crop In
France, 42

Forest Trees and Rain Fall, 43

Farmers' Sons and Daughters
Must Work, 46

Floral Speculation, 52

Farm Mortgages, 52

Fish Culture, 55

Feeding Poultry, 62

Farm Accounts, 73

Fruit Culture In Lancaster

City, 71
Farm'g in Contln'l Europe, 78
Farmers' Fruit Cake, tO
Fried Potatoes, S7
From Over the Pond, 89
Fairy Rings " in pastures

green," 105
Farmers and the Centen'l, 109
Food for Young Pigs, 110
Fire Blight, 116
French Cooking, 117
Feed for Young Fowls, 135
Fine Peaches, 1.36
From North Carolina, 142
Fertilizers for Grass, 144
Fishbone in the Throat, 144
Facts About Birds, 152
Forestry, 16S
Fru t as a Medicine, 171
Feeding Animals, 172
Fine Pumpkin Pies, 174
Fall or Spring Planting, 176
Farming Without Stable Ma-
nure or Stock, 176
Facts of Natural History —

No. 8, 21
Farmers' Club Notes, 187
Fence Corners, III
General Miscellany, 15, 31, 47,

61,77,93
General Reports and Letters ,26
Grapes, 29

General Arrangements, 90
Good Thing about Rye, 95
General Miscellany, 109, 127,

143, 175
Gun Barrel Buddlne, 110
Good Farm Roads, 112
Graham Gems, 128
Grape Phylloxera, 130
Germination of Seeds, 164
Good Tillage, 170
Good Wives, 174
Goose Berry, The 178
Green Fields of the Moon, 187
History and Objects of the Or-
der of Patrons of Husband-
ry, 14
Househ'd Recipes, 15, 46, 64, 93
"Homes without Hands," 2l
Humming Birds, 37, 22
Hybridization of Fruits, 27
Hurtful Reading, 32
Home that is Home, 36
How to Raise Oats Cheaply, 41
Hospitals for Horses, Cattle

and Pigs, 42
How Butter is Tainted, 46
How to Use Corn Starch, 46
How to Get Eggs in Winter, 48
Honey Dew, 72, 67, 49
Hygrometrical Diary at Phila-
delphia, for March, 1876, 51
How I Raised my Tomatoes, 58
Harrowing Wheat In Spring, 61
How to Take Care of Lawns, 61
Hints about Meat, 63
Hold'g on for Higher Prices, 63
Hollow Horn, 64
Hay-Making In Norway, 64
How to Make an Omelet, 64
Houdans, 65
Honey-Ants Again, 66
" Holstein" Cattle, 74
How to Prevent Robbing, 77
Hints for the Season, 78
How to Pour Tea, 79
Hyacinths in Glasses, 80
How to get rid of Rose Slugs, 84
Horned Frogs, 85
How to Stack Grain, 88
How to 3ee the Great Exhibi-
tion, 80
How to Spend a Week Profit-
ably, £0
Horse Radish Sauce, 93
Have Faith In your Business, 93
How to Grow Them, 94
How Plants Feed on Ammo-
nia, 95
SarnesslQg Colts, 96

Heaves in Horses, 90
Historical Sketch of Lancas-
ter, 98
Hygrometrical Diary at Phila-
delphia, for June, 1776, 103
Hints for New Beginners in

Rural Life, 106
How to Keep your wife's

Love, 109
Hold'g on for Higher Prices,lll
Hunger, 111
How to Keep Eggs, 113
How to Make Old Horses ap-
pear Well, 112
Horse Management, 112
Hereditary Influences, 121
Household Recipes, 128, 175
How to Get Along, 128
How to Test Fungi, 136
How Weeds are Propagated, 144
Holland Pippin, 145
"How to Keep the Boys on the

Farm," 146
Heroic Farming, 155
How to Dispose of Our Corn

Crop, 156
How to preserve Cut Flow's, 159
How do You Make Cider

Wine » 160
How to Keep Bouq's Fresh, 174
Hard Soap, 174
Harrowing, 174
How to Manage Cuttings, 176
Hens That Don't Set, 176
History of Lanc. Farmek,177
History of the"Three Earls, "ill
Horticultural Hall, 184
How to Cure Seed Leaf

Tobacco, 1«5
How Cider is Made, 186
Home and Happiness, 187
Household Recipes, 1^9
How to- Clean Marble Top

Furniture, 190
How to Utilize a Dead

Horse, 192
Horticultural Notes, 192
Is a Change of Seed Neces-
sary ? 8
In the Production and Repar-
ation of Muscular Force, 12
Is Swine Flesh a Proper Food

for Man ? 31
Influence of Food on the

Mind, 32

Interesting Essay and Reports

of Practical Experiments, 44

Insects and Insect Remedies

One Hundred Years Ago,

.53, 67

Influence of Temperature Upon

Milk and Butter, 60
Insecticides, 69
Insect Depredations, 69
International Importance, 80
Improv't of Grass Land, 91, 95
Insects Never Grow, 113
ImproT ng the Land "Inside

the Fences," 1.7
Insect Vitality, 135
Improvement of Potatoes, 14S
Ignorance in Farming, 143
Iron and Gold, 143
Insect Tenacity, 164
Insect Powder, 167
Insect Longevty, 179
Josiah Hoopes on Yards and

Lawns, '27
Jeru alem Arctichoke, 33
Jefl'erson's Ten Practical Rules

of Life, 80 '

June Meet ng of the Agricul-
tural and Horticultural So-
ciety, 92
Jonathan Dorwart's Fancy

Poultry, 192
Keep the Feet Warm, 14
Keeping the Meals Waiting, 14
Keeping up the Fertility, 107
Keeping Milk and Butter In

Cellars, l27
Keeping Eggs, 128, 174

Kentucky Blue Grass, 157
Ladies' Parlor or Window

Flowers, 8
Look out for Canada Thistle, 9
Live Stock, 10
Lice on Poultry, 16
Literary and Business Notices,

10, :v.', is

Lancaster Co. as a Grand Ap-
ple Orchard, -4

Lar?e Poultry Yard, 32

Light Bralinias, 35

Lambs and Calves, B2

Literary Notices, 64, SO, 1'28

Lawns — How to Make and
Keep Them, 77

Late-KecpinR Fruits, 85

Locomotion, 91

Labels, 9R

Labor Necessary to Happiness,
111

Lightnins; & Llght'g Rods, 1^1

Locusts as Food, 1:^5

Late Flowering Trees, 137

Living Within bne'sMeau's, 144

Lovely Blooming Bulbs, 151

Lice on Young trees, 131

Live Gate Posts, Ipit

Linnaeau Notes, 104

Live Stock, 190

Lice on Colts, 191

Light in Stables, 19J

Literary Notices, iil
. Matched Teams, 11

Miscellaneous, l.', 4'.', 44, 60

Miscellaneous Business, M, 14

Mental Culture among Far-
mers, Iil

Make Hot-Beds, 24

Management of Orchards, i!7

More about Apple Orchards, i:7

M'scellaucous Topics, '.9

Milk Transmits Infection, 46

Meteorology of March, 1776 -
1870, 50

Meteorological Diary at Phila-
delphia, for March, 1776, 50

Meteorological Diary at Liber-
ty Square, Lancaster county,
March, 1870, 51

Management of Manure, 62

Muchor Little, 0:i

Manure for Grass, 78

MyExperience with Italians, 87

Meat Safes or Closets, 93

Management of Horses, 94

Milk from Holstein Cows, 94

Mulching Recently Planted
Trees, 95

Mellow Soil around Trees,
144, 96

Meeting of Millers' Ass'n, 100

Maryland Fruits, 100

Meteorological Diary at Phila-
delphia, for June, 1776, 103

Meteorological Diary at Phila-
delphia, for July, 1776, 116

Mushroom and Truffle, 1.'4

Manurial Value of Clover, 139

Mulching Grass for Winter, 159

Manuring In Fall, 159

Making Good Butter, 159

Mucilage, 175

Main Build'g & Annexes, 184

Machinery Hall, 184

Memorial Hall A Annexes, 184

No. 4, Asparagus, 2

Neat Cattle, 11

New Process for Preserving
Meat, 14

New Use for Chicken
Feathers, 66

Neatness in Making Butter, 78

New Potatoes, 79

New Stock Yards, 96

Our Centennial Greeting, 1

Our Cultivated Vegetables, 2

Our Paris Letter, 11, '..9,42,
75, 90, 91, 103, 125, 140, 17j

Our Local Organ zatlon, 12, 30
140, 156, 173

Our Past and Future Pros-
perity, 13

Our Farmers in Council, 30,
00, 75, 6.', 99, 126

Old Bufo, 53

Old and New Flowers, 53

Old Inventions &, laventora, 58

Our Centennial International
Exposition, 66

Our Bee-Keepers In Council, 76

Our Nut-Bearing Trees, 79

Our Centennial Annlvers'y, 97

On Bee-Culture, 105

One Egg Cake, li;8

Old-fashioned Reaping, 144

Oatmeal in the Household, 159

Our Lawns aud How to Keep
Them, 76

Our Nat'l Year of Jubilee, 97

Oatmeal In the Household, 190

Paris Green, 4

Paris Green as an Insect De-
stroyer, 4

Potatoes for Stock, 5

Poultry, U

Proceedings of the Lancaster
County Agricultural and
Horticultural Society, 12, 42

Peculiar Etl'ccts of Winter
Heat, 19

Practical Hints about Making
and selecting good Cheese,V()

Pears and their Culture, 28

Preservrtion of Fruit by Ice, 28

Peach Culture, '^9

Potatoe Culture, 40

Practical Lectures on Farm
Animals, 42

Profits of Raising Corn In
Chester county, 44

Points of a Jersey, 47

Proceedings of the Agricultural
and Horticultural Society,
60, 75, 92, 126, 140, 188

Potatoe Growing, 63

Potatoes for Horses, 03

Plaster for Clover, 64

Peck's Imported Liquid
Atomizer, 69

Precocity in Animals for
Milk, 75

Proceedings of the Lancaster
Co. Bee-Keepers' Society ,76

Planting Ciardens Early, 79

Poultry Manure, 79

Packing Eggs, 84

Poisons in Agriculture, 89

Potatoes and Potatoe Grow-
ing, 94

Peas Among Potatoes, 96

Prayer, 97

Prologue, 98

Peroration, 9S

Potatoe Beetle Progress, 115

Properties of Fuel— Wood, 118

Penn . Fruit Grow's' Society ,145

Pennsylvania Fruit at the
Centennial, 145

Pure and Impure Water, 153

Proceedings of the Agricultural
and Horticultural Society,
1.50, 173

Proceedings of Tobacco Grow-
ers' Association, 157

Persian Insect Powder, 164

Protecting Garden Roots, 175

Portable Pig-Pen, 176

Public Acknowledgments, ISO

Pennsylvania Fruit Growers'
Society, 199

Plymouth Rock, 181

Pumpkin Pies, 190

Queries and Answers, 3, 34,
45, 14, 8

Queries, 68

Quidding Horses, 112

Quick Work, 114

Questions and Answers, 158

Running & Trotting Horses, U

Red Pepper and Vegetables, 14

Rural Life, :5

Raspberries & Blackberries, 29

Roses, ■-9

Rural Improvements, 42

Reports of Crops, 42

R ch and Poor Grow a Grape
Vine, 57

Recompensingof Teachers with
Gold Medals, 75

Root Pruning and Blight, 80

Raising Chickens, 112

Reproductive Force, 122

Reversion of Seeds, 122

Rules for Home Education, 128

Remember This, 128

TNDEX.

Rye for Winter Pasture, 176
Repelling the Grain Weevil, III
Selections & Change of Seed, 4
Successful Orchards, 9
Shearing then Is Apparently
Unfavorable to Nutrition, 11
Salt for Domestic Animals, 15
Stock-Keeping on Small

F'rms, 15
Spiders, 22
Strawberries, 105, 29
Sliade Trees, 31
Stale Agricultural Reports,

the, 31
State Agriculturists, the, .32
Slaughter of Blnls for their

Plumage, 35
Suiiplementary, 36
Selection of Seed Corn, 40
Slovenly Women, 46
Small Fruit on the Farm, 47
Small Potatoes for Seeds, 48
Summer-Blooming Bulbous

Flowers, 58
Standard French Cattle Show,

the, 00
Substitute for Clipping Horses

In Autumn, 60
Spring Care of Sheep, 62
Selecting Fowls for Breed-
ing, 65
.Seasonable Hints, 71
Shearing Sheep, 75
Sunlight, 79

Something about Fir Trees, 83
Simple Cure for Dyspepsia, 86
Something about Bees, 88
Scalv Legs on Fowls, 96
Saving Seed., 99
Scale Insects, 101
Surface-Stirring the Soil, 107
Sale of Short Horns, 110
Seasonable Hints, 110
Stick to your Farms, 111
Something for the Sick, 112
Swarming by Division, 139
Something for Bachelors, 144
Saving and Having, 144
Sensational Agricultural Writ-
ing, 1.54
Seed Wheat and Fruits, 1.57
Sowing Grass Seed alone, 158
Seed Wheat,ltsPreparat'n,158
Sending Plants to Sleep, 158
Strawberry Plants, 159
Social Life on the Farm, 171
Sleeping Warm, 174
Sheep— The Outlook, 175
Substantial, 180
Selection of Breeds, 181
Soil of Florida, the, 186
Scientific Agriculture, 188
Starting a Fire, 190
Sheep as Fertilizers, 191
Saddle Galls, 191
Sparrows, 192
Salt and Lime for Horses'

Feet, 192
Scotch Farmers Ruined by

Mice, 192
Small Farms, iil
The May-fly, 1
The Facts of Natural History

—No. 7, 5
The Pilgrim's Progress, 6
The Fruit Growers' Society, 7
Time for Reading, 7
The Dairy, (Nos. 1. 2, 3,4,)

7, 36, 72, 1:4
The Centennial Exhib'n, 10, 53
The Foot and Mouth Disease, 11
The Animal Food Question, 11
The Best and Most Succulent

Meat Is Furnished, 12
The Beet Sugar Manufactories

on the Continent, 12
Two Means of Reduciner Bones,

12
The President's An. Address, 12
The Grangers n Lancaster, 14
The Cheese Production, 16
The Progress of Invention, 16
Toulouse Geese, 17
The KedEchymyd, 17
The House-moth, 18
The "Snowflake" and "Eu-
reka" Potatoes, 19
The Dairy Interests, 20

The Facta of Natural History

—No. 8, 21
The Grangers, 24
Testing Fertilizers and their

Continued Action, '.'5
The Patrons of Husbandry, 25
The Fruit <irower«' Society, 20
The Codling Moth, 28
Thoughts for March, 31
The Pestilential East Wind, 32
To Our Contributors, 33
The Cent'y Weather Report, 34
The Potatoes Enemies, 36
The Negiecteil Hollyhoek, 41
Transplanted Trees, 41, 151
The Horses of Hungary, 42
The Ltbrary ami Finances, 42
The MeriU of Hungarian

(irasH, 44
The Experimental Farm Club,

44
The Agricultural Horse, 47
The Bee-Keeping Industry, 47
Travels of I'lauts, the, 50
Tulip .Mania, the, 52
Toads, 53, 1-7
Thrushes, 54

The CulH'u of Hardy Roses, 54
Tree I-aws, 5tl'

The Dairy iV Butter Mak'g, 56
The Best Cow for the Dairy, 58
The Cost of Planllug an Or-
chard, 57
The Culture of Vegetables, 57
The Humming Bird, 59
Transp'g Hardy Trees, &c.,
The Government Show of Fat

Stock, 00
Telller's New Process of Pre-
serving Meat Fresh, 60
The Best Chickens, 61
Tree MIgnonnctte, 64
Tobacco Crop of 1,'"75, 08
Tuberous-Rooted Flowers, 72
To Prevent the Birds from

Pulling Corn, ~i
The Hamburgs as Layers, 74
Two Bee Questions Answ'd, 74
The Phylloxera, 75
The BcetSugar War, 75
The Annual Horse Show, 75
The Projected International

Exhibition, 75
The Absence of Iron lo Wheat,

75
The Management of Lamps

and Oil, 77
To Fix or to Lift a Gate Post, 78
The Crops In Illinois, 1-0
The Colorado Potato Beetle, ^^l
Two "Horned Frogs" Visit

Lancaster, 85
Timely Garden Hints, 87
Turnips for Milch Cows and

Sheep, 87
The Centennial, 90, 145, 163
The Hawthorn, 90
The Crop Prospect, 91
The Edgewood Farmer on

Fences, 92
The Taste of Turnips In MUk

and Butter, 93
The Peach Crop, 95
The Feeding of Horses, 95
"Transplanting Evergreens, 96
To Prevent Splitting of Han-
dles, 96
The Crops, 96, 163
The Centennial InvocalloD, 97
Thanksgiving, 97
The Introductory Address, 97
The Centennial Oration, 99
Thermometer, June, 1876, 103
The Currant, 103
The Old Apple-Tree, 103
The Centennial Live Stock

Display, lOS
The Language of Fowl*, 109
The Grain .Movement, 112
The Care of Canaries, 112
The Vegetable Caterpillar, 115
The Centennial Heat, 116
The Temperature for the Last

Half Century, 116
The Birds and their Uses, 117
The History of Cultivated

Vegetables, 118
The Magpie Pigeon, 124

riL

The Tomato or "I^ve Apple,"

118
Transplanting Trees In Fall or

Spring, 119
Truffles, 1.4

The Wintering of Plants, 124
The Crops of the East, l27
The LucuHt, 132
The Barreil Owl, 133
The (ireat Trees of Call-

fornia, 139
The Bee- Keep's' Sorl'y, 141 ,173
The .Millers' Asn>elallou, 142
Tlie Tobacco tJrow ers, 142, lh9
T(i Use Hen Manure, 143
The Wheat C'roirln Euro|>o, 144
The Farmers' Centenulal, 144
The Animal and the Vegeta-
ble, \w
Their Phvfleal Relation toeach

Other, I4<5
Thanksln.Mr.J.WIndolph,14a
The Wurm Snake, 147
The Morse r>r Walrua, 14S
The l)oU)llnk, 14 -i
The Selcellon of Cows, 152
Test of Quality, 153
The Im|Kirlance of Educating

llorsi's, 151
The Curulverous Pllcber-

Planl, 1.54
The Chinese Management of

Ruses, I5S
Top-Uresslug Wheat, 1.59
The Hotting of Celery, 1.59
The Dry Earth Trealmonl, 159
The September Sn.rm, l«4
The Dlsbemlnal'n of Plants, 104
The Destruction of -Noxious

Insects, lOii
The Exiwrtatlon .if Beef, 171
Treatment of Unmanagebla

Horses, 170
To Our Patrons, 177
To Learn a Horse's Age, 191
The Hoc Bouncer, 191
Useful Hints, 87
Useful Recipes, 160
Useful Notes, 190
Valuable Essays aud Discus-
sions, ^6
Value of Barnyard Dung, 69
Veterinary Notes, 74
Value of Road Dust, 1.59
Vines (ironing Sinmgly, 159
Ventlatlon, 167
Veget'le Food, an Essay on, 182
Whv don't Chickens Lay I 9
Walking Hordes, 11
Winter Yard for Sheep, 15
What Kind of Oil I IH, 41
Walking Horses vs. Trott'g, 31
What It will do, 32
Where did they come fromi 50
Which Potato Is the Best? 58
What Causes Honey-Dew? 60
What will I'ayJ 62
Whipp'g Horses Dangerous, 63
Will Bec-Keeplng Pav t 78
What Is the Best .Mod'e of Arti-
ficial Swarming ? 76
Worms In Fowls, 95,78
White and Red Wheat, 79
Whitewash, 79
White Cochins, 81
What Country Papen do, 88
Which Ways should Drllli

Hun I 90
Whitc-Crestcd Bl'k Polish, 101
Watercresses, 112
Where the Potato Bugs go, 114
Western Crop Heporu, 1-7
What Is Blight! 1 9
Wheat Growing. 1 8
What Kind of Wheat shall w«

Sow? 142
What Cause* Blight? 149
Why large Cities Escape Thun-
derbolts, 155
When and Why Lamps Ex-
plode, 174
Warmed-Up Mutton, 175
What Shall we Eat ? 183
Wheat Supply In England, I9i
Waste on the Farm, 192
Watering Winter PlanU, Ul
Yard for Plgi, 15
Yorkablres, IBS

INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.

Arctic Wolvcreen, or Glut- I Bl'k Polish, White-crested, 101

ton, 132 Centennial Grounds (Birds-eye

Barred Owl, the, 133 View) 10

Black Cochins, 17 Chester Whltel, 18

Black Hamburgs, 135 I Dorkings, 48

Houdans, 65
Light Brahmas, 35
Locust, the, 132
Magpie Pigeon, the, 124
Morse, or Walrus, the, 148

Morell, the, 149
Mushroom, the, 149
Oriole, Nest of the 21
Peck's Liquid Atomizer, 69
Queen of torksblra 2d, 165

Red Echmyd.the, IT
Sloth or A , the, 5
Swallows, 51
Thrush, the, 54
White Cochloa, 21

IV.

INDEX.

INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC NAMES.

Asparagus ofBcinalus, 2

Asparagine, 2
Agrotis scandens, 19
Agelaius phoeniceus, 20
Astonoinus voclferus, 20
Articulata, 22
Aphis, 67

AmaraDthus bicolor, 87
Amaranthus tricolor, 87
Amaranthus 6ilicifolia,87
Abies taxifolia, S3
Abies tenuiorifolia, 83
Abies minor, 8S
Abies pisaifolia, 83
Arma spinnsa, 10 ', 161,
Asopia costalis, 114
Atticus luBa, 11.5
Amanita muscarlus, 123
Agaricus procserus, 123
Agaricus fus'pes, 123
Agaricus deliciosus, 123
Affaricus rophyllus, 1^3
Aphis persica, 1-9
Apion robinea, 1 9
Anvbopteryx vornata, 1'.9
Attacus cecropia, 134
Agaricus campestris, 149
Apium gravcolus, 163
jEgeria cuculiets, 3
.iEglalitis vocifcrus, 20
Althea rosse, 41
Althea officinalis, 41
iEgeria exitosa, 1^9
Andropogon, 88
jEsculus hlppocastaneum, 129,

135
Acridium Americanum, 132
Bradypidse. 5
Bradypus dactylus, 5
Eradypus bidactylus, 5
Bradypus tridactylus, 5
Bufo Americana, 53
Brassica oleracea, 66, 82
Bombylius, SH
Batrachia, 85
Buchloe dactyloides, 88
Baletus edulus, l23
Bascanion constrictor, 162
Cruda, 3

COLEOPTERA, 129, 3

Cyanurus cr status, 20
Colaptus auratus, 20
Chaelaura pelasgia, 20

Chordelles popetua, 20

CrkiiiDM, 33

C0.MPO8IT.*, 33

Cyanura hortensls, 33

Cyanura scolymus, 33

Cyanura cinerea, 33

ClMYKID^, 38

Cotyle riparia, 51

Cotyle serripeunls, 51

Cotyle pelasgia, 51

Ctpsclid^b, 51

Cecidomyia trlticl, 53,. US

Capsus, 67

Calidum,72

Canna, 72

Chelonia, SS

CratKgus, 90

Cassidid.«, t-5

Captocycla aurichalacea, 85

Chrtomelid^, t-5

Corydalus comutus, 103

Colosoma calidum, 102

CURCEI.IOND^, 114

Catocala, 115

Cathartes aura, 115

Clytus robinea, 1 9

Caloptinus femer-rubrum, 132

Cychrus viduns, 134

Calopteni, 135

Clotho arielaus, 162

Chrjsan themum leucanthe-

mum, 167
Chrysau themum vulgareum,

167
Daphni.*, 1
Diceutra, 72
Dahlia, 72

Desmocerus cyanug, 67
Dolichr nyx oryzivorus, 143
Danaus archipes, 164 ,

Ephemera vulgata, 1
Echynnus rufus, 17
Eclopistes raigratorlus, 20
Ellopiaribearia, 102
Elaphideon putator, 129
Eriosoma lanigera, 14S
Euschistes puncticeps, 161
Elaps fulvius, 162
Epigasa repens, 166
Edentata, 5
Empretia stimuli, 134
FvsaiT>M, 36
Fillaria, K5

Fulica amerlcana, 143

Gladiolus, 53

Gordius, ^5

Galeruca xanthomalffina, 129,

130
Galeruca calmariensis, 131
Gulo arcticus, 132
Gulo luscaus, 132
Gulo vulgaris, 132
Guianaubl rosae, 59
Herbe carella, 2
Harelda glacialls, 3
Htmenopteha, 3
HarpalidjE, 19
Hirundo horreorum, 20, 51
Hellauthus tuberosus, 33
TI biscuE escnlena, 41
HlRl'NDINMD.*, 51
Helianthus annuus, 51
Hirundo lunifrous, 51
Hirundo bicolor, 51
Hirundo esculenta, 52
Hispa suturalls, 1-9
Hydna, 1^3
Halolepta equalis, 164
Hylotrupes fullates, 179
Ichneumonidae, 3
Icterus Baltimore, 20
Iris, 58

Iguana tuberculata, 85
Iris germanica, 72
Kalon kai agathon, 123
Lepsima, 18
Lacnosterna friscu, 3&
Lyg rus re ictus, 36
Lllium lancefolium, 53
Lilium.'uperbum, 58
Lilium pennsylvanlcum, .58
Lilium philadelphicum, 58
Lilium candidiura, 58
Lilium thurnbergianura, .58
Leguminosa, 88
Lecania acerella, 101
Lucanium abbiliuea, 102
Lacnosterna quercina, 115
Lycopersicum esculentum, 118
Lycopersicum quadrundum IIS
Lepidoptera, 1.9
Locusta Carolina, 132
Locusta sulpurea, 132
Meoatherium, 5
Meoalonyx, 5
Mtlodon, 5

Mykipoda, 22
Melonotes Ineertns, 38
Medicago sativa, 8i
Medicago lupultina, 88
MelllotUB, 8s

Myrmecocystes melligrauB, 66
Myrmecocystes ihexicanus, 66
Macrodactylus subspinosus, 67
Marasmius oreades, 123
Marasraius urens, 123
Nematus ventricosus, 102

NOCTUID^, 19

Ornithogalium, 2

Ophidia, 85

Ostracion, 115

Orcillla, 123

Orum, 124

Onciderus cingulatus, 129, 230

Oedipoda, 13.!

Oethalium septlcum, 149

Palingeniabilineata, 2

Polistes fuscates, 3

Pieris rapse, 19, ^5

Prionus laticalis, 34

Peronouspora infestaus, 37

Progne purpurea, 51

Planesticus migratorius, 52

P(EONi.a;, 73

Poma'a, 90

Phylloxera vastatrlx, 84. 150,

130
Pel duota punctata, 103
Pristiophora grosularla, 102
Philampelis satellitia, 102, 164
Procris Americana, 102
Poma amoris, 118
Pomum aureum, 113
Polyporus squaraosus, 124
Pemphigus, 14s
Phoca leonina,143
Phrynosoma comutus, 85
Pynethruno eorueum, 167
Quieeaulus versicolor, '-0
Kibes grossularia, 17ci
Klpiphorus, 3
Kosa damascena, 54
Rosa centlfolia, 54
Rosa galitta, 54
Rosa spinosisima, 54
Rosa alba, 54
Rosa rubiginosus, 54
Rosa lutea, 54
Rosa rulifola, 54

Rosa arvensls, 54

Rlbes album, 103

Rlbes rubrum, 103

Ranunculus, 124

SpirEjE, 19

Sturnella magna, 20

Sialia sialis, 20

Sayorlua fuscus, 20

Sauria, 85

■Sesteria dactyloides, 88

Setanla celliata, 88

Sorghum, 83

Sambucus canadensis, 67

Sambueus pubeus, 67

Sambucus nigra, 67

Salanlria rosae, 84, 148

Sesia, 102

Sphinx 5-maculata, 103

Sphenophorus zea, 114

Sniilia, 1 9

Saperda bivittata, 129

Salandria pyri, 133

Strix nebulosa, 133

Saturnia lo, 134

Sciara thome, 147

Serracena variolaris, 154

Scoptophis"alleghanlensl8, 162

Sitophiles granarius, .53

Taraxacum denslconls, 3

Tinea tapestella, 18

Tinea vestanella, 18

Tinea pelllonella, 18

TORTRICID.«, 19

Tardus migratorius, £0

Turdus mustelaus, 20

Troglodytes aedon, 20

Troclulids, -.2, 37

Trochilus colubris, 23

Trochlhis gisas, 23

Trochilus minimus, 23

Tuberosa variagata, 58

TURDID-E, 54

Turdus fusceceus, 54

Tritoma, 72

Trifolium reflexura, 88

Trioid^, 58

Thy reus abbotii, 102

TiPULiD^, 147

Tingra wilsonii, 148

Tingra maculata, 148

Trlcheeus rosmarus, 148

Trlgonocephala contortrli, 162

Verbena stricta, 166

The Lancaster Farmer.

Prof. S. S. RATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, PA., JANUARY, 1876.

Vol. vm. No. 1.

OUR CENTENNIAL GREETING.

"God and Liberty."

Tlip n.itional "year of jubilee" has lieeii
iisheied in, ami tlie Centennial Ainiiveisary
of American Independenee is near itsliistoric
advent. Aeeidents, im-idents, and impulsive
ebullitions only oirur, liut gi-eat liistoi'ic events
transpire. They are the develupnuMitsor visi-
ble effects of a long line of minor auxiliary
events that poiut to their uUiniation, and
their permanence and einUiuuiiuce are l>ut tin;
superstructures, based upon fundamental prin-
cii)lcs that liad an existences anterior to the
dcnonenient through winch tiK'y bi'camc cogni-
zant to tlie world at large. The intelligent
mind, noting carefully the history of the Amer-
ican colonics, from the landing on Plyiunuth
Rock down totheever-m'-morahlecuhniuation
of events on the fourth of Jidy, 1770, must
have often been impressed with the fact tliat,
eventually,

" America would be kuee."

F)-ce(hm was the great boon vouchsafed to the
human family in the "CJarden of Eden," and
it was through the i)erversion of freedom that
sorrow, sutfering, and moral death came into
the world. A true huuuinhoDd cannot exist
separated from the resiiousiliilities of freedom.
In the absence of freedom, man becomes an
irresponsible macliine, the plaything of destiny
and a slave.

The wheels of tiiui.' are rapidly carrying us
towards the consunnnation of the lirst century
of our national existence, and it behooves us to
take a retrospective view of the jiast hundred
years, and note the political, mtiral, and social
progress we have made dining all that long
period, and determine how far tlie present is
in advance of the past. In almost every cle-
jiartment of human industry, invention and
skill, we will observe there has been wonder-
ful progress made, some conspicuously great,
some mediocre, and others almost impercepti-
bly small. To all ajiiiearance, the " civilizing
foundation of society" is far in the rear, in the
progressive race, and this is an effcH that nuist
have its cause in the moral, intellectual and do-
mestic economy of the people it comprehends.
There is hardly a human occupation that does
not exhibit the most striking difference lietween
now and a hundred years ag( >, in its results, sav-
ing, perhaps, the single occupation of farming.
It is unquesticmahle tliat the farmercannot pro-
duce a greater quantity nor a better quality
to the acre than he could one hundred years
ago, and there muM be a reason for it. Has
he made a right use of his freedom, or has he
not used it at all ? Has he made use of liis
brain power, or has he relied solely upon his
muscular iiower V These questions we leave
those to answer "whom thev most concern;"
suffice it to say, that it is imiiossil)le for igno-
rance to fonii a rational conception of the real
height and depth and breadth of frceilom, for
"he is a freeman only whom truth makes
free." Slavery to customs because they are
old, and prejudices against innovations because
they are iicic, are forms of servitude that no
freeman will endure with impunity. An in-
fluential and iiopular agricultural cotemiiorary
in his addpss to his patrons says, ■'farmers,
as a general thing, do not read as much as
mechanics. But one in a hundred reads a
really good, trustworthy agriimUural |iaper, or
meets a farmers' club to discuss (piestions of
practical interest to him. The rest arc not
well versed in matters pertaining to their own
business," and much more to tlie same effect,
which may be some of the reasons why farming
has not made the same progress during the
past hundred years that other occujiations
have. Will they continue so through the
coming century ? Tliey themselves must an-

swer. The same authority also says, " [t is
doul>tful whether there is a" farmer in the world
worth a million dollars, or a tenth of that sum,
who has madcithy farming. " ltiseipially(iues-
tionable with us, if farmers ■lenerally ih.sire to
be millionaires, or whether they .sli'iHld desire
it. What the country most needs is more
farmers, smaller farms and more thoro\igh
cultivation. lunneuse overgrown farms an'
neither evidences of gi'iu-i'al prosperity nor
progH'ss. William 15. Astor died leaving an
estate estimated at .:?U)tl,(H)ll.0IK), whilst i'."),!!!!!)
poor in the city of New Vork are living in
abject poverty or in states of semi-starvation.
We are no agrarian, tor this would prolialily
be the same condition of these people in a year
or two henc-e, if a division of his estate was
ntade am )ng tlii^m to-day. Bid there are a
hundred thousand hardy, industrious young
men, who would "go west" and lu'com; farm-
ers to-morrow, if they had the pecuniary m-ans
to locate a farm and stock it.

True fre('dom involves not only moral intel-
ligence, but also equality. There cannot, or
will not, exist eciuality — even before tins law
— where poverty and immense wealth are in
contlict. If, in a hun(lrc<l years hence, our
country exhibits fewer rich men, no po(U' peo-
ple, more intelligent farmers and a higher
state of cultivation, "all other things being
equal," it will be a greater evidence of solid
prosperity than is exhiljited to-day.

But, as we remarked in the beginning of
our article, this is our national i/nir of jubilee.
Not a single adult individual who participates
in it will ever participate in another centennial
of American indepinidence. Therefore, it be-
hooves the farming i)\d)lic to make a record on
this occasion that will be worthy of handing
down to their remotest posterity.

Less exposed to contaminating social inllu-
ences, less prolligate as a class, more constitu-
ti(mally robust, more industrious and farther
removed from temptation than other men,
there is more hope for the fanner in this coun-
try than for any other class of its citizens.
I.,et them therefore "make friends of the
unrighteous mannnon" — that is, imitate the
virtues and make use of the intellectual re-
sourcesof the worthy amougother classes, and
they will exhibit the .same evidences of mental
and physical jirogress; and the huinlile aim of
The Laxcasteii FAUMKit will always be to
assist them in this. Every physical demon-
stration is but a manifestation, in correspond-
ence with moral and intellectual culture.
With these remarks we wish our patrons a
hapi)y and prosperous CENTENNIAL year.

THE MAY-FLY.
{Ephrmertt vnlgnta.)

The May-tly has been, historically, very
badly treated", and made aiipear a much
pi)orer creature than it really is. As children,
we were told on the best nursery author-
ity that there was a iioor gnat that lived a
.single day, and then died— a story which tilled
our little minds with wonih'rand pity. It was
a lelief to learn afterwards that this one day
of winged existence was preceded by three
years of aquatic life ; but this was (pialitied by
the intelligence that through this long period
it lived on mud. Such, indeed, was the a.s-
serticm of .S.wanimerdam, and this strange
opitnon, stamped with his great authority, has
been received and handed dowTi tor moretlian
two hundred years almost to our own (lay.
Mud was always found in the larva on dis.sec-
tion ; therefiire it must eat mud and live on it.
Messrs. Kirby an<l .Sp,'n<'e had some misgiv-
ings on the suliject, and thought it must eat,
in addition, decaying vegetable substances.
The Uev. .F. G. Wood, with his usual sagacity,
while testifying to the constant presence of I

the mud, thinks it probable that it is taken
invohmlarily with its other fi«>d. whatever
that may he. In a translation of Louis Ki-
giiier's entertaining Hummary, entitled "Tlie
Insi'ct World." published in this country last
year, it is correcllv slated (hat this larva'feeiU
on small insects; liul no authority is quolml,
and the mud (pieslion is not .slirri-d.

.My acqnainlance with tins A'/j/u'iiwra wiw
made accidMitally some years ago. Dipping
for Dn/i'iiii'v and other siirill crustaceaiiK. an
advanced larva or pupa of Kit'irinrrd cu'v.i/a
was iiieludcd in the captine, and altoi,'eilier
transferred to a small miwiriinn. In a fort-
night afteiwards not a water tlea wa.s left.
The pupa, (pnvering with ex<Mtemeiit from
head to tail, swo(»ped with uni-rring aim on
the doomed cruslaei'aiis .so long as any were
h-ft and he felt an appetil". A second sn|>-
ply was given, and siiared the like fate; and
now the growth of the pupa was eomplet<-<l.
One tine May m )rning the gracefid tly wiw
founil in the window, from which it e.scaiH-d
iido the open air.

It had left three or four exurlir, thrown off
from time to time, and one of these, perha|is
the la.st, exhibits, when moimted in bals;uii. a
perfect im]ire.ssion of the momh, and miy
throw some light u]ion tin- nature of the ("oimI.
The jaws, when open, form a wide fnimel for
the more ready capture of a nimble prey ;
when closed, they seem designed to inlerlaci?
each other anil form a compact front to bar
all escape. The teeth exhibit a row of .slightly
curved bars on one side, opposed on the otlier
to a raised block, crowned with sharp serrated
edges, and could be brought together with
crushing elfect on the poor little crustaceans.
The back of the month is partly closed by a
singular and curious contrivance; aiieep, egg-
shaped sack extends a<rross it, opening into
the throat by valves or slits, fenced oil the out-
side with tine hairs, which would permit the
downward passage of a too lively daplmia,
l)id jirevent its return. And here we may
probably account for the constaid preseiic-e of
mud in the inteslinal canal. A momhful
taken involuntarily in a struggle at the bottom
with a liveh' l)rey, and swallowi'd with it,
would be retained by the line sieves aerossi
the throat, and pa.ss "into the stomach. Such
a condiment might be evi^n benuticial (for all
such conlingeiKMes are weighed) by dividing
the food, or, as seems very likcdy, by inerejus-
iug the gravitv of the body after a meal, and so
enabling the larva to remain without effort at
the bottom. .My a(|Uarinm contained no nnid,
aiul yel the pupa throve well ; but in streams
and ('ddies it might be ditf.'rent for so light a
creature, furnished with a large bre;ulth of
bronchial plates, lo maintain it-s jilace or re-
main in concealment without ballast: or it
might be useful in other ways which we cjin-
not even guess. — .S. S., in Srirnrf (joKxip.

.\hhough the foregoing relates to a foreign
insect, yet surely .f>iiw of our reailers mu.st
know \vhat an Kiilirmrrn or "May-tly" is;
but that they <('/ do not know was made very
mainfest la.st summer, alMiut tlu' period when
the " Hascal Cra-sshopiHT " was coiinnilting
such direful depredations uiMin the crops of
the Western .Stat^.s.

A tniin of cars pa.ssed on the railroad
through Lancaster, ami stopivd for a short
time to detach or attach a car, one of which
cars caused considerable anxiety. This w-.w
a car loaded with Imidier, and all over it. in
groups of from ten to tifty, wen- ,Hitting Ihcso
Ephemerans. which .some ]ie<>pU- (of the usual
intidligence on other subjects) supposed might
be the albre.sjjid " hop|H'r." in one of its forms.
To those l)oin and raised, or for a numlxT of
years, residing on the banks of a river or
"creek, the Mav-lly miLst Im; one of the most
familiar objects of the insect world: The

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January,

various species appear in the spring, and at
dittiprent periods during the summer, and we are
quite confident that «-e noticed tliem and made
bates of thtm "to catch tlie little fishes"
more than fitty years ago ; and we even at
that early period noticed their second trans-
formations and exuvia or cast-off skins. The
Bank Swallows along the Susquehanna fared
sumptuously on these May-flies in their brief
Season. Although highly organized, they are
rather delicate in their structure, feeble or
sluggish in tlight, and during their brief imago
period do not partake of any food ; indeed,
although it is clear that they do to a great ex-
tent live on small aquatic animals, and have
a mouth organized for that purpose while they
are larirF^ yet in the mature state the mouth
is only rudimental or obsolete, and they have
not the power, if they even had the will, to
appropriate any kind of food. We see them
yet, in rows like soldiers, on the fence rails
ak>ng the Susquehanna, the Cliiques and the
Conestoga.

When they first evolve from the pupa and
pseudo-pupa state they are^ usually, or nearly
white, but they finally change to darker col-
ors, from a sulphur yellow to a reddish brown,
according to the species. The wings become
hyaline or purple tinted. The two fore-feet
usually project in fi'ont of the body, some-
times raised upward at the ends, and the
wings are closely held back to back, and
nearly perjiendicular. They are further usu-
ally distinguished by two or three long hair-
like filaments at the'hind end of the body, and
the eyes are proportionately large, and of a
golden or coppery lustre. The geiuis Ephe-
mera is the type of the now extensive family
EpHEMERADiE, to wliicli bcloug many genera
and species. Perhaps tlie most common ex-
ample of these insects along our waters is the
" two-tailed May-fly," called in some locali-
ties in the West the "Mormon-fly" (Palin-
fjenia bilineata of Say). Before their brief
lamp of life is extinguished, the females de-
posit their eggs in the water, and from these
subsequent broods are reared. Their use in
the economy of nature is probably solely to
furnish food for the lugher orders of animals,
especially fishes and birds.

OUR CULTIVATED VEGETABLES.

No. 4. — Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis).

This delicious vegetable is sujiiwsed to have
come into use as food about two hundred years
before the Christian era ; its excellent qualtics
are said to have been made known by that
most distinguished and ancient writer on agri-
culture, the elder Cato ; he has treated no sub-
ject with greater care, the last chapter of his
great work being devoted to this vegetable. It
appears to have been known to the ancients as
growing wild, under the name of Uorruda.
Cato advised the sowing of the seed of this
plant in the beds of the Vinedresser's reeds,
which are cultivated in Italy for the support
of the vines ; and they should be burnt in the
spring of the third year, as the ashes would
act as a maimre to the future crops. He also
recommends that the plants be renewed after
eight or nine years. AtheniPu.s, who wrote
about the third century, tells that this plant
was divided into two varieties, the mountain
and the marsh ; and that in some parts of
Lybia they attained the thickness of a Cyprian
reed, and were several feet in height; he also
informs us that the plant was used as a remedy
in all diseases. But Diphilus, a physician,
who lived and wrote about the same time, and
the author of a work "On Diet fit for persons
in Good and Bad Health," declares that as-
paragus, was very hurtful to the sight. Pliny
states that asparagus, which formerly grew
wild, so that every man might gather it, was in
his time carefully cherished in gardens, particu-
larly at Raveima, where the cultivated plant
was so large that three heads would weigh a
pound, and were sold for an «.s (about three
farthings); but, according to Martial, those
grown at Ravenna were no better than the
wild.

Tlie Roman cooks used to choose the finest
heads of this vegetable and dry them ; and
when wanted for the table, put tliem into hot
water and let them boil quickly for a few
minutes; hence the proverb, "Doit quicker
than you can cook asparagus," — when any-
thing was required in haste. Suetonius in-
forms us in his "Life of Augustus," that this
was a favorite expression of that emperor,
when he wished that any affair might be con-
cluded without delay. Pliny states that the
uncultivated kinds grew upon the mountains in
ditierent countries, and that the plains of
Tipi)er Germany are full it. Juvenal, in a
description of a dinner given to a friend, men-
tions the mountain asparagus :

" Asparaijus, l)e6iiles,
Pickled by my bailifl's plain but cleanly bride,
Who, wlien the wheel's domestic task is o'er,
Culls from the hills my vegetable store."

It w-as believed by the ancients that if a per-
son anointed himself with a liniment made
of asparagus and oil, the bees would not ap-
l)roach or sting him. They also had another
absurd idea, that pounded rams' horns buried
in the ground would produce this vegetable.

We cannot trace the cultivation of asparagus
in England; it is evidently indigenous to the
country, for Gerard states that the manured or
garden asparagus, which comesupof thesizeof
the largest swans' quills, is the same as the wild,
but, like other vegetables, is made larger by
cultivation. The wild, he .says, is "found in
Essex, in the meadows adjoining a mill be-
yond a village called Thorpe, and also at Sin-
gleton, not far from Curbie, and in the mead-
ows about Moulton, in Lincolnshire ; likewise
itgroweth in great plenty near unto Harwich."
The same author informs us that in Queen
Elizabeth's time it was sodden in flesh-broth,
or boiled in fair water and seasoned with oil,
vinegar, salt and pepper, then served at men's
tables for salad. Evelyn, in his " Acetoria "
(1099) says, "that next to flesh, nothing is so
nourishing as asparagus ; it was sometimes
eaten raw with oil and vinegar, but v,ns more
delicate if speedily boiled, so as not to lose its
color." He tells us he did not think the large
Dutch kind, "which was raised in high manured
beds, so sweet and agreeable as those of mod-
erate size, and yet to show what sohim, ccclum,
and industry will efl'ect, the honorable and
learned Charles Hutton made my wife a pres-
ent of sixteen asparagus, the whole bundle
containing only sixty ; weight 15^ pounds. So
allowing four ounces to each asparagus, one
was as nmch as one would desire to eat, and
what was most observable, they were not
raised or forced by any extraordinary compast
but grown in a more natural, sweet, rich and
well cultivated soil about Battersea. " Miller,
in his "dictionary, "states that a friend of his
procured some seed of the wild kind, which he
cultivated with great care in very rich ground,
yet could not get the roots to produce a stem
more than half the size of the garden kind
which grew on the same bed, but he always
found the wild sort come up ten days or a
week earlier in the spring, and that the shoots
were exceedingly sweet. Leonard Meager, in
his "English Gardener," published in 1083,
informs us, that in his time the London mar-
ket was well su|iplied with forced asparagus ;
the means employed were by placing the roots
on warm manure beds. Battersea, Mortlake
and Deptford used to be the jirincipal locali-
ties from which the metropolis was sui)plied ;
Mortlake alone, at one time, had more than a
lumdred acres under this crop, and a Mr.
Grayson, of that place, once produced a hun-
dred heads that weighed 42 pounds. There
are accounts of some very large heads of this
vegetable being produced on some parts of the
continent; thus, we read in Keysler's "Trav-
els," that at Danustadt, in 1730, some large
asparagus heads were grown, some of which
weighed half a pound ; some hundreds of these
heads were sent as a present to the Elector
Palatine.

The asparagus trade in France is becoming
of more importance every year. The princiiial
place of its culture near Paris is Argenteuil,
from which place in 1820 about five thousand

bundles were sent to the market, hut now the
product probably exceeds a million. -It is
grown to a very great size, the maximum at-
tained at the present time being eight inches
in circumference ; but a dish of such grass costs
from 4U to 50 francs. In the south of France
this vegetalile is frequently grown between the
vines. There was an asparagus-growing com-
pany started at Brunswick in 1809 ; several
hundred acres are devoted to this vegetable
and it bids fair to rival that of Argenteuil.'
This vegetable might be cultivated in England
with great success, in soils consisting of little
else than sea-sand, dressed annually with sea-
weed, on many spots on the coast that will
hardly produce any other vegetable. A few
years since a very large variety was introduced
from America tmder the name of "Conover's
colossal asparagus."

The wild asparagus is found in many parts
of Europe where the soil is light, containing
an amount of salt, which appears to be neces-
sary for this plant. The salt steppes of Russia,
Mr. Loudon tel's us, are covered with it, and
horses and oxen eat it like grass. In England
it is found growing in Cornwall, MuUion
Island, near Lizard's Point, Kyname Core,
called Asjiaragus Island ; also on the western
and .southwestern coast. Among the various
virtues attributed to this plant is one given by
Antonie Mizold, in the seventh century, who
stat( s that if the root is put on a tooth that
aches violently it causes it to come out without
pain. The sprouts contain a peculiar crystal-
line substance called aqKiragine, which 'was
formerly used in medicine, but is not now re-
tained in the pharmacopia. Sometimes a de-
coctive is given as a diuretic in dropsies.

Loudon states that the flower stalks of Orni-
thogalum are used in some parts of Glouces-
tershire, and sold in Bath under the name of
Prussian asparagus ; also the stalks of the
"salsify." The mid-rib of the beet is some-
times dressed as this vegetable, and the young
buds of the hop are said to be scarcely inferior
in taste. The tender shoots of the Typha, a
kind of reed, are eaten by the Cossaclfs like
asparagus. Under the general name of aspar-
gus the ancients were accustomed to class all
young sj>routs of vegetables which were used
in that state. The word is almost literally
Greek, signifying a young shoot before it un-
folds its leaves, as handed down to us by
Dioseorides. Gerard gives nearly the same
definition, but in English, he states, it is
called "sperage." Parkinson says our Eng-
lish writers "called asparagus 'sperage;'
when these names were vilely corrupted into
')-par7Wt'-grass, ' and thence frittered dowii into
grass, I am unable to say." Batty Langly,
in "Principles of Gardening" (1728) says,
"the top of the bud is of the form of a spar-
row's bill and from thence vulgarly called
sparrow-grass." In low Dutch it is called
"coralcrunt," or Herhe caralli, coral-wort, in
respect to its berries, the seeds of which have
been recommended as a substitute for coffee.
The young plants gaown in pots make most
beautiful decorations for the room or dining-
table. — J/. G. Olusirpioolc, Svience Gossip, ISlo.

We cannot inform our readers at what period
a.sparagus was introduced into the United
States, nor could such information be of any
material advantage to them at the present
time. It was not i)robably first introduced as
a culinary vegetable, but as something mainly
ornamental; at least, such is our earliest recol-
lection of it, which extends back a period of
about fifty years. It was then called "spar-
row-grass," and was used to decorate rooms
and objects on festal occasions, especially when
it was in its beautiful red and wax-like fruit.
Although a few stalks of it were grown in
many gardens, and the branches twined around
looking-glas.ses and picture frames as fly
screens during the summer season, yet we do
not know of its being very specially cultivated
for culinary purposes. During the last twen-
ty-five or thirty years, however, it has been
coming more and more into use, and is now
one of the cherished objects of the market
gardener. It is now so unlilve the original
wild plant from which it sprung, that no one

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

but a professed and practical botanist would
be able to recognize tlie native plant in its na-
tive localities. The leadins varieties which
have been cultivated from the oii<;inal, and
which are now the most popular in the United
States, are the '' Litrije I'liqilc Toji"" and the
" Co!o,s.sa(, " and seedsmen and truck jjardeii-
crs esteem these in the main "<j;ood etionuli,"
without flivins themselves nnicli troid>lealiont
others. On the subject of this veiiclalile, Mr.
Landreth, in his llund Ifetjislrr ihv 1S7."), says :
"There are, it is said, .several varieties of
asparagus, but the ditl'erence mainly arises
from the nature of the soil. On strong loamy
land the growth is more rolaisl. and the shoots
more tender than ou sandy soil. The variety
termed Coffissdl is of extraordinary size, and
the conciUTcnt testimony of experii'iiced mar-
ket gardeners leaves no room for doubt that
it really is of nuich more vigorous growth than
ordinary — whether the habit be lixed l)y cul-
ture, long directed to one object, or is tiie re-
sult of accident. We feel sure, however, that
anil variety will surely grow as large as desir-
able, if the plants have |)lenly of room and
niauiu'e. Market men fre(|uenily plant :i by 4
and dress heavily every year ; the sirongslioots
occasionally exposed in market, are produced
under the inlluenee of excessive stiuuUation.
The quality of asparagus will mainly depend
on the strength of the soil ; it is a voracious
plant, and can readily digest any amount of
the strongest manure food, which it is better
to apply on the surface, late in autumn, to be
forked in early in spring. .Salt is also an ex-
cellent application to asparagus beds. The
brine from beef or pork b.irrels i)roduces a
strong and vigorous growth." Asparagus,
like peas, we only have access to for a short
seas(m in early summer, and then we see noth-
ing more of it again for another year. On the
subject of " forcing " and a continuous supplv,
"Schenk's Gardeners' Text Book" say.s :
"With marketmen it is a matter of profit to
produce asparagus out of season ; this must
be accomplished by artificial heat. The first
plantation may be made in the middle of
autumn, and others every four weeks after-
ward until the middle of March ; by which
means a continued supply of shoots can be
obtained from December up to the first cut-
ting in the open ground. The process is sim-
l)le and easily practiced. The materials for
the hot bed should first undergo fermentation,
that when under a frame tlie heat may bo
gentle and regular ; because if it be violent,
it is apt to bring the plants up weak and
'spindling.' Dung may be advantageously
mixed with ashes and tan-bark, which mix-
ture, by insuring mildness and regularity in
heat, is better than duug. The luaximuin
heat ought not to exceed (5")^. "

Select the earliest and finest seeds, and these
will be grown on the earliest and finest shoots
— those having large close heads — allowed to
nm up to seed without having been cut. In
the autumn wheu the berries are riiie they
should be stored in a dry ])lace until spring,
for sowing. In this vegetable, like nearly all
others, the improvem'nt of the plant largely
depends ou judicious sehrtiou in the first place,
and then manure and salt culture afterwards.

QUERIES AND ANSWERS.

Mr. F., Lancnstfr rili/. Pit. — The beautiful
wild duck you exhil)ited to us in December
la,st, is a specimen of what is known among
naturalists as the " Long-tailed Duck," (Har-
ekla (iliu-iali.'') and what is most remarkable in
reference to this individual is, that it should
have been ca|)tured alive in a public street of
Lancaster city. Although it is not considered
rare in Jjaneaster county, yet its usual haliitat
is seas, bays, and larger streams, or rivers,
and rarely swamps or marshes. Fts favorite
food consists of mollnsks, crustaceans, and
marine worms, and presumably acpiatic; insects
also, as well as the fruit of aciuatic vegetation,
and so forth. This is the third wild bird that
has l)een captured within the corporate limits
of Lancaster city, within about six months.
A very perceptible change takes place iu the

idnmagc of this bird during the winter season,
but this subject was still in its .summer garb.
The form of its long tail ap|)roaches that of
the common " I'in-tail," but liiat spi'cics is
nmeh larger, and is of a mottled gn^y in lolor.
whilst the species uudi'r consideration is black
anil white, with the oiitlinesof color distinctly
marked, and no admixtures whatever, except
around and alM)ve tin; eyes, which is .a light
bluish grey. A specimen is now in the museum
of the Litiiuviiii Siicirty, but this one would be
desirable should its proprietor gi't tired of it.
./. /{. fc'., Linti- Vid'en, Lan. en., /^a.— We
an; not able to determine positivc-lytlK; species
of the larva' infesting your blackberry canes
near the roots. They are comparatividy new
to us, having never seen l)nt a single individ-
ual on any former occasion, nor have we been
able to find but a single nd'ereiice to it in any
of the liooks in our possession, or to whieh we
have access, and that is on page 1(17, vol. 1, of
the Amrri-an Rnbiinilixji.'^t, editeil bv Prof.
Charles V. Kilcy. This was a more practical
and useful journal of entomology than any that
ever came under om- observation, and yet its
))ul>lication was snspendi'd for want of ade-
quate support. The largest specimens of these
"bon-rs" are fully an inch in length, and are
of a very jiale yellow color ; the smaller speci-
mens nearly white ; the head and feet a pale
yellowish brown, and the jaws nearly black.
They possess the characf eristics of Lepidop-
terous larvic, (moths,' &(!.) and we have no
doubt they belong to that order of insects.
We are not ac(iuainted specifically with the
moth, but it is very prob.ibly an /E,'erian, and
very nearly allied in size and form to yh'/rria
cwurbitii', which is som 'times so destructive
to the S(iuash and puuqikhi vines, and of which
we on one oc'casion found about twenty indi-
viduals in a single vine, all located in the
joints, and no where else, especially in those
that had thrown out rootlets. The most fa-
miliar examples of these insects are the peach
tree borer, and one of the currant cane borers,
another being a beetle. Some of the infested
canes had holes near the ground, large enough
for the entrance or escape of the larv;c, but as
the canes were excavated above said holes as
Well as below them, they are evidetitly aiier-
tures of egress, and not of ingress, instinctive-
ly prepared by the larv;c tor the escape of the,
moths next spring. As we have never been
very successful in breeding moths belonsing to
this family, and as we are less favorably situ-
ated now than form n-ly for that piu'pose, we
would re(iuest our correspondent to siqiply us
with some infested canes early next S|)ring, or,
to cut off some of the caues above the holes,
invert a bix over them having a cotton gauze
or a muslin top, and capture the insects when
they appear in the mi)th state in the spring or
sununer. As they were still in the larva' state
on the Sth of Di'cember, and very inert, they
most likely remain in that coiKlition all winter,
and only undergo th'ir pupal Iraiisformation
after their sjjriug revival. These borers seem
to subsist entirely upon the pith of the black-
berry canes, and follow that <lown to its ter-
mination in the roots, where they remain in
winter quarters. We made this observation,
that all our speciuK^nshail their heads u|)ward,
and yet their bodies entirely tilled the chan-
nels they occupied. They n\ust have bored
downward, ai\<l coidd not have turned insiile
of the channel they made. C'mdd they have
come up from below backward, cut Uw hole
in the side of the cane, and then by means of
it, backed down again to their winter quarters ?
Wc have witnessed as curious things as that
in the econoini<'S of Ihi' insect w irld.

As to a reiiudij for thes(^ borers, we would
not recommend the digging up and entire de-
struction of the " patch." Blackberry canes,
under any circumstances, are but temporary.
We would suggest the cutting out oidy su'di
canes as are infested, and in most cases this
will be apparent. Follow the excavation in
the cane as far ius it goes downward, or until
the borer is reached. Where the pith termi-
nates or contracts, there the borer .stops; at
least we fomul none below that ])oint. The
infested portion may becut out without injury

to the 80und portion which remains, and the
next season the stalks may be "a.s good iW
new." This work should be done, however,
in the fall, or early iu the spring, to make it
sure.

Iliiufij Antx. — On page 172, Nov. numln'r of
TiiK K.vitMKu, imder thecap(!ion of "Informa-
tion Wanted," we referred to some II »(.•< that had
been sent us from some unknown locality, and
bv some unknown person. \ few days ago,
.Vir. W. T. Strachan, of .Santa Fe, New .Mexi-
co, called on us on his retm-n from that terri-
tory to Liiicasti-r, and informed us that it w.w
he who had seid, them, and that he had receiv-
ed them from a .Mexican, but he could not
give us much iiiform.iliou about their history
or habits. These anl^are jirobably allieil to the
■'sweet scented ants" of Texas, n'l'erred to in
a recent paper on the subject, by Dr. (i. !.il.S'-
CKCtTM, or they may be the victims of another
species referred toby the same author; the latter
which he designates as the " Kobber Ants,"
and stales that they eviscerate another species
for tlie i»urposcM)fo!)taiinng the sweet c tntenUi
of the stomach ; and that other species may
be the oni' which we have received through
Mr. S., as the great capacity of its stomach,
or honey rei^eptacle, no il aibt woidd consti-
tute ita "booty'" that wouhl exi'ite tliecu|>id-
ily of a robber. Mr. .S. has kiiuJIy put us in
cominimii'ation with Mr. F. Mi'ui'liv, of Santa
Fe, and through him we expect, in dui' lime,
to obtain the information we desire, and also
more iterft'ct speciTueiis. As this is alniut all
on this subject we are able to contribute at
this time, we must therefore await the devel-
opments of tlu! future, tor a more satisfiictory
description of them.

Dr. J. P. If. — The small brown cocoons
whi(;h you gave us last spring, developed two
spei'ies of wiilely difterent insects, one of which
must he parasitii; on the other, but " which is
which" we have not yet deterinined, especi-
ally as one is a CahnijU-roiu^ insect, and the
other H!/mrn'iiiternu.<<; and they emerged from
the cocoons dm'ing our absence from home.
When we received these cocoons we opened
one of them ami made the following record :

" May li, 1S7.'). A soft brownish silken co-
coon, about lhree-<piarters of an inch in length
anil the same iu circumference, with a com-
pact, smooth, sei'dlike cocoon of nearly the
same length within it, of adrabcolor. Within
this a short, fat, white grub, or /<irca, without
feet, and composed of a head and i:! .segments ;
two dark eye-likespots on the white head, and
a dark colored lahrum, or upper lip, but no
visible m«)i(?i7/'*'.s or jaws; awhile projecting
I'lbiiiin, or lower lip, and two labial appen-
dages {}iH'j)i). The segmental divisions very
distinct, with warty, or tubercular protulM-r-
ances along the sides, especially on tho.se seg-
ments between the thorax and the abdomen.
About a il')7.en of the.sc cocoons were turned
uji in plowing in a piece of new land." The
larva' resendtles that of the chestnut weevil,
and also that of the early stages of the com-
mon wa-sp (PiilUttn). On the 1st of .\ugust
we fomid the ends of live of thecooons open-
ed, anin/i;*!'* specimens of a species of Itijiiit-
Iwrus, and t>c:i of a species of f-lin'ttni'midtn;
but which of the two spun the cocoons, if
either of them, we are not able to determine.
They are probably b ith par:tsit icon .some other
largi'r insect, whii'h m ly have spun the co-
coons. The necessity of earning our bread at
an occupation that is almost entirely incom-
patible with the continuous and succpssfiil re-
sults of investigations of this kind, is one of
the great " drawb.icks " Wi- are lalwring under,
and hence we are often defeated, and our par-
tial observ.itions amount to almost nothing.'
We are confident that no other insect had ac-
ces.s to these cocoons while they wei-e in our
I)os.se-s.sion. That they were i)lowed out of
the ground, we have only from "hearsay."
But our record m;wh'. at the time and the sub-
sequent development of the insects are /acta.

The Dandelion ( TarrLitriim denskonia) was
in bloom in Lancjuster county the iircsent
month, a phenomenon which only realy occurs
in this latitude.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January,

PARIS GREEN.

As the discussion on tliis subject, wliich
was going on last summer and which unsettled
the minds of many timid iicople,' has now
partially subsided, and in order to inform our
readers in advance, how far our own recom-
mendations have been justified by the opinions
and experience of what we deem competent
autliority, we publish the following excellent
article from the New York Scmi-ired-ly Tribune
of December 28, 1875. We do this the more
readily, because two years ago we were com-
pelkd to investigate a report that a whole
family in the city of Reading, Pa., had been
poisoned by eating Paris-greened jiotatoes,
and when, by the assistance of Mr. Herman
Strieker, of that city, the case was finally
"holed," it was found to be clearly "bosh,"
without any foundation in/«r; whatever.
Paris Green as an Insect Destroyer.
The readers of the agricultural department
of the 7'rihiM will rtmtmber that about a year
ago the value of Paris green as an insecticide.
and especially as a n medj-.against the ravages
of the Colorado potato-beetle and the cotton
worm, was fully discussed in the se columns.
80 far as past t xiierience and the facts, at that
time known, pennittid, its influence on the
plant, on the soil, and on man, either indirectly
through the soil or through the plant, was
considered ; the conclusion arrived at being
that, used with ordinary caution and judgment
it was a valuable and safe remedy. This had
long been the conclusion of practical men in
the Mississipjii Valley who had used it exten-
sively ; but the ijutstion was opened again by
a paper read by Dr. J. L. LeConte, of Phila-
delphia, before the National Academy of
Science, which paper, from the theoretical
side, strongly condtmned tlie use of the poison
for the pur] osts nitntiontd, and which natur-
ally attraetid considerable attention and wa^
barpid upon by the manufacturers of "potato
bug machines," or their glib agents. The
National Academy, after the reading of Dr.
LtConte's paper, ajipointed a ccmmittce to
"investigate and report upon the subject of
the use of poisons applied to vegetables, or
otherwise, for the destruction of deleterious
insects and other animals," etc.; but that
ccmmittee has, I believe, made no report yet.
Prof. E. C. Kedzie, of the Michigan Agricul-
tural Cejllege, has, heiwever, bttn carrying on
a series of interesting experiments during the
summer, and while visiting the college last
August I had the jileasure of witnessing and
makinguotesof the professor's operations. As
he lias since given these results to the Ameri-
can Public Health Association, and jiublished
an abstract of them in the Deln H Free Press,
I take the liberty of gi'ving them wider circu-
lation.

First, as to the use of the mineral for the
Doiyphora. Does Paris green poison the
tuber y Tubers taken f n m vines that had
been repeatedly dosed with the ordinary mix-
ture—as much Paris green, in fact, as they
would bear— gave no trace of arsenic. Ee-
garding the idea, which has been suggested,
that the use of the jioison rendered the tubers
watery and waxy, the conclusion is that such
condition is brenight about by the .stunted
growth and destruction e)f the vines caused by
the insect, which thereby prevents maturity
of the tuber. Does Paiis green poison the
land ? This is meant, of course, in the sense
of rendering the lard unfit for the growth of
crops; and Preif. Kedzie justly consideis not
only its immediate I ut its remote effect. Theo-
retically, one would naturally infer that Paris
green is converted into an insoluble jireci])i-
tate or salt with the hydrated oxide of iron
which exists in most soils ; but not resting the
matter on theoretical or abstract reasoning,
Prof. Kedzie made careful tests and experi-
ments. He passed a solution of arsenious tri-
oxide through common garden soil, and fil-
tered Paris green in a solution of hydrochleiric
acid through dry earth. In neither case
could any poison be detected in the filtrate by
the severest tests. Soil taken from a field of
wheat that had been sown with Paris green

at the rate of five pounds to the acre, showed
no trace of the poison when submitted to any
or all e)f the tests which the soil would get by
natural .solvents in the field, but distinctly
showed the arsenic when treated with dilute
sulphuric acid. The Paris green was sown on
the ground early in spring, and was thick
enough to give a very distinct green tint to
the surface. The grain and the straw were
submitted to careful chemical examination,
as wcie also cabbages grown in soil that had
the year before been in potatoes and received
a heavy siirinkling eif green. No trace of the
pe.ison was tbunel in cither, and it was ob-
served that the chipmueks ate large quantities
of the grain without injury. The more prac-
tical conclusions from Prof. Kedzie's experi-
ments may be thus summed up :

1. Paris green that has been four months in
the soil no lemger remains as such, but has
passed into some less soluble state, and is uu-
affected by the ordinary solvents of the soil.

2. When applied in small eiuantities, such as
alone are necessary in destroying injin-ious in-
sects, it does not afi'ect the health of the plant.

3. The power of the soil to hold arsenious
acids and arsenites in insoluble form will pre-
vent water from becoming poisoned, unless
the green is used in excess of any rtciuirement
as an insecticide.

These experiments of Prof. Kedzie's accord,
so far as they refer to the influence of Paris
green on man thre^ugh the plant, with others
by Prof. McMurtrie, of the Department of
Agriculture, which showed that even where
the green was applied to the soil in such
quantities as to cause the wilting or death of
the plants, the most rigorous chemical analysis
could detect no trace of arsenic in the conipej-
sition of the plants themselves. They also
fully bear out the opinions which I have al-
wajs held, and justify the advice w hich I have
given.

Before leaving this subject of remedies for
the Colorado potato-beetle, it may be well to
say a few words about two other compounds
that have been strongly recommended and ad-
vertised as such. The most notable of these
is that advertised as " Potato Pest Poi-'on"
by the Ledi Chemical "Works of Ledi, N.J.
It is put up in pound packages, which are sold
at $1 each, with directions to dissolve four
otmces in two ejuarts of hot watei', then i)our
into a barrel containing 80 gallons of cold
water, and use on the vines in as fine a sjiray
as possible. Analysis shows it to be com-
posed of one part pure salt and one lart of ar-
senic (arsenate of copper), and it has the gen-
eral color and appearance of ccmmon salt.
Early in September, during epiite hot and dry
weather. I had this poisem tested in a field of
late potatoes belonging to Mr. W. Hinterthur,
of La Clede, Mo., the field having been badly
infested during the summer, but about half
the vines having been saved by pretty con.staut
hi nd-pie-king. These were at the time fairly
covered with the insect in the egg, larva, and
beetle states. Five rows were treated with
the poison, both according to directions and
by finely sprinkling the dry powder over the
vines. As soon as the peiwder touched the
larva?, they writhed and became restless as
with pain, the powder dissolved and formed
a translucent coating upon them, and in about
three hours they began to die. The beetles
were not so easily affected, tl ougli they too
were in timekilleel by it. Used as directed, it
destroys, but hi.rdly as efficiently as the ordi-
nary Paris gieen mixture. A pound of Paris
green, costing much less than a pound of the
Lodi ]ioiscn, will go nearly as far in protect-
ing a field of potatoes, arid I cannot see any
advantage to a farmer frem the employment
of a patent poisonous compound of the nature
of winch he is ignorant when a cheaper one is
at hand. The color of the Lodi poison is also
very objectionable, as there is much more
danger in the use of poisons when their color
renders them undistinguishablefrom ordinary
salt. The other powder is one prepared by a
gentleman in Philadelphia, and strongly re-
commended as a "potato-bug remedy." It
was given to me by Dr. J. L. I.e Coute for

trial. It is a dull, yellowish powder, which,
when analyzed, proves to be crude "flowers
of sulphur," containing 95 per cent, of sul-
phur and 5 per cent, of impurity and coloring
matter, such as yellow ochre, sand, etc. A
thorough trial on the potato patch above men-
tioned showed it to be entirely worthless. In
conclusion, the fact that Paris green, cau-
tiously handled and judiciously used, is an ex-
cellent and cheap antidote to the ravages of
the Coleirado potato-beetle cannot be too
strongly urged. That it is usefid against some
other insect pests is also true ; but it is some-
times recommended for suctorial insects,
which it will not afliect as it does those which
masticate, and its too general use should be
opposed. In an emergency it may be used
against the canker woim, as J. B. Upson, of
Reickford, 111., (Weekly SVj^kiic, June 2, 1875)
and others have shown. Yet I cannot recom-
mend it in such a case where other available
preventive means are at hand— means which
are as simple as they are dangerless. — Prof,
a Y. Biky.

SELECTION AND CHANGE OF SEEDS.

AVe commend the remarks of our veneralile
correspondent, J. B. Garber, esq., to the can-
did considerations of our agricultural friends,
based as they are on close observation, and a
lemg life of practical experience. We believe
that " in-and-in-breeding " of live stock is gen-
erally considered deteriorating, and therefore
that the crossing of breeds at certain intervals
tends to their improvement. It is not sure,
however, that this law obtains to the same
extent in the vegetable kingdom. From our
own observations and the experiences of prac-
tical agriculturists, we would repose more
cemfidence in judicious and thorough "selec-
tion," than in an entire change of seed. The
experiments with foreign seeds in this coun-
ti y, in our view, have been anything l)ut suc-
cessful in a general sense. Perhaps if more
attention had been paid to proper selection,
backed by thorough culture and judicious
manuring, the results would have been more
fitvorable. Even in many cases where the
change of seed has seemed to produce a good
efi'e ct, it has been merely a spasmodic result,
attributable more to a favorable condition of
the season and other latent unknown causes,
than to a change in seed ; and, in another
season and under diflerent circumstances,
things have relapsed into their former condi-
tion. A single experiment, on either a small
or a large scale, is not always sufticicnt to de-
teimint'^ such a question. Indeed, we are of
opinion that in experimental agriculture, no
greater mistake s have been made than those
wliie-h estimated general results on the effects
of special and limited exj'criments. If one
hill jiioduccs a hundred potatoes it does not
by any means indicate that ten hills will pro-
eluce a thenis and— imless they are so far sep-
arated tliat eme cannot by any means absorb
the elementary substances due to another.
Neither will a popular furore determine' the
result, because the people scraetimes become
psyche)logised on these questions, and rush
pell mel! into new experiment sand enterprises,
with.out thoroughly examining the premises.
Still, with all this. 'tl ere jjioi/becasesin which
the change of seeds alone, have produced a
desirable effect, (see Dec. No., p. 187, col. 11
and yet, even crofsivy may be of no account
in its continuous results, if no regard is paid
to subsequent care ful selection.

We are compelled to defer to our February
numVicr several japers that otherwise would
have ajipeared in this number. Therefore,
those of our correspondents who do not see
their ccmniunicationsor contributions in print
the present month, will please attribute it to
a want of room. "First cc me, first served,"
is a rule we usually adopt unless in cases, the
pulilication of which will not admit of a post-
pone mcnt. We hope, therefore, our friends
will ne)t abate their zeal to make The Fah jieb
throughout the Centennial year, a faithful ex-
ponent of the state of husbandry as it exists in
the great county of Lancaster in 1876.

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

THE FACTS OF NATURAL HISTORY.
No. 7.

No animals bclDiigiui; to tliti Sloth taiuily
(Bradyi'id.e) now exist in Xorlh Aiui'i-ica,
and only two species in South Anipiica, nei-
ther of which is a i^reat deal larger than the
domestic cat. IJut in some of the Sontliern
States, and especially in Smith Carolina and
Georijia (as also in Soutli America) in tlie su-
perlieial deposits of thos(f localities, fjii^antic
remains of animals allied to the "sloth " have
been discovered in a fossil stale, anions which
are the Miydhn-iiuii, the Miy doai/.i: and tlic
Mi/Iiiilon, all of wliich are of colossal size — tlie
first named luivini: a skeleton eiL;liteen feet in
leni;tli and ei^ht feet in lieight, tlie hones of
the femur heins three times as thick as that
of an elephant. These animils were ve^je-
table feeders, as tlieir coijencrs in Soutli
America at the presentday are— defoliators of
forest trees; and when we tliink of the enor-
mous quantities of tins kind of provender they
must have annually consumed, the army
worms and tlie Colorado potato-beetles sink
into utter insi'^nilii'ance. "Our lines have
fallen upon pleasant places," when our age
is compared with those periods in tlio world's
physical history wliich produced thase gigantic
animals.

The sloths, of which there are two distinct
species, namely, B. trid i-ti/his and B. did tc-
((y?i(.<— belong to the order Edevtata, or
quadrupeds without teeth in the fore-part of
their jaws; and soma bslonging to the saiiii
order — the " Ant-eaters," tor instance — have
no teeth at all. The family and
generic names mean "Slow-foot,'"
and arc Greek compounds. The
specific names mean "tlirce-fiu-
gered" and " two-tingered."

Most of the accounts t)f old natu-
ralists have rather misrepresented
these animals than given a tru^ ac-
count of their history and habits.
Even the great Cuvier condemned
the sloth as a degraded and miser-
able animal, unable to move with-
out pain, and misshapen and
distorted in form ; and others have
stated, that when compelled to
move by hunger, it moved very
slowly and lazily, and fairly whined
and cried with pain. Yet it has
been clearly demonstrated by more
recent authorities, that no animal is
better fitted for its position in na-
ture than the .sloth. Wateutox
says that in its wild state, "the sloth spands
its whole life in the trees, an 1 never leaves
them but through force or ajcideiit ; and what
is mire extraordinary, not upm tlie brandies,
like the squirrel ami the miiikey, lint wider
them. lie moves susiieinled from the branch,
he rests suspended from the bramdi. and he
sleeps suspended frum the branch"— in this
latter respect his habit being not much unlike
that of the Ijat. In faet, as Sidney Smith
observed, " he passes a life of susppiis", like
a young clergyman distantly related to a
bishop."

In order to lit it for this singular or very
peculiar mode of life, the sloth is provided
with long and powerful arnn, which are fur-
nished with strong curved claws, and these
the animal hooks around the branches, and
maintains its sus|):'nded position without any
special effort. Tliese long claw-i are very in-
convenient when it is on tlie ground, for they
then turn in upon the jialms or soles of the
feet, and it sliufHes along awkwardly and in-
conveniently ; but whi'ii it is up among the
Viranches, it is capalile of niDving with great
rapidity, particularly in a gale of wind, when
it can pass from branch to brancli, and from
one tree to another, witli an activity that no
one would suppose if they had only seen it on
the ground. It is alsn gifted with great te-
nacity of life — even surpassing the " opossum"
in that respect — and will survive injuries that
instantly prove inirtal to almost any other
animal. Our illustration repre.sents the tuxi-
fingered sloth {Brad;/piis didactylm), which is

larger, has shorter limbs, a longer muzzle, and
less tail, than the <'i(W-(ingered species (/{.
tridnrliilu.t]^ and the artist .seems to have
represented it under the erroneous impression
that it only m ives in an agony of pain. Al-
thougli our subject has only two claws on the
front feel and Ihree on the hind ones, yet liolh
speeies are fundamentally tive-loed animils,
the rudiments of the undeveloped claws being
concealed. The hair on the liead. bai'k ami
limbs is long, coarse and elastic, bearing some
resemlilaiice to dry grass, which gives the
animal a forbidding aspect. The color is
grayish, often spotted willi brown and white,
particularly when young.

Some writers have ma<le out a third species
— till' liriid'ipn.i t'li-ijii ilns of (i-eof. — which
others deem only a variety ; but it ditlVrs not
only in color, but also in the bjuy structure of
the' head.

The sloth is an enormous feeder, and never
leav(^s a tree as long as any of the foliage re-
mains upon which it feeds, an I wlien the tree
is isolated, it is said to let itself drop to the
ground, ralhi'r than take the trouble to come
down the trunk before it ascends another
one. The fein lies bring fortli only one young
at a time, wiiicli they constantly carry with
them from place to place. Th -s ■ auiui lis are
indigenous to the hot parts of South .Vm M-ica,
anil where the forests are so d;Mise as they are
tliere, with the branches of the trees often
interlo'jking eaeh other for miles, it is seld im
necessary for tiiem to eoine to the ground in
changing their positions. ThiMr long, (Mar.se
auJ sliaggy hair protects them from the at-

THE SLOTH, OR Al (Bradypus didactylus).

I tacks of in-?3Cts ; and, as Prof B ickland re-
in irks, " t!ie peculiar conform ition of th'r-ss
animils ouglit no mire to e.Kcite our com.ias-
sioii than the circu.intance of lish 's bdiig de-
I prived of feet." Tii.^y are just as aduiir.ibly
] adapted and litly orgiaizid for th 'ir siu.;ular
m )de of life as any other subjeets of the ani-
mal wirld. Taeir stoni ichs are very large in
proportion to their size, and are divided into
four com^i irtm ^uts, som 'what analogous to
the four stomiclis of ruininants, but without
the network lea'.l^ts of their intern.il parts,
while the intestines are cmi lar.itively short.
In this respect — lltliou^h purely vegetable
I feed 'rs— th'y dilfM" froai ruminants, in w lich
i the intestines are Vi'ry long. Ofourse, they
are not very desirable pjts, an i cann it bs do-
m^sticat 'd, but thosj c.iptured and contiaed
will continu '. their forest life by hanging to a
pereh, if an opp irtiinity of the kind is oft 'rod.
We often think we can disc ive.'huiu m idiir-
acteristics that are in perfect outwird c >r-
res]V)ndence with these anim lis in others; an 1
perliajis, if we lo ik a little deeper, w,' may
discover more or less of them in ourselves.

Potatoes for Stock.
Mr. Billings, of Xew Ilamishire, wh>ha3
been experim 'iiting on (he subject, says he
thinks potatoes are worth thirty cents per
bushel to feed to stock. Thi'y arenot only nu-
tritiou.s. but are excellent appetizers and iiro-
moters of digestion. Kxperimeiits go to show
that a peck of potatoes will produce as mueli
milk us a bushel of beets, turnips or carrots.

DEATH TO THE APPLE TREE BORER.

I li.ivo waited for 8onio one to invr'iil an easy way
of killiiii; the apple tree borer; but the ehlriel, mallet,
knife unit wire are only reeoriiiiieudecl, ami In UBlng
them I have hail lo eut a nix Ineh apple tree until I
eoulil see daylight thronijh It lo kill u single Iwrer.
.My way of ifetting ul this inlherable " worm of tlio
du»l" Is an eanier one ami iii'ire elfeelual. I I'ut a
Hiiinae or alder one foot, more or less, lou';, pnneh
out the pith, eut one en I with a slope, liuul the
Ixirer's hole, elean it out at the entranei' wllh a wire,
plaee the bevelled en 1 of my tnhi' airalnst 11, take
some pulty like elay that 1 ire't In our spriir,' braiieli,
plaster It waler-lli;lit aronn I the end next the tree,
nil the tube Willi very strong' soap su Is, and the thinif
is done. No mutter how e rooked the hole Is, or
whether It ifoes up or tlown, the suds In the tube will
foree itself lo Hie end. I have Irled It two years and
have not falleil nurv. Of luurse, anv kin I of small
hollow lube will do. and anylhin;; liial will m.ike It
water-tight will do to plaster it with.— for. .V. TT.
Trihiiitc.

We confess we have some faith in the abovu
remedy, and we thank the disc )Verer of it ex-
ceedingly, for his "of course," otherwise it
miglit have involved the tronblesoin" necessity
of hunting up a sum le or an alder cane, things
which are not always on litind on farms tliat
liave no neglected fence irorners or .b;irren
ridges. We fully apiirchend the dillieiilty of
reaching and dislo Igiiig the b uer by the "me-
ch itiical me ins describe I, witluat often doing
serious injury to the trees, the mutilation of
which might liappi;ntobe w irse for them than
th t depr.' lalioas of the Itirirx. It is known
tint Ihiids, by a hydrostatic 1 iw will rise very
nearly as high as their source, and therefore
we woiilil recommend a tube two or even
three feet in lei'igtli, in ordc^r to make
sure that the lluid is i~aised high
enough to reach the borers, for we have
found them as mncli as eighteen
incites above the point of ingress.

Of course, the rise of the lluid in
the tube is effected by atmosplieric
pressure — whether it lie a soap solu-
tion, a tobacco decoction or simply
water — and to facilitate this we would
suggest an old funnel or an old tin
cni) attached to the top, ;i.s a sort of
reservoir. I'erhaps an old discanled
dinner horn, the wide end upwards
and the narrow end proiM-rly attached
to the aperture in the tree, would lje
better still, provided it did not leak
and was properly f.a,stened above.
Now, we are not recoinmending these
oldarti(dessimiily liecaii.se they arc old
— as if tliat were any merit — but be-
cause, if such old articles wen- at hand
itwiuld save the expense of providing new
ones. We have tested the effects of "Dr.
Pierce's nasal douche" in forcing lluids up-
ward, and therefore an apparatus made on
that plan would be best of all. This is simply
a lluid-c inlainiiig vessel with an elastic tube
attached t) or ne ir the b ittom. This might
be hung on a lower branch near the trunk of
the tree, and the lower end of the tuln; securely
attached to the aperture of the borer. If
there were no ajiertures below through which
the llniil might escape, it would, in time, be
forced n|i to the borer and destroy it.

Soiu'such kind of apparatus, acting upon
similar philosophieal principles, might be con-
fidently left to do its own work in its own
good time, and if skillfully executed, wi- think
it would be elteetive. We know that the
simple application of hot water, inide through
the nozzle of a tea-kettle, Ivis been destructive
to both ants and borers, but then it could only
affect those which were below the aperture
through which it w;is jioured. Tlie foregoing
apiiaralus, however, seems to cover the whole
groun I.

The infestations of wood-boring insects are
becoming so numerous over the whole country
that it becomes absolutely necessary to employ
skilled and persevering applications in order
to destroy them. Farmers, therefore, cannot
afford to be negligent any longer. They m1t.1t
do something, and whatever is done mii.st be
done with thi'ir might. R-ui'dies are often
applied inacareless, hurried manner, and then
unhesitatingly denounced, when the cause of

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January,

failure was, perhaps, to be attriliuted more to
the slovenly manner in whieh it was done
than to the (iiiality (>f the reniedj'. This
remedy seems to us to be a practical one, and
ought, therefore, to be properly tested.

THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS.

1020-1875.
[The following significantly and graphically
expressed epitome of the past two hundred
and fifty years of progressive American history
is worthy of a more convenient and perma-
nent record than the columns of a weekly
newspaper, and therefore we transfer it to the
columns of The Fahjiei!, as a chronological
table of events that must be useful to all who
are able to comprehend it, and if there are any
among our readers who have not this ability,
we would admonish them to learn to read im-
mediately; and if they can read already, to
form a habit of n ading something every "day,
if it is but a single page of The Farjier or
any good American history, and not omitting
the " Scri])tui'es of truth.'!]

1620. The Pilgrim Lands on Plymouth Eock
and sets \\\i for himself.

1021. Keeps Thanksgiving — in no danger of
over eating.

1022. Builds a meeting house.

1023. Proclaims a fast day.

1028. Puts down a May pole at Merry
Moimt as a rebuke to vain recreations.

103.5. Is crowded for accommodations, and
stakes out a new farm at Connecticut.

1()37. Makes war on the Antinomians and
the Pequot Indians— and whips both.

10.38. Starts a colleye.

1040. Sets up a jirinting prefss.

1043. Goes into a confederacy— the first Col-
onial Congress.

1048. Lays down the Cambridge platform.
Hangs a witch.

1649. Sets his face against the unchristian
custom of wearing long hair, " a thing uncivil
and uncomely."

1051. Is rebuked for "intolerable excess and
bravery of apjiarel," and is forbidden to wear
gold and silver lace and other such gew-gaws.

1051. Coins Pine Tree shillings— and makes
the business profitable.

1663. Prints a Bible for the Indians.

1080. Buys a "hang-up" clock and occa-
sionally carries a silver watch that helps him
guess the time of day. About this period
learns to use French forks at table ; a new
fashion.

1692. Is scared by iritches again, at Salem ;
but gets the better of them.

1701. Founds another CoUcge, which, after
awhile, settles down at Xew Haven.

1704. Prints his first A'(«>7 (yxr, in Boston.

1705. Tastes Coff<_e, as a luxury, and at his
own table.

1708. Constructs another Platform — this
time at Saybrook.

1710. Begins to sip Tea— very .sparingly. It
does not come into family use till five and
twenty years later.

1711. Puts a letter into his first Past Office.

1720. Eats a Potato—tind takes one home to
plant in his garden as a curiosity.

1721. Is Iiwcidatcd for the small-pox— not
without grave remonstrance from his conser-
vative neighbors. Begins to sing hy note, on
Sundays, thereby encountering nuii'h opposi-
tion and opening a ten years' quarrel.

1740. ilanufactures tin ware, and starts the
first IVji Peddler on his tiavels.

1742. Sees Faneuil Hall built. The cradle
of Liberty is ready to be rocked.

1745. Builds an On/au ; but does not yet
permit it to be played in the meeting house.

17.50. Buys a bushel of Peita/oes for winter's
use — all his friends wondermg what he will do
with so many.

1755. Puts up a Franklin stove in his best
room, and tries one of the newly invented
Ligldning Bods.

1760. About this time begins to wear a col-
lar to his shirt. When he can afford it, takes
his wife to meeting in a Chaise, instead of on
a pillion, as heretofore.

1705. Shows his dislike to stamped paper,
and joins the " Sons of Liberty."

1708. Tries his hand at Tiipe Foiaulinej— not
yet successful— in Connecticut.
• 1770. Buys a home-made Wooden Clock.

1773. Waters his Tea in Boston harbor.
Plants Liberty Trees wherever he finds good
soil.

1774. Lights Boston streets \\'\t\io\\Letmps;
a novelty (though "New Lights" had been
plenty, some years before).

1775. Shows Lord Percy how to march to
" Yankee Doodle." Calls at Ticonderoga, to
take lodgings for the season. Sends General
Putnam (under the command of several
colonels) witli a small party to select a sight
for Bunker Hill monument.

1770. Brother Jonathan — as he begins to be
called in the family— declares himself free and
independent.

1780. Buys an "Umbrilla," for Sundays;
and whenever he shows it, is laughed at for liis
efl'eminacy.

1791. Starts a Cottem Spinning factory.

1792. Has been raising Silk Worms, in Con-
necticut ; and now gives his minister (not his
wife) a home-made silk gown. Buys a Carpet
for the mklelle of the jiarlor fioor.

1793. Invents the Cottem Gin— and thereby
trebles the value of southern plantations.

1795 — 1800. Wears Pemtedoons occasionally,
but not when in full dress. Begins to use
Pleites on the breakfast and tea table.

1802. Has the bojs and girls vaecineUed.

180(). Tries to burn a piece of Heird Coal
from Philadelphia; a failure.

1807. Sees a boat go by Steam on the Hud-
son.

1815. Holds a little Cemvention at Hartford,
but doesn't propose to dissolve the Union.
Buys one of Terry's patent "Shelf Clocks,"
for S30, and regulates his watch by it.

1817. Sets up a stove in the meeting house
and builds a fire in it on Sunday ; an innova-
tion which was stoutly resisted by many.

1817. Begins to run a Steeemboett on Long
Island Sound — and takes passage on it to New
York alter making his will.

1819. Grown bolder; he crosses the Atlantic
in a steamship.

1822. Lights Gas in Boston (but doesn't light
Bost'm. with gas till 1829). At last learns how
to make Bard Coed burn, and sets a grate in
his parlor. Buys a Stiei Pen (one of Gillott's,
sold at .183 per gross). Has his every day
shirts made without Bvffles.

1825. About this time, puts a Percussion
Lock on his old musket.

1826. Buys his wife a pair of queer-shaped
Lidia RidAier overshoes. Puts on his first
False Collar. Tries an " Experimental " rail-
road by horse-power.

1828. Tastes bis first Tojiirto- doubtingly.
Is told that it is unfashionable to feed himself
with his knife— and buys Silver Forks for great
occasions.

1833. Eubs his first Frict'on Match — then
called a "Lucifer," and afterwards "Loco
Foeo." Throws away the old Tinder Box
with its flint and steel.

1835. Invents the Berolver, and sets about
supplying the world with it, as a peace-maker.
Tries a Go\l Pen, but cannot find a good one
yet— nor till 1844. Builds a real Bailroad.,
and rides on it.

1837. Gets in a Panic— and out again, after
a free use of " shin-plasters. "

18.38. Adopts the new fa.shion of putting his
letters in Ennletpes (a fashion which does not
fairly ])revail till seven j'ears later.)

1840. Sits for his Diiguerree}tiipe, and gets a
picture feaifully and wonderfully made. Be-
gins to blow himself up with "Camphene"
and "Burning Fluid;" and continues the
process for years, with change of name of the
active agent, down to and including "Non-
explosive Kerijsene."

1844. Sends his first message by the Electric
Tehyreiph.

1847. Buys his wife a Seunng Meichine—in
the vain hojie that somehow it will keep the
buttons on his shirts. Begins to receive ad-
vices from the "Spirit AVorld."

1855. Begins to bore and be bored by the
Hoosac Tunnel.

1858. Celebrates the laying of the Ocean
Cable, and sends a friendly message to John
Bull. Next week, begins" to doubt whether
the Cable has been laid at all.

1801. Goes South, to help compose a family
quarrel. Takes to using Pajier Money.

1801-05. Climbs the Hill Difficulty— reliev-
ed of his pack, after January 1, 1804 ; but
loses Great-heart, April 14, 1865.

1865. Gets the Atlantic Cable in working
order at last, in season to send word to his
Bj-itish cousins (who have been waiting for an
invitation tohis funeral) that he "lives yet."

1805-75. Is reconstructing, and talking about
Resumption. Sends his boys to the Museum
to see an old-fashioned Silver Dollar..

1875. Goes to Bunker Hill, to pay honor to
the illustrious men who commanded General
Putnam. Gets ready to celebrate his second
golden wedding liy "a grand family re-union,
this year, in Philadelphia.

THE FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY.

The seventeenth annual meeting of the
Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' Society will be
held at Doylestown, Bucks county, commenc-
ing on Wednesday, the 19th of .lanuary. All
fruit growers and horticulturists in the State
are free to participate in its deliberations.
Essays are being prepared by prominent hor-
ticulturists on various subjects, and many
questions of importance relating to fruit cul-
ture and kindred topics will be discussed.
Contributions of fruits, especially new and
rare varieties of merit, are solicited. The
Pennsylvania Railroad Company will issue
orders for excursion tickets only in case .50 or
more are guaranteed to be taken. Those,
therefore, who desire to attend the meeting
by this route should at once send their names
and address to the Secretary, E. B. Engle,
Marietta, who will secure and distribute the
orders, for tickets, in case the requisite num-
ber make application.

It may be a matter of interest to many of
our readers to know that the following topics
for essays and discussions have been sug-
gested; upon some of which essays are in
course of pieparation, and others will be
taken up and discussed during the sessions :

1. Should Northern and Eastern Winter
Fruiis be recommended for Southern and
Eastern Pennsylvania 'i*

2. The Preservation of Fruits by Ice or Re-
frigerator Process.

3. Should Fruit be sold by Weight ?

4. Is Fruit or Vegetable Gardening most
Remunerative '?

5. Hybridization of Fruits by design.

6. Oiu- yards, and how to take care of them.

7. Orchards and their managements

8. The interests of the Society at the Cen-
tennial.

9. The Cultivation of the Apple, including
the best varieties, best mode of culture, and
protection from injurious insects.

10. Pear Culture, embracing the most profit-
able varieties, best soil and methods of cul-
ture.

11. The Cultivation of the Cheny, etc.

12. Peach Culture, including cause of yel-
lows and other diseases.

13. The Plum, best kinds to plant, destruc-
tion of curculio, etc.

14. Quince Culture.

15. The Strawberry, best varieties and mode
of culture.

16. The Raspberry and Blackberry.

17. The Currant and Gooseberry.

18. Grape Culture.

19. The best evergreen and deciduous shade
and ornamental trees.

20. Roses and Shrubbery, best varieties for
yard and lawn.

21. Hardy herbaceous and bedding plants.

We invoke the special attention of our read-
ers to the meeting of the above society, and
hope that Lancaster county will be able to send
a strong delegation to Doylestown. From its
programme of proceedings it will be seen that

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

tlie meeting this year will bo ni'>re than usu-
ally interesting. We c;in hardly realize that
it is already seventeen years sinee this society
was organized, here in the. c.ily of Lancaster.
"We were present at its christening, and also
at several other meetings, and we liave always
regretted that our peculiar inlirniities have
disciualilied us for an active participation in
its proceedings. It is Tiot i)articiilarly pleas-
ant at a gathering of any kind where we can-
not hear what has l)eeu transacted. Our
various specialties now also prevent us from
preparing essays on subjects allied to horli-
culttUH', and our vocal weakness disables us
from reading one when iue|)ared. We never-
tlieless feel an interest in all that relates to its
general efficiency and its onward progress. We
sincerely hope that tlie imiclical " fruit grow-
ers " of Lancaster county will duly honor
their foster-child on the present occasion.
Let the meeting in all respects be a credit to
our county and a litting initiation to our
Nalioiud Centennial.

TIME FOR READING.

*'I have no time to iTaO,'M8the coininon complaint,
especially of women, \vlio.se occupations are sueli as
to prevent continuous hook perusal. They seem to
think, because they euniiot ilevote as much uUenlion
to books as they are eoinpelleil to devote to their avo-
cations, that they eamiol reaii jnythini^. Bui this is
a great mistake. It isn't the hooks we finish at a
sittins which always do us the most good. Those
we devour in the odd momeuts, half a do/en pages
at a time, often give us more satisfaction and are
more thoroughly dii;ested than those we make a j)ar-
tieular etVort to read. The men who have made their
mark in the world liave generally been the men who
have in boyhood formed the habit ofreadini; at every
available moment, whether lor live minutes or live
hours. It is the habit of reading rather than the
time at our command that helps us on the road to
learning. Many of the most cultivated persons, whose
names have been most famous as students, have given
only two or three hours a day to their books. If we
make use of spare minutes in the midst of our work,
and read a little, if but a page or a paragraph, we
shall find our brains quickened and our toil lightened
by just so much increased satisfaction as the book
gives us. Nothing helps along the numotonous daily
round so much as fresh and striking thoui^hts, to he.
considered while our hands are busy. A new thoujjfht
from a new volume is like oil which reduces the fric-
tion of the machinery of life. What we remember
from brief glimpses into books often serves as a stim-
ulousfo action, and becomes one of the most precious
deposits in the treasury of our recollection. All
knowledge is made of small parts, which would seem
iusignitieant in themselves, but which, taken togeth-
er, are valuable wcai)ons for the mind and substantial
armor for the soul. " Read anything eontimiously,"
says Dr. .Johnson, *' and you will be learned." The
odd miimtes which we are inclined to waste, if care-
fully availed of for instruction, will, in the long run,
make golden hours and golden days that we shall be
ever thankful for.

We believe in the above, and it is in sub-
stance just what we have been preaching
through the columns of The Faumer and
elsewhere, these seven years or more. A great
many people who think they have no time to
read just now, but at some future period they
will give their attention to reading, are labor-
ing under a fatal hallucination; because, in
nine cases out of ten, that time is not likely to
ever come. It is impossible to put olf reading
to some future period, and begin it then with
a view of "reading yourself up." You must
/or»t a /u(6(7 of reading, no matter how little
or how much you mtiy be able to read ;it a
time. You must form a habit of reading jtist
as you may form a habit for using snuff, tobac-
co and cigars; or for using alcolndic stimu-
lants ; or for gossiping and idleness; or for
frequenting cock-iiits, bull-baits, dog tights, or
other disreimtablc and demoralizing places.
These habits, whether good or evil, becotne
the predominating principles of the mind, and
are controlled by tlie yearnings of the affec-
tions, without which no rtdHiabit can be form-
ed. If the alVeetions are perverse and evil,
there is no remedy more efficacious than tlic
expulsive ]>iiu;cr of a neiv afTiction; a ijnod alTeo
tion that is in opposition to the evil one. Un-
der such an impulse a habit for reading and
writing may be formcdas sinely asanoi)pi)site
one. This htibit must become a (lartofthe
daily life, and then, if ever the time comes

when the subject is able to relincpiish th(! oc-
<n|)ations of physical labiu' altogether, he will
be in a proper condition to pursue his love of
reading with jirolit and contentment, in ol)e-
dience to the liabits and attections he has pre-
viously formed. Xo man who gives his whole
mind and life to money-making, or any good
or evil specialty, will ever be contented in do-
ing anything else, especially if he has grown
old in the pursuit of such specialties. There
is an old "saw " to the elfect, that " if a man
is not healthy at forty, wealthy at lifty, and
wise ;it sixty, he never will hcheallliy. wealthy
and wise.'' And tilthough there may be e.x-
eel)tions to this as a ride, yet in its general
application and its most obvious meaning,
there is much truth in it. It means that if
the proper habits to aceoniplish these ends
have not been formed :it the periods named,
they are not likely to be ever formetl. As to
the ki}id of reading a man ought to do, will
depend somewhat on his occupation or pro-
fession, anil whether it will be compatible or
incompatible with said occupation, erne thing
is certain, that men and women could lind
more time to read atid write than they do, if
they (inly tiiiiliil it. Look at the many frivo-
lous things in the domain of fashion which
might be ilispensed with, and let tlii' time
and money spent therein be devoted to things
less conventional and more useful.

For TuE Lancastkb Farukr.
A PLEA FOR THE CHICKEN-HAWK.

In the discussion of the biril (|uestion at the
hust meeting of the Lancaster County Agricul-
tural and Ilorticiiltural Society, while it was
agreed that all other birds should be protected
by law from the gunner, the society seemed
unanimous in their verdict that the chicken-
hawk should be the target of every rille and
shot-gun in the country. At one time I enter-
tained similar views in regard to the chicken-
hawk, but I have not shot one for years, be-
ing fully convinced that he is a friend of the
farmer.

Darwin shows how, in many cases, the crop
of clover-.seed is dependent on the supply of
cats in the neighborhood. Humble-bees dis-
trilnite the pollen on theclover-blooom ; field-
mice destroy the young humble-bees; cats
ctitch the mice. But tlie chicken-hawk is a
better mouser than the eat. Nothing hurts
the eye of the farmer worse than to see great
bare spots iti his grass fields, wh.'re lield-mice
have worked under the snow ;md destroyed
the roots of the clover.

I have a fine large hawk that every day sits
for hours perched on a horizontal dead branch
of an old chestnut tree in the field. lie forms
a fine, clear cut picture against the wintry sky
as he sits there motionless as a statue. Xow
and then be swoops ilown and takes up a
mouse, with, perhaps, .some dead grass, in his
talons. I would not exchange liim for the
best game cock or the best Braniah in the
country. True, he sotnetimes catches a rati-
bit or a partridge, or l)ears olf a pullet for his
crop, but he is fully entitled to these ;is part
pay for his services as a mouser.

it is true that, viewed from a sentimental
sttmdpoint, birds of i)rey alVord but few traits
to challenge oiu- admiration. But science
teaches their use, and when science and sen-
timent come in conflict, we are bound to ac-
cept the surer results of the foriiu'i".

The crow is also a mu(-h maligned l)ird.
Thanks to his sagacity, this ■• bird of ill omen"
generally escapes the shots of his [lerseeutors.
The crow is reiu-esented as living to a great
age. Tennyson alludes to this in the sonor-
ous line —

"As the many wintered crow that leads the clang-
ing rookery home."
The crow has a decided taste for "grubs,"
and does good .service in the corn field in early
spring. 1 have known this bird to hook cut-
worms out of a hill of corn with its beak, and
leave the grain imtoiiched.

I once was very much amused at one of
these ebony birds that found a nest of lien'.s
eggs near a neighbor's barn. I saw him roll

the eggs out of the nest, and then lly otV to a
grove near by. Presently two crows returned
from the wood, anil had a happy time eatiii);
tlie eggs. I judged that one of these was the
crow that found the eggs and the oilier was
his wife, though 1 ctninol be (|iialilied that
such was the fact. Perhaps it Wiu* another
crow's wife. If my first conie<'turc in regard
to their consjinguinily was right, the bird cer-
tainly showed more solicitude for the comfort
of \\Ki (til jrnu than smne husbands I know of.
I feel kindly towards these black scavengers,
and throw the buti'heringolTal wlu'ic they can
gel it. They get terribly hungry when the
ground is covered with awow.—J. C. Linville,
Salisbury, Jaawiry 4, 1870.

Ftir 'rilK LANCASTRm FAUMSm.

THE DAIRY.

I proi)Ose to commence with this nimiber of
your journal a series of articli-.s on dairying,
for the iM'nelit of sueli as shall avail thein-
selves of the results of my observations and
expcri(!nce, and also invite the fair criliciiiuig
of lho.se who may dill'er with me.

The importance and extent of this branch of
industry is such as will justify not only a
UKM'c extended and thorough knowledge, but
also closer atti^ntioii in all its departments.
One or two facts will justify my a.s.sertion,
viz: Theii' is entirely too large a proportion
of inferior butler thrown upon the markets of
the cotmtry, such a.s cannot gra<'e and
should not disgrace the table of any that claim
neatiu'S.s. (Jn the other hand, the demand
has never Ijeen supplied with a lirst-elass arti-
cle. The s.ale of milk ami cream has grown
into such an extensive^ business that both sel-
ler and buyer shoidd better understainl their
mutual rehitions to each other in this depart-
ment.

The manufacture of cheese hits al.so grown
into an immense business, but in this section
it is scar<:ely attempted, and my knowle<lgo
thereof is so hmited that I shall touch it very
liglitly.

I siiall divide my subject as follows: First,
the ditlerent breeds of cattle. Second, feed-
ing, care :uid management of milk cows,
and calves intended for such. Third, the
maiuigement of milk and cream suiiplied to
customers. Fourth, the making of butter.
Fifth, the various kinds of cheese. .Sixth,
marketing and general remarks.

The Different Breeds of Cattle.

There is scarcely a breed of cattle that has
not its advocate, and Justly so, as all have
some points of value. The Texas "ranger"
is valueil for his horns and hide, if for nothing
else. Our native breed has many advocates,
but the (piestion arises, where do we find it
unless it be that Just alluded to":* Importa-
tions from foreign countries have Im-cu made
for a long time, but es|wially <Iuring the
present century the importation of horned
cattle has largely increased. The result is
that wherever the resources of our country
have been developed, progress and improve-
ment have followed, at least to soitie extent:
ccmse<pienlly this foreign blood has become
diffused to "a certain degree among nearly
every herd throughout this broad domain. It
is therefore hardly proper to claim a native
breed. For convenicn<e sake, however, I .shall
(piote them as such. There are unipiestiona-
bly iv.s good milkers among our natives as can
1h' f<uiiid among any other brei'd. but there is
not that uniformity of excellent milkers
found in other breeds. The siime is the c;use
with shorthornsor Durhams. These, however,
have been seli-cled and bri'd more in view of
their In-.f than milking (pialities. One a.s,ser-
tion I will here make which I would l«e glad
to see fairly disproven, i. c, that the best Ix-cf
and milking <|ualitie« are rarely (if ever) foiinil
in the same animal. That both cpialities are,
to a certain extent, generally devclo])cd in the
same animal is not denied: and as farmers
gen<Tally are alxiiit etiuilly interested in the
production of lieef and milk, it is more con-
venient to keep stock of this kind than to have
separate breeds for the dilTerent purijoses. For
strictly dairy purposes, however, cows should

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January,

be selected especially for their milking quali-
ties ; and just here is wlieie too many are at a
loss, whetlier by purchase, or breeding and
rearing, in view of this object. — U. M. E,
Marietta, Pa., Jan. 10, 1870.

[to be continued.]
■ ^

For The Lancaster Fabmer,
DRESS ORCHARD TREES.

Old fruit trees should be scraped in winter
with the tree scrajxr, talking off all loose, rough
bark and insect nests in the cavities. Look
over the whole of every tree and clear it of in-
sect nests ; some are easily seen, others have
to l)e carefully looked for. One is a gluey
patch the color of the tree bark ; look sharjily
for it and scrajie it oil". All moss growing upon
trees should be scraped off, as it is as inju-
rious to trees as itch and scab are to animals.
The scraping is as beneficial to old trees as is
currycombing to horses and cattle. It pre-
vents harkhoimd. The washing of stems and
large branches of trees with a solution of car-
bolic acid, soap dissolved in lukewarm water,
and a portion of the ttowers-of sulphur mixed
■with it, is a good method for destroying tlie
insects. The best time to do the washing is
after the spiring opens. It will then stick to
the trees, and when the insects come out the
poison kills them in their infant state ; and by
that the foliage and fruits of the trees may all
be saved. One of the most valuable features
of The Faioier is, that it has a highly scien-
tific Entoriioh (jist as its editor. Our crops,
live stock and ourselves would be ruined, were
it not for the science of entomology. Our
mothers knew the science so far as to keep us
clear bj' comliing our heads in our young days.
Birds of the air and faini ])oultry are destroy-
ers of insects. Air birds should not be shot,
but fed well in winter with small grains and
weed seeds from the winnowing machine. —
Old Cultivator.

blood of their own kind and that of other ani-
mals. Sometimes these manifestations become
furious, and the animals seem to be in a state
of nervmis paroxysm, which pervades their
whole system. Any one raised on a farm must
have often noticed this. It is therefore not so
astonishing that it should terminate in abor-
tion. The remedy is to guard them against
all improper contact. In cases where but one
cow is kejit there is less exposure and a less
occurrence of it. — EdA

For The Lancasteb Faki^leh.
ABORTION OF COWS. .

As the question of cattle breeding was up
for discussion before the December meeting of
the Agricultural and Horticultural Society,
without resulting in any special exjiression of
opinion that could benefit any one, I would
beg leave to ask a question in this connection
which I think is of special importance to dairy-
men. We had been thinking of preparing for
the coming Centennial with a number of good
cows, but we have been more or less discour-
aged by a singular coincidental occurrence
among our cows. It i)erhaps canuot be called
a disease, yet it is very similar to contagion.
Our cows are miscarrying to a very alarming ex-
tent; the stock of very few cow-owners escape.
Three of my neighbor's cows miscarried last
winter, and one of them twice in succession.
This singular affliction happens to all grades
of cows : to those that are well kejit, as well
as to those indifterently or poorly keiit. What
may be the cause of it '? What may prevent
it y To what extent has it hapiiened in other
parts of the country V — Comstoya, Jan. 5, 1870.

[We are not a ''Looney Mactwalter," and
must therelbre confess our ignorance of the
cause, remedy, or extent of this singular mis-
hap among the cows, but the above may bring
them out. In conversation with an "intelli-
gent reading farmer from the eastern part of
the county, in relation to this subject, he stated
that cows are exceedingly sensitive and easily
affected in this respect ; especially in dairies,
or where herds are kept. The sight and smell
of blood sometimes iiroduces abortion in cows ;
and where one in a herd miscarries, the sight
of the placenta or firlns will affect others, as
it were, similarly. This is well known among
horse-breeders, and therefore the pregnant
dam is carefully shielded from improper sights,
smells and sounds.

Some aniniids, and especially rmniimntu, are
very peculiarly constituted. When one dies
or is slaughtered, the survivors utter the most
melancholy moans and bellowing over the car-
cass or the l)lood, and it is astonishing how
completely they can distinguish between the

For The Lancaster Farmer.
IS A CHANGE OF SEED NECESSARY ?

At the meeting of the Horticidtural Society,
last Mfinday, I was somewhat surprised to
hear all the speakers advocating the necessity
for farmers to "change their seed grain ;"
that wheat, potatoes— indeed, all grain and
root cropS' — are improred by procuring seed
from a distance, or by simply changing seed
with their neighbors, or from a gravelly or
slaty to a limestone soil, and vice versa.

I know very well that this idea " of a change
of seed" is a favorite hobljy with writers on
tlie subject ; at least by such as jiretend to be
scientific farmers. But have those advocates
of " changing seed" experimented themselves,
and for a series of years found it to be true as
they say? or, do most of them "follow the
say so" of pretending scientific writers ? or,
can they bring proofs of the theory from
their own experience V A single favorable
or unfavoralile season will not in-ove anything
for or against it. Or, again, have they
been in the habit of selecting the most per-
fect seeds for propagation, and yet found
their grain to deteriorate after a number of
years V or, have they taken the seed at ran-
dom from the heap, and, in consequence,
found their crops less than formerly V Give
us facts, gentlemen !

It is now many years since a Mr. Cooper, of
New Jersey, tested this question of "chang-
ing seed " more thoroughly, and, I think, con-
clusively, than it had ever been tested before,
or since. His statement was substantially as
follows : That when he first commenced to
select his seed corn, with nuich searching
through his field, he found only a few
stalks with two ears, or nubbins ; these he se<-
lected and planted the following season. Of
this second crop he found many stalks with
two ears. Again selecting the largest and
earliest ripe ears, he improved the crop, so
that in a few years there were but few stalks
with less than two, and some with three ears.
Continuing this course of always selecting the
largest, earliest and most ears on a stalk, he
so improved his crop during a term of thirty
years (when he published the statement) that
very few stalks could be found with less tlian
three, and many with four large ears. He did
not change his seed from one farm to anotlier,
but coTitinued "breeding in and in " from the
same old stock that at first produced only one
ear or uulibin to the stalk.

He o])erated in the same way with squashes
and otiier vegetables, and in each case the
improvement was truly remarkable. His im-
jiroved corn was sought after for seed from all
directions ; as also liis seeds of vegetables.
These experiments of Mr. Cooper, I think,
fully establish the fact that by proper selec-
tion of seed grain no deterioRition of the grain
will result ; not alone with corn and wheat,
but with all vegetable growths suitable to the
climate.

Well do I remember that, about forty years
ago. the Hessian-tties ruined oiu' wheat in
Lancaster comity and elsewhere to such an
extent tliat many farmers harvested less than
the seed sown. Large quantities of wlieat
were imjiorted from Euroi)e. ISIany farmers
purchased this imported grain for seed, and
some even for bread, at two and a half to
three dollars per busliel. Like my neighbors,
I, too, procured small samples of more than a
di zen varieties to test their adaptability to our
soil and climate. Xot one variety did any
good ; all mildewed, rusted, and the grain was
very imperfect. So I did not grow more than

two varieties after the first year ; but as they
did not promise well, these were also dropped.
With the discarding of these new wheats, I
afterwards found several new leceds had been
received with these varieties of wheat, and
which gave me some trouble to clean out
again. Then I may also state that the old
blue-stem w heat was for many years our best
wheat ; but when the Hessian-fiiesmade their
appearance, fiy-proof wheat (like curculio-
proof plums) made their advent, and our old
blue-stem wheat had to give place to newer
kinds. These in turn were again replaced by
other varieties. Then the Mediterranean va-
riety came to be tried, perliai>s twenty-five or
thirty years ago. At first it was a rough,
thick-skinned Ijerry. The straw was soft, and
very subject to lodge, and the grain light and
imperfect. Yet this variety was grown on
our farm without change of seed for at least
twenty years. It gradually improved ; the
straw became shorter, stiffer, not so liable to
lodge ; the berry became lighter in color, thin-
ner-skinned, and generally a superior wheat
to what it was when first procured.

Again, some years since other celebrated
wheats had to be tried, and the old Mediter-
ranean was discarded, in the hope of getting
still better varieties ; but in a few years, by
"change of seed," we again secured the old
Mediterranean, which still succeeds about as
well as heretofore, although I do not believe
that this " change of seed " had the least ef-
fect in improving the variety.

Thus giving my exjierience and opinions for
what they may be worth, I would say in con-
clusion, that my experience with many va-
rieties of wheat in this matter "of changing
seeds " confirms me in the belief that by al-
ways selecting the most perfect seed, there is
no necessity for exchanging seed with your
neighbor, or to procure the same variety from
a distance, but select the best from your own
crop and farm, where it has been acclimated,
or naturalized, as it were, and with good cul-
tivation and needed fertilizers, and favorable
seasons, we may raise good crops to the end
of time from our own carefully selected seed,
and thank Providence "that our lot has been
cast in pleasant ])laces. " All the benefit I
ever secured by "a change of seed " was a
fresh erop of iDCcds. — J. B. Garber, Columbia,
Pa., Dec. 10, 1875.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
LADIES' PARLOR OR WINDOW
FLOWERS.

The lady readers of The Farmer should
be caieful of their parlor or window plants
now, and for two months to come. Give them
full sunshine ; keep near the glass while the
sun shines upon them. Draw them back from
the glass a little when the sunshine is over,
as there is a cold air close to the glass on very
cold days. On mild days, the neai'er the
glass they are kept the "better. They look
lightsome and pretty in the winter, when all
looks desolate out-doors ; they are also com-
panions which give no offense ; even when ill-
treated, the}' mildly speak of it by their droop-
ing and yellow leaves. Those with sweet-
scented leaves are i)leasant company now, and
the Iilooming species will put forth their flow-
ers in due time. On very cold nights move
them from the windows and set them in the
warmest part of the room until the house is
heated in the mornings. They all should be
sparingly watered in January and February, *
as they then are not making fresh growths,
and if dry. the cold of nights will not so much
injure them. Those generally grown in rustic
stands and hanging baskets will flourish even
if the .sun never shines upon them. Geraniunu
are best for pot cultiu-e, yet many other choice
species do well. Beynnia^iinA Pouvardiashhwm
all the winter. Crocuses, Hyacinths and Van
Thol Tulips bloom beautifully during winter
and early spring. Calla jiroduces its large
white lilies in early spring. The species with
variegated leaves look very lively all winter. —
W. E.

1876.J

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

VorTHK I,ANr.\sTEB Farmeu.
WHY DON'T MY CHICKENS LAY?

Tlial is tlie (luestion I have been askiii<; my-
self witli iiiiiisual fie(iiiency as tlic lioliclays
draw iiigli, and in view of tlie e(inally iinpui--
tant fact tljat I am asl<e(l .'i") or 40 cents a
diizen for efr^s every tinn- I go to market.
The solntion of this eonmulrum lias fjiven nie
no inconsiderable anionnt of eareful thonfjlit,
and I am apiiarently ;is far from a satisfactory
explanation of the riddle as I was in the be-
ginniiij;, and feeldisiiosed to "fiive it up." In
the hoi)e that some reader of TllK F.MtMlcu
can see further into tlu^ question than myself,
and make plain what is now obscure, 1 will
state the facts bearing; on the case.

Jly object in kee])in)i chickens being the pro-
duction of egfis and poultry for household use,
and not for sale or ;;'ecnlative pm-poses, I
limited myself from thi' bcixiinnnf; to twelve
hi'iis and one male bird, and by sodoinj; 1 have
been enabled to compare each year's results
with its laedeces.sors. I have never kept any
of the so-called "fancy" varieties, but have
cultivated the unpoetieal, old -fasliioned
"diuiRhills." I am free to say that these
have never yielded the seeminuly fabulous
number of e,ufj;s which hens are said to lay
.sometimes, nor have they come n|) to the liij-
ures which the scrupulous care and attention
I have given them would reasonably lead me
to exjiect. ('ompared with theaccomits given
■ in poultry journals of iirolilic bens, mine make
il rather jioorshowing ; liut what is.slill worse,
the long period during the autumn and early
winter when they drop no eggs at all, makes
the kei'ping of them very unsatisfactory.

Without having a regularly built hennery, I
nevertheless oiler such indncenients to my
chickens as should insure mo better returns.
My hen-house is a nice, warm and well-venti-
lated one, amply large to comfortably accom-
modate twice or thrice the number of fowls I
keep. 1 never shut them uii in it ; the small
door for ingress and egress is always ojjen,
and they avail themselves of this circum.stance
by never staying in the house except during
the night. I have a large, dry stable to which
they can resort dining the heat of sunuiier,
and where they are always found during the
cold days of winter or in rainy weather. They
have, besides, the nm of an ample grass lot,
and a liock of geese could not crop the young
grass more industriously than they do. In a
small yard there is a patch of open ground
wherein they can dust themselves when so iu-
eliued. To afford them the ojiportnuity of
doing the same in winter, I have fixed up a
corner in the stable whT're the}- can enjoy
themselves in a bath eomiiosed of street dust
and sifted coal ashes, and it is matter for
astonishment to see how constantly they avail
themselves of this luxury.

In the matter of food, T depart .somewhat
from the regime laid down in the books. I do
not keep corn lying about the yard and stable
all the time ; I feed them twice a day, morn-
ing and evening, but never throw down more
at a time than they can eat. I exercise a wide
latitnte in the kind of food I give them, and
this is constantly varied. Every refn.se .scrap
of the kitchen is scrupulously saved ; a large
jian is generally on the kitchen stove, into
which apple, turnip and potato parings are
thrown, and whatever else in the way of bits
of meat, bread or mush that may be left at
meal time ; often a few handtuls of cracked
corn are added to render the eoinjionnd .still
more aceei)table. In the fall and winter,
when brewers' grains are to be had, I mix
them quite freely witli the contents of the
])au, and I lind this mixtiue more acceptable
to them than anything else I can oiler them.
S)metinies I boil mush, and mix it with the
Virewers" grains; this is generally their morn-
ing nu'al in winter. In the evening, corn in
its natural state is given them; occasionally
this order of feeding is reversed. At all sea-
.sons pounded oyster shells are thrown to
them, and if they for some reason do ikjI get
them for a short time, they eat them with as
much avidity as corn when they are again
thrown dovvu. Two or three times a week i

either ])cp]ier or [lowdered sidphur is thrown
into the pan on the stove and boiled witli
their food. In lieu of wood-charcoal. I burn
corn in a pan initil it is virtually turned into
charcoal, and give il to them ; this they eat
re.idily, while they object to lailural charcoal.
Owing, as I believe, to theplentilul feedingof
sulphur and pepper, my chickeus have never
beeji afTe<t<'d by any epidendc disease- ; they
are, besides, remarkably free from vermin ;
occasionally 1 have lost one, but that was
rarely. They at all times during the sumnu-r
have access to fresh water, and in winter 1
take care that they have all they need.

Theabove, I think, is very lair treatment for
hens, and makes nic all the more cm iuus to
know why they stopi>ed laying <in Septeud)er
•JOtli, of this year, and have not, up to this
writing, Deceinber 2(ith, laid a single egg.
Last year they ipiit laying on October 1st, and
one hen, a spring pullet, began to lay on
December 28th and some of the rest towards
the close of January. None of my (■hickens
are more than tbrei; years old, while fully one-
half were raised last year; so this long "ces.sa-
tion from laying does not arise from the age of
the fowls. Last smunier I raised a brood of
pure 15lack Siianish, out of which I selected
four choice birds; they are now nearly or (piite
full grown, hut. so far have shown no symptoms
of going into the business for which they are
so noted.

Notwithstanding the fact that such long
intervals have occurred during which my hens
did not lay, yet all things considered, they
have iiaid me well for my care. My twelve
hens laid during the year TSS eggs aiui 1 raised
forty young ones; at the market price of eggs
during the siiring and sunuuer, the i)roduet
would have been §15.00 at the very lowest,
while my yomif; chickens at twenty-iive cents
each were worth $10.00 more ; the food I imr-
cliased amounted to about $12.00, leaving a
very handsome profit. Last year I got oidy
V")4 eggs from the same number of hens; this
is an average of oidy O.'i eggs to each one, a
mmiber entirely to(( small. I had fowls, how-
ever, both dnring the i)ast and the iiresent
year, that laid as many as 75 and 80 eggs before
they wished to sit.

But after all. the old difficulty still remains;
if it pays me to keep these hens, even with the
long holiday they allow themselves, it would
have paid me stiil better if they had laid con-
tinuously; as they did not do so, the query
arises, would any of the fancy breeds have
done better? Why, with all the care and
attention I give them do they not lay between
September and JanuaiyV jirewcr's grains I
was told would correct that defect ; I am satis-
fied it does not eontril)Ute to that result, but
it is admirably adapted to fattening ])()ultrv,
and the chickens that come on my table are
far superior to any I sec on market. There
yet remains one remedy imtri<'(l. which, unless
my cpiery is satisfactorily answered, I will put
into practice next fall. Once, on the far off
))lains of Kansas, seeing an honest granger's
wife with a huge basket full of eggs, curiosity
tenqited me to ask how she contrived to get
so many eggs from the few liens that were
rniniing around. " I give," she said, while a
merry twinkle played about her laughing eyes,
"I give them plentv of corn and run tlieiu up
hill."—/'. H. n., Lmuwtcr, D«: 20, 1S75.

For TiiK LANCASTEn Fahmkr.
ALL HAIL! CENTENNIAL YEAR, 1876!
The vear 187(1 has come iu and brings with
it the centennial birthday of our independent
nation. It will be an eventful one in the his-
toiy of our republic. It now rests with our-
selves to render it illustrious or flu' n-verse.
\ hundreil years ago the i>eo])le ot the original
thirteen Stales which were then settled, clam-
ored for self-government. A congress of .sages
assembled iu I'hiladeliihia, and after full con-
sultation, they madi' out a "Declaration of
Independence " and unanimously signed it.
That, with a conflict of arms in the field by the
lieroes of the tijne, .secured for us the inde
pendent republican governmeut which we now
enjoy.

We lia ve resolved to commemorate that event
this year by an international exhibition, that
our country may step u](on the platform of
nations, and he recognized a.s an eipial with
others. Our National Congress is now in ses-
sion to sign asecond "declaration of indepen-
dence" iu the form of an aiipropriation sulti-
cient to lii'lp defray the expeiKse of preparing
ftn- the Kxposition. We fain hope that every
member of the present Congress is a patriotic
g<'utl<inan, and has (he honor of the nation
and his own manly digrdty at heart ; anil that
all of them will siiow their loyalty in voting
for the appropriation as promptly and unani-
mously as did the gallant heroes" and siiges of
a hundred years ago.

Will any free-born Amerieati sell his birth-
right now, when the nation is at the height of
its glory? Will any adopted citizen seek to
demean the land which has rais<'d him from a
sxihjfH to a Sdvi n iijn .' Was ever there a wiuni
so noble and grand as ours is'? It lias »ur-
mouutecl all ilillicullies that have come In its
way, and withstood all a.s.saults tliat Lave
sought to .sever it.

Oil ! cl'irify the I'liUm, wlileli palrldU fnrnic<l ;

(illd the rciimls of the past, the preiii'iit uiiil nil ;
Oil ! wihdoiii ptill guide iib ami virtue prcborve us,

Dear brotherly-love liiiid us — ward oil uurduwurull.
— lla/fcr KliUr, riiilailelpliia, Jan. 1, 1870.

For TllK l.ANrAHTKIl Fahmeb.

LOOK OUT FOR CANADA THISTLE.

Eastera Pennsylvania is likely to be over-
run with '"Canada Thistle " (Cirsiwn nrvense).
Lancaster county, as well as the rest of the
counties ot Kastern I'emisylvania, are receiving
hay in bales from Rochester, New York, and
other western jiarts of that Slate. It exi.sts
in abundance from Eliuira to (ii'iieva and
Rochester, and iu all the surrounding coun-
ties from whence hay is shijiped to the ea-st.
The hay is bought by county towns and coun-
try villages, from whence the manure is haul-
ed out among the faniiei-s, scattering the seeds
broadcast among them. When once on a
farm, it will take years to make it clean again,
as they are not easily destroyed. We may
feel assured of this, else we would not (iud
them growing in all Western New York. —
L. S. I{., Ornjiiii, ]'a.. Junmu-ii '.\, 1870.

[We hardly think that Canada thistle conld
be brought here in baled hay. especially not in
the "fust crop," because that is cut before
the thistle is in .seed, or "fniil," as the Hotan-
ists say. In "second ero)! " it would In- more
likely; but we have had ihis noxious weeil in
this county long since. AlMiiit fifteen years
ago we noticed a most niagniliieut held of
Canada thi.stle north of Lancaster, and not
more than half a mile beyond the city boun-
dary.— jE('.]

SUCCESSFUL ORCHARDS.

The Rochester /fura/ //omf gives an account
of the orchard of S. C. Davis, in Orleans coun-
ty, N. Y. He has ill) acres in orchard, con-
taining 2,50') apple trees, 500 of which were
planted iu 1858, and the remainder in 18(i2
and 181)8, The young apple orchards <-over
.55 acres, and are chielly eompo.sed of the Raid-
win. Rhode Island, (ireeuing and Roxbury
Russet, with some autumn apples. He ha.s
besides these 2.7IHI trees or hushes of the Or-
ange quince, covering 10 acres, and planted
six and ten yeai^s ago. The crops from these
quinces the last two sea.sons were .">0 and 5:{
barrels. Resides these, there are 2,<KH1 pcadi
trees, 350 planted in 18.58, the rest in 18(;5 and
18()8. The lirst ."(50 have vielded in all vears
over S4,(HM). There are iilso 2,(KHl slaiidard
pear trees, LiHHl of which are Hartletts.
From the first planted (UK) in lS(i4) UK) bar-
rels have been picked. We are not informed
what the apple trees yielded, nor what the
quinces sold for.

SrBSCRinEn!» will jilease renew their sub-
scriptions for 187(i. (Jannot each oue send us
au additional subscriber ?

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January

THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

The Progress of the Great Work--A Birds-
Eye View of the Buildings and Grounds--
Details of the Live Stock Department.

A recent visit to Fairmouiit Park, on the
occasion of tlie presence of the President of
tlie United States, Judges of the Supreme
Court, and Members of Congress, revealed
remarkable progress in the great work,
since oiu' former visit. The remarkably
mild and open winter we are having is highly
tavoralile to the prosecution of outdoor work,
such as grading the grounds, and there is no
longer reason to doubt that all the details will
be completed in time for the opening iu May.
The apjiropriation of a million and a half of
dollars which has been asked of Congress to
complete the work will no doubt be granted,
as the repri'Sentatives of every department of
the government wlio inspected the biuldiugs

line seen above these buildings is the Schuyl-
kill river, whieh runs to the right toward the
Delaware. Beyond it lies the great body of
the city, from which rise many steeples and
towers. On the farther side, to the left, ap-
pears a faint line, showing the Delaware river,
which borders the city on the east, and runs
southward, to the right.

In addition to these there will be about one
hundred and fifty smaller buildings, erected
for the headquarters of different states and na-
tions, and for special exhibition of the products
of different industries, many of them present-
ing beautiful architectural designs.

We print below, as specially interesting to
OIU' readers, the details of the arrangements
made for the exhibition of live stock by Burnet
Landreth, Chief of the Bureau of Agriculture,
and approved l>y Director-General A. T. Gos-
horn. These details of a siTigle department
will give the reader a fair idea of the magni-
tude of the enterprise.

As to Hnlstcins, Herefords, Ayrshires, Devone,
Guernseys, Britanuys, Kerrys, and other pure breeds,
tliey are either imported or descended from imported
animals on both sides.

As to Jerseys, that they are entered in the Herd
Register of the American Jersey Cattle Club, or in
that of the Royal Agricultural Society of Jersey.

As to sheep and swine, they are imported or de-
scended from imported animals, and, that the home-
bred shall be of pure blood as far back as the fifth
generation.

:l The term breed, as used, is intended to compre-
hend all family divisions, where the distinction in
form and cliaracter dates back through yearsof sepa-
ration; for instance, it is held that the proa;euy of a
pure-blood Jersey and a pure-blood Guernsey, is not
a thorouKh-liVed, but a cross-bred animal, and, as
such, is necessarily excluded.

4. Iu awarding prizes to animals of pure blood, the
judges will take into consideration chiefly the relative
merits as to the power of the transmission of their
valuable qualities; a cardinal object of the exhibition
being to promote improvement in breeding stock.

•5. In case of doubt relative to the age of an animal,
satisfactory proof must be furnished, or the animal
will be subject to examination by a veterinary sur-
geon ; and

on the occasion referred to, expressed them-
selves highly pleased with what they saw, and
the national honor seems now to be at stake in
the matter.

The accompanying engraving represents a
correct l)irds-eye view of the appearance of
the Centennial grounds and the relative rela-
tions of the buildings to each other.

The Mdin Bu'dding is the extensive struct-
ure, rimning diagonally, near the centre of the
cut. It covers about as much space as the
other four united. Mwhinerii Hall is the next
largest building, and runs toward the right, in
the same range, with only a street between.
Ayriruhural Hall is near the lower corner, to
the left. Ifurticultiiral Hull is the ornamental
structure standing next above the last in the
view. The Art GaVery is the stone edifice
with the large dome, standing between the
last and the first liuildings named. This is
also called Jlemorial Hall. It was erected by
provision made by the State of Pennsylvania,
and it is designed to be permanent. The white

Live Stock.

1 . The live stock display at the International Ex-
hibition will be lield within the montlis of September
and October, ISTH; the periods devoted to each class
and family being fifteen days, and the division as fol-
lows:

Horses, mules, and asses, from September first to
fifteenth.

Horned cattle (of all varieties), from September
twentietli to October fifth.

Sheep, swine, goats and dogs, from October tenth
to twenty-tifth.

Poultry will be exhibited from October twenty-
eighth to Novcnil)er tenth.

3. Animals to be eligible for admission to the Inter-
national Exhibition must be, with the exception of
trotting stock, walking horses, matched teams, fat
and draught cattle, of such pedigree that the exhibi-
tor can furnish satisfactory evidence to the Chief
Bureau, that —

.\s applied to the thoroughbred horses, at far hack
as the fifth generation of ancestors on both sides,
they are of pure blood, and of the same identical
breed.

As to short-horned cattle, they are registered in
either Allen's, Alexander's, orthe English herd-books.

only be brought forward, as the characterof the stock
will be judged by the general average of those ex-
hiliited.

8. Exhibitors will be expected to furnish their own
attendants, on whom all responsibility of the care of
feeding, watering and cleaning the animals, and also
of cleaning the stalls, will rest.

9. Forage and grain will be furnished at cost prices,
at depots conveniently located within the grounds.
Water can be had at all hours, ample facilities being
provided for its conveyance and distribution through-
out the stock-yards

10. Exhibitors must supply all harness, saddlery,
vehicles and other appointments, and all such must
he kept in their appointed places.

11. The Commission will erect ample accommoda-
tion for the exhibition and protection of live stock,
yet contributors who may desire to make special ar-
rangements for the display of their stock, will be
attbrded facilities at their own cost. Fractious ani-
mals, whether stallions, mares with foals, or bulls,
will be provided with stallsof suitable character.

\2. All stalls will be regularly and distinctly num-
bered; coiTcspouding numbers on labels of uniform
character will be given to each exhibitor, and uo ani-
mal will be allowed to pass from its stall without its
proper number attached.

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

13. Nwinhcrs alone will flisthiiruiBli stock in the
8how-y;inl8, prccedimj the awards ot'in-izes.

14. The juilL'i'H of livi'Kt(ic'l< will nmki'fxaniiiiation
of all aniiiuils mi tlif oiicliinsrilayof each serial rIiow,
anil will for that day have exclusive entrance to the
show-yard.

1."). Xo premium will be awarded an inferior ani-
mal, tliDuirh there he no conijietition.

If). All animals will t)c under the supervision of a
veterinary suryeon, who will examine them before
admi.'-sion, to jruard aixainst infection, and who will
also make a daily inspection and rciiorl. In case of
sickness, the aninnil will be removed to a suitable en-
closure especially prcpareil for its comfort ami medi-
cal treatment.

17. When animals are taken sick, the exhibitors
nniy either direct the treutment themselves, or allow
the veterinary surj;t(>n ap|ioinleil by the commission
to treat the case. In this latler event the exhibitor
will be chariicd for all exjicnscs inenrred. .Ml jiossi-
ble care will be taken ol animals exbiliitcd, but the
commission cannot be held rcsponsilile I'or any injury
or accident .

l.s. A rinff will be provided for the display and ex-
ercise of horses and cattle.

111. Itn the last day of each serial show, a public
auction may be held of such animals as the exhibi-
tors may desire to sell. Animals nuiy be sohi at pri-
vate sale at any time duriiifr their exhibition. Dnriiiff
the period of a serial ."how, no animal, even in the
event of beinf; sold, will be allowed to be delinilely
removed.

'■ilK An ollicial catalopiic of the animals will be
published.

21. Exhibitors of thoroui^hbred animals must, at
the time of makini;' their entries, tile with the Chief
of the Bureau a statement asto their inMlijjrce, allirmed
or sworn to belore an olticer authorized to take alli-
davits, and the papers so tiled shall be fundshed to
the Jury of Experts.

22. The a;ics of live stock nuist be calculated up
to the openinir day of the exhibitiou of the class to
■which tliey bt'lonir.

2'!. Sheep breeders desiring: to exhibit wool, the
pniduee of the Hocks, will display not less than five
fleeces.

24. All animals must be entered according: to the
prescribed rules, as given in forms of entry, which
forms will be furnished on application to the Chief
of the Bureau of AgrieulHue.

Breeding Horses.

Mares entered as breedinjE: animals must have had
foals within one year of the show, or if in foal, certi-
ficates must Ite furnished to that efleet.

All I'oals exhibited must be the otTspring of the
mare with which they are at foot.

Awards will he made to respective breeds for: Pure
bred turf stallions, six years and over. Pure bred
draught stallions, six years and over. Pure bred turf
stallions, over tour years and under six years. Pure
bred draught stallions, over four years and under six
years. Pure bred turf stallions, over two years and
under four years. Pure bred draught stallions, over
two years and under four years. Pure bred turf
mares six years and over. Pure bred draught mares
six years and over. Pvn-e bred turf marcs, over tw'o
and uncUr six years. Pure bred draught mares, over
two and under six years.

Awards will be made for: Trotting .stallions, six
years and over. Trotting brood mares, six years and
over. Trotting stallions, over four years and under
six. Tr()tting fillies, over four years and under six.
Trotting stallions, over two years and under four.
Trotting fillies, over two years and under lour.

Running and Trotting Horses

shall be judged according to their record up to Au^et
15th, lH7(i, (iue regard being had to present condition.
Awards will be made for: Running horses having
made fastest record. Trotting stallions havingtrotted
a niilewiihin two-thirty. Mares and geldiugs having
trotted a mile within two-lwenty-five.

Walking Horses.

Fast walking horses, whether bred for agricultural
purposes or the saddle, will compete in the ring for
awards.

Matched Teams.

Awarils will be made for: Matched teams having
trotted a mile in two-thirty- five. Matched stallions
for heavy draught, over sixteen hands high, and over
fifteen hnndrcd poiniils weight each. .Matched geld-
ings for heavy draught, over sixteen hanils high, and
over fifteen hundred pounds weight each. Matched
mules for heavy dr:inght, overfifteeii hanils high, and
over fourteen hundred pounds weight each. .Matched
mules for heavy draught, over Hflecn and a half
hands high, and over thirteen hundred pounds weight
each.

Breeding Asses.

Awards will he nnide to respective breeds of: Pure
bred jacks <ivir six years. Pure bred jacRs over three
years and under six. Pure bred she-asses over six
years. Pure bred she-asses over three years and
under six. j

Neat Cattle.

No cow will be eligible for entry, unless accomjia-
nied with a ecrlificatc that, within liltein njonlliK pri-
ccdiiig the show, she had a living calf, or that the
calf, if born dead, was born at its proper lime.

No heifer entered as in calf will he eligible for a
prize, unless accompanied with a ecrlificate that she
has been bulled bchire the first of April, or presents
unmislakable proof of the fact to the judges.

No bull above one year old can be entered unless
he have a ring in nose, and thealtendanl be provided
with a leading stick, which must be used whenever
the animal is taken out of stall.

Awards will be made for the best herd of each re-
spective breed, consisting as follows: One bull, pour
cows, none under fifteen months. Neat cattle, of each
respective breed, will compete inili vidua My for awards.
Hulls :! years and over. Hulls over 2 viars and ini-
der:i years. Bulls over 1 year and under 2 years.
Cows 4 years aial ovir. Ciiws over :i years and un-
der 4 years. Cows or heifers in calf, over 2 years and
under :; years. Yearling heifers. A sweepstake award
will be made for the best bull of any breed. .VsWcep-
stake award will be nnule for the" best cow of any
breed. ■^

Fat and Draught Cattle.

Aninuils entered as fat and draught cattle need not
be of pure blood, but will compete on individual
mei'its.

Eat cattle must be weighed, and, in general, those
will be judged best which have the greatest weight
with the least surface and offal.

Awards will be made for; Best fatted steer of any
age or breed. Most powerful yoke of oxen. Most
raiiidly-walking yoke of oxen." Most thoroughlv-
trained yoke of oxen. Most thoroughly-trained team
of three or more yokes of oxen.

Breeding Sheep.

All sheep ofl"ered for exhibition must he accompan-
ied with ecrlificatc to the elhct that they have been
shorn since the 1st of April, and the date given.

If not fairly shorn, or if clipped so as to conceal
defects, or with a view to improve the form orappear-
ance, they will be excluded from com|ictition.

Awards will be made to respective breeds for ; The
best pen of five aninuils of same fiock and including
one ram, the ewes all having had living lambs the
past spring.

Awards will be made to respective breeds for :
Kams 2 years and over. Shearling rams. A sweep-
stake award will be made for the best ram, respec-
tively of long, middle, and fine-wooled breeds.

Awards will be nnide to respective breeds for :
Ewes in pens of three, all having h.ad living lambs.
Shearlings in pens of three. A sweepstake award
will be made for the best pen of three breeding ewes,
respectively of long, middle, and fine-wooled breeds.

Fat Sheep.

Fat sheep entered for competition must be weigh-
ed, and iu general those will be judged best which
have the greatest weight, with the least surface and
otl'al .

Awards will be made for : Pen of three best fatted
sheep of each breed. Pen of three best fatted sheep
of any breed.

Breeding Swine.

Every competing sow above oneyearold must have
had a litter, or be in pig, and the owner must bring
proof of these facts, if required.

1 f a lit ler of pigs be sent with a sow, the young pigs
must be sucklings, the otlspriog of thesow, anif must
not execixl the age ofthrce nmnlhs.

Awards will be made to rcsjicctive breeds for : Tlie
best pen of one boar and two breediug sows. For pen
of .«ow and litter.

Awards will be made to respective breeds for :
Boars 2 years old aiul over. Boars 1 year old and
uuder 2 years. Boars between '.> months and 1 year.
Breeding sows 2 years old and over. Breeding sows
1 year old and under 2 years. Pen ofthrce sow pigs
between !( months and 1 year. A sweepstake award
will be made tor the best boar of any breed. .\ swee|).
stake award will be made for the best sow of any
breed.

Fat Swine.

Fat swine entered for competition must be weighed,
and in general tlu)se will be judged best which have
the greatest weight with the least surface and offal.
1st, 2(1 and :kl prizes will be awarded lor : Pair of
best fatlid hogs of each breed. Pair ol best lalteU
hogs of any breed.

Dogs.

Awanis will be made to respective breeds for :
Dogs of 2 years and over. Dogs of ()ne year and un-
der 2. Pups. .\ swee[>stake award will lie awarded
for the best df)g of any lireed dis[)Iayeil by a foreign
exhibitor. A sweepstake award will be awarded for
the best hoin<'-bred dog of any breed.

Awards will be made to res|)ective breeds for:
Bitches of 2 years and over. Bitches of 1 year and
under 2. Bitch pups. A sweepstake awanl will be
awarded for the best bitch of any breed displayed l)y
a foreign exhibitor. A sweepstake award will be
awarded for the best liome-breil bitch of any breed.

Poultry.

Poultry can only be exhlbiied in coops made afler
specifications furniKlied by the Bureau of .X^rieulture.

Awards will be made to' res[K'clive breeds for : Pairs
ofl year aiul over, of chickens, turkeys, ducks, gceso,
swans, pigeons, guineas and ornamental birds. For
pairs under 1 year.

Fish.

Living fishes will be displayed In both ftrsh and
salt water ntpnirla.

Awanis » III be made for : Largest display of fish
of each S|>eele8. Largest display of fish of all 8|>cele8.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

Farming and Stock Raising on the Continent

of Europe.
CorrMi oudeucM^ of Tiik I.ancastku Fabmrr.

Pa Ids, December .10, 1875.

EXPEKIMEN'TING WITH SIIKPI'.

Ex|wrience attests that sheep, when shorn, fnf fen
more rapidly than those left in the jKJssesBlon of their
fleece; horses, leanor even sickly, put upllesh ijuhkly
If clipped iu due season and with the onllnary pre-
cautions. Animals thus treuled aeipiire an Increased
appetite and malnlain Ihe desire for more foisl for a
longer period. M. \Veiske,of I'roskeau, hasconducteil
experiments with great care to test the facts fnuiul to
be true by practice. He selected two full gn>wn
merinos, in good health, equal in age and nearly so
in weight. They were fed on 2'; imunds of meadow
'"*>'> 'i poiuid of crusheil barley, and less than a
quarter of an ounce of kitchen sail, dally ; their solid
and liquid excrements were s|)fclally preserved and
frequently analyzed, eontem|)oraiieously with their
food: they were supplied wit h a fixed quantify of watir
daily and were weighed every morning: fhetempera-
tureof the buildingduring the experiments was nearly
uinform. After being thus' treated for seven days, no
perceptible difierenee was discovered In their relative
weights. After an interval of ten days thev were
sliorn: the appetite which had ap|H-arc>d' languishing,
suddenly became sharp. The shearing exercised llu
tie influence on the digestibility of the fiHsl, and any
difi'crenee was unfavorable to'the shearing; on the
other hand, the animals eouBumeil less water, pulmo-
nary and insensible persjiiralion having diminisheil,
as in practice is known to be the case. But more
nitrogen was eliminated, that is, less went to the for-
mation of meat, though no change had taken place
either in quantity or quality of food.

SIIEAHING THEN IS AI'I'A REXTI.V UXPAVORABLB TO
XtlTHITIOS.

The loss of the fleece is the loss of ao mueh heat,
demanding the grealcrconsuinptionof food ; In other
words, prodticing a more vigorous appetite. For
draught animals this result Isbenincial, for it stimu-
lates the sources of strength. Horses, when cllpin'il,
become more energetic, lively and robust; and if
they display an improved condition without any
change in rations, the cause inusf be sought in a
better appetite and a su|)erior assimilation of food.
In the case of fattening stock, if this [lowerof assimi-
lation be a little less, the amelioration of the ap|«e-
tite is a compensalion, for the animals will thereby
put up more Mesh ; and to maintain the apiMiiie in
an excellent stale during the finishing stage of fat-
tening, is the object to be realized. More foisl means
thus more beef and mutton, and hence the advantage
of the shorn over the unshorn animal.

THE FOOT AND MOITU DISKASE

eontiniK'S to make its ravages here; it Is a malady
more troublesome and annoying f lian ilaugerims ; if Is
unpleasanlly contagions also. es|iecially for pigs; it
does not destroy the animals, but retanls their devel-
opment and production. The Veterinary College of
Alfort, reeirnmends Ihe isolation of the afVected and
the free u.se of diluted carbolic acid In the sheds; to
break the pu.slnles wilh a rag stopjH'r and gargle the
mouth with a preparation of lioneyed wafer shar|H-iied
with vinegar. alinii or brandy, several tiinesaday, ad-
ministering linseed or ot her meal drinks requiring oidy
to be swallowed : when the feet are sore the lieihling
ought to be very dry and clean, and the ulcers louched
with a mixture of alum and carliolic acid in ll.'i parts
of wafer; if fever be declari-d along with diarrhix'a,
half a pound of (llaubcr salts is added lo Ihe drinks
to elean.se the bliHsl. Conncctiil with the luulady, is
a plan of insurance iu operation Iu upixr .Savoy; the
fanners of a lownland form a society of Insurance;
each animal Insured pays fr. 2, and an additional
franc as an aiuiual premium. In case of loss, the
farmer receives the full price of the animal, providi-d
he has folloHxtl the iustructioiis for treating It when
diseased. .\t Lille there is a Mxiety that will Insure
cattle against all risks, the premium being five |>er
cent, on the estimated value of the animal ; a single
farm can Insure as far as fr. :tlMI,lH)0.

TUB ANIMAf. FOOD VIF.STIOV.

When consumed green or In flower, buckwheat af-
fects sheep and pigs by pnslucing dizziness and
erupt Ions on the skin. .Siiorlsmcu attest that this in-
toxicatiuu Is eonuiion witli harea thai eat the plant.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January,

A farmer remarks, that after storms, buckwheat ex-
ercises its peculiar influences most strongly.

The high anrl increasing price of oats draws much
attention to substitutes for that food, which cannot
be equaled for horses. Bearing in mind that the
nutritive qualities of plants vary more in respect to
climate than to season, it is not surprising to witness
different results from tiie same description of aliment.
Barley raised in southern is superior in quality to
that grown in northern climates. In the East, in
Spain and in Arabia, horses fed on barley acquire
more vigor and power of endurance, while in tem-
perate climates it is fattening and refreshing in its
effects. To excite fowls to lay or to hatch, oats and ^
light wheat are given; to fatten them, barley.
Whenever the French invaded Spain, their cavalry
was decimated by inflammatory diseases produced by
feeding the horses on barley. On the other hand, \
Arabian horses, when imported into France, can only
be kept in good condition by being fed, not on barley,
but on oats. Barley is a tonic in warm climates, but
enervating in temperate ones. Maize is but an aux-
ilary, it can never become a substitute; it has not suf-
ficient force-producing power. M. Adenot experi-
mented with feeds of equal rations, of nine pounds
each, of maize and oats, on 4.S of his wagon horses,
extending over a period of two months ; the animals
lost one-fifth of their draught power, which they re-
covered, however, when their ftiU oat ration was re-
stored; the economy in the way of oats disappeared
by loss of strength. One-eighth of maize with oats
turned out well, but then the maize must be Ameri-
can, not French. How nearly soever related maize
and oats mav be chemically, in physiological eflfects
they are widely different. Thaer and Dombasle re-
commend buckwheat for farm horses, as being capa-
ble of replacing in part oats; their opinion is questioned,
but buckwheat diflcrs in richness, according as it may
have been saved, when matured or otherwise. M.
Adenot has found a mixture of l-'3 pounds of oats
with six of rye, very successful; his experience
extended over fifteen years, the stables containing not
less than 3.50 draught horses; the mixture was not
equal in producing vigor to oats alone, but was not
the less a capital feed when grain was scarce. In
former times wheat was given to stallions during the
season of serving, and to mares when suckling, but
wheat fattened rather than imparted strength or pro-
duced muscle.

IN THE PEODOCTION AND REPARATION OF MUSCU-
L.4R FORCE,

beans rank with oats, exciting the appetite, and ex-
cellent for horses that digest badly their full feed of
grain . Field peas are favored by some for post horses,
improving their wind while forminga change of ibod.
Oats being unrivalled, many farmers object to either
bruise or "break them ; containing less farinaceous
matter, they nourisli less, in the sense of fattening
less; this quality Messrs. Magne and Baillet attribute
to an aromatic princiide in the skin, analogous to
vanilla, and to which the stimulating action of the
grain is to be traced. Now mountain oats, small and
light, are more exciting than others, because they
contain less farinaceous and more of stimulating mat-
ters, and hence why many breeders keep stocks of
mountain and lowland oats, giving feeds of each
alternately, never mixing, for where the ingredients
of rations diiler in volume, much that is small be-
comes unmasticated or incompletely mixed with
saliva. M. Monclar, of Tarn, finding wine to be so
cheap and oats so dear, has employed the former as
an element in rations for his horses, and with excel-
lent results. This is the first time wine has been so
employed ; but is long known in France to be of sin-
gular efficacy when horses are overcome with great
fatigue ; sonie sprinkle the wine over the oats and
others administer it as a drink. Horses are very fond
of wine. M. Becwer is the most extensive fattener of
live stock on the continent ; after years of experience
he concludes,

THE BEST AND MOST SUCCtU.F.NT MEAT IS FURNISHED

by pigs fattened on milk, than animals fed on grain,
the following ranking in order of merit : maize, barley,
oats, to which may be added, peas. Potatoes pro-
duce a meat light, flabby and insipid, losing much in
cooking ; bran, in the case of liogs, yields a flesh poor
and of abad taste ; oil, seeds and cake impart flaecid-
ness and a disagreeable taste to the meat, and beans
make it hard, indigestible and unsavory. M. Bcewer
counsels for the finishing of pig fattening, a diet of
boiled grain, or the latter bruised, with milk; peas
added to the rations of pigs, four weeks before
slaughtering, will impart an agreeable flavor to the
meat.

Belgium has suffered during the present year very
much from

ADULTERATED CLOVER SEED,

which is mixed with colored sand and the seed of the
plantain ; the latter is said to have been superseded
by the seeds which escape from the refuse of imported
■wool. The magnifying glass reveals the impurity.

THE BEET SUGAR MANUFACTORIES ON THE
CONTINENT

may consider themselves fortunate if they can make
the two ends meet this year. France produces twice
as much sugar as she consumes, but fiscal export
regulations prevent her from entering advantageously
the foreigh market. Many farmers decline to sell

their beet this year to the manufacturer, who only
gives fr. 16 the ton for the roots, selling the pulp at
fr. 1.5 ; net profit per ton, for the cultivator, one franc,
to which must be added the expenses of transport
both ways. It is thus more profitable to consume the
roots on the farm . The new continuous presses ex-
tract more sugar than the old hydraulic apparatus,
but the pulp derived from the former is found to be
less valuable. The chemists discuss the question as
to the action of leafing the beet, for feeding purposes,
on theproiluctionof sugar. Messrs. Corenwinder and
Viollette assert the practice diminishes the produc-
tion of sugar, and further, entices the plant to absorb
salts from the soil, which resist the extraction and
crystallization of the sugar; however, the more eini-
inent Claude Bernard differs from both these chemists,
alleging we are still ignorant as to how the plant
fbrnis lis sugar, whether by the root or by the leaves
decom]io,siiig the carbonic acid of the air, under the
influence of the green coloring matter and the sun's
rays, the sugar then being distributed throughout the
tissue.

Dr. Petermanu recommends

TWO MEANS OF REDUCING BONES:

throwing them into the wine tank, or mixing them
witli wood ashes and quick lime, as a compost. Pro-
fessor Kupfferschlaeger, of Liege, recommends their
being burned with weeds and the ashes incorporated
with the soil.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Unhappily there is nothing new to record respecting
the phvlloxera; the habits of the bug are being better
observed, and the effects of the several remedies— in-
undation always excepted — await the test of time.

Dr. Pierre asserts that fruit plantations— eider
orchards particularly— require to be as methodically
manured as ordinary cultivated crops.

Cider is economically prepared, by adding seven
pounds of red garden beet to every aVj bushels of
apples, pressing all together ; the cider must not be
used till the following July, when it will be free of
the beet flavor.

OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.

Proceedings of the Lancaster County Agricul-
tural and Horticultural Society.

The stated monthly meeting of this society took
place in the Athenseum on Monday afternoon, the 3d
of January — Johnson Miller, President, in the chair.
The following members were present : Johnson Mil-
ler, E. S. Hoover, Milton B. Eshleman, Martin D.
Kendig, E. S. Hershey, Jacob B. Garber, Alex. Har-
ris, Harvey Brackbill", Elias Brackbill, Henry Erb,
Israel Landis, Calvin Cooper, John Grossman,
Reuben Weaver, Martin Fry, John M. Stehman,
Levi S. Reist, Peter S. Reist, S. S. Rathvon, Levi W.
Gi-otf, Levi Pownall, Reuben J. Erb, John N. Eby,
Jefferson Grosh, Aaron H. Sumray, Edwin Reinhold,
A. C. Ilius. Jacob M. Myers, John Gingrich, W. J.
Kafroth, John B. Erb, Elias Hershey, Abraham
Bollinger.

John N. Eby, A. C. Ilius and C. Coble were
elected members.

On motion, it was agreed that the Athenseum be
the place of meeting until the society order otherwise.
Johnson Miller offered a resolution in regard to
a more stnngent law for the protection of numerous
birds that are often slaughtered by sportsmen, and
yet may not be strictly classified as insectiverous
"birds, such as the partridge, woodcock and reed-bird.
Mr. Miller announced that he would gladly re-
ceive from farmers in the county any sample of grain
for exhibition at the Centennial— said samples to be
properly labeled in regard to species, locality, and
any other particulars that may be given. Messrs.
Mi'lton B. Eshleman, Martin Fry and Simon P. Eby
were ajJiwinted by the chair as a committee to draft
a suitable resolution in regard to the birds, and pre-
sent the same to the society, with a view to seeking
legislative action on the subject.

The annual election for officers then took place by
ballot. Mr. Calvin Cooper was chosen President.
On leaving the chair, Mr. Miller returned thanks for
the co-operation of the society during the two years
of his service, and Mr. Cooper expressed his appre-
ciation of the honor conferred upon him. Jacob B.
Kafroth, Martin H. Kendig, Jacob Bollinger and
Jacob B. Garber were elected Vice-Presidents ; E. J.
Hoover, Cor. Secretary; Alex. Harris, Rec. Secre-
tary ; Levi W. Groff, treasurer. On motion, Jacob
Stauffer as botanist, S. S. Rathvon as entomologist,
and SiuKm P. Eby as librarian, the present oflicers,
were continued for the ensuing year.

THE president's ANNUAL ADDRESS.

Mr. Miller read the following address :
(ienllemen : A kind and all-wise Ruler has carried
us from time to time, until now we enter upon the
year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six —
a period which will be the most important in the his-
tory of this nation and country since the days of
Washington, whose mortal dust reposes in Mount
Vernon's sacred soil, and whose spirit appears to rise
in the vision of true and patriotic citizens of all na-
tions, reminding them that we have now fairly en-

tered upon the great Centennial year of American
Independence.

In looking over the past record of our proceedings,
and comparing them with the present, you have rea-
son to be assured of success in the future. Ten years
ago this society was organized by a few of the most
intelligent and progressive farmers of this county, to
whom we owe our obligations to-day for having an
agricultural and horticultural society in this county.
A few of them are still with us, and to them I would
say, yours was a noble beginning. But since that
time many were the trials through which this as-
sociation has passed. It was, at times, only since I
am a member, a question whether we could keep in
existence an organization of this kind or not ; and I
will here say, that the men who organized it always
" stood by the Hag."

The past year has been one of more than ordinary
interest to this society, as well as to all farmers in
this wide county, from the fact that the Pennsylvania
State Agricultural Society has held its annual ex-
hibition at Lancaster. It was natural that this so-
ciety should give it all the encouragement it could ;
this was done by the adoption of resolutions of wel-
come, and the appointment of a county committee to
encourage the farmers to become exhibitors, and
take an in'erest in a matter in which they had not
had the pleasure to participate since the year 18.53.
The society, as well as the farmers in gen-ral, re-
sponded. The State Fair was a grand success. On
the whole, it might have been better in some depart-
ments, but I learned from the oflicers of the State
Society that they were well pleased, and that it would
likely be held here during the Centennial year.

I call your attention to this matter, that in case it
be held here, measures may be taken to have Lan-
caster county the in front. Tlie experience of last
year's fair has proved to many of us that the county
has the material to make a good fair. It only wants
stirring up, and by so doing we can assure the State
Society a better fair next year. The people are
aroused now, and we hope we may have another
chance to show our resources, and bring to perfec-
tion what we commenced last summer.

I have upon many occasions indicated the impor-
tance of having a more complete organization of
the farmers in the form of agricultural and horticul-
tural societies — the many advantages and good re-
sults that might be brought to all by consulting each
other upon such matters as we farmers and fruit
growers find ourselves daily engaged, and in which
we often find ourselves puzzled for want of know-
ledge. Who in all this broad land has more need of
a thorough knowledge of his profession than the
farmer? The mechanic must study his material and
each piece before he can put together his machinery ;
the doctor must first study his patient before he ad-
ministers his medicine ; the miller must know how
to regulate his grinders, and study the ups and
downs of the markets ; the lawyer books himself
upon all points of law ; and all other professions and
callings have their organized societies for the en-
couragement and discussion of matters pertaining to
their respective callings ; and all for the general
good. But when you come down to the fanner,
where is he? Some one might say, at home, at his
work. Too much so. It is right and proper to be at
home and at work, but let us for a moment reflect
how small a number of farmers of this world-wide
known county of Lancaster come here and partici-
pate in the discussion of questions tliat come right
home to every farmer and fruit grower in the county.
Instead of twenty-five to thirty regular attentive
members in the county coming together every month
and discussing views and opinions in regard to agri-
cultural matters, we should have an agricultural an 1
horticultural society in this couuty of at least a thou-
sand members, that would have a hall of their own
as large as the main room in our Court House.

It appears to me it is not in accordance with the
moving spirit of the Centennial year, that 1 stanl be-
fore you to-day and present the facts as I do in re-
gard to our Agricultural and Horticultural Society
Tn this county, but I am simply telling the truth.
The question presents itself to me— how can we get
our farmers interested and bring them together ? It
would Ije my desire to do so by having a society in
each township, where they could come together once
a month and talk agricultural and horticultural mat-
ters over, and call these together once a year, and
remain in session, say for a week, as a county so-
ciety. Invite all to come, brin J sons and daughters
and" wives; get all interested in the agricultural im-
provements of the day for the general good of all
classes and all people. Some say, " be' mging to an
agricultural society don't pay." If you ask them to
subscribe for a good agricultural paper, such as The
Lancaster Farmer, which should be in the hands
of every farmer in the county it represents, they will
tell yoii in plain Dutch they know all about farming.
This may be in some cases true, but you can best
judge by the way they manage their farms. Scrip-
ture says we shall not judge, or we will be judged ;
we will' then only take things as they look, and form
our own opinions.

And what do we see in a majority of cases ? There
are exceptions to all rules ; but I say, in a majority
of cases we see the farmer who reads no paper, but

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

tliinks lie is made to worl; fnun nidniiiiff till iii^'lit,
with nolliine to imimive tlie iiiiiKl fur tlie teiniKirul
as well as the sjiiritiial welfare of the sotil ami loily,
sueeeeiliiifr nowhere in this enlif;ht< ned age. Fastinj;
his farm, you will at once notiee in every field some
imi'lement left in the nuid, jii.-! w 1 ere he was done
using it, exposed to all the ehanf;es of \v<-ather from
one season to another ; fences blown down, euttle al-
lowed to run at large in fields of waving grain ; in
faet, everything out of jilaee. and no |ilaie for any-
thing, instead of having system and orderall arounil,
a |ilaee for everything, and everything in its plaee.
1 do not wish t(i dielale to the farmers of Lancaster
co\inty, hut merely throw out these hints lor ex-
ample. I haveeiioul'li tolaUeeare of at heme to have
things in order and syslim in all the departments of
my farm, and I eoidiss that, much as I read and
much as I try to have things represent the appear-
ance of a model farm, I have plenty to do without
minding other fainicrs' husiniss. Hut if I am to
hold the position iiniong the agricullnral luiiple of
this county, I want fric scope to expnfs myself, an<l
point out to our laimcrs the miserable condition iu
which we find entirely too many larnis in this intelli-
gent county of Laniasler. 1 v\ouId here say to the
members oi' this society, that the very best way to
show the people that we mean business, is to have our
faims in first-class trim; I'verything in order — sys-
tem; treat our fellow-nien, our helping hands, so
that they know we love Hum ; thai we have as much
ret^ard for their morals an<l their pertonal heallh as
we have for < ur own. Let us he timijcrate in all
thiiiL'^s, kind towards all, poor or rich, ncighlor or
friend. Itisthiii, and only then,- that pcojile will
perceive that the Iruits of our society can be seen,
and that we mean to show our faith by our works.
On the other hand, what more do we gain by belong-
ing to an agricultural society, and what do we gain
by having these 1 roks and papers ? Why, in the fir.st
place, we have the satisfaction of coming in commu-
nication with our friends all over the county, and
have a day of rest for the lody, and devoting that
dav to the iniprovcnunt id' the mind : conse<|uently,
we' know better h.ow to manage o\ir works ; and there
is a saying with a great deal of truth in it, that pood
manasiemcnt is doinir half the work. But those men
will tell you they get the proceedings in the papers,
and know what we have been doing, and that they
save expenses of lime and money by not attending
meetiufis — showing that they are still interested in
reading the proceedings of this society, which is all
richt and proper. But it shows that they want us to
sp'end time and money, and when anything new pire-
scuts itself, or we make a new discovery iu grain or
whatever it be, they have their head open to cateh up
anything by whichthey can make an almighty dol-
lar. Fortius reason we would like more farmers to
join in with us and make the improvement still
greater. On the other hand, the advantages of
reading hooks and papers are equally f.ood. I would
here impress, in the strongest terms, the importance
of reading, for our young and rising farmers. Let
me tell you that every dollar spent for looks and
papers will pay tcn-(old in the future ; such practice
has a wonderlul tendency to improve the moral as
well as intellectual faculties of the young num. For
instance, the young man who njakes reading a study
will naturally be at home in the evenings— ji(k( iiJure
he oiiijlit to he. Every farmer, and everybody else
should be at home with his family. We all have an
example of many a young man who, instead of find-
ins pleasure at home in reading, has made the near-
est town, in the saloon or hotel, his [place for spend-
ing his most precious time, and the gamesthere prac-
ticed have led many a fine young man on the road
that leads from misery to destruction of both soul
and body, whiih were calculated by the Creator for
the improvement of mankind.

Allow me to-day, through my annual address, to
again caution my agricultural friends throughout the
county, young and old, airainst the terrible risk they
are running, by spending their time, that should be
devoted to the imiirovemc nt of minil and body, in the
dangerous ways that lead to the deslrudion of the
morals of any human being, (ienthnien, please bear
with me ifldeviate from thelext that perhaps should
he kept in view for an address to an agricultural
society. I merely jioint out some (d' the dangers to
which" the young and old engaged in agriiulture sub-
ject themselves, which, in my ojiinion, can all be
avoided by simjily supplying reading and thinking
matter to the mind.

Now. eomini; back to our society, we all know we
have not made the progress that we should have made
since we are in existence. On the other hand, we
have done more than our predecessors, as we have
kept alive, holding regular meetings (or the last ten
years ; and stand to'day upon better ground than
■we have since 1 became a member. We have had a
little trouble in regard to a room in which to hold our
meetings; but by consulting our new County Com-
missioners, who have this day taken their seats, I have
.no doubt that we can have the old room, if the one
we now occupy does not suit. I merely suggest this.
[ The society must he its own judge in this nuitter. 1
-Bould only add, judge w ell before you act, and secure
some permanent place for our meetings.

Have we not been a little to blame for not making
the progress we should have made ? If we would ad-

vertise more and invite the people more generally, we
ctmlil perhaps secure a better attendance. I know
not the condition of our treasury, but it appears to
nie it would allow a little expense in this direction.
Another matter I would sugcest— that our Secretary
should keep an a( conn! hereafter with the nienihers
in regard to the amnuil fees. We are all honest
enoUL'h to pay up, yet an account would alwaya show
who has paid and w lu'U.

The year we have just entered upon, as I said In
the beginning of my addrcst., w ill In- one of great im-
portance as the I iiilcnnial of our hiilcpendence. Si'-
eured by our fathers one hundred years ago, it will
be celebrated by an luternalional F.xhibiliou at I'hil-
a<leliihia, to wliich I now invite your attention. II is
proper that this Kuiety sliouhl take i>arl in the exhi-
bition, and to do so it "becomes your duly to a|ipoiut a
Centennial Committee to arrange upon what plan, and
in what form, you shall be represented at the exhl-
bil'on. I will leave this nuitter to your lonsideralion,
hopiiu;' some action will be taken at Ihcni'Xl meeting.
1 have been appoiuled by the Commissioner of
Agriculture at \Vashim;lon, to make up a collection
of grains <rom this ilislrict to be exhibited in the
museum of the .\gricnllural Department at the Ceii-
Icnnial KxhibiliciU. 1 will make the collccliou and
deliver it to Washington within the next sixty days,
and any meinber or farmer in the county who has
anything to exhibit will ]ilease hand it to me, and he
will rei'civc all the credit and honor for the same.
The cxhibilion is a mailer w hich every American citi-
zen friiin ocean to ocean should led proud of, and
give a hcljiing hand in some way or other to make it
a triumiihant success. I, for one, will do my whole
duty, ill any position I may be iilaced in. The build-
ings in progress (d' conslruclion at Fairmounl I'ark
are very extensive, and I hope that the pco[ile of
Pennsylvania, and this county in particular, will oc-
cupy some space in them. 1 would like to have this
society in some form represented. It is, however, for
you to sav how.

I will now call your attention to a matter in which
you are to take some action. I refer to the resolu-
tions 1 jircscntcd to-day. The farmers and fruitgrow-
ers in particular have suffered extensively from in-
sects of late years. The ravages of these insects is
greatly owing to the fact that sportsmen are in the
habit of shooting partridges and other birds that feed
upon these insects, which have become so numerous
as to injure and sometimes totally destroy fruit and
other crops. The fanners have, time and again,
warned the men that Ircspass over their land with
hounds and guns, and the only reply they generally
get, was an iusultiug remark from the scoundrels,
who should be jiunished by law for the cruel act of
shooting by wholesale the harmless, nay, lieneficial
birds, bothto the fruit-grower and farmer. Believing
that this society has the influence among our ineni-
bers at Ilarrisburg to secure the passaire of a proper
game law lor Lancaster county, I |ircseiit this mailer
to your consideration, hoiiing we, as the reiirescnta-
tivcs of the aL'ricultural and horticultural intercstsof
this I (Hint y, will take such action as will put a stop
to the mailer conipUiincd of.

Ferbaps I have now occupied too much of your
time, and will soon (ome to a close. I have now been
two years your chairman, and conducted your meet-
ings to the best of my kiiowlcd:;e and ability. 1 have
done all in mv power to encourage the farmers to
join with us, t"hat this society may be an honor to Lan-
caster county ; and not only that, but that the im-ni-
bers and farmers and fruit-growers might be bene-
fited, and the cause of aL'ricullure and horliculturebe
jircssed forward to a point at which it may overlook
all other industries with pride.

This is the piosition that farmers should have. His-
tory gives evidence that the farmers have made our
best presidents, and we should have more farmers
upon the floors of Congress and in the State Legisla-
ture, from the faet that agricullure is the greatest of
all enterprises of this State and country. Let usliave
more representation from the farm and field, and
economy anil relrenclmicnt will mark conspicuously
the records of both State and National ICL'islation.
These are my principles, and I will follow them out
in whatever "position mv friends may see proper to
place me. Mav we all work hand in hand for the ad-
vancement of" this society. With the heli.of Cod,
may the Centennial year be one of health, joy and
happiness to us all.

Ol'll PAST ANn Ft'TtHE rROfPERITY.

Peteh S. Heist read the following essay :
Mr. Phesident— It affords me great pleasure in
being able to KU'iraliilate you, and the members of
this society, on the approaching National Centennial ;
that it has pleased Divine Providence to permit us to
enter the one huudrcdlh vear of our re|iublic. We
cannot be too thankful to our Heavenly Father, the
giver of every good and precious gift, for the privi-
lege of enjoyi'ng such a government as ours.

Weareiiereat this periodofour National progress,
not by our own choice, nor by our own superior efl'orls
or good management, but by circunistaiices controlled
by an over-ruling jirovidence. We are enjoying piiv-
ifeges handed down to us by our forefathers, who
settled this country many years ago, under numerous
privations and ha"rilsliips,'liaving tied Ircpm the op-
pressions and persecutions of their fatherlands, to

seek a land of freedom here. I'lider the control of a
foreign goveriinieiit, they endured foreign dictation
until the 4tli of July, 1771), then they declared Ihera-
selves free and Independent— that indepcnilencc nhieh
we now happily enjoy, and the Cenlriiiiial anniver-
sary of w hich we are now preparing to celebrate.

(ircal are the changes and many are the Improve-
menls inhuman econoiiiies since the year 177(i. Then
we had no railroads, canals, reapers, steam' eni^iues,
threshinu' machines, and but few manufactorlcHof any
kinil. We could not count three hundred carrlaucs
atone funeral, nor live thousand — or even live hun-
dred persons in atteiidunee at one canip-nieellng.
Neither did we have so many nourishing towns ami
cities as now, nor so many beautiful churches witli
steeples and towers |>olntiiig up, heavenwanl. Our
school system u as in its infancy, if it hud an cxislrneo
at all, and our literary status was slill In Its endiryo
slate. The arts ami sciences were only know ii to a
favored few. Our I'uxmi consisteil of only thirteen
Stales with a |io|inlatlon of three millions. Our com-
merce was very small, our curreniy ami finances in a
state of confusion, and our territories still Inhubilcd
by Ihe "painted children of nature."

Now wi' have railroads, canals, steam engines, ami
thousands of other lmi>rovemenls, with Ihlrly-seven
States ami Territories, a iMipulalion of forty millions,
and fmmeiise product Ion of cereals, minerals and fal>-
rics,and a commerce equal tot hat id" any other nation.
But now ciuiies a treat problem in this our Centen-
nial year— our long antlcipatect jubilee. Nolwlth-
standini; we arc loaded with a heavy weight of debt,
and arc pi-rhaps encumbered with some other draw-
backs to our iiros|)erlty, wlia' is our appreciation of
the benefits we d( rive from the many improvements
we are enjoying, and of the i>rivlleges incideiilal to an
advanceil stale of intellectual culture? If we appre-
ciate these things as weought, what will become our
duty to our posterity? Is there room for anymore
improvements? Can we expect as inaiiy Inventions
in Ihe next one hundred years as in the one just clos-
ing ? To these (lueries, so fjir as they Hill admit of It,
1 feel coin|>elled to give a negative response ; because
our forests, placed here by a far-seeing Pnivldence,
have been swept away most unmercifully, and are on
the road of deslrucliou so rapidly, that in the near
future our posterity will not have much left to thank
us for — nothing to build up as line and costly cdlfleeg
as those of the past.

In a few years our fine prairies, now nnooeupied,
will be scltleil ujioii, so that our posterity will not
have the benefit of the irrisration that their predeces-
sors have' had, and will havetofall back upon our old
exhausted lands that have been long abandoned,
which will bring in a new era. The deslnietlon of
our forests is a matter which we oueht not to |)as8
over too lightly. Scripture tells of a people who
will reap where they did not sow. So we might say
with recard to our forests : we reap, but do not sow.
If any one |iers(m is more to blame than another on
this subject, it is the slatesman, who worked more for
himself— for power and iiolilical interest- than forthe
people, showing that much of political economy has
been lost. Agriculture and husbandry, to raise the
difTcrent products of our broad acres, are the foun-
tains ami foundations of national prosperity, (iood,
wholesome laws, carried out by the |KOide, makea
nation prosperous. .Suflice it, ilien, to say, that the
more a people are united and educated on a common
platform, the more prosperous they will he. The
profligate must become more economical, and the
avaricious more liberal. Indeed, It ndglit be success-
fully demonstrated that, in many instances, Ihe miser
is a greater hindrance to t he progress of anycommunity
or coiintrv than a spendthrift .

The masses of the people must be taught to select
such statesmen and such officers, from the President
down to county and township otticers, as will work
for the interests of Ihe people, and not merely for
themselves or for monoiiolics and political •'cliques:"
for men w ho will act as men, in every sense of the.
word. Let this society become a shining example lo
societies in general. Let us work not only for the
benefit of ourselves, hut alsi> for our fellow beings, and
for our poslejily. Let us aim lo improve our seed,
our modes of culture, and our prcnluets of every de-
scription. Let us emieavor to Increase our average
as well as our acrcaee, so as to raise such surplus as
will create a balance of traile in our favor. lo pay the
interest we larcely owe lo foreign coiintriT-s. In ad-
dition lo all Ibis, "and as intimately associated with
it, let ns expand ami elevate our minds by Ihe eulll-
valion of our intellectual faenllles. Let us enlenil a
generous support to the agricultural lileralure of our
country. There fs no more reason that farmers, as a
class, should be illiterate, than I here is for any olher
class of people being so. Indeed, farmers from their
seclnded coialllion, and their freedom fnini night oc-
cupations, have opportunities of mental culture far
superior lo those of most mcehanlcs.

By doing our duly to (ioil, to our iielchbors, to our
families, and lo ou"rselves, and e.pniinuing lo do as
our forid'alhcrs did, adding and Incorporating Into
our labors the Improvements which time has devel-
oped, we shall be destined to U-come one of the
strongest and most powerful nations U|ion the face of
this earih : and, altliouirh we cannot ex|M-ct to see It,
our second Ceiiteiuiial may find our country-
"Kcdccmed, regenerated and disenthralled."

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January,

MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS.

A vote of thanks was tendered both gentlemen for
their productions.

A pear brancli covered with a scale inseet, was ex-
hibited by ^fr. Erb. Prof. Rathvon reeommended
oil as an application late iu .March to destroy the eggs.
The common name of the insect is oyster-shell bark
louse, Aapifliofin conchiforniu.

Mr. Cooper called attentionof the members to the
meeting of the Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' Society,
at Doylestown, on tlie nineteenth of January. If
fifty members go from this section, the Pennsylvania
road will furnish excursion tickets. On motion, a
committee of three, consisting of Johnson Miller,
J. H. Brackbill and Levi S. Reist, was appointed to
represent this society at the Doyestown meeting.

Mr. John B.Erb exhibited Pennock apples, a bot-
tle of Blackberry wine and sweet apples. J. H.
Byerly, East Lampeter, forwarded a small bag of
Russian grass seed. Mr. M. B. Eshleman exhibited
specimens of a large potato, Brownell's Beauty.

On motion, a committee of ten was appointed to as-
sist Mr. Miller in his contributions to the Ai;ricultural
Bureau. M. B. Eshleman,!. L. Landis, J. H. Brack-
bill, P. 8. Keist, H. .M. Engle, E. Hoover, J. M. Steh-
man, M. B. Kendig, Levi W. Grotf and J. B. Erb
were named as the committee.

On motion, Mr. Cooper was made a committee to
confer with the Fruit Growers' Society In regard to a
representation at the Centennial.

Several questions w(Te submitted for discussion :

Mr. Erb. Is it profitable to turn land worth more
than $100 an acre into forest ?

Mr. Ebv. Should the planting of forest trees be
encouraged ?

Mr. Peter S. Reist. Is swine flesh a proper food
for man ?

Mr. Kendig. How can the comfort of our homes
be increased ?

]SIr. Pownall, of Octoraro Agricultural Society,
was introduced.

On motion, society adjourned to meet at the Athen-
seura, at 1 o'clock, on Monday, the 7th of February.

THE GRANGERS IN LANCASTER.

History and Objects of the Order of Patrons of
Husbandry.

Perhaps a more intelligent and solid body of far-
mers never before convened in Lancaster city or
county than that which represented the State
Granoe, of Pennsylvania, and held its sessions in
our Court House, commencing on Tuesday, the 14th
of December last, and continuing to the end of the
week. Although not morbidly secret iu its organiza-
tion and the attainments of its objects, yet in its busi-
ness meetings its doors are closed against the intru-
sions of the public, but the principles and the essential
transactions of the order are usually published in
their organs, and the newspaper and periodical press
in general. The noit-essen.tiah — that is, non-essential
to the public good — they usually keep among them-
selves, for the very good reason that they do not con-
cern the public, and are purely family secrets. As
our space is limited, and most of the transactions of the
late meeting have already been published in the col-
umns of the local press, we deem it sufflcient on the
present occasion to append the following synopsis of
the rise, progress, and the present status of the Pa-
trons of Husbandry, as well as the principles of their
affiliation.

The origin of this order is attributed to Mr. O. H.
Kelley, a native of Boston, who, in 1866, being then
connected with the department of agriculture in
Washington, was commissioned by President Johnson
to traveT through the Southern States and report uix)u
their agricultural and mineral resources. He found
agriculture in a state of great depression, consequent
upon the radical changes wrought by the civil war
and the abolition of slavery. At the same time there
was much dissatisfaction among the farmers of the
AVest and Northwest in consequence of the alleged
high charges and unjust discriminations made by rail-
roads in tlie transportation of their products. The
farmers also complained of the exorbitant prices ex-
acted by middle men for agricultural implements and
stores. Mr. Kelley conceived the idea tliat a system
of co-operation, or an association having some re-
semblance to the order of Odd Fellows or Masons,
might be formed with advantage among the dissatis-
fied agriculturists. For this purpose a plan of or-
ganization was determined ujjon by him and Mr.
William Saunders, of the department of agriculture.
The name chosen for the orderwas " Patronsof Hus-
bandry," and its branches were to be called granges
(^Fr. grange, a. biiru). The constitution of the order
provides for a national grange, and State and subor-
dinate granges. There are ceremonies of initiation,
rituals and injunctions of secresy, though in some re-
spects the order is not secret. Theoliicersof agrange,
whether national, State or subordinate, are elected
by the members, and comprise a master, overseer,
lecturer, steward, assistant steward, chaplain, trea-
surer, secretary, gate-keeper, Ceres, Pomona, Flora
and lady assistant steward. Women are admitted to
membership upon the same terms and with equal

privileges as men, but only those persons interested
in asfricultural pursuits are eligible. Regular meet-
ings of the National and State Granges are held an-
nually, while subordinate granges usually meet
monthly or oftener. The constitution was adopted,
and on December 4rth, 1867, the National (rrangewas
or2;anizeil in Washington ; its headquarters are now
in (icnra-etown, D. C. In the spring of 18()8 Mr. Kel-
ley founded a grange in Harrisburg, Pa., one in Fre-
donia, N. Y., one in Columbus, O., one in Chicago,
III., and six in Minnesota. The number of granges
soon began to multiply rapidly, and in 1874 they had
been organized in nearly every State and Territory of
the Union. In 1871, Vio granges were established; in
1872, 1,160; in 1873, 8,667; and in the first two months
of 187-4, 4,618. At the beirinningof 1874 the number
of granges in the United States was 10,01.5, with a
membership of 750,12.5. The total number of mem-
bers in April, 1874, was estimated at about 1,. 500, 000.
The order has its greatest strength in the northwest-
ern and western States, and is well represented in the
South. At the annual meetingof the National Grange
in St. Louis, Mo., in February, 1874, a declaration
was adopted setting forth the purposes of the organi-
zation as follows :

"To develop a better and higher manhood and
womanhood among ourselves; to enhance the com-
forts and attractions of our homes, and strengthen
our attachment to our pursuits; to foster mutual un-
derstanding and eo-operation; to maintain inviolate
our laws, and to emulate each other in labor; to has-
ten the good time coming; to reduce our expenses,
both individual and corporate; to buy less and pro-
duce more, in order to make our farms self-sustaining;
to diversify our crops, and crop no more than we can
cultivate; to condense the weight of our exports, sell-
ing less in the bushel, and more on hoof and in fleece;
to systematize our work, and calculate intelligently
on probabilities; to discountenance the credit sys-
tem, the mortgage system, the fashion system,
and every other system tending to prodigality and
bankruptcy. We propose meeting together, talking
together, working together, buying together, selling
together, and, in general, acting together for our mu-
tual protection and advancement as occasion may re-
quire. We shall avoid litigation as much as possible
by arbitration in the grange. We shall earnestly en-
deavor to suppress personal, local, sectional, and na-
tional prejudices, all unhealthy rivalry, all selfish
ambition. Faithful adherence to these principles will
insure our mental, moral, social and material ad-
vancement."

One of the chief aims of the organization is to bring
producers and consumers, farmers and manufactur-
ers, into direct and friendly relations; for this pur-
pose co-operation is encouraged among farmers in
the purchase of agricultural implements- and other
necessaries direct from the manufacturer. The or-
ganization therefore is maintained for social and eco-
nomic purposes, and no grange can assume any poli-
tical or sectarian functions without violating a fun-
damental principle of the organization.

DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

New Process for Preserving Meat.

Many attempts have been made to discover a pro-
cess by which fresh meat can be so preserved as to
bear transportation or storage for a long time in tro-
pical countries and yet retain all its essential quali-
ties. These attempts have rarely been successful, but
it is now claimed that a process has been found which
will keep meat sweet and sound for any length of
time under any conditions of climate. Mr. Gaullieur,
a merchant at No. 36 Cedar street, New York, inter-
ested in the process, gives the following history of it:
For a numoer of years past Prof. F. Saec,a professor
of chemistry at Noufchatel, Switzerland, and a friend
of Humboldt and Liebig, has been making experi-
ments concerning the preservation of meat. Within
a year his experiments have reached such a point as
practically to demonstrate beyond doubt the success
ofhiseflbrts. His process is cheap and simple. It
consists merely in treating the fresh meats with the
acetate of soda, dissolved in water, and poured over
the meat like ordinary brine. Treated in this way
the meat will bear any infiuence of climate. When it
is desired to use the meat, all that is necessary is to
soak it in hot water lor a short time, when the ace-
tate of soda will leave it.

In order to convince the practical business men en-
gaged in the provision business on the Produce Ex-
change of the value of the process, Messrs. Gaullieur
and Sacc submitted it to a test, the result of which is
told in the following certificate:

Onthe:^dult., Prof. F. Sacc, the recent inventor of a
mode by which meat can be preserved perfectly fresh
in any climate for an indefinite period, together with
Messrs V. M. Yber and H. Gaullieur, called upon us
to pack for them two barrels of beef. We have much
pleasure iu certifying that the beef was brought to
our store fresh from the Washington market, and
after having been subjected to this peculiar chemical
process, was packed by us the same day and allowed
to remain close by a stove in our office tor two weeks
in a temperature of about 70°. And that now on
examination after its return from Havana, whither it

had been shipped by us per steamer Vera Cruz, we
find the meat perfectly sound, in no way unpleasant
or disagreeable to the taste on being cooked , and that
it has preserved all the freshness of its color and ap-
pearance that it presented at thetimeof being put up.
Mr. Gaullieur also sent a barrel of the meat to Key
West, Fla., where a sample was taken by the agent
of Mallory's steamship line, who also approved the
condition of what he ate. The barrel was returned to
Mr. Gaullieur who now has it on exhibition. Messrs.
Mallory & Co. have made arrangements for a supply
to be used on their vessels instead of the salt meat
heretofore given to the crew. The process costs about
one cent per pound of meat.

Fruit and Vegetables by Weight.

Only the other day we marketed a load of onions
and sold them by measure. We have a standard
bushel basket and measured twenty-five bushels.
Arriving at the grocer's, as he had stepped out for a
few moments, leaving a little girl in the store, we
unloaded our onions with a basket that stood by the
door, and had them in the cellar when he returned.
They measured out twenty-seven bushels and a half.
The grocer looked at the basket and then inquired
with a dissatisfied air, " Have you given good
measure?" "Yes, as much as the basket would
hold." The money was paid for them, but we saw
that his bushel basket was a sale basket and not the
one he used in buying.

The truth is, there is no justice in our measure-
ments of vegetables and fruits, and just as long as
measures are employed there will he injustice. The
baskets sold for bushel baskets are not of the same
capacity. The fruit baskets have diminished in size
from a bushel down to a peck, and scant at that.
There being no standard in the matter, each producer
suits himself as to size. We maintain that the only
satisfactory way of handling produce is to bring every-
thing to the test of a scales — potatoes and peaches as
well as corn and wheat. Purchasers have in their
power to correct the prevalent system, and while
there is so much talk about specie basis let us also
have a pound basis. — Detroit Free Press.

Keep the Feet Warm.

Many of the colds which people are said to catch
commence at the feet. To keep those extremities
warm, therefore is no effect an insurance against the
almost interminable lists of disorders which spring
out of a " slight cold." First, never be tightly shod.
Boots and shoes when they fit closely press against
the foot and prevent a free circulation of the blood .
When, on the contrary, they do not embrace the foot
too tightly the blood gets fair play, and the places
left between the leather and the stockings with a
comfortable supply of warm air; second rule is never
to sit in damp shoes. It is often imagined that unless
they are positively wet it is not necessary to change
them while the feet are at rest. This is fallacy; for
when the least dampness is absorbed into the sole it
is attracted nearer to the foot itself by its own heat,
and thus perspiration is dangerously cheeked. Any
person may prove this by trying the experiment of
neglecting this rule, and his feet will become cold and
damp after a few moments, .although, taking off the
shoes and warming it, it will appear quite dry.

Keeping Meals Waiting : Little things often
interfere with our edmfort very much, and one small
annoyance is for men to delay coming to dinner when
called. Sometimes they have an hour or more of
work which they will do before quitting, and then
they go to the house to find the dinner cold and the
cook discouraged. Nothing is more disheartening to
a tired woman than a table full of dirty dishes orna-
menting the table an hour and a half later in the
day than usual. Punctuality is a virtue that men
should learn, if they are in the habit of being uncer-
tain about coming to meals. Any woman worthy the
name housekeeper will be regular with her meals if
it lies within her to have them so.

A NEW industry has sprung up in France by
which common chicken feathers are utilized and con-
verted into a valuable product. The operation is to
cut the plume portion of the feathers from the stems
l)y means of ordinary hand scissors; the stems placed
in a common bag, which, when full, is closed and
subjected to a thorough kneading with the hands.
At the end of five minutes it is stated that the feath-
ers become disaggregated and felted together forming
a down perfectly homogeneous and of great lightness.
It is even lighter than natural elder down, and sells
in Paris for about two dollars per pound. It is
another illustration of the French talent for utilizing
everything.

Red Pepper and Vegetables.

A piece of red pepper, the size of your finger nail,
put into meat or vegetables when first beginning to
cook, will aid greatly in kiling the unpleasant odor
arising therefrom. Remember this for boiling cab-
bage, green beans, onions, chickens, mutton, etc.

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

Household Recipes.

DRiPPiN<i Caki:. — Mix well tiiiri'tluT two inniiiile
of flour, a (lint of wurin milk ami a taMcspooiiful of
yoasi ; lut it I'iso about half an hour, then add half a
pound of brown sutrar, ii (luartcr of a pound of cur-
rants and a (juartcr of a pound of yo(td fresh bi'ff
drippinir ; beat the wludo well for nearly a quarter of
an hour and bake in a moderately hot oven.

Ai'IM.K Comu.EU. — Tare, eore and sliee twelve
lari^e tart apples; a<M to them the Jniee of two leninns,
prated peel (d' one, aial sweeten to taste ; stew very
slowly for two hours, and then turn into a UKuild.
When eold, servo with cream.

Dklkiot'S Koi.ls. — Half a teacup of butter, mix
well with one poutul of Hour, half teacup of yi-asl, a
little salt and cnoui^h milk to make a irood dou^li.
Let it set in a warm ]>laec for abo\it two hours to rise.
Then make into rolls and bake in an oven.

Ai'ri.F. Johnny Cakk. — Scald one (piart of fine or
medium corn meal with one (|inirt of boilins; water,
and add one jiint of sweet apples, pared, cored and
choiiped. Mix evenly, spread one inch thick on a tin,
and hake forty minuii s in a quick oven, or until the
ajiiiles arc tender. Serve warm.

(iHAiiAM Soda Bis( iit.— One quart of Graham
flour, one teas])oonful of soda dissolved in two-thirds
of a teaeupful ol molasses; mix with milk and water.

Ji'Mni.KS. — One and one-fourth pounds of flour,
three-fourths of sugar, three esffis, a little nutmcfr,
three-lourtlis of a pound of butter. KuU theui iu
sujrar.

Haiu) fiiNOEKHHEAii. — Four pounds of flour, three
of sup;ar, one and a lialf of butter, one-fourth of a
pound of ginser, ten e^'gs, one teaspoonlul of salera-
tus ; seeds if you like.

KioE Jei.i.y. — Stir one pound of rice flour with a
half pound of loaf sugar into a quart of boilina: water;
let it cook slowly for twenty miinitcs and put into a
fonu to cool. To be eaten with lieatcu cream, milk
or wine sauce.

Huiohton BisctiT. — One cup of butter, two of
sugar, two egfrs,half aeujiof milk,oneteaspoonful of
eoila, and sutlicicnt flour to roll out thick. Sift
granulated sugar over the top before baking, to give
them a sparkle.

C'lTUox Cake. — Eight eggs, their weight in flour,
the same of sugar, the weight of five in butter, a
little mace ; chop some citron fine and put in a layer
of cake and a layer of citron alternately.

Kte and Indian Droi- Cakes. — One pint o^
Indian meal, one-half pint of rye meal, two eggs, two
spoonfuls of molasses, a little salt; work it with
cold milk so as to drop from a spuou into hot fat ; be
6ure to have a smooth batter.

PooK Man's Cake. — One cup of sugar, one cup of
milk, one tablespoonful of butter, one tcasiioonful
of dry cream of tarter, one-half teaspoonlul i>f soda
dissolved in milk, one egg, a little cinnamon, and
flour to make it as still' as pound cake.

REf'EiPT KOKMAliiNO INK. — The Ncicniflic Atnci'i-
can gives the following receipt for the nuinufacture
of writing ink : Twelve ounces nutgalls, eight ounces
each sulphate of indigo and eojiperas, a lew cloves,
four or live ounces gum arable, for a gallon of ink.
The addition of the sulphate of indigo renders the ink
more iiermanent and less liable to mould. It is blue
when first written with, but soon becomes an intense
black.

To PuniFT Damp Closets. — For damp closets
and cupboards whitdt generate mildew, a trayful of
quicklime will be found to absorb the mtiisture and
render the air pure; but ofeourseitis necessary to
renew the lime from time to time as it becomes
fully slaked. This last remedy will be found useful
in safes and strong rooms, the damp air of which
acts frequently most injuriously on the valuabledecds
and documents which they contain.

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

in two cuttings from fairly good land; a gentleman
near him cut from thirteen acres enough to sidl for
?"i« at the price of #lW(iLMI per Ion, unbaleil, in
Maeon. Later inttx* season this same is worth $1..'>0.
Dr. Moody of lin-ene counly, (ia., rcpttrted lo the
i^tate .\gricullural Snclcly that he cut Lt.^'-Hii pounilft
from one acre. Dr. I'avanel, near Cluirlcston, by the
use of superphosphates, produccil eight Ions of very
superior Mermuda grass hay from an acre. Mr.
Lumsilen says it (-an be <-ut three or four times in a
season. This grass is propagated irithe .'<outh bythe
roots, in the Hermuda Islands it has a seed. ItH
botanical name is Cynodon dactylon, and it is paid to
be the sacred grass of India. The Kev. C. W.
Howard, now at Rising Farm, Dade county, (Ja., in
his excellent little Jiamiibli't on '• 'I'he lirasses ni' the
South," gives it a prominent place, and cites many
instanecfi of its value, and <'oncludcs thtit the old
fields of the South may be ri'stond lo their original
fertility with Brmuda grass ami sheep. — J{. A'. C.
Kini/Htvti, Tcnii., in X. }'. Trilmtu\

Educating Horses.

Horses can be educated to the extent of their un-
derstanding as well as children, and can be as easily
damaged or ruined by bad management. \Vc believe
that the great dilierence fouial in horses a.s to
vi<*ious habits or reliability comes more from the
different management of men than from variance of
natural disposititm inthe animals. Horses with high
mettle are more easily educated than those of less or
dull spirilN, and are muri' susceptible to ill training,
and c(insc(piently may be as good or liad, according
to the eilueation they receive.

Horses with dull .spirits are not by any means proof
against bail nutnagement, for in them may often be
found the most provoking" obstinacy ; vicious habits
of different iharacters that render them almost en-
tirely worthless. Could the coming generation of
horses in this country be kept from their (lay.s of
eolt-hood to the age of five years in the hands of
good, careful managers, there would be si'cn a vast
dilierence in the general characters of the noble
animals.

If a colt is never allowed to (ret an advantage, it
will never know that it possesses a power that man
eamiot eonlrol; and if made familiar with strange
objects, it will not be skittish and nervous. If a horse
is made accustomed from his early days to have ob-
jects hit him on the heels, back and hips, he will paj'
no attention to the giving out of harni'ss or of a
wagon running against him at an unexpected momi-nt.

We once saw an aged lady drive a high-spirited
horse attached to a carriage, down a stceji hill, with
no hold-back straps upon the harness, and she assur-
ed us that there w-as no danger, for herson accustom-
ed his horses to all kinds of usages and sights that
eommonly drive the animal into a frenzy of fear and
excitement.

A gun can be fired from the baek of a horse, an
utnbrella held over his head, a bulfalo robe thrown
over his neck, a railroad engine jiass close by, his
heels bumped with slicks, and the animal take it all
as a natural condilitin of things, if only taught by
careful manageinetit that he will not be injured there-
by. There is a great need of improvement in the man-
agement of this noble animal; less beating and more
of education. — In-Uoor uitd Out.

Bermuda Grass Growing in Favor.

One of yourcorrespondentsof late cites an instance
of hay being made from Bernuida (irass, and you
ask for further information. It was once almost
universally looked upon liy planters of the South as a
great curse; now it is beginning to be valued at its
true and great worth. The peeidiarities of this grass
are that it will grow in poor soil, and will stand the I
most lengthened drouths. The lawn around Ihc old
Capitol at Milledgeville, (ia., was frequently admired
and remarked upon for its perpetual verdure. It was
a mixture of lilue grass and Bermuda; in summer
the blue grass dried before the constant heat and the
Bermuda flourished, while in the mild winter both
flourislied, hut specially the blue gra.ss. At the
Tbomasviile meeting of the (leorgia State Agricul-
tural Society, Mr. B. L. Lumsden, of Macon, Bibb
county, told his experience in making hay with vari-
ous grasses. He believes Bermuda to be the best
grass for that section (Middle and South (leorgia)
for pasturage and hay, and that it is one of the best
for renovating the soil. He got 10,UUO pounds an acre

Salt for Domestic Animals.

Salt is not only a mild aiierient or deobstruent, but
it operates, to some extent, as a tonic. It is a very
great rectifier of the acidity of the stomach when
taken in proper ((uantities; and it not finly renders
very palatable food which would bedisagrcealile and
insipid without it, but it kecjis the functions of the
stomach in a healthy state, and often alleviates the
effects of debility and disease. The true way is to
have a tub of .salt, placed where cattle, horses, and
sheep can have access to it at all times, whelherthey
are in the pasture or in the barnyard. Then when
the appetite calls for a lick of salt, they can go and
get it, at the very time it is most needi'd, and when it
will exert the most beneticial ell'cel on digestion or
any part of the system.

A good plan is to keep salt in a small tubor strong,
water-tight pail in I he pasture during the |)astiiring
season, and in the yard during winter. Animals will
not consume as much when they are supplied with it
in this way as they will when they are salted once or
twice during a week. It is slovenly and wasteful lo
throw salt on the grounil for animals, and especially
for sheep, as they will often waste half as much as
they consume.

For salting sheep, drive three or four high stakes
around a pail, or small tub, leaving one side only, so
that they can thrust their heads separately into it.
For cattle and horses, encircle Ihc tub with a lot of
boulders as high as the top of it, or drive a half dozen
strong slakes around it letting them extend aliove it
a few inches, to protect it from Ixing i)awed lo frag-
ments. If the tub is water-tiglit, in case it should
rain in it there will be nothing lost, as I hey will lick
the salt water as tliey will the .salt; and should the
water evajiorale, the salt will remain. When sheep
or neat cattle are kept in pasture where there is

niuih chiver (Irii'iilifiin prnleiiKi), Ihey usually have
a great hankering after suit; and if they can liuvo
aecchs to It, Ihey will go and lick, more nr less, sev-
eral limes during the day; and Ihey will reilify 1I16
aciiliiy iif the sliiniach, anil keep Ihem from bloating.
.Man\' a farmer has Insl a line animal. In eoiise()Ucnc6
of I loafing, » hich one |Miuiid of salt would have kept
In good licullli, — sScUiiH/le Ainericait.

Winter Yard for Sheep.

One of the imiKirlanf things In the winter care of
sheep is, that the yiinl where Ihey are allowed lo run
should be absoluiely well littered and dry. They
never should he compelled to move al«MiI or Hianil la
yards that are covered with muddy litter, much less
the actual mud Itself. II Is BomeHmesdllllcuIl In the
West, with our changeable winters, with allcrnato
freezing and I hawing, lo keep llii' yuni In pmiK-rcou-
diflon witlioul using a large amount of litter.

II should, however, be done at any cost ofmalerlul,
and when once there Is a sullleleiil layer of straw In
the litter, llie subsequent quantity wijl liefiiuiiil folio
hut little. Since on moni western farmstherelHalways
much straw that must go to waste, and since also ijio
litter and drippings make most vatuuhle manure. It
will he found to be evoiiomy In the end, from Ibis
point of view.

Besides this, the clean ouldfHir bed to stand on In
wet weather, and the (dean and warm one in cold
weather, will so promote tlu-ir well being, and con-
sequenlly health, as to prevent the occnrrenee of those
diseases incident lo sheep that must be subject more
or less to wet, and, at certain seasons of the year,
spongy pasture.

Muddy yarils prevent sheep, and. Indeed, all ani-
mals, from moving about and faking I he exercise ab-
solutely necessary to comfort and health. The abso-
lute dryness of the yards is especially suseeplihie lo
foot rot, fouls and other <liseases incident lo mud and
uncleanly care.

If a little straw be seatlert^d over the yani at pro-
per intervals after the first grxMl coating is given In
the autumn, the sheep will pick a little of flic better
l«irtions, and be all the belter for what Ihey tread
under foot. — W'rstcrn llurnl.

Stock-Keeping on Small Farms.

It is stated in the report of the French Minister of
Commerce, that in the department of Ihe NonI, the
smallest farms supjiort the greatest number of ani-
mals. While the small farms of Lille and Ilaze-
brouck, besides a greater mimlier of horses, maintain
equal to fifty-two and forty-six head of horned catlle,
the larger farms of Avesnes sustain only forly-four lo_
flftyhcad. But the small farms cannot sup|Hirt as'
many sheep in proportion as Ihc larger, because sheep
require frcipient change of pasturage.

Some later statistics prove the point more clearly
that small farms are capable and do sustain a larger
proportion of manure-making animals. In Ihe de-
partment of I'uy de Dome, Dr. .lusseraud says the
commune is divided into 4,li00 |iarcels, owned by
't'M proprietors. In IT'.ltl seventeen occupied two-
thirds of the whole, and twenty others the remainder.
Since then, Ihe land has been much divided, and Ihc
sub-division is now extreme. What has been the
effect on the quantity of cattle? A consiilcrahle in-
crease. In 1700 there were about SOO horncil cattle,
and from 1,S|H) to '2,000 sheep; there are now (17fi of
the former, and only .5:i:i of the latter. Thus 1,300
sheep have been replai-ed by ;J7(» oxen and cows; and
the (|uantity of manure has increased in Ihe ratio of
■1011 lo 7'J'.I, or more than 4.S (H'r cent., not lo mention
that the animals, being now stronger and better f*'d,
yield a nun h better conlriliution than formerly lot he
fertilizatiiiii of the ground. .Such is Ihe Icslimonyof
fads on this (Kiinf; and it will be, and, we think, that
if all the facts hearing u|ion the subjeit of large and
small farming are once collated and estimated fairly,
the advantages will turn In favor of the small farms.

Yard for Pigs.

I believe that the one great reason why pigs do not
prove more profitable on a great iiiany farms Is, lie-
cause they do not have enough clean yanl-riMim In
which lo run and forage. Too often Ihey arc confined
lo a small pen and a very small yanl, IkiIIi of whieli
are dirty. They have not even a clean grass s|>ot, or
grass or other green food lo eiil, hut must conslanlly
slay in a close yard or [H'ii. For large hogs this r<*-
striction is injurious, but for little pigs It Is very much
worse. Young animals want liberty to exercise Ihelr
muscles and < lean grass on which lo fcwi. A few
farmers let their pigs run at will, but Ihey are apt to
do a great deal of mischief. One of my neighliors,
who raises a great many pigs, used 10 let Ihem nin
into my ganlen.corn and [Kitaloes, tread down my
grass, and Ihey did a great deal of damage lo my
crops; but he always hail nice pigs, and there was no
evident reason except that he allowiil Ihem full lil>-
erly out of doors. Now, I do not approve of having a
drove of pigs running Ihmiigh ganleiisanil cnips.hut
I think it wouhl pay even small farmers to fence In
an eighth ur a fuuftU of an acre of laud adjoining

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January, 1876.

their hog-yarcis, and let their piffs run a part of the
time every day in this inclosure. When they get large
enough to root turf land, they can he shut into their
ordinary yards or else have the tendons of their noses
cut or rings put in to keep them from doing mischief.
But whether it is used for large hogs or not, it would
certainly pay farmers who raise many pigs to furnish
them such a yard. —Life Stock Journal.

The Cheese Production.

A writer in Harper's Magazine gives some very in-
teresting and curious facts in relation to the astonish-
ing growth of American cheese production. In 1850
the cheese aggregate value of the butter and export-
ed from this country amounted to only $334,000.
About this time a farmer in Oneida county, N. Y.,
named Jesse Williams, originated the cheese factory
eystem, and his success was so great that farmers in
other sections of the State began to follow his exam-
ple. The system developed so rapidly that there are
now five hundred cheese factories in New York alone,
and in the entire country about ten times that num-
ber. As a result the exports of cheese in 1801 amount-
ed to S3,.323, 631, and continued to increase until in
1874 they reached $12,000,000, and for 187.5 the fig-
ures will" be larger still . In 1874 the exports of cheese
from the port of New York amounted to 96,834,091
pounds, and Canada in the same year exported 20,-
000,000 jwunds. Tlie principal cheese producing
States are New York, Ohio, Vermont, Illinois and
Massachusetts. Cheese is a very nutritious article
of food and the best substitute for meat. The scarci-
ty of meat in England and other European countries,
has led the laboring classes to adopt cheese as a sub-
stitute, and to this fact is largely due the increased
demand for the product of our American cheese fac-
tories.

Lice on Poultry.

J. H. Fry, of Pilatki, Florida, in a letter to the
Poultrrj Bulletin, says : " I noticed in your .lune
number a communication from E. G. Lathrop, com-
plaining of lice on his fowls; I have kept poultry for
years, and some seasons have been troubled more
than others with lice. I don't think I ever saw thera
worse than this season. I have lost some valuable
eggs by the hens being driven from their nests by
lice — also lost two hens from the same cau.se. I have
tried almost everything, and failed, until it occurred
to me to use tobacco stems mixed with a little hay;
and to test it more thoroughly, I removed a hen that
•was literally covered with lice, and in a few days
would have had to nm. I cleaned the eggs and put
her in a fresh box, and to-day, June 14th, I can posi-
tively assert that she came off clean, with several fine
Partridge Cochins, and not a single louse could I see
on removing her from the box. I have put tobacco
stems in all my laying, and I am so much pleased
with the experiments and results so far, that I should
like to hear that scjme of our fanciers or breeders,
whose fowls are troubled with vermin, had tried the
above remedy for themselves.

Dominique Fowls.

The London Field says of this variety, which it de-
nominates American : There are two or three useful
and good breeds of poultry that are known in Eng-
land. One of the oldest established, and certainly
one of the most useful, is the Dominique. This breed
more closely resembles our Cuckoo Dorking than any
other English variety. It differs, however, in having
only four toes — a great advantage, by the way, in a
practical point of view — and in the legs being yellow.
The Dominique cocks are very showy birds, with full
saddles and hackles, and abundant well-matched
sickle feathers. They should weigh from six to eight
pounds when mature. As table fowls they should
necessarily be short-legged, full-breasted and broad
in the back. The ear lobes should be red, and the
wattles and comb neat ; the former of medium size.
The merits of this Ijreed will recommend them to per-
sons residing in the country, as well worthy of pro-
motion in the poultry yard, whether as makers of
eggs or of meat ; as sitters or nurses, they are invalu-
able.

Agricultural Life in Missouri.

What can be pleasanter, says an exchange, than
the life of a Missouri farmer? At daylight he gets
up and examines the holes around his corn hills for
cut worms, then he smashes coddling moth larvje
with a hoe handle luitil breakfast. The forenoon is
devoted to watering the potato bugs with a solution
of Paris green, and after dinner all hands turn out to
pour boiling water on the chintz bugs in the corn and
wheat fields. In the evening a favorite occupation is
smudging peach trees to discourage the cureulio; and
after a brief season of family devotion at the shrine
of the night-flying coleoptera, all the folks retire and
sleep soundly till Aurora reddens the east and the
grasshoppers tinkle against the panes and summon
them to the labors of another day.

LITERARY AND BUSINESS NOTICES.

The Rural Jouknal. This is a neat eight-page
quarto, published by Hiram Young, esq., York, Pa.,
at fifty cents a year, the first number (for January,
1876) of which is now before us. The Red Rose of
Lancaster extends friendly greetings to the White
Roxe of York, and recognizes in its representative
journal a faithful fellow laborer in the cause which
has for its specialty the moral and physical progress
of the American farmer. Mr. S. B. Heiges is the
agricultural editor, " assisted by a corps of able con-
tributors," and if these auxiliaries can be secured and
continued, the Journal must be a success, for if the
farmers of our neighboring county do not become im-
pressed with the high tone and sterling qualify of
their local agricultural press, they are not the stuff
we have been taking them for.

Report of the Pennsylvania Fruit Growers
Society. This is a royal octavo pamphlet of fifty-
six pages, in covers, containing the proceedings of the
meeting of the society, held at York, beginning Jan.
20, 187.5. In a'ldition to the transactions of the society
the president's annual address, and the vai^ious essaj's
read before it ; it contains a full-page illustration of
the leaf and fruit of the Chrintine or Telegraph grape,
and full-page, uncolored, illustrations of Hide's Early
and Snst/nehanna peach ; a seedling pear, raised by
S. B. Heiges C'or7ielVs Fancy and BchnotU apple and
the Golden Drop plum. The paper, printing and en-
graving are of a good quality and execution, and on
the whole, is a credit to the society and its efficient
officers.

Somebody has sent us a copy of " .Josh Billings'
(Sentenial) Farmers Allminax," for 1876, on the
title page of which, in his peculiar orthography,
he says: "The kalkulashuns on this allminax are
made for the latitude, and longitude; and saidititude
of Independene Hall, Philadelphia." Perhaps
there is no writer of the present period who
lets off more significant, domestic and social
truths, in his own peculiar and popular way,
than this same Josh Billings. The following advice
is certainly appropriate to the present /as( age : "Go
slo young man ; if you tap both ends of your eider
barrel at once, and draw out of the bung hole besides,
your cider ain't a going to hold out long." That's
just as plain as " open and shut."

Tub Health Reformer for December is decided-
ly the best of the j-ear. Besides a rich variety of in-
structive articles on health topics it contains a large
amount of interesting matter under the head of Liter-
ary Miscellany, and Popular Science. The Farm and
Household and News Departments, two new features,
add greatly to the practical utility of the journal. It
is one of the best family papers published, and ought
to be in every family in the land. Published at Bat-
tle Creek, Mich., at $1.00 a year. Specimen copies
free.

We have received from J. B. Root, Seed Grower,
Rockford, 111., his tiarden Manual and Seed Cata-
logue, and take pleasure in calling attention to a
work of so much value to every owner of a garden
and every lover of fiowers. It is tilled with practical
hints and instructions derived from a large experi-
ence as a market gardener and a florist, and contains
half as much matter as §tl.50 works on the subject. .
It is sent to applicants for 10 cents, which amount is
allowed on the first order for seeds. See advertise-
ment in another column.

The annual Vegetable and Flower Seed Catalogue
of (_iregory, the well-known seedsman of Marblehead,
.Ma.ss., is advertised in our columns. Wo can endorse
Mr. Gregory as both honest and reliable. The bare
statement of the fact that he grows so large a num-
ber of the varieties of seed he sells, will be appreciat-
ed by market gardeners, and by all others who want
to have their seed both fresh and true.

Attention is directed to the advertisement of
Ellwanger di Bakhy, Nurserymen, Rochester, N.
Y. They are well known, and acknowledged to be
the largest and most successful growers of Fruit and
Ornamental trees, Shrubs and Plants, in the United
Stales.

THE PROGRESS OF INVENTION.

Official List of Patents,

Relating to the Farm, the Dairy, Apiary, &c.,

For tlie mouth eudmg January 7th, lS7(i.*

Corn Planters; J. B. Abbott, San .Jose, 111.
Cheese Preservers; J. G. Black, Lextonville, Wis.
Harvesters; Jas. O. Brown, Massillon, Ohio.
Bee Hives; Orson Colvin, Vicksburg, Michigan.
Furrow Gauges for Plows; B. B. Hawes, Morrisville,

Vermont.
Gang Plows; Frank A. Hill, San Leandro, Cal.
Corn Markers; John Mctiregor, Princeville, 111.
Corn Harvesters; Jacob Townsend, Eaglotown, Ind.

•Prepared expressly for The Lancaster Fabmeb by
Louis BaKger & Co., Solicitors of I^ateflt-s, WasUiugton, D.
C, IroHi wiiom complete copies of tlie Patents and Brawnigs
may be obtained.

Grain Separators; W. W.Johnston, Summitville, O.

Potato Diggers; W. R. Martyn, San Francisco, Cal.

Harvesters; L. J. McCormiek, Chicago, 111.

Cultivators; Thos. J. Price, Macourt, III.

Operating Prison Doors; R. Richter, Indianapolis.

Corn and jeed Planters; H. P. Sullivan, Xenia, III.

Harvester Hakes; H. 11. Bridenthal, jr., Latrobe, Pa.

Harvester Rakes, S. F. Cranston, Lansingburg, N. Y.

Harvesters; Jean P. Delseseaux, Milhrae, Cal.

Potato Diggers; Nathaniel Hugg, Kichtnond, Va.

Milking Pails; A. M. Bailey, Middlefield, Conn.

Corn Planters; Alex. Hearst, Peoria, III.

Sulky Plows; Geo. Moore, Fayette, Oregon.

Processes for Preserving Eggs.

Butter Packages; H. P. Adams, Cleveland, Ohio.

Milk Pails; John Amole, Buckley, 111.

Plows; Thos. E. C. Brinley, Louisville, Ky.

Cultivators; Herman D. Green, Ithaca, N. Y.

Seat Guards for Harvesters; E. Hale, jr., Chicago, 111.

Harvester Cutter; P. Howell, Buena Vista, Pa.

Grain Separators; C. B. Nichols, Troy, Pa.

Harvester Rakes; W. N. Whiteley, Springfield, 0.

Grain Binders; Jno. .1. Atwater, Mepford, Minn.

Milk Coolers; Bruce C. Bort, Chateaugay, N. Y.

Portable Hay Pi-esses; M. McCarty, Puebla, Col.

Rotary Spade Cultivators; D. W. Brodnax, sr., Rock-
dale, Texas.

Mowing Machines; Wm.C.Douthett, Springdale, Pa.

Check Row Planters; William H. Johnson, Farmers
City, III.

Beaters for Cotton-Openers; Richard Kitheon, Lowell.

Bee-Hives; Elviu Armstrong, Jerseyville, 111.

Processes of Preparing Preserved Fruit ; John F.
Bossford, New York, N. Y.

Grain Conveyer Shafts; Henry I. Chase, Peoria, III.

Fences; Win. A. Couch, Hannibal, Nev.

Corn Uncovercrs; Hugh N. Gilchrist, SwanCreek,Ill.

Corn Planters; Conrad Goneiner, Dale, Wis.

Plowing and Seeding Machines; D. McVaw, Galla-
tin, Texas.

Plows; Joseph Philip, Smithton, 111.

Butter-Carriers; B. F. Roberts, Benington, Vt.

Gang Plows; Timothy M.Shaw, Lebanon, Tenn.

Hay Loaders; Chas; M. Young, Meadville,Pa.

Sway Bar Guides for Harvesters; W. R. Baker, Chi-
cago, 111.

Grain Sepai-ators; D. H. Caswell, Na.shville, Tenn.

Seed Planters and Fertilizer Distributer; M. P. Cur-
lee, Corinth, Mass.

Fences; John Dwyer, Marion, Ohio.

Hand Seed Planters; Thomas J. Huhbell, Napa
City, Cal.

Reciprocating Churns; Wm. McKinley, Bellaire, O.

Cultivators; E. B. Moore, Bell's Mills, Ala.

Feeding Belts and Partitions for Coi'u Shellers; Wm.
B. Quarton, Fremont, Ohio.

Corn Drills; John R. Rude, Liberty, Ind.

Grain Separators; C. F. Butterfield, Garden City,
Miimesota.

Adjustable Locks and Dogs for Hay Elevators; J.R.
Fitshous, Centre Hill, Pa.

Grain Meters; B. M. Pulliam, Toleno, 111.

Reel Rakes for Harvesters; R. C. Taylor, Lockport,
N. Y.

Milk Coolers and Heaters; M. L. Bush, Huntington, O.

Self-Hakes for Reapers: S. B. (iilleland, Salisbury, Mo.

Potato Bug Destroyers; Isaac W. Griscora, Wood-
buiy, N. J.

Corn Husking Implements; H. W. Hill, Decatur, lU.

Plows; Henry H. Hubley, .Manorville, Pa.

Manufacture of Grain-Cradle Fingers; C. P. Kelsey,
Richmondville, N. Y.

Grain Separators; L. Thesbald, Plainwell, Mich.

Churn Dashers; John R. Underwood, Nelsonville,0.

Wheel Harrows; F. Bramer, Little Falls, N. Y.

Churn Dashers; R. M. Case, Auburn, N. Y.

Plows; N. G. Pinney, New Hudson, Mich.

Combined Reels and Rakes for Harvesters; A. Stoler,
Philadelphia, Pa.

Hooks for Harrows; J. D. Tracy, Sterling, 111.

Plows; John Worrell, Clayton, Ind.

Bee-Hives; Daniel Cox, Kingston, Mo.

Convertible Revolving Harrows; Benj. G. Devoe,
Kenton, Ohio.

Milk Coolers; N. D. Ferguson, Carthage, N. Y.

Grain Separators; Lewis' W. Hasselman, Indianapo
lis, Ind.

Potato Diggers; Robert Reydemann, Krebsow, PruB.

Clover Separators; G. F. Metzger, West Fayette, N.Y.

Milk Coolers; Isaac H. Wanzer, Elgin, 111.

Churns; Daniel McCarfy, Crapiiers Depot, Ky.

Guano Distributars; J.'T. Horton, Widemans, S. C.

Apparatus for Storing and Preserving Grain; Hans
P. C. Lassen, Chicago, 111.

Gang Plows; J. R. MeCormick, Georgetown, Texas.

Corn Stalk Knives; Peter C. Moore, La Fayette, O.

Portable Fences; I. W. Pancoast, Libertyville, Iowa.

Drag Rake Handles; Hugh Smith, Passumsic, Vt.

Portrahle Fences; Horace Tell, Bristol, Md.

Churns; James Watson, Port Colhorne, Canada.

Stump Extractors; J. A. Hart, Lioncsta, Pa.

Horse Rakes; Chas. B. Perkins, Kcnduskeag, Me.

Cultivators; Joshua Pierpont, Bushncll, III.

Horse Rakes; Wm. C. Haynor, Milwaukee, Wis.

Sulky Plows; II. Richardson, Janesville, Wis.

Plows; John Sewell, Bowdon, (ia.

Drills and Fertilizer Distributors; AladanS. Wishart,
Lumberton, N. C.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

III.

are the best the world i>ro(lucca. They are plautetl by a
million |)eoplo in Ami-rica, ami the n-Hult in betuitlful
Flowers and siiU'iidid VeKetablea. A Priced t'atulogue cent
free tn nil who inclose the pontage — a 1! cent Blunip.

Vick's Floral Guide, VUiirierly, '25 cents a yt'iir.

Vick'a Flower and Vegetable Garden, :t5 ceutB ; with
cloth covei s, 1V5 cents.

Avtdrcsft, JAMKS VICK. UochoHter, N. Y.

' The Great Agricultural Wonder,

llICINi; THK

HULLESS OATS,

\\liich eiin br obtaiht-d of

N. S. FISHER,

At Leesport P. 0., Berks Couuty, Pa.,

AB FOLLOWS I

I H pounds 8 3.50

32 " la.oo

I ponnd 50cls.

16 -' » «.50

It is claimed that it will yield ii8 many meaBured bushels
as any other variety, while it weighs 5(> pounds to the
bushel, and ripens two weeks earlier than common oats,
thet-eby escaping the nisty season of oats.

ITK^'Write for circulars. 8-l-4t

ROOT'S

Qarden JVf anual

Is filled with topics of interest to every owner of a garden-
is POINTED, PRA*TIC.\L and THOUOITGH, and contains
one-half as much as $1.50 books on the subject. GARDEN-
EltS throughout the couuti-y commend its practical labor-
saving methods as invaluablp to them.

(r??~Sent for 10 cents, which will be allowed on the first
order for seeds. Address,

J, B. ROOT, Seed Grower,

ROCKFORP, Illinois.

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY.

The Leading Literary Magazine of America.

Devoted to Literature, Science, Art and Politics.

The corps of WTiters includes the foremost names in
American Literature: Longfellow, Lowell, Bryant, Whit-
tier, Holmes, Bayard Taylor, Howells, Aldrich, Warner,
Mrs. Kimble, Mark Twain, and others.

The TJ. S. Official Postal Guide.

Bevised and rvblii^hed Qitartcrl;/ by authority of the Post
Olfii'c Depart nieJit.

Containing an Alphabetical List of Post Offices in the
TJuited States, with County, State, and Salai-y ; Money-
Order Offices, Domestic and International ; Chief Rfgula-
tions of the Post Office Department ; Instructions to the
Public; Foreign and Domestic Postage Tables, and other
valuable Information.

The American Law Times and Reports

A monthly ]ieriodieal which gives Leadinfi Cases in ad-
vance of regular publication, and a DigcM i»f all Case^ re-
ported in cuutemporary American legal perlodicahi. Edited
by Rowland Cox.

THE BOSTON

Medical and Surgical Journal.

EntahlishetJ l»iS.—Pu(jli>ihed Weekly.

With one exception the oldest Medical Journal in the
United States, and second to none in character and standing.

The American Naturalist.

A Popular lUustratcd lloutbly Mag;izinc of Natural Ilie-
tory aud Travel. Amoug the cuntrilnitors are Profs. Gray,
Whitney, Shaler, Farlow, aud Goodale, of Harvard ; Profs.
Marsh, Verr'll, and Siuith, of Yale, and others.

HnbNCrlptlon RHtes.

Atlantic Monthly « 00

Atlantic Monthly, with Uff-Kizf portrait o/ Lonfj/eUow . . 6 00

U. S. Official Postal Guide ^ 150

V. 8. (HHcial Postal Guide. Single numbers 50

America u IjUW Times aud Reporta 6 00

Boston Sledical and .Surgical Jouinial 5 00

American Naturalist 4 OO

', 'Postage prejiaid by the Publishers.

Beiuittanccs should l>o sent with each order and be made
by draft or niouev-order. on New York or IJoston, or regis-
tered letter to H."o. HUUGIITON 4i CO., Uiverside /Vfis,
Cambridge^ Mans. 8-1-31

The Lancaster Farmer.

The DwcniluT iminliir ciC TiiK Lancaster Faii-
MKii, cmichKliii!; Ilir si'vciith vnliime of III at most
excL'Ilt'iit journal, lias hccii rccciveil. We cuniiot say
tliat tin's is a liollilay immber, liccuuse all llic isstics
ol'TiiK Kaiimku arc ol'siiih a cliariiitertliat I'ven the
Iiolidays arc unable to improve the constmit supcrl-
ority of this favorite lK)mc paper. The present miin-
bcr eimfains an in<lex to the voliinie which is just
conelmicii; more than one thousand separate articles
have appeared in its liandsonie padres diiriiii; the year,
Iiavini; direct hcarinir on evi'ry I'raneh of farm econo-
my ami eontaiiiiiiir a wealth t)f useful and iiecesKary
information to the lionest tillci-s of the sfill, that will
repay them an hundred fohi for the sulisci-iptlon out-
lay. Its coiiseientious editor has spared lut latsir, as
its (MiUimns show, to keep it in the front rankof atjri-
eultural .jotirnalism; it shotihi he a rei^ular visitor in
every Lancaster county farmer's home. Think of It,
fanners! only *1 per year is askeil for this home
oriiaii ! Don't suppose the contents arc on a level
with the price ! The latter is purposely fixed at u
sum which leaves you no excuse to do without It ;
if you take it one year you will never yivc it up. Take
our advice and lieiiin the new yearby sendinjj SI with
your name to Pi'arsol iSc (tcist of Lancaster, and you
will have made the best investment of the year. — AVm
lloUamJ ftiirlon.

Somebody has said, that if you want to know the
real character and ipiality of a man, all you have to
do is to inrpiirc of his family or amon;; his ncishhors,
and that their testimony will be a nearer approxima-
tion to what he is than all tint world outside of them.
This may he dra\\ini^ the lines too sti-oni;, neverthe-
less a i^reat truth may be lyinir, in many instances,
eomewliere in that direction. In any event, wc feel
more satisfaction in the ufood opinion of those who
?CNotr wlio and what we are, than in those who know
us only IV<un ri'putation, althouirh we by no means
ignore an honorable reputation. Wccoi-dially "clasp
hands" with our appreciative brother of the Vlnrivn,
and hope tliat we may never fall short of the endorse-
ment of one so well qualified to speak in any behalf.
We commend his paper as a "tip-top " local journal,
and one that must ultimately work its way to an t'X-
tended public favor. The New Holland Clarion is a
"live" paper, and is willing to " let live," by a manly
recognition of the perfections of others, and a charit-
able criticism oi their defects. Our eft'orts shall ever
be to keep The Fakmeu at not less than its present
standard, and if our friends vouchsafe the needed aid
we honestly assure them it shall he vastly more, for
our motto is " Upicard ami Onward."

How to Keep a Subscriber.

An indignant farmer i-eecntly entered the office of
the Elizabeth Xcirs, and ordered liis jiaper stopped
because he ditl'ered IVoin the editor in liis views re-
garding the advantages of subsoiling fence rails. The
editor, of course, conceded the man's right to stop
his paper, but he remarked coolly, looking over his
list:

"Do you know Jim Sowders down at Ilardscrabblc ?"

"Vei-y well," said the man.

"\\'eil, he stoppcti his jiaper last week, because I
thought a farmer was a blamed fool who didn't know
that timothy was a good Ihingtograft on huekelberry
bushes, and he died in four hours."

" Lord, is that so?" said the astonished granger.

" Yes, and you know old George Erickson,dowiion
Eagle ("reck ;'"

" Well, I've heard of him."

" Well," said the editor gravely, " be stopped his
pajier because I said he w as the happy father of twins
and congratulated him on his success so late in life.
He fell dead within tWH-nty minutes. There are lots
of similar cases, but it don't matter; I'll just cross
your name off, though you don't look strong, and
there's a bad color on your nose."

" Sec here, Mr. Kditor," said the subscriber, look-
ing somewhat alarmed, " I believe I'll just keep on
another year, 'cause I always did like your paper, and
come to t liiidi about it, you're a young man, and .some
allowance orter he m.ade," and he departed, satisfied
that he had made a narrow escape from death.

" Bankrupt."

The word in Italian was Imnco rolto, or broken
hcncli. It was used by the moneychangers in Italy
who did business in henchesor stalls in the Kxcliangc,
and when any fell back or liceame insolvent, his bench
was brtikcn anil he was called a Imnco rotto. When
the word w as adopted into English, it was nearer the
Italian than it now is, being " banker-out."

A YOUNG GENTLEMAN remarked to his femalceom-
pani(m, tlie other evening, " Ah 1 the most beautiful
evening in my recollection. Luna looks peculiarly
beautiful." " Was that her just weut by (" quickly
asked the young lady.

RiCKFOjjD

AUTOMATIC
•^NlTTER

s
s

■3

S 9
•• s
a 1

r 2
5-'

5 ?

»6j:i

A Fanuly Knitting Machine.

Now iiltracllnK iinl\*TMal attention liy Itr* untui IhIiIdk p«r-
fornianccH and lt» Kr*"*' I'rarticjil viihu'frtr fvco-day f«mll]r
UHO. It knits every poMllilo variety of jdaln ur raucy work

■WITH ALMOST MAGICAL SPEED,

and RiveK pfrfi-et Hhupf an<) flnJMh 1<> all Kurnn iits. || will

knit a pair or $ockf in fifteen minutes! Kvt>ry imictinm

WAIIKAXTKI> I ' rfiit. aiul h,d„jUMf ithnt it rrprtMJitfd,

A eniti[>ti-tf iiiNlruclioii tuxik ut-oiinpanii'M iMich inurhtue.

No. 1 Family Machine. 1 cylinder, 11 ncedlon, $S0.

No. 3 *' •* 2 " Vt k 100 " 40.

A sample nuichine will t>e nont to Koy part of the Unit«<1
StatcH or Canada, (whi^re wt^ have no agont) rxprt*n charges
pre^paid, on rcci'ipt of the price.

AoKNTH waut(><l iu every Htato, Connly, City and Town,
to whom V4'rv lilH-ral cltHrountH will Im* niitdf. Atlilrcmi,
HIOKi'OUn KMTTINd MArillNK MK<i. <^0.,

7-n-tfJ H<.lo MiiunfaolunTH. Ilrntf lolxkro. Vt.

250
PAPERS

— AND —

MAGAZINES

SENT

.4T

I,<HV

<'l,l It ItATKS

To .'iingk-

sill

iscribers iit any

]iost-oflici'.

t<(

iid at oncp for

yuKK

cireiil

liefore onlering

voiir

liapiTf-

for

i.s7t;.

s>. ai.

KXRB-r.

HkRTWICK S!M..

OTSEGO CO.. NEW TOfir.

I have founded my buahiPFS on the Ix-Iief that the public
are auxioun to t^et their weed directly frtnn the ffrotrrr, and I
therefore offer phek to every man and woman lo the t'olted
StiittH who cultivates a farm, tHl» a vegetable Karden. or
plauta H flower garden, my large lUuHtnilid Catahigue of
Vegetable and Flower HeedB for 1H7«; II cimlain*. in addi-
tion to the choicuHt kiudu i>rodueed in Kurope, one hundred
and fi/ty varieties of rrgetable "red aroirti on my f*mr »eed
/antia, CuHtomere of laHt Beanon need not write for it. A»
the original introduwr of th*- Hubbard, Marblehead and
Butman SquaBhe«, Pbinney« Melon, the Mmrblehejttl Cat>-
bageH, and a score of othor new Tcgotiibhu. I solicit your
patronage. All »*eed sold under three warrunts. A hundred
thousand cutalogueM will be iaaued and sent out the first of
January.
T-U-5J JAMF.8 J. H. QKEGORY. Marblebwd, MtM.

CANVASSERS WANTED

TO TAKE SI7BSCRIBEBS FOB

Tfne LanG98ter Farmer.

Farmers' Sons and other Young Men,
during their leisure hours,

CAN MAKE GOOD WAGES.

We want a thorongh canvass made of every district, mod will
pay g(X>d canvaasera lil>erallv Addrewa

PEAESOL & OEIST, Publishers,

7^tf LAM'AHTER, PA.

IV.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[January, 1876.

i?iii«

We call attention to our imm^'nt^e Stock (600 acres ) of
Fruit Trees, Styudaid aud Dwarf.
Kinall Kriiits. Grapee, Currants, Raspberries, &c.
Ornamental Trees and ^ilirnbs, deciduous and

evergreen.
Roses a Bpecialtv — all the finest aorts.
Green and Hot House Plants. incUiding best nov-
elties. Small parcels forwarded by mail when desired.
Prompt attention given to all orders and inquiries.
Descriptive and Illustrated priced Catalogues sent prepaid

on receipt of stamps, as follows :
No. 1. Fruits (new ed., with col'd plate) 15 cts.
No. 2. Ornamental Trees, with col'd plate of Roses, 25c.
No. 3. Greenhouse. Free, No. 4. Wholesale, Free.

No. 5. Ijist of New Roses for 1870, Free.
Nob. 1 and 2— Neatly bound together, forming an interest-
ing aud valuable book for reference,
Address, 50 cts. by mail, post paid.

ELLWANGER & BARRY, Rochester, NY.

8.1-3t

FARMERS, GET. THE BEST.

Til mum I muim

FEED CUTTER,

MANUFAOTUBKD FOR

DEALEKS IN

HARDWARE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS,

No. 7 EAST KING ST., LANGASTES, PA.,

Has been demonstrated by competitive tests to be THE
BEST FEED CUTTER IN THE MARKET. The feed-roll
is operated by a new and novel device which completely
overcomes the objection to the uneven action of other cut-
ters, while the length of cut can be varied to meet the wants
of the operator without the removal of any gear-wheels.
The material and workmanship are of the very best class,
and guaranteed to give satisfaction to the purchaser. Farm-
ers are invited to call and see for themselves.

"THE CHAMPION."

The Champion Reaper and Mower, which we have sold
with such entire satisfaction to our customers for the last
six years, still maintains the lead of all competitors —
33,74>l having been manufactured for the harvest of 18T5
— aud we have already completed our arrangements to sup-
ply the increased demand for next season. The Farmer
who buys the Champion is always satisfied that he has the
full worth of his money.

DILLER L GHOFF,

No. 7 East King St., Lancaster, Pa.

7-ll-6m

DOMESTIC"

SEWING
MACHINES.

liberal terms of Exchange
for Serond-linnd Machines
of every fiescrlptlon.

'DOMESTIC" PAPER FASHIONS.

TlieBt<.stratt..rnsMiailc. S.-nd S,-ls. for i ■^il;i!,i-ut

Address DOMESTIC SEWINQ MACHINE CO..

KJ- Aqests ^Vasted. -4J> new YOUK.
7-1 l-3teom

THE SCIENTIFIC FARMER

Aims to unite science with practice upon
the Farrn.

T&e only journal in tlie worM poblisliefi wlili tMs ayowefl objeci.

*'It is the ablest scientific agricultural publication we
have ever seen, and covers the entire field." — Lancaster
(Pa.) Express.

$1.00 Per Year. On trial three months, 25c.

CLARK W. BRYAN & CO.,
7-7-6m SprintfUeld, Mass.

IMIPORTKR, BREEDER, J^ND SHIPI'ER OF

IMPROVED LIVE STOCK.

HIGH CLASS LAND AND WATER FOWLS— Etch variety bred on a separate farm. LEGHORNS— BroisTi, "^Tiite.
Black aud Dominique of my celebrated strains a specialty. Also, an unsurpasstnl aud large collection of WATER FOWLS
AND TURKEYS. Asiatics, Hiimburgs, Dorkings, P. Rocks, Am. Dominiques, Hoadius aud Bautums. My fowls are ail
HIGH CLASS, aud bred with great care. My breeding pens contain extra line imported and prize birds.

CHESTER 'WHITE SWINE A SPECIALTY.

8to3k of all ages bred from the beat Premium Stock, aud warranted stricMy pure and choice, for Bale at moderate
prices. Also imported Berkahires. Jersey (.'attle. Southdown and Cotswold Sheep. DOGS— Setter, Shepherd, Beagle
Houud, Skye and Bhick-aud-tau Terriers. Only a limited stock of each, consisting of the finest imported specimens, with
full pedigrees. Lop-Eared aud Himalayan Rabbits. English Ferrets.

FANCY PIGEONS, ALL VARIETIES.

Tlie Pipon Loft : Ho w to Fornisli and Manap It.

Our new illustrated book on pitieuus. Plain, concise, original and
invaluable. It gives many new facts not to be found
elsewhere, and is worth dollars to any breed-
er. Price, only 50c. postpaid.

CS^Elegant illustrated catalogues of stock, giving descriptions and illustrations
of fowls and pigeons, postpaid, 10 cents.

Circulars free.

W. ATLEE BURPEE, Philadelphia, Pa.

J. STAUFFER,

Its 11^ mil tji riiPtiS.

LANCASTER, VENN'A.
235 EAST ORANGE ST.

is the most beautiful work of the kind in the world. It con-
tains nearly l.'iU pages, hundreds of fine illustrations, and
ftmr Chromo Plates of Flowers, beautifully drawn and col-
ored from nature. Price, 35 cents in paper covers ; 65 cents
bound in elegant cloth.
Vick's Floral G-uide, Quarterly, 25 cents a year.

Address, JAMES VTCK. Rochester, N. Y,

LUMill 101 I4EM11S.

NO MIDDLE-MEN.

We have a large stock of Lumber, aud one of the most
extensive Sash aud Door Factories in the State, and we are
prepared to furnish HoiiNe and Ram Bills complete.

Ail kinds of Manufactured Fencing, &c., making a speci-
alty of supplying the agricultural community. We will
make prices delivered to any Railroad Station. AJl our
material ;;;uaraHteecl as represented. All manufactured
work kiln-driert and warranted not to shrink. AU inquiries
cheerfully answered.

One of the firm can be seen at the Franklin House, North
Queen Street, Lancaster, Pa., on Monday of each week.

7-4-12ra]

KENDIG, BRICKER & LAUMAN,

Middletown Dauphin co.. Pa.

All matters appertaining to UNITED STATES or CANA-
DIAN PATENTS, TRADE MAKTiS, and COPYRIGHTS,
promiitly attended to. His experience, success and faithful
attention to the interests of those who engage his services
are fully acknowledged and appreciated.

Preliminary examinations made for him by a reliable As-
sistant at Washington, without extra charge for drawing
or description. [7-i-tf

THOS. M. HARVEY,

WEST GROVE, CHESTER CO., PA..

Breeder and Shipper of

GUPSEYLSSI BUTTER STOCK,

Yorkshire and Berkshire Pigs-
Dark Brahma Chickens from the best imported
blood. Also Bronze Turkeys.

'^THE FARMER'S FRIEND."

The great Grange paper.

The farmers' own journal.

501) farmers' write for it.

60 farmers' wives write for it.

Circulates in 30 States.

Circulates in 6 Territories.

Circulates in Canada.

64 columns every week.

16 pages of reading.

Kept on file in l,20i( Granges.

Read weekly by over lOU.OOO people.

Only official organ of five State Granges.

Market reports Irom the great cities.

Practical expeiienoe by practical farmers.

(■roi^ reports printed weekly.

No middlemen agents.

$1.50 a year; or 1,25 in clubs of 8 or over.

Postage always prepaid by publishers.

12>(, cents a month to the close of any year.

In clubs of S or over, lOj^ cents a mouth.

Neatly printed ; "big type ;" good paper.

National Grange otficers ^vTite for it.

Grange news from every State.

Farmers are delighted with it, and say,

" Just what we have wanted."

Sample copy three cents, sent directly from the Grange

Steam Printing House of five S ates. *

Address, THOMAS & PEMMING,

7-12-S Mechanicsbdro, PA-

HORSE-BILLS
PLAIN OR IN FANCY COLORS,
Printed iu the Best Style at the office of

THE FAEMEK.

* I Q '\^ Cid y> f T'^ Bnbucribers in
) i rt 1 Cdl ^ Ibe county.

SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS.

^'•""'»uic Sooi^/'-.r""".'"" "'} $1. 28.

Prof. S. S. RATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, FEBRUARY

PEARSOL & OEIST, Publishers.

FAMILIAR TALK WITH THE READER

It is with a fculiiii; of pride that we ivfVr to the
varieil ami sulistautial eharaeternf tlie eonteiits of
this issue of TiiK Lancastek Fahmeu. We thiuk
tile jiraetieal fanner will sustaiu us in prouounein^it
the most valuable nuuiher we have yet priuteil; anil
we luive IK) hesitation in ehalleni;iniif the world to
proiluee another ai;rieultural puhlieation which fur-
nishes a greater amount or lurRer variety of valuable
informatiou for /t-jcx thuu. tt'it cents, which is all it costs
its Lancaster county patrons. And it is gratifyins;
to us to lie able to give a large measure of the credit
for the value of this issue* to our many esteemed and
jiractical contributors, the number of which are
steadily on the increase. We have, perhaps, issued
numbers which were more attractive in the amount
and variety of their illustrations, but none which con-
tained more able articles from the pens of writers who
are iiractically versed in the topics they discuss.

And with tills issue of The Fakmek in the hands
of our readers, who embrace many of the leading
intelligent and progressive farmers of this great
county, may we not be pardoned for appealing to
them to make a special efl'ort to increase its circula-
tion ? We freiiuently receive letters from distin-
guished agriculturists, horticulturists, and stock-
breeders abroad, expressing surprise that such an
able and valuable publication sliould eonline its
etl'orts mainly to securing home support. Tliey say it
is too good to limit its usefulness to the " pent-up
Utiea " of a single county: but these kind and appre-
ciative frii'uds do not consider that Lancaster county
is an empire in itself — the ricliest agricultural eoiiuty
in tlic I'nitnd States — containing material to furnisli a
6ul)Scription list of .5,U00, with only one out ol' Uvoof
her farmers among its patrons. If only every second
farmer in the county would become a subscriber, we
would be able, with facilities already at command, to
make Tiiii Laniastkh Faumek the must licautiful
and valuable publication of its class in llie world, for
such is the ambition of both editor and jjublishers.
'J' he bound volume for IST.'i.a limited number of copies
oi' which can be furnished, is worth ten times itscost,
and in a few years cannot be bought for any such
sum. Then let" every one of onr present subscribers
exert himself to send us one tir more new subscribers,
that we may be able to still further improve The
Faumek^ until the farmers of Lane-aster county can
claim the credit of being represented in the Held of
agricultural literature by a publication which shall
stand without a rival.

IMPROVED LIVE STOCK.

We take pleasure in calling the attention of our
readers to tlie adverlisement ol' W. Atlee Burpee,
importer, breeder, and shipijcr of live stock. Mr.
Hurix'c is a grandson of L)r. Wasliington L. Atlee,
(brother of -Ur. .John L. Atlee, of this city,) well
known to many of our readers. We believe there is
no other man of his years who has \vi>n a more de-
served and extended rc])Ulation as a reliable and con-
scientious breeder and dealer in the kinds ol' stock
which he makes bis specialties. We arc very careful
about what we eonimcnd in Tni; Kaumkk, and the
judgment now given is iia.sed only on a thorough
knowledge of tlie man and his ability to make go>od
all engagements with his customers.

CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.

p.\c;k.

- 17
17

- 17
IS

EDITORIAL ARTICLES :

Black Cochins, - - - -
Toulouse Geese, - ' -
The Hed Echymyd (Eehymys nifus).
The Mouse Moth, - - - -

What Kind of Oil, LS

An Open Winter, .--■--]<)
Peculiar Etlcets of Winter Heat, - - - 1!)
The " Snowflake " and " Kuri'ka" Potatoes, lil
The Dairy Interests (Practical Hints About

Making and .Selecting liood Chesse,) - 20
Arrival of Birds in 187.5, - - - - 20

Facts of Natural History — " Homes Without

Hands," ----- .21

Mental Culture Among Farmers, - - 21
Spiders, ------- 22

The Grangers, ------ Si

The Fruit Growers' Society, - - - 2.5

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS:

Humming Birds. F. U. Dirt'EXDEHiFEit, 2'2
Lancaster County as an Apple Orchard.

Oi.i" CoNTKimvroH, - - - - 24
Notes and Remarks on New Fruits and

Vegetables. J. B. (iARBEH, - - - 24
Make Hot-Houses. Walter Ei.dek, - 24
Corn Culture. .J. B., - - - - 'i')

Testing Fertilizers and their Continued

Action. .John I. Caictek, - - - 2.5
Rural Life. Wai.tei: F.i.I)EK, - - 2.5

THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY, -2.5

AiHiujI aiMrcss uf Master James Cx. McSiiarraii, of
Kiillou (Iraiige, Nu. CO.

The Fruit Growers' Society, - - - - 2(>

Aiiiiujil Meeting iu Dojiestowu—Iuterfsting Ses-
sion -V.ihnljle Kssaya and DiHCUHBiouB— All
About Fruit Growing and Ocueral Horticul-
ture — Geueral Uei)urtH and Loiterh- — AdtlresH by
tlie I*resii1eiit — losiah Hooi)eH on Yards and
LawuH— Management of OrcUards — Klection of
OtticerB-Tbe Centennial— Mort* Alxiut Apiile
Orrliaidt: — Hybridization of Fruits— I^-st Varie-
ties of Api'les— Dtwtroying the Burk Loum- —
Election of Otticern — I'ne Codling Moth— IVars
ftnd tlieir Culture— Fruit Trees from the North —
PruHervation of Fruit by Ice— Cultivation of the
Clierry — I'cach < "ulture — Miscellaneous Toiiice —
Strawberries — Haei>berrie« and Bluckbe-Ties —
Currants aud Gooseberries — Grapea — Ever-
greens — UOBCB.

Our Paris Letter. 2ft

Our Local Organizations, - - - - 30

Our Farmers in Council— Economy r«. Hard
Timet* — IteiJortouCrofs — Tup questiou of Plant-
ing Foipst TieeH— Shall We Eat Pork?— Walk-
ing Horses VM. Trottiug — The State Agricultural

liej ortH.

GENERAL MISCELLANY, - - - 'n

Shade Trees — Thoughts for March— Large Poultry
Yard— The State Agriculturist— The Pestilenlial
l';aHt Wind — Influence of Food on the Mind —
Hurtful Ke;uiiug — Celery— Coru SUrch Cake —
What it will do.

THE FARMERS HOME ORGAN.

|l|e |anca?tBr |ariiiBr;

A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER,

DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTI-
CULTURE, DOM ESTIC ECONOMY
AND MISCELLANY.

PRACTICAL JENTOMOLOGY

Made a ]iromiiu>nt feature, with special n'ferutire to Ibe
wants of the Farmer, the Gardener aud Fruit •Grower.

Founded mu\cr the auspices of the Lancaster County
Agricultural and Horticultural Society.

Edited Tjy Prof. S. S. EATHVON.

LITERARY AND PERSONAL,

Book> alid PerJodicids,

Our Fence Corners, - - - -
Fact aud Fancy, Wit aud Humor.

- :!2

The Lancaster Farmkh has now completed itii seventh
year^the last having been under the auH|pir**H of the under-
signed as ]iublishers. When we asstimeil the reiipunKiltlllty
of the publication one year ago. It was wiDi u detenninatiou
to make such imjirovement*' during the year as would pl»ce
the Farmers' Organ of Ibis great agricultuml couuly iu the
very front rank of |>ublicatiuiiH of its class. Tlnit we have
done so, our readers will benr cheerful teHtlniony. Bui our
work of improvement is only fairly begun. \V« proitowo to
make the volume for ttieConluiiuIal yeiirsiill inorelniereMtiug
aud vsluabte than its i)redeo»'M8or for 1S7.'). In this, how-
ever, we need the co-operutiuu uf ever)' friend of the enter-
p^1ft^^ To make it a HUccesH, e^ery one who now n'ads TiiK
Fakmku should at once send us at least one new suttAcritier.

The contributions of our able editor. Prof. ItATiivo.v. on
8Ubje<'tH connected with the science of fanning, and partic-
ularly that specialty of wliieti he is so thon>ughly a master —
entomological science -some kuowletlge uf which has iM-come
a necessity to the succettsful farmer, are aluue wortli much
more than the price of this pnblicitiou.

The Faumeu will be published ou the I6th of every
month, jirinted on go«id paper with cle«r tyi***, in cou-
vcnient form for reading aud bludlug, and mailed to iiut>-
Hcribers on thu following

TERMS:

To subscribers resi<liug within the oouuty —
One copy, one year, ----- $i.oo

Six copies, one year, - ----- 5,00

Ten Copies, one year, ------ 7.50

To subscrilH'rs outside of Lancaster ooonty, including
I)08tage pn'-paid by the publishers:

One copy, one year, - - - . - $1.25
Five copies, one year, 5.00

All subHcriptions will commence with the January num-
ber unless otiienvis** ordered.

All eominuuications iuteadod for pnbllciition should be
addrexHed to the Editor, and, to Ne4>ure Insertinii. should be
In his hnnds by the first of the month of pnltlicitlou.

All busincMs letters, conlalniug nulwrrlptj.ms and adver-
tisements, should he uddn khi d to the ]>ubIishcrH,

- PEARSOL & GEIST,

Express Buildings, 22 South Queen Street,
LANCASTER, PA.

UATKS OF AltVt:itTINI\». — Ten OntN n
line for t'Hfli limcrHoii. Twilve lium lo ilic ludi.

II.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

FARMERS, GET THE BEST.

Til mMB & muim

FEED CUTTER,

MANUFACTUBED FOR

DIX^I^SR <Sc GrFlOFF,

DEALERS IN

HARDWARE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS,

No. 7 EAST KING ST., LANCASTEE, PA.,

Has been demonstrated by competitive tests to be THE
BEST FEED CUTTER IN THE MARKET. The feed-roU
JB Operated by a new and novel device which completely
overcomes the objection to the uneven action of other cut-
ters, while the length of cut can be varied to meet the wants
of the operator without the removal of any gear-wheels.
The material and worlrraanfihi]) are of the very beet class,
and guaranteed to givesatisfactioBto the purchaser. Farm-
ers are invited to call and see for themselves.

"THE CHAMPION."

The Champion Reajier and Mower, which we have sold
with Buch entire eatisfyction to our customers for the last
six years, still niiiintains the lead of all competitors —
33,761 having been manufactured for the harvest of 1S75
— and we have already completed our arrangements to sup-
ply the increased demand for next season. The Farmer
who buys the Champion is always satisfied that he has the
f uU worth of his money.

DILLEU 8, GHOFF,

No, 7 East King St., Lancaster, Pa.

7-ll-lim

Will be
niled free
to all a p p 1 i -
in ts. This is
lie of the larpcst
ml most conipreheu-
ve Cataloscues pub-
ished; contains about 2-i0
a^^s, over GOO fine enprav-
_s, '1 elegant colored plates,
uid gives full descriptions,
rices, and directions for plant-
^ ...„ over 1200 varieties of Vegt-lable
, and Flower Seeds, Bedding Phtnts.
Roses. &Q:, and is invaluable to Farmer,
"Gardener and Florists. Address,

D. M. TERRY & CO.,
Seedsmen and Florists, DETROIT. Mich.

PATENTS

OBTADJED BEST AIJB CHEAPEST BY

LOUIS BAGGER & CO.,

SOLICITORS OF PATENTS,

TTT'asb.ington, D. C.

ly Address aU letters to P. O. Box 444.

7-3 12m

7-9-6m

This includes bags and delivering on board care.

EVERGREEN BONE DUST,

MANUFACTURED BY

M. B. ESHLEMIN, at LEAMAN PLACE,

Is guaranteod Fure Saw Bone, and nothing else.
Special paius taken in preparing it for feeding bens.

No. 1, for feeding:, • - $l.i>0 per hundred.
No. 2, for land, • • - 1.75

DEALERS IN AXL KmDS OF

FA1IIII.T and I^IME-BURNINO COAI. I

Orders received at

Office, No. 15 East King street, and at the
8-l-12m) Yard, No. 618 NORTH PRINCE STREET.

THE OLD FARM HOUSE.

The easy chair, all patched with care.

Is placed by the cold hearth-stone ;
With witching grace, in the old fire-jilace.

The evergreens ai-e strewn.
And pictures hang on the whitened wall.
And the old clock ticks in the cottage hall.

More lovely still, on the window sill.

The dew-eyed flowers rest.
While 'midst the leaves on the moss-grown

The martin builds her nest.
And all day long the summer tjreeze
Is wliispering love to the bended trees.

Over the door, all covered o'er

With a sack of dark green baize.
Lays a musket old, whose worth is told

In the events of other days ;
And the powder-flask, and the hunter's horn.
Have hung beside it for many a morn.

For years have fled with a noiseless tread.

Like fairy dreams away.
And in their flight, all shorn of its might,

A father — old and gray ;
And the soft winds play with the snow-white hair.
And the old man sleeps in his easy chair.

Inside the door, on the sanded floor.

Light, airy footsteps glide.
And a maiden fair, with flasen hair.

Kneels by the old man's side —
An old oak wrecked by the angry storm.
While the ivy clings to its trembling form.

Why He Broke His Pledge.

"See here, Mr. Jonesby, do you know that you
cheated me out of a pound and a half of pork V

" Why no, I was not aware of it; but how? Mr.
Smlthers."

Why, you see, that the 200 pound pigthat you pro-
mised me if I kept the pledge ten weeks, only weighed
1981^ pounds.

Did it, indeed. Well, I am sorry for that, and will
make good wliat it lacked.

" Its too late now ; I have smashed the pledge.
When a man don't keep his word with me, I don't
keep my word with him.*'

Poor, wronged Mr. Smithers; fraudulent Mr. Jones-
by. When will people ever get their rights ?

When pyviciles and not puyies prevail.

Precocious boy, munchiug the fruit of the date tree
— " Mamma, if I eat dates enough, will I grow up to
be an almanac?"

An old lady from one of the rural districts, aston-
ished a clerk in one of the stores a few days ago, by
inquiring if he had any "yaller developments sich as
they did up letters in."

A PRECOCIOUS boy was asked which was the greater
evii of the two — hurting another's feelings or his fin-
ger. He said the former. " Right, my dear child,"
said the gratified questioner; " and why is it worse to
hurt the feelings?" "Because you can't tie a rag
around them," exclaimed the dear child.

A Vermont genius is trying to manufacture false
hair from basswood. It is to be hoped he will suc-
ceed. It will be more pleasant for a fellow to gaze
from his pillow iu the morning upon the switch hang-
ing over the back of a chair and wonder what tree it
came from, than to speculate upon what dead woman
it was once attached to.

The other day a German, leaning against a hitch-
ing post on Washington street, looked up at the sky
and remarked: " I guess a leedle it vill rain some-
dime pooty queek." " Yez do, eh ?" replied an Irish-
man at his side. " Well, I want yees to understand
thatyees have no business to come over to America
and say anything forninst the weather. What the
devil do yees purteud to know about American
weather, anyhow, ye furrin galoot ?" The German
had no more to say.

He was a New Yorker. He had never seen the
country before, and read when at school the great
editor's " What I know about farming," and con-
sidered himself posted. He came to southwest Min-
nesota on business. A friend drove him out to see
the counti'y; they passed by a cornfield where some
men were pulling corn. What is that ? said the New
Yorker. 'That is a field of corn, said his friend.
What are those men doing? said yankee. They are
pulling the corn, said his friend. Ah, I see, said
yankee, they pull the corn ofl' and let the sticks stand
for another year. The subject was dropped.

Henry M. Engle, of Marietta, a valued contrib-
utor to The Farmer, and well known over the State
as a successful and enterprising fruit grower, met
with a severe loss on the *i.5th of January in the de-
struction of his barn by incendiary fire, with all its
contents, including twenty-nine head of cattle, in-
volving a loss of $.5,000, on which there was only
$1 ,800 insurance. The stock, especially several head of
Alderney cows, was very valuable, and the loss to
Mr. Engle was a severe one; but he is a man of too
much pluck to be discouraged by such reverses.

This is a beautiful Quarterly Journal, finely illustrated,
and containing an elegant colored Frontispiece with the
first number. Price only 25 cents for ihe year. The first
number for 1876 just issued. SJF^ Vick's Flower and
Vegetable Garden, 35 cents ; with cloth covers, 65 cents.
Address, JAMES VICK, Kochesler, N. Y.

A FIRST CLASS

DEVOTED TO

POULTRY AND PET STOCK

IN ALU THEIR BRANCHES.

Edited by the Emiuent and Experienced Breeder and
Fancier, W. H, TODD, of Vermilliou, Ohio.

The Nation is a wide-awake, original, practical and high-
ly valuable journal. No one who keeps pets or poultry can

AFFORD TO DO WITHOUT IT.

Only 60 Cents a Year, Postpaid.

It clubs with poultry and other journals at very low rates.

For instance, the Poultry World and Nation, are furnished
postpaid for $1.40. Fanciers' Journal (weekly) and Nation,
$2.50. American Agiiculturist and I^ation, $l.fiO, etc.

Our circulation is very large. A splendid advertising me-
dium. Prospectus free. Samples, (1 cents.

Address POULTRY NATION CO.,

7-6-tf Birmingham, Erie Co., Ohio.

R. Y. FAIRSERVICE & CO.,

613 Fourth St., East Ne-wark, N. J.,

OFFERS FOR SALE

"XPSr .A. S TT E3

SIX 90:^01 aPOOX. COXTOHT,

"white," "black," and "colors."

60 cents pound, postage paid. We guarantee one pound
equal to five dozen '200 yard Spools.

1875. PRE-CENTENNIAL. 1875.

Bathvon fe Pislier,

PRACTICAL

Talt@r§ amd €t(atEil©rs

CHEAP, FASHIONABLE AND DURABLE

ESTABLISHlVIEIffT,

Cor.N. ftUEEN and ORANGE STS.,

LANCASTER, PENN'A.

Oil? ASSIES WAlTli

TO TAKE SUBSCRIBERS FOE

Farmers' Sons and other Young Men;
during their leisure hours,

CAN MAKE GOOD WAGES.

We want a thorough canvass made of every district, and will
pay good canvassers liberally. Address

PEARSOL & SEIST, Publishers,
7-8-tf 1lAivc'ast£r, pa.

The Lancaster Farmer.

Prof: S. S. SATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, PA., FEBRUARY, 1876.

Vol vm. No. 2.

BLACK COCHINS.

We give herewith ;i pleasing ilhistration of
a first-elas.s pair of this variety, representing
"Nicodomus" and ",Iet," owned liy Dr. F.
W. ]5yers, Lena, 111., who kindly furiiishedus
the following notes in reply toaenrr>'spandenl
of our Aincrinin Fanciers^ (luzittr, which, hav-
ing .sold, we will give the readers of TiiK Lan-
C.vsTEU Fakmku the henelit of Dr. Hyers'
cxperienee wi(h this variety, in liis own words.
— W. Atkc Buriia; Fhiluddphia, Fth. 5. l^Tll.

seen kept in the poultry line — never throwing
any hrown or dingy colors. In some we find
a little white in tli" unilerfoathering, which,
by soniej)f our poultrynien, is not onsidered
olijcctionalile, as black and white are corre-
sponding colors. For this climate we do not
believe they have any superiors. They pos-
si'ss extreme hardiness — seem to feel w.'ll when
other varieties are piiwhed up with cold. Tliey
are a first-class table fowl, attain a fair size,
and with little inclination to sit, are (excellent
layiirs. The young
rear with very lil-
l\o. attention, and
when fully matured
are, indeed, attrac-
tive and beautiful.
The cock, especi-
iilly, is an aristo-
cratic, stately look-
ing fellow, stands
erect, presenting a
very handsome and
imposing appear-
ance. — Fred. \V .
Byers,- Jjena, III.,
January 25, 1870.

BLACK COCHINS.

A writer in the August Gazette, speaking of
Cochins, says the Blacks are very little
known, only one pair being shown at the Pro-
vincial Exhil)ition at Loudon. Mr. Wright,
in his Illustrated Book of Poultry, givesthis
variety only a slight notice, seeming to con-
sider them an inferior fowl as they are now
bred in England. However, in the United
States, and especially here in the West, they
are regarded as a very superior breed.

At one of our poultry shows last winter, the
rmml)er of entries of Blacks was eijual to those
of an}' other Cochin variety, and tlie display a
very creditable one throughout. It is true
they are not so large as the Bull', but careful
breeding is bringing them to true shape and size.
They are closer in feather, couseipicntlv do not
show size like the loo.se feather Huffy liuff. In
color they are glossy black, shading to bottle
green, with bright red comb nattles and ear-
lobe. They diti'er in sha|)o and gait usually
from the other Cochins, and by .selecting such
as conform to characteristics of Buff and Par-
tridge, they are assuming the true Cochin
type. The back is long, sloping to root of tail
like a Game, and the tail itself is more like
that of the Brahma. The legs are rather
pearly, furnished with feathers, but to off.set
this we have never seen a vulture hock or any
ap])roach to it among the blacks. They are
also free from ''sli]» wings" and twisted
feathers in wings, defects so common in many
Asiatic families. If they are ,a cross, as some
contend, it is our opinion that they carry
some Game blood. They are sprightly and
active in their movements, splendid foragers,
and are sure to come oH' " first best " in a
fight with their cousins. Black Cochins breed
more true to feather than anything we have

TOU LOUSE
GEESE.

This variety is
doubtless the larg-
est known. Men in
general have a n
aversion to geese,
and We don't blame
^^ thejn cither; for
what could the lit-
tle noisy, vora-
cious, unruly com-
mon geese be con-
sidered on a farm
but a nuisance, un-
less securely pemied
in .siiuie .sivaiupy field V This natural aversion
we were not exempt from till we tried the
magnificent Toulouse, and then it was changed
to a liking for these geese.
In appearance, they are no-
ble and dignified, and will
thrive without water to f
swim in, if plenty be provid- fi
ed for drink. They are f
never unruly, and can be
fenced as easily as shec^p ;
are very quiet, not noisy,
and extremely hardy. Th(\
are good layers, averaginj
about forty eggs each, in ;
sea..son, and are seldom
broody. If the old stock is
not kept fat, and after .spring
opens oidy on pasture and
vegetables, without grain,
nearly every egg will hatch.
The goslings are much
stronger when young than
the connnon, and are more
easily rai.sed than a pig.
We use hens for hatching,
and in summer have placed
them on a fresh grass-plat,
and reaied them without
any mother. Their growth is so rapid that
at four weeks old they will weigh from six to
eight pounds each, and at three months, from
fifteen to eighteen pounds. At four wi'cks
old they need i further housim;, and can be
taken from the nur.s<M-y and placed in the open
pasture to graze and shift for themselves, pro-
vided they have their regular meals of soft
feed, whi('h should l)e ciMitinned till they are
three or four months old. In France and Eng-
land, Toulouse geese are prized for their great

size, excelli 111 ilesh, and abundant yield of
soft, line feathers, of which they will average
about half a pound to tlu; "picking," and
would be i>rotilahle lor this purpo.se. In the
severest weather they require no sli(dter, and
we never feed mature birds any gniin when
the ground is bare, where tliey have access to
pasture fields.

In color, geese and ganders are exactly
alike, vi/. : a uniform, handsomi' gray, with
breast and underparlsof body a shad«r lighter.
They are so mild and tractable in disposition,
and pos.se.ss .so many gooil traits, that they are
profitable when; they can be ke|it, and es|)eci-
ally where grain and gniss an; chea|). There
are hundreds of wa.ste places upon which, with
a trilling expense, large numbers of tlu'se
gee.se ctuild be raised. To sliow how prolific
tliey are, we have known, for two .sexsons
pitst, one hundred goslings to Ite rai.sed each
year from the eggs of eight females, besides a
large number being .sold for hatching purposes.
For all pur|)0.ses, the Toulouse .should bi^ voted
the "goo.se of the period." — Tkc I'uuUry Na-
tion.

THE RED ECHYMYD.

l^K liijtnijtt rttfuH.)

This .animal isindigei'iousto Brazil, Guiana,
and Paraguay, in .South Amerii'a. Itisabout
the size of the common rat of North America,
and is also called the " Spinous rat." It is a
reddish gray in color, and the tail is llattened
and somewhat shorter than the body. It con-
structs long subterranean biirrow.s. It is allied
to the "Dormice," the last group in the fam-
ily SciUKiD.E, according to CuviKii. It .seeni.s
to be a connecting link between tiie .sijuirrel
family and the rat family. Like the " Dor-
mouse," it also has foiu' molar teeth, which
tlilter, however, in formation from tlie animal
named. The fur is somewhat rough, iider-
spcrsed with short tlattened spines ori)riekling
iiuills. These animals are true Uodkxts, or
" gnawers, "an<l their food and fee«ling habits
are similar to those of sijuirrels, mice, and
dormice. Their phure is not uuaniiuou.sly, and,

therefore, not permanently fixed, in the order
of classification. There are two groups of
theseanimals. belonging to the genus E:lii/my.i,
one of which hius hairy tailsand the other .scaly
tails, the former being more nearly allied to
the .sipiirrels, and the latter to the common
rats and mice.

A i)ol,l,AltspentlorTllKLAKC.\STEli Fau-
MElt will prove the l)est paying investment that
can be made. .iVsk your neighbor to try it.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February,

THE HOUSE-MOTH.

The simple term Math incliules a multitude
of ditferent siiecies of destructive insects,
not even belongiiij;: to the same family or order;
but it is presumed that everj' intelligent house-
wife knows what we mean when we say House-
Moth. That there were, or may still be some
who do not know a moth, even when they see
it, we have seen ludicrously demonstrated on
several occasions. On one particular occasion
we entered a house and found the good lady
thereof engaged in her "shaking up" and
mid.summer investigation of her previous
winter blankets and woolen clothing, and
mournfully deploring the ravages of the
"pesky" house-moths. She painfully rec-
ognized their pernicious work, but she did
not seem to have an intelligent idea of the
little creatures that caused the havoc among
her woolens ; for just as we entered, she
removed a bundle of old newspapers, and
immediately seized a dusting brush, and with
the back of it, in rapid succession, dealt a
series of blows upon something that was as rap-
idly making its escape to some otlier place of
concealment, as often as it was exposed to
view. This, she alleged, was one of the " in-
fernal moths," and she was determined to
summarily extinguish it with the back of the
brush. We ventmed to admonish her that
she was quite mistaken, and that any insect
that could run as swiftly and hide as quickly
as the one she was pursuing, could not possi-
bly be the one that had so effectually scored
lier blankets and woolen clothing — tliat the
real author of the mischief never made any
attemjit to run away, and indeed could not
run. We called her attention to the true moths,
on the carpet, on the walls, and on the furni-
ture, slowly dragging their variously colored
woolen cases along in the direction of the
places from which they had been dislodged ;
and which, on the slightest disturbance, would
draw in their heads and collapse the ends of
their cases.

Hers had been a sort of " wild-goose chase "
after a species of Lepsima, those three-tailed,
silvery-scaled, swift-running, degraded Neit-
ROPTERA, which, whatever else they are guilty
of, are not very formidable as the destroyers
of blankets and woolen clothing; althougli it
is said they will occasionally eat woolen cloth,
and the surface of photographs.

"As the winter passes away and the genial
sun once more pours his warm rays ovei' the
earth, making all things bright and cheerful,
l)lankets, overcoats, wraps, furs, and all arti-
cles that can comfortably be dispensed witli,
will be laid aside for those of thinner texture. "
And here is just where a rational caution
should be observed in regard to the articles
thus laid aside during the summer season.
The "House-Moths" {Thica taptzietla, ves-
tianella, et pdlionella) may be seen in its
winged state from the first of May to the
first of July, and sometimes until the first
of August ; but it is most aliundant in the
month of June, and it is during this month
that the greater nundjer of the eggs are
deposited, although there are either several
broods, or successive alternations of the same
brood. About this period too it is when most
of the winter fabrics are put away, and the
eggs are so small, and adhere so firmly, that
they may easily be packed away with the arti-
cles intended to be preserved. Although such
preventives as tobacco, pepper and cami)hor
are recommended, and no doubt to a certain
extent are beneficial, our experience has taught
us that tlie most effectual remedy is in pack-
ing the articles in fine linen or paper bags,
with every aperture completely closed, through
which a moth could possibly dejwsit its eggs.
If no eggs have been inclosed with the articles,
this precaution is perfectly safe.

A writer from Paris under date of Januaiy
3, 1870, states that in that city there are i)er-
sons who make it a business to receive furs
and woolen articles, and for a reasonable com-
pensiition, keep them free from moths until
they are again wanted. Where no such estab-
lishments exist, or where people prefer to have
their property in their own custody, the bag-

ging process should be used, and this may be
also exteiHlcd to woolen carpets. We would
recommend the use of tough strong paper
(manilla) out of which small -flour sacks are
now made, but care should be taken that every
hole, no matter how small, be perfectly closed.
Cayenne pejiper. or pieces of red-peii]ier pods,
toliacco and camphor, may also be put among
the articles ; but if we could be certain that
we have enclosed no eggs, these articles would
be altogether lumecessary. Under any circum-
stances they will do no harm if they do no
good.

Be sure you do not improvise a woolen bag,
for this would only attract the insects, and
they would destroy the covering before attack-
ing its contents. Before bagging articles to
be preserved tliey shoidd be violently beaten
and shaken, and all the moths, if any, in them
should be at once thoroughly destroyed. Some
people are in the habit of hanging their arti-
cles out in the sun, to give them "an airing,"
as they call it, without seriously disturbing the
moths. The Paris writer says — "As the
gnawing insects cannot invade linen or cotton,
it is enough to have this envelope impenetra-
ble at all points, provided we do not attempt
the preservation of ;in object already infested
with vermin or with their eggs and larvie."
Under certain peculiar circumstances, how-
ever, we have found that moths will invade
both linen and cotton, but if it lie closely
woven stout material, it is questionable if
they coidd penetrate it as they do woolen
cloth. On one occasion a box in our store,
containing jiieces of canvas, padding and cot-
ton flannel, which had been for years undis-
turbed, was finally removed in making some
improvements. On examining its contents
hundreds of moths were found in it, and these
had scored the linen and cotton material as
well as the woolen, forming their cylindrical
cases out of one kind as freely as another, the
only difference being that they did not cut
throuyh the linen and cotton as they did
through the woolen. Ordinarily, however,
moths are rather nice in their tastes, for we
have found the finer and softer fabrics more
liable to their infestations than those of a
coarser and harder quality ; but, where opjjor-
tunities for this discrimination do not exist
they will attack everything and anything that
is woolen, and rather than starve, they will
also appropriate linen and cotton, unless its
surface is too smooth and hard to make an
imiiression iqion it.

The sum and substance, then, of these re-
marks is, that the cheapest, safest and easiest
remedy against moths, is the perfect isolation
of the articles we desire to preser\'e, and where
this has been perfectly accomplished, there is
little need of anything else; nevertheless, as
we are liable to omissions and other inadver-
tencies, the introduction of pulverized cam-
phor, pepjier and toliacco will not be amiss as
repellents, if they do not kill.

Every iiarent moth that is seen should be
killed — a little silvery whitish and sluggish
day and night flier, that ajijiears most abun-
daiitly in May and June, and just slow enough
in its" Hight to be easily clapped between two
shingles, made in the form of bats or paddles,
one in each hand. Its little cylindrical cases
should also lie gathered and destroyed, as they
contain the lurrae.

WHAT KIND OF OIL.'

In the proceedings of the January meeting
of the "Agricultural and Horticultural Soci-
ety," reported on page 14 of the January num-
ber of The Farmer, where we are reported
as having stated that oil was the best remedy
for " scale insects, " or " bark lice ; "the next
question would naturally be, '■'vhot kind of
oil?'''' and, indeed, that question had been
answered briefly, before the meeting closed,
although no report had been made of it.

In a fuller answer of that question, allow
us to relate one of our experiences in the oil-
remedy as well as other remedies, and also
the practical results of their application by
other experimenters. Some ten or twelve

years ago, a neighbor of ours had two fine
young pear trees that were badly infested by
"the " Oyster-shell ]5ark-louse, " and some one
had reconmiended scrubbing them with fish-
brine, aiiplied with a stifl' brush. After the
application of the lirine and the scrubbing,
the trunks and laiger branches of his trees
had a reddish or rJSty appearance, but be-
fore the end of the succeeding summer sea-
son it became manifest that they were not
cured, and the insects reappeared all over the
surfece almost as numerously as tliey had been
before the remedy had been applied. The
projn'ietor became discouraged, neglected his
trees, and finally one of them died, and as
the other seemed to be slowly following in the
wake of the first one, it was also subsequently
removed; opposite and north of these trees,
on our own jiremises stood a pear tree, and an
apple tree, both of which became infested with
these insects, as well as a number of " sweet-
brier " or wild-rose bushes. We also scrubbed
our trees and bushes with saline and alkaline
solutions, as well as soap, and tobacco decoc-
tions, but finally we had to succumb and re-
move the trees and bushes in order to arrest
the further spread of the infestation. Some
years subsequently we received a copy of Mr.
Walsh's Report of the destructive insects of
the State of Illinois, (we think it was his first
and only report, for, by an accident he lost
his life sometime thereafter.) In this report
he gave some detailed experiments in the dif-
ferent remedies for the destruction of this
pest, from which it appeared that oil had, on
the whole, been the best, if not the only relia-
ble remedy, so far as his experience extended.

We received this Report in the winter (either
in January or February) and in the following
spring, after the buds of the trees had begun
to burst, Major Howell invited us to look
at half a dozen fine dwarf pear trees on his
premises, with which something seemed to be
"the matter." On viewing and examining
his trees we immediately recognized the same
pests that had destroyed our neighbor's and
om- own trees, and, on the .strength of Mr.
Walsh's experiments, we did not hesitate to
reconmiend the oil remedy. Mr. H. imformed
me that he had a quantity of "neat's-foot oil,"
and inquried if that would answer, and we
rejilicd that we thought it would.

We need hardly say that neat's foot oil is an
oil extracted from the marrow of leg bones of
animals, especially those of ruminants or ox-
kind, and farmers are generally well acquaint-
ed with it, but it is always limited in quantity,
so that there is hai'dly enough on hand at any
time or place to make a general application of
it iis an insecticide. Be that as it may, Mr.
H. applied it, and finer, cleaner, healthier
trees we never saw than his were during the
following summer. Every scale was loosened
and the subsequent rains washed them ofl",
and left the trees as perfectly renovated as
could be reasonably expected from trees so
badly infested ; but about midsummer it could
hardly have been told that they had ever been
afflicted with bark-lice. Now, it is not to be
inferred from this that no otheroil will answer
the purpose but neat's-foot oil, for we presume
that any pure and clean liquid oil will answer.
There are some oils, however, that we would
by no means recommend, such, for instance,
as linseed-oil, or any oil that leaves a gummy or
mucilaginous deposit on the bark, and by
which the yiores would be closed. Nor would
we recommend coal-oil, camphene, or any
illuminating compound of that kind, for these
are known to have been injuricius to the trees.

But lard-oil, sweet-oil, or any other liquid
oil or fat than those excepted. Neither would
we recommend applying the oil during cold
winter weather, for the reason that it would
be apt to congeal, and not penetrate sufficient-
ly the places intended to be reached by its ap-
plications. Moreover, during winter there are
nothing but eggs under the dry shells of the
females of the previous season. But in the
warm sjiring, and just before the leaf and
blossom buds have expanded, we would con-
sider the most iiro)ier time ; because the oil
would then remain liquid and gradually pene-

187(i.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

trate evory pnrtinn of tlio surfaco, loosen thp
scales and kill the yoiiiii; lice, it" any slionlil
have been liatclied out. Shoulii warm weather
prevail in early spriiif;, iisoft piece of " baeon-
skin " (.</)/M.'(-t-.sT,'i'r (,)■() with a thiek layer of
fat attacheil, would answer the purpose. After
the oil has been on the trees for a week or ten
days, it iniiiht be advisiUile to syringe the trees
with an jilkalious solution. This in conjune-
tion with till! oil would form a saponaceous
compound, especially if succeediul by a warm
sun, and suljse(pient rains would wash the
whole ofT, and the bark-lice alont,' with it.

Ofcour.se, it would be ditlicult, if not abso-
lutely impracticable, to apply this remedy to
large standard apple or pear trees, for on such
trees the lice do not infest very injuriously
the rou^h bark of the truidc, but thi^ smooth
and more tender barked branches ; and there-
fore, they might not be conveniently aecc.ssi-
l)le; hut on low, or even pretty larije dwarfs —
sucli for instance as could Ix! a|)proaohed by a
step ladder — we think it quite feasible and
prolitable.

A soft paint-brush we would consider the
proper implement to apply it, and with this it
might be applied, by a little care, even after
thc^ buds have hursted open, l)ut we would
reconniiend an earlier period ; because it would
not benelit and might injure the young leaves
and tlower buds ; moreover, there are usually
many of these lice congregated around and on
the buds, as the most tender placets, and affiu'd-
ing them the most nourishment. But even if
the bark-liceare successfully removed, through
negU^ct tliey may appear subseiiuently again,
therefore, the only safety is in constant vigi-
lance.

«■

AN OPEN WINTER.

The present winter thus far (February 1st)
h.as been a rather remarkable one, but by no
means a unique one, even within our own re-
collection. It can almost be said, we have
had no snow. The slight snow that fell about
the middleof Januxrydid not lieon the ground
six hours, even in the open lieUls and forests,
and could hardly be dignified with the name
of a snow fall, when compared with those that
save character to the winters of Lancaster
countj' in times that have iias,sed. There were
a few cold days, and some ice made;, liut the
thickest was scarcely four inches— nothing in
comparison with the twenty inch ice of last
winter. The verj' coldest temperature was
eight degrees above zero, whilst last winter it
was fourteen below, before the first of Febru-
ary. The ice crop, which a few years ago was
generally regarded in the light of a luxury,
that only the few could afford to indulge in,
has come to be almost a necessity with a very
large proiwrtion of our population; and hence
its success or failure is a matter which creates
considerable anxiety, [ce cream, iced tea,
iced coffee, and various other iced summer
drinks, as well as general refrigerating pur-
poses, for the preservation and conveyance of
meats, butter, fish and fruits, are now so ex-
tensively used that they are passing out of the
category of luxuries, and taking rank as
necessities.

It is on record that the winter of 177.5 and
177(5, the first year of our national existence,
was very similar to the present winter, and as
it then was favorable to the initiation of the
new era. so it is favorable now, in preparing
to celebrate the centemiial of that era.

The Dandelion bloomed in .January of the
present year, occasional bees and wasps were
abroad, and every day the busy little English
sparrows thronged the streets of Lancaster.
On the asth nit., the thermomi'ter rose tot;.")^
and continued at that point until nightfall; no
frost at all in the ground, and the roads in an
exceedingly muddy condition.

The winter of ISW and 1S47 w.as very simi-
lar to the present one. The first day of .Janu-
ary, 1847, was even warmer and sunnier than
the 2.St1i of .January, 1S7()— bees, bugs, beetles,
and butterllies were abroad, and as active as
they usually are in Ai)ril and May. Lieut.
Cochran, who fell at lleseca de la Falraa, the
second day of the flrat battle in the Mexican

war, was buried at Columbia with a))propnate
honors on that ilay; the " Jjancaster Fi'Uei-
bles," midcr comuiand of Capl. Uuchman,
forming part of the eS('ort, and the day was
bright and genial as any in spring.

What effect such a winter :is the present will
have upon the wheat and glass crops, it is im-
possible yet to tell. It is^snpposed that thus
far they have not been injured, if they have
not been greatly benefited. The winter has
lieen characterized by copious piuielrating
rains, and the earth has been thoroughly .satu-
rated, and thus far tlu^ grain is in a growing
coiiilition. Long continued cold, dry \vinds,
with heavy freezing weather in February ancl
March, may be injurious.

PECULIAR EFFECTS OF WINTER
HEAT.

Although at this writing the weather is ex-
ceedingly (!old and stormy, (February .'!) yet
on the ;2Slli and 'JUth of .January, it was un-
usually warm, (thermometer about 70) and as
.a conseiiuenee the vegetable worM m.ide great
strides forward. The leaf and tlower buds of
m.iny trees were so nuich swollen that they
seemed ready to burst forth into livif and
bloom, whilst some shrnbbi'ry was still mrne
advanced. Branchesof tlie S/ih-ca were brought
to the meeting of the Linna-an Society, with
the leaves fully half expanded, and tli(; same
was reported of Libics and Hoaei^ in some city
localities, and the Saow-droiis pushed up
through tlie earth and seemed ready to jjloom;
while the I)nnibliiiiis in the open lields, ex-
panded tlH'ir golden flowers in their nsual
vernal profusion. The grain and grass also
(lut on their garb of luxuriant green. Not
only the vegetation, but also the insect world
manifested the ell'ects of tli(! unusually mild
temperature. IJees and wasps sallied forth on
their honey hunting missions, and regaled
themselves on sweetmeats, wherevertliey could
gain access to groceries and confectioneries
through the open doors or windows. Darkling
beetles — Harpnlhhv. — and (irasshoppers —
Licmtadce — also ventured out on the sunny
sides of fences, rocks and earthy mounds,
seemingly content with a temporary bath
under thi^ rays of sol. Here and there a lone-
ly and lialf-frightened specimen of Pieria nipiv,
or " White cabbage Butterlly," would juirsue
his solitary tiight ; Ijut this is not extraordinary
for this insect ; beitause last winter one was
captured in this city, during a short int(u-val
of mild weather in February, although there
was six inc'hes of snow on the ground at the
time, and many i)eoi)le were engaged in gather-
ing their crop of ice.

Not a particle of frost was in the earth oti the
•28th and 'iDth of January, and had not been for
some days previous. Several species of moths
of the Nocluidir and 'J'urtriciibt' families were
abroad in theevening mi houses, gaining access
through the oi)en doons. One particular species
of the former family has the size and general
markings of I'rof. Ililey's A<ir<itix sraiKhus,
except that it is very much darker in color.
Indeeil, unless somebody takes ui) this t'aniily
as a specialty, makes a life-study of them,
and describes and illustrates them carefully,
we shall remain in the dark as to theirspecies.
Twenty years ago we gathered alxuit twenty-
live specimens of "Cut-worms," that had
been depredating in a "cabbage-patch. " They
dill'ered very much in size but more in color,
being from a light greenish-grey to nearly a
black— a greenish-black. We placed them in
a box with earth, and every evening gaye them
a quantity of cabbage plants ; and, in due
time developed about fifteen moths, and these
differed as much as the worms did, in size,
marking and intensity of color ; and there
would not have been much dilliculty in' mik-
ing six or eight species of them. When we
submitted them to the only Kntomolgists to
whom we had access, they did not seem to
know .as much about them specifically, as wi'
did ourselt, but the inference w;is that they
were all varieties of the same species.

But this is a digre.ssion. We are writing
upon the efi'ect this, thus far, remarkable

winter, will have upon the flora and entomo-
logical fauna of the country, for at this writing
(February .'t.) we have a very "cold snap."
We cannot desire it to continue so ciiUl in
order to kill off the noxious insecla, l>ucauae
that might also involve vegetiition.

THE "SNOWFLAKE" AND -EUREKA'
POTATOES.

Mes.srs. B. K. Bliss & .Sons having hust
S|)ring ofTered 8">IHI in premiums to growers of
the. largest (pianlity of potatoes of the varie-
ties known ;is " Snowtlake" and " Kiireka,"
from one pound of .seed, the committee on
the first of .lanuary awaiiled tint premiums as
follows, tliere being six for e;ich variety, rang-
ing from jfKti) to SID:

Snowki.ake: 1'. C. Wood, Esther, III.,
1417 pounds ; ,L L. Perkins. Little Sioux,
Iowa, i:j()4 pounds ; Fred'k l[. Seller, \'erona,
K.s.sex CO., N. .L, IIJ") pounds; .J. I.Salter,
St. Cloud, Minn., lO'.HH pounds: Alfred Hose,
I'enn Van, N. V., losilj pounds ; Henry V.
Rose; Penn Van, N. V., KXi'.l}.

KrttEtvA: .1. L. IVrkiu.s, Little Sioux, Iowa,
llidCrl |)ounds; P. C. Wood, Kslher, III., 14t):{
pounds; .Vlfred llose, I'enn Van, N. Y., IM'.I
pounds; .Milton M. Rose, Penn Van, N. V.,114.")
pounds; .J. I. Salter, St. Cloud, Minn., 1()S7
pounds; Henry V. Rose,Penn Van,N. V.,l<J0(5i
pounds.

The (•ommitlee in their report say that
" when two years ago your committee award-
eil the first prize for the largest yield of extra
Early Vermont potatoes from one pound of
seed, to Mr. Salter, of Minnesota, for the then
unpriiCedented yield of six hundred and seven
(Gl)7) pounds, many considered the eliniax of
productiveness reached, and not a few doubted
that such a (piant ity had ever been grown from
so small a cpiantity of sited. Vet so much has
the general interest and ambition stimulated
the cultivators of the soil, both here and in
Europe, that in England nearly double that
aniiiunt (11182 Iti.s. ) has been grown from one
|)ouiid, and in our own country no less a yield
than nearly treble that obtained then, entitles
now to a first premium, and nothing less than
a thousand from one can win even the Ipwest
liremium. These niirvelons results will na-
turally cause, with many, suspicions about the
correctness and truth of their statements; yet
no one who has carefully examined the reports
and atlidavits, and has read Ihe many letters
received from disinterested parties, all of which
vouch for the reliability of the successful com-
petitors, can doubt the veracity of their report.s.
We have given above the full address of every
successful competitor, so that any one may
satisfy himself al)ont the standing of these
gentlemen, and if any false statements should
have been made, we would be glad to iiacer-
tain the fact, that such parties may be exposed
and exelndetl from competing for premiums to
hi' offered hereafter.'"

The soil on which >rr. Perkins produced his
enormous yield is described as "a mixture of
sand and clay, very rich in vegetable matter to
the depth of cuihlecn feci, anil underlying this
is a gravelly sub.soil. For three years the
ground was used :is a stock yard, the straw be-
ing left on the ground to rot and Ix' burned."
Another com|>etitor describes his soil as "black
loam, four feet deep, on the bank of a creek,
and it has Iteen used as a cattle yard for ten
years." Another, aa "vegetable mould and
sandy loam, three feet deep, never cultivated
before." Many describe their soil , as " deep,
very rich, the be.st potato soil in the State."

The fertilizers used eompri.se nearly every
known manure, and the quantities applied are
not less enormous than the crops raised with
them. Mo.st growers have made compounds
of various materials, and .some seem to have
faith in complicated forniula.s, which they pre-
pare with the accuracy of a phy.sician's pre-
scription. About the value of wood ashe-s,
hen manure and i)lastcr, however, there seems
to lie no doubt, and wc find them use<l by a
large majority. Snlphurhas been used by many.
Tliis substance ihx's not enter into the compo-
sition of the potato, and it would be interest-

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February,

ing; to know if its aiiplicatioii actunlly increases
tilt! yield. Have experimeuts to this effect
been made ?

The fact that single eyes and eyelets will,
with good care, produce large crops, has been
snfticiently proved. All the large yields are
grown from very small sets. In some cases,
single eyes were divided into ten pieces, and
in one instance two himdred and forty (240)
sets were made from one pound, nearly all of
which grew well. The sets, with few excep-
tions, were planted singly, yet we find a pro-
duct of nine hundred and seventy (970) pounds
raised from fifty-two (.52) hills, two sets to each,
nearly nineteen (19) pounds per hill, and six
hundred and seventy-seven (677) bushels per
acre. Whether this large yield is due only to
the very favorable soil they grew in— a rich
black loam, formerly used as a hog yard— and
the immense cjuantity of ashes applied in the
the hills and as top-dressing— one peck to the
hill— or to the two-set system, does not ap-
pear. The planting, in nearly all cases, was
done between the 10th and 26th of May, and
one-fourth of all competitors drojiped the seed
on the 10th of May, nearly a week earlier than
in former years.

The data furnished the committee show that
although the greatest yields from one pound
grew from hills four feet ai)art, the largest
crops \)i.'r acre were raised at distances ol three
feet each way, and that as the distances be-
tween the hiils are increased or decreased, the
yield diminishes in regular iirojiortion. In the
first case, there remains wasted ground which
is not reaclied by the roots of the plants, and
in the latter, the roots are so crowded that
they cannot obtain all the nourishment they
are tapable of consuming. The mode of i)lant-
ing and cultivating with a largenuniber of the
best cultivators, consists in crossing their fields
with furrows six and more iiichf s deep. The
sets are drojiped at the crossings and immedi-
ately covered with about two inches of soil or
compost. The vines as they grow are hilled uj)
gradually and frequently to a final height of
twelve to eighteen inches. Then large, broad
hills are made, using all the soil between the
rows.

The general testimony of the competitors
for the prizes is to the superior quality of the
Snowflake as a cooking potato.

THE DAIRY INTERESTS.

Practical Hints about Making and Selecting
Good Cheese.

The great majority of people do not feel as
much interest in cheese as they do in butter,
for the reason that they consume at least
seven or eight times as many jiouuds of the
latter as they do of the former. We have
produced, this season just closed, not less than
600,000,000 jjounds of b>itter for market, to say
nothing of what is consumed by the producers
that is never taken into account. This is
fifteen pounds per capita, sujiposing the popu-
lation to be only 40,000,000. Our exports of
butter are hardly worth consideiing. We may
safely say that we have produced as muclimore
than the 600,000,000 pounds as we have and
shall export of the butter crop. Of cheese we
have produced not less than 200,000, 000 pounds,
or five pounds per capita ; but of this we shall
export not far from 120,000,000 pounds, leav-
ing 80,000,000 pounds for home consiuuption,
which is two pounds per capita. But if our
people were better judges of cheese and were
furnished a better article for home consump-
tion, we doubt not they would be nnu.'h greater
cheese eaters. As it is, the great majority are
supplied with a poor article — because they do
not know how to select a good one, or because
they prefer to buy the cheapest article regard-
less of (piality — and come to the conclusion
that they do not like cheese. We jiropose to
give them a little clue to cheese-making, and
a few hints how to select good cheese — which
may be of some service to dealers, especially
retailers — for though the quality of our cheese
is superior, on the whole, to tliat of our but-
ter, there is still a vast amount of poor cheese
seen in market.

Milk cveiy way healthy and free from taints
and bad odors is essential to the manufacture
of good cheese ; but bad milk from sick cows,
or friini cows that have just calved, or from
cows eating bad Ibod, drinking bad water, or
breathing foul air, is often made into cheese.
Much of the soft and pasty cheese, or that
which is porous afcd full of small holes, comes
from this kind of milk. Milk shut up hot in
a close can and carried to the factory in hot
weather, makes this kind of cheese. If its
character is concealed by skillful manipula-
tion, so far as apjiearance is concerned, it
never keeps well and soon takes on an otl'en-
sive odor and bad flavor. Tainted rennets
liroduce similar results ; so will ferments in-
troduced by micleanliness in utensils and im-
plements, and in the surioundings of the fac-
tory or jirivate dairy room.

Though the private dairyman has the ad-
vantage of better control of his milk in all its
stages, factory cheese, as a rule, is superior to
private dairy cheese ; and to the factory sys-
tem, with its better methods of manufacture
and the superior intelligence and skill of its
operators, do we owe a complete revolution in
the imvirovement of our cheese since 1869, and
jiiainly since 180.'j. Many jirivate dairymen
have adojited factory methods, and produce as
fine cheese as is found in market ; but such
private dairy cheese is the exception rather
than the rule. Still, we do not mean to say
that all factory cheese is good. Some of the
worst in the market comes from badly con-
ducted factories.

If cuids arc dipped too sweet and put to
press, though the milk may be ever so good,
the clieese will be soft and soon go to decay,
unless kept at a temi>erature below 60 degrees
after it is cured. It is soon ready for market,
and if immediately consumed, answers very
well.- But it has not the body and fine flavor
of cheeses made from ciu-ds that are kept lon-
ger in the vat and are more concentrated by
the action of heat and acid. But dipping
curds Soft and sweet not only ]>roduces a raji-
idly-curing cheese that can soon lie, and in-
deed must be, rushed upon the market, but
gives a larger yield because of the retention
of more moistin-e. This and the fact that the
cheese needs to be cared for during less time,
induces the manufacture of nmch soft cheese,
especially on a falling market or in anticipa-
tion of a fall, and thus in the end augments
our supply of poor cheese. Such cheese veri-
fies the old adage, "soon rii)e, soon rotten,"
and n)uch of it ultimately appears on the coun-
ters of our cheap groceries and as low-priced
cheese on oiu- market stands.

Too nuich souring of the curd produces a
dry, iioor, crimibly cheese. Sour milk cheese
generally has about the same character. The
butter in such cheese decomposes and dri])S
out with the whey. Skimmed cheese is hard,
tough and poor tasting, and partly skimmed
approaches this character. The jiractice of
putting in more rennet and dipping the curds
softer and sweeter does not disguise its charac-
ter. Though it prevents dryness, it does not
entirely get rid of the tough, leathery texture
and the imiioverished taste, nor dots it remedy
the indigestibility occasioned by the lack of
Imtter. Adding other fats, as in the ease of
oleomargarine, does not restore the fine rich
quality, nor give it the flavor of fine whole
milk cheese. The artificial grease does not
thoroughly incorporate with the caseine, and
the cheese has a coarse-grained, crumbly,
greasy and suspicious look. Rich cheese is
not greasy, but homogeneous throughout, firm
in texture, yet readily breaking down soft and
mellow between the fingers at a sununer tem-
perature, and melting almost like butter in the
mouth and leaving a pleasant, natty flavor
that is exceedingly relishalile. It has no otten-
sivo or disagreeable odor, has no round holes
in it, large or small, though there may be ir-
regular oj)enings because the curd was not
quite pi-essed together. There is no sour taste
or smell, no trace of whey, no moisture of an
extraneous character ; neither is it dry, or
hard, or cnunbly. Kew cheese not fully cured
may have an agreeable acid taste, but such

cheese is not fit to cut and should not be eaten.
It is what buyers call "curdy " or under-ripe.
Sour cheese may be made in the curing room
where the temperature is changeable and re-
mains too low for several days before the
cheese is cured, or after it is just made and
placed in the curing room. So i)orous cheese
may be made by too high a temperature and
too rapid curing, but the holes in such a cheese
are large and not seriously objectionable, un-
less too ninnerous. The flavor is liable to have
been injured, but it may remain all right.
Such cheeses generally settle down and have
square edges and the smooth faces of good
cheeses, but the buyer should criticise such
pretty closely. By all means let the retailer
shun the cheese that is full of fine holes, not
much larger and sometimes smaller than pin-
heads. They are an unmistakable evidence
of bad milk, either from diseased cows or
tainted after milking and before it was made
into cheese. Avoid all dry, tough and crumbly
cheese. Avoid all cheese with rounded faces.
Avoid all rank-tasting cheese as either a bad
article originally, or as being good cheese far
gone in decay. Avoid all sour-tasting cheese
as made of sour milk, as soured on the ranges,
or as bad milk disguised with acid. Avoid all
cheese that is hard and unyielding to the
touch on the one extreme, and all that is elas-
tic and India-rulilier like on the other — the
first is soured and dried to death, and the
other is skinmied to death. It is safe to avoid
all low-priced cheese.

Fine cheese is always close-grained, cuts
smooth, but has a slight, regular roughness
of surface, yields to the pressure of the fin-
ger, breaks easily, but does not crumble, has
a smooth, elastic rind, breaks down mellow
and rich, but with no harsh feeling between
the thumb and finger, dissolves readily in the
mouth, but has no strong or rank flavor, and
leaves a relishable taste. Most people like
such cheese, but, seldom getting it, they fancy
that cheese has for them no special relish. If
only such cheese were thrown on the market,
the home consumption would double within a
year, and in a few years it would be tenfold
what it is now. It is a great mistake to keep
home consumers feeding on the inferior grades
of cheese, and it is a greater mistake to man-
ufacture oleomargarine, or in any way increase
the amount of the inferior makes. The poor
do not want them any more than the rich, and
will buy other food before they will eat them
at any price that will aftbrd remuneration to
the manufaettuer. We are glad it is .so. The
best is none too good for any one ; and it is
aliout time that producers and manufacturers
of all kinds got rid of the idea of palming off
all their refuse stuff on the poor.— 2'. I). Cur-
tis, in the ■A7iicricun Grocer.

ARRIVAL OF BIRDS IN 1875.

Tvrdnx migratorivs, Feb. 3; large floeke seen Feb.
17 — Kobin.

Cyanurns ci-istatus, Feb. 11 — Blue Jay.

Sialia sialis, Feb. 17 — Blue Bird.

Stnriitlta iiiiir/iin, JIaroli K) — Meadow Lark.

,4(/»/i"'".V^"''''''"''S>Iar.I7—Pa-d-wiiii;vd Blackbird.

QniaaUis rtcsico/i.c, Mar. IS— Crow Blackbird.

Colaptcs anratns, Mar. IS — Flicker.

Sayor7i.isfvscn!!, Mar. 1.5 — Pewee.

TvrdnK rinnfldnivs, Mar. 17— Thrush.

^'EyiaWisvoc-iferonx, Mar. 19— Kill-Deer.

AiUrustoians vociferous, May 2 — Whip-po-Wil.

Chaetm-a pelasgia, May 9 — Chimney Swallow.

Hirnndo horreorum, May 11— Barn Swallow.

Troglodytes redon, May 1 — House Wren.

ChordHlea popciue, May 4 — Night Hawk.

EctopixteR migraloria, seen in large flocks Mar 31.
and April 1 — Pigeon.

Qiiisadix vcrixcvlor, flocking August 1.5.

irtj-TO, of Potato-Beetle, first found June 1.— T7.
//. Spcra, Epitrata, Lancaster county, Pa.

Mr. S. is an accurate and interesting obser-
ver, and although the above was primarily in-
tended for the archives of the Linnwan Soci-
ety, yet, as that society takes The Farmer,
we consider it more easily referred to by a place
in its columns. We have also received an in-
teresting paper from the same source, upon
the periods of frondescence, florescence, fruit-
escence, and leaf fall of the leafing and bloom-
ing vegetation of the county, which we will
find a place for hereafter.

187G.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

FACTS OF NATURAL HISTORY. No. 8.

Baltimore Oriole.— (Icterus baltimore.)
"HOMES WITHOUT HANDS."

This l)ird, tlu' iicst of \vlii(-h will be recog-
nizi'd ill our illii.stnitioii, is in simic localitiL's,
pcrliups, bt^ttor known under the nanii's of
"Golden Uobiii," "Llangiiif; liiid," or "IIjuii;-
nest," than under the one above. Hy what-
ever name it may be calleil, it doe.s not in the
lea,st detract from its skill, nor diminish its
lisefuliiess ; for, in the Ionic eataloi;ue of Ameri-
can birds, it is (luestionable if a more active,
industrious, and persevering "Inseetor" is to
be found.

" Where :\p|)U's, plums ami peaches bloom,

Anil wliere they hlDoiii profusely,

Brave Ictcnix will he tOuuil,"

and every time he captures an insect he will
utter a short joyful chirp, which becomes so
familiar to the ear that his presence is recog-
nized and bis success indicated, even when be
hini.self may bo invisible. Later in tlie season
he manifests some partiality for ripe cherri(w,
but under any circumstance he does not appro-
priate any more than what would be accorded
as legitimate fees, toll, or perquisites, to any
other being, for his benevolent labors during
the blooming season ; and yet, we have seen
this bird mercilessly shot down whi-n he was
extracting his " toll, " and every shot bringing
down as many cherries as the bird would con-
sume in a week ; in which there is neither
economy nor charity.

AVe have a nest of tliis bird now before us,
which was found suspended from the branch
of a willow-tree, a few days ago, in the south-
western part of this city, and kindly donated
to the Liniwan Socictij by Mr. A. N, Brene-
inan, jr. It is very compactly woven out of
pieces of twine, linen and cotton threads, in-
tertwined with a few horseh.iirs and narrow
strips of calico, all being of the color of un-
bleached linen. It bears almost an exact like-
ness — or rather, our picture is an exact like-
ness of the nest liefore us — iiear-shaped, and
from the narrowed upper point where it is at-
tached to the small willow twigs, to the bot-
tom, outside, it is seven inches in length ; the
inside depth, from the bottom to where the
bml's beak is seen, is four inclies ; and its
outside circumference at the largest part is
nearly twelve inches. ISuch a nest is not the
work of a single day, or even a week, and it is
a great marvel how a creature without hands
could possibly put together a habitation so
•strongly and symmetrically, out of such mate-
rial; and we regret that the birds will be under
the necessity of building a new one next spring.
Mr. B. had often noticed this nest when pass-
ing the willow-tree on which it was suspend-
ed ; but when the leaves fell it became a tar-
get for the naughty boys of the neighborhood,
and one day he found it lying upon the ground.

The bird which is the architect of this nest
belongs to all of North America east of the
high central yilains, and is seven inches and
a-lialf long ; the wings three inches and three-
quarters ; "the color is black, withtlie rump,
upper tail-coverts, le.sser wing-coverts, the ter-
minal portion of all but two tail feathers, and
the breast and under parts, orange red ; the
edges of the quills and a band across the tip.s
of the greater coverts, white. The colors of
the female are much duller, the black of the
head and back being rei)laced by brownish
yellow." We have a specimen in our posses-
sion, stufled and momited by us forty-oui; years
ago, and it retains to this day almost tlie fresh-
ness and brilliancy of color it had when tirst
prepared. It belongs to the great OitDHii of
iNSEssoiiES or " Percliers," and is the typical
genus of the family Icteuid.i;, or " Blackbird
family." (Jeiu'rically allied to it an; the "Or-
chard Oriole," (Irtcrii/! xiiHi-iiix) the "Hooded
Oriole," (ick'rii.-i eucuhitita) of the lower Rio
.Grande; "Audubon's Oriole," {Trtcrua nmht-
honii) alsoof theUioGrande ; "Scott's Oriole,"
(Icteriix p(trUorum) of Texas; " Wagler's
Oriole," (L-trrus W(ifileni) of Mexico, and
"Bullock's Oriole," (Irtcriuf Jhdh,rh-!i) of ■Wes-
tern Xorth^Vmerica. The "Troupial,"(ic(cri(S

VHhj(trw<) belongs to South America an<l the
West Indies, and .sometimes, by a;rare acci-
dent, comes within the territory of the United
•States a large s|)ecies.

The<)rioles lay from four to sixjeggs, ufa
bluish-while color, sprinkled with dilfercnt
shades of dark lirown, and in our latitude they
are one-broodeil. From the activity and per-
severing industry of these birds in the early
part of t,lie season — especially our local species
— tliey cannot but exert a benelicial inlhience
upon vegetation, and more particularly on our
fruit crops. Nor are they a shy bird where
they are immole.sted. W(! have had them visit
our plum, peacli and cherry trees not more
than ten or lifteen feel from our kitchen door,
and remain on them for an hour at a time,
coming an<l going during the whole of the
sl)ring or summer day. Our species are birds
of passage, arriving in Pennsylvania from the
South about the begimiing of May, and de-
jiarting again about the end of August. It
jirefers willow, apple, walnut and tulip trees,
in [iroximity to farm houses, for its nesting
places. The "Baltimore Oriole" takes its
specilic name from Lord'Baltimon'; its colors,
whidi are black and orange red, being] the
colors of tlie livery of that nobleman, formerly
the |)roprietary of Maryland. The males do
not ac(piire their plumage in i)erl'ccliiin inilil

a careles.s ploughboy ^whistling for his own

anmsemi^nt."

" Iliirli on yon jwiplnr, ehul In fflosey Bhppii,
Ttii' iiraiiife lilnek-<iip|>c<l Ballliriore l« seen ;
The l)m:ii| exU'mli-iI l)OU'_'h»sllll pleune him liest :
Ueneulh Iheir ln'nillni; skirtH lie hiin^a hl« ni'Ot.''

they are two or three years old — the first sea-
son they differ very little from the females,
and hence sometimes they become confuseil.
Although nearly all the species construct pen-
sile nests, yet none of them exhibit the me-
chanical skill of the Baltimore specie.s.

Their principal food consists of caterpillars,
beetles, bugs and worm.s, especially beetles.

What the Baltimoie Oriole employed to
build its nest before civilization was introduc-
ed into tliis country is not very api)arent —
perhaps lil)rous roots and mos.ses — but now it
prefers twine, thn^ads and shreds of woven
fabric. They are very naughty, and some-
times skeins of silk or cotton carelessly expos-
ed, linen or cotton yarn left out to bleach or
dry, or strings of almost any kind are carried
away, and they are. oltcn noticed iiersevering-
ly tugging away at strings IIimI around objects,
tlie ends of which are hanging loose.

The .song of this binl is a pe<'uliarly clear
mellow whistle, repeated at short intervals,
as hi^ is busily engaged gleaning among tlie
Ijjanches, and we never hear it without its re-
calling

" Tlio Ii!,'ht of other days."

According to a distingui.shed author, "a cer-
tain wild ])laintiveness and tutiirlc is in it,
that is extremely interesting ; something Uke

MENTALCULTURE AMONG FARMERS.

It is obvious to every observing mind that
a new era is dawning upon farming life— an
era of intellectual (culture and improvement.
Heretofore, soil culture, lias engrossed most of
the attention of the. farmer. So that paying
crops were raised, he cared for but little else.
He was willing to doa.s others suggested about
electing men to ri'preseMit him in the Slate
Legisliitme, or in Congress, or el.sewliere. Ho
lliought everybody wimld do what w;i.s right,
make such laws as were just anil proper.
He did not trouble himself nuKtIi about what
was done, simply folliiwing where others led.
I le did not st udy the (piesli<ins that came up for
consideration, or llu' laws tliat were piuss«'(l. So
hegotulongeven tolerably well, he was satisfied.

Finally, however, he" learned he w;i.s not
getting along well at all. He found liimsi'lf
going backward instead of forward. Taxes so
high he could not pay them. Stock and pro-
duce so low that it did not pay to raise them.
Jiands tumbling down in price, and no one to
buy at even half of their former value. Money
going out of the pockets of the many into the
hands of the few. Millionaires hicre;i.sing
with alarming rapidity, and absorbing all the
gains of the i>eopIe. (Jiant monopolies, ana-
conda-like, (aushing out the lite of the people.
The vast imblic domain f^iven away to s(!hem-
ers and iilundercrs. Fraud, corruption, defal-
cation and public plunder taking the place of
virtue, hoiK'Sty and integrity in i)ublic afi^airs,
and a general sapping and undermining of
our republican institutions.

Such conduct is likely to l)ring the i>eople to
rellection. They are the rulers, though they
have not been. Tlie servants wlioin the people
have elected to take care of their interests
have usurped all power, and made laws to
suit themselves. They have Ix'come greater
than their masters. Through the clirpies tliey
control, they nominate and elect whomsoever
tlu^y please. Farmers have kept in the back-
ground, and have seen what wa.s going on, and
have felt powerless to resist. Others, who
have been active and glib of tongue, have had
everything their own way.

But, presto ! change. Farmers, six millions
.strong, have said such work must stop. But
something more than saying nuist be done.
Tliere is work to do — hard work, earnest, pro-
tracted work. The confiict must Ix' )>repared
for, for farmers have adroit, wily, persistent
foes to meet, who will never give up tlie ship
or surrender the sjioils, if they can help it.
Something more than nmnerical strength is
required. Mental strength, broad culture,
ability to meet their antagonists on thestuin|),
in the convention, or caucus, or legislative
hall, is re(iuired, or a general rout all along
the line will eiisiie. Thisability cannot be ob-
tained by sighing for it, any more than good
crops can be obtained by wishing for them,
(.'ulturc is required in both cjuses, and the more
generous the culture, the gicater the reward.

We believe farmers a)ipreciafe this, and are
pre|iaring to a,s.sert and maintain their just
rights. They are improving their h'isure h ours
ill reading. They sul)scrilK* for the best papera,
meet in the grange and elsewhere, and talk
over tlie.sc matters, take a livelier interest in
imblic schools and pul)lic all'airs generally, and
are in reality inaugurating a new era. It
lakes a long tinu' to prepari' for a revolution.
It took our forefathers a long time to airhieve
tlieir independence, and it may take tlie far-
mei's a long timi', to break the sha<-kles with
wliicli wily politicians and schemers have bound
them. But let us pray for their success and
deliverance. But each man must remenilMjr
that he is an integral part of that great num-
ber to be reached, and that just as much de-
volves upon him as upon anylKidy else, and that
he can't shirk the resihinsibility, let him try
ever so hard. — Cobmin^s llural Wvrld.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February,

SPIDERS.

S. S. E ATHVON— 7>tar Friend : In reading an arti-
cle of thine entitled "Peculiarities of Spiders," in
tlie laEt number of The Farmer, my attention was
attracted hy the following expression : " Spiders,
properly speaking, are not insects, nor are they class-
ed withthem, but form a distinct class of their own,
between the insects and the crustaceans."

Now, according to A. S. Packard, R. Leuckart, in
1848, proposed the idea that the Myriopods, Spiders,
and six-footed insects formed orders, and not classes;
and was afterwards supported by Agassiz and Dana.
Also, in his (iuide to the Study of Insects, in speak-
ing of the Arachnida, Packard says: "The order
shows its close relationship with the Dipterous in-
sects, especially when compared with the wingless
Chionea and Nycteribia, and its lowest forms (certain
mites) bear a close resemblance to some of the lower
Crustacea, as the young stages and embryonic devel-
opment are remarkably similar. The typical forms
of the order homologize too closely with the apterous
insects to allow them to be separated as a distinct
class.

" In some genera there is a decided line of demar-
cation betwc'cn the head and the thorax, which is,
however, very distinct during embryonic life, and we
do not perceive that gradual transition from mouth-
parts to swimming legs which obtains in the Crusta-
cea. The order, however, lias much lower, more
degraded forms than the Myripods even, as the genus
Demodex testifies, which may recall readily certain
intestinal worms. This we would consider as but an
example of what often occurs among all degraded
forms, of a recurrence to the archetypal form of the
articulate type, and not for this reason, as some au-
thors have done, would we place the Arachnids of
Latreille in a class by themselves, below the Myiio-
pods ; nor on recurring to the spiders alone, with
their high organization and wonderful instincts,
would we follow Professor Owen and others in plac-
ing thrm even above the true insects.

" We must look upon the spider as a hexapodous
insectidcgraded, wingless, and pa rtiallydecephalized.
A part of the elements, constituting the head in in-
sects, have been, as it were, withheld from the head
and detained in the thorax, which has thus an in-
crease in one pair of limbs. On the other hand, the
sensorial, or pre-oral regiojj of the head, is wanting
in two most important members, i. e., the compound
eyes and the antenna?. Both Zaddaeh and Claparide
state that there are no organs in the spiders homolo-
gous with the antennse of insects. The simple fact
that the homology of the organs generally is so close
between the two groups shows that they must fall
into the same class."

I herewith send his classilication of the insects ;
also those of Asassiz and Dana. Here are certainly
conflicting opinions. The inquiry comes to the mind
of the reader, which one is right? Now, the only
way to come to a just conclusion is to investigate
their comparative anatomical characters and devel-
opment ; but as I cannot do that, I must seek for
light from some other source. I therefore would
like to hear from thee more fully on this subject
through the columns of TuE Farmer. Thine truly.
Waller A'. Wuij, Lyle, Lan. eo., J'a., 12 mo. 25,1875.

The Articulates are divided into three classes,
namely : Worms, Crustaceans and Insects.

The Insects into three Orders, as follows :

Agassiz— 1849.

Packard— 186.3.

Dana— 1864.

Hexapoda.

Sub-orders, 1—7.

l.-Ctenopters.

Lepidoptera,

Hymenoptera,

Diptera,

Lepidoptera,

Diptera,

Hemiptera,

Diptera,

.\phaniptera.

Hymenoptera,

Coleoptera,

Lepidoptera,

Orthoptera,

Hcmijitera,

Hqmoptera,

Coleoptera,

Orthoptera,

Trichoptera,

Neuroptera.

2.-Elytropters.

Coleoptera,

Hemiptera,

Orthoptera.

3.-Thysanures.

Arachnida.

Sub-orders, 1 — 2.

Sub-orders, 1 — 3.

Sub-orders, 1—3.

Aranea;,

Araneina,

Araneoids,

Acari.

Pedipalpi,

Scorpionoids,

Acariua.

Acaroids.

Myriopoda.

Asa specialist, we have been in the habit of
ruling the si)iders out of the Class In.secjta
for thirty years or nioi-e ; simply because we
were early so in.structed, and liad no entomo-
logical works that recognized them as insects.
We are not ignorant of tlie positions these
animals occupy in the classifications of Agassiz,
Packard and "Dana, nor of the forty or fifty
otlier systems of classification which have come
under our observation, or we have heard of
during the period above named ; but as the
questions involved in classification were not

then settled (and are not yet settled) and our
time to devote to these studies was very limit-
ed, we long since concluded to let classifiers
figlit it out on their own line, whilst we would
endeavor to find out sometliing more about
these subjects of the animal kingdom than
their mere names, and the niches they occupy
in the great temple of classification. AVe deem
it of more practical importance to know some-
thing about the history and habits of animals,
their peculiar characters, how and upon what
they live, their transfonnations, and the peri-
ods and places of their "coming and going."
At the same time we fully recognize system-
atic aiTangement, and acknowledge ourselves
under obligations to those whose ingenious la-
borshave been devoted to the arduous and com-
plicated work of classification ; but in this, as
in all other departments of human knowledge,
we must be left in freedom to make our choice,
so far as we understand the various .systems
proposed, their rationality, and the principles
upon which they are founded. The true sys-
tem of classification is perhaps involved in
Emlri/oli gy, but even that is not yet entirely
satisfactory.

Those who run down the embrj'ological
scale to the protoplastic beginnings of organic
life, will, of course, develop different systems
of classifying the sulijects they investigate,
from those wlio only study external and fully
developed forms. Embryology is an interest-
ing and useful study, but no single lifetime
can fathom it. Agassiz fairly wore himself
out at it, and had not by any means reached
the end. Much of it is yet involved in theories
and speculations, therefore we can only wait
patiently, and investigate and explore the
material most conveniently at hand. There
is not a single class, order, section, family,
genus or species among the articulates, that
has not niunerous exceptions to the characters
by which they are proposed to be distinguislicd.
On these questions the learned in nature's
realm by no means agree. Whether any
group or division of the animal kingdom ought
to be regarded as a class or an m-der is a matter
we are willing to leave to systematists, and if
the points at issue are decided in our lifetime,
we may then adopt them.*

True, there is a sense in which spiders may
be called insects without regard to scientific
classification — just as lice, cockroaches and
mice are called vermin, or as certain species of
polyjis or zoophites are called coral insects.
The greatest difficulty, perhaps, in ruling
spiders out of the class of insects, is to find a
popular name by which to designate them.
The term Aeaciinida is not popular, and per-
haps will never become so, but if the term
insect is to include all the articulata in the
above classification, itwould perhaps be equally
difficult and unpopular when we extended it to
the myriopoda. especially the larger centipedes
which the common people in some localities
call vermin or reptiles.

Although time may develop that spiders be-
long to the .same class as insects, yet for all
practical purposes we prefer to let them remain
in a class of their own, whether it is properly
aliove or below insects. It is very certain that
works on Entomology, generally, do not recog-
nize spiders as belonging to the same class as
insects; nor do specialists, generally, regard
them as such. Whether right or WTong, we
have been so long accustomed to the Quinarian
system of MacLeay, adopted and followed
by Westwood in his very elaborate system of
classification, that we now hesitate to make
any change of our views, until doctors more
nearly agree ; and that, probably, will not be
while we are on "this side of Jordan." The
question involved seems to be, whether spiders
sliould constitute a di.stinct class, or only an
ORDER in the class Insecta. If our prefer-
ence has been for the first, it is because we
had the sujiport of the most eminent aulliori-
ties on the subject — authorities that occupied

'CnviER sayB, in bo many words, that claBses, orde. b,
familit 8 and genera are abBtractioue, but that it ie not so
with SI eoifs. (/.rtters to J/a[f.)

Geo. Henry Lewis says: "The thin<j species does not
exist ; the tei m express au ahKtravtion, like virtue or white-
nesB. Nature createB only individuals."

distinguished positions long before the names
of Agassiz, Packard and Dana were known
to science. Their systems are, however, not
entirely new, especially as to their Tkinal
order of classification. Kirby and Spence in-
troduced a system in which three annulose
classes are formed, namely, Crustacea, Arach-
nida and Insects ; and, although they differed
from that of all preceding and sulisequent sys-
tematists, they still recognize the spiders as a
distinct class, and insects as equally distinct.
Linna'us, in his great Division of Insects,
included all articulated animals possessing
articulated feet, but his chief disciple, Fabri-
cius, separated them into several classes.

Neither have systematists agreed as to what
constitutes an order, or in the names and
numbers of the sub-orders and families, nor
yet the genera included in these. The Linnrean
order, Coleoptera, included also the crickets,
cockroaches, 'grasshoppers, locusts, earwigs,
camel-crickets, &c., &c., but these were sub-
sequently eliminated and erected into the
separate orders of Orthoptera and Euplexoptera.
Although neither Agassiz, Packard nor Dana
agree in the number of their sul>orders, nor
in the precedence that one takes of another,
still their systems may be the "beginning of
the end," in classification; in the meantime,
for all practical purposes, .so far as relates to
the habits of insects and their economic rela-
tions to the products of ht:maii labor, it is of
very little consequence whetlier we distinguish
them by classes or orders. If we have not
time or ability to investigate the various sj's-
tems proposed (for they are all merc\y proposed
and none of them yet a finality,) we will have
to adopt the system of some one who has made
classification a life-long specialty, and, in any
event, we will always be finding some one that
will differ with us. Under these circumstances
we must let our correspondent make liis own
choice, whilst we retain ours.

For The LAncabteb Fabmeb.
HUMMING BIRDS.
{family TrochUida.)

The faimer has many friends among the
feathered tribes whose efficient and gratuitous
seiviccs he is always ready to acknowledge.
The few marauders who levy slight contribu-
tions upon his choice fruits during a bri^i
period, make him ample amends during t\v
rest of the season. But for the Finches, Spar®
rows, and their numerous congeners, experi"
ence has taught him his daily toil would meet"
with but poor requital. Freni hour to hour,
and fiem year to jear, without stint or stay,
the wcnderiul multiplicatit n of noxious in-
sects goes on. The artificial means for their
destiuction, that, are available to him, are few
in numl er and limiti d in their application.
The lord of ere ation here encounters an enemy,
whom, alone, he is unable to overcome, anci
he thankfully accepts the assistance of these
humble allies, who, night and day, do stout
battle in his behalf

To the smallest and swiftest of all the birds
that cleave their way through the air, the just
meed of praise has not been awarded; this is
not so much from his unwillingness to do so,
but simply because his attention has seldom or
never been directed to the good work they do
for him all the summer through. The farmer
and florist owe a debt of giatitude to the gaily
attired Humming birds, which they have sel-
dom acknowledged, and it is our present aim
to set before them as clearly as we can, a his-
tory of these beautiful creatures, and urge their
well earned claims to consideration.

The Humming birds belong to the Linniean
genus Trochilus, family Trochilida', order
Incscs.sores, tribe Tenuirostrcs. Having thus
liriefly stated their place in the great class of
aves, w^e will, in the future, eschew technicali-
ties as much as possible, and tell what we have
to say about them in language which every
reader can understand. Their name has been
given to them because of the peculiar sound
produced by the rapid vibration of their wings
as tliey dart through the air, or are poised,
seemingly motionless, before some favorite

187f).]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

flower, witli tlu'ir loiis, sleiulcr bills tlinist, into
its bosom, ('xtractiiif; tlm ucctiir and iniiiiiti'
insects to be. I'ouncl tlu-ri'. Tlio nanii' is apt
ami wvW (U'scrvrd, dilTcrin^' in tliis particnlar
from mncli of the t'ar-t'ctolK'd nomi'iiclatin'e ol'
our modern ornitlioloi;ists. The family is, in
many respi^ets, nni(iue, is easily reeo);ni/.able,
and cannot, even by an amatenr natnralist, be
liiistalven or eonfonnded with any other; it is
sharply distinjjnished from all others no less in
general appoarauce than by its technical pecii-
liaritii's.

No otlier s;rou]i of birds ajiproaclies the Tro-
cliilida! nnmerieally in (loinl of species, lint
few were known to Limuens; onrown Wilson
was aciiuainted with but a single North Amer-
ican species; Audnlion knew scleral more;
]5aird, in 1S5S, enumerated seven, while Cones,
in his "Key," (b'^T'J), describes eleven. New
species are discovered yearly. Here, in Penn-
sylvania, we liave but one variety, tlie l{\iby
Throat (T. Coluhri.f). Alxiut three linndred
and twenty-live well reeofjjiizcd ones are now
known. In the mafjiiilieent collection of Mr.
(ionld, whose splendid moiio^rai>li on this
numerous and brilliant family is much the
completest ever published, more than threes
hundred species are reprcsenteil. Xo other
cabini't in the world, either pul>lic or private,
approaches it in completeness. Wlu^n westate
that the total ntnuber of the birds of Km-oiie,
of every order and uronji, is only live hundred
and three, of which about one hundred are
also eonmion to this country, some idea of the
diversity of the Ilummin;^ bird family may be
formed, and it is not improbable that future
discoveries may prove this diminutive {jroup
equal in number to the combined bird fauna
of Europe.

There is an unusually wide variation in the
size of the several .si)ecies. This, however, was
to be expected from their number. The lart;-
est of the family, (T. Oiyus,] is nearly eiglit
inches loug, while the smallest, (T. Minimus,)
measures only an inch and a (juarter and
weighs twenty grains, and when dciijiided of
its feathers is less in size tlian some of oiu'
luunlile l)ees. Various others are two anil
two and a half inches in extent, while the
general average is from three to five inches.
The feet are very small, and the tarsi short,
so they offer but little impediment to the bird,
which si)ends so great a portion of its exist-
ence on the wing; the claws are long and ex-
ceedingly sharp, and are used l.)y sonic species
to suspend themselves daring sleep, after the
manner of various parrots. In the size and
conformation of their bills, Ilunnning birds
l)reseut most surprising variations. In general,
they are long, slender, and of eipial thickness
throughout; some are comparatively short,
others long and straight; .some have a down-
ward curve, and some arc recurved like the
bill of the avoset, being the only' examples
known among land birds with such a shaped
bill. These numerous modilications seem spe-
cially adapted to i>robe and search tlowers of
every shaiie, and what renders this inference a
positive certainty is, that certain groups alfect
those kinds of tlowers with tubuLir entrances
most in conformity with the shape of their
bills. In .some cases the bill is so enormously
developed as to exceed in length the entire
body of the bird.

The tongue of the Humming bird, like that
of Woodpeckers, and other insectiverous
birds, is retractile, an<l capable of being pro-
tuded a considerable distance beyond tlie l)ill.
It is composed of two muscular tubes united
the greater part of their length, and termina-
ting in two sharp i)oints, wliicli are slightly
widened near the tips and lind)riated ; the
tubes are of very singular structure; each con-
sists of a lamina rolled together, but not so
closely as to bring the edges into contact; a
slit runs along the outer side to some distani'c
beyond the junction of the tubes; a pin in-
serted into this (issure is easily moved along
its length. This tubular bilid tongue is sup-
posed to act like a pump, and honey is drawn
from tlowers through it by sonu; kind of suc-
tion. The tongue tips are covere<l with a
glutinous secretion, and admirably ailaptcd to

abstract minute insects from the flowers they
frecpient, and through their retnictability, the
living prey is at once tran.sferred to the a'jso-
phagns.

All birds, whether large or small, subserve
.some wise purpose in the economy of natme.
To what a great extent is the human family
indebted to them for food V Ihit while many
do not directly contribute to human sustenance,
they yet aid inm in keeping within wi.sely or-
dained limits the exci^ssin animal and vegeta-
ble life. The services of the Ilununers in this
work are not so much noticed in our northern
clime, wlittre they are comparativi'ly few, as
in those tropical regions where insect life is .so
abnu<lanl. and where these winged jewels of
the air cnulribute so largely in keeping the
almost microscopic, as wi'll as larger ins(!cts
honles within reasonablt! bounds.

There has, from time; to time, been nnicli
discussion among naturalists as to the food of
these birds. From tht^ir constantly observeil
habit of hovering about tlowers and probing
their inmost recesses with their slendi'r bills,
it was once believed hoiuiy was their only food;
but when later ouithologists proved by dissec-
tion that their stomachs were IIIUmI with count-
less minute insects, then the nectar tlieory was
well nigh abandoned, and theoppositeextreme
reached. Later and more can'ful investig.a-
tious have proved both theories to be incor-
rect; the truth lies midway between the two.
While the honey that' is contained in most
tlowers. and espeeiall^yin those most frc(jueuted
by llununiug birds, is an important object in
their search, the myriadsof insects, sometimes
so small as to escape the eye, are equally so;
insects, too, are partial to sweets, and are, in
conse(pience, drawn to flowers where tliey
may be obtained; here our diminutive friends
seek them, and in satisfying their own wants,
relieve tlu^ plants from the noxious hordes that
infest them.

The forests of the AVest India islands and
tropical South America, are covered with an
endless variety of (larasitic and other plants
that are the chosen homes of uncoinited mnn-
bers of the insect world ; IreO-ferns, the wild
plantain, begonias, bromelias, uumlierle.ss or-
chidiea and many other i)hanerogamous forms
of vegetalile life are to be seen in endless pro-
fusion ; amid the nectared calyx of their bell
and trunq)ed shaped tlowers, swanns of the
more minute l)ii)tera and Lepido|)tera sip
honey and find a grateful shade, and these
afford the Humming birds their most delicious
repast. It has been aptly said the home of
these birds is also the home of the insects.
But they do not always take insects in that
way; every careful observer must often have
had his attention drawn toourowMi splendidly
adorned visitor on warm sunnner mornings, as
he darted like a sunbeam atabuni-h of minute
flies in mid air, and, while seemiui;ly motion-
less, regaled himself t<i his heart's content,
and then took his departure as hurriedly as he
came.

Darwin, in his "Voyage of a Naturalist,"
(and, by tlie way, much the best book he ever
wrote) speaks of meeting a well-known species
on Chiloc island ; he Siiys "at the time of the
year I refer to, there were few flowers, hence
I was quite sure they did not live on honey;
and on opeiiing the stomach and upper intes-
tine, I could, with the aid of a lens, plainly
distinguish In a yellow fluid, morsels of the
wings of the diptera. It is evi<lent thesi^ birds
search for minute insects in their winter
quarters under the thick foliage. I opened
the stomachs of several specimens which were
shot in dilTerent parts of the contini'iit, and in
all, remains of insects were so numerous as
often to present a black comminuted mass as
in the stomacli of a creeiier." An eminent
Engli.sh ornithologist has .said that a Ilnmining
bird will eat its own weight of insects daily.

We have as yet said nothing conci'rningone
of the most distinguishing features of this re-
markalile family of birds— the gorgeously col-
ored jilumage with which they are clothed.
All the other feathered trilies niu.st i)ale their
ineffectual fires in the presence of these re-
splendent serial gems. The gaudy plumage of

the lories and macaws yiehls to the brilliant
slu'i'U ofthe.se veritable things of beauty. A»
they are the smallest, so are they also the miKSt
beautiful of all the feathered denizens of the
earth. The colors of the emerald, the ruby,
the .sapphire, the topaz and the amethyst are
all reflected from the variegated splendor of
their dre.s.s. The changeableue.ss in the hues
of the hnnnning binls is very remarkable ; this
is suppo.sed to be "due to the |H'Culiur organi-
zation of the feathei-s and the manner in which
the luminous raysare reflected on falling upon
thi^m; each feather when minutely inspected,
shows myriads of facets .so disposed as to pre-
sent many angles to the ineiclence of light,
which will be divi'i"sely reflected according to
the position of the leather; thus emerald may
change to a velvety black, crimson to blue, a
vivid fire color to a rich green, and so on
through innumerable ever-clmngiug shades and
colors."

It has been mooted whether Ihe-se bright
colors are permanent or peculiar to the season
of coiulshi|i only. Cabinets containing hun-
dreds of specimen.s, and nearly all of rich and
vivid hues, ))rove the former, although we
may reiusonably conclu<le the colors are inten-
sifieil during the nuptial seiuson. Such is the
case with many other birds whose wondrous
changes in dri'ss before and after thi' amatory
period are well known. Where, however, a
grou)) of birds breed through the entire year,
as Hummingbirds do in (iniana and Brazil,
we may always expect to find them in their
resiilenilent iiarb, and individuals are rarely
met in what miglit be considered an undress
suit.

During the period of nidification, temporary
adormnents in the shape of crests, tnftu, ruBH
and gorgets are ln'Stowed on many species of
these already gaudy birds; language fails
utterly to describe the almost ideal beauty of
tlie.se nuptial decorations; nothing in the en-
tire range of animated nature can vie with
them in brilliancy. Nor does a cabinet collec-
tion of sjieciniens convey an adeiiuate idea of
their i)risniatic radiance while alive; when
dead they lose nuich of the metallic lustre
that belongs to the living birds. And what,
it may lie asked, is the design and purin)se of
all this tenqiorary splendor? Science stands
nnite and humble when confronted with this
([uestion. Doubtless it is conferred for .some
wise purpose, but of its true intent we aro
hopelessly ignorant, just ius we are of many
other peculiarities found among the feathered
creation.

The wings are so much curved in their ex-
terior outline as to be almost s;ihre or sickle-
.shaped in .some varieties, and generally exceed
the tail in Uaigth. The outer primary <piill is
invariably the longest ; the shafts are remark-
ably strong and elastic, and freciueiitly show
an extraordinary delvelopment at their base.
The lamina- of the quills are narrow, but .so
compact that when in use they present a sur-
face to the air so clo.se and rigid as to produce
the humming sound by which they are ktiown,
and affording in this particular a striking con-
trast to nocturnal birds, such iis owls, the
webs of who.se feathers are so soft and loo.se us
to create no distinuui.shable sound as they
swoop upon their unspeeting prey.

As might be suppose<l from their dexterity
on the wing and great ikiwci-s of flight, the
tails a.s well as the wings are well develoiied
and powerful ; lln'V show a wonderful diver-
sity in shajie, size and otlun- iiarticidai-s ; in
many species thy are considerably longer than
the body and highlv ornaiueulcd ; in another
it is composed of only six feathers, a reinarkii-
ble anomaly in the history of the bird family,
no other being known with so small a numlier
nor is this an accidi-ntal variation — it is found
to be constant, (iencrally s|M'akini,', the male
.and female differ widely in their plumage and
are sometimes mistaken f(U- different s|H'<;ie8 ;
in other cases the sexes are clothed so nearly
alike, that dissc'ction alone can determine the
difference between them.

The nest.sof Humming birds are lieautiful
exam|ilesof bird architecture; they varyalmost
as widely iuj the plumage of the birds them-

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February,

selves ; in size they are both large and small,
being adapted to the rcfiuirements of the par-
ticular species; the materials that enter into
their composition arc nearly the same through
the entire family ; these are generally cotton,
thistle-down, spiders' webs, hair, root tendrils,
moss and lichens. The nest of the Euby
Throated humming bird, which is the species
common in our gardens, may be considered
as representative of the entire group ; we have
always found it attached to the upper side of
a horizontal limb or twig, although Wilson
states having foimd it on a moss-covered
stump or some strong stalk or weed; the nest
is about an inch high and slightly less in
diameter, the upper margin being slightly over-
hanging ; some species build dome-shaped
nests, others conical ones, while some again
are cup-shaped and of extremely elaborate con-
struction, although this latter feature is not
common to them all. In most cases the ne.sts
resemble in color the limbs to which they
are attached so much as to l)e taken for a knot
or excrescence of the same. The nests are
never more than twelveor-fifteen feet from the
ground, and olten much less.

In these beautifully elaborate nests, two
piu'e white eggs of nearly oval form, are de-
posited ; these are rather large in proportion
to the size of the bird ; those of our own spe-
cies measure five-eighths of an inch in length
and three-eighths in breadth. The eggs are not
laid at regular intervals, sometimes six or
eight days elapse between the laying of the
first and second egg ; the chick in the one is
often far advanced before the other is laid, and
this fact has given rise to the belief that some
varieties lay but a single egg, their nest having
been found with only one egg, and that one
in a partially brooded condition. — Frank B.
Diffenddffcr, Lunccister, Pa.

[CONCLUSIOK IN NEXT NUMBEB.]

For The Lancaster Farmer.

LANCASTER COUNTY AS A GRAND
APPLE ORCHARD.

I lived in Duchess county, New York State,
and it was, and still is called the "Garden
county of the State." It is richly decorated
with wealthy niral estates— highly embellished.
The farmers mostly own their farms, and are
descendants of Holland and Germany. Their
farming is skillful and successful ; it is clean ;
no wild bushes arc seen along the fences.
They grow great quantities of tree fruits ; es-
pecially apples. The Esopus Spitzenburg is
grown most plentifully. It is [iroduced in
gi-eat perfection and commands a high price in
New York city. Kieh and poor have their
barrels of cider for winter use. Farmers own-
ing their lands are wealthy and happy, through
their industry.

I lived in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania,
which is also well named the " Garden county
of the State." The farmers are skillful and
industrious; their fanning is clean, no waste
strips at the fences. The culture of tobacco
instead of tree fruits, is an evil ; it takes all off
the lands without giving any return ; that will
ruin the lands. It is an immediate gain, but
a severe less in the end. The a])ple "Cart-
house " was the favorite while I lived there.
I have traveled much over six States, and
nowhere could I find a better soil, climate and
lay of lands than Lancaster county for the cul-
ture of tree fruits. Yet they are not so much
grown as they should be. They would enhance
the value of farms it sold, or if divided among
offspring after the death of the parents. Oh !
Lancaster county, make thyself the apple
orchard of the nation.— 0/(? Cultivator, Pliila-
delxjhia, Feb. 2, 1870.

The Grangers : We print in this issue the
annual address of Mr. Jas. G. McSparran,
Master of Fulton Grange of the Patrons of
Husbandry, which contains much that will in-
terest, not only Grangers, but the general
reader. Mr. McSparran is one of the most
active and intelligent members of the order in
this county, and thoroughly understands the
aims and policy of the organization.

For The Lancaster Farmer,
A FEW NOTES AND REMARKSON NEW
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

'' To the Editor of The Lancaster Farmer: Of
the many varieties of apples, it would be
superfiuous even to give the names of all that
have recently made their advent among ponio-
logists. Still, a few worthy of notice may be
named. The "All Summer," of Casper Ilil-
ler, is really a most valuable apple for the des-
sert — as a mild and pleasant eating apple dur-
ing its seascm. The " Mcllinger " is highly
spoken of by Charles Downing, and as both
these are Lancaster comity seedlings, they de-
serve to be more extensively planted. The
"Pearl " of Chester county, and the "Creek,"
of York county, are both worthy of being bet-
ter known.

Of pears, the "Souvenir de Congress,"
though a foreign fruit, is highly reconnnended
by those who have it in bearing. "Pratt's
No. 22," Hon. M.P. Wilder tells us, isworthy
of being placed at the head of the list. Then
the " Ilosen Shenk " and "Neff" pears are
not excelled by any from foreign parts; and
being " to the Manor born," should be more
extensively planted, instead of untried foreign
varieties.

Plums are so imcertain, owing chiefly to the
depredations of the curculio, that it is dis-
couraging to plant trees of the prunes and
gages, so that we should turn our attention
more to native varieties, such as the "Wild
Goose " and " Miner " plums. These, though
not equal to the finer kinds, are yet very valu-
able, as both are certainly of very good
quality, either for market or home use. Evi
dently the curculio does not cause these to
drop the fruit, probably owing to a difli-
culty of puncturing the tough and smooth
skin. As these varieties generally bear good
crops of very beautiful yellow plums, with red
cheeks, they are both valuable. For several
years agents have been selling some other
variety of plum trees for Wild Goose, thus
creating an impression that Wild Goose are as
liable to the attacks of the little "turk" as
any others, which is not true, in fact.

Of peaches we are getting so many new —
very early and very late ones — that the peach
season will be extended to over four months.
Amsden June, Early Alexander, several of
River's of England, and a new one of H. M.
Engle's, all said to be earlier than Hale's
Early. Then comes Salway and S. Miller's
Steatly, prolonging the peach season into
November.

Of cherries, the "Liets" is highly spoken
of; the "Black Republican," of Oregon;
River's "Early Amber," and the " Weeping
Bigarreau," from Canada, are all well worthy
of a trial.

Grapes are also "too numerous to mention."
The many crosses between native and foreign,
of Rogers', Underbill's, Dr. Wylie's and
others, are certainly a gi^eat improvement in
quality over our former native varieties, and,
in most localities, are as hardy and healthy as
any. Unfortunately, there is a prejudice with
some persons, that foreign varieties crossed on
our natives causes the seedlings to be more
tender, as also more liable to disease. I have
not found them so, as most of those I have
tesetd (over thirty varieties) are as hardy and
healthy, indeed, moreso, than our old Catawba
and Isabella. There are now several persons
that we know of who are experimenting in
the crosshig, or hybridizing natives on natives;
and from what has already been accomplished
in this direction, if all said is true, we may
soon have gra])es sujierior to any " we ever
dreamed of." A Mr. Folsom, of Attica, New
York, raised a seedling from Isaliella, named
it "Eureka," meaning I have found it. From
this he again raised a number of seedlings,
some of them very early, and others of such
remarkable keeping qualities that some good
judges supposed them to be just plucked from
the vines, while the fact was, they were of the
previous season's growth, and simply kept in
a flour barrel in the cellar alongside of a bar-
rel of potatoes — the potatoes freezing and
rotting, and the gr.T ■ remaining in good eat-

ing condition for twelve months. Through
cold of winter and heat of summer, these aeecl-
lings, it is said, are far superior to the parent
Isabella. At exhibitions, his grapes took pre-
miums over all others. Another gentleman in
southwestern Missoviri is collecting and rais-
ing seedlings of the wild .^Estevalis or Summer
grape, and claims that he already has several
that are superior wine giapes, and some as
table grapes; and that this species is free from
rot and mildew, so injurious to others. And,
again, there is an ex-editor in New Jersey who
Mr. Fidler says " has been experimenting in
raising seedlings, and in a half jocular, /air
warning to the {)rofessionals, like Mr. Ricketts,
Ilusmann, Campbell, Miller, and Caywood,
that they may look to their laurels, as the ex-
editor is certainly on their tracks, and with a
good chance of coming out ahead on pure
native grapes." From another source we hear
that he has already seventeen white and six
black grapes. His own statement is, "that
nothing in the United States can compare with
these gra]>es;" (!) but will not part with a bud
until he has gi'own a hundred plants of each
variety, when he will offer them for sale."
Thus the " coming grape " will be along pro-
bably before a second Centennial year comes
round.

As to strawbenies, "Star of the West,"
"Triumph of Cumberland," and "Colonel
Cheney," are said to excel any that have here-
tofore been grown. There are also several
new rasplterries and blackberries.

Of vegetables, the Tong Qua, or Chinese
cucumber, is quite a novelty, weighing ten
pounds and over, said to be eaten in China
while small. The Bismarck cucumber, and
the singular Russian cucumbers, are alsonew.
The salad plant from Japan, growing into a
bush three feet high, and very fragrant; the
blossoms are cut off and salted, and thus form
an agreeable condiment. The '■'■ String melon,^^
also from Japan, said to be excellent while
young. Another is a squash, from Japan, of
which, as yet, we know nothing.

I might mention other fruits and vegetables,
but this article is already longer then I in-
tended. — J. B. Garber, Columbia, Pa., Jan.

31, 1876.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
MAKE HOT-BEDS.

When this gets to the readers it will be time
to make hot-beds to raise early cabbages,
tomatoes and egg plants to plant out in June.
Eveiy industrious farmer wishes to make and
raise all his requisites at home, and everj' one
may have his own hot-bed, to raise tender
plants from seeds, for his garden, at a small
cost. Almost every carpenter can niake the
frame and sashes and have them glazed, all
ready for use. Make the frame 150 inches deep
behind and 24 inches in front, the sides sloping
and of the size for the sash. A frame of two
sash will raise all plants needed. The sash
may be five or six feet long, with fom' rows of
glass ; the panes seven by nine inches. Four
rows of seven inches, with half inch between
on laths, and the outer frame three inches
broad, will make the sashes three feet broad ;
a strip of two inches fastened upon the cross-
tie will make the frame six feet two inches
broad, and the length of the sash. A lath, an
uich thick, should be nailed upon the* upper
edges of tlie sides, to be two inches above the
edges, to keep the sash in their place. The
sash slide upon the cross-tie, in the middle of
the frame and the outer edges of the frame.
Set the frame in a sunny and sheltered spot,
half sunk and half banked up with soil and
sodded over. Put horse dimg in eighteen
inches deep, place the sash on close, aud cover
them over night with sfraw mats or wooden
covers. "When the manure gets very hot shake
it loosely up, then press it lightly down, so as
to slope from front to back. The frames
should be set sloping towards the sun, and to
face the south or southeast. Put soil, finely
liroken, six inches thick, all over the dung in
the frames. Put the sash close on and cover
over night. In forty-eight hours the soil will
be heated. Dress it finely with hoe aud rake ;

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

tlien niakp sluillow drills from front to hack,
with the linger or a small stick, six indies
ajiart ; sow the seeds in them, then cover with
soil and smooth thesurface with a lirm pressnre
of tlie spade. 8ow the ^•<xfi plant seeds in tho
middk% a.s they need the greatest heat. In
two days after sowinj;, youni; plants of cab-
bages and tomatoes will be thro\igh the ground.
It may 1k> ten days before the egg jilants are
up. The Siish should 1k' raised behind every
day ; put in a stick to keep the sash up, say
one or two inches on good days, and on very
cold and windy days the sash may be closed
all (hiy, iniluss there is much steam in the ))ed,
if that l)i' the case raise tlie sash an ineli to let
the steam escape and fresh air get in, but shut
close early in aftcDioons of very cold days.
Cover over niglit while the cold weather lasts,
rick out all weeds and the good plants will
grow the Ix'tter. When the soil gets dry water
it through the .sprinkler of a garden watering-
pot, ^lake the water bike w arm, and apply
it about 10 o'clock in the morning; then lit
the sash close on for an hour, to raise a steam
from the watering, to fall upon the plants like
dew. (Jive more air as the ilays grow longer
and weather gets warmer. — IF. £., I'liilaxVa,
Fib. 1, 1S7G.

For The Lanoastbk Fabmeb.
CORN CULTURE.

Mr. Editok:^T noticed an article fi'om
.T. B. G. in tlie January number of The
Fakmeu under the caption — " Is a change of
seed neces.sary V" As I liave made corn
farming a specialty all my lilic, lam convinced
more fully tlian ever, especially during the last
four or live years, that corn is the most protit-
tablc crop that farmers can raise. I would
like to Ivuow more about Mr. CJooper's experi-
ence, believing as he ihies, that "in-and-in
breedhig" will not deteriorate grain ; Ijut that
from the same old stock, wliich at first pro-
duces only one car or "nubbin," two or three
or even four ears may be produced from a
single stalk. Does he mean to say that from
seventy-live to one liundred bushels to the acre
is not a crop, and instead thereof three or
four times tliat quantity can be raised at the
present time? I raised ninety busliels to the
acre in 1870, when two ears to a stalk were an
exception, selecting my seed when cribbing,
insisting that it must be done. In 1874 mj' seed
was damaged and I made my selections from
the crib, and my yield that j'ear was ninety
busliels of shelled corn per acre, in a field of
eighteen acres. I began to make my selec-
tions for 187.5 wlieu cribbing it, and wlien I
came to examine it, behold, the mice had
"milled" it to such an extent as to render it
worthless. I again resorted to the crib, and
my yii'ld that year (187.5) was eighty-seven and
a half busliels per acre, in a field of nineteen
acres — two best crops, in succession, I ever
raised. I i)lanted one grain every twelve or
fifteen inches aiiart, and had only one ear to a
stalk, an<l not very large at that. Simjily in-
creasing the numlier of ears to the stalk and
not the number of bushels to the acre, would
be no improvement, in my opinion, as we in
Lancaster county consider the fodder worth
a good deal for feed and the otfal for manure.

Mr. J. B. G., please give us facts more fully
of Mr. Cooper's experience, and oblige our
Lancaster county farmers. — J. B., lioihsnlle,
Lancaster cmaiti/. Pa.

V. a. — What kind of fertilizers does he use
and how does lie apply them? When does he
plow liis corn land V How does he plant his
corn V and how many bushels d<ies he rai.se per
acre V The answers of these questions would
be a great help.— .7. H.

The FuriT Gkowetjs' Society : The in-
teresting abstract report of the annual meeting
of the Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' .Society,
which we print in this issue of The F.\HMKii,
is copied from the columns of that excellent
weekly newspaper, Tlic Burks Cotmti/ Intelli-
gencer. It is the first horticultural gun of the
Centennial year, and has a decidedly healthy
ring.

Fop Thk Lancabtku Faumkh,
TESTING FERTILIZERS AND THEIR
CONTINUED ACTION.

Experiments Made at the Experimental Farm,
West Grove, Chester County, Penn'a.

In 1S72, ]ilots containing one-eightli acre
were laid out and the following fertilizei-s ap-
plied at the rate of ifflOwortli jier acre, for the
wheat crop.

The fertilizers were sown broadcast and har-
rowed in, except where otherwise stated.
Wheat sown September 17th, 187J. The re-
sults on succeeding crops up to this time are
noted :

i--t

-1

Z.aC

S •

°~J

n ii

Sfji

1. Bone anil ashes comiKiRtcd, -

:i().4«

.5,.').')2 93.C.I

3. Aeidululed South Ciirolina rock,

:u.22

.'■,,r,(Ki ;w.(i4

:i Kiiinit,

2MM

4,1111(1 ST.Kl

4. I'roC. Vine's "wheat food," -

:w.2>s

4,!m;o (11. (ih

r,. No fertilizer, - . . - [2.5.20

H,H20i81.(W

6. (irouiid lione, so^vn broadcast and

lijirrowed in, . _ _

29..'58

5,648

98.24

7. Grouiiii bone, one-lialf ns aI)ove,

one-halt drilled In with the

wheat, - - - . -

.31.44

.5,728

97..56

8. Ground bone, all drilled in with

the wheat, - - . -

3.3.3B

.5,680|98.fM

In the above comparison it maylje seen that
the Acidulated South Carolina rock gave an
increase of il -i-CiO bushels of wheat per acre,
over the unmanured plot, in 1873 ; also an in-
crease of l,t)80 pounds of hay in 1874, and in
187.5 an iiicrca.se of 11 12-72 bushels of corn.

Now, valuing the wheat at .§1.30 per bushel
and the hay at ?15 per ton, and tlie corn at
50 cents per bushel, and we have an aggregate
increase in the value of products, in tliree
years, amounting to .1f20 '.12, from one applica-
tion of $10 worth of Acidulated South Caro-
lina rock.

Note. — The Acidulated Rock eostf.30per ton, and
analyzed — 7 per cent, soluble phosphorous acid ; 5.84
per cent, insoluble phos|ihorous acid.

The ground hone cost ?41, and analyzed —

Bonephosphateof lime, 4.5. 7S, PoOs, 20.97 per cent.

Nitrogen, '.i.'2S per cent.

The bone and ashes compost, was 1 ton of bone
and .50 bushels of ashes, thorouirhly mixed.

The Kainite cost ^2.5 per ton, and contained potas-
sium, 14 per cent. : sulphate of potassa, 2S per cent.
— Joh}i. I. Carter, Experimental Farm, b'csi Grove,
Chester co., Pa.

For The Lancaster Fabheb.
RURAL LIFE.

Rural life without gardening would be mo-
notonous. Even with the ainiiencc of agri-
cultural wealth there would be an irksome
sameness, unless relieved with some orna-
mental emljellishments to the grounds around
our dwelling houses. Even a shade tree at
the humble cot, liy the wayside, takes off its
baldness in summer; and one or two dwarf,
hardy evergreens near to it, and a geraniura
in its window, gives it the air of cheerfulness
and contentment. In winter we would expect
more about the fann lunuic. Two or three
stately evergreen trees, with a few hardy,
evergreen shrubs, make the place an object
of mark upon tlie winter land.scape. The
trees, for summer shade, may he eiierry, chest-
nut, pear and apple, in bearing. They are
beautiful in bloom and liandsonie in fruit, and
unite the useful and the beautiful. A piece
of lawn in front, decorated witli a few (lowers
in summer, and (ilaiits in tlie windows in
winter, makes all cheei-ful.

About the cottages and mansions of the
wealthy we should expect to sec a well-kept
lawn, embeUi.shed with ornamental trees and
shrubs ; the deciduous for blossoms and
fragrance in summer, and lovely evergreens to
enliven the whole in winter. The groiUKls
may be small or larg(^ ; if well decorated they
are admirable to look at. Even the (^mctfnj,
on .South Queen street, Lancaster city, with
its lovely evergreens, shine beautifully in the
distance towards the west, especially during
winter. — Ilorlicol, riUlMhl^ihiu, Feb. 4, 1870.

For TuK Lanoahteb Fabheb.
THE ADVANCING PROGRESS OF OUR
HUSBANDRY.

The advancing progress of our liu.slwiidry
may lie considered by the vast extent of sur-
face We cultivate, and the immeust^ quantities
of our product wliieh are exported anmiallv.
It is husbandry which opens the gateway of
the worUl and tames all nature <hiwn to its will.
JSolauy, Chiini.'ilri/ and FnUiiiinliiijii are its
lamps of light. jl//yi(r«/'«/// .soon foliows; then
all tlie various species of industry come on iit
their limes. The various lines of'nipid transit
and the teli'graph push their ways forward to
carry olT all the surjilus jiroduets and news,
and bring hack a return of other commodities.
AV'lien the numerouH speeiiiiens of the product.s
of hushaudry are exhibited at the Centennial
Exposition they will liewilder even the most
learned and skillful of our husbandmen.
When our money getssearce husbandry makes
it plenty by the iirices of its ex|Mirted pro-
ducts; in sluirt, hu.slumdry is the grand panacea
for M Worldly ills.

It was easy to raise good crops uikmi the
fresh virgin soils of the new lands, but now it
reipiires high skill and industrv to raise good
crops upon the lands which have lieen im-
poverished by long and constant croiiping.
By the better knowledge of manures and con-
centrated fertilizers, and the improved liand
and horse inipleinents and machinery, Hie
crops are raised with less cost. That is pro-
gress. See also the imiiiovcd species of live
stocks anil their produce.

To bring the subject near to ourselves; there
has been introduced hiany new species of
grains ; of wheal, oats, and new varieties of
corn, potatoes and turnips, and the more
general cultivation of lurnijis for dairy cattle
and sheep. Cabbages and onions are now ex-
tensively laid in for .ship stores; and indvidual
husbandmen grow scores of acres of them.
The Millii and Alsikv chrrr are grown to help
the yield of pasturage and hay. Our vine-
yards have vastly increased ; all our tree-
fruits have lieen improved ; and the culture of
berries is immense, lasting the whole year.
The subsoil jiloughinghasdoiibled many farms;
and, of late, the steam-plow, subsoil lifler
and clod breaker have been brought into satis-
factory use for tillage.

Horticultural iirogres.s is no less manifest.
Go where we may we see the country orna-
mented with imiPioved parks anil well culti-
vated ganlens. The great incicase of new
species of trees, shrubs and llnwers makes it
easy to embellish new grounds. There are
also many new species of^ culinary vegetables
and the skill to grow them. Arcliiticliirr, too,
the accompanying handmaid of Horticulture,
has greatly imiiroved. — Walter Elder, I'hila-
(hlphia, Jan. 31, 1870.

. — -♦.^ ■

THE PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.

Annual Address of Master James G. McSpar-
ran, of Fulton Grange, No. 66.
Another year has pas.eed. The anniinl liistallalion
of otllcers in (lur ^jrange has taken place a;;ufn. You
have thought projK'r to re-elect me Muster. lean-*
not but express my warmest thanks to you for ttils
expression of your conHdence and esteem. As you
all well know,"l did not seek the |H.silloii, but, on the
other hand, while I proteste<l acainst re-eUrlioii, Ix!
assured my objections to it did not arise from any
abatement of interest in or uiiwIUiUL'ness to lalKir in
thecau.se we love — In the cause we have es|>oiiseiI
lis the farmer's ho|M'. Let ns take a retnis|M'itlvo
view of the past year. What is our condition now
as a trranire, compared with what II was a year airo f
In numbers we have Increased, and can we not wftli
truthfulness say we have maile progn-ss in know-
ledge also? Do we not eomprehiinl to a fuller extent
the trreat, and at the same lime noble, aims of our
organization? And while we mon- fully nalize the
magnitude of the work, do we not more fully appre-
ciate the high and holy desire to elevate the tiller of
the soil to the position which lie is by riu'lit entitled
to? If we have thus been eilucalinir ourselves, If our
minds have been thus Impressed with the priiieiples
ofour onler, then. Indeed, have we made pmirnvs,
and eannoi but enter U|Kin the duties of the new year
with a more carnesi devotion to our cause, and a
stroncer determination to use individual etiort to pro-
mote it. What aR' the alms ofour organization?
What bcncfltg can wc hoiK to derive from our con-

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February

nection with it? I answer many, about all of which,
however, arc embraced under the three heads —
pecuniary, social and intellectual.

Let us consider these brietiy as they are presented
to us. Is it not true that for almost every article we
buy (whether for domestic use, or stock, implements
or fertilizers for our farms,) we are obliijed to pay
numerous commissions in addition to the original
cost ? This is an undisputed fact; even our opponents
frankly admit it. Is it not true again that crops are
often produced and sold by us for a figure which does
not compensate for labor and expenses ? Is it not true
that we who by right hold the bread that feeds the
world have no voice as to the price that bread shall
command ? Otlier trades, other vocations, can and
do (which is their right) fix a price on their labor,
but we, abject slaves' that we are, must be satisfied
with what others are willing to give, regardless of
what it cost us. Cai) any position be more degrad-
ing ? Can a stronger incentive be presented to urge
us^to prompt, vigorous, yet, at the same time, hono-
rable action to ameliorate our condition, and place
our calling where it deserves to stand among other
vocations ? But some will claim we are undertaking
too much. How can we expect to alter these systems
which have been operating against us for ages ? How
can we expect to change these channels through
which business has been flowing ? The work is a great
one we must admit, and that Patron who has entered
the 'field expecting to reap all the pecuniary benefits
which will be derived from our organization immedi-
ately, has never considered the matter to its depth;
hasnot considered that for generations past the fet-
ters have been made more and more secure, and can-
not be broken Avithout determined, concentrated effort
on our part. But, truth is mighty and will prevail.
We demand justice, and nothing more. We wage no
war (to use the sentiment of our State Master) on any
legitimate business. When our principles and aims
are better understood much of the opposition against
us will cease.

Our strength is known; let us but concentrate it.
Prove by our zeal that we realize our ixisition; ever
remembering that great as the work may be the re-
sult will fidly justify it. Important and highly bene-
ficial as our order will ever prove in a pecuniary
point, the social feature is equally important. There
is no denying the fact that sociability is not suffi-
ciently cultivated among familiesof our calling. Dif-
ference of opinion in religious and political matters,
together with other less potent reasons, have the
effect of alienating us from each other. No surer
method can be established to cultivate this social dis-
position and to break down this barrier, than to as-
semble together for the promotion of objects in which
we have a common interest. I am glad to be able to
say that some of my warmest friends differ with me
politically, and although my own convictions in that
direction are decided, I have the highest respect for
those who honestly entertain opinions antagonistic to
my own. But important as the pecuniary and social
features are, the great, the weighty benefit to be de-
rived is the training of the mind. The cultivation of
the mind is the important work. We cannot over-
estimate this. Individuals in every community (per-
haps we have some in our midst) will tell you how
much that they have regretted (or did not possess)
early opportunities of improving their minds. Each
Grange, properly conducted, must be an excellent
school. Each meeting can be made interesting as
well as instructive. Is there any necessity for this
intellectual training? may be asked. Most undoubt-
edly there is. When it is in the reach of every one,
every mind should be capable of performing the
duties of an intelligent citizen. How many of us
would he willing to preside over a large public meet-
ing or take jjart in it ? How many of us would be
capable of doing so properly ? Would not the most
of us experience considerable embarrassment to pre-
side over even a township meeting? Why is this?
Not because the Almighty has not endowed us, but
*ecause we have never had the practical training; our
talents have never been cultivated. And among our
sisters, how many of them can take the pen in hand
and write an essay, which, through well worded sen-
tences and enlarged ideas, reflects the sentiments of
a cultivated mind? Many will argue that these ac-
quirements are not essential among farmers. Just
there is the mistake. The time is past for such rea-
soning. From this time forth the farmer and his
wife will he expected to staud where any other can,
where intelligence is taken as the test. The Almighty
has given us talents, and we have no right to bury
them, but duty compels us to develop them. On this
point I have a few pointed words to say to members
of our Grange, and I hojie the shoe will be put on
wherever it fits. We have quite a number of mem-
bers who have sons and daughters not with us. Cer-
tainly such have not considered the advantages of
the Grange as a school for mental training. Allow
me to say tliey should be here; here, to assist in the
great work we liave in liand. We need their strength
and influence. But especially should they be here,
that they themselves may reap the benefits of such
an organization. Young nnnds have a stronger taste
for acquirements, and are more susceptible of im-
provement than older ones; and certainly it is our
duty to encourage and foster the desire. And while

it will lighten life's burdens to them, it will instill
into their minds a higher respect for the calling in
which we are engaged. In conclusion,. let us work
with a will. Let us have no laggards, but impelled
by a sense of justice to ourselves and posterity, let
us assist in building this grand structure, and in the
not far distant future the anniversary of our order
will be hailed with delight by all who believe in the
supremacy of justice and right.

THE FRUIT-GROWERS'S OCIETY.

Annual Meeting in Doylestown— Interesting
Sessions— Valuable Essays and Discus-
sions—All About Fruit Growing
and General Horticulture.

The convention of the Fruit-Growers' Society of
Pennsylvania was held in Lenape Hall, in Doyles-
town, this week, beginning at 3 o'clock on Wednes-
day, January 10. The attendance on the first day was
not over one hundred persons, a majority of whom
were from this county. A table for the reception of
specimens of I'ruit was placed iu tl>e front of the hall,
and by the time the proceedines began it was well
covered with apples of various kinds, and a few pears ,
most of them from Bucks county growers. Quite a
number of these had been brought for the purjxjse of
obtaining the correct name. At 2 o'clock the Presi-
dent, Edwin Satterthwait, of Jenkintown, and the
Secretary, E. B. Eugle, of Marietta, Pa., took their
places. The minutes of last year's meeting, held at
York, were reail. H. T. Darlington, on the part of
the committee representing the local societies and
clubs, briefly welcomed the visitors to Doylestown.
Mr. Satterthwait responded, saying that the mem-
bers of the society had come here as learners them-
selves, and that the object of holding the meetings in
ditierent places was to acquire fresh knowledge from
the people. The Treasurer's report was read, show-
ing the receipts of the past year, including a balance
over, to have been |"ilO.S7, and that tlie present
amount in his hands is §361.69. The Society then
proceeded to general business.

General Reports and Letters.
H. M. Engle, of Marietta, read the report of the
General Fruit Committee for the past year. He re-
ferred to the difficulty of preparing a satisfactory re-
port for the wliole State, in the absence of local inter-
est. The apple crop of 1S7.5 was short, and of inferior
quality, much of which was caused by the injury
done by the codling moth. The present prospect for
large fruit crops is not flattering. This is the opinion of
many prominent growers. In some sections the borer
is very destructive. In a few localities there are par-
ticular varieties which bear freely every year, or every
alternate year, but are little known elsewhere. The
pear croj) was better, fewer varieties are grown, and
public opinion is more generally agreed as to their
merits. Keferenee was also made to the peach and
plum crops. The Kichland is considered about the
best variety of the plum grown in the State. The
Mazzard cherry is generally free from insect enemies,
and if it were better cared for it would be quite pro-
fitable . Reports on grapes were meagre, compared with
their importance. It is the most productive and pro-
fitable of fruits. The Concord is still the grape for
the million. Tlie Martha is hardy and productive,
and objectionable to some for its sweetness. It has
sold fifty per cent, higher than the Concord in mar-
ket. The hybrid varieties may be indefinitely multi-
plied, and many good kinds thus obtained. Isabella
and Catawba are mostly discarded. Blackberries are
neglected in consequence of the abundance of wild
fruit. Tlie Lawton is largely superseded by the Kit-
tatiny. Wilson's Early is being abandoned because
of its poor quality. An insect enemy, which attacks
the roots and stalks, has appeared in some quarters.
Raspberries are grown mostly near the cities. The
black caps are perfectly hardy, and many of the red
ones. The llerstine is the most popular. As to
strawberries, the Wilson still leads in the popular
estimation, and the kind that is to supersede it has
not yet been discovered. There are many other good
kinds, which do not quite fill the bill. Currants and
gooseberries, unless well mulched, are seldom re-
munerative, and crops have been moderate. If the
fruit committee were better organized, and its scope
enlarged, its investigations might be made very valu-
able. It is desirable that every county in the State
be represented, so that a complete report of 1876 may
be obtained.

A proposition to alter the by-haws of the Society,
brought over from the last meeting, was i-ead by the
secretary. One was that the Society should also give
attention to general and ornamental horticulture.
Mr. Meelian explained tlie reasons for the [iroposed
changes, which was also provided for in the change
of name to the " General Horticultural Society of
Pennsylvania." The title was framed in this man-
ner to avoid confusion with the Philadelphia Horti-
cultural Society. II. M. Engle moved to postpone
the suliject for the preseut, which was carried. A
recess of ten minutes was then taken to enable per-
sons to become members.

The President stated that a number of letters had
been received from prominent fruit-growers who were

not able to attend, and some of them would be read.
One was from William Parry, of Cinnaminson, N. J.,
who referred to the value of the Beatrice, as an early
peach — also the Louise and the Rivers, which have
been lately introduced. Thomas Median said that
Mr. Parry had been a very active member of the So-
ciety, but was now interested in his own State Socie-
ty. He moved that he he made an honorary mem-
ber, which was carried. One from Rev. E. P. Roe,
of Cornwall, N. Y., expressed much regret for his
inability to attend. He thinks he has a new goose-
berry and a new raspberry of value. One from Mr.
Huidekoper, of Meadville, had reference to grape
culture, in which he is a proficient. He trims vines
in October, taking off most of the laterals. The first
of November all vines are taken down and covered.
They are doubled up and covered with light-colored
earth, which does not thaw so easily. Early in
spring they are uncovered, and the result is a large
crop of fruit. The Delaware rendered the best yield
last season — better than Concord . Sulphur is sprink-
led on the ground to prevent mildew. In grape-
houses the glass should be whitewashed, to moderate
the heat. Wood ashes are very beneficial. Old varie-
ties give better satisfaction on the whole than novel-
ties. Mr. Meehan spoke favorably of the processes
employed by Mr. Huidekoper in his graperies. The
roots of the vines, outside of the houses, were thickly
covered with leaves. H. M. Engle also approved
very much of Mr. H.'s system of grape-growing. Mr.
Sprout, of Lycoming county, said he had practised
covering the earth about grape-vines with much suc-
cess. One year he covered the ground with the crush-
ed stalks of sorghum and had the heaviest crop he
ever grew. Forest leaves are the best mulch for
strawtierries he has ever tried. W. P. Magill said
that for several years past he had mulched his vine-
yard with green grass cut from his lawn, with excel-
lent efl'ect. Mr. Satterthwait said tliat there was
nothing to be compared with leaves for keeping out
frost. They are the best protection for celery that
he has ever met with.

H. M. Engle, chairman of the general fruit com-
mittee, proposed the reading of some of the reports
received, wliich was done by the secretary. The re-
port from Franklin county said that more attention is
given to fruit-growing now ; the soil and climate are
very favorable ; the culture of flowering plants is
steadily increasing. From Lancaster county the re-
port, written by J. B. Garber, was not f'avorable,
peaches, plums and cherries having been injured by
severe cold. Old apple trees have died from its
eflects, and young ones greatly injured. Pears have
ripened better than apples ; cherries yield five years
in six ; peaches three years in five ; plums are no go,
because of the curculio. Of grapes, most of the new
kinds have succeeded pretty well, but some are ruin-
ed by mildew. The statement in regard to the effects
of the cold in "sickening" apple trees was question-
ed by several persons. Mr. Sprout said that in Ly-
coming county peach trees have sufi'ered in that man-
ner. H. M. Engle thought that the wood growth
was weakened by severe cold. It is the sudden and
extreme change, probably, that does the injury. Mr.
Pannebaker said that it is the white frost that kills
the trees and buds. Where the elevation and the
winds prevent the frost, the trees are not hurt. E.
Satterthwait said that the moisture of the air had
much to do with it. Mr. Sprout related a case of an
orchard on the south side of a hill, from which he
never had a bushel of peaches. The wood grew late,
was full of sap, and was injured in consequence. On
a northern exposure 'he had excellent results. No
trees in the valleys have done any good. Mr. Magill
said that there was a difierenee in the hardiness of
varieties. Mr. Meehan told a humorous story to
illustrate the different opinions expressed on this
point, to the efi'eet that all the reasons given might
be nearly right, but none altogether so. This dis-
cussion was continued at considerable length.
Address by the President, &c.
On Wednesday evening several papers of interest
were read before the Association. President Satter-
thwait produced an essay, which embodied a number
of useful suggestions regarding the conduct of the
present session of the Association. He requested
brevity in the remarks of the members ujion the vari-
ous matters under discussion, and a close adherence
to the subject before the meeting. He referred to the
increase of fruit-growing in the United States; com-
jiared it with that of other countries which helped to
supply our markets ; said that fruit must always be
cheap, but the business would still be remunerative
if properly carried on ; spoke of the cheap fruits of
Delaware ; of the general dullness of this and all
other trades; of good and bad years noticealile in
fruit-growing; and referred lastly to the display that
should be made by the promologists of the country
at the Centennial.

Mr. Meehan, of Germantown, responded to the last
suggestion, saying that it would be impossible for
this or any other society to act as a body, but that
very much could be done by individual efforts in that
direction ; and he recommended co-operatiou with
the American Association, in au informal manner, in
making a creditable exhibition at the proper time.

An essay on the interests of the Society at the Cen-
tennial, by S. B. Heiges, of Y'ork, was read. Its main

1876.J

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

fpatiire was to co-opcrati' with tlio Poniipylvaniii llor-
ticultural Society in tliv inattiT liy tlu^ aiiiKiiiitnu'iit
of a joint coniriiitti-i', tlio duty ol" wliicii woulil hv. to
make tin' nci'tssafy aiTaiigeinciits witli the Cciiten-
uial antlioritit's.

Mr. Sprout, of Lycominp county, favored this sug-
gestion, on the irrnunti that it would form a nueleiig
alxiiit whicli all the societies of the conntry niiirht
gather. lU' exiiihiteil the iihotoirra|th i>f an ajiparatus
designed to i)rcserve perislialile fruits when on cxliili-
ition, consisting of a case having a glass Iront, an<l
surroinidcil hy ice.

(leorge li. Thomas, of West Chester, said that all
the space in this deiiarlmcjit at the Centennial had
been taken; that nothing could be done by the So-
ciety as a Imdy.

Mr. Meehan offered a resolution to co-operate with
the American Association, wMeh will meet on the
14th of next Seplenihcr, prohalily in Horticultural
Hall, I'hiladelphia, and after a short session will
adjourn to the Centennial. His resolution was
adoptc<l.

Josiah Hoopes on Yards and Lawns.

An I'ssay was read fixmi .Tosiah Hoopes, of West
Chester, who was not jirescnt, cnlilled, ■• Our Yards,
and How to take Care of Them." The paper was
couci.'-e, and to the point. What is needed is a more
natural and less arliticial [ilan Ihan is commonly ob-
served, liules applicable in all cases cannot be laid
down, although iicncral iirinciplcs may be. Every
place ha.s au individuality of its own, which must be
understood in order to secure the best results. For
lawns few walks were recomniendod, and these
should not lie laid out carelessly. Every curve and
bend slioidd have a reason. P<jorly kept walks are
worse than none at all. Ground gyjisum was recoui-
niended as a good dressing for grass, to be used annu-
ally. The hand-mower will kill the weeds, thicken
the turf, and by leaving the short grass where it
falls, the soil is actually imiuovcd. In making
walks there should be stones employed for founda-
tion, up to within three inches of the surface. On
that the gravel is placed, the middle of the walk be-
ing raised two inches above the edges. Mixed
flowers in beds are in bad taste on a well-keiit lawn.
Position of beds, the arrangement of fountains and
rockeries, and the selectJon of trees were mentioned.
In front of a bay window, or in the bend of a drive or
walk, is a suitable place lor a flower bed ; fountains
ought to be plain in construction ; a rockery should
not show marks of a hammer or defaced portions of
the stones used in its construction. Avoid large
trees on small lawns, except for shade ; avoid mathe-
matical precision ; avoid scattered flowering shrubs.
The training in of the branches of trees while young
will greatly improve their ajipearance in after years.
Evergreens properly eared ibr will add greatly to the
beauty of any lawn" or yard. And after once getting
a place in oriier, care is constantly required to keep
it so. The essay of Mr. Hoopes was full of useful
and practical information. This subject has been a
specialty with him for years, and he has published a
book on the evergreens.

Mr. Meehan [lut in a plea in this connection for
the straight box-wood borders and straight walks
of the old-fashioned flower gardens.

H. T. Darlington, of Doylestown, asked what
common people were to do when the high priests dis-
agreed. Mr. Hoopes recommended curves, and Mr.
Meehan straight lines.

Mr. Meehan explained himself, and eluded the
trap by endorsing the curves for the lawns and the
straight lines in the small gardens.

John I. Carter, of the Experimental Farm at West
Grove, sjioke of the beauty of t he climbing vines about
the buildings, and of their cheapness and case of
growth.

H. T. Darlington spoke of the forest trees — of their
inimitalilc characteristics — and mentioned those about
the West Grove Experimental Farm.

Management of Orchards.

John I. Carter read an essay on " Orchards and
their Management." He said orchards would pay
for more attention than they generally receive. If
the snpplj of fruit is increased beyond the present
consumption, the demand will also increase in pro-
jKirtion. The varieties of fruit reeommeialed were
as follows: Apples— .Maiden's Hlush, Smokehouse
and Smith's Cider. Pears— Hartlctt, Lawrence and
Scckel. Cherries— Governor Wood and Early Kich-
mond. Judicious nuinuring and good cultivation are
necessary, which are not to be di6<'ontinucd after
bearing begins. Plenty of miiu'ral fertilizers were
rcconimendcd. South "Carolina rock was mentioned
as adapted lo the purposi'. A wash niadcof muriate
of potash, low manure, sulphur and copperas was
recommended to be used after pruning.

Mr. Purman, of Clinton (ounty, asked for practi-
cal remarks on the management and care of orch-
ards, lie has one hundred acres of young trees, and
desires lo have the most intelligent manner of earing
for them, and at the same time securing the most
economical method that will produce the result.

To answer this recjuctt the President callcil upon
Walson P. Magill, of Bucks county. Mr Magill lirst
said that from nothing you can obtain notliing. .Vn
orchard of young fruit ought to increase in value at

the rate of ?1 per tree per annum. In order to do
this something mtist of course be given to the land.
If Mr. Puruuin has 1110 acres of orchard, at the rate
of 4.') trees to the iwre, he must exjH'nd sonu' time
and labor to realize an increased valui' per year of
S4,.'j(l(). If he is not prei)aied to jiroperly cultivate
100 acres, he had belter try .lO, or even 10. Hoed
crops were advised for the flrst six or eight years —
potatoes being mentioned as well suited lo the pur-
pose. Thn-e or f<»ur hundred inainds of phosphate
to the acTC shoidd be used. The crops wouhl assist
in paying for this cidtlvation of the trees. Aflcrlhal
lime the orchard should go into grass, and be mown
once or twiie a year. If the grass Is removed nninure
shoid<l be returned. Stock ouglil to be carefully ex-
cluded. After the grass is under the trees, the fallen
leaves make an excellent nndeh.

Mr. Sprout, of l.ycondng, said that his practice has
been lo use |>lenly of potash about Ids trees, in the
form of wood ashes; also copperas water, applied at
intervals of two weeks, to remedy flrebliglil.

John Easlburn, of Hucks, re<'ommcnded plowing
uinler clover in orchards; also buck\\heat. He ob-
jects lo the practice of planting either ry<',oals,or
wheat, and docs not believe in plowing under sowed
corn. He believis in perpetual culllvallon of ajiple
trees. Last year lie nuirkeled tweiity-cight hundred
buslicls.

W. P. Magill referred to the orchard of Joshua
Fell, near Doylestown, whose trees in the alumn re-
sendile pyrairdds of fnnt. They sell at from ten to
thirteen dollars per tree. The orchard is twelve years
old. The grass in the orchard resendilcs a well-kept
lawn. .Mr. .Magill favored low Iriinining.

Mr. Gardner, a fruit-treetrimmcrof Hiickseounty,
explained his general plan of jiruning. He allows
three branches to form the iiillars uixin which to
build I he head of the tree. He aims at the jiroduc-
tion of short trunks and large tojis, and seizures,
thereby, he states, rapid and vigorous growth.

Mr. "Magill stated that the best time to prune or-
chards is fnim the middle of May to flrst of July.
For a wash or coaling lie thought a solution of gum
shellac in alcohol would be found satisfactory.

President Sattcrthwail said that low trimming was
doubtless the best ; that the leaf should be as near
the root as possible.

Mr. Lint, of York, spoke of spring and fall prun-
ing; he would cultivate an orchard for six or eight
years, and then put it down in grass; and he pre-
ferred potatoes as a crop rather than corn for the
young orchard.

A committee to examine the fruit on exhibition and
to report next day was appointed. It was as follows:
Thomas M. Harvey and John I. Carter, of West
Grove, Chester county, and S. W. Noble, of Jen-
kintown.

Election of Offlcers--The Centennial.

The proceedings of Thursday began with the selec-
tion of officers for the ensuing year. A committee of
three, consisting of John I. Carter, Thomas M. Har-
vey and Alfred Sheller, was appointed by the chair
to present nominations for the ofhccs to be Hlled at the
afternoon session. The committee to audit the trea-
surer's account reported that they had found every-
thing correct. The subject of changing the name of
the society to the " General Horticultural Society of
Pennsylvania," brought over from last year, was
taken up. Thomas Meehan gave several practical
reasons why the change was not desirable. H. .M.
Engle and Samuel W. Noble expressed the same
views. The matter was then postponed until next
year. John I. Carter offered a resolution looking to-
ward a display of our fruits at the Centenrdal. It
was proposed that the Secretary corresjiond with the
difl'erent county agricultural societies, asking their
aid in making such collection and ilisplay. He briefly
advocated such action. Mr. .Meehan said that he could
not see any practicable way of reaching this object.
It would cost a good deal of money to make a State
exliibition of fruit, aral he did not see where it would
come from. This Socii'ty could not interfere wilh Ihe
regular action of the l'entcni:ial Comnnssion. H. T.
Darlington said that it was very <loubtful if the Soci-
ety could act except in an auxiliary capacity. Thomas
M. Harvey thought the dilheulty woidd nr)t be very
great, and that the cost would not be much if the
packages were prepaid. The subject was then post-
poned until evening.

More About Apple Orchards.

Resuming the subject of the treatment of orchards,
Thomas M. Harvey 'said that more light was wautinl
on the jiropcr time of pruning. At onetime he had
iiruncd eerlain trees at intervals oftwo weeks liuring
the year, lo learn the effect. .John I. Carter said that
the lindps cut oil in the lirst two mouths of the year,
an<l in June, hail healed most perfectly. The result
was favorable to winter pruuiii!.', but all had healed
without injury. Mr. Lint, of York coiiniy, said that
his experienee was in favor of pruning when Ihe buds
began to swell. They heal over sooner theu than at
any other time. Mr."Salterlhwail said that he had
alwavs been warned against pruning at that time-
thai there was a great confusion of ideas. Thomas
,M. Harvey said that all agreed that we should avoid
pruning while the sap is running, which often causes
much injury. Mr. Meehan said that as a general

rule a wound made in summer will heal more rapidly,
but in practice he prefers winter pruning. It Is not
well to remove branches while coveri'd wilh leaves.
II. .M. Engle said that pruning was only a choice of
two evils. If orehanls were managtHl corn-cily very
little pruning would be nce<|ed. If the Iree can las
trained right when young. It will never be reipiln-d
lo eul off larL'c brunches. Prune as little as |>oskIIiIc.
Pinch oil' surplus buds or shoots wlii'U young, and wo
will have no need to discuss this troublesome ipies-
lion. W. P. Magill said (hat he agneil nitli .Mr.
Meehati as In the time of pruning. Wounds heal over
more ipiiekly if done in summer, hut hi practice the
winter is generally found more convenient. E.Sut-
Icrlhwall look the same view. A. K. Sprout, of
Lycoming, said that a gri'at deal lUiiends on llieeoii-
dilion of the cellular tissue; if it is full of sap wlieu
cut 11 is sure to bleed. Hut after the leaves come out
trees may be {iruned with safety.

Hybridization of Fruits.
Thomas Meehan discussed the subject of the hy-
bridization of fruits by design. We are apt to think
we are not progressing at all, but on liMikIng hack we
see how much has been galneil. lVo[ile may ask of
what use are lliese Ihings^we might as well ask the
use of a new-lioru babe — we have to wall and see the
value of new-born llioughls. There are a great
many selentitlc facls which seem lo be of no particu-
lar use, but are aflerwaid found very valuable.
Science grows continually, and In course of llnie we
can see how miieli has Is-en gaiiieii. The hybridt/.a-
lion of frulls is a subject of this class. Il was found
out long ago that more and belter fruit could be had
by mixing the imiIIcu of blossoms. Knowledge on
this point has grown very slowly. Il Is not prohublu
that the process is allcnded by inuiicdiate elfeels on
fruit. Corn and sipnishes seem lo Im' exceptions, hut
there is probably a natural allinity in Ihem. Like
does not always produce like; no two trees of Iho
same kind are exactly alike; fruit and mUs from
seeds arc not alike ; there is an inhereni natural law
of ehani;e which is always going on. The resulls of
cros.s-ferlillzalion are not always uniform — some-
times there are no characterislics of the female plant,
but often there is a perfect blending of the two.
Sometimes there are no traces of the male parent in
the offspring. In experiments in crossing Japan lil-
ies this had been almost always Ihe case. Itemark-
able success has followed the mixing of varieties of
grapes, especially in what are know n as the HoL'ers'
hybrids. But it isdoublful whether they are as gisid
as some natural crosses, pnnlueing new seedlings.
The best kinds are the result of natural evolution. In
expcrimcnls with pears but few gissl kinds have lieen
raised. In brief, eross-ferlilizalion, so far as it has
yet been worked up hy arliticial means, has been of
"little practical value to fruit growers. It is iK'tter to
wait U|X)n Ihe priK-esses of nature. H. M. Englo
said that he had had sullScienI success in this direc-
tion to encourage him. lie instanced cxixriments
with strawberries, in some of which he hud made
satisfactory crosses. He had made efforts to cross
the peach "and the apricot, but they resulliHl In a
seedling peach, teu or twelve days earlier than
Hale's! He hud been much interestiil wilh his ex-
])eriment8. We do not yet know the laws by which
the operations of nature arc governwl. Thomas M.
Harvey made some remarks on the hybridization of
the wlieat plant. Mr. Burton said that lie had been
engaged in hybridizing plants with loiisiderable suc-
cess and satisfaction. .Mr. .Meehan said that It wag
no object to get new varieties of fruit; we have
enough varieties, hut we wish lo make them Ixtler.
Florists want new varielies of plants, for that Is Ik'I-
ter for their business. By crossing we may improve
the character of our fruits, by mislll'ying or remov-
ing objectionable qualities. H. .M. Engle deserlU'd
the results of about 'ilKI crosses with strawberries,
in nearly all of which the qualities of both parents
were apparent. He hoped that the future would de-
velop more satlsfuclory resulls.

Best 'Varieties of Apples.
Samuel W. Noble, of Jenkinlow n, read a pa|>er on
the cultivation of the apple. He said that iiropereare
will always eompensale the grower of apples. It be-
gins witli"pla!iting the trees. Make Ihe holes large;
nearly All them with giHul earth; be careful I o All Ihe
interstices of the roots w itii line earth. The soil need
not be raised above the level. The trees may Iw
watered when planted in the spring, and mulched
during the flrst summer. If planted in the fall Ihey
need only be banked up. Orehanis should l>e kept
cultivated, whether erop|Hd or not. The Isirer Is
I somellmes deslruelive. Where this exists, the larva
should be carefullv sought oul and deslroyeil. The
insect works uniler Ihe bark, out ofsiirht. The holes
near Ihe r<K)t show where the Insecl came out, not
where it went In. The molh or bug makes Its ai>-
pearanee in June, or later, aiul I hi' eggs an' then de-
posited anil hatched. Boring inio Ihe woo.1, Ihe
worm remains there for some months or a year. The
lies! renmly is lo prevent the de|i<islt of egirs at the
base of the trees by earthing up or covering wilh
some other protect Itin. The worms can usually tic
killed with a small wire, and when this Is ilone the
tree will mostly recover without much damage. Driv-
ing nulls Into trees, Ixiring holes and filling them

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February,

with sulphur, &c.., are useless. Lime and soapsuds
may do some good, but preveutiou is the oiily sure
method. The borer sometimes remains in the tree
two or three seasons, poing deeper into the solid
wood. As to varieties of apples, S. W. Noble stated
that mueh depended upon a proper selection. They
must be suited to the climate and the soil. Downing
describes over eighteen liundred varieties. We only
need to know the best of these for our purposes.
There is no certain guide but experience. An apple
natural to any locality, where it succeeds, is likely to
be generally adopted. In this region that variety is
the Smith's Cider. The Cornell Fancy, the Town-
send, and the Princely, do well here. The Jackson,
originated at Quakertown, is valuable. The Blush,
the Hayes, aud the Fallawater, also do well here.
The Jett'eris, the Hagloe, the Benoni, and the Krau-
eer, are good kinds. What are winter apples north
are fall apples here, and not suited for general plant-
ing. The French Pippin is valued about Quakertown.
He thought it better to plant a few varieties of known
merit than many kinds of doubtful qualities. The
Baldwin does not meet expectations here, because it
ripens too soon and will not keep. It cannot be re-
commended as a fall apple. W. P. Magill said he
had thirty or forty Baldwin trees, from York State,
which had done well of late years.

The President suggested the consideration of varie-
ties of apples iu their order. For early ones he liked
the Prince's Harvest and the Rea Aslrachan, which
were very salable in market. They get ripe just
when people want apples. The Red Aslrachan is
not very productive. Apples that come iu later are
of little use to sell. Mr. Linn said that the Red Be-
noni ripens early and gradually, and is valuable for
market. S. W." Noble" spoke of the good qualities of
the Jefteris, a late summer apple. J. Hibberd Bar-
tram, of Chester, valued the JelTeris very mueli. He
has a tree of the Primate, which is vigorous, and the
fruit is number one. The apples have to be taken olf
before fully ripe, as they will rot at the core. A mem-
ber said the Beuoni was considered the best in Lan-
caster county. Mr. Pannebaker, of Mifflin county,
recommended the Early Harvest, which sell earlier
and better than Red Astraclian, and suit the home
market better. Mr. Satterthwait praised the Cornell
Fancy, which originated in Bucks county. Mr. Bar-
tram said that his most profitable apple was Summer
Hagloe — large and handsome. John S. Williams also
spoke in favor of this variety, and thought it better
than the Benoni. H. M. Engle spoke o£ an apple
grown in Lancaster called the " All Summer,"
which' ripens early and is of excellent quality. The
Red Astrachan was not very satisfactory there. The
Knowles Early was favorably spoken of by S. W.
Noble, J. H. Bartram and H. T. Darlington, and E.
Satterthwaite said that one of the best for home use
was the Early Joe. S. W. Noble recommended the
Early Strawberry as a mai-ket fruit, as it bears car-
riage well. A. R. Sprout said that there was a de-
cided diflerence between the Early Harvest and Sour
Bough. Mr. Cooper said that there was much con-
fusion in Lancaster as to the identity of these kinds.
E. Satterthwait said that the Early Harvest always
grows yellow and cracks when entirely ripe. In re-
gard to fall apples, the Cornell Fancy was favorably
spoken of. W. P. Magill thought the Townsend,
which ripens at the same time, rather preferable.
They come in peach time, when the market is not so
good. People cannot grow to advantage all the good
apples that ripen at that time. He would have a few
trees lor home use. The Maiden's Blush is one of
the very best for market, as it may be picked early
and sold after peaches are gone. A member spoke
highly of the Smokehouse, which was both excellent
aud profitable. E. Satterthwait said that its weak
point was rotting on the tree. Mr. Pannebaker said
it was one of the best apples grown in Mifflin county.
II. M. Engle said that it was the best selling .apple
in its season in Lancaster county. Its keeping quali-
ties appear to be good ; the fruit dealers have plenty
of them yet on hand. E. Satterthwait said this was
another proof that varieties do best iu the localities
where they originate. Mr. Engle agreed as to the
general rule in this respect, but there are exceptions.
Mr. Shellcr said that in Union county the Smoke-
house is highly prized and keeps well. In Maine
they have been grown with success as winter apples.
W. P. Miigill said with him it is an annual bearer,
but the fruit is injured by worms. They do not rot
much, but have to be marketed iu October. John
Eastburn, in regard to the Cider apple, said that
many of his trees have borne every year. The rea-
son, he tlsought, was that he had taken the best pos-
sible care of his orchard. The crops were not exces-
sively large, but moderate, and they kept on in that
way. S. W. Noble spoke a good word for the old
Fall Pippin, but it is about exhausted here. Moses
Brinton, of Lancaster, was an admirer of the Falla-
water, as one of the best autumn fruits. J. H. Bar-
tram said it was one of tlie first apples in Chester
county. It generally bears well. Thomas M. Har-
vey remarked that t.he tree is subject to borers and
short-lived. Mr. Purman wanted to know what
kinds he ought to plant in his orchard in Clinton
county— the best half-dozen for winter. Mr. Noble
said the Baldwin and R. I. LTreeuiug would no doubt
be satisfactory in that region. Mr. Lint advised him

to find out what sorts are now doing best in that
county, and plant accordingly. The Wagner was
spoken of with approval. Thomas M. Harvey said
that in Bucks county we must notoverloOk the eider.
He regarded it as of poor quality, but it is productive
and sells well. You can eat ou and on at it and never
be surfeited, as it is so weak and watery. John East-
burn related the origin of tlie Smith's Cider. It was
about 8.5 years ago. The original tree grew in a
hedge row near Pineville, on the projierty now occu-
pied by Jacob S. Livezey, in Buckingham, and he
knew the tree very well. A man went there for a
■graft, but it was nearly dead. Othertrees were then
grafted, and the variety soon spread all over the
county. The original owner took the variety to New
York, but it did not succeed well there.

Destroying the Bark Louse.

Mr. Meehan changed the subject by inquiring how
to destroy the hark louse. He had tried several pre-
parations without much effect. H. M. Engle and
E. Satterthwait had expressed the same trouble with
nursery trees. The early summer is the only time
when they can be destroyed by caustic applications.
Thomas M. Harvey said that placing pieces of whale
oil soap in the to])s of the trees, where the dissolved
matter would run over them, had been found effec
tual. J. H. Bartram had cleared trees of bark lice
with strong common soap, applied in the water. Mr.
Sprout related an experiment with a preijaration,
made of copperas, blue vitriol, saltpetre, common
soap and salt, which was placed in a bag in the fork
of the tree. It had proved successful, and his trees
are now in fine order. Be careful you don't use too
mueh blue vitriol. Take 2 lbs. copperas, % lb. blue
vitriol, >4' lb. saltpetre, 4 lbs. hard soap, 4 lbs. com-
mon salt. It will kill all the insects. Weekly, ap-
plied with a brush, will also do the business. J. Q.
Atkinson, of Montgomery, had faith iu the efficacy
of whitewash. Mr. Cooper said that S. S. Rathvon
recommended whale or fish oil.* Mr. Pannebaker
cleared the lice out with Babbitt's potash, mixed with
a little turpentine. J. Q. Atkinson said that the ex-
clusion of the air at the time of hatching was the ob-
ject desired, and whitewash will do that as well as
anything. John Eastburu's experience was in favor
of scouring the trees off with soap and sand applied
with a cloth.

Election of Officers.

On meeting on Thursday afternoon the hall was
quite well filled. The committee on nominations
submitted the following list : President, Edwin
Satterthwait ; Vice-Presidents, Samuel W. Noble,
Henry M. Engle, Tobias Martin; Recording Secre-
eary, Edward' B. Engle; Corresponding Secretary,
Wm. P. Brinton; Treasurer, Geo. B. Thomas. The
Secretary was directed to cast a ballot bearing
these names, and they were declared elected. Fixing
the place of the next annual meeting was then taken
up. Moses Brinton proposed that it be held at Lan-
caster. This motion was agreed to by a vote of the
members.

The Codling Moth.

The discussion of the cultivation of the apple was
resumed. Mr. Noble was called upon to tell about
the codling moth, " the worst enemy of the apple."
This insect attacks the fruit, not the tree. The eggs
are laid on the calyx of the young fruit, the hatched
grub penetrates it, and toward maturity works its
way out. It often finds refuge in the rough bark of
the tree. The best preventive known is to keep them
from harboring in the bark. Mr. Sprout described a
new instrument for defeating the moths brought to
his notice. It consists of a rubber band some two
inches wide, formed in such a way as to flare out like
the sides of a tin pan. They cost from 1.5 to 50 cents
each. Mr. Meehan said that something was wanted
to clip the wings of the moths. II. M. Engle said
we ought to know more about the habits of the moth
before we can fight it well. Nothing can stop the
first brood that he knows of. The old moth flies to
the trees ; it does not crawl up. This brood is often
small, and not very destructive. But the eggs laid
on the fruit are hatched ; the worms, when they
emerge from the apples, drop to the ground or on the
branches, and take refuge under the bark to form
their cocoons. Now is the time to destroy them and
keep down their numbers. He did not know whether
tlie ruliber ring shown by Mr. Sprout would work or
not. Mr. Meehan said that the simple plan of put-
ting hay-bands on the stems of the trees is better than
anything else. It costs but little, and the bauds and
insects can be burned up to together. Mr. Satter-
thwait said that if the rough bark is kept scraped off
there will be little shelter afforded, and most of the
worms can be caught under old shingles idaced around
the trunks. All the fallen fruit should be picked up
and fed to hogs. In that way his apple croj) has
been' greatly improved. Mr. Sprout thought we did
not give the insects sullicicnt credit lor their intelli-
gence. They have sense enough to know how to
take care of themselves. Dr. Dickie stated that since
he had kept low Is in his orchard the codling moth
had been much diminished.

"Ou this subject, see au article entitled, " What Kind of
our' ou page 18 of this uuuibor of TheFakmer,

Pears and their Culture.

The President, in reply to a question, said that the
most profitable pear, coming earlier than the Bart-
lett, is .Manning's Elizabeth. It is very productive,
and ripens in August. Mr. Meehan remarked upon
the great number of failures in pear trees, especially
dwarfs. In the vicinity of (iermantown a man planted
fifty thousand dwarfs a few years ago, but he has not
overstocked the market. Most of them are dead. Old
and large trees seem healthy, especially the old Cath-
arine pears about Philadelphia. What is the reason
why younger trees are not so ? Mr. Carter said that
he recently saw four thousand dwarf trees, planted
two years, in perfect health. That was in Maryland.
Thomas M. Harvey asked whether many of the fail-
ures were not iu foreign varieties. Even the Bartlett
is not certain yet. Probably most of the foreign
kinds will not last long here. It would be better to
plant the Lawrence, Seckel, and other native sorts.
E. Satterthwait said that was his experience. The
Duchess is his most healthy pear, while the Law-
rence cracks badly. Mr. Meehan said that the Catha-
rine is one of the oldest of pears. George B. Thomas
— the Duchess, near West Chester, is of no value. It
does well iu Union county, said Mr. Sheller. E. Sat-
terthwait always plants Duchess on quince. W. P.
Magill mentioned a remedy for slugs on the leaves.
He uses fVesli slakid lime. It was entirely effectual,
in two applii'ations. An orcharcd, which was not
treated thus, made no growth at all. Road dust or
ashes will do as well, said George B. Thomas. To
dust a large orchard is a pretty big job. It should be
done in the morning. H. M. Engle said that the lime
acts at once on the soft substance of the slugs, and
can be better put on with a tin duster. Several spoke
in behalf of the healthiness of the Lawrence. J. H.
Bartram thought that barn-yard manure was benefi-
cial to pear trees, and very large ones often grow
close to yards. Moses Brinton's idea was the reverse
of this; his trees had suffered fire-blight where it had
been applied. E. Satterthwait had suffered much
loss from fire-blight the last four or five years, but
he thought it was due to dry weather. Barn-yard
manure has done his trees no harm , but he docs not
habitually manure. Mr. Meehan agreed with this.
He never sawacaseof fire-blight about Germantown,
where manure is freely used. Manuring on the sur-
face is the only way for orchard trees. Mr. Carter
had great faith in mineral fertilizers, especially for
pears. The South Carolina phosphatie rock is an
excellent thing for them, and fruit growers ought to
try it.

Fruit Trees from the North.

Watson P. Magill said that Northern aud Eastern
trees are not satisfactory in this part of Pennsylvania.
The loss to Bucks county alone from planting these
fruit trees has been estimated at §1,0(JO,000. To off-
set this we have a few new varieties. John I. Carter
said that at the Oxford fair last fall a man exhibited
a great number of Southern apples, which were of
much promise. They would mostlj' be long keepers.
Southern varieties made very late winter apples.
Thomas Meehan agreed with this; it is not quite
correct that our own kinds always do best. He in-
stanced the Jucunda and Triumph de Gand straw-
berries as examples of great success with foreign
varieties ; the Bartlett pear is another case ; the Red
Astrachan apple conies from Russia ; our best cher-
ries come from abroad. A Southern fruit brought
north is often valuable, and the reverse. E. Satter-
thwait took substantially the same view. It matters
not where a variety originates, if it is only good.
.Moses Brinton said that api)le trees from the North
were not satisfactory, but there may be advantage in
bringing Southern apples North.

Preservation of Fruit by Ice.

Eastburn Reeder gave a short description of the
fruit-house of Natlian Hellings, near Bristol — built
with thick stone walls, and a body of ice 14 feet deep
in the upper story. A temperature of H3° is main-
tained all through, and the ajiples are perfectly fresh
and plump after several months. Dampness is pre-
vented by an arrangement of screens, which carried
off condensed moisture. Mr. Hellings claims a p.at-
ent for his process. E. Satterthwait said that venti-
lation is very important, and that there is probably a
secret in that respect. W. M. Largesaid that a friend
of his had to pay a royalty to Mr. Hellings to use his
process. H. .\I. Engle wanted to know if there was
a way by which individual growers may keep their
fruit. It has been done on a large scale, why not ou
a smaller one? He had himself an ice-house ar-
ranged so that a room is kept cold for milk and fruit,
which has succeeded pretty well. The moisture is
the chief drawbai-k. There inay be a substance placed
inside to absorli the dampness. E. Reeder saiil that
he saw nothing of the kind at Bristol ; if the temper-
ature is kept at f>'2° there will be little or no mois-
ture. He had constructed a milk-house cooled by
ice in another room ; in winter he keeps fruit in it
with good results— some apples until August. It is
mucli better than a cellar, but was not built for a
fruit-house.

Cultivation of the Cherry.

John I. Carter said that the rearing of the cherry
is uncertain iu many places. It will not grow to any

]S7fi.J

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

size, but weakens anJ (lies. lie tlioiii,'lit (iov. Wood
the best kiiiil. Mr. SaltertliwaU tliouirlit it not a
u:<«)il ni:ii*lvet vnriety. Mr- Knu-'lo linii jioor suecesB
in rcrtriiiir it; the E;irly lUehnioiiil was mucli nmrc
reliubh'. Tlionias .M. Harvey liad raised trees to sell
some years ap), and peojile living aloiifr streams
would not buy bif,'iirreaus and hearts^they took
niazzards and dukes. Mr. Knf;lo said tliat York is
the leading eounty lor <herries ; they seem to L-row
with ease and withoiit eare. Mr. Sprout had tried
many kinds, without sueeess. He now f;ral"ts culti-
vated varieties hiijli up on the native stoeks. The
old pie eherry is a maiiulependenee. The blaek knot
appears sometimes on morello and sour eherries.
The frraf'tiufroujiht toliedone very early. .Mr. Carter
thinks the disease of the pie eherrii-s is disappearinir,
and most of liis trees are elear of knot. Mr. Meehan
said that there was a areat improvenn'Ut in the health
of the eherry. The knot is caused by a funi;us(;row-
iiii; in the wood. The success of the eherry dejiends
nmeh on the stoeks chosen — the pie elierry (Iocs best
on the maz/.ard or common wild stock. On the ina-
haleb stock they nevir rcMch any size. Heljad known
some i)rolil able trees of the Early Uiehniond ural'ted
on mazzards. E. 8alterthwait said that the black
knot came on gradually a few years af;o, and has
swept all over the country. He thought the Yellow
Spanish the finest of all cherries ; it is larire, lirm
and handsome. Hethouulit il much better than (iov.
Wood. J. H. Bartram had met with success with
the Enf,'lish Morello, and tbund them i)rotit.at)le. He
ln>s now '.too trees, and they will briui; twice as nuuh
as pie cherries. H. M. En<^leenumerale<l tbiv. Wood,
Uoekport Hiijarrcau and Kin land's .Mary as much
alike. The <ine most called for is the Black Tartar-
ian, which is the favorite in York county. There are
eomi>laints that the tree is unhealthy. Another [lop-
ular eherry is the Russian, the largest black eherry he
has ever seen. He docs not know where it comes
from. Is a little later than the Black Tartarian.
Peach Culture.
Watson P. Macill was calh'd on to to tell what he
knew about peaches and their diseases. His impres-
sion is that the "yellows" are due to severe cold;
that often the trees are atlectcd before they are set iu
the orchard. They are iu a soil, immature condition
the year after budding, and very susCi'ptible of in-
jury. Tbey get blaek at the heart, which is fatal to
them. A temperature of live to lifteeu degrees below
zero will cause this result. When the buds of the
trees have lici'U killed, it is a poor season to plant a
l)eaeh orchard. He thinks the disease contagious in
an orchard. He has never known a tree with the
yellow to be worth anything allerwards, and such
trees sliould be immediately removed. The disease
progressed gradually over his orchard, beginning, on
the north. Last winter was steadily cold, without
great extremes, and the trees did not sutler much.
But last spring was not a good one to plant trees. H'
the trees are buried over wintirin the ground, before
planting, they will be protected. We cainiot compete
here suecesslully with the growers in Uelaware or
Jlaryland, but must plant kinds which come into
market when theirs ari^ gone and there is a good dc
niand. He would plant nothing earlier tliau Old-
mi.xon; afti-rthat Uarcripcs, Late Craw lords. Smocks,
and ISalaways, if they ]>rove to be good here. Late
peaches are the only i>rolitable ones in this seetif)n.
Thomas M. Harvey agreed as to the contagious
nature of the " yellows." He thinks it is spread by
the wind carrying the pollen from one to another. In
warmer countries the " yelltjws " do not exist; and
the disease is not known in forcing-houses. E. Sat-
terthwait said that Mr. Magill bail the right theory.
He saiil, in regard to the Salway, that he planted the
trees three years ago, and the fruit last season was
very tine. Picked carefully and sent to market they
were sold readily at one dollar a half peck, when bas-
kets could be bought at twenty-live cents. Thomas
M. Harvey said that the Susipiehanna peach, so
liighly praised, is worthless. jMr. Engle had seen
good crops from it, and sells remarkably well, but he
would plant oidy a few trees. Kccve's favorite he
considered a better peach and a surer bearer. It sells
higlier than the average. J. S. Williams said it was
a fine peaeli but a shy bearer. As to Troth's Early,
Mr. Magill had planted it considerably, but it came
into eonipctition witli Southern peaches in the mar-
ket and was not protitable. It is a pretty sure bearer.
The Mountain Hose w-ill supplant il in most cases.
H. M. Engle spoke highly of the Salway. It is a few
days later than the Smock, and resendiies it in habit.
It is of bctti-r quality than the Smock, and will grow
where the latter succeeds. J. H. Bartram called at-
teulion to a disease attacking the trees, causing them
to decay and break in the fork or crotch. The bark
ajipears to decay there. .Mr. Magill had not been
nuieh troubled by borers: be keeps the earth banked
around the roots. The insect is dillerent from the ap-
ple borer. Mr. Pannebaker said he had a peach
ripening about the tenth of October — a very line fruit,
of which he does not lind the name in any of the
books. Engle suggested that he must have bought
them of a Irec agent I The practice in peach districts
is to keep the land under cultivation.

The afternoon session closed with a brief discus-
sion of plums and their enemies. Thomas Meehan
Bpoke disparagingly of the Wild Goose plum, which

lie compared to a i)ersimmon. No one sliould grow
Itinsteail of the lulllvaled kinds. Mel hods of destroy- '
ing cureulio were discussed, but nothing new in this
direction was elicited. |

Miscellaneous Topics.
On Thiusday evening, as the Society would dis-
perse after that sessit>n, Mr. .Meehan olfereil a reso-
lution tendering the tlianks of the Soi'lely to the
Doylestown and Solcbniy Earmers' Clubs, and the
two county .\grienlltn'al Soelellcs foV the aceommo-
dallon and attention aMnrded in Doylestown. His
resolution was unanimunsly ailopted. It was an-
nounced that an essay was produced by Mr. Stanllcr,
of Lancaster, to be reail bidbre the Society, but owlnjf
to its length, it was necessarily deferred. Il was (tr-
ilcred lo be publisbetl in the anninil report. The
eornmittec appointed to examine the specimens of
Irnits displayed before the Society ri'ported the I'ol- '
lowing exhibitors: A. H. Barber, 1). W. .VIcNair,
Casper lliller iV Son, II. M. Eiiirlc, Calvin Cooper,
W. I'. Magill, A. S. ShelbM-, .1. W. iV II. S. I'axson,
.lobn Eastburn, A. K. Sprout, liobert Ivlns, .lohn 1.
Carter and N. II. Burroughs. .Many s|iecinuMi8 had i
been brought for the purpose of having them named. [
Strawberries.

The first subject of discussion for the evening was
"Strawberries — the best varieties and nuidcs of cul-
ture." John I. Carter thought perhaps the best was
the Charles Downing. There are some lifteeu tir
twenty at the Experimental l''arm, Mr. Sjirout , who
thought he had had some i'Xperience in the malter,
favored Wilson's Albany and Triumph de (irand,
ndxed. Mr. Thonuis thought the Charles Downing
the best they coulil raise at West Chester. As lo
treatnn-nt, Mr. .Meehan said the sun w:is the cause of
damage in tlie winter, and that a light covering only
was nccessaiy. He described the plan of training
runners into j)ots, etc. Mr. B:irtram, of Chester,
liked Wilson's Albany best ; hr hiul tried a number
of other varieties. He would plant in I hi' spring
only. President Sattcrthwait said no regidar grow-
ers in this part of the country woulil think of jilant-
ing iu the fall ; that the i)raetleeof lioingso had done
much to injure the popularity of the strawberry. ll(^
jilants in rows, 2'., feet apart, and works with a eid-
tivator all suuuner, and allows all the runners to
take root that are able to do so. In the fall he cov-
ers with straw manure, aud is not afraid of using loo
much. By the next season this straw is washed en-
tirely clean, aiul serves to keep the berries out (d'the
sand. Not an inch of groiaid is left without this
covering. Of course it is expensive, aud weeds have
to be kept out : but on the whole it pays. He never
mows the tops oil'. Mr. Sprout at one time experi-
mented {.in one-{'ightb of an acre of ground. Imme-
diately after picking he cut the tops olf close to the
soil. Next year the product from that piece of
ground was 1,(H)() qmirts, which he sold readily at 20
cents. Mr. Pennybaker, of Milllin, had also obtained
highly satisfactory results in the same way. Mr.
Sprout keeps a bed from three to live years. Presi-
dent Sattcrthwait plants a new bed every eeason,
and favors particularly the Jticunda.

Raspberries and Blackberries.

IJaspberries have bi'comc somewhat unpoiiular
with fruit-growers on account of the limited demand
for them in the market. The black varieties are not
worth more than half as much as I lie red in the Phil-
adelphia marki't. The most popular varieties at
present are the Ilerstinc' anil I'biladelpbia. .Mr. Pan-
nebaker said that in his town (Milllin) the blaek eoiu-
mauded a better price than the red berries.
Currants and Gooseberries.

These sniiill fruits re({uire little trouble to pro-
duce. The kinds of gonsi-berrii's most favorably
mentioned by the Society wen- Smith's Improved
Downing, Chester, and Mountain Seedling, drafting
was suggessed. Most members do not practice trim-
ming either currant or gooseberry bushes. To pre-
vent mildew it was recommended to keej) the roots
cool by mulching or placing stones about the bushes.
Grapes.

Popular favor ran toward the Concord, Hartford,
Christina, Martha and Ives Seedling. Mr. Thomas
would except the Hartford. Hich soil Is necessary
for the i)erfeetion of the grape. Methods of training
were given.

Evergreens.

Pines were recomnu-nded for the most windy situ-
ations, including White, Austrian, and Scotch. The
spruces come next. They are not able to withstand
the wind. Norway and Hemlock spruces are most
popular. Still more lender arc the lirs, and are onlj
graceful and beautiful when perfect. Mr. Thonnis
described a number of evergreens and ornamental
shrubs.

Roses.

These flowers are now propagated in endless vari-
eties, and hundreds of new ones arc ammally pro.
duced. The teas, bourbons and dallies, however,
especially the olden varieties, still retain their de-
served rank ami place In well-kept gardens. .\ large
number of very excellent kiixls of roses were men-
tioned, as well as numerous llowcrs and oruamcnlal

shrubs for the yard and lawn. Before the ailjouni-
incntof the Society, a committee of ten was appointed
to confer wHh Burnett Landreth In respect i<» repre-
sentation at the Centennial, ami the eommlllce was
cm[io\vered tvi act for the Society. A resolution was
also adopted unanimously favoring a legal enactment
to prevent horses and cattle from runuiiig at large.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

CorrospoDdenoe of TnK Ij^ncahtru FABurit.

P.\ltis, Jaiuiary ai, 1S7«.
French farmers have much reason to complain on
two essential points — the great increase of expenses,
and a dinilmitlon, rather than an augmentiilion, fff
the |>r(sluce of the soil. I'ut I Ing aside the rich pro-
prietor and the really-working small farmer, tliero
remain the rich peasunt and the cltlziii ugrlcul-
tiirist. Th4> rich peasant, If he has not i-ommenei-d
to make his fortune, will assuredly add to it, for his
iuilefatlgable activity, simple tastes and frugal habits
Intluee order and enabh* him to tide over a bud year
without drawing on his capital. He never, on liv-
eoining wealthy, abandons his career, and although
acute in judgnu'iit and observation, his principal de-
fect is the absence itf a professional tHiueation. Tho
citl/jui agrieullurlsl generally adopts the xii/iiicic sys-
tem — sharing the profits wltji the tenants. He has a
greater taste for rclinemcnt and social cnjoymeutB
than the rich peasant, and despite a sclent ilic ae-
i|Uaintance with farndng, diH'S not succeed licttcr.
He loves the i>rincipal city or the capital, is fn*qucntly
embarrassed to make the two ends meet, and his
grand ambition Is to m:ike his sons lawyers. Thest;
two culti\'ators represent the avcragi' types of their
class, and live iin, as well as by, the pniduee of their
farms. Now the mean price of living for each mem-
ber of a family was, in IHW), LI sous piT day; In
lN.").'i, 20 ; and In IXT.T, '27 sous ]>vr day. There has
been no sensible increase in tiring, but in lighting,
the augmentation has been .M) jK'r cent, since 1H4().
The wages of farm and hiAisehold servants have rigi^n
by 2.5 and Xi |kt cent, since ISTl), or '.'(K) jxr cent, as
compared with 1H40. It will sism be prolltable for
Australia and the States to send "aids'' to Eraiicc ;
even maehinery canufit allogetlier replace manual
labor. The adoption of fermented instead of cooki'd
food for cattle feeding is not oidy making nuich way
in Kranci', but also in (icrmany ; ixrhaps the chief
cause of tlic change is lo be foumi in the fuel econo-
mized. It was a Bohenuan agriculturist — .M. .\ndre
— who in IH'M lirst tried the plan; In bS'W Dr.
Schncilzer, of Saxony, cxi^sed its ailvanUigcs ;
since, ,M. .Moel, Professor of Agrlcullure in this city,
has become the most pronunent udviKate of fer-
mented food. Instead of cho[)ped straw he employs
colza pods, in alternate layers with slici'd turnips
and beet — the mass being all tro<lden in a barnd
having a capacity of :»o(l gallons ; each layer is well
spriidiled with water containing bruised oil or colza
cake and a little .salt ; the mass is left to ferment for
seventy-two hours, aud is then given to the animals
for their noon fee<l.

The climate being c(|Ual, continental farmers arc
divided into two camps, res|>ecling the eullivation of
maize for fodder — green and pressed, ami elovir,
beet, etc. Maize recpiires giKxi manuring, ami when
so treated succeeds well on freshly rtTlaimed heath-
land ; clover, by its dc:iil roots, enriches the soil. Ill
a dry summer beet is not so ecrlain a crop as niai/e,
and opinion is divided as to their comparative yield.
.M. d'Esterno aiuiounces that he can profitably feed
hogs on preserved maize inilil within the three
months rci|Uisite lo fatten them, when, of course,
they nuist receive farinaceous loixl. The forage
must not V:c g^iven in a raw state, but cooked, and
chopijcil in lengths of one or two inches. The pig
likes as a rule to be spared mastication as much as
[Jossible. In some parts of France osiked grass,
nettles, thistles, etc., arc given lo pigs, with one part
of potatoes. Beet is dear, costing J'r.Vi per ton,
while preserved chopiK'd maize is om>-half less. .M.
d'Esterno purchasiKl two pigs on the 27lh of Sc|)-
tembcr last, for /i'.lT2, and sold them, fatleiied,
the Pith of November following, for /i-.'2:i.'i ; differ-
ence, //-.I'sl, from which has to be dcHluelwl Iheir
keep, valued at //-.1 1— thus leaving a net profit of
/i-..')2 for 44 days' feeiiing. For the first twentylw o
days he gave lliein for ration 27 |«)unds of cooked
maize fislder, l'« i«)umls of mill refuse, and one-half
a pound of potatoes ; the n-nialning twenty-two days
they were fed on :t7 i>ounds of maize, !• JKmnds of
potatoes and 1 ;\, |K>unds of buckwheat, dully.

.M. Thc'nanl draws altenlion to the natural fer-
tillly of soils. There are forests where nuinure Is
neverdisi ribuled , aud yet sim-c centuries ago t hey show
no diminulion in richness, although the timber Im
rcgularlv felled and sold every thirty years. This
timber carries off nitnigen. the vliieyaril of C'los
Vougeat, celebrated since nearly one thousand years
ago, receives not more than <iuarter of a ton of ma-
nure jH-r acre ammally, yet it yields nearly four times
that weight of fruit. In uddilUin to the shorts pruneil
for firewiKKl ; the soil shows no fulling away in fer-
tility. M. Truchot finds the mounlaln pasture lands
of Auvergne, which arc never manureil, to be richer
in nitrogen than the arable soils of Llmagnc, which

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February,

are resiilarly enriched. In these eases, from whence
conies the supply of nitros^en? M. Dcherain explains
the matter thus : All the soils in question are rich in
humus, the accumulation of years, and this car-
bonaceous matter, in decomposing, absorbs the
oxygen of the air tliat has penetrated into the soil —
as is the ease in an ordinary manure heap — and the
nitrogen thus liberated unites with the hydrogen
disengaged from the decaying organic matter, and
forms ammonia. Perhaps the explanation is as good
as our present state of science can afford.

Certain meadows in Sleswig-Holstein are remark-
able for producing singular results iu cattle, as com-
pared with other pasture lands in the vicinity. The
animals, though in excellent health, remain diminu-
tive, displaying at the same time a predisposition to
fatten rapidlj- ; the cereals cultivated have a ten-
dency to be laid, and the grain is not rich in flour.
An analysis was made of the soil, and of the grain
and hay produced, and showed a deficiency of lime,
magnesia, potash and phosphoric acid. The inade-
quacy, especially, of lime and magnesia in the soil,
and consequently in tlie pasturage, did not furnish
the necessary ingredients to build tlie skeleton, thus
arresting the growth of the animals, and provoking
their premature fattening.

M. Georges Ville is well-known for his advocacy of
mineral manures, as being in themselves sufficient to
maintain the fertility of the soil. The crop draws
from the land certain salts, and to return these by a
mineral manure, is all, in M. Ville's opinion, that is
required. Thus farm yard manure, and consequent-
ly the rearingof cattle, are something like superfluous
ends. M. Ville has just published a w^ork wherein
he lays down, that the formation of animal and veg-
etable substances is subjected to the same laws. All
this is neither very new nor very accurate. More im-
portant still, the consequences "to be deduced, do not
seem to be of any practical importance. We may
ditier about the best and cheapest manner for " feed-
ing" crops, but the food for animals cannot be affect-
ed by any abstract law.

At Lozere, in the mountainous district of the Ceven-
nes, straw is very scarce and the animals repose on
layers of earth, their feeding troughs being movable,
so as to be raised as the heap of earth increases. It
is suggested that this plan be given up iu favor of
the Swiss method, where the cattle also have no bed-
ding, the liquid and solid excrements being run into
tanks, from whence, after fermentation, it is distri-
buted by piping or barrels, over the meadows. In
the north of Holland, the urine of the cow-shed is
gathered in small boats, and when these are full, are
towed along the canals, to disi'harge their contents
on the adjoining pasturages. In the district of Lozere
sheep are reared for their milk; the Pyrenean breed
is excellent in this respect, the ewe yielding after
nourishing her lamb, from .50 to 11)1) quarts of milk,
which produces from 10 to 30 pounds of cheese, and
even excellent butter. The cheese is known as Kogue-
fort — the French Stilton, and is of world-wide noto-
riety — the total annual produce being estimated at
3,000 tons. The wliey is given to pigs, which reject
it at first, in consequence of its putridity ; afterwards
they take to it and hecome fat. The vexed question
of horse-breeding in that mountainous district is
much studied ; farmci'S prefer crossing native races
with Arab, instead of English blood ; the result pro-
ducing animals better able to withstand sevei-e work.

Spalt, in Bavaria, is the classic home of hop cul-
ture on the continent; these hop plantations have the
appearance of veritable forests ; the trenches separat-
ing the rows of plants are very wide ; the soil is tilled
to the depth of three feet, and the plantations are
ever on inclined ground, the ridges being perpendicu-
lar to the slope ; the soil can thus be more easily
freshened; in the bottom of the trenches, at distances
of fifteen feet, are holes a spade's blade in depth, act-
ing as so many wells for the rain water. The hasty
kind of hop is preferred, being more productive than
the slow variety. Each knoll contains three plants,
and the poles are 3-1- feet in length, the stem being
tied to them at mid-height by reeds. Wire is not
employed as a substitute for poles. Hops thus rear-
ed are neither of good quality nor remarkable in
quantity. A kind of fork-knife combs the pole, the
cones being separated from the stems ulteriorly.
Kapidity is essential in the harvesting. Milch cows
relish the leaves, and the stems are either given
green or dried, and cut into lengths of one ot^ two
inches; they are never burned.

Wool imijorted from Australia and South America
is largely mixed with vegetable debris, which is no
small drawback to its industrial employment. Vari-
ous processes have been tried to separate this vegeta-
ble from the animal matter by chemical means.
Messrs. Barral and Salevat, after a series of experi-,
ments with sixty different substances, find acid and
other solutions eflective in destroying the woody part
of the vegetable substance, provided the wool after
steeping be well dried, and tlien placed for a time in
a stove at a certain temperature.

The discussion on the subject of the formation of
sugar in beet continues to be warm, but is very far
from having a satisfactory conclusion. The great
authority, Claude Bernard, is of opinion the sugar is
formed by the root. Messrs. Duchartre and Viollette
believe it takes place by the leaves, owing to the con-

version of the starch In the leaves into saccharine
matter, the root being merely the depot for the sugar
thus formed to nourish the seed-stem the following
year, just as the tubercle of the potato has a store of
starcli to feed its shoots of the succeeding season.

There is still nothing new to record respecting the
phylloxera; the vine bug has become a greater object
of interested study. Some experimenters state, one
dose of sulphuret of carbon is not sufficient, and all
seem to agree to prohibit the importation of vine
stocks from affected to healthy vineyards.

OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.

Our Farmers in Council — " Economy vs. Hard
Times "—Shall we Eat Pork ?— The
Question of Planting For-
est Trees, &c.

The February meeting of the Lancaster County
Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held on
Monday afternoon, February 7, at two o'clock, iuthe
Athenaium room. Present : Messrs. Calvin Cooper,
Henry M. Engle, Alex. Harris, Casper Hiller, Mar-
tin Brubaker, Levi W. Groff, John B. Erb, Milton B.
Eshleman, Levi Pownall, Dr. P. W. Hiestand, Jacob
Bollinger, Israel L. Landis, Levi S. Reist, S. S.
Rathvon, Abraham Kaufman, Abraham Bollinger,
J. Stautfer, Martin S. Fry, Abraham Hostetter, Mr.
Landis, Mr. Cooper, Simon A. Hershey, Peter S.
Reist, Johnson Miller, D. G. Swartz, Henry Myers,
Henry Erb, John Miller, John M. Stehman, E. S.
Hoover, and John Gross.

Cai,vin Cooper, the President, occupied the
chair, and after the reading and adoption of minutes,
Mr. McComsey arose and remarked that, although
he could not remain, as he was serving as a juror, he
had come here hurriedly to manifest by his presence
his continued interest in the society, and his willing-
ness to contribute what he was able to the interest of
its meetings, and expressed the belief that the So-
ciety, if properly maintained, would prove beneficial
to its members, socially, mentally and materially,
for by the discussion of appropriate questions of in-
terest to agriculturalists, we gain little by little, step
by step, in the progress of the science of agriculture
and horticulture, as iu other sciences, through dark-
ness to light.

The President, after thanking Mr. McComsey for
the expression of his interest and good-will, excused
him.

J. Fred. Landis, of East Lampeter, Peter C. Hiller,
of Conestoga, and Levi Pownall, of Christiana, were
elected members.

THE REPORTS ON THE CROPS.

were now read, as follows :

WuE.VT : Israel Landis, Manheim, reported the
future wheat crop to be iu as promising a condition
as it generally is at this date, and it indicates that a
favorable season may produce a full average crop.
The rye is about the same as wheat. No summer
wheat is ever sown; winter barley none; grass at this
early date is pretty well set and not much damaged
in the young fields, of last summer's seeding ; many
second crop fields are thinly set, but a favorable
season may bring a fair crop.

ToBA';co : A large portion of the crop (which was
a good one for this year) is sold, and at. a wide range
in the prices. There is perhaps no particular way to
give the average price. There may be some sold
above and below the prices of 12 and 3 and 6 and 27,
or from 3 to 13 for fillers, and 12 to 27 for wrappers.

Corn: There is, perhaps, more corn damaged
this year in the crib than for many years past. The
crop was a full one, and the weather was uot favora-
ble for it after husking.

Oats was a good crop, but was not well secured
on account of the wet season; the result is dark color.

Stock of hay on hand is short; farmers are gene-
rally economical, and save it by using fodder.

Fruit: We prefer not stating the condition, but
think the season so far was favorable, though we
have made no particular investigation.

Messrs. Cooper, East Lampeter, and Erb, Stras-
burg, reported similar conditions of the crops in their
districts.

Johnson Miller, Warwick, said we have been
favored with a snow of five or six inches in depth,
which is a good covering both for wheat and grass
fields, as both these crops have suffered somewhat
from the continued process of freezing and thawing
of the ground during the last two months. The
weather was very mild this winter until a few days
ago; so much so, that fruit trees have nearly, if not
quite, pushed buds; in case they have, I have no
doubt but that they miglit suffer from such cold snaps
as that of Saturday morning — two degrees below zero
The last year's corn crop is considerably damaged
from the warm and damj) weather we have had, and
many farmers qre compelled to remove to save what
is in good condition yet. Corn growing in a wet sea-
son like last fall was not matured when housed, and
then the damp weather has caused it to get very
mouldy; and I have reason to say that there will be
more damaged and mouldy corn when farmers shell
than was ever known. It is a matter of importance
that farmers should be very careful this spring about

seed corn, or the next year's crop might be more se-
riously affected by not coming up after planting — the
result of poor seed corn. I throw out this hint in
season, so that I, and all other farmers, may take the
lesson in time, to prevent what might result in a ycry
thinly set and poor crop of corn during the Centen-
nial year.

^Some one might say, we want to be sure of a good
crop of corn this coming summer; that is not the in-
tention of the above suggestion; if we do our part,
Providence will do the rest. At no point does the
success of a good crop of corn depend more than in
the seed we plant. If the first planting does not come
to perfection, and your stalks will be' regularly set,
your crop is spoiled with the best of weather that we
have ever enjoyed; there is more danger in this, this
year, than ever, and our farmers will do well to ex-
amine their seed corn carefully before planting. Now
is the time to make plans and get ready for sprin"
work. The farmer who always waits till he want!s
to go to work, to make up his mind as to how he is
going to manage this, and how he is going to do this
will find himself often iu confusion, and good man-
agement of farm operations will be entirely unknown
to him. Farmers will be required to economize with
fodder, on account of the short hay crop last sum-
mer; better commence in time to cut fodder, as there
is no telling of an early spring and early pasture; ac-
cording to ground hog signs, we will have a late
spring, and consequently will be required to feed lou"
in the stable. Let us all have our farms and stock in
such condition as to correspond with the Centennial
year of iinpi'ovements, and to do this, we all have
our hands full, and each member will best know his
own calling for the progress of agriculture.

H. M. Engle was rather inclined in the main to
agree with the reports of the members, just read, but
he did not think the danger to the fruit crop was
past — particularly in the matter of peaches.
miscellaneous business.

Milton B. Eshleman, from the committee ap-
pointed to prepare a petition to the Legislature in be-
half of inseetiverous birds, submitted a prepared
document, which was signed by those present.

President Cooper stated that he had attended
the recent session of the Fruit Growers' Society at
Doylestown, and that a committee of ten members
had been appointed to confer with the managers of
the Centennial Exhibition, in order to have represen-
tatives in the Horticultural D^^partment of that great
show. He feared our Society could not secure
a representation at the Centennial.

On motion, the Secretary was authorized to write
to the Superintendent of the Centennial Horticul-
tural Department, for printed instructions to ex-
hibitors.

The retiring Treasurer, Dr. P. W. Hiestand, made
his report, showing a balance of ?99..53 in the
treasury.

An auditing committee of three members — Casper
Hiller being chairman— was appointed, and their re-
port agreed with that of the treasurer.

The unanimous thanks of the society were tendered
Dr. Hiestand for hi? faithful services as treasurer.

The secretary, on motion of I. L. Landis, was in-
structed to look up the matter of a committee which
had been appointed some years ago to secure dona-
tions of liooks — any person giving 810 worth to be
considered a life member of the society.

Milton B. Eshleman, esq., read the following
essay on

ECONOMT vs. HARD TIMES.

Mr. President and fellow-farmers : Economy is a
subject that is distasteful to most persons, and many
wUl shut their eyes square in its face ; but it forces
itself upon our attention at the present time, and well
it is for that man who heeds its demands before they
are forced too heavily upon him. These times of low
prices on all farm produce, of small profits on all
merchandise, of shrinkage in value of all manufac-
tured goois and machinery, of low wages, and to a
very distressing extent of want of employment — I say
these htird times necessitate almost every man — I be-
lieve it is safe to say four out of every five — to prac-
tice economy in the living expen.ses of his family.
Several years of prosperous times, assisted by the
pride of life and the whims of the fashion market,
have little by little drawn us into such an extravagant
and expensive mannerof living, that it will yet cause the
bankruptcy of many and the death of some men before
they will be able to get tUeir family expenses down
to the level of their incomes. All our necessary ex-
penses can be embraced in three classes, viz. : Houses
to live in, clothing to protect our bodies, and food to
sustain life. If we did not require houses, clothes
and food, we would have no need of money, and con-
sequently would not be necessitate 1 to work; so the
more nearly we can bring our requirements to that
state, the less funds we will need, and the less work
we will be required to do. You will be surprised, I
know, each of you, when you consider carefully this
matter, and note how the wants of each of the three
classes of expenses have been enlarged, increased and
added to, until it has liecome necessary for a society
man to spend all the money he can get by his labor
or business, often working day and night. In his
very dreams he is tempted to obtain money by de-

1870.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

IVamlinff siiinc one else, and you will yet tinil oiit luiw
fi'W ofuH there are who can resist it wiicii a irood op-
portunity otters. Now, my friends and neiiihhors,
tliese thiiifjs ou^ht not so to be. The fourth eom-
inandnunt says: " Six days shalt thou labor;" hut
I do not believe that it ever was the intention of the
Wvinc Maker of all, that man slionld work so hard
or make sueh lontr days as most of us do now, and
are Ibreed to do in order to meet the imaginary wants
of the iamily. I eanuot forbear, at this point, to name
some of tlie extravayanees that 1 consider worse than
useful: For instauee, p:rand wedtlinus, expensive
funerals, costly monuments, splendid ei|uipages, four
changes of fasliious a year, silver sets and ih'sscrt
alter every meal. There are some so blessed with this
world's fjoods tliat they can support this style with-
out any inconvenience to themselves or injury to
others. With them 1 have nothin;,' to do; but with
those who allow themselves to be drawn on to follow
the fashions of otliers, instead of beinir inilependent
enouKli to lay out a pattern for themselves, as suits
their circnmstances. Kaeh man on;,'hl to know bet-
ter than :iny one else what his eireiimslances are,
how nuieh income he has, and where it comes from,
anil if he does not live within it he alone is to blame.
Many p<'rsoiis have, durin,:; tlie last few years, been
able to follow fashions that they never will be again.
Many have hitherto supported style that they will
soon liave todrop, for 1 assure you the hard timesare
not yet over, nor will tliey be for many montliB to
come. Centennial or no Centenni:il, hard money or
6(d't, inlhition or contr;ietion, has nothing to do with
it; but each one of us must bring about easy times
for ourselves, which will be as soon as we begin to
regulate our family cxiienses by our reduced income,
anil not a monu'Ut sooner. .1 havea theory about the
c;iuscofthc hard times tliat 1 have never seen in
print, and the more 1 consider it the more I am con-
vinced it is correct. During the war, and for eight
years al'tcr, every person seemed to prosjier, beeausi^
there were numy men ready to put their money into
manul'acturing establislnnents, and whili' lliey nour-
ished there was a good dennind lor all kinds of me-
c-hauics, and for nniterial of every kind, that kept the
furnaces and all iron works in full blast, and the saw
unlls all running. They in turn keptup the demand
for coal; the mines were all working, and every man
in the country who wished, had employinent at good
wages, and could feed and clothe his family well, and
that made business good for every retail dealer and
merchant, and through them for the miller, the
unmulacturer, the coal miner. All these together
made a good home consumption demand for the pro-
ducts of the farm, and maintained a ])rice that paid
tlic farmer lor his labor. All went on swimmingly,
aiai every oue who practiced economy was able to lay
nil something for a rainy day. But there came aday
when oue of the shrewd manufacturers discovered
that his business was being overdone, and that he
had too numy machines iin hand, :ind in order to get
Ills money out of them, he must put down the price,
and cither stop his works or reduce liis expenses by
paying out less in wages. The other inanufacturcrs
were not slow in linding out what he had done and
were forced to do the same in order to keep their old
customers; so this lowering of values soon spread to
every uuiuufactured article. From that you can eas-
ily trace the progress of the downfall, and the cause
of the universal cry of ?Mr<l limci. \Vages reduced,
restricted the expenditures of every fandly; articles
that sold readily before, now went slow, and thcoviT-
stoek of manufactured goods, instead of passing ott"
at the same rate as before, remains on bund. The
factories running on half time with only half the
number of hands, still made enough to kec]) the ware-
houses full, and consequently there is no prospect of
an advance in price. The low wages so decreased
tlie demand for luxuries, and even substanlial food,
that the evil linally reached the door of the farmer —
and wlio can tell where it will end, and when the dull
time will be over. I admit I cannot see it, foi- every
man who has his money invested in any kind of mau-
ufactures w ill try to make his living out of it, and in
order to do that he must run it with the least possi-
ble outlay, and leave all extra hands out of employ-
ment. A good denuinil for articles of clothing, lux-
uries of life, and even breadstutfs, can never be until
every man is employed. F'or this reason I say that I
believe the worst has not come yet; that wages will
be lower, and all kinds of jiroduce will be lower, and
we will have to learn to live on half of what we have
been using; and the sooner we get to that state the
better for us, and for the w hole country. I close by
recommending Ben Franklin's patent recipe for mak-
ing money plenty in every nuin's pocket , viz. : " Spend
every day one cent less tlian thy clear gain."

Mr. St.vikfeu, commenting on the essay, spoke
of a nobleman who had \W men emidoycd at land-
scape gardening. Every day an old nuin was observ-
ed sitting on a fence, watching the workmen. The
n^'blennm, whose curiosity had been arouseil ques-
tioned the old man, who informeil him that he
was a weaver, living in a <'ottage near by. He nuide
it a rule to work eight hours, sleep eight hours, and
take eight hours for recreation in every twcntj'-four
hours. lie found no better recreation than w:itehing
the care and labor bestowed by this uobleman and
bis meu iu beautifying the landscape I

D. (i. Sw.vBTZ esq., approved the general senti-
ment of the essay, but he did not believe that mere
economy would cover the entire ground aw a remedv
for "hard liniee." That is not good |ihllosophy. The
nation has been injured by over-prosperity and over-
conlldenee. The moment Jay tlooki' failed, the peo-
]>le saw the ueccssity for retrenchment . lint we must
have <'oidldcnce in each other. As long as people
feel that this is not the time to buy homis, or nuike
other investments, there can be no recovery from the
general stagnation. He believed we had ni'arly reuch-
cdtlie bottom. The fact that provisions, prtnluce,
and all kinds of numufacturcd goods are nearly as
low in prices as they can be, argues well for the fu-
ture. He predicted higher prices and greater general
prosperity for us as individuals and as a nation, iu
the near future, than has ever been known before.
The fact that we now ndne 5<lllll,ll(H),UU0 In gold and
silver, anntnilly, is very encouraging.

Mahti.n S. Fiiv attributed our local hard times to
the failure of the wheat crop last year, as well as Its
failure three or four years ago. Histhcory, however,
as to the i-ause of the gt-ncral depression, was that
it resulted from a low tarltt'on Imjxjrts. He spoke at
considerble length.

J.KVI S. Ki:isT ascribed the general de|iresslon to
over-trading, and cited the rise and fall of prices In
many noted years — from IHl.*) to Is:i7; Iheiiriceof
rennsylvania State bonds in 1S4»', (then quoted at
:U) and the reaction whicli followed the California
gold fever of 1N4.S. Ili^ argued that the history of
the country will show a "crash" every 1.5 or 'U)
years. A panic cnsui's, every article of produce and
merchandise gets as low in price as it can get, aud
then comes a rise and prfisperous times.

Mr. EsiiLi-rMAN had not contemplated sueh men as
Mr. Swartz when lie wrote his essay. It was intend-
ed particularly as a liint to the masses — the [loor peo-
ple.

The discussion was concluded by Peter S. Itelst,
who agreed with the essayist that economy in snuill
things was a sure preventive of "hard times," and
illustrated by citing a ease that had fallen under his
own observation.

On uKition of Johnson Miller, the unanimous
thanks of the Society were tendered to the essayist.

ABOCT I'I..\NTING FOHEST TKEES.

The question, Is it profitable to convert land worth
§100 per acre into forests? was now discussed.

Mr. John B. Euu, who had iirojiosed it, opened
the (jucstion, giving as his opinion that it would pay
the (itivernnient to cultivate foi-ests, but it would not
pay an individual or a company of individuals.

isitAEi, L. Landis thought there should be some
legislation on the subject, and alluded to Kansas and
her young forests, brought into existence by proper
legislation.

Messrs. I'etku S. Heist, Jacob StaulTcr and H. M.
Engle discussed the subject at some length, all of
them recognizing the imiiortance of planting forests,
and all agreeing that there should be some legisla-
tion ou the subject.

The next question for discussion —

"IS swine Fi.Esn A pkopek food foh man?"
was proposed and o])ened by I'eter S. Reist, who took
the negative side of it. He quoted liberally from
learned physicians in support, of his view, and also
cited passages from the Scriplure in support of the
same — notably from the Uld Testament, viz. : llth
chapter of Leviticus, and both and (iUth chapters of
Isaiah.

Mr. Ekb was glad to have the Scripture quoted,
but thought we were not bound by the Mosaic laws ;
he quoted the New Testatemeut to show that any-
thing in the shape of food could be properly partaken
of by man in moderation.

The question was further discussed by Messrs.
.Jacob Stauller and Eplir;iim Hoover, who thought
poi-k proper food if well cooked and moderately eaten.

The further discussion of the question was [wst-
poned uiUil next meeting.

Ja( on Heline was elected janitor, at $1 per
meeting.

A committee, consisting of Messrs. A. F. ITostet-
ter, Alexander Harris and Ephrairn Hoover, was, on
motion of Mr. Ilostctter, appointed to confer with
the Linniean Society, and olfcr to share the expenses
of keeping up the room with them.

WALKINi; HOUSES vs. TUOTTINO.

Milton B. Esiileman otl'cred the following pre-
amble and resolutions, which were adopted :

Wheukas, The tendency of the times is to im-
prove the ruuning eap:icities of the horse, to the dis-
paragement of t he walking ; and whereas, in every
business sense the walking gait is by far the most
important; therefore it is

Kinoh'nl, Thiit it is the sense of this Society that it
would be conducive to the good of the country if
the PeniLsylvania State Agricultural Society would
otler several premiums for the fastest walking
horses at its annual fairs — not requiring the presence
of the horse on the grounds more than the day of
trial.

/{isolvcil, That we request said S<Kiety to otter
such premiums at Its next exhibition, to be held in
this city, and that we as individual members will ex-
ert ourselves to get up a lively contest.

Jiifulrtit, That the Secretary shall forward a copy
of this preamble and resolutions to the ollice of tho
I'ennsyivanla Stale Society at llarrisburg.

t'Asi'Kit II II. LEU now called attention to a very su-
[M'rlor fruit raised Iu this county, known as the
Krauser apple.

C'liAiiiMAN Cooper exhibited three flno varieties of
apph'8 grown In this county, and which he desired the
Society to name. On motion, one was nanieil
"(lontncr's Fancy," and the other the ".Manor
Beauty " — both having Ih-cii raised by .Mr. (iontner,
of .Manor. The third apple, also originated In .Manor,
was named "The Hitter."

Johnson .Milllu oll'ercd the following, wtilchwaa
adopted :

THE STATE AORIC'fl.TUUAL IIEI-UKT8.

WiiKiiKAS, The pr<Hee<llug» of the Agricultural
and llorlieiiltural Society, with the essays and pa-
pers read at each iiieetlng, have become a matter of
interest to the general reader; and wlicri'aH, IhelOlh
volume of the I'ennsyivanla Stale Agrlciiliiiral So-
ciety, together with the re|i<>rt of the IVnnsylvaiihi
Fruit (i rowers' Society, and the essays and pa|H.-r8
eonlalnc'd therein. Is a work which tiiteresls every
farmer and fruit grower ; and whereas, the meinlwrg
of the Lancaster County Agrlcullural and Horticul-
tural Society express the senllinints of the agricul-
tural, people of this county ; therefore

y/( sul/'id, That our S*'nators and UepreBcntatlvea
In the Legislature, now in session at llarrisburg, arc
reipicsted to encourage sueh ap|iroprlalion of tliia
valuable agricultural rc|H)rt from lime to time.

liiMilrcdy That we regard these Iwfisoi'ietlcs as tho
representative bodies of tin' agricultural and horti-
cultural Inlercsis of I'eunsylvania, and all feel a
common interest in their proceedings as benelicial to
our agricidturalists and horticulturalisls.

Jieaolvtd, That our C*)rre8|M»nding Sei-n^tary be re-
quested to forward a copy of the aUive resolulious to
each of our Senators aud Uepresentatlves at llar-
risburg.

A large variety of apples was exiilbted by Levi S.
Ueist, and two iHjttlcs of wine by Jidui B. Erb.
After testing the good things. Society adjourned.

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

Shade Trees.

For a list of trees to .set along the lionlers of a street
in a city or village, or along the highways in a coun-
try, we would rank the first the sugar of rtM-k utapio
{Acer giu-cfuiriiiuin). It is a noble [(Kikliig trcewlieii
fully grown, and makes a dense shade, so acceptable
in a hot day to man or beast. The only objection to
its being popular for this purpose Is its 6h>w growth.
Most people are impatient to have on the start a tree
that will grow up. like Jonah's gourti, in a single
night; and will discard this for some quick growing
kind — like the poplars or eottonwiMxl, lor instance —
forgetting that, while these quick growing trees, like
some fast people, grow, flourish, aud have their day,
the hard ma[ile continues to grow and rear Its stately
head and stand as a inomnncnt to the memory of lilin
who, in his wisdom, transplants it.

Next to the maple we would place the white elm
(Vtiiiuii Amaiomii). This Is sometimes called the
weeping elm, and is really a beautiful tree, and per-
haps more universally used for street |iur|«iKe8 in the
Northern States than any other single variety. We
need not here give a dcseriplion of this iiiagiiillcent
tree, as our readers are all undoubtiHlly acquainted
with its habits and growth. A row of trees, alter-
nately maple and elm, have a very pleasing cireel.
Next in order comes the white ash {Fra£intni Atiu-ri-
camu). This Iri'c is not as large in its growth as the
two former, but excels them in the rapidity of its
growth, and makes an excellent shade tree; its main
aud only objection iH-iiig its habit of dnipjiing its
leaves iu ealy fall. The linden, or more commonly
known basswotnl (Titia Aiiiffictum), makes a beau-
tiful shade tree; but its tendency to sucker or sprout
makes it objectionable to many. Yet many advise its
culture, on account of its beautiful foliage and fra-
grant blossoms.

Thoughts for March.

The farmers arc now burnishing their armor; Ihoy
can hc:ir, as it were, the sounds of approiiching actl-
vity, and are making ready to play their part in the
great industrial strife In which the tillers of the soil
arc shortly to be engaged. On the farmer every other
interest mainly dc|H'nds; bis toil sets all arts Inaitloii;
without it other interests would of in<csslly flag anil
die. The sound of the anvil would no longer be heard,
the shuttle aud the spindle would Ix- still, commerce
would be susiHMidcd, ami man himseir revert to the
savage state, ilcpendcnt on the chase and the st>outa-
neous products of mitiire for his daily foo*!. How all-
Important, how ennobling, then. Is the mission of the
farmer ! When will American husbandmen l)c duly
Impressed by that fact, and so train their sons to be
mentally qualified to llll their high destiny f They
are the owners of the soil, their iiUcrest Is paramount
to all others, they are the m;ijority In number, and
the legitimate caudldatca for high .honor: It U they

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February, 1876.

who should fill the posts of dignity and trust, frame
and administer the laws, and represent the nation
abroad. But to accomplish all this, self-reliance,
conscious ability, and conscious worth must co-exist
— these are not the work of a moment, nor the simple
union of material forces. No combination alone can
achieve permanent success. The only patron the far-
mer needs is himself alone — educated and trained to
fill his high destiny.

Large Poultry Yard,

The followine: account of the largest poultry yard
in New York is given in the Fancier's Journal :

It is at Greene, Chenango county, N. Y., and is
kept by Mr. A. B. Robeson. He has 6,000 ducks,
4,000 turkeys, and 1,200 hens. They consume daily
sixty bushels of corn, two barrels of meal, two bar-
rels of i)otatoes, and a quantity of charcoal. The
meal, potatoes and charcoal are boiled together, and
form a pudding which is fed warm. He has com-
menced to kill them off, and employs fifteen hands to
pick, two to kill, and one to carry away and pack on
racks until frozen, then they are ready to pack for
shipping. He also employs two men to cook the feed
and feed them. He has twelve buildings for his
fowls, from one to two hundred feet long, fourteen
feet wide, and seven feet under the eaves, with a door
in each end of them.

Mr. Robeson bought most of his ducks in the West,
and had them shipped in crates — three dozen in a
crate. He also has an egg-house, 35 by .50 feet, and
four stories high. The outside is eighteen inches
thick, and built of cut stone, laid in mortar, boarded
up on the inside and filled in between. the outside and
inside wall with sawdust, it taking 3,000 bushels.
Mr. Robeson claims that he can keep eggs any length
of time in this building. He also keeps the poultry
that he is now dressing until next May or June,
which he sells for eighteen to twenty-five cents per
pound, and it cannot be told from fresh dressed
jmultry. He gets ten cents per pound for turkey's
feathers, twelve for hen's and sixty-five for duck's.
He says there is money in poultry, and he thinks
he can make out of his 0,000 ducks enough to
pay for his egg house, which cost S7,000. He intends
to keep a great many more next season, and has
agents out all over the country buying up poultry
and eggs.

The State Agriculturists.

At the quarterly meeting of the executive commit-
tee of the State Agricultural Society, the following
was adopted :

Resoli'cd, That this executive committee recom-
mend to the incoming representatives of the Pennsyl-
vania State Agricultural Society the propriety of
omitting the annual exhibition of 1870, for the reason
that the common desire of the citizens of Pennsylva-
nia is to contribute to the success of the commemora-
tion during the year of the completion of the first
century of our republic as a nation.

The following olliecrs of the State Society were
elected :

President — George Scott.

Vice-Presidents — .James A. M'Crea, Geo. Blight,
A. L. Kennedy, William S. Bissell, A. D. Levering,
David H. Branson, Win. H. Holstein, Tobias Barto,
S. S. Spencer, Daniel H. Neiraan, Joseph P. Connor,
Ira Tripp, Lyman Nntting,John A. Sniull, James E.
Carmalt, J. B. Potter, S. Baker, John S. Miller,
Daniel O. Gehr, L. A. Mackey, George Rhey, John
Murdoch, jr., Alex. Speer, Joshua Wright, J. B.
Lawson, J. D. Kirkpatriek, John W. Hammond.

Additional members executive committee — A. Wil-
helm, Abner Rutherford, J. S.Keller, Benjamin G.
Peters, R. S.Allen.

Ex-Presidents, Members of the Board — Frederick
Watts, D.Taggart, Jacob S. Haldeman, Thomas P.
Knox, A. Boyd Hamilton, Amos E. Kapp, John C.
Morris, J. R. Eby.

Corresponding Secretary — Elbridge M'Conkey.

Chemist and Cicologist — S. S. Haldeman.

Assistant Chemist and Geologist — Hugh Hamilton.

Librarian — William H. Egle.

The Pestilential East Wind.

I believe it is an admitted fact that an easterly wind
is more deleterious to man, beast, and vegetation,
than a westerly wind. I have observed that if an
east wind should come while the cherry and raspberry
were in bloom, they are sure to be mostly blasted.
I have noticed, too, that all kinds of stock require
more attention during an eastern wind or storm than
in one from the west. Man, as a general rule, feels
more dull, stupid, and inactive during an east wind.
We read in the Bitjle of the pestilential east wind; so
we infer that during the patriarchal days, in Asia,
it was observed to be the more deleterious. The ques-
tion has often been asked. Why is this so? Philoso-
phers, who reason from cause to ettect, have searched
for a cause. I will give my phylosophy for it, and
those who peruse it may take it for what it is worth.

The planet revolving from west to east, and a west
wind going the same direction, the surlaee air, a por-
tion at least, is thrown ofi' into space — consequently

the higher and purer atmosphere is pressed down to
the surface; hence we do not get all of the poisonous
miasma in the air during a westerly wind. My idea
may become more clear by statihg a fact that many
have observed. By pouring water on a grindstone
and turning it rapidly, a portion of the water is thrown
from the surface, just so with a western wind; it
brings into requisition the centrifugal force, a ten-
dency to fly from the surface, while with an east wind
the reverse is true; the centripetal force is brought to
bear. Hence an east wind coming against the planet
is constantly clinging to the surface; therefore we
are subjected to all the impure air, &e.

I have here briefly given what seems to me the
true cause for the more injurious effects of an east
wind, and I shall adhere to this, unless some one can
give something which appears still more philosophi-
cal. — A. Allen JVoe, Lancaster, January 1, 1870.

Influence of Food on the Mind,

Good food, a variety and enough to satisfy the de-
mands of the stomach for the time, exercises a pro-
digious influence on mental operations. A hungry
man has no wide range of thought, neither has a glut-
tou . Those are extremes which endanger the physi-
cal well-being of the body. Just enough to relish con-
tributes immensely toward that condition of mind es-
sential forthe exercise of reason and judgment. When
food is imperfectly digested, or not at all, the vital
processes arc diminished in force, which is shown in
direct debility and an enfeebled state of the brain.

Great brain workers are generally great eaters.
The blood requires frequent meals from which to
elaborate something essential to its full contribution
of those elements that sustain the most wonderful
organ ever brought under the eye of a naturalist in
the conduction of its mysterious functions. Stranger
still, the brain quickly uses up the quickened influ-
ences conveyed to it in the blood; and if more is not
soon supplied, the deficiency is indicated by nervous
disturbances and abnormal derangements which food
alone can re-establish.

A regular, systematical served diet, of a mixed
character, embracing both animal and vegetable ma-
terials, proportioned agreeably to the taste of an in-
dividual, secures the highest condition of mind for
carrying on those studies in literature, science or art,
characteristic of the best types of civilized man.
Neither savages, barbarians, mendicants in search of
a dinner, nor gourmands write books or contribute to
the moral progress of mankind.

Hurtful Reading.

A had book, magazine, or newspaper, is as danger-
ous to your child as a vicious companion, and will as
surely corrupt his morals and lead him away from
the paths of safety. Every parent should set this
thought clearly before his mind, and ponder it well.
Look to what your children read, and especially what
kind of papers get into their hands, for there are now
published scores of weekly papers with attractive
and sensuous illustrations, that are as hurtful to
young and innocent souls as poison to a healthful
body.

Many of these papers have attained a large circu-
lation, and are sowing broadcast the seeds of vice and
crime. Trenching on the very borders of indecency,
they corrupt the morals, taint the imagination, and
allure the weak and unguarded from the path of in-
nocence. The danger of young persons from this
cau.se was never so great as at this time; and every
father and mother should be on guard against an
enemy that is sure to meet their child;

Look to it, then, that your children are kept free as
possible I'roni this taint. Never bring to your house
a paper or periodical that is not strictly pure, and
watch carefully lest any such get into the hands of
your growing-up boys.

•»•

Celery.

The habitual use of celery is more beneficial to us
than is commonly supposed. A writer who is famil-
iar with its virtues, says: "I have known many
men, and women too, who from various causes had
become so much affected by nervousness that when
they stretched out their hands they shook like aspen
leaves on windy days, and by a moderate daily use of
the blanched foot-stalks of celery as a salad, they
became as strong and steady in limb as other people.
I have known others so nervous that the least annoy-
ance put them in a state of agitation, and they were
in constant perplexity and fear, who were also effect-
ually cured by a moderately daily use of blanched
celery as a salad at meal time. I have known others
cured of palpitation of the heart. Everybody engag-
ed in labor weakening to the nerves should use celery
daily in the season, and onions in its stead when not
in season."

of sweet milk, two cups of flour, in which have been
thoroughly mixed two teaspoonfuls of baking pow-
der, or two of cream of tartar and one of soda, and
flavor with one teaspoonful of extract of bitter al-
monds (or other flavor desired) . Lastly, stir in one
cup of corn starch, which acts both as food and
shortening. Immediately bake in a moderately quick
oven.

What it will do. — If a mechanic or clerk saves
only 3':i' cents per day, from the time he is twenty-
one until he is threescore and ten, the aggregate, with
interest, will amount to .S3, 900; and a daily saving of
27y, cents reaches the important sum of $i39,000. A
sixpence saved daily will provide a fund of S7,000 —
sufficient to purchase a good farm. There are few
employees who cannot save daily, by abstaining from
the use of cigars, tobacco, liquor, etc., twice or ten
times the amount of the six cent piece. Every per
son should provide for old age, and the man in busi-
ness who can lay by a dollar a day will eventually
find himself possessed of $100,000.

Corn Starch Cake.

This is a simple and digestible cake, easily and
quickly made, and generally liked. Rub well together
one cup of butter and two cups of sugar. Add the
whites of si.x eggs beaten to a froth. Stir in one cup

LITERARY AND PERSONAL.

The Pocket Guide for the Centennial Vis-
itor, compiled by John W. Frazer, .and published
for gratuitous circulation by .John B. Ellison & Sons,
723 and 72.5 Market street, Philadelphia, is a 13mo.
pamphlet of 73 pages, and contains fifty-five finely
executed illustrations — most of which are full page —
of the buildings, ground plans, scenery and surround-
ings of Fairmpunt Park, and the bridges, avenues,
&c., in, and leading thereto.

Briggs & Brother's Quarterly Illustrated
Floral Work for January appears in a more com-
pact form and less ornamental than heretofore, for
the reason that they are preparing to recognize our
Centennial year by an elaborate work which shall be
substantially bound, and will contain exhaustive
treatises upon the care and culture of all the plants,
flowers, bulbs, &c., that are of practical service in
this country. It will be a standard work, fit for the
parlor or library, and will be sent as a premium to
their customers. Their lithograph of "The Great
Tomato Race," is one of the finest things of the kind
ever published. In rivalry to produce the best toma-
toes, Briggs & Brothers seem to be ahead.

The Semi-Tropical for January comes to us from
the sunny land of orange groves in an entirely new
dress, with a beautiful and appropriate design forthe
cover. The paper and typography throughout are
first-class, equal to the best of the northern maga-
zines. It is devoted to Southern Agriculture, Horti-
culture and Immigration ; Literature, Science, Art
and Home Interests. Now that Florida is attracting
so much attention from northern people, the Semi-
Tropical forms an admirable channel of communica-
tion of just such information as they ought to have.
We look upon such creditable literary enterprises as
the very best evidence of the coming reconstruction
of the South on a solid basis. It is well edited by
Harrison Reed, assisted by an able corps of contribu-
tors, and is published by Chas. W. Blew, Jackson-
ville, Florida, at ^3 a year.

The Sanitarian : The February number of this
admirable exponent of sanitary science comes to our
table heavily freighted with good things. The lead-
ing paper is on the " Effect of Loss of Consciousness
upon the Memory of Preceding Events," by Prof. F.
H. Hamilton, M. D. Articles from able pens on the
" Perils of Massing of Population in Cities," " The
Health of New York," " Pulmonary Consumption in
Cities," " Infant Diet," " A City of Health," "Sewer
Gas Poisoning," " Education in the United States,"
etc., help to make up an unusually rich table of con-
tents. This journal was recently incorporated with
the Jtledico- Legal /oio'na!, and is published by Messrs.
McDivitt, Campbell & Co., the eminent law and med-
ical book publishers. Dr. Bell still remaining in the
editorial charge. §3 a year. Everybody interested
in sanitary affairs should be a subscriber.

Notes on the Yucca Borer : This is a beautifully
printed pamphlet, containing notes on the Yucca
Borer, (Jfegathijmus Yucca) by Prof. Charles V.
Riley, M.A., Ph.D., which were furnished by him
for the Transactions of the Academy of Sciences, of
St. Louis, (Vol. ill, January, 1876). The subject is
an interesting one, from both a scientific and practi-
cal point of view, because the Yuccas — .\loes or alli-
ed to them — with their spined or threaded fleshy leaves,
are becoming every year more popular as ornamental
garden and conservatory plants; and no doubt those
having sickly or stunned plants, would be surprised to
find a borer excavating the stems and roots, almost
their entire length, which, when it attains its full
size, is nearly four inches long, almost as large as
the common tobacco worm — and an inch and a half
in circumference. We fully endorse the quotation
from Westwood, namely, that " He who, by a min-
ute analysis of any animal, enables to solve any du-
bious point connected therewith, does more for the
elucidation of this much abused natural system than
the greatest and most ingenious theorist who has yet
taken the subject in hand," and we know no one who
has more fully succeeded in undertakings of this
kind, than Prof. Riley.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

ni.

500,000 GRAPE-VINES

CFTKAPF.R than anywhere elHr, Concord— 1 year, $25
for 1,000; extni, $40; 2 ye^re, and extra spleot 1 year,
$45 jier ],000. Xo on<» 4lnr«« iiiKlorMoll ni<». Dela-
ware. Martlia, lorui, Diana, Kiniieliui, Norton, Herbeniont,
Cutuwba, (.'rutim, Hartford, and all other varieCieH, cheaper
than anywhere. AIho all HUiall Iriiit j^lantH. Addrt-t^H
S-2-2m Dii. H. SClIIiiHHat, KiAMiMiNiiTON, III.

are the best the world producer. They are jilanted by a
million people in Anierici, and the rcHtilt in heanlifnl
Flowers and Hjilcndid Vi-Ketables. A Priced Catalogue pent
free to all who inclose the jiostage — a 2 cent nt.aniii.

Vick's Floral Guide, (^imrterly, 25 cents a year.

Vick's Flower and Vegetable Garden, iHS cents; with
cloth eoverw. (if* centR.

Addrt-sB, JAMF.S VICK. Rochesfer, N. Y.

The Great Agricultural Wonder,

BF.lNCi THE

HULLESS OATS,

Which can be olitnin^d of

N. S. FISHER,

At Leesport P. 0., Berks County, Pa.,

A8 FOLLOWS :

1 ponnci 50ct9». I H ponndK l^ 3.50

16 "• » <i.50 I 32 " la.OO

It is claimed that it will yield as many measured bushels
as any other variety, while it weit;h8 36 jiounds to *he
bushel, and ripens two weeks earlier than common oats,
thereby escajdng the rusty season of oats,

Bgf-\Vrite for circulars. S-1.4t

THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY.

The Leading Literary Magazine of America.

Devoted to Literature, Seienee, Art ami Politics.

Tlie corps of writers includes the foremost names in
American Literature: Longfellow, Lowell, Bryant, ^Vhit-
tier, Holmes, Bayard Taylor, Howells, Aldrich, Warner,
Mrs, Kimble, Mark Twain, and otJiers.

The XJ. S. Official Postal Guide.

Bcvised and Published Quartfrhj hi/ authority of the Pout
OJI'trc Ocpartinent.

Containing nn AIphMbctical List of Post Offices in the
TJuited States, with County, State, and Salary ; Money-
Order OtUcitf, Domestic ami International ; Chief Regula-
tions of the Post Office Department ; Instructions to the
Public ; Foreign and Domestic Postage Tables, and other
valuable Information.

The American Law Times and Reports.

A monthly periodical which gives Lcaditu) Cnacs in ad-
vance of regidar publication, and a ViijeM of alt Cawx re-
ported in contemporary American legal perioiUcala. Edited
by Rowland Cox.

THE BOSTON

Medical and Surgical Journal.

EKtaUuihed I8i8.— Published Weekly.

With one exception the oldest Medical Journal in the
United States, and second to none in character and standing.

The American Naturalist.

A Pojiular Tllusfrated Monthly ^I;ig;izine of N:itur:tl His-
tory and Travel. Among the ccntriliutors are Profs. Gray,
Whitney, shaler, Farlow, and tioodale, of Harvard; Profs.
Marsh, Verrili, and Smith, of Yale, ami others.

SiibNcription Kaleti.

Atlantic Monthly t* 0«

Atlantic Monthly, irjV/i li/e-sizc portrait o/ Lotwi/cIIqw . . 5 (H)

U. S. Official Postal (iuide 160

U.S. Official Postal Guide. Sinijte nmnbcrv 50

American haw Times and Reports 6 00

Boston Medical and Surgical Journal 5 Do

American Naturahst 4 00

'^'Postage prepaid by the Pnblishers.

Itemittances should bo sent wilh eacli order and be made
by draft or money-order, on New \ork or Boston, or regis-
tered letter to H. O. HOl'OHTON & CO., lUvrrMf I'rtMl,
Camhriiliie, MnnM. .S-l-3t

HOKSE-BILLS
PLAIN OH IN FANCY COLORS,
Printed in the Beist Style at the office of

THE FAKMElt.

s:Siii''«''*»5X''.ti'''

A country c<litnr, in his llnaiiciul urtlcle, says —
" .Money is clow, Imt not cldBO ('non:;h lo reiicli."

" Xow is llie time tn t;et up clulis," remarkeil an
editor the otlier ilay as In: was attaclieil by a dot;.

An Iowa (>ditor recently announced tliat a certain
patron of liis was "thieving, as usual." It was writ-
ten tliriviiiir.

A MKTHOI1I9T niiin'stcr licinc recently asked if ho
had luovcil to his new appoiiitinent, saiti, '* Yes, but
it was a ilisappoinlinent."

A voi'Mi lady licinir asked by a rich bachelor, " If
not yourself, who would you rather be?" replied,
Bweelly and nn)destly, " Yours truly."

" Wii.i. you please insert tills obituary notice?"
asked an old (jentleinan of a country editor. "1 make
bold to ask, ticcause I know the deceased has a (Treat
many Irieiids about here who'd be glad to hear of
his lieatli."

Ill a recently published p;azeltecr is the following
erratum : " t'or * I>ulehinan ' read * Dr. .Atlains.' "
This is almost cfpial to the well known erratum in a
country paper, " l'"or ' aluin water ' read ' alma ma-
ter.'"

.JtiST before niarryim; an olil man for his money, a
Louisville jrirl ealletl her father asiile, and, throwincr
herself on his neck, exehiimed, amid smilesand tears:
"Ohjfatlicr! Y'our poor, miserable daughter will
have a new bonnet every week."

ChinesI': version of "the little busy bee:"
How belly small chin-chin sting bug

Im-ini-plove ebly sixty minnit all the time.
Go, pickee up sting-bug .juice all day.

All kin' places 'loun tlowels jest got busted.

The country storekeeper said : " Here, my friend,
those balls of butter 1 boui;ht of you last week all
proved to be just three ounces short of a pound."
And the farmer innocently answered : "Well, I don't
see how that could be, for I used one of your ' pound
bars' of soap for a weight."

A South Boston lady was recently interrocated by
a Bcuetlict as to why she did not i^et married. She
replied : " I prefer to be an old in.aid." lie said he
did not believe it, as he felt sure she envied his wife.
" Oh, no ! that would be breaking the commandment
— thou shall not covet thy neighbor's ass."

Recently, as a negro was painting his house on
Watson strei^t, and was nearly the top of a long lad-
der, his wife came out and called to him to come
down. .Just at the moment a rung broke and the
man came down on his head, jumped up and said :
" Well, honey, go on wid your remarks."

Obitu.iht of the Cincinnatifighting jackass, by G.
Washington Cliilds, A. M.:

A lioness from Lybia's desert waste.
With ratthng heels he boldly dared to paste.
.She scratched him and the scratches mortified :
In seventeen weeks the little jackass died.
Gone to meet Sergeant Bates.

An e.xchanc.e gives a catalogue of Nevada's con-
tributions to the Centennial, which will consist of "a
white fox, a black eagle, a blue mule, a thousand-
pound lump of brimstone, and a baby that doesn't
like candy." If the other States of the Union will
do but half as well, the exhibition will be well worth
going several miles to see.

Dr. Allen, of Philadelphia, was preaching one day
in Tennessee to the frecdmen, when an oUl colored
brother came to him after the sernion ami said: " I
like to hear you preach, for I understand your preach-
ing." "I am vei'y gUid of it," replied the doctor.
"Yes," he said, "I understand you jes as well a? if
you were a nigger." Dr. Allen acknowledged the
compliment.

Mu. Cox, in his capital articles on Congressional
humor, in Ifat'per^ .iluf/uzliif, omits the best things
which iiave been said wjiile he has been a Kepresent-
ative, his modesty preventing his rcpcalins; Ids own
b<m tiiots. Oni: of these was when the headers off
when the roll was called were Messrs Oaks Ames of
Massachusetts, and Andier of .Maryland. The ayes
and noes were called on a railroad laml grab bill, and
Archer, in his indignant haste to vole no, first re-
siionded to the name of Ames, and then to his own.
This duplicate " No !" was greeted with a shout of
laughter, and as it subsided, Cox sprang lo his feet —
struck a stage attitude — and exclaimed in a mournful
tone: "Insatiate Archer! would not oiieeufllce?"
— " Perley " »;.. Bonton Journal.

A wniTEK in the Eibicalioiial Monthly says that if
a thin section of coal be uiacerated in a solution of
saleralus, and afterwards washed and submitted to
the action of nitric acid, to remove mineral impuri-
ties, the inieroseope will show that it is made up of
vegetable cells. They usually show no siirn of struc-
ture, but occasionally fragments of old logs have
been found. The change from wood to coal, in some
instances, is not complete, as woody fibre lias been
detected by the iodine test.

S 5

5 z
e" r.

>TOViATic I

» 3

r 2

5 9

• m

A Family Knitting Macliine.

Now attracMiiK nnivt-rHnl atli'ulloti by Itti aitlor tntitnif jrer-
forTniiiicrH and iIm Krr;it praclle;il vahiefor cverj'-tlay fuinll/
UHO. It knlt.H every jioHHible vjtrl<-ly of platii ur fancy work

WITH ALMOST MAGICAL SPEED,

and jfiveM in-rfcet Kliaiic and finlKb l<» all t(armeut(i. It will

knit a pair of took« in fifteen minuletl Kvery macblun

W A KK A >i'ri-:i> lit rfiet. uM t„il.,juj,t what U rrprejtentfd.

A crtinplele iiiHtriH'tioii Uxtk urrutn|>aiile« caeli tnuehliiP.

Nn. \ Family Machtiic. 1 cylinder, 72 ni«edlwi, $30.

No. 3 " -'2 " VI k 100 " 40.

A namplf nuuhiw will be Rent to auy part of the UnllM

Stad'fl or Canada, (wliere we have no BRenl) rxpre-M rharges

prepaid, n!i receijit of the prlee.

AoKNTM wanted iii every Htate, County, City and Town,
to whom very lilmral dlRcountN will he mTtde. Addrt-wi,
lUCKFOUI) KNITTIMO M.M'lIlNK MlO. CO.,
T-n-tf] 8rile Mrmiifaetiireni, Rrnf tloboro. Vt.

260
PAPERS

—AND—

MAGAZINES

SENT

AT IM\% (XC It KATFS

To siii^'lc
past-olliri*.

subsrrilK_*rs at any

Soinl at once for

FHEI-: cinnlar l»off»re onJering

ymir i)ai)ors for l.s7(i.

X>. UK. KIRBT".

HARTWICK SEM.. OTStGO CO.. NEW YORK.

I have founded my IfiiHiiK ><^ oil itit htlicf that tlie pabllo
are anxiouw to get their seed dirertii/ frimi the fjroiper, and I
therefore ofTor kkee to every man and woman in (he ttnited
States who cultivates a farm, title a vetfelable Kar<leD, or
plantn a flower garden, my large Illuf*trated Catalogue of
Vegetable and Flower Seeds for 1876; it ojutains, in addi-
tion to the ehoiceBt kinds produced in Europe, one humired
and fifty varietiejt of refjetnble i*eed ijroirn "n vty/our^ed
farnin. 'CuHtoraer« of last »oawm uov!\ not write for ii. Aa
the original introducer of the Hubbard, Marbtetiead and
Butmau SquaeheB, Phinney's Melon, Ibe Marblebettd Cab-
bages, and a score of other new vegetables. I suilcil your
patronage. All seetl sold under three wurranls. A Imudred
thousand catalogues will be Issued and sent out Ibe flntt of
Jauuary.
"-U-5] JAMES J. H. OllECOUY. Marbl.hwid. Mass.

ROOT'S

Qarden JVf anual

Is filled with topics of interest to every owiicr of a gard'-n —
is PtilNTED. rUACTICAl, and THOKOt'fiH, and contains
one-half as much as $1.S0 l»ookH on the subject. OAKDEN-
KKS throughout the country commend its practical labor-
saving methods as invaluable to them.

CJr~Sont for 10 cents, which will l>e allowed on the first
order for seoda. Address,

J. B. ROOT, N<-ed CJrow«^r,

noiKFOItl). Illinois.

GEORGE D. SPRECHER,

DEALER IN AU KINDS Of

OFFICE :

No. 15 EAST KING STREET,

8-l-12m 1.ANCASTEK, PA.

IV.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[February, 1876.

We call jitteiitioii to our immense Stock (GOO acres ) uf
Friiil Troos, Standard and Dwarf.
Kinall I'riiilN. Grapes, Currants, Raspberries, &c.
Ornaiiioiital TreeN nnd Slirubs, deciduous aud

evergreen.
Rose** a specialty — all the finest sorts.
Cireen aii<l Hot House Plaiiitn, including best nov-
elties. Small jareels forwarded l»y mail when desired.
Prompt attention given to all ordeisand inquiries.
Descriptive and Illustrated priced Ca,talogues sent prepaid

on receipt of stamps, as follows :
No. 1. Fruits (new ed., with col'd plate) i.^ cts.
No. 2. Ornamental Trees, with col'd plate of Roses, 2.'>c.
No. 3. Greenhouse, Free. No, 4. Wholesale, Free.

No. .'>. lAtit of XeV RosoN for isTfi, Free.
Nob. 1 aud 2— Neatly bound together, forming an interest-
ing aud valuable Ijook for refei-euce.
Address, 50 cts. by mail, i^ost paid,

ELLWANGER & BARRY, Rochester, NY.

GOOD »iKEnS, GROWN WITH CARE, FROM SE-
lected Stocks, always -pay. Try uiiue. Catalogue free.
J. R. V. HAWKINS, Gosheu, N. Y.

FERTILIZERS!

CHEAPEST AND BEST!

WRITE for Circular and Recipes, which aro furnished
without charge, containing complete instructions for
making, at home, first-class chemical manures, suited to
the gruwth of special crops. Qui- formula have prover, in
actual use, to be of the greatest value to all who have used
them.

We offer Fertilizing Chemicals of onr own manufacture,
at lowest prices, with a guaranty as to atrength and pu-
rity. Ask prices for

Oil Vitriol,
.Ground Boues,
Land Plaster,
Sulphate FotaBbj

Nitrate Soda,
Sulphate Ammonia,
Muriate Potash,
Sulphate Soda and Salt.

Address

HARRISON BROS. & CO.,

PHILADELPHIA,

Established as Manufacturers of Fertilizing
Chemicals iu 1793.

[8-2- m

I OFFER A LARGE STOCK OF

AITLE TREES, APRICOTS,

Irish Junipers, Gooseberries,

Trees!

AND A GENERAL ASSORTMENT OF

FRUIT TREES

AND

ElYlEIRIGIRiEiEiNlS.

irF~Letter8 will be answered in English, German and
French. Address

CiEOllOE ACHEMS,
8-2-2m] West < heater. Pa.

'^THE FARMER'S FRIEND."

The great Grange paper.

The farmers' own journal.

5U0 farmers' write for it. '

60 farmers' wives write for it.

Circulates in 3G States.-

Circulates in 6 Territories.

Circulates iu Canada.

64 columus every week.

16 pages of reading.

Kept on file iu 1,200 Granges.

Read weekly by over 100,000 people.

Only otficial organ of five State Granges,

Market reports Irom the great cities.

Practical experieuce by practical farmers.

Croj) reports printed weekly.

No middlemen agents.

$1.50 a year; or 1.25 in clubs of 8 or over.

Postage always prepaid by publishers.

12>; cents a month to the close of any year.

In clubs of 8 or over, 10)<r cents a month.

Neatly printed ; "big type ;" good paper.

National Grange officers write for it.

Grange news from every State,

Farmers are delighted with it, aud say,

*' Just what we have wanted."

Sample copy three cents, sent dii-ectly from the Grange

Steam Printing House of five S ates.

Address, THOMAS & BETVIMING,

7-12-S Mechanicsburg, Pa.

^W. ^TLETil BURPEE,

TlVrPORXER, UREJEJ^EFl ^ND SIIIFt>KR, OF

IMPROVEDLIVE STOCK.

HIGH CLASS LAND AND WATER FOWLS— Eicd variety bred on a separate farm. LEGHORNS—Browu, White,
Blaci and Doimniiiuf' of my celebrated siraiiia a sijeoiaUy. Also, ail unsurpassed and large collection of WATER FOWLS
AND TURKEYS. Asiatics, Hamburgs, Dorkings, P. Roclis, Am. Domiuiques, Hoiidaiis and Bantams. My fowls are all
HIGH CLASS, aud bred witU great care. My breeding peas contain extra flue imviorted aud prize birds.

CHESTER WHITE SWINE A SPECIALTY.

Sto.k of all ages bred from the best Preiuiuiu Stock, and warranted strictly pure and choice, for sale at moderate
prices. Also lmi)orted Berk.sllires. Jersey Cattle, Southdown and Cotswold Siieep. DOGS-Setter, Shepherd Beagle
Hound, Skye aud Black-aud-tan J]erriei-s. Only a limited stock of e?cil, consisting of the fluest imported specimens, with
" ' " English Ferrets.

full pedigrees. Lop-Kared aud Himalayan Rabbits.

FANCY PIGEONS, ALL VARIETIES,

Tlie Pipon Loft: How to FQruisli M Maiiap It.

Our now illnstratetl book on jiigeons. Plain, concise, orisrinal and
invaluable. It f^ives many new facts not to be found
elsewhere, and is worth dollars to any breed-
er. Price, only 50c. postpaitl.

irs^Elegant illustrated catalogues of stock, giviug descriptions and illustrations
of fowls and pigeons, postpaid, 10 cents.

Circulars free.

Address,

W. ATLEE BURPEE, Philadelphia, Pa.

$125.00 in CASH PRMIUMS.

For particulars see my Illustrated Catalogue for 1S7G, con-
"tainiiig all the new aud Ijest varieties of fresh, true and re-
liable Garden Seeds, carefully grown from tine selected
stocks, and the largest and best collection of Choice Seed
Potatoes f-ver offered. Sent free to all applicants. Do not
fail to see it.

J. R. V. HAWKINS,

GOSHEN, N. Y.

J. STAUFFER,

tmm It ^mm,

LANCASTER, i'ENN'A,
235 EAST ORANGE ST.

All matters appertaining to UNITED STATES or CANA-
DIAN PATENTS, TRADE MARKS, and COPYRIGHTS,
promptly attended to. His experieuce, success a'd faithful
attention to the interests of those who eugage his services
are fully acknowledged and appreciated.

Preliminary examinations made for him by a reliable As-
sistant at Washington, without extra charge for drawing
or description. (7-4-tf

THOS. M. HARVEY,

WEST GROVE, CHESTER CO., PA..

Breeder hikI 8Iixp|>er of

GUERNSEY ISSIBDTKR STOCK,

Yorkshire and Berkshire Pigs.

Dark Brahma Chickens from the best imported
blood. Also Bronze Turkeys.

FOR FRUIT

And Ornament.
500 ACBES OF TUBES

At Wholesale and Retail.

Pear, Apples, (Cherries, Quinces.

Peaches, Plums and Small Fruits.

New and Raie Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.

Evergreens, large quunlities, large variety, cheap.

Cut-leaved Biich, Purple Beech, Weeping Trees.

«'S.F.IIIATIK JA<'K.HANXI.— Hardy and Perpetual,
blooms profuselv uutil frozen up.

l»K«l'ETrAL, WlfllTK ri^EMATIS.— 15 Sorts.
We have over 71) vaiieties of Clematis, iu many shades of
color, from dark rich purple to pure white — strong plants,
safely sent by mail.

KOKKS. ifloMH. Ten, C'liinbiiig-nnd Perpetual.

Small Packages sent s.ifely by Mail and Exjiress.
ffS^Catalogues free. Address
T. r. MAXMJEE.1> A KROS., Cieneva, N. Y.

rr7^=

fiOV^Ei'^'YEGETABLE

@Z45iE)BSa^|

is the most beautiful woik of the kind in the world. It con-
tains nearly 150 pages, hundreds of fine illustrations, and
four Chroma Plates of Flowers, beautifully drawn and col-
ored from nature. Price, 35 cents in paper covers ; 65 centfl
bound in elegant cloth.
Vick's Floral Gruicle. Quarterly, 26 cents a year.

Address, JAMES VICK, Rochester, N. Y.

LIMilB lOE lAEMlES.

NO MIDDLE-MEN.

We have a large stock of Lumber, aud ono of the most
extensive Sash and Door Factorins in the State, and we are
prepared to furnish HoiiNe and Itarii Bills complete.

All kinds of Manufactured Fencing, &o., making a sjieci-
alty of supplying the agricultural community. We will
make prices delivered to any Railroad Station. All our
material ^iini*antoe<l as represented. All manufactured
work kihi-dried and warrautetl not to shrink. All inquiries
cheerfully auswered.

One of the firm cau be seen at the PVankHn House, North
Queen Street, Lancaster, Pa., ou Monday of each week.

7-4-12mJ

KENDIG, BRICKER & LAUMAN,

Middletown Dauphin cc. Pa.

$-\ Q "VtiQio (To Bubecriberg in
1 d I Cdl ^ the comity.

/irBclianics Sooieij j;in77

SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS. ro,ub«riu.r,outof t <t-| or

Prof. S. S. RATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTEH, MAMCH 15, 1876.

PEAE30L ic CEIST, Fublishers.

■THE LITTLE BUSY BEE.'

Organization of a Bee-keepers' Society- A
New Interest to Be Protected and Cultiva-
ted. — Interesting Discussion, &c.

The first imctiiii; dI' tlie Luik-ukUt t'ouiily Bce-
Kecpcre' Soi'ifty wat lu'kl in this city on Moiuluy,
March IMth. AiKirfraiiizalion \va.>i ctlcctoii liy olcctiiij;
Peter S. Kcist, of .Manhcini, Trcsiiieiit ; J. F. Ilcrehcy ,
of -Mount .Joy, Vice-President; and A- B. Horr, of
West IK'inpticld, Secretary.

Tlic following members were jircscnt : II. B. Niss-
ley, D. II. Lintiier, .Jolin Ihiber, Elias Hershey, John
KeppcrlinT, A. H. Shock, .J. F. Plcrshoy, Peter S.
Reist, S. U. (iarber, .Tod Fisher, A. B. Ilerr, and
Leonard Flickenslcin. The above f^entlemen repre-
sented l,:iUO hives.

The first subject discussed was, " Will Bee-keeping
pay?"

J. F. Heuriiet thoiiirht it did. He realized 100
per cent . out of the money he had invested in bees.
During the past few years lie had sold over ?(!00
worth of honey and queen bees.

Peteu S. Keist believed that if hee-keepiuij^ was
understood thorouj^ldy it would pay better than most
any otlicr kind of business. If only 50 per cent, on
the amount invested would be made, it would be
paying well .

Messrs. S. (i. Gakbeh, Em.vs Heushey and
Leoxaiu) Fmckensteijj also spoke in favor of bee
raising, and said they were well paid for the interest
taken in the matter.

" Which is the best, the Italian or the Black bee?"
was the next question.

Eli.vs Hekshev favored the Italian Beeon aecotmt
of its swarming and honey-making qualities.

.1. F. Hersiiev preferred the Italian Bee on account
of its protecting the hives from moth. Crossed bees
were the best for making honey.

Leonard Fi.ickexstkin had a colony of black
bees that made more honey than the Italian, but he
preferred the latter on account of their many other
good qualities.

The next question was, " Do Bees Injure Fruit ?"

J. F. IlEiisnEY said the bees are blamed for iiyur-
ing grapes. They never touch a grape unless it is
already partly destroyed by a wasp or other insect.
He had as high as fifty swarms in his orchard at a
time and never noticed any diminution or destruction
of his apples. His clover crop was benefited very
much by the presence of the bees.

D. H. Lintner had often heard of bees destroying
grai>e8, but after a series of experiments he found that
it was not so.

Peter S. Keist was of the opinion that bees were
a great lienefit to flowers, as they carried the pollen
of one flower to that of the other. The bee brcadJ
which they carry with them is also beneficial to the
flowers.

"How long can a brood remain exposed without

CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.

EDITORIAL ARTICLES: r'A<:E.

To our t'oiitribntors, - - - - - Xi
Artichokes, ------ ;w

Queries and .\nswers, - - • . - .'J4

The Century Weather lieport, - . - :t4

The Potato Enemii'S, S4

A fiood Investment, ----- .".5

Ancient (iarilcning, - . - - _ ;;,'-,

To ICcej. Apiilcs Desirable, - - . :j9

Linseed Oil lor fii-alc liiKccIs, - - - 41
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS:

Light Brahmas. Illustrated, - - H.")
W A'loiBiKice.

The Potato Enemies, - - . . ;ic,
Up;itl beioretbf \\\-Hi (.irove Experimeutiil Furiii
Club l.y Dr. MiclieiRT.

Bay Windows for Winter Flowers.

Eden, - :i7

Humming Birds, (Concluded), - - :i7

Fiiiiik 11. Difrendciffer.

Apples and their Varieties, - - 38

Levi .S. Ileise

Home that is Home, - - - - :i9

Millou B. Eslileiuau.

DifTerent Modes of Pruning, - - ,39

Hertieela.

The Dairy. No. 2. II. M. Engine, - 40

Selection of Seed Corn, - 40

-Jiieob IJ, (Tiirber.

Potato Culture. I). K.Hekk, - - - 40

The Neglected Hollyhock. .J.Stauffer, 41

" \/Vhat Kind of Oil ?" A.B. K., - - 41

Transplanting Trees, - - - 41

How to Raise Oats Cheaply, - - - 41

Rural Improvements. Walter Elder, 42

Our Paris Letter, 43

Failure of tlie BePt Crop in France — Practical
Lectures on F.irm Auimuls — Fertillzere and
Cultivation — Tbe Horses of HuuKary — HofllJ-
tals for Horses, Cattle and I*iKs~.MiscelliiiiBOU8.

Lancaster County Farmers in Council, - 42

Proceedings of the Agricultural and Horticultural
Society — Diecussion on Forest TreeB, llaiufall,
Huugariau Grass— An Essay on Hints to Far-
mers. (C. L. Hunsei'ker.)

The Experimental Farm Club, - - - 44

Profits of liaising (.'orn in CheslerCouiity — Dairy
House Ventilation — Bee-Keeping for Farmers —
Questions and .Vnswers.

Domestic Economy, - - - - - 445

A Iteturn to Kconomy— Farmers Sons and Paiigh-
fers inUBt Work — How Butter ia Tainted —
Di^ed Potatoes — Slovenly Women — Milk Traus-
inA Infecti(ui — How to use Corn Slarcli —
Household Recipes.

GENERAL MISCELLANY, - - - 47

The Agricultural Horse — .applying Manures —
I Small Fruit on the Farm — i*oints of a .Jersey —

I The Ree-Ke?j>ing Industr.\ — A Large Poultry

Yard — How to get Kggs In Winter — .Small Pota-
toes for Seed — Care of Lambs — Correctives in
Feeding Poultry — A Profitable Experiment.

The Slaughter of the Birds, - - - - .f.5

Borrowed Plumes, ----- 4,5

LITERARY AND PERSONAL, - - 4S

Hooks and PeriodieaU.

Our Fence Corners, ----- ii, iii
Fact and Fancy, Wit and Humor.

being covered by the bees and still be used for queen
raising?" was the next question Introduced.

Lkonaku Fi.ickenptein had a pieeeof comb lying
expfised to a damp, chilly air for twenty-four hours,
from which he raiseil a prolific queen. He did not
know whether the comb eontalned any ecgs or not.

J. F. Hkrshey knew of combs with e^'g belni;
shipped by mail ami kept for five days, from which
young queens were hatched.. If a brood is over five
<lays old a queen cannot be raised. Some have Imm^d
raise<l, but they are not iH-rfeet.

The question, " What is the reason that a qucenV
stiniriscurvedanda worker bee's sting is straight, and
yet hatched from the same kind of an egg?" was be-
lieved to have been made so by nature, In order to at-
tack its rivals.
" Why is a Fertile Worker Produced and How f"
D. H.LiNTNt.K believed it was [iroduced to take
the place of a queen. It lays eggs the same as a queen,
sometimes as high as three to a cell, but they are i>er-
fectly worthless. They would not hatch, and If aqueen
would be placed in Ihe saiiu> hive with them they
woidd kill it. The only way to save the queens, in
this respect, is to banish Ihe fertile workers or trans-
fer them 10 another hive. He could not t«ll how a
fertile worker was produced.

J. F. Hershkv said the fertile workerg prtwluced
nothing hut drones.

The last question brought before the Society wag,
" Which is the Belter Plan, Natural or Artificial
Swarming?"

J. F. Hekshev preferred the artificial way. When
a natural hive swarms it generally takes seventeen
days before the hive is got in gmwl workinir condition.
In the artificial way, a queen can be placed In the
hive at once and thus save all this time. You can
swarm three times by the artificial way where you
can swarm twice in the natural way. When swarm-
ing in the artificial way, the lices should have as
much honey in the hive as when they go Into
winter quarters.

Peter S. Keist was of the opinion that natural
swarming was the best if you had a prolific queen In
Ihe proper place. Arlifieial swarming sliouhl be
thoroughly understood before it isaltempted. Thous-
ands of Im'CS are killed annually by this neglect. If
it were not for arlifieial swarming he would not have
near so many bees as he has now.

LEONARn Fi.irKENSTEfN and .Iacoo Keperlfno
also favored artificial swarming, and cited several
cxi>eriments whic-h they had undertaken. They both
believed thai a week or ten days were gained by arti-
ficial swarming.

Tlie chair ap|)oinled .1. F. Hershey, A. B. Herrand
l,eonanl Flickenstein as a cominlltee to prepare prac-
tical questions for discussion for the next meeting,
which will beheld at Kaiilfinan's Black Horse Hotel,
this city, on the second Monilay in May.

A general invitation is extended to all persons inter-
ested in bee culture to be present at tbe next meeting.

II.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

FARMERS, GET THE BEST.

THl SILVER I DIMING-

FEED CUTTER,

MANUFACTURED Full

DII^I^EZFl <Sc GrFlOFF",

DKALEKS IN

HARDWARE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS,

No. 7 EAST KING ST., LANCASTER, PA.,

Has beeu demonstrated by cojiijietitive teats to be THE
KEST FEED CUTTER IN THE MARKET. The feed-roU
is operjited by a. new nnd novel device which completely
overcomes the objection to the uiie\en action of othei- cut-
ters, while the le;'gth of cut c:iu be vii'-ied to meet the waute
of the operator without the lemoval of any gear-wheels.
The material and woikmansLip aie of the veiy best class,
aud guaranteed to givesalisfacliouto theijuichaser. Farm-
ers are invited to call and see lor themselves.

"THE CHAMPION."

The C'bumi'ion Reaper and Mower, which we ha,ve sold
with such entire satisf-icrion to our cusiomers for the last
six years, still mniutains the lead of all competitois —
33,761 having beeu manufactured for the harvest of 1S75
•J—ind we have already completed our arrangements to sup-
ply the incie:sed demiiud for next season. The Farmer
who buys the Champion is always satisfied that he has the
full worth of his nmney.

DILLEU & GEOFF,

No. 7 East King St., Lancaster, Pa.

7-n-r,ni

''8i^^Vi^] be

'd /'rrti

. all appli-

L'an ts. Thi.s is

I mo of the largest

rid most com pre) 1 t-n-

Ciitalogues pub-

ished; contains about 2.'i0

■.^es, over TiUO fine enp;rav-

, 2 elegant colored philes.

nd gives full descriplions,

''prices, and directions for plani-

''ing over 1200 varieties of Vegolaltle

rid Flower Seeds, Bedding Plants.

''Roses. &e., and is invaluable to Farmer,

''Gardener and Florists. Address,

D. M. FERRY St CO.,
Seedsmen and Plorista, DETROIT. Mich.

7-1:.

PATENTS

OBTAINED BEST AND CHEAPEST BY

LOUIS BAGGER & CO.,

SOLICITORS OF PATENTS,

"WasJaiiigtoxi, D. C

t^"Art.lrr'SS nil lietters to P. <). Box 444.

EVERGREEN BONE DUST,

MANUFACTURKD IIY

M. B, Eshleman, at Leaman Place,

Is guiranteed Pure Eaw Bono, and nothing else.

Sjieciiil iiiiius liikeii in preparing it lor fpt'diiiR liens.

No. 1. lor focflin^. - - S'.I.i'iO per hiiiKlrecl.

No. 3, for I:in<l.

I.7."«

7-9-fim

Thih iiichulee bags iind delivering on boiird cars.

DEALERS IN ALL KINDS OF

FAMILY and I.INK-BIIKIVINO COAI.!

Orders received at

Office, No. 15 East King street, and at the

«-l-12ill] Yard, No. 618 NOKTH PRINCE STREET.

" GO WORK UPON A FARM."

Will .S. Hays, tlie eminent Soutliern eonif writer
and composer, has published a sons: entitled, '■ Go
and Learn a Trade.'' Just at this time, with facto-
ries and sliojis elosina: up, and meelianics begginjf for
bread in some sections of" the country, it seems to me
that such a sonif is quite out of place. In view of this
fact, I beg to ofter your readers the following agri-
cultural song:

The song I sing to you to-day

Is not to learn a trade ;
For I am sad the trutli to say —

Tliat song aside is laid.
The mills are running on half time,

The shois give forth no noise.
And it is hard to find a dime
Among the 'prentice boys.
Chobus. — The song that I sh:.ll sing to you
Your tioubled hearU will calm ;
If you have nothing else to do —
' ' Go work upon a farm."

Tae atoi-es are filled with idle clerks,

Because the times are dull ;
And he his duty plainly shirks —
When Ehops and mills are tull —
Who seeks to learu a trade, or tend
, The counter oi a store,

luhopts the future yet will send
A fortune to his door.
Chorus. — Ah, vain aie all such hopes as these,
That surely end in harm !
Don't seek to sit 'neath shady trees —
"Go work upon a farm."

Oh ! why should men in cities piue,

Or idly stay iu town ?
Why loaf about and crossly whine.
That "things aTe upside down?"
Can this bring bread to wife and child.

And make the future bright ?
Can this turn the weather mild.
Or furnish heat and light ?
Chorus. — Such men should listen to my song,
And in it find a charm ;
It tells them how to get along —
*' Go work upon a farm."

Let no man starve for want of bread —

The product of the soil —
For all can £till be am^ly f.d.

Who wdl but share the toil —
The honest, manly toil that brings

The harvest season round.
When the glad farmer gayly sings,
Because of fruitful ground.
Chorus. — This, then. shaU be the song we sing.
The whole world to alarm,
And loudly let the chorus ring —
"Go work upon a farm."
— Sidney Herbert, in the .Semi-Tropical.

A Frenchman who has lived in America for some
years, says: " When they build a railroad, the first
thing they do is to break ground. This is done with
great ceremony. Then they break the stockholders.
This is done without ceremony."

A YOUNG minister, somewhat distinguished for
self-conceit, having failed disastrously before a
crowded audience, was thus addressed by an aged
brother: " If you had gone into that pulpit, feeling
as you now do on coming out of that pulpit, you
would have felt, on coming out of that pulpit, as you
did when you went up into that pulpit."

Preparing in Ti.'me. — Profiting by the lesson
taught by the great tire at Boston, a man living near
Springfield, Mass., has made up his mind that he
won't be burned alive. Once every week he gives the
alarm of fire at midnight, at which his wife and chil-
dren instantly arise and dress. He takes out a win-
dow sash, puts a rope round his wife, and lowers her
to the ground, and then throws into her arms one
child at a time. He next puts his furniture into the
street, and removes it to a place of safety. The whole
time occupied is less than fifteen minutes, and he
hopes to do it in ten. He bi-oke the arm of his second
eldest child the first time, and his wife says the piano
is rather nut of tune in consequence of its numerous
and hurried removals, but otherwise he is quite satis-
tied witlj the excellence of his plans. '^

One of Browni.ovv's Yarns. — Parson Brownlow
tells a good story of an old Presbyterian bachelor
preacher, known almo.st as a woman-hati'r until he
was nearly fifty years old, when he married and set-
tled somewhere among the mountains of North f'uro-
lina. The Pai-son says: "Our bachelor friend was
preaching on the sinner's excuses. ' I have bought a
piece of ground, and wish to go and see it,' said one.
'Here is want of inclination to attend to divine things,'
said the preacher. Another said, ' I have bought five
yoke of oxen, and must needs go and prove them.'
This seems a case of necessity. A third said, ' I have
married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' ' Here
is a case of natural impossibility, from which we may
infer,' continued our bachelor preacher, ' that one
woman will pull a man further from the Lord than
ten steers.' "

IS 'hem. St beiuhful work of the kind in the woild. It con-
tauisne lU till iges. hundreds ot fine ilhisti ations, and
four Chi niiw I"utei of Flowem. be; utifullv drawn and col-
ored from Ud'nie. Puce, 3.5 cents in ] aj.er covers ; f& cents
bound m elegant cloth.
■'T'ick's Floral Guide, r^uarterly, 2.'> cenls a year.

Addret-s. .TAMF..S Vlf'K. Rochester, N. Y.

1876. PRE-CENTENNIAL. 1876.

Mkm ft Fisher

)

PRACTICAL *

CHEAP, FASHIONABLE AND DURABLE

Cor.N. QUEEN and ORANGE STS.,

LANCASTER, PENN'A.

'DOMESTIC

TliellrstP:.'t.-rn^n

DOMESTIC

SEWING
MACHINES.

Liberal terms ofExchange
for Second-hand .Macbloes
af every description.

PAPER FASHIONS.

iile. .'-('■Tia ,'>cls. tori'ilalofjuo

Addresc DOMESTIC SBWINCI MACHINE CO.,

Kif" Agents AV anted, "^a
-u-:iteom

NKW YORK.

GEORGE D. SPRECHER,

DEALER IN ALL KINDS OF

IJOOKLN<; SI. VTE.

OFFICE :

No. 15 EAST KING STREET,

8-l-12m L.\NOASTER, PA.

PUBLIC SALE BILLS
FOR H?:AI. ESTATKOU rURSONAL PRORERTY,
Printed expeditiously and cheap at the olhceof

THE LANCA.STER TARMER.

The Lancaster Farmer.

Prof. S. S. HATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, PA., MARCH, i876.

Vol Vm. No. 3.

TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS.
AVe wovilil ivspei't fully boi; leave to return
our sineere tlmnks to the eoutril)iitors to TllK
F.\ioiEU whohavc! so jironiptly and so contin-
uously sustained us during the pa.st year, an<l
who are doing the same good work for us in
the present. M> would eheerfully pay the
[HLstaite on their eontriliutious, if the law drd
not demand pre-i)aynieut before they can leave
the ollices where they are mailed, and we have
often thoULcht that .tome exceptions in lla^ jiost-
aL;e laws should have lieen made I'avorahle to
lliedi.sseminalion of knowledge by such means;
for, it is asking a good <h'al of a coidribulor
to solicit the, results of his labor and research
as a gratuity, and then require him to Ijuv
his own pens, ink, paper, and envelopes, and
also to jiay his own postage. It would jierhaps
be a loss to the Department to grant such a
privilege proniiscuDUsly, because such mail
matter might not be lifted oiU. of th(M)tlice, but
where it was intended for a res]ionsible public
journal, it would not fail to be lifted and I'aid
■for.

The present mail system is imperatively
literal in its operation, no favors to any one
save the naked letter of the law, and it oper-
ates in a rigid manner, perhaps not fully com-
jirehended by all corres|)ondenls and contribu-
tors. For instance, if a manuscrii)t is mailed
requiringl2 cents postage thereon, and only 11
centsare attached to it in stamjis, the 11 cents
mean wilhiii<i, and it is immediately sent to the
Dead Letter OHice at Washington, and cannot
be gotten out of it without paying 24 cents for
it, and an additional three cents for the order.
A case in point is now before us. Prior to the
T 19tli of Fel)ruary a letter to us, containing eon-
triliutious to The Fahmeu, was mailed from
Philadelphia. We cannot tell liow long prior
to that date it was, for the date outhe outside
isillegible, and inside it was without date ; but
on the tilth it received the stamp ot the "Dead
Letter" Otlice at Washington. We were in-
formed of the fact on the 'H'Ah and reipiested to
send 12 cents in postage stamps, and prepay
our order for it. making 1.') cents. On Monday,
the -iSth, we received it, al)0ut one half of its
face covered with stamps, and post-mai^\S, and
cancellations, and oni/ on its back, as if it had
passed through a foreign "cii'cumlocution
otlice." It was a double letter and required six
cents postage, but was enclosed in a two cent
envelope instead, which, under the law, of
course meant nothing. Of course, anybody
might make a mistake of this kind — we have
often made it— but as we have all our envelopes
impressed with our own business device, our
gentlemaidy otlicials here always return them
to us to have them properly stamped, without
sending them to the Dead Letter Ollice,
althouLrh we do not think they are under any
obligations to do .so. In this case we valued
the eontriliutious at far above the amount of
postage we paid, but sometimes we receive let-
ters in the same round aliout expensive man-
ner, asking us to do things that cost us con-
siderable labor or expense, and can only an.swer
them liy paying return postage.

AVhat we wish to suggest is this : that our
contrilnitors and correspondents should always
be sure to pay the full amount of postage — any
thing .short of that, no matter how small,
rimnts as nothing. Also that they should have
printed on the envelopes their business, name,
and address ; so that when they have failed to
atlix the right amount of postage, tlie letter
may be returned to them again, although we
are not sure that all postmasters would respect
it, for in a large otlice and in a large city the
writer might be too far av.ay to receive any at-
tention. Hut those who keep their private
box, it would he little tnndile to throw it in
with their other mail matter. We liave another
.suggestion in this counection to make : when

! a corres])ondent asks for informal ion that can-
I not be given through the cohuuns of 'I'liK
Fakmki!, he should enclose eitlier a three-cent
stanii), or a postal card. These little items, .so
1 insignilicant in themselves when singly con-
sidered, amount to quite a "plum" during the
course of a year, .\iiswering a (piestiou or a
request, in which tlie asker alone is interested,
is surely worth what the answer costs, whether
it is in the allirmative or the negative.

We know that our readers, coid libutoirsand
(!orrespou<lcnts all mean to do what isfairand
just, but it is human to forget, or even to
neglect, and therefore we have deemed this
admonition might do some good in (piarters
iiutsideof thepaleofourown inunediatc house-
hold.

ARTICHOKES.

We u.sc this term in the plural, because, al-
though not all our readers may be aware of it,
yet there are two very widely distinct plants
that bear the name of nrlirhiki — not only dis-
tiutil in species, but al.s<i in genera and family,
one belonging to the family (,'YAN'.\ii.i;, ,and
the other to the family CiiMrosrr.K. The
most familiar suliject to the |)cople of this
country is what they call in England the

Jerusalem Artichoke,

( IfcHatUhufi tubcrosun,)

a small sun-flower, bearing nutritious tubers,
for whiirh it is cultivated. It is a hardy pe-
rennial of Brazil, and was first carried to
England in the year ItJlT, where it soon be-
came exceedingly popular as an esculent, be-
ing thought much superior to the potato.
Loudon says that the name Jerusalem is
a corruption of the Italian word for sun-
flower — (jirasole. Its name of artichoke is
probably derived from a resemblance in the
taste of its roots to the "bottoms " of the true
artichoke. The stalks are large, and fre-
quently attain the height of ten feet. The
roots are produced in great quantity, the
crops sometimes exceeding two thousand
bushels per acre. During the past few 5ears
they have been much extolled for agricultural
piuposes ; and, indeed, they woidd seem bet-
ter suited for the fanner than for the kitchen
garden.

C'liLTUKE. — The .Jeru.salem artichoke is not
very particular in regard to soil or situation ;
it is, however, best pleased with a light and
moist soil, having a free exposure. It requires
little attention, and is so much inclined to
perpetuate itself that it may even become a
nuisance in small gardens. It is [jropagated
in the same manner as tlii^ potato, l)y sets of
the large-sized tubers. Plant them in March
or April, according to the forwardness of the
■season, in <lrills three feet apart, an<l at dis-
tances of tvv'elve (jr (ifteen implies in the drill ;
cover the sets aliout three inches deep. Keep
the soil light, and draw a little around the
stems for tlieir support. He exceedingly care-
ful to guard against the intrusion of weed.s.
The tuliers can be taken up as wanted for
use during the months of September and Oc-
tober, but in Xiivenilier they are to be raised
for iire.servatiou through tile winter, in .sand
(«• earth. The smallest piece let! in the
ground proves troublesome by vegetating in
the following spring. The crop, however,
may remain where grown, as it does not suffer
from the frost.

ITsE. — In an agricultural point of view,
this plant deserves a high position. It is ex-
ceedingly hardy, bearing exposure to the se-
vere weather of winter without injury ; it can
be grown on poor .soil, without the aililition of
much manure; it re(piires little altention,
and is distinguished by great pro(hictiveness.
The stalks make very good fodder, if cut be-

fore the llowei-s have fully opened ; while the
tubers are thought iiarticularly valuable for
cows, sheep and stock pigs. When preiiare<l
plain for Ihi' table, the roots are rather a sec-
ond-rate dish. Alter having been boile<l soft
or tender, they are to be peeled, anil then
sl(nved with wine and liutter. Hy many per-
.sons they are then considered nutritious and
possessed of a good flavor. (^:ltcnrk'i Oar-
dene r'x Text- Book.)

The most common use ninde of these tubers
in Lancaster county is in the form of pickles,
of which We havi' eaten some excellent ones ;
and for this ]iinpose they are dressed In sev-
eral .styles, alter the manner of walnuts, cit-
rons, cauliflowers or cucumlK-rs. They are
.said, also, to make an excellent .s;ilad when
thinly sliced down and properly .sea.soned.

European Artichoke.

(Cyanaru horlcnitis et xcotytnuK.)

This artichoke is a perennial from the south
of Einope. which was cultivated in England
as early as the year l.VSO. It is naturally a
marine plant, and ha.s gradually been un-
proved by (hunesticalion. The botanical
name, according t<i Columella, is derived from
the Latin word riiura. because the ancients
were accustomed to apply ashes to the land In
which the plant was gi-own. It rcsendiles a
gigantic thistle, aiul its flower-heads, before
blooming, have .somewhat the appearance of a
small pine-apple, at which time they are highly
)iri/.cd on Kuropi'an tables, [larticularly by the
French. There are two varieties, viz. : the
Oral Green (Ci/nnura sralymus) and the J{cd
or Globe {C. horlenxis). Tlie latter h;is a pur-
jile head, and is generally most esteemed, hut
the first has the advantage of grtater hardi-
hood and |iroductiveness.

('ULTi'iuc— The artichoke is propagated by
seeds, or Ijy suckers from old roofs. It flour-
ishes best in soil which is deep, liglit and rich ;
dry in winter, but somewhat moist in the
summer season. The situation should l)c
open, and free from the influence of trees.

When you wish to raise seedlings, you may
sow as soon as the frost leaves the ground in
s|)rinir. One ounce of .seed will produceabout
six hundred plants. Sow in drills one foot
apart and two inches deep. When the stems
are an inch high they may be thinned out to
distances of ten inches in the drill. Keep the
ground liszht, and free from weeds, by tlie oc-
casional use of the hoe. At the approach of
cold weather protect tlie bed by covering with
litter, and in the following sjiring remove the
plants to their permanent location, in the
manner directed below for suckei-s.

The suckers are afforded by the old roots
early in spring. They are fit for transplanting
when eight or ten inches in height. After the
ground for the bed has been selected, it should
be spaded deeply, and manured with good rot-
ten dung, seaweeil, .salt, or anything of a .saline
charai'ter. Slip the young .shoots from the
parent root, and reject all that are tough and
woody. The loose outside leaves ought to be
pulled otT so that the lieart can be seen. If the
shoots have been for .some time exposed to tlie
air, they are much benefited by being placed
in water for three or four hours before jilant-
ing. They may then be set out by the dibble
in rows three liv four feet apart, with about
half their length below the surface. They
ought to be watered every evening until they
become finally established, and subsequently
during times of drought ; by this means the
size and suceulency of the edible parts will be
much increa.sed.

The only cultivation needful during spring
ami summer, is to keep the soil clean and mel-
low, as well as to apply water in dry weather.
Under such treatment, a few heads for use
may be expected between August and Xovein-

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March,

ber, although in subsequent years the matu-
rity of the crop will commence much earlier
in the season. The liead is permitted to grow
until the scales spread, and the flower seems
about to open. The stem must then be cut off
close to the ground, so as to encourage a new
growth of suckers before winter.

Although apparently possessing a hardy
constitution, this vegetable is very sensitive to
the frost, requiring winter protection in the
northern States. In all severe weather, the
plants ought to be sheltered by a larger layer
of leaves, branches, or coarse litter. When
spring opens, all danger of hard frost being
passed, and the young buds having fairly
started, the litter is to be removed, and the
beds leveled, and the ground thoroughly dug.

An artichoke bed seldom continues iu per-
fection for a longer time than six years; after
that period the flower heads become gradually
smaller and less succulent.

For seed, select some of the best heads, and
permit them to flower. To prevent waterset-
tling in the expanded calyx, the stake must be
bent over, by being tied to a small stalk. The
seed will be ripe in the fall. Gather it when
dry, and store it in a cool, dry apartment. Its
vegetative power may be depended on for at
least three years.

Use. — As a vegetable, the artichoke is whole-
some, but, probably, not very nourishing. It
is used in various ways. In Italy, the young
tender heads are eaten as a salad, with oil,
salt and pepper. The edible pnrts are the re-
ceptacle of the flower, called the "bottom,"
and the fleshy substance on the bottom of the
calyx scales. In England, the whole head is
usually boiled plain, and the scales are pulled
oft' at the table, one or two at a time, dipped
in butter and pepper, and stripped of their
fleshy part with the teeth. The stalks are
eaten in France and Germanj^, after having
been boiled and pickled. The flowers hava
the property of rennet iu curdling milk, and
the juice of the leaves and stalks when pre-
pared with bismuth, imparts a permanent gold
color to wool, and, when mixed with an equal
quantity of white wine, is said to have been
successful in the cure of the dropsj'.

To boil. — Scrape the artichokes and put them
in boiling water, with an allowance of a table-
spoonful of salt to every two dozen heads. In
about two hours time they w^ill become quite
tender, when they may be taken from the fire
and seasoned with butter and salt.

To pickle. — Soak the artichokes in salt and
water for several days. Drain them and after-
wards rub off all the outside skin. To one
gallon of vinegar, add one tablespoo.nful of
alum, and a teacupful of salt, and turn over the
artichokes when it is scalding hot. After re-
maining a week, it should be drawn off, scalded
and then returned, the process being repeated
at intervals of six or seven days, until the
heads appear to be thoroughly pickled, when
they will be ready for use. — Schenck''s Garden-
er'' s Text Book.

We are not aware that this vegetable has
received any special attention by the gardeners
of this country, if any at all, or even that it is
worthy of cultivation. Our object in tran-
scribing its history, mode of cultivation and
use, is more to inform the readers of The
Farmer of the fact of its existence, and
wherein it differs from the vegetable so widely
known in this country under the name of
" THE artichoke."

QUERIES AND ANSWERS.

Mr. J. P., Christiana, Lancaster county,
Pa. — The large, white, footless, and black-
headed grubs, which you exhibited at the
March meeting of the Horticultural Society',
are very probably the /arive of the "Broad-
necked Prionus, " (Frionus laticotis). You
say you took them out of an old apple log that
had been lying foiu' or five years, and was
going into decay, and ask whether they prefer
dead to living wood, and if the former, whether
old logs might not be a protection to living
trees, as an attraction to these insects. We
hardly know how to answer that question, be-

cause if all that has been reported on the sub-
ject be true, they infest both dead and living
wood. We have taken them (or allied species)
out of Lombardy poplar, cherry and oak, that
were in partial decay; and many years ago we
suggested that they probably were the cause
of the death and decay of the Lombardy pop-
lars over all this region of country ; hardly any
now remain — all destroyed. But that is not
the worst, for in the west, and elsewhere, they
are knoum to infest the roots of the living
grape, apple and pear, and from their great
size — two and a half inches long — and their
three years larva life, if they should Ijecome
numerous, it is very evident that they would
be a most formidable enemy to the fruit-
grower, particularly because they work con-
cealed, or imder groiuid, and therefore difti-
cult to approach with a remedy. They also
infest the Osage orange, and are saitl to even
attack cornstalks; but this latter is questiona-
ble, because they would not have time to ma-
ture therein, unless they passed to or from
some other substance. The beetle that de-
velops from this larva, is a large black, or
deep brown insect, the females of which are
fully three inches long, but the males are much
less. They belong to the family Prion id a in
the great group or section of Longhorned bee-
tles (Longicornia)- There are several species
of them, and also others allied to tliera; there-
fore without breeding them, it cannot pusi-
tiveh/ be stated, to which species they belong;
but tlie probabilities are favorable to the spe-
cies we have named.

Will Mr. P. send us in April or May half a
dozen specimens of the largest he can find,
together with some' of the decayed wood. The
beetle appears iu .June and July, and ought to
be killed wherever it is found. It is attracted
at night by a bright light, and in this way we
have captured a dozen in a single evening.

THE CENTURY WEATHER REPORT.

The past winter having been suffi-
ciently remarkable for its mildness to employ
the pens of the " weatherwise " nearly over
the whole country, many of whom claimed
that there was nothing like it within the re-
collection of the "oldest inhabitant; wethere-
fore copy the following, which goes to show
that although the oldest inhabitant may fail in
memory, there is still a record extant tliat is
independent of and anterior to his pretensions
in meteorological lore. At best, we are but
very short-memoried mortals. We are ai)t to
regard the immediately pending condition of
things as the hardest, the didlest, the hottest,
the coldest, the mildest, the wettest, the dry-
est, the briskest or the wckedest that has ever
before been experienced. If, however, we only
turn over a few pages of the past, we will find
that not only history, but also the meteorolo-
gical phenomena of the world " repeat them-
selves," and that the like had been seen and
felt before.

' ' The remarkably mild weather of the past
month has sadly puzzled the wiseacres who
had predicted an extraordinary cold winter,
commencing early in November. And even
the " oldest inliabitants " have set their wits
to work trying to account for the backward-
ness of the season. As a consequence, items
are pitblished in newspapers of all sections
furnishing parallels to tlie seemingly unpar-
alleled mildness. Another interesting fact has
been recalled in this connection, to wit, tliat
the first month of this centennial winter
closely resembles that of 177(i. The news-
papers of tliat day speak of the extraordinary
weather. It was even said that the lack of
the usual ice in Boston harbor prevented
Washington from crossing his forces and at-
tempting a surprise of the city, and the Amer-
icans were enabled to continually send forth
vessels from all parts of the harbor to the
West Indies for munitions of war. Tlie mild
weather also allowed Gen. Schuyler, in tlie
first days of January, to dispatch his well-
planned little expedition up the Mohawk val-
ley to surprise the hiahlanders under Johnson.
On the contrary, the news that year from

England indicated an intensely cold winter.
The weather records of Philadelphia disclose
many facts worthy of note in this connection.
In comparing the mean temperature of the
past month with that of each January of the
last century it is found that in but seven in-
stances was the temperature as high as in the
month just closed. Last Friday the thermom-
eter reached TCP, a point which, during the
whole century, was only equalled in the years
1790 and 1870, and was not exceeded at either
period. The day therefore may be regarded
as a remarkable one. The mean temperature,
however, for the past month does not reach
the mean temperature attained in either of
the years alluded to, but still the weather for
the month was unusually mild. According to
the records of the Pennsylvania Hospital, the
mean temperature for the last month was 38^,
the minimum falling to only 17° above zero.
This was 6'- above the average for January,
and during the entire century that point was
equaled only in this section in the years 1802,
'23, '43, '58, '03, '70. In 1790 the mean tem-
peratm-e was 44°, the mildest January on re-
cord. Fogs prevailed iu the morning, but the
hot sun soon dispersed them. At that time
the mercury often ran up to 70° in the shade
at mid-day. In Pierce's report of the weather,
it is stated that boys were seen swimming in
the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. This un-
usual weather was continued up to February 7.
In 1802 the trees and shrubbery were blossom-
ing in January, and in 1828 tlie Delaware was
as free from ice as in June. The first month of
1870 was tlie warmest January on record after
that of 1790. While in nearly all these cases the
winter has been remarkably mild, there have
been instances noted when the winter did not
really commence until February, and contin-
ued far into the spring season, at one time up
to June. Even during those winters when
little or no snow fell, the summer following
the unusual season was generally reported to
be an exceedingly fine one. So it will be seen
that the clerk of the weather is such an ec-
centric genius as to def}' the laws of prece-
dent, refusing to do the bidding of those fogies
who claim to know by the color of a goose's
breast bone under what conditions he shall
present himself in this section. " — Fhiladelphia
Times of 'id inst.

The intei-esting paper on " The Potato's
Enemies" on the 36th page of this issue,
which originally appeared in the West Chester
Local News, was sent to us some weeks ago
by Mr. John I. Carter, of the " Experimental
Farm" at West Grove, Pa., for insertion in
The Farmer, if advisable, but it came to
hand too late for our January number, and
we had laid it away too carefully to find it in
time for our February number. It is, how-
ever, one of those things that will not spoil,
if used before the first of April or May. and
therefore we give it a place in our present num-
ber. Although occasional tubers of the potato
may be found every autumn, when they are
raised, with cavities gnawed into them,.
yet we do not think the depredations of
either of the insects named (if they are cor-
rectly named) has yet amounted to a serious
infestation in this region of Pennsylvania. Dr.
Hunt is probably on the right track, and in
addition to the works to whicWhe has referred,
we would call the attention of potato growers
to the investigations made by the Agricultural
Department at Washington City, which are
published and illustrated in the reports of
1872, 1873 and 1874, a condensation of which
was published in The Lancaster Farmer
of Feliruary, 1875. It is probable, however,
that the wounded portions of the tubers may
furnish a ]irolific seat for the development of
the fungoid disease, but it is certain that it
exists independent of such conditions.
♦

Now that the season for practical operations
on the form is opening, every tiller of the soil,
whether he owns one acre or one hundred,
should subscribe for The Lancaster Far-
mer, if he is not already a subscriber. It will
prove a good investment.

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

LIGHT BRAHMAS.

LiKht Bralinias are imiliably the most jiiipu-
lar lit' all fowls. Lately there has ln'cii iiiiieh
di.seussioii in poultry eireles as to the orii;iiiof
this eeleliiated variety, liiit as a reiietitioii of
tills could be of no interest to our readers, we
will confine our remarks to the merits of this
breed.

Certain it is, that whatever tlieir orijiin,
tliey are now a well-established breed, widely
disseminated and universally esteemed— af-
thouu'h as there is no fowl adapted to all
situations, to all tastes, so there are men who
loathe, as it were, what they clioose to call
the clumsy, stupid ways of the IJrahma fowl.

They are readily conline(l, and especially
adapt themselves to narrower (luarters. A
fence four feet hijjh will easily keep them
within bounds. They are lazy, care not to
fora^'e much, are readily handled, of a tame,
quiet disposition, and hence are esiiecially
suited to small city yards. They (^an be tired
in exceedingly small lots, if the young chick-
ens are allowed a considerable range when at-
taining their growth. They nnist be well fed
when young, or they will grow u]i small and
stunted — thus solely miprolitable. If a far-
mer intends to breed 15rah-
mas he must expect to feed
more grain than is re-
el ui red by the common
fowls or smaller breeds of
thoroughbreds. Hut what
is the result y The lirahma
will take on twice as nuich
Hcsh, and hence is really
the more profitable. They
are good for broilers when
from two to three months
old, and are just the thing
for early .spring markets.
When full grown they will
thrive satisfactorily on the
same amount of food that
is necessary to keep Leg-
horns 01- other small
breeds in couliuement, for,
although twice the size,
there is little muscular ac-
ti<iii, and hence scarcely
any waste, while, on the
other hand, the Leghorns
are very active. But if
both are allowed free
range, the Leghorns will
almost entirely seek their
own food, while the ]5rah-
mas will dust themselves
and idle the whole day,
waiting for their meals.
A cross of the Brahma
and Leghorns makes an
excellent farmers' fowl —
b<ith (lesh and the supply
of eggs being thus im-
proved.

The necessity of proper
cannot be too stronglj- urged upon the would-
be breeder. The best of stock will degenerate
and become worthless as mongrels if allowed
to shift for themselves. Bralmias are good
layers, and give an especially abundant sup-
ply in winter, when most needed. They are
inveterate sitters ; when this propensity mani-
fests itself the hen should be innuediately
peimed u]), for the longer it is delayed the
greater will be the difficulty in preventing it.
The perches for fowls should be broad, slightly
curved, and not too high from the ground.
Especial care should be taken as to this point,
for there is no more fruitful source of badly
shaped, deformed fowls than im]n'oper roosts.
A very common fault with I^ight ]5rahmas is
a tendency to become "leggy." Xow it does
not jiay to produce long-legged shanghais.
The days of Burnham's fowls, that " ccndd
eat otT of the top of a Hour-barrel and all that
was in in it,'" are past. Now good taste and
sound judgment are prevailing. The heat
of the/iimre is past, and the fowl imiting the
greatest economies of form, size, shape and
eggs rules the day. Size is a point that must

not be underrated. The whole country is
Hooded with misi^rable, dwarfed specimens,
poorly feathered, that are styled Light Brah-
mas, and vended as such. It is easy to luo-
duee a small, well-marked bird, but Kidy the
best and most carefully bred strains wili pro-
duce birds i)erfcct in feather and colos.sal in
size. We do not advocate over-fei'ding, but
size in the hhiad ; and this alone wii.i, tell
in the olTs]iriMg.

Again, in our extensive corresiioudcnee we
occasionally have calls for '• white liralunas. "
Now such a)e only degenerated specimens,
and in no cousidiMation to be tolerated. Let
US stick to the Light and Dark Hrahmas as
the only genuine varieties, and here we will
lind sullieient employnu^nf for the exercise of
untiring jiatience, skill and zeal in the im-
Jirovemeut and perleetion of the American
Brahma. Our cut reiiresents birds belonging
to Mr. Miner, of Illinois. — ^Y. Alice Bui-jhc,
Pliiladeli)liia, Pa.

ANCIENT GARDENING.

Philip Miller says : ''We have likewise m.any
of the famous gardens of the ancients elegantly
described by the poets and historians as the

care of Brahmas

pensile ones of Semiramis, those magnificent
ones of King Solomon, the Ilfsperian, with
those of Arlonia and Alrinmis, the latter of
which, described by Homer, and beautifully
translated into EmjJish b\' Mr. Pape, I shall
take the liberty to transcribe."

" Close to the gates a spacious irartlen lies,
From storms defeiuU-tl and iiicleiiirMit sliies;
Four acres was the iUlntteil spaee ol"irrouiHl,
Fene'il witli a green enclosure all arnunil;
Tall tliriviiiir Irees eonfess'd the fruitful nioiihl,
The red'ninii- n/>p/f' rijx'us here to jjoM;
Here the hlne.rt'/ with luscious juice o'erllows,
With deeper reii the full ponit't^ruit'tti' jjlowe.
The hraneh here heiuls beueatli the weii^hly y>e<ir,
The vei'dant dUrts tloiu'ish round I he year,
The halmy spirit of the western srale.
Eternal breathes on fruits unlausrhl to fail:
Kaeh droppiuc: ;»'*!/• a followini^y^a/" supplies,
On ajij)lrn tipplr.'<, ^tii/n nujhjs arise;
The same mild season i,'ive8 the blooms to blow,
The buds to harden and the fruits to grow.
Here order'd I'ims in eiinal ranks appear,
With all th' united labors of the year.
Some to uidoad the fertile branches rini,
Some dry the blaek'nlnij clusters In the sun;
Others to tread the li(iuid harvest join,
The groauiiii; presses foam with tlooils of wine.
Here are the vines iu early flow "r descry 'd,

Here grapes diseolored on tlie gunny side,

.\iu\ these in autumn's riehest purple dy'd.

Beds of various /wr'u forever uri'en,

In beauteous order terminate the scene.

Two pleuteous/uiJHdiiii* the pros|)eel erowu'd;

Thin thro' llie nanlent leads its stream around,

Visits each plant, ami waters all the ground;

While llml in pipes beneath the palace Hows,

.\nd theiiee its lurrenl on tlielown bestows;

To various use their various streams they bring,

The /i(o/(/p one, and one supplies the klnj;."

Sir WitUnm 7Vi)i;i/r siiys, "that this descrip-
tion contains all the ju.stesi rides and provi-
sions which can go toward composing the best
gardens. Us extent Wius four acres, which, in
those times of simplicity, was looked upon a-s
a large one. even for a ;>ri?irf. U wa.s inclosed
all round for defence, and, for convenience
joined close to the gates of the pularr. This is
from the prifnre of Philip Miller's "Gar-
dener's Dictionary," aipiaint old roytil (piarto
volume of about onethou.sjinil pages.' dc^dicated
to .Sii; ll.ws Si,o.\NK, Jinrl,iinil published in
Lemdon some time previous to the year 17.")0
or 17.")J. as the latter is the year in which Sir
Hans Sloanc died. Miller died in 1771.

The foregoing is, however, not a description
of an iietual garden in Slonne'n, Milter'.i, or
Temjjka^ times, but a far prior date—a garden
• in the liiiu's of IIoMEU.
Authors, however, do not
agree as to vhtn or trhere.
lloiner was born ; seven
cities claiming that honor,
and at Jis many different
ejiochs, in which there is
a difference of faur /lun-
dred' jfturn. The greatest
weight of testimony, how-
ever, .seems to he to the
efTcct, tliat he Wius blind,
and was born at Smyrna,
an Ionian city on theco.a.st
of Asi;i Minor, about onff
thousand years before the
Christian era, according to
which this description ap-
plies to a g;irden of three
tliouxund t/ear.'i ago.

From this we may be
able to form some idea of
the antiquity of horticul-
ture and systematic gar-
dening, ami jil.so what im-
provement has been made
thereon. "The dropping
pear a following pear sup-
plies," might indicate that
oratifjes or lemon.s, and not
._ jicnrs are ii eant, that lie-
'" ing about the manner in
■,'" which that ripening fruit
succeeds each other. Four
y^ acres would 1k' considered
=? a very respectable fruit

^' : garden for a private fam-

ily, even at the present
^^^ — day, and taking Lancaster

county as an example, there are, perhaps, more
below that size than above it. Fnst as the
present age is, we tltid tluit, after all, we are
traveling but slowly down the coui-se of
time, and that many iirir things have their
archetyi)es in things of old.

■ ^

The Slaughter of Birds for their Plumage.
.Mr. Alfreil Xewton writes a striklni; proU>l lo the
Tiineg ajrainst the wholesale slauirhler of blnls for
the sake of ornamental feathers. Hequotes the pro-
ceedings of a sin^rle sale of feathers to show that to
supply that sale aloue !),T00 herons (or egrets) must
have been destroyed. .\ll these feathers are said to
haveeonu- from India last autumn.' Mr. Newton ob-
serves that no country eould supply tO.OOO herons In
a siiiRle breeilinir season without niMirly rootinj; out
the sleek. Moreover, l.t.OOll Huininini; birds and
upwartl were Included in the sale, of which 7+0 were
of a sinirle kind. .\s far as we know, none of these
birds really diminish the stock of fmid available for
man, so that in destroylnir them for mere show wc
empty the world absolutely of a certain |iortlon of IU
beauty and happiness— « Idle the beauty is cerlalldy
by no means made up In the ornamentation of femi-
nine toilets wbieh is thus pro<'ured. In this aire of
tine moralities, does no one really Ik'stow a thoucht
on the morality of such reckless spoliation of life as
this ? — London Spectator.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March,

THE POTATO'S ENEMIES.

An Essay read before the West Grove Experi-
mental Farm Club, by Dr. Michener, in an-
swer to a referred question.

You ask, Is it tlie white grub, or larvse of the
May Beetle (Lachmostura fn$cu,\ or that of
the False May Beetle {Lirjyrus reJictus,) which
often do much damage "to the potato tubers ?
And what preventive can be suggested for its
spoliations ?

In answer, it may be the one or the other.
It may be both ; or it may not be either of
them. Of tliis I am unable to afiirm until
the terms of the indictment shall be settled.
For we must remember that the potato is
liable to various injuries and from various
enemies; and that there are other parties beside
May buys which possess a Hibernio- American
fondness for the potato. Let us then deter-
mine the exact offense for which these cul-
prits stand indicted. If I comprehend the
charge, it is not the ordinary eating of the
tubers, but a mischievous nibbling of small
holes over the surface, from an eighth to a
quarter of an inch deep, wilh a black, ragged
surface ; and thus rendering them both un-
sightly and of little worth.

The offense must be admitted, but I fear
that the offenders have not been sufficiently
identified to warrant the conviction of these
grubs. Moreover, strong suspicion rests upon
other parties. I allude to the wire worm (Me-
lonotus incertus,) and to an undetermined fun-
gus. It is fitting that you should inquire a
little concerning all of these claims to villainy.
First. Of the cock-chafers, or the true and
false May beetles. These, in the larvae state,
are well known to be underground vegetari-
ans, and their ample, rotund forms show that
they are generous feeders. They are, more-
over, to be found in those soils wherein the
potato delights to grow. I presume that they
are too mudi like ourselves to be willing to
starve in the midst of plenty, without making
an appropriation of a part of the crop to their
own use. This they no doubt do; but they do
it boldly, and as of their right to do it. There
is no thievish pilfering, nibbling a little here
and a little there. They go right into the job,
and can often be found at their work neatly
ensconced in the excavations which they have
eaten in the tubers. But I am utterly unable
to co-ordinate these larvfe with the injury of
the potato specified in the indictment, and
therefore must refer the question back to the
Moot Court for your further investigation.

Second. Of the vnre worm, or larvae of the
click-beetle. Here I must reproduce the testi-
mony of our esteemed fellow member, W. R.
Shelmire, and the comments of the excellent
editors of the ^■l77i<^7-ico)i Entomologist (see Vol.
II, p. (32.) But without having the advan-
tage of a cross-examination of the witness, I
fear that I may not fully comprehend and duly
appreciate his testimony. As I understand
him, he charges the icire loorm with injuries
which the indictment does not exactly cover;
viz: that it eats its way, and enters right into
the tuber, where it not only finds an ample
supply of sweet, palatable food, but that it be-
comes domiciled therein during the winter,
ready to be returned to the soil at the plant-
ing season, to renew its annual round of plea-
sure and of destruction; for you must know
that both the white grubs and the icire ivorms
continue several years in the larval state. I
infer this to be the tenor of the bill which our
witness has filed, from the editorial remarks
above referred to, and from which I will read:
"W. R. Shelmire, Tough Kenamon, Pa.—
The elongate, cylindrical, horny, mahogany-
colored worms, nearly an inch long, that bored
up so badly your crop of Mercer potatoes, are
a very common species of wire worm. This
particular kind produces a click beetle (Melo-
notus incertus.) There are a few that devour
living vegetable matter, and are great pests
to the farmer. We have known them to de-
stroy the young corn plants to a grievous ex-
tent, gnawing laterally into the stem, just un-
der the surface of the ground.

"Your neighbor is right in saying that if

you plant these worm-eaten potatoes they will
produce wormy potatoes ; that is, if you plant
potatoes with the wire worm in them, for these
wire icorms live several years in the larvee
state, and having six good legs of their own,
they would readily migrate from the infected
potato sets to tlie growing potatoes. You
must not suppose, however, that tcire ivorms
can breed ivire icorms, for it is not until after
the larvaj has developed into the click beetle
that it becomes capable of propagating its
species. There are, no doubt, plenty of them
remaining in your late potato ground. Sow-
ing six bushels of salt to the acre, is said by
one of the best farmers in England— Alder-
man Mechi — to destroy all the ivire worms in
the salted ground. We know of no mode but
hand-picking to destroy the wire vxirms in
your potatoes so that they can be used for
seed."

This enemy of the potato, from his small
size, and of a color simulating that of the soil
he inhabits, is far less conspicuous than the
May beetle larvse, and may be more easily
overlooked ; but he does not appear to have
the habit of nibbling on the surface, as
the bill charges. He bolts right in just
as his and our Creator designed that he
should do, and, as I have said, authorita-
tively ai)propriates the whole tuber to the
double purpose of affording an abundant sup-
ply of choice food and a comfortable domicile
for the long and dreary winter season, with a
coach-and-six to carry him back to the field
on the return of spring.

Here, as in the previous case, whatever or
however great his offense may be, I think
that you must exonerate him from the spe-
cific injury mentioned in the bill.

Third. "The last culprit that I shall arraign
before you is the Fungus, alias whatever you
may please to call him, for he has thus far
withheld his name. He stands accused of
the very mischief we have been considering.
The evidence may all be circumstantial, but
this is a necessity of the case, for, as the law
is, no jury can receive strictly positive testi-
mony in any case. I must, therefore crave
your attention to the following views :

When potatoes are eaten by larvae, as in the
preceding cases, and the injury is recent, we
find the flesh of the tuber fresh, white,
smooth, and inclining to heal or skin over, as
we observe it do when cut with a knife ; yet
who has ever seen such an appearance in the
disease before us ? I have not ; no, never. I
have sought for it again and again, but with-
out success. On the contrary, whenever and
wherever I have seen the injury which we are
considering, from the smallest speck up to the
more extensive destruction of the organic tis-
sue, the appearance has constantly been the
same. Its features denote its parentage. Its
dark complexion, its sunken visage, its ragged
dress, its erratic habit, all indicate a per-
nicious disease, reminding one of those gan-
grenous and destructive ulcers so often seen in
crowded and ill-ventilated hospitals, and simi-
lar places, from the action of morbific spores,
which empoison their atmosphere. Indeed,
the aspect is similar, the parallel so complete,
as to strongly suggest a consimilar origin.

It appears to be "admitted that if we plant
diseased tubers we may expect to grow diseased
potatoes, even where "there are no wire worms
present. Such as men sow, such shall they
reap. If the disease were a mere bite, I would
ask how could that bite be propagated, and, if
so, how can we expect to raise whole potatoes
when we only plant pieces ? To me it seems
that there is a si>ecific diseased action produced
in the tuber by whatever cause, which is capa-
ble of producing the same kind of action in the
new potato, either through the tissues of the
plant or through the soil.

Again, it has been pretty fully ascertained
that there is something lefX remaining in the
soil where diseased roots have been grown that
is capable of affecting healthy potatoes planted
therein the following year in a similar manner.
I once planted selected potat(jes in the same
ground for four successive years. The number
of diseased tubers rapidly increased from year

to year, until the last year half the crop was
destroyed.

An intelligent and observant friend of mine
planted a few rows of potatoes across his lot.
They proved to be a good deal injured. The
next jear he planted the same ground, with a
corresponding strip alongside, which had been
cultivated in some other sort of crop the pre-
ceding year. The result was, the crop in the
old potato ground was almost worthless, while
that in the contiguous portion was only slightly
affected. All the conditions of soil, culture,
manure and seed were similar.

We know that insect depredators do often
manifest wonderful discriminating powers in
the selection of their food. But the Fungi,
which constitute a still more predaceous class,
are in a much greater ratio selective in the
choice of their food, as well as in the places for
their nidiflcation. They are, indeed, so numer-
ous and so discriminating that almost every
plant appears to have some specific fungoid
growth peculiar to itself.

The thing under discussion may yet prove
itself to be a Fungus peculiar to the potato, and
not to be found anywhere else.

The ultimate appeal must probably be made
to the higher powers of the microscope to de-
termine the essential nature of this obscure
and mysterious affection.

So long as the cause and nature of the mis-
chief is unknown, so long its prophylactic and
remedial treatment will be empirical and un-
satisfactory. But let us not despair. What-
ever hypothesis we may adopt, it ought to sug-
gest something as wortliy of trial.

From what has been already said it may be
of the utmost importance to plant none but
the most perfect and clear tubers, and to avoid
rei)lanting the old potato grounds.

It may also be prudent not to plant those
varieties which have been found most obnox-
ious to the disease.

If the germs inhere in, and are liable to be
planted with, the potato, and I think tliat is
the correct view, it would seem to suggest the
use of some means for disinfection of the seed
before plantijig.

For this purpose I would recommend the
trial of a solution of carbolic acid in water, of
such strength as the tubers will bear without
injury. The proper strength can only be as-
certained by careful trials. Thus : Take car-
bolic acid — an ounce ; water — a gallon ; mix
when ready to plant ; immerse the setts in the
solution for five minutes ; then remove and
rinse the acid off before planting.

As the Fungi are mostly found in connection
withdiseased, ordead and decomposing organic
substances, from which they may sometimes
pass over to healthy, living organisms, it may
be a question worthy of your consideration :
How far the fertilizers used, may have aided in
the productionofthedisea.se? To what extent
was it known before their introduction ? And
how far has it been increased under this use V
The complexity of the subject, and the extent
of the traverse must be my apology for the pro-
lixity of my answer.

SUPPLEMENTARY.

Wearisome as this extended report may be,
the end is not j'et. After it was written, it oc-
curred to me tosend a specimen of the diseased
potato to my excellent friend Dr. Gibbons Hunt,
one of the most profound observers and expert
microscopists in Philadel])hia, for his examina-
tion ; remarking at the time, " That the my-
celium, and stroma of the fungus could better,
and perhaps only, be observed in the earlier,
and growing state of the plant."

I will now read you his report :

Philadelphia, 13th mo. 17, 1875.

Dr. Michener — ^^y Respected Friend : Thy note
of the 15th inst., and also the potato, came duly to
me. I have felt an interest in the subject of the dis-
eases of the potato, and therefore have taken some
pains to examine the afflicted tuber thee sent me. A
superficial or external examination of the diseased
spots, under a lens, magnifying from thirty to fifty
diameters, reveals but little that is intelligible. A
number of dark, opaque pellets, which I interpi-et to
be the alimentary exuvia of some larva, readily
came into view. I consider them to be of that char-
iicter, because, when put into water, under a micro-
scope, and submitted to pressure, they easily dislnte-

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

grate, and prcspiit a boliavior unlike that of any or-
ganized rcproduotivo liody.

Not rcmaininef sat isfR'd, however, with so superfi-
cial an examination, I placed a well marked portion
of the potato, whieli was delective, in my section
machine, and sliced off several extremely thin sec-
tions, extending entirely across a s])ot, and enihrac-
insT, also, a wide niari^in of ai)parently sound potato.
These thin slices, I now tinlcd slii;litly with a solu-
tion of loi^wood, then I soakeil llicin in ijlycerine.
Tliis treatment caused all tlie air tii come out of the
shrivelled cells: made all tlie parts very transparent;
and the color was just sullicient to render tlie most
delicate morpholoi;ieal elements optically viRil)lc.

Now, these prepared sections, under a jiower ;;ivinir
a linear ainplilication of 300, revealed clearly enough
the character of the disease. The cells adjacent to
the excavated spots are all shrunken, broken, and
collapsed; and this alteration of fur in in tlie cells, ex-
tends to a considerahle distance into the potato. Not
only is the change in the form of the cells, hut an
eiiual destruction has taken place in the cell mnlcnls.
In healthy i>otatoes, the iclls arc tilled with normal
starch grains, which a little iodine, or the use of
polarized light, will distiiiiruisli from all other or-
ganic products. Now, a wide zone of cells, surrounding
the diseased spot, presents all the cells ici^Aei'/ starch,
or, when a few starch grains are left renuiiniiig, their
structure is greatly altered, and the surface, natu-
rally even and polished, is uneven and granular. It
would not he possible for an insect to reach the starch
cells so far from the diseased spot . At a still greater
distance into the potato, the cells and their contents
are quite natural.

Under this amplitication, the potato cells are very
large, and many of them, near the points of disease,
were crowded with beatl-like rows of cells of un-
doubted fungoid character; anil many threads of
separate mycelial fdarncnts (of course dead) 1 could
trace among the cells, and still adhering to their
transparent walls.

I could not detect any object, in the present dried
state of the parasite, any representative body which
I could call a spore, unless the tf'riniuiil cell in the
beaded rows were such a body. I did observe, how-
ever, in very many otherwise empty cells, large, dark
colored, oval or round, cells, transiucent, and having
one, or more, distinct nuclei, in thera. Perhaps these
bodies are the oogonia, or resting spores, or winter
spores of the fungus.

I have little doubt that the disease is caused by the
Peronospura iiifcstnnii, an old enemy of all the sola-
nac?e. Some very interesting jiajjers on this subject
have appeared recently in the publications of the
Hoyal Horticultural Society, the Oarilcncr'a Chroni-
cle for July 10, 1875, and Monthlij Micru.-ii'opical Jour-
nal for September of this year; by Berkely, Worth-
iugton, G. Smith, and others. In the last journal,
figures ofthe oogonia are given, and they hear a re-
semblance to the bodies to be seen in the potato thee
sent me. I cannot, however, speak certainly, in re-
gard to the identity of this fungus, because it is not
now in a living condition, and more time would be
necessary for the study. These few imperfect obser-
vations are all I can send thee at present. If oppor-
tunity and material should otl'er, in the coming sea-
son, I will more carefully examine the subject. "Very
respectfully, /. O. Hunt, M.D., 12 Xortli Tenth
street^ Philadelphia.

For The L.\ncaster Farmer

BAY WINDOWS FOR WINTER
FLOWERS.

Bay window.s are now very fashionable, and
are admirably suited for growing handsome
pot plants in winter. A stage, with
shelves, may be made in the form of the
inside of the window, and set upon castors.
In the daytime it may be jiushed close to the
glass for light, and if nights are very cold the
stage may be drawn into the parlor, and
turned with the plants inward. Gas then
should not be much Inirned in the parlor, as
it is injurious to the plants. When there
is a party, and the parlor is lighted for a few
hours only, it will not injure the plants. The
stage, then, with the plants facing inwards,
will look very ornamental, and the ]iei'fumos
of the fragrant plants will scent the attiiospherc
of the parlor. Many choice plants will Mmirish
in bay windows which would die in jiarlors
with stiuare windows. During day time they
may be shut out from the parlor air liy light
doors; then fresh air can be adniilted by
moveable panes in tlie windows. \\'hen bay
windows are on the north side of houses, tliey
will be best for growing jialms, ferns, peri-
winkle, ivy, etc. Nearly ;ill the fancy plants,
set in vases, rustic stands, ferneries, hanging
baskets, etc., may thrive in northern bay win-
dows ; so they should be decorated with such
plants and ornainents. — Eden.

For Thk Lancahtkr Farmkr.

HUMMING BI RDS.
{Family Truchlllila:)

(roNCLUDKO.)

Considerable discrepancy prevails among
authors ;is to llie period recpiired to hatch the
eggs. Audubon gives it as ten days in the
case of the Ruby Tliii>at ; others v;iiy tlie
time from Iwevc to si,Ktcen days: the fact is,
the lime v;iries willi the .size of the birds. !«•-
ing longer in the largest species and shorter in
the siii;iller ones. Auilitlioii also says the
young are ready to lly in a week. This is an
error, we think, on the part of our great orni-
thologist. They are born blind and miked,
and altliotigh they grow rai)idly, double the
time ;illowcd them by otu" author is rei(uire<l
before they leave the nest. Here again, no
doubt, the time varies with the size of the
bird. The young ones are fed ;ifter the man-
ner of pigeons aiul canaries, by llirustinglhiMr
needle-like bills into the mouths of the liarent
birds, and thus rec(^iving the contents of their
crops. The iirocess of incul);ition is c;irried
on both by the male and fem:ile.

Two broods are comnioiily produced in a
season by our beautiful reiinsylvania species,
which arrives here ;ibout the middle of April
and leaves us near tin' close of Si-pleinber. In
the West Indies and South Anieric;i, howi'ver,
three and four families ;ire raised in a year.
There the period of nidilieation runs through
the whoU' twelve months. Mr. (iosse inforins
us that in Jamaica he found their nests with
young ones during every month of the year,
but they were more plentiful during the month
of .June tlian at any other time. Other authors
mentiiui .laiuuiry to be the favorite period for
incubation in tropical South America. While
hatching, the female sits very clo.sely, and will
permit the near approach of a person if made
quietly ; indeed, .sometimes she will almost
allow herself to be taken ere she quits thenest;
even when building, she iiermits a watcher to
remain within a few feet of the .scene of her
operations without exlul)iting any distrust or
alarm. If, however, much molested while in-
cubating, or even after the chicks are out of
the eggs, she sometimes removes them to an-
other place. In this, Ilumining birds are not
peculiar, as a number of other birds are known
to do likewise under similar circumstances.
Two Humming birds' nests are rarely found in
the same vicinity. Their incubation is never
enlivened by the presence of strangers. They
exhibit much exclusiveness in this particular.
Neither are they gregarious in a general sense.
They never congregate in .social groups ; they
are sometimes seen together in large luniibers,
in the tropics, around the llowers of some favo-
rite tree, but even then only in search of food;
each individu;U Conies singly anil departs alone.

In laying onl.v two eggs, the Hummers I'orm
au exception to the almost universal liiw that
obtains among feral birds, that the number of
eggs is in proportion to the size of tlie birdsthat
lay them. In the larger tribes, we almost in-
variably find the eggs to be few. while they are
much more numerous in the smaller ones. A
little retlection will let us into this secret of
nature. If the natural increase of raptorial
birds was as great as that of the sm;iller tribes
which constitute their jirincipal prey, that nice
equilibrium which obtains in nature would be
destroyed, and the rapacious kinds literally
swarni, while the rest would graduallv dimi-
nish in numbers, and jierhaps ultinnitely be-
come extinct. Humming birds, from their
minute size, their extraordiiuiry rapidity of
wins, and their indomitable coiu-ige, ;ue ex-
emiil from most of the dangers that continu-
ally menace the sparrows and linches. There-
fore, while they l:iy only two eggs, they are
far more abundant in .Vnierica than the wren is
in Europe, although the littler lays from twelve
to twenty eggs.

If the" natural enemies of the Humming
birds are few, Iherc is yet one whose ravages
1 of late years have far exceeded all the rest
combined. Man has l)egun liis career of de-
vastation amid their ranks, and at tlie beck of
the Moloch of Fashion, countless thousands are
now yearly destroyed to decorate female head-

gear. Since the first part of this article wiis
written, at a sale of orn;nneutal birds and
feathers held in London last month, no less
than lifleen thous;iiid of the.>*e beautiful crea-
tines were sold; seven hundred and forty be-
longed to a single sjiecies. This is, perliaps,
not :> tentli part of the number wantonly de-
stroyed every year. Has the world been made
wiser or Ix'tter or more humane In'cause of
this imrestricted sliiiigiiter V II;is not, on the
conlniry, .so much Ix-auty and liappiiipss In'en
taken out of it, and will the most slavish
votary of fashion pretend tluit tlie lifeless bird
fastene<l on her wearing ajiparel, can confer
on any one a tittie of the pleasure that would
be felt at seeing it disporting in unrestrained
hajipiness in its native wikis, full of life and
beauty iind jfiy V

In the matter of geographical distribution,
the Trocliilida- present .some striking jieculi-
aritii's. Swallows and Falcons are <'onimon
to all countries on the glolie. Australia alone
has no Woodpeikers ; .Magpies range the
woiid over in liniiieiiite kititudes. but tlie
Iluniiniug birds, the most numerous family in
the world, are conlined to this continent and
its adjacent iskinds, and tlie large majority of
the species to the torrid zone. C'omiiaratively
few migrate Ijeyond the wiirmer latitudes ;
this is not very wonderful, but it is very sur-
prising that such as do leave tlic tropic heats,
penetrate to the regions of snow and ice. (.)ur
own viiriety, the Kuby-throat, has lieen found
as far north as the ijlst degree of latitude,
while another species (T. Forjiattun) has a
range southward of •>,-)00 miles and is often
.seen Hilling through tlip snow storms of Terra
del Fuego, as blithely as in the w;irm, dry
climate of I'eru. Von Tschudi, as (pioted by
Iltimlioldl in bis "Aspects of Nature,"' saw
them on the Andes at an elevation of 14,(itK)
feel, while Houreicr tbuiid them breeiiing on
the rockv sides of Chiiiiborazo, at a height of
10,000 feet, while sheltering himself from a
violent .snow storm. In view of tliese facts,
and many simikir ones we might mention, wc
liavi- sonic dilliculty in reconciling with them
Wilson's statement, when he tells us they are
extremely susceptible to cold, and of which
thetny he gives us a supposed case in his very
charming and valuable work.

If, however, a wide migration characterizes
a few species only, and of which we have just
given instances," the welj-delined and ex-
traordinary localization that marks so many
of the faiiiily is almost iiuomalous among the
aves. Altlio'us;li gifted with such rare powers
of wing, the h;ibitat of some is exceedingly
circumscribed ; a mountain, a valley, a wood,
a marsh, an island, and even the crater of an
extinct volcano oft-times liasa sitecial resident-
siiecies, even though these districts may lie
only a few miles in area; this seems all the
more incomiirehcnsible to us when we retlect
how widely migratory others are. That the
m.ajor ])art of this nlimerous tribe should be
found within the tropics, wecanea,sily under-
stand, because there their food, both animal
and veget;ible, is most abundant and constant,
but this rigorous local distriliution within the
tropics themselves, is haril to understand. It is
unkuowuwhetlier migrations of the few extra-
tropii-al species are performed during the
night or in tlie davtime; from their incon-
siderable size this "question will prove very
dillietilt of verilication ; neither do we know
whether these journeys are made .separately
or in company ; perhaps the former, a.s they
have never been obsened to manifest gregari-
ous habits, even when the time for their de-
parture has come.

All ;ittenipts to keep these birds in a state of
conlineineut for anv considerable period have
hitherto failed. A few mouths, at most, are
all these (lelic;ite creatures are able to bear ;
interesting experiments, bearing on this ques-
tion, have been tried by AVilson and others.
In a single instance were two young ones
taken to I-:urope under favorable circum-
stances, but they died soon after reaching
there. Even the non-migratory species refuse
to thrive under such a life in their native
regions. Sugar and honey are the principal

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March

articles of food given them when caged, and
on this exclusive diet they linger through two
or three months, but then they become emaci-
ated and exhausted, droop and die. Sweet,
liquid food alone is not sufficient to snstain
them ; the lack of insect food, to which they
are accustomed in a state of nature, invari-
ably brings on the final catastrophe. This fact
is the best proof, if, indeed, proof were needed,
to sliow how largely insectiverous they are.
Some species bear their brief confinement
more patiently than otliers ; they seem recon-
ciled from the first to tiie change of circum-
stances, and make few efforts to escape ;
others, again, vainly beat against their prison
walls nntil they become exhausted, and in
this way often kill themselves ; a few manifest
a sullen disposition and mope and die ere
many days. Mr. Gosse, to whose accurate and
long continued oljserv'ations we owe much of
our knowledge concerning these winged sprites,
states that when turned loose in a large room,
they spend nuich time in insect catching ;
they dart from their perch, then the snap of
their bills indicates a capture, when they
again resume their accustomed place of rest ;
on an average, tln'ee were captured each
minute, although more would have been had
they been more abundant.

Nature is wise in the distribution of her
gifts. To the thrush, the mocking-bird and
the nightingale she has given the sweet charm
of melody, but a homely garb. On the Hum-
ming-birds — those tiny sprites — she has con-
ferred the rainljow hues of beauty, but has
denied the enti-ancing gift of song. Their
usual utterance is a faint twitter or an un-
musical chirp, uttered chiefly while on the
wing ; oftener, however, they are mute. Sev-
eral species are said to trill forth an indiffer-
ent song, but this statement recjuires further
investigation.

The Trochilidse seem gifted with an average
amount of intelligence. The curiosity they
often manifest indicates this. If struck at
■while on tlie wing, or if their capture is at-
tempted with a net, they will frequently turn
and hover about the enemy, peer into his face
and dart around the net, evincing much in-
terest and curiosity. Human ajijiroaches to
their nests also awaken a like incpiisitiveness.
Tlieir sense of sight seems strongly devel-
oped. The fact that the insects which they cap-
ture on the wing are often almost microscopic
proves this ; indeed, all their actions, whether
flying or sitting, are confirmatory of it. So,
too, we may say of their sense of taste. When
we consider how much of their sustenance is
drawn from tlie deep-tubed flowers, with their
bifid tongue, and wliere their sight avails
them notliing, and they are wholly dependent
upon their sense of touch and taste, we can-
not avoid the conclusion that their tongue is
an extremely delicate and sensitive organ.

It would, jierhaps, be trenching too closely
on the borderland of imagination to suppose,
as some have done, that Humming-birds find
pleasure in the mere odors of the flowers
among which they spend so much of their
lives. We are not persuaded tliat their
sesthetical tastes are so highly developed ;
we believe their presence in those localities is
attributable to a far more utilitarian object —
the searcli for food. Tlie sense of smell is
very inferior in all birds. Aububon and
Bachman's experiments ])roved conclusively
that even the common vulture possessed it in
a very limited degree, if at all, although its
ways of life would indicate the contrary, and
general opinion has credited him with highly
sensitive olfiictories.

With the exception of a single species, the
food of the Hummers, whether nectar or in-
sects, is taken on the wing. Bullock relates
that T. Gigas sometimes alights on the flower
from which it is feeding. Wlien searcliing
for food they often give themselves a brief
rest ; they perch upon some slight twig, eitlier
of tree or shrub, and carefully preen their
plumage, seldom moving from tlie spot where
they first sat down. It has been denied tliat
their food is ever taken near the ground, but
this is incorrect : we have seen it skinmiing

the surface of small, shallow ponds, catching
the small insect triljes tliat frequent them.

Although theiv usual flight is not very ele-
vated, tliey occasionally dart upward on rapid
wing to a height of pcrliaps four or five liun-
dred feet, wlien the sight can no longer follow
them. They seldom alight on the ground, so
rarely, indeed, that some ornithologists contend
Swifts and Humming birds are the only birds
that never do so. A well known authority
asserts that he shot it while at rest in that
position, and we see no reason to distrust his
statement, as his opportunities for studying
their habits in their native wilds have never
been surjiassed.

Both in confinement and in their natural
state, they often select a particular spot on
which to sleep or rest, and generally continue
to frequent it for these purposes, and are driven
from it with much reluctance; fly-catchers also
manifest strong predilections for certain limbs
and twigs, frequenting them from day to day,
and using tliem as places from whence to make
their sallies, and retm-ning to them when their
momentary raids are over.

Tliey are among the most pugnacious of all
birds. When two males meet at a favorite
fiower bush, a desperate battle is almost cer-
tain to ensue, and is well worth seeing. The
celerity of their movements during these en-
counters almost baffles the keenest vision.
They seem to take pleasure in molesting other
birds without having received provocation.
They care little how large their antagonist
may be, but unhesitatingly attack birds ten
times larger than themselves. They also de-
light in teasing the larger humble bees, but
when these become infuriated in their turn, as
they sometimes do, and turn upon their annoy-
ing adversaries, the Ilmuming birds beat a
hasty and inglorious retreat. In sleeping, their
heads are drawn back and buried among the
dorsal feathers. They clasp the perch "very
firmly, for their claws are unusually sharp and
strong.

In the tropics, they pay frequent visits to
the extended webs of spiders, in search of the
small entangled files to be found there. This
habit has given rise to the belief that a bird-
catching race of spiders made sad havoc with
these living sunbeams, but later and truer
knowledge has long since exploded this theory.
Xo spider known spins a web tliat can hold
for a moment even the tiniest Humming-bird.
Even Limiceus held this belief.

The Sun Birds (Cinnyrido') of Asia and
Africa seem to represent, in some degree, on
the eastern continent, the Humming birds of
America, both in size and brilliant plumage,
liut yet the generic differences are broad
and marked ; they are also insectiverous, but
apart from these general points of resem-
blance there is no affinity whatever between
them.

From the impossibility of keeping these
beautiful, fairy-like creatures in confinement,
nothing is definitely known concerning the
duration of their lives ; we are aware, how-
ever, that ill most, if not all the species, the
males attain their perfect plumage only in the
second and third years, which fact, in an ana-
logical point of view, leads us to believe they
are not so short-lived as their size and ap-
parent delicacy would indicate.

We advise our readers who feel an interest
in tills family of birds, to watch the arrival of
our usual sjjring visitant; he will surely be
here in ^Vjnil, unless the weatlier sliould be
unusually inclement : lie will even ignore cold
toes and slight snow storms rather than not
be here on time ; he will also come in such
numbers as to afford every reader of The
Farmer ample opportunities to verify all we
have said about him, and perhaps other and
hitherto unknown facts al.so. By carefully
observing his arrival at and departure from
the flower garden, the locality of this self-
taught architect's summer residence may be
easily discovered. An}' attention that you
give to his ways of life and general economy,
will be amply rewarded in a large return of
pleasant and useful knowledge, and a more
profound reverence for the great Author of all

things, who, through such apparently insignifi-
cant means, has rendered efficient aid to the
husbandman in his "struggle for existence,"
and conferred upon us all the happy privilege
of gratifying, in unstinted measure, our
heaven-born sense of the beautiful. — F. B.
Diffenderffer, Lancaster, Pa.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
APPLES AND THEIR VARIETIES.
Apples have been, generally, keeping re-
markably well the present fall and winter. I
have kept, even late summer and fall apples,
up to this date, February 7th, 1876. They
should be kept in a temperature of thirty-five
to forty degrees above the freezing point, and
in a dry place. We have many new varieties
which are foreign to our soil and climate, and
which will not do as well as some of our own
old varieties — varieties that are to some ex-
tent discarded, perhaps, only because they are
old. I have asked a nurseryman for the old
"Pennsylvania Red-streak," but he said he
had none to sell— left them all run out — yet it
is this day, in my locality, one of our best va-
rieties. I have some of them at this writing.
The tree is a fast grower and an early bearer.
It also bears every year and is one of the apples
for profit. The "Found Apple" is equally
good, and needs no commenclation from me.
The "Krauser" is a native apple of Bucks
county — rather a fast grower and early bearer,
in alternate seasons ; a good sized tree will
produce from fifteen to twenty bushels, or
more, every other year ; a very good apple,
white, and juicy inside. The " York Im-
perial " is a new apple, from York county, Pa.
It is, probably, a seedling of the "Pennock,"
being of the same shape but not so large, and
a brighter red in color ; also a fast grower, an
early bearer, and a good keeping apple ; a little
rough grained. The " House- Apple, " an old
Lancaster county variety, is now rarely seen,
if it has not become entirely extinct as a va-
riety of general culture. There is, however, one
tree so near my premises that you can throw
an apple from it on my land. It had twenty-
two bushels of perfect apples on it last season,
and I had some on exhibition at the February
meeting of the Society. They will keep until
spring, yet it is an apple that is almost for-
gotten. I will mention some of the new
varieties which I commenced to plant some
years ago: The Baldwin, Hubbertson Non-
such, Griest's Winter, Smith's Cider, Russet,
Domini, Green Sweeting, Talmon's Sweet,
Twenty-Ounce, Khig of Tompkins,Cambridge,
Wagner, Black Gilly-flower, Northern Spy,
Muuson's Sweet, ISIonmouth Pippin, and Berks
County Cider. I graft Russet on the Hubbert-
son Nonsuch ; it is a strong grower and a good
bearer ; a large dark red apple, very ornamental
on the tree, but not a good keeper with me.
Berks County Cider is a good sized red apple,
a good grower, and a young bearer ; it keeps
well up to the presenttime, and is worthy of
cultivation in Lancaster county. The Baldwin
is a fast grower, and it bears well, but is liable
to drop its fruit prematurely.

A Chester county orchardist had intended to
graft some of his trees over again, but limed
heavily under them, and that brought them to
perfection — a thing worth knowing. The
Northern Spy is a fast grower, but its foliage
is late in the spring, and it comes late into
bearing. I have trees fourteen years out of the
nursery which have just lately commenced to
bloom. They generally will bear when they
bloom the first time. A friend of mine had a
tree which bore very little until it was sixteen
years old. It is now about twenty, and last
year it produced seven barrels of fruit, that
brought him four dollars a barrel. The Domini
is a new variety and worthy of general cul-
tivation, and so are Smith's C'der, and the
Twenty Ounce Piiipin. The King of Tomp-
kins County is not doing well with me. I
grafted them over, on planting them in the
orchard. It will do well to plant one Red As-
trachan, and one "All-summer." I almost for-
got to put in a good word for the " Smoke-
house." I also wanted a few Smoke-house
trees from a nurseryman, but he had none for

1876.J

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

sale, while our t roes are bearinsi regularly in
my locality, and we sold the crop last season,
very readily at from $1..")0 to ?-2.(i(i |)(>rliushel.
In conclusion I would say bt- not discourajjed,
we may soon come back again to the old-tinu-
apple years in Lancaster county. Indei'd, it
is the opinion of good authorities, that with
proper culture, our county may eventually be-
come tlie " Ap])le-(iarden" of Pennsylvania.
—L. S. Heist, Warwick, Fihrwinj, ls7(i.

[God grant it may, even if Hcsliould not live
to see the day. If apples l)ecome al)undant,
and cheap enough for the poor to purchase and
consinne, it will be prrfectly agreealile to us.
It is not desirable that they should become too
cheap for farmers to cultivate them, but cliea])
enough for the poor, by a proper system of
economy, to make a larger culinary use of them
than they can afford at the i)resi'nt prices.
■When we connnenced housekeeping — forty-
two years ago — we had the fmest apples
delivered at our door for twenty cents a bushel.
There was no complaint ilun that it " did not
pay" to raise them. Although tlu'y, perhaps,
never will be sold at that price again, yet they
should be cheaper than now.— Ed.]

For The Lancaster Farmkb
HOME THAT IS HOME.

The sound of the word home is calculated
to fill the mind with iilea.sant thoughts and
the heart with a desire to soon enjoy its
sweet comforts — and doubtless it does to a
great majority of the people. But there
are some to whom it gives quite differ-
ent sensations and prompts them to remain
away as long as possible, and even allow
themselves to be burthensome to their friends,
rather than spend an evening under their
own roof. The love of home varies in differ-
ent individuals, from this degree of absolute
hatred to those who are just as well satisHed
at home as away, and from that to those who
cannot be persuaded to leave its sacred inllu-
ence unless business compels them. The rea-
son of this is obvious : because some homes
are so much more comft)rtable, more pleasant,
more cheerful, in short, more homelike ; and
if each one would investigate anddiscoverthe
reason that his home does not have that
great attraction for him; next, find out whose
taidt it is, and then take i)roper measures to
remove the evil, we as a community, a peo-
ple and a nation would be nmch farther ad-
vanced on the road towards a higher standard
of excellence in morality, intelligence and
manhood. The cause of these unattractive
homes may be from the neglect of the hus-
band and father to provide the home with
those things necessary to make it attractive ;
for instance, family newspapers, periodicals
appertaining to his business, interesting books
and innocent games ; or it may be from the
over-tidiness of the housekeeiier, who demands
such a degree of circumspection from the in-
mates that it becomes more like a prison than
a home ; and when that feeling overtakes a
man it don't take him long to tind some more
congenial quarters. There are some who are
such natural born ladies and gentlemen that
they feel no restraint in being on their best
behavior all the time, but it is not above one
in a hundred, while the ninety and nine long
for the jilace where they can throw off re-
straint, to be their natural selves, to do just
as they please, to be free and easy ; and home
is the natural and proi)er place to do it. That
man who spends his hours olf duty with his
family, who assists in entertaining his lioys,
and instilling into them a love for home above
every other place, does a good work, and one
that he will be paid for in feelings of comfort
and just pride when he .sees them grown to be
husbands and fathers, following the example
which he had given them. There is no doubt
that the lack of love of home so general in men
in the city, and even in the country, is to a
great degree the effect of the pattern set by
their fathers, and it will require a determined
effort dn the part of the present generation to
counteract this intluence, and raise \\\i our
boys to inherit different feelings ; but we will

find our reward in their thanks, in after
years, for the pains we took to make home
pleasant to them. It is clearly a iluty that
every man owes to his children, and coidd it
but lie brought about that every man would
spend his evenings at home, anil keep and en-
tertain his boys there, we cannot reali/e the
dillt'rence there w<iuld be in the state of ihe
[lublic morals a generation lienci;.- The ho.s-
pitals, the almshouses and the prisons would
show the elfecls of it in a great degree.

As every natural parent feels a desire that
his sons shall turn out to be good citizens, and
feeling so sensibly the great need of reform in
the matter of inihuuuie on the minds of the
youug, and in hopes llial some one may be
awakened to a sense of the lmi)ortance of the
subject, is the excuse for venturing to give a
few hints as to the way it might be done.
The writer was one of a fatnily of live boys
and a sister, whose parents made it a special
point not only to have us all at home in the
eviMiings, but to providi' entertainment fiU'
us ; and to our last days we will never cea.se
to bless them for it. 15ecause those lirinciples
being engrafted into our natures, renders it
comparatively easy for us to perform the
same duties now. The evenings were spent
in innocent games, interesting books, reading
by turn aloud, sijelling matches, working out
enigmas, and other puzzles, etc., but the best
of all the amusements was debating ; the
father would be judge, and the six of us would
pick sides, and taking up some simple subject
of every-day experience, each one would be
obliged to make some remarks on it, and we
would often get quite warmed up with the
importance of our points, which to our child-
ish intellects .seemed overpowering. It is
true, a large family has an advantage over a
small one in these lionie amusements, but if
two or three small families would join together
and meet alternately at their hou-ses, it would
answer the same purpose, and the parents
woulil at all times know where their children
were. We know that there are some very
stately mansions, most beautifully situated
and handsomely furnished, j'et those who call
them home respect them only for their looks
and money value, and the true feelings of
love for them and their associations are never
felt ; while in the most lowly and dilapidated
cabins we often find the occupants enjoying
that sweet comfort in each others' company,
and of being shut off from the troubles of the
outside world, that brings them nearer to
heaven than any oi;her place on earth. This
was the feeling that prompted the author of
that beautiful hymn, "Heaven is my Home."
— M. B. E.

For Tub Lancaster Farmer.
DIFFERENT MODES OF PRUNING.

It is high time now to get all pruning done
at once. Different species of plants reipiire
dill'erent modes of pruning. ( )f fruit trees, Ayi-
ple, pear, apricot, ]ilum and (piince, bear fruit
upon the old wood ; .so does cherry, gooseberry
and currants. Peach bears fruit upon the new
shoots of last year's growth — so does cherry
often ; and so do raspberry, blackberry, gra])e
vines, it*;. So they have to be differently
primed to produce plenty of fruit. Of ilecidn-
ous blooming shrubs, spineas. tartareau honey-
suckles, forsythia, wiegelia, mock orange and
many others, produce their flowers ujiou the
sides of the shoots. Lilacs, privet, snowball
trees, mountain ash trei-s, Rhus. i^c. bear their
blooms nicistly \\\»n\ the tops of the shoots.
Their tops shoidd be left until the blooming is
over, then shorten if needed ; but if too many
suckers are at their roots, cut them out. The
species that bloom from the sidesof the shoots
have the points of the shoots cut off an inch or
a foot, as needed, to keep the bushes in good
sliai)e. Althea blooms from the shoots of the
present year's growth. Honeysuckles bloom
from last year's shoots. Wisteria blooms from
the old branches. Evergreen trees and shrul)s
should not be pruned until all frosts are over
in spring or in the latter half of August. — llor-
ticola.

Fur The Lancaster Farmer.
THE DAIRY. No. 2.

In the January munber of Tiik, Eaiimer I
promised a contmualionof " The Dairy," but
the destruction of my barn, with all my cat-
tle, (.Ian. 'Jotli, IHTii, ) has, to some extent,
cooled my ardor for writing. Having emerged
from the smoke, an'd converted what was left
of my stock into a conqmst pile, (a rather ex-
pensive one, too,) has brought about a cliange
ofba.se from prospective animal to prospective
vegetable produelions. Being thus run oil' the
track, the leudeucy would seem to point toward
big beets and pumpkins, instead of line stock
aiul good butter. Xow, as certiiin vegetable,
crops are essential to the best results of the '
dairy, our starling iM)int may be regained,
although it he liy a circuitous route. With a
little whistling to keep oil' despondency, the
(piestion again recurs on the different breeds
of cattle. But it may be asked, is there more
than one breed, and if so, what are they V A
breed is the result of selecting and mating
animals with the object of producing a certain
fixed and uniform cliaracti-r in the progeny.
This being judiciously followed for a succes-
sion of generations, tlu'iiroduct eventually lie-
comes a tixed type, with scarcely any Varia-
tions. Hence we see Devons, Sliorlhorns,
.Jerseys. Ayrshires, Dutch anil others, .someof
which show at least great uniformity of color,
form and other characteristics.

A race is theolTspringof one common stock,
which, in the general acceptance of the term,
is distinguished from breed. In establishing
the various breeds, breeders had other objects
in view besides external appearances. The
Shorthorns are still the most popular breed,
(at least in this country,) aiul it is al.so evi-
dent that they have been bred with less
imity of imrpose than other breeds, from the
fact that tliey not only vary more in external
appearances, but also in their beef atui milk-
ing qualities. For beef, this breed stands un-
rivaled; but as milkers, the term will not ap-
ply. While there are individual cows, and
even some herds that will compare favorably
as milkers with any others, there are at the
same time not a few of the finest animals that
will not yield suflicient milk when fresh to
develop their own ollspring. This breed li.is
no doubt been nudtiplied with as much design
as any other, but evidently for different pur-
po.ses. While the intelligent dairyman made
his selection, and mated his animals with a
view to his business, the stockraiser had his
eye on beef only. At the same time, others
made efforts to combine both these qualities in
the same animal; hence the utility of thi.s
breed is already divided, although the jiedi-
grees indicate iniiformity. This division evi-
dently will become ti.xed and permanent by
and bv.

The cattle of the Channel Islands, formerly
introduced as Alderneys. subsequently Iwcaine
classed .as Jerseys arul tiuernseys. named after
the islands of which they are natives. Although
similar in character, milk and butter quali-
ties, they may and should be noted a.s different
breeds. " They present a remarkable contrast
to the Shorthorns. While the latter would not
be considered genuine without large .size,
round, full and jilump, the same appendages
to the Jersey would rule her out as not being
thoroughbred. Small frame, light bones, sharp
points from head to tail, characleri/x- the true
Jer.sey cow. Pawn seems to be the prevailing
color, but not uniforndy so.

Importations of stock uiwm this island have
long since been prohibited, consequently ft
purer breed can hardly l>e found. TIjese have
been bred, not so much for the production of
milk as for the quality of cream and excellence
of butler, their beef qualities having Ix'en
almost entirelv ignored. It is therefore claimed
that this breed will iirodiicea larger amount of
butler, aiul of better quality from a given
amount of feed than any other except the
(iuernsey, which is .somewhat larger, a little
more pimnp. and not .so uniform in general
contour as the Jersey, but is, at the same time,
preferred by some dairymen. One thing is
especially claimed for the Island cattle, i. e.,

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March,

while the}- may not yield so much butter when
fresh as "some others, it is more regular, and
they continue in milk for a longer period be-
tween calving, which will more than make up
the difference.

The Ayrshires, which have been more re-
cently introduced, have gained quite a reputa-
tion as milkers. Considering size and build
of the animal, the yield and quality of milk
and butter places this breed very favorably
before the public.

The Dutch or Holstein cattle are also of
modern introduction in this country, and have
already many admirers. They are of large
size, and their unifonnity of appearance is
evidence of being a fixed type. As milkers,
they have probably no superiors in reference
to quantity, but it is rather deficient in richness.
The Devon dates back probably as far as
any known breed, and yet they have not be-
come so generally disseminated as some other
breeds. As milkers they have no special re-
putation, but a healthier breed is nowhere to
be found. As workers they have no rival, un-
less it be the Holstein, which also stands pre-
eminent in that line. Whatever the merits of
the latter breeds may be, an objectionable
feature is their large horns, which disfigiu-es
them in the estimation of the growing senti-
ment, which is inclined to breed still less
horns, and may we not hope that these un-
necessary and dangerous appendages may be
bred out altogether.

The Herefords have strong advocates, but
very few have been introduced into this sec-
tion of country, and they are but little known
here.

The common stock throughout the country,
if it will bear the title of a breed, is certainly
a conglomerate one, as it embraces all the
shades, colors, forms and sizes imaginable, as
well as some of the best and poorest milkers
that can be foimd anywhere.

The question consequently arises, what breed
of cattle is most profitable to the farmer ?
This being a mooted question, it is hardly ex-
pecte d to be settled by scribbling over a few
pages of foolscap. It is more likely that it
never will be settled, as farmers seem to agree
to disagree upon this as upon many other
questions. The selection of animals for profit
depends very much upon the purpose for which
they are wanted, whether for beef, milk,
cheese, butter or show, or all these qualities
combined. If the latter, then postei'ity may
celebrate at least another centennial before
the object will lie realized. That the different
breeds possess different merits, and may be,
or are already, to a great extent, classified as
such, need not be questioned; but as each
breed has advocates claiming its superiority
over all others, there are many who would
sell out their own and t)uy other stock, or im-
prove it by crossing, were it not for the con-
fusion of reports from breeders.

In summing up these reports, the result in-
dicates that the largest amount of milk and
butter productions from single animals of the
varioiis breeds, native or common not ex-
excepted, doesnot materially vary. It is there-
fore of primary importance to make a judi-
cious selection of stock adapted to the ob-
ject in view, whether it be milk, cream,
cheese or Ijutter, for among the various breeds
no one need go far amiss if he keep his eyes
open and exercises proper judgment. — -H. 3f.
M, Marietta, Pa., Mar. 4, 1876.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
SELECTION OF SEED CORN.

In the February number, J. B. (whoever
that may be) takes me to task to give him fur-
ther information as to how friend Cooper man-
aged to improve his crops by a judicious selec-
tion of seed from his own farm. I rarely
think it worth while to reply to anonymous
correspondents. However, in this instance a
few remarks may be advisable.

As .1. B. has got off the track of my former
article, I shall reply as I think most suitable.
Evidently his object in noticing my commu-
nication was to inform the readers of The

Farmer that he grows large crops of corn —
eighty to- ninety bushels on an average per
acre.

He desires to be informed of "Cooper's plan
of growing corn in New .Jersey — what kind of
fertilizers "he used, how he planted his corn,"
&c., and says " the answers would be a great
help." Cooper's statements were published
some forty or more years ago, either in the
American Farmer, of' Baltimore, or in the
Farmers^ Cahinet, of Philadelphia. I have
these publications of that time, but do not
care to hunt up the article at present.

In my former article, I gave the facts and
the rcsidt of how Cooper improved his crops
by selecting his seed from crops on his own
farm, showing that crops would not deterior-
ate, but improve, and that there was no ad-
vantage gained by procuring seed of the same
variety from a distance, and the chances were
liy changing seed the result most likely would
be a fresh croji of weeds. But, as J. B. says,
"he selects his seed corn from his own crib,"
and yet raises eighty-seven to ninety bushels
shelled corn on an acre, I should think any
reasonable farmer ought to be satisfied ; yet J.
B. wishes to know the mimdkr. of Cooper's
management, as he thinks "it would be a
great help." Does he suppose by getting this
" great hel]) " he could then grow four or five
hundred bushels per acre '? Such wonderful
progress no doubt would stimulate the whole
farming fraternity, and by this "great help "
such enormous crops would be produced that
it could not be used up, unless, as in some of
the western states, it would have to be used
for fuel.— J". B. Oarber, Columbia, Pa., Feb-
ruary 28, 1876.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
POTATO CULTURE.
My meagre knowledge about potato culture
may scarcely be entitled to a corner in your
journal ; yet if in my feeble remarks Init a
simple hint or idea may be given for the bene-
fit of another, my efforts will be more than
repaid ; but if, through my simplicity, others
with larger knowledge take courage to detail
their experience, they will disseminate a good
that will return a rich reward. Are there
any who feel that if potatoes need looking
after, " give me the hoe ; I have not cultivated
with the pen ? I feel more so. That we
have cultivated with the hoe, gives, however,
the very substance for the pen ; if such of us
give but our mite to each others' experience,
it cannot otherwise but result to the interest
of all.

Having nothing to boast of enormous yields
of 40-oz. potatoes, I would merely say I grew
the Early Rose potato since it was first intro-
duced, investing a dollar for one pound.
These were cut to single eyes, planting them
in a loamy soil of medium fertility, in hills
2x2 feet, enriched with a half-peck of finely
broken up barn-yard manure to each hill. The
yield was seventy-two pounds. Upon the in-
troduction of the Snowflake potato, two
years ago, I obtained one tuber weighing one-
third of a pound. This was divided in halves,
laying the pieces cut-side down on pure sand,
and covered with rich soil two inches deep.
After the sprouts were out a few inches the
pieces were taken up, the sprouts carefully
slipped off, returning the pieces to their for-
mer situation. The slips were potted singly
in 3-inch pots, and kept shaded and well
watered until fully established. After grow-
ing in the pots to the height of three to five
inclies they were transplanted in hills, same
as described for the Early Rose. This process
was repeated three times with the pieces.

The season being excessively dry, the last
planting did very little. The yield was 5.5
pounds. On these occasions my neighV)ors
thought me qiiite successful ; yet I well knew,
that with better fertilized hills, and with more
favoral)le conditions, much better results
could be obtained. But how immensely were
my ideas short of what was actually achieved
last season by several growers of Snowllake,
using one pound of seed cut to single eyes I
P. C. Wood, Esther, 111., raised 1,417 pounds ;

J. L. Perkins, Little Sioux, Iowa, 1,304 lbs. ;
Frederick H. Seller, Verona, Essex county,
K. .J., 1,125 lbs. A number of others had re- ^H
suits nearly as great. Enormous as these pro- ^|
ducts mayappear, yet each party had reasons
to conclude that still greater yields can be
reached. One party gathered 56 pounds from
two hills ; had all his hillS yielded similar re-
sults, his product would have been a little
over forty-one ban-els from one pound of po-
tatoes.

To gain these results, soil of great depth
and highest fertility was selected, to which
was added very liberal applications of wood
ashes, hen manure and plaster, lioth in hill
and as surface dressing. These facts are re-
ferred to merely to show what has really been
accomplished by giving plants plenty of proper
food.

lieaving these lofty attainments, we will
i-eturn to those who are most successful in
general field culture. It is needless to go into
details as to the condition of soil. All will
admit that well-drained soil of high fertility is
the basis on which to build a good crop, but
how to build may be a question answered more
diversely. The ground deeply plowed and
thoroughly cultivated, the mode of planting
adopted by very successful cultivators is to cross-
furrow six or eight inches deep, three feet apart,
and drop a set at each intersection, covering
with about two inches of soil. As the vines
grow, cultivation begins by hilling up, which is
continxied as the plants advance, in some in-
stances to eighteen inches high, making large,
broad hills. By giving the hills this distance
apart, the roots have plenty of room to ramify
and find abundant food without stinting their
neighbors. Here the question may be asked,
would it not be an especial advantage, at least
now that we have to entertain the Colorado
potato bug as a guest, to use every means to
bring our potato vines to the highest degree
of vigor ; so that if our unwelcome visitor
gets at least a luncheon before the vines are
seasoned with the specific remedy (Paris
Green) the plants may suffer less immediate
damage, and be in good condition to outgrow
it — thiis perfecting a more bountiful crop, and
well repaying all extra feeding.

Descending still lower, or to my own level,
I will say a few words more about my own
experience. From practical tests, I have
found that seed grown in widely separated
localities yields better and produces finer pota-
toes than that grown on the same place ;
hence it is a profitable investment to obtain a
change of seed. Growing mostly for early
marketing, the system spoken of above was
not practiced by myself; as the crop was taken
up before fully grown, so much space was un-
necessary. I have rather practiced close plant-
ing, drawing furrows two feet apart and drop-
ping sets of two a\id three eyes every nine
inches. In the season of 1875, in the face of
an excessive drouth in early summer, I had
a fine yield of Early Rose and Snowflake, by
drawing furrows eight inches deep, through
which a narrow cultivator with long, sharp
teeth was run, pulverizing the soil six inches
deeper, on which was sprinkled a dressing of
broken up stable manure, the sets being
dropped on and covered with about two inches
of soil. As the vines grew they were ridged
up. Much advantage is gained in earliness
by putting the seed potatoes, spread in a sin-
gle layer, in a moderately warm light place
two or three weeks in advance of planting
time, to develop the eyes. To use means to
get potatoes to mature early is not only an
advantage for early marketing, but a great
gain by shortening "the time of the bug war.
To the same end, varieties with compact vines
are desirable.

As to varieties, it may be presumed that
those of which I have spoken are my favorites.
The Early Rose needs no praise; it has be-
come a standard variety. The Snowflake is
as yet a new comer, but it needs no further re-
commendation than its own high merits in all
that pertains to a first-class potato, to dissem-
inate it with express speed to every corner of
the land.— D. K. H., Lancaster, Feb. 26, 1876.

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

For The Lancastkb 1-'armeb.
THE NEGLECTED HOLLYHOCK.

Some flirty years af;o, on a visit to an uncle
in Rapho tinvnshi]), I was dclislited witli
tlie showy display of nunu-rous hollyhocks, of
various colors, that adorned the yard. Their
toweriuj; hciijht ami majestic, stately appear-
ance attracted my attention. 1 thought them
grand, beautiful — alas, now deemed a com-
mon, vulfiar i)lant, that no one deems worthy
of cultivation ; and they are now rarely met
with, yet we have few llowers that contriliutc
more to the emliellishment of lari;e "gardens
or yards than the hollyhock, whose noble
stems apiiear like .so many banners {garnished
with roses of every variety of color, from the
jialest lilnsh to the deejiest carmine, and from
a faint wliite, through every shade of yellow,
to the richest lU'ange, from which the color is
carried to a dark chestnut ; others are dyed
of a reddish purjile, deepening to black. These
give gaiety to the shrulibery till a late season
of the year, throwing out a succession of
flowers till the arrival of frost. For my part,
I cannot see why this showy, stately plant
should not be planted along every hedge-row
around our lields, oraround our homesteads in
thecountry. Besides, to those who keep bees,
it affords a- supply of sweets later in the
season, an(J of which they are remarkably
fond. II. Smith says, truly :

" From the nectaries of hollyhocks
The hxnnljle hee, e'li till he fuiiits, will sip."

This is true of our hive bee, as well as the
" lunnble bee.'' It belongs to the family
Malvaceip, as the cotton plant does, and it
has been ascertained that good strong cloth
may be made from the tibrous bark of its
tlower stalks. It may have l)een forgotten
that in 1^21 two hundred and eighty acres of
land near Flint, in Wales, were planted with
the common hollyhock tor this manufacture,
iu the process of which it was discovered that
the leaves of this plant yield a line blue dye,
equal in beauty and i>ermanence to the best
indigo. The Althcu rosea, or common holly-
hock, originally came from China. They arc
easily raised from seed, and will 'grow in any
common garden. The AWuea officinalis has
been extensively used under the name of
Marsh-mallows, and, like the Okra, abounds
in a bland mucilage. (Abelmosclms escidentus.)
The flowers of the A. rosea are used in Greece
for the same purposes as those of the marsh-
mallows. The Okra, also known as Hibiscui
escukntH.<i, is coming into coirimercial value as a
paper plant, heretofore used to thicken soups,
by its mucilaginous quality. The pods are
gathered green and pickled like capers. The
seeds may be boiled like barley, and the mu-
cilaginous matter they contain is both demul-
cent and emollient. They have also been
recommended, when roasted, as a substitute
for coffee. A patent has now been taken out in
France for making paper from the fibre, and
for this purpose it is to be introduced into
Algeria. The fibre is prc])ared solely by me-
chanical means in a current of water, without
any bleaching agent, and the pulp, washed
and bleached, makes a strong, handsome [ta-
per called "banda paper." Our common
hollyhock will answer just as well ; the fibres
make clothing — hence equal to rags any time.
I would thus call attention to this stately
and much-neglected plant, the goodly, tow-
ering, showy hollyhock, to beautify the home-
stead and the fence rows, regale the honey
bee, and glad(UMi the hearts of children, if
you do not want to make cloth or paper, and
cultivate it for profit. We are very apt to for-
get the old and familiar in later introductions,
" sighing for something new." This love of
novelty rules us — new customs, new gauds.
Although, did we but know it. they too fre-
quently are fashioned after the things that
were. I will conclude by quoting Mrs.
Hemans :

" Fill with forgetfnlnees, fill high ! yet stay—
'Tis from the past we sliadow forth the land
Where smiles, long lost, again shall light our way.
Though the past haunt me as a spirit, yet I
Ask not to forget !"— Tlie Hollvhock.

— /. Stauffer.

For The Lantasteb Fabmkb.
"WHAT KIND OF OIL?"

In an article iu the February ninnberof Tiik
Fakmi:!!, with the above title, the editor
thinks that linseed oil would not do very widl,
because it would do.se the pores. I am not
certain that closing up the pores of a tiee
hurts it in any manner whatever, and in case
it would do so, neatsfoot oil as effectually
closes them as linseed oil. For mv part I
would not be afraid to use the latter, and
would unich prefer it, as it dries in a short
time, closing up the insects so elVectually that
they I'an never enu'rge alive from their air-
tight i)rison ; and, besides, the trees aie not so
unpleasant to work at afterwards, as woidd be
the case should an oil be used that will not dry.

As a coiToboration, I was inldinied a feW
years ago liy a gentleman, at Millersburg, (L.
E. Bowman, I think.) that he had a dwarf
pear tree, that became badly infested with
"scale insects" and ceased growing. lie ap-
jilied linseed oil, and in a sliort time the in-
sects were all dead and the tre<> became very
thrifty. He said he was told that it w<iuld kill
his tree, ;is it would close up the pores, but it
certainly had no such elTect in his ca.se. — A.
B. A'., Safe Harbor, Lamaster county. Pit.,
Feb. •2."), 1K7().

[Practical experience must take precedence
of untried, or merely theoretical suggestion.
We Ihowjht that linseed oil might leave a sort
of varnisli dejiosit on the young infested
branches of trees, that woidil be detrimental
to their subsequent development; but if it
does not, all the better ; it gives us another
safe remedy for the scale insect or bark-louse;
and with thanks to our contributor we jilace
it on record, for the benefit of oin- readera.

We are not sure, however, that the closing
of the pores in the branches of trees would
not be as hm-tful to their growth as the
closing of the pores of the leaviw and fruit,
would be hurtful to tluir development. Still,
as the deposit on the bark, after the oil had
dried, woidd likely be a very thin one. and
the sub.sequent rapid iirowth of the tree (there
being no more lice to deplete it.) would likely
crack the surface of such a deposit into fissures,
sutiicient to allow it to jierform its usual func-
tions, there would be very little harm done in
the end.

In re])ly to A. B. K. 's post scriptuin, we as-
sure him that his contributions will always be
" welcome " to our columns, even if they come
oftener than "now and then, "" and most es-
pecially on the subjects he has named, what-
ever motive may be "at the Itottom." We
have nothing whatever to do with motives in
such a case. If a man can impart information
on farming and gardening his contributions
will lie acceptable at all times, whether his
motives are selfi.sh or benevolent. " Self-
improvement." however, is not a very evil
kind of selfishness ; indeed it would have been
l)etter for human society if this kind of sel-
fishness had miuv largely jirevailed every-
where, and it would be better now.— Ed.]
^

For The Lancasteb Fabmkb.
TRANSPLANTING TREES.

One important fact in regard to transplant-
ing trees was brought out in the discussion on
orchard culture, at the last nu'Cting of tiie
Pennsylvania Fruit Growers' Society, held at
Doylestown.

The lower limbs shoidd not lie cut off when
taken from the nursery and iilanted in the
orchard. The reason given was, the leaves are
the lungs of the tree, and the nearer you can get
the foliage to the roots in the earlier stages of
its growth the better. If too far removed after
transiilanting, the sap in circulating is not re-
turned in sntticient quantity to make the roots
keep pace in growth with the top. and this was
the cause of the trouble in keejiiuL; the trees
in an iqiright position. Our nurserymen are
partly to lilaine ; they trim to make the trees
more e.a.sily baled, and we generally finish the
job liy trinnning as high as we wish the trunk
of the futiue tree, instead of letting them
grow till the roots are firmly established. — L.
P., Christiana, Lan. co.. Pa., Feb. 28, 18715.

For 'rilE I.ANrASlEll Fahmeb.

HOW TO RAISE OATS CHEAPLY.

For several years past there lias been much
comiilaining among tlie farnuMs of Lancaster
coindy tliat the oat crop does not pay for the
trouble of producing it. It therefore seems
desirable, since it cannot well be dispensed
with, either on account of the siicce.s.siiin or
because it is desirable as feed for horses, that
it be raised as cheaply as pos.silile.

I.et the com stidibles Ih' broken down early
in the spring or winter, when the ground is
frozen hanl, by dragging over them a pole .six
or eii;lit inches in diameter, and long enough
to reach across six or more rows. Fasten a
hors<' to each end of the iiole, and havi' a
driver for each horse ; drive the horses along
the rows, letting the pole drag over those lie-
tweeii them at an angle of about :iu degrees
with the direction of the rows. If once going
over does not break off the stubbles sutli-
ciently, go over them again in the opposite di-
rection, when it will l»e done quite as well as
witli the hoe, and in very much less time.

The usual way of prefiaring thegmund is to
plow it, but the writer and many others have
jiroven beyond doidit that more Oats can Ite
raised by stirring it with a cultivator, and
with a great saving of work.

The successive freezings and thawings dur-
ing the winter make the siu-face of the ground
ill much Ijetter condition for starting the
young oats iilants than the more coiiipaci soil
under would be if turned up by the jilow ;
besides, the ground does not have "to he worked
so early, and consequently has more time to
dry, so that it does not Ijecome so cloddy as
when plowed.

The olijection usually made to cultivating
in oats is, that the ground is harder t*i plow
for the fall cro]i ; but my experience with a
clay soil is quite the reverse, even in dry sum-
mers. Most farmei-s plow shallow for oats,
for the reason that more grain can lie raised
by doing so. If the plowing is done when tlie
ground is very wet, as is usually the case, the
soil in the bottom of tlie furrow must necessa-
rily lie packed down, both by the Jiressure of
the plow and by the horse that walks in the
furrow ; then, if the ground is dry when it is
plowed for wheat, it is almost ini)»ossibIe to
get the plow to run deeiier than it did in the
s])iiiig, and if it does it will turn up cloddy.
While, if the ground is cultivated in tlie
spring, and then not until it is well dried, the
plow will go as deep as is desired in the fall,
and the soil will pulverize nicely.

Another rea.son why cultivating is prefera-
ble to plowing, is that nearly all the weed
seeds near the surface are germinated and de-
stroyed by the cultivation of the corn during
the previous summer, .so that but few are left
to grow among the oats. If the ground is
ploughed, all the seeds that had collected on
sod before it was ]iloughed for corn are turned
to the surface, and having lain but one year,
will grow. This differen<-e was i>articularly
noticeable last summer, when jjloiii/hed oati
fields were unusually full of weeds.

If the oats is sowed broadcast, the com rows
serve as a guide in sowing, so that furrows
or poles arc unneces.sary. The seeds falling
upon the smooth surfiice of the ground are
evenly distributed, whereas, if the ground is
i ploughed, they are liable to collect in the dc-
' prcssioiis iK'tween the furrows and grow un-
evenly. If the oats is planted with a drill, the
gniuiid should be cultivated for drilling.

The two-horse corn cultivator, now exten-
sively used in this county, is the best invest-
ment fin- cultivating oats grounds, because it
can be pa.s.sed on both sides of the rows of
stubbles ill the same way as when working the
corn, without turning iiji the corn roots; lie-
sides, it stirs the soil deeiier and more thor-
oughly than the old A cultivator. It cannot
he successfully used in "crossing," however,
even when the corn is "checked." liecaiise it
will choke with the roofs. It is better to cross
the ground with an ordinary spike harrow;
this will tear up very few roots; and when the
, ground is rolled it will lie quite as smooth as
when ploughed.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March,

Most farmers make a great deal of unneces-
sary work in harvesting, especially when the
oats is "short," by attempting to tie it into
sheaves. Much grain is also lost in tieing. It
can be taken up more expeditLously and with
less waste with a barley fork, by " bunching "
it, if in swaths, or if cut wath a machine,
by taking up the Ininches as they lie. No in-
convenience results from this mode of gather-
ing, either in liandling in the barn or in thresh-
ing. Anotlier advantage in it is that it packs
so closely in the mow that rats and mice
cannot get through it and destroy the grain.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
RURAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Those who intend to make rural improve-
ments should mature their plans before begin-
ning the work. If they are undecided or at
a loss how they shall improve their grounds,
and what species of trees and shrubs they will
embellish tliem with, they should get a gar-
dener of skill to visit the grounds and give a
jilan and list of trees and shrubs to decorate it,
that will often save expenses and disappoint-
ments. The lists of trees and shrubs should be
sent to nurserymen a month before needed, and
they will the more likely be delivered when
needed to plant. A number of rapid growing
evergreen and deciduous trees should be set
out to make an early show, and all to be of
stately sizes. In purcliasing lands for lasting
homes, or for summer retreats, see that run-
ning waters are near or upon the lands, to in-
troduce water by plumbing for all purposes.
Small streams of water running through the
grounds can often be made highly ornamental
and attractive by making ponds, dams and
waterfalls ; fill some with hardy flsh and have
others for fancy ducks, geese and swans to sail
upon, and clothe the grounds around them
with trees and shrubs. Ornamental waterworks
were highly prized by the ancients. Isaiah
says to Judali " Ye shall be as a garden that
liath no water." — Walter Elder.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

Correspoudeuce of The Lancaster Farmer.

Paris, March 7, 1876.

FAILURE OP THE BEET CROP IN FRANCE.

The beet crop has been almost a failure this year
in France, and from a variety of causes, some of
which are of general interest. The low price of beet
sugar and alcohol, coupled with a heavy taxation,
has led to many commercial disasters. Several dis-
tilleries have closed, and sugar factories have been
reduced to work only half time. The beet itself has
only been of a secondary quality, and of less than
average yield ; the warm and humid weather detei-i-
orated the tissues of the roots, diminishing the re-
turn of sugar. Large heaps of beet were abandoned
to rot, and very fair roots were declined by the manu-
facturers at the bankrupt price of/r. .5 per ton. This
is the more unfortunate as a great quantity of beet
had been cultivated last season, and the quality prov-
ing bad, the expense of extracting the sugar became,
as is ever the case, increased. The recent frosts
achieved what the opposite extreme of temperature
spared. Closed factories react on the rearing and
fattening of cattle by reducing the supply of pulp.
But other influences have been at work : the seed
germinated badly, the manures acted capriciously,
and the plant resumed a new vegetation at a period
when growth ought n.aturally to have stopped. Since
some time these matters have been the subject of
study and experiment, and M. Vilmorin makes known
the results of his investigations respecting the ger-
mination of beet seed. Struck by the irregularity in
its germination, he found that the closer the seed was
to the mineral fertilizers — nitrate of soda especially —
the more slowly it germinated, and in some instances
did not do so at all. There was as much as a month's
difference between the germination of seed sown on
the unmauured and the manured soil. It would
seem that these manures, intended to furnish nitro-
gen to beet in its after stages, are injurious pending
the period of germination. M. Vilmorin also found
that wheat was similarly affected as beet when the
seed was in contact with nitrate of soda and sulphate
of ammonia. Further, not only was germination re-
tarded at a period when its activity was most to be
desired, but the salts in question promoted an ener-
getic growth of the beef in early autumn, when such
development ought to be avoided.

ABOUT FERTILIZERS AND CULTIVATION.

In the north of France it has been found that the
earlier the beet is sown the more certain will be the
results — the 20th of April is better than the 20th of

May — also, the greater the distance between the
plants the heavier will be the yield — an advantage,
however, only to be sought after when the roots are
intended for feeding purposes. The mineral manure
most in favor with farmers, and the least so with the
manufacturers, is nitrate of soda ; its price is rela-
tively moderate, its assimilation easy, and its effects
consequently immediate. But it ought to be ever
employed judiciously, and notably with the phos-
phates and the salts of potash and lime. Farm-yard
manure being nitrogenous, demands that nitrates be
associated with it sparingly. The phosphates have
been found excellent in promoting germination, but
phosphates cannot correct the bad effects of nitrate
of soda; were it thus, guano might be employed
without fear. The complaints against the use of
nitrate of soda for beet are the consequence of the
abuse of that fertilizer, which banefully aflfccfs the
extraction of sugar, and reduces the fertility of the
soil, owing to farmers relying on its stimulating prop-
erties exehisively ; it is an error to supply a plant
with one kind of aliment exclusively. It ought to be
remembered that fertilizers require to be rotated as
well as crops, and their action well studied, since
some act on the foliage, some on the bulb, and sci-
ence has not settled as to whether the sugar be
formed by the roots or by the leaves.

PRACTICAL LECTURES ON FARM ANIMALS.

In Belgium much success has attended the delivery
of public lectures on farm animals, how to breed, how
to rear, and how to care for them. The lecturers
are practical veterinary surgeons, and are well sup-
plied with models and diagrams to illustrate their
views. Hitherto all the lecturing has been limited to
soils, manures and plants — excellent in their place,
especially when practically treated. To ascertain
the number of head of cattle of an average of S cwts.
that a farm ought to support, French agriculturists
generally estimate that an animal consumes in a
year ll cwts. of hay for every 1 cwt. of its weight.
Thus 22 tons of hay ought to support during a year
2 tons of live stock, equal to five animals of 8 cwt.
each. Two hundred-weights of nutritive hay being
taken as the standard of nutrition, are found to be
equal to S}4 stone of oats and 16 of potatoes. It
should be borne in mind that the richness of food va-
ries with the soil, and its feeding value will vary
with the temperament and the digestive powers of the
animal.

THE HORSES OF HUNGARY.

Since centuries ago the great plains of Hungary
have been celebrated for their production of horses,
which comprise races at once sober and accustomed to
privations and climatic changes, but which not the less
produce animals with iron constitutions ; the pastur-
age is bad, green fodder is difficult to obtain, and ne-
cessity compels dependence on straw and the stems
of maize. It is not to be wondered that the Austrian
government is solicitous about the amelioration of
horses. It is not uncommon to find a pair of horses
getting over a distance of sixteen miles to meet a
train, and, without being baited, return by the same
road in two hours. There are two and a quarter mil-
lions of horses in Hungary, or 140 for each 1 ,000 inhabi-
tants ; and thei'c are several races of them also, in
addition, adapted to mountainous districts, sandy
plains or alluvial flats. The national breeding studs,
of which the chief is at Mezohegyes, recognize these
distinctions ; and as the State studs are only intended
to supply the absence of good stallions among pri-
vate individuals, their object is to make themselves
as soon as possible unnecessary. There are 1,800
stallions in the four studs, serving 6S,000 mares an-
nually in .52.5 different districts. The charge for
covering varies from/r. 2',4 to //•.■ST, but the services
of a stallion of pure English blood cost as much as
//•. 1,000. The stud at Mezohegyes is a half military
establishment, or rather colony, consisting of S6, 000
acres, and chiefly devoted to the culture of grain and
forage crops ; it possesses 2,400 horses, representing
nine different races. The foal at its birth is marked
by a red-hot iron on the sides, to recognize its race
and its sire. Its food is not excessive : one pound of
bruised oats, when three weeks old, and double that
at three months, when separated from the mother,
and as far as four years old, five pounds daily in
summer and double that ration during winter. But
then the pasturage is excellent. Mildness is the
basis of the breaking in of the colts, and by patience
and address man dominates them. They are never
beaten, and approach the grooms without mistrust
or hostility. For each act of submission they are
rewarded with a caress or a morsel of sugar or a
cake, and to conquer their timidity or efface their
fear they are surrounded with trained animals. Pos-
sessing thus no vices, they can transmit none.

HOSPITALS FOR HORSES, CATTLE AND PIGS.

The monster farm in question is provided with hos-
pitals for horses, cattle and pigs, and clinical lectures
take place twice a day, which are attended by the
veterinary pupils from Pesth, who acquire a practical
knowledge thus of their profession. Bulls are also
bred here to ameliorate the native races, for the cli-
mate is too trying — torrid days, succeeded by polar
nights — to think of crossing. Milk not entering into
the calculations of Magyar farming, milch cattle are
not In request ; besides, such an amelioration would

affect, as experience has shown, the value of oxen for
lalior, and they are only secondary in point of im-
portance to horses. If the training of. horses be ef-
fected on the gentle system, that for oxen is the re-
verse. In winter cattle receive but straw, chaff and
maize stems ; those employed at work have hay.
The annual yield of milk is not more than 900 quarts ;
2 cwts. of hay are found to produce 23 quarts of
milk, representing 3'^ pounds of butter. The oxen
are never yoked until four years old, and after six
months' apprenticeship are capable of nine years'
work. When aged 13 or 14 years they are sent to
the large towns to be fattened at the distilleries ;
some of the latter fatten l,.5O0 head of oxen at a
time. A yoke of oxen will plow an acre 14 inches
deep in a day, and in addition to being as rapid as a
dray horse, have feet as sure as a Spanish mule.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Dr. de Martin draws attention to the success which
has attended his employment of chopped vine prun-
ings for the evening feed for his cattle. At first they
refused it, but afterwards took to it. In the Depart-
ment of the Aude these vine shoots are employed,
when bruised, as litter.

An infusion of tomato leaves has been found excel-
lent to clear plants of bugs — the phylloxera always
excepted. The annual report of the official commis-
sion on the experiments conducted under its direction
during 1875, in the affected districts, on the various
plans for destroying the vine-bug, concludes that no
remedy has yet been found ; that the best powder is
too costly in application, and but partial in efficacy ;
that the old bark ought to be removed from the
stems ; the eggs destroyed in winter, and recourse
had to American stocks.

Dr. Uloth's experiments go to show that grains of
wheat placed between two i)locks of ice and kept in a
cellar with a temperature at freezing point will ger-
minate and develope rootlets . He continued the same
experiment with mustard and grass seeds, as well as
wheat. He placed some in a hollow piece of ice, and
others in common earth ; both were deposited in an
ice house and covered with a thick block of ice. They
all equally germinated, no difference being percepti-
ble save that the mustard and grass seeds germinated
best. M. Tisserand states thatheobtains most butter
and of a superior quality, the more the cream is
churned at a temperature approaching the freezing
point.

LANCASTER COUNTY FARMERS IN
COUNCIL.

Proceedings of the Agricultural and Horti-
cultural Society — Discussion on Fruit
Trees, Hungarian Grass, Etc.

The regular monthly meeting of the Lrvncaster
County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was
held in the rooms of the Athenaeum, on Monday, the
Cth inst. The meeting was called to order at two
o'clock by the President, Calvin Cooper. The follow-
ing members were present : Calvin Cooper, Milton
Eshleman, Levi W. Groff, Simon P. Eby, Abraham
Suminy, Casper Hiller, E. B.Engle, Henry M. Engle,
Peter Reist, Mr. Hershey, Levi Pownall, John Ruber,
Johnson .Miller, Martin D. Kendig, John Reist, Simon
Hershey, Reuben Weaver, Israel G. Erb, Martin S.
Fry, C. L. Hunsecker, J. Stauffer, S. S. Rathvon,
James Buckwalter, Wm. McComsey, John Miller,
John M. Stehman, Wm. P. Brinton, Henry Erb, Jacob
K. Witmer, Dr. E. A. Hertz, John Grossman, E. 8.
Hoover, John H. Brackbill.

The regular secretary not being present, Milton B.
Eshleman w.as elected secretary pro tern., and on
motion, the reading of the minutes of the February
meeting was dispensed with.

Lewis C. Lyte, of East Lampeter; Henry Kauff-
man, of Lancaster township; and Cyrus Neff and
F. G. Melliuger, of Manor, were elected members of
the society.

Reports of Crops Being Next in Order,

Mr. Kendig, of Manor, said that the prospects for
the coming wheat crop are very favorable, notwith-
standing the alternate freezing and thawing of the
ground during the past winter. Rye, about the same;
for the last two or three years this crop did remark-
ably well, which induced farmers to sow more largely
than usual. Grass fields of last season's sowing are
very thin, a large portion of the seed never coming
up on account of the drouth. Old fields promise bet-
ter. Corn in the crib is very much damaged. Sound
seed scarce. Tobacco crop very good ; better in
qualify than it has been for a number of years. A
good portion is sold at prices ranging from 12 to 25
cents per pound for wrappers, and 3 to 5 for fillers.
The Library and Finances.

Mr. Eby, of the Library Committee, said that
several books were lately contributed to the society,
among them some from our fellow-member, Mr.
Landis. As he was instructed at the last meeting to
fix a price on all books received, he felt, after due
consideration, that he was unable to do this unless
two additional members were appointed on the com-
mittee, mainly for the purpose of consultation.

A motion was made that two additional members

1876.J

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

be added to the committee. It was parried, and the
chair appoiuted Mossrs. Katlivon and .Stauller.

Two Wlls, one of ?5.44 for chairs, aud another of
JIO.?.") for a sign for the society, were read and or-
dered to be paid.

The folloninsi: essay was then read by C. L. Hi'n-

.SEOKER :

A Few Hints to Farmers.

"How blest the farnier's-Riiigle life!

How ptire the j.ty it yieldn !
Far from the world'n tempeatuoUH Btrife,
Free "niiil the Hcented lielilH."
The healtliful enjoyment of life in the cultivation
of the soil is, perhaps, not exeeeiled by any other in-
dustry. It is, liesides, a pursuit that escapes from
the many temptations, vices and crimes to which man
is exposed in the cnnvdcil city. The I'armcr's life is
sim|ile ; itisalradc that commends itself, bccattse
no country can maintain a lars;e ami prosperous
Iiopulation without sUillful airricullurc, however rich
and productive the soil may naturally he. The (jrcat
cities of the worlil, with their immense populations,
health. niaiuifacturesJ, ami commerce, would perish
if the fanners failed to supply them with food.

Aijriculturc in every civilized country, exerts a
jiowerful inHuence in the production of wealth, com-
merce and manufactures. It is the great and trans-
cendent interest, employing more cajiitai, more per-
sons, and sustaining more than all other interests
eoml)iueti.

The supposed population of the world is 1,000,-
000,000 of men, who are dependent f^tr their vcrv
existence u]ion tlie productions of the earth; 200,-
000,000 of men probably expend their daily toil in
pursuits connected with operations of aKrieulture,
the parent and precursor and most important of all
arts ; and nine-tenths of the fixed capital, perhaps, of
civilized nations is embarlvcd in this one great pur-
suit.

It is the great and permanent industry of our coun-
try ; manufactures, mining and commerce are de-
I)endent u|ionit. Believing tliis to be indisputable,
our agricultural friends having done so much towards
the development of the counti-y, cannot be justly ac-
cused of aiming to look up other matters "than
farming, which have a near or remote bearing
upon their interests. Hence it follows that the
farmers of our country, who produce tliree-
fourths in value of the exports from this country,
and I'urnish a larjjc amount of the tonnage on the
canals and railroads, and much of the passenger
travel, have a deep interest in the question of the
price of freight and fare. (Janals and railroads were
constructed lor the public convenience — for the con-
veyance of articles to and from market, and revenue
a subordinate object. But it has become manifest of
late years that quite too many of these thoroughfares
have been converted, by watering stock, and charging
excessive rates of freight, etc., into dangerous mo-
nopolies, against which intelligent farmers protest as
an innovation injurious to the industry and properity
of our common country.

What a man earns by thought, study and care is as
much his own as what he obtains by his liauds, is
true as regards the exclusive manufacture and sale
of a valuable patent right. But when these rights,
as has been frequently the case, get into the hands of
merciless speculators, and become burdensome to the
public, like Jethro Wood's iron plough, and the
sewing-machine, the protests of the Grangers against
the oppression of the patent laws to Congress were
highly proper. The telegraph, indeed, arrested the
attention of Congress, and a committee reports
against the great injury and injustice of the telegraph
monopoly, aud recommends that it is the duty of the
government to provide an economical and impartial
system of telegraphy.

It is an important fact in the history of Pennsylva-
nia, that for many years, up to bSijij, the pecuniary
means lor the construction of internal improvements
in the State were obtained to a great extent by taxa-
tion upon real estate, and principally from the agri-
cultural inhabitants. Peiuisylvania' has still a public
debt. Would it not be good policy to reduce this debt
to the amount of funds available in the coffers of the
Sinking Fund i

During the last year the United States exported
fifty-four of every hundred bushels of the wheat im-
ported by Gi-cat ISntain. Our farmers Ibllow no idle
theories, but, like the teamster in Esop, put their own
shoulders to the wheel and manfully pull the car of
commerce along. -

It is said that if we cultivate man, the improvement
of the vegetable and animal kingdoms will surely
follow. Ail history confirms this. The liest educated
and most enlightened agricultural countries have in
all ages outstripped in the race of progress their less
A-ultivated neighbors. England, France, and Eastern
Pennsylvania confirm this. In skillful rotation the
land is enriched by the application of proper manure.
If you go to Kent, in England, there will he found a
soil that has lieen enriched by cultivation for almost
two thousand years. Incessant labor and judicious
Jnanagement will impiove a farm in producing better
crops. Talk of worn out farms iu Lancaster county.
If there are such they have not been tilled by the
Amish, the Mennonites, the Dunkers, or the .Metho-
dists. They know better than to exhaust farms ;
they enrich them by their industry.

Agricultural chemistry is the science which inves-
tigates the properties of the (lid'crenl kinds of soil,
and discovers and a]>plics the propir fcrlilizers. In-
deed, numerous discoveries in ugrii ullure have l)eeii
made by oliservant farmers, independent of a knowl-
edge of chemistry, but a more Ihorougb knowledge
of the nature of the soil, which cbi'inistry explains,
is of the greatest practical benefit, andshoulil he
beard by every farntcr. When the first cargo of
guano was introiluccd into tills country It mcl with
till' prcjuilieeaTilbraciti-eoal had to coiiiend wiih. .Vd
oni' knew aiiylhing In regard to its iutrinsie value,
and eonsei|uently every person set it down as a hum-
bug. The farmer, near Philadelphia, that purchased
the first lot, and had tin' courage to use \l,iH>ilriliiil,il
it n/tnn strii'ul tu-rm of t/yuss in xurh </ntin/i/i/ '"* '"
eiitii-fhj kill thr frv/i. lie immediately called u|Hin
the unfortunate seller and threatened to prosecute
him for obtaining money undi'r I'alsc pretences.

The knowleiige and Jiropcr ap|ilieation of the dlll'er-
enl maiuircs is of very great [iraetical importance;
anil chemists, such as Leil)ig, i)raper, .lohiislon, and
others, have analyzed soils and plants ; enlomologists
have discovered the nature of destructive In.scels, and
oriuthologists the auxiliaries in their destruction.
Some plains have a local habitation and a place,
w hieh is probably owing to the nature of the soil. .\
soil entirely deficient of lime will not produce wheat.
The earth is full of seeds, »bieli, if thrown in a
favorable position anil exposed to the air, will spring
up and ]n-oduee llowers of surpassing beauty and
richness. Every Hour and blade of grass rejoices
when the rain falls uiion It. This is one of the ele-
ments of farming, and the others are a g 1 soil and

a favorable climate; and husbandmen who know
that upon their industry and skill the crojis depend,
will give the culture which is due to their acres ; hoc
every weed, dress the soil, and harvest shall repay
their toll.

Southcy says that an animal is of more consequence
than a plant, because It has life ; and anotlicr author
thinks that the meanest insect is a collection of won-
ders. True, we have the microscope and the telescope;
one leads us to see a world in every atom, and the
other a systetn for every star in the firmament.

The people of Flanders, in Europe, erected a statue
in honor of the man whoini roduced into their country
the cultivation of the potato, and everywhere the
man who by his knowledge and skill can produce two
spears of grass where only one grew tielbre, is con-
sidered a benefactor. What shall we say of the men
in our country who have imported blooded stock, and
thus improved the noble horse, the Durham ox, the
Alderney cow, the Merino sheep and the Chester pig !
These men are entitled to the lasting gratitude of t he
American people, and a statue would not add totbeir
greatness, but their disinterested elforts entitle them
to a monument in commemoration of the event.

The rapid disappearance of our forests has of late
years excited a great deal of discussion. The many
uses to which timber is applied makes it important,
and the cause of the anxiety manifested in regard to
it is deserving of serious thought. But there are still
millions of acres, thick set with wood, in the broad
expanse of our country and Canada ; and if lumber
should hereafter become scarce and dear, science will
develop other building material to take its place, as
stotie-coal has taken that of wood. There are men
living in Ohio and Indiana, who have a weary life In
clearing olf the large trees that encumber I heir acres.
Still, as the Atlantic seaboard has been pretty well
stripped of hs Ibrcsts, there are localities probably In
every State of the Union that would pay better if de-
voted to tree-raising, than the cultivation of grain.

Science will develop employment and means of sub-
sistence as fast as population can grow, in all time to
come, and it is idle to fret over imaginary evils. Our
country could sustain a populalionof a thousand ndl-
lions of souls, and would not be as densely |x)pulated
asseveral European Kingdoms. In Pennsylvania, one
of the old States, not one-half of the land is under cul-
tivation, and much of the unbroken ground is still
covered with the primitive forests.

The Italians have a proverb to this effect, "that he
who has not seen Naples has seen nothing." This
will be excm|iliHed in .\merica " that he who does not
visit Philadelphia during this C:enlcimial year, and
look upon the magnificent display on the Ccnteimial
grounds, need not pride himself in after years that he j
lias seen anything worth seeing." There all interests
will be represented, and agriculture will have a largo
share.

The complaint Is that ui the distribution ofrtlHcelii
our country the agricultural interest has been greatly
neglei'tcd. There is some show of reason ior I his com-
plaint. In the State Convcnlion toameiid the t'onsti- i
tutionof Pennsylvania, a few years ago, of the one '
hundred and thirty-three members comprising that
body, ninety-fiv.' were of the legal profession, and |
the balance of thirty-eight had a respectable sprink-
ling of .M.D.'s and l).l).'s, iron men and meiihants.
The same proportion of lawyers, doctors, merchants,
iron masters and manufaetun'rs, and other depart-
ments of Industry, independent of agricultural pur
suits, have controlled the legislation of our country,
almost exclusively, lor many years. Probably three-
fourths of the voles that arc cast at every liii|>ortant
election are thrown by citizens engaged at farming.
Why is it that the agricultural interest is thus iguurvu' ,

Why, it Is owing to the Indifference of leaving tha
management of primary meetings, conventions, Ac.,
to persons who have no sympathy with, or interest In
the cultivation of the soil. If ihe evils lomplaincd
of are to be eorrecled, farmers must show llielr
hand and arrest the evil by Bup|K)itliig nieu for office
who are In sympathy with their interests.

" Man shall not live by breail alone. .S<i is it true
of nal Ions, I hat riches and aggrandizement are means
and not objects of governinenl ; and that Slates thrive
and nourish not only on merely physical eleinenls, but
In pro|iortiiiii that law, onlcr, [M-ace, justice and
liberty are hialntalned In the Commonwealths of
Nations."

Forest Trees and Rain Fall.
Mil. Ehy thought the plaiiling of forest trees a
subject of great Iniportaiiee, and elied hcveral in-
stances III which the atleiilion of foreigners was
attracted to this country. He held that when Ihe
forests are cleared away Ihe streuiiibdry up. To sup-
port this, he referred to the Potomac river, and said
that since the forest trees which skirt lis banks are
being cut down there Is a great falling olf as reganls
Ihe volume of the slreain. The same falling olV Is
nolhed In the Danube river, and Ihe Austrian govern-
ment has become so alarmed that they have ap-
pointed a eommitlccio investigate the cause. He felt
eoiilideiit that that eommlllee wuuld rcjsirl that It
was caused by the deslruellon of the forest trees. He
then referred to the Tucquan creek, whicli runs
through the lower end of this county. Some ten
years ago, when he used to fish for trout there, It was
a very rapid stream, and was supplied at. frequent
intervals by a great many small tributaries. On all
sideji it was surrounded by a dense wtjods, the same
belonging to the parties who own the .Marlle and
Coleinanville forges. .\ short time ago lic^ visited this
locality and found that the mouth of the stream was
greatly diininished 111 size. He traced the course of
the stream to its source, and was greatly astonished
to find, that where he used to catch ten Inch trout,
the farmers had to dam uji the stream in firder to col-
lect enough of water for their cattle, ttii every hand
he noticed that all the old trees had disappeared,
having been cut down by the owners of the forges as
fuel for their furnaces. Hetlien sjioke at considerable
length in regard to the preservation of our wcmkI lands,
not only as a preserver of our slreaiiis, but that we
might have plenty of timber lor our own use and
those of coming generations. He thought that there
was good doctrine in the essay on this subject, and
said that If the (irangers would only pay a little at-
tention to this great want, they would accornjillsh
something in the mission to which they seemed to be
called.

Mr. Engi.e called the attention of the chair to the
strangers present, Messrs. Carter and Harvey, of the
FarmerB' Club of West tirove, who he llioughl
would like to say something on this subject. The
chair then invited the gentlemen to give tliclr views
oit the matter.

Mk. C.4i(TER did not think he could add any re-
marks to what had already been said, as the ground
had been pretty well gone over. He thought the sub-
ject of growing trees for increasing timber was a very
important one. The best tree he knew of for plant-
ing was the yellow locust, which was the most valu-
able, as it would stand more than any other tree,
although It was somewhat subject to the attack of
the borer. He had no time to enter into any discus-
sion just now, as he had to leave on the three o'clock
train for home. He closed his remarks by referring
to the inHuence of evaporation, some streams having
an underground current while others evajiorated by
the sun.

-Mr. H.tRVEV would like to speak, hut was unable
to do so, as the hour had arrived when he would have
to leave. He believed in the |M>sitiim taken by his
friend Carter.

A vote of thanks was then tendered the gentlemen,
and the subject of forest trees was then continued.

Mr. MoComsf.t said that during a visit to a town
in the Slate of Ohio, he had learned from a credita-
ble source that the stream which llinviHl by the town
had, within a |H'riod of seventy years, decreased to
less than half its former size. He himself had noticed
a marked decrease in the size of the stream during
the eighteen or twenty years which Intervened \h:-
tween his visits to the place. A canal had formerly
tieen built at great expense, along its banks, but had
long since been abandoned for want of sultlelent wa-
ter. Ohio, seventy years ago, was almost one un-
broken forest, whereas it is now, to a great extent,
elcarcil of timber, and the dimlnulloii of this, and
other streams, was attributed to that fact.

It seemed to be an almost undisputed fact that as
a country Is strlp|>ed of ils timlwr, the rainfall and
streams proiwrtionately decrease. This being so, may
not our now fertile land at some fiitun" period. If not
guanled against, iH'come, through these causes, a
barren desert ! There was another subject to which
.Mr. McCoinsey was pleased to~hear the essayist re-
fer—agricultural chemistry. Perfect agriculture, as
has been said. Is Ihe true fouiidallon of all trade and
industry, as well as Ihe foundation of the riches of
States. But a rational system of agriculture cannot
l)e formed without the application of scicntiflc princi-
ples, for such a system must be based on an exact

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March,

acquaintance with the means of nutrition of vegeta-
bles, and with the influence of soils and actions of
manure upon them.

This knowledge we must seek from chemistry,
which teaches the mode of investigating the compo-
sition and studying the characters of the different
substances from which plants derive their nourish-
ment. He thouglit the time had come when every
intelligent farmer should acquaint himself with at
least the elements of chemistry.

Mr. Staupfer related an incident of his boyhood.
In the neitfliborhood of Chiques there was a spring in
a field which was at that time a perfect swamp. Near
it was a hill on which were a great many hickorynul
trees. In time they were all cut down, and now that
which was a swamp is a nice field, perfectly dry. The
spring is also almost dry, and so great has been the
change that he could hardly recO£rnize it when he
visited the sjrat a short time ago. This great change
occurred within the past forty years. The Chiques
creek is one-third less now than it was then. As re-
gards rainfall, he said it is always greater where
there was timber, instancing the lower end of the
county, where it is one-third greater than it is in any
other part of the county.

Mr. EsHLEinx knew of a place where there was a
swamp, and the only way it was drained was through
a pipe which was laid down for that purpose. This
was a decided improvement in respect to the drain-
age, but before the pipe was laid the water was car-
ried oft' somehow — cither by evaporation or an under
ground current. He felt sure tliat the water of our
springs and wells come from the mountains. He had
studied this question and could see no other reason.
It must come from a higher place. Water must seek
its level. The more it is sheltered by trees, the less
it is evaporated, and hence it has a longer time to
sink into the ground, and thus feed our springs and
wells and nourish the land.

Mr. Ebv said that he had read that since trees
were planted along the Suez canal, rain had fallen, a
circumstance that never happened before.

Mr. Sr.MMY would like to know why Donegal is
called '' Dry Donegal," when it is a well wooded dis-
trict. If the existence of trees produces rainfall, why
does it not do it in this particular case ?

Mr. Staiiffer said that the current of atmos-
phere had something to do with it, in support of
which he cited a few instances.

Mr. Ebt said that after a long, dry season, when
a heavy shower came up, it was generally followed
by others.

Mr. Engle said that the eastern partof the county
is noted for having greater rainfalls than the western.
He noticed that near his place is a mountain gorge,
and when it rained you could not see across the
river. In fact, the rain was so heavy you could not
see the mountain, while one mile above this point no
rain could be seen falling at all. He believed that the
mountain range had something to do with it. The
circumstance, he said, was not at all a common one.

There being no further discussion, a vote of thanks
was tendered Mr. Hunsecker for his essay, and the
subject of Hungarian grass was next introduced.

The Merits of Hungarian Grass.

Mr. Pownall said his only experience in raising
the grass was that wheat could not be grown so well
after the grass had been sown. He had grown it for
the last six years, and was well satisfied with the re-
sult. He would not let a season pass by without put-
ting in some of the grass. It only takes sixty days
to mature for a good hay crop. It can be sowed any
time between the planting of corn and July. The
only trouble with most farmers who raise it is that
they let it get too ripe. When this is the case it is too
hard to feed, because it is more like straw than hay.
It cannot be cut too early. If cut at the proper time
it is a valuable feed. As regards his wheat, it never
failed when sown after it, although that appears to
be the general complaint against it. He believed that
nine-tenths of the grass sown in this county was
allowed to get too ripe, and, as a matter of course, it
does not give satisfaction. When it is cut at the pro-
per time it will not exhaust the soil, but if let go to
seed it exhausts the soil very much. He sowed from
one to three pecks to the acre. If the seed is good a
half bushel is ample.

Mr. Grossman always found good crops follow
where he had sown Hungarian grass, but for all this
he would rather have good timothy than any other
kind of grass.

Mr. Brackbill said that in his neighborhood
there was not much of the grass sown. He was not
in favor of it, and believed it would soon die out. The
increased demand for Hungarian grass he thought
was caused by the drought. It was first introduced
in the west, and now almost every farmer in that part
of the county sows two, three and four acres of this
grass to fall back on. He did not think it was good
to feed too much of it to horses, as it affects their eyes.
In some instances in the west, where it was fed exten-
sively to horses, it affected their eyes so much they be-
came blind. He did not think farmers could afford
to sow this grass, as it was so exhausting on the soil.
For his part he preferred good grass and clover. In
the lower end of this county it is grown to a large ex-
tent. Instead of Hungarian grass he urged the plant-
ing of King Philip corn. This corn brings forth a

good fodder, and it is just as well, if not better, for
feed than this grass.

Mr. Kendig had no experience in the growing of
this grass, but he has two or three neighbors who
speak very highly of it. One of them says he prefers
to plant it in June and cut it when it blossoms, and
that he prefers it to good timothy hay. This neigh-
bor of his intends to sow ten acres this year. Before
sowing, the earth should be well warmed up. He was
shown a sample of last year's grass this morning, and
it was good, fine and sweet scented. Does not see any
exhausting qualities in the land when wheat is sown
after it. If any crop exhausts a soil, then you must
resort to manure.

As the president, Mr. Cooper, wished to make a few
remarks, Mr. Engle was called to the chair.

Mr. Cooper said he had made inquiry in his neigh-
borhood in regard to this grass and found that a con-
siderable interest was taken in the matter. One of
his neighbors, Mr. John Beiler, was a warm admirer
of it. This gentleman had been experimenting with
the grass for several years. Last year he cut ten four
horse loads of the grass, from a four acre field. He
sows one bushel to the acre, and puts it in the ground
generally after corn. When he intends to sow wheat
after it he sows less than one bushel of the grass to
the acre. It is raised with less care than any other
kind of grass, and when fed to cattle it puts them in
better condition. Wli*at follows where it was planted
as well asoats. This was one gentleman's experience.
He would now refer to the experience of another gen-
tleman — Mr. Benjamin Beiler, of the same neighor-
hood. Last year he received six four horse loads of
the grass off a two acre field. This grass was cut on
a Monday and left lie until Saturday before it was re-
moved to the mow . For all this, it was nice and soft,
and the horses were very fond of it. He recommended
the selecting of grass with black heads for sowing, as
it was the best. Someof the heads are white. These
he did not think were so good. In this county the seed
is very much mixed. Mr. Cooper said that he him-
self had received four one horse loads from less than
half an acre. From it he fed two horses all winter,
and there was enough still on hand to feed until
April. He had also fed it in the green state. If cut
green, it is very hard to cure. He said that some of
his Amish friends did not think their wheat thrived
as well when sown after it, but he thought it would
grow just as well. He would sow all the land he had
to spare in Hungarian grass. He prepared the ground
the same as for planting corn, and harrows the
ground the same as for oats.

Mr. Kendig said that his friend rolls his ground
first, then scatters the grass seed over it, and harrows
the same as for oats.

Mr. Hertz said that twelve or fifteen years ago
his brother from the west sent a peck of the seed to
his father. The seed was sown and the grass let go
to seed. It was then mowed and threshed. The
grass was more like straw, and the cattle would not
touch it. The seed could not be sold, as the grass
was considered worthless. Two years ago he sow^d
some of the seed in a strip of ground where oats were
in the year before. The ground was well plouehed
and the grass produced so bountifully that he let it
go into seed. From this crop he produced six bushels
of seed. He put wheat in the same place and found
a great difference. The wheat was very imperfect.
The next time he experimented in Hungarian grass,
he would cut it before it became ripe. He found that
his soil was injured more by the Hungarian grass
than any other crop he ever raised in his short expe-
rience of farming. There may possibly be a differ-
ence in the soil. His was limestone.

Mr. Pownall said that when the grass was fed
to cows it gave a rich color to the milk and butter.
The experience of all his neighbors was that it was
hard on the soil.

Mr. Brackbill said the farmers in the lower end
grow it for the money that is in the seed. They get
eighty cents a bushel for it. He spoke at considera-
ble length against the sowing of this grass.

MB.KEisTgave his experience. He had noticed
no difl'erence in the soil after the grass was sown,
but, after hearing the discussion on the subject, he
thought it would be better to plant corn.

Mr. Groff was a strong advocate of Hungarian
grass. After giving his experience, which appeared
to be about the same as the others who favored the
grass, he said that he had twelve acres out last year
and that he received $1..50 a bushel for all the seed
he had to spare.

The discussion was carried on for some time, but
no new points were elicited further than it was re-
garded as a mere " foxtail " by Mr. Brinton. It was
only a fall grass and was entirely worthless.
Miscellaneous.

Mr. Kendig moved that a committeeof three be
appointed by the chair to report the best variety of
apple trees for planting — the committee to make their
report at the next meeting.

The chair appointed Messrs. M. D. Kendig, H. M.
Engle and Casper Hiller as the committee.

Mr. Keist moved that hereafter only practical
questions on agriculture and horticulture be dis-
cussed. The motion received the approval of the
Society.

Four apple tree borers, found in the trunk of a

dead tree on the premises of Mr. Pownall, were pre-
sented to the members by Prof. Rathvon. They were
shown to he the larvse of the long horned beetle, sev-
eral of which the professor had with him. An arti-
cle explainingtheir nature appears in another column
of The Farmer.

A small bag of Russian grass was distributed
amous the members by the Preident. It was sent to
the Society Ijy Mr. Benjamin Beiler, of Bird-in-Hand.
The grass was said to resemble the Hungarian in
some respects.

Two potatoes, known as " Bonnell's Beauty," were
presented by Mr. Eshleman.

Grafts of " My Favorites," an apple raised by Mr.
Grossman, were distributed among the members.

The subjects for discussion at the next meeting
will be " Fruits," and " Our lawns and how to take
care of them."

Adjourned.

THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM CLUB.

Interesting Essays and Reports of Practical
Experiments.

At the last stated meeting of the Experimental
Farm Club, held on the farm near West Grove, the
proceeding were marked by unusual interest. Super-
intendent Carter read an essa) on

Profits of Raising Corn in Chester County.

Many farmers do not appreciate the value of corn
as a paying crop. I, therefore, wish to briefly call at-
tention to a few facts and figures. Our crop of corn
on the Farm this year was a good one, though not
better than we have had some other seasons^ Our
main crop, I am confident, made over one hundred
bushels to the acre — estimating 73 pounds of green
corn to make .56 pounds of shelled corn. This field
was a clover sod in good heart, and had 800 pounds
of acidulated South Carolina Rock per acre on part,
and part had 660 pounds of Philadelphia Bone.

We had some plots that were accurately measured
and the corn carefully weighed, and these I can speak
positively about. I shall therefore refer to them to
prove what I have to state. Some of these plots made
98 bushel per acre, with no fertilizer since seeding
wheat three years previous. This corn was drawn in
and shelled, and the shelled corn weighed in the grain,
when it w'as found that 73 pounds of ears made .56
pounds — making $.50.96 per acre of corn. An acre
made 364 sheaves of fodder, which sold in the field at
four cents per sheaf, or $10. .56 — making for the whole
crop on an acre $61 ..52. These prices were only such
as any farmer could have realized this season, and
the amount raised per acre has often been exceeded,
and is certainly within the reach of any good farmer
owning natural corn land.

The expense for labor, seed, &e., is not far from
twelve dollars an acre. This, of course, is exclusive
of fertiiizers, which, if judiciously selected, will not
only increase the corn but show for several years. We
have no other field crop that will make as good show-
ing, or can be raised and marketed with as little ex-
pense.

Our plan of planting corn is to sow a good phos-
phatic manure on the sod early, plow shallow — say
four or five inches — cultivate well, drill corn in rows
four feet apart, and stalks from sixteen to twenty-
four inches apart in the row, according to the strength
of the ground. It should be well worked and kept
clean, but neither the plowing or planting should be
very early. Plow the first of May and plant the second
week.

Moses Brinton inquired the comparative values
of South Carolina rock and bone. Mr. Linville had
grown better corn with South Carolina rock than
bone. .1. P. Ambler had tried rock and bone and
measured corn raised, and was of the opinion that
neither of them had paid.

Howard Hoopes inquired the best means of
destroying ants in corn. Mr. Linville said wood ashes
mixed with common salt would usually be found
effectual.

Eastburn Reeder, Secretary of the Solesbury
Farmers' Club, of Bucks county, read an essay on
Dairy House Ventilation.

JIh. Reeder referred to the old plan of making
butter in farm house cellars, where the temperature
frequently reached seventy degrees in summer and
would fail to forty degrees in winter ; and the fre-
quent plan of keeping the milk pans in the kitchen,
exposed to the fumes of cooking, which contributed
nothing to the sweetness of butter.

The essayist was of the opinion that milk should
be kept at a uniform temperature of about sixty de-
grees, thinking it would secure as good a quality of
butter in January as in June, or in other words, have
June butter all the year round. Being about to erect
a dairy house he had visited quite a number of promi-
nent dairies, and carefully observed the arrangement
of each and the results obtained, and thus gained
much valuable information. His plan adopted was
to build an ice house and milk house combined , divided
by an eigliteen inch stone wall, with a cooling cham-
ber in it, with pipes arranged to admit the cold air
into the milk room. He ventilated from the centre
of the ceiling, to carry off the light gases that arose,

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

and by drain-pipes helow the level of tlie door, to
carry off the foul matter that was heavier than the
air. A house, twelve feet siiu:uv and hii.'h, eon-
strueted on this plan, would \>f sullirii'jit lor a dairy
of twelve eows, and could be .-n shelved as to answer
for fifty cows. The ice house adjoininir should lie
the same size. It required from live to fifteen bushels
of ice per week to keep the milk room at proper tem-
perature. He favored the use of shallow pans, with
the milk exijosed to the air, ami that it should be
cooled gradually to exude the animal heat and ani-
mal odor. He iiail been very successful by this pro-
cess in obtaining a uniformly excellent quality of
butter throughout the year.

Mu. Ri:ki)i;u was followed by an essay on the
same subject by L. S. Hardin, of Kentucky, whose
views weri' radically opposed to the theories ju.st ad-
vanced. The following is an abstract cd' his remarks:
About four yi'ars ago I started a bultrr ilairy near
the I'ity of Louisville, Kentucky: inaclimate liot and
humid, where animal substances decayed raiiidly,and
wliere insect and parasite life dcvclo[ieil spontane-
ously and without limit. To spread the milk out in
the usual nuinncr,was to invite the enemy I was mi>st
anxious to avoid. To overcome my dillicultics I be-
gan a series of experiments, beginning with shallow
pans in the open air, an<l step by step I lowered the
temperature and incrcasi'd the depth of my milk, un-
til I reai'hcd what is now called the Swedish plan of
setting milk in water at 40 degrees, with cans '-'(I
incdies deep. I found 1 had passed the prcititablc
point, and liad to retrace my steps until I decided
upon -to degrees as the best temperature for raising
the cream perfectly, and nnnle my cans S inches in
diameter, and 12 and ill inches deep. .My butter was
now all I desired, but the use of ice in c-ooling water
that was in immediate contact with the hot air, was
too expensive. I soon discoveri'd that it took less ice
to cool a given cube of air than it did to cttol the same
cube of water. It was equally evident that it was a
useless waste of ice to cool off a whole room full of
air, and reasoning from these premises I concluded to
confine my milk anti airto the snnillest ptissihlcspace,
in order to economize tlu^ use of ice. I then built a
box with double sides and close fitting double door,
putting a hciod or trap over the waste water pipe so
as to entirely exclude the surrounding atmosphere.
As it is the nature of heated air to ascend, I placed
the ice shelf in the top of the box tofeeure a uniform
temperature. A space of one inch is left openoneach
side of the shelf to allow the air to pa.ss around the
ice. The drippings from the ice are utilized to the
extent of four inches in the bottom of the box. The
cans are made with a perforated rim on the bottom
to allow the water to pass under them. The covers
of the cans fit outside so as to shed the water, and
prevent any of the drippings getting into the milk.

It is only after three years' satisfactory experience
and trial tests, with the best butter makers in this
country that I have concluded to introduce this as an
improved method of butter making. In order to
criticise my method with intelligence it is necessary
to have before your minds all the points of excellence
that are desirable in any system of butter making.
To accomplish this I will submit to you a high and
thorough standard, iiy which I am willing to have
my method tested. The ta.ste of the butter produced;
the aroma; the uniformity in quality ; the color; the
grain or texture ; the (luantity produced; the keep-
ing quality ; cost of making ; the labor in making ;
cost of utensils ; cost of buildings ; protection of the
milk from accidents; amount of skill required to
make a fine article of butter, and the practicability
of my method.

I have made two careful experiments in churning
sweet and sour cream. As both experiments turneii
out exactly alike one description will answer. I took
fifty pounds of cream that was sweet and liquid, per-
fectly free from skins or lunijis, stirred it thoroughly
together, and while in motion dipped out one-half by
weight and churned it immediately. Put sour milk
in the other half and let it stami until thoroughly and
sharply soured. Both batches churned at lio degrees.
Each of the four churnings came in twenty minutes.
In each experiment the sweeC cream produced five
ounces the more butter. Every person wlio tested
the samples while fresh pronounced the sweet cream
butter the better. After keeping the samples several
mouths I am of the opinion that the sample from the
sweet cream keeps the better.

Milk as it comes from the cow is a pure and per-
fect food. With my metliod, I take it while in its
pure condition and ]ilace it in an atmosphere so cold
that decomposition is practically arrested, and hold
it at this temperature until the cream has all arisen,
about thirty-six hours. Wlien 1 skim the cream it is
liquid and sweet. The cream can, of course, be
soured, if desired. As to the taste of butter nutde by
my process, I have always received the top price of
my market the year round.

Nine-tenths of the butter bougfit in market is
judged by the sense of smell. If in the course of
manufacture the light flavoring oils arc exposed for a
long time to the action of the atmosphere, they must
in a measure disappear. By my (irocess, evaporation
is practically arrested, and if the milk has come from
the cow in a pure and wholesome condition, the but-
ter is certain to possess an exquisite aroma.

Setting milk in the dark does not seem to affect the
butter one way or another. In making experiments,
setting one-half the milk in the dark, and one-half in
the light, after twenty-four hours, there was no dif-
ference in the color of the butter.

Too much heal is fatal to the grain of butter, and
it reqinres a masterspirit to preserve its fine waxy
texture with ndlk set in the open air, and the ther-
mometer indicating a tropical range of from SO to 100
degrees.

In midsummer it required a fraction over nineteen
pounds of milk to make a ]K)und of butter with shal-
low ])ans, whili; a fraction over seventeen [Miunds was
recpiired in deep pans. When the milk and cream
arc alhiwed to sour together, as in shallow setting,
and the souring jiroecss is still contiiuied with tlic
cream after it Is taken off, there is great danger of a
slight degree of decomposition taking place, which
greatly injures the keeping (puilily »»f the liutter.
Whi'U the cream is taken off swi'et and pure, and if
churned while in this pure condition, the keeping
quality of the butter is insured.

Heshowed at length that by his jirocesB the amount
of skill and laluir required was greatly retluced, and
the cost of buildings and utensils largely decreased.
He cxhibileil a model of his box and milk cans, the
former of which he has patented.

Mu. Ukkiikk maintained that if nothing was notice-
able in the odor of the air of the ndlk room, that its
eU'ects eoidd not be noticed in or tasted in the butter.
Mi(. H.MtniN rej)Iied that it sowed the seeds of de-
struction in the milk which were develoiied in the
butter.

Secuetakv Cakter read an essay, written by
Prof. J. Wilkinson, of Baltimore, who was unable to
be jiresent, favoring the ventilation of milk rooms as
follows :

" We want the truth and the whole truth as far as
we understand the science of butter making, and it is
the height of folly for any one to attempt to promul-
gate any system, or branch of a system of this im-
mense native industry, which cannot stand the test
of dairy science, and the scrutiny of dairy chemists.
I have previously advocated the importance of ven-
tilation for dairy ro<mis, and oi)posed to cooling milk
rapidly in the use of cold water instead of cool air,
which latter plan I recommend.

"Iclaimthat ventilation, by which I meana change
of air in the dairy room with suHicient rapidity to
prevent the possibility of the gaseous emanations
while it is cooling, known in common parlance as
animal odors, lieing absorbed by other milk, already
cool, with which it may come in contact and thus
secure the maintenance of the purest condition of tlie
air of the dairy possible, an essentiality claimed by
every dairyman in the world, save one or two. The
most reliable dairy chemists have established the fact
that milk gives off vapor and odor, which are known
in dairy science as volatile animal oil, that is mingleil
with natural milk, and which escapes slowly at blood
heat, more rapidly as the temperature is raised, more
slowly as it is lowered until it reaches IV2 degrees,
when it remains fixed or unvolatile in the milk and
cream. At a little below 60 degrees it is condensed
to a liquid oil. At the natural temperature of the
milk, the gaseous odors are given off slowly, hence
time is required to admit of its purifying itself. It
may, however, be greatly facilitati'd by artificial
heating, which, if the milk is to be suddenly cooled
by a cold water bath, would greatlyimprovetjie keep
iiig quality of the butter made from milk so cooled.
But carefully conducted experiments in cooling the
milk gradually, in cool, changing air, has proved that
it is sullieientiy purified to insure good preserving
qualities and yet not impair its flavor.

"It may be contended that milk, as it comes from
the cow, is in a state to adapt it well as human food,
but let us not lose sight of the fact that when thus
used those properties which so impair the preserving
qualities of the milk and butter are the active ones in
rendering such fresh milk diet, whether of man or
beast, readily and rapidly fermentable and assimila-
ble qualities', the direct opjiosite of which is the aim
of the manufacture of butter to be preserved. It is a
well known fact that milk that has been artificially
heated up to KiO to 140 degrees will remain sweet
longer kept at the same temperature, than milk not
so heated. By cooling milk in close cans, in the use
of ice, or cold' water, we confine in it tlio.se agents of
decay, that heat is known to set free, and the keep-
ing quality of the milk thus suddenly cooled must be
proportionately inlpairel^.

•'I am willing to stake my reputation as a dairy
chemist and a "dairy architect on the soundness of
what I have stated. It may be denied but It cannot
be proved by i)ractical test to be untrue.

"Irepcat, we want truth; I also repeat what Intelli-
gent, skillful dairy practice has everywhere, ami at
all times sustained, tliat the cream from milk that
has been rapidly cooled in close vessels will not make
butter of equal" flavor and equal keeping qualities,
that cream will from the same milk, slowly eooleil in
pure, partially dried ami suitably cooled air changing
air. I mean bv suitably cooled at, the tcmi«rature
oftiOOP."

A vote of thanks of the club was extended to
Messrs. Hardin and Reeder, for their presence and
instruction.

Bee Keeping for Farmers.
Head before the Exiierimeutal Farmers' Club by
Hev. f)rr I.awson, Feb. •J4th, 1H7((.

It Is not to be expectetl that farmers will or can de-
vote that time and attcntit>n to bee keeping net-essary
to become g.-nerally scientillc apiarians. This must
be h'ft to men of leisure, whose tastes lead them that
way, or to spociullsts who make bee kcepiii); their
business.

But at the same time a wise husbanding of the re-
sources of Ilu" farm seems todemaud that each farmer
should keep at least a few hives of bees, lie nuiy thus
save a product of his Melds which would otherwliie
be lost, and so add sitniewhat to the pnifil ot' the farm,
or till' corn tort of his family. And Ihlhiloiihiless most
larmers would do were they not deierreil liy the die-
hi-artcning failures wliii-h have mi ofti'U o\ertaken
their cntiTpriscs of this sort. It will be the object of
this paper to give, if |Missible. siimc hints by which
mistakes leading to failure and loss nniy be avoided.
Here let us oliscrve that beis, like evirvlhing else
(Ui the farm, re<|uire some care an<l attention. If left
intirely to " take care of themselves" they will asccr-
taiidy fail us a Held of corn or a henlof cuttle, and yet
on the other hand a few hives require comparatively Ill-
tie attention, anil can be eared for in fragiiieiiisofilme
which otherwise would hanlly Ix* put tu any )ir«)llta-
ble use.. In aiUlition to this, bees requlri' /iro/trr hii'et.
It Is my o|iinioii that more Ih'CS are h>st from the use
of hives of faulty construction than from all other
causes <-ombJncd. .\ bivi- t<) give the best results in
thin rUnt'itf, and for winteriiigou their siininier stands
(and for this region that is, I think, the licsl plan)
slioulil be nearly cubical In form, having IHOO to "JOOO
cubic inches space in the main apartnu'ut ; should bt;
math- of pine <ir souM' other soft wfKsl n<il less than
one inch in thickness — two inches would be better no
doubt. Should Ik- provided with moveable comb
frames, after the simjilcst arrangement, and space
above for honey Ihixcs, the whole of the simplest pos-
sible construction, avoiding if jiossible all com|>licated
arrangement of drawers, doors, moth traps, and tin-
like. These only afford hidihg places for moths, and
end)arras6 the bee keeper in his operations.

The hives should lie placed not too near each other,
and not more than six or eight inches from the
ground. They are thus less exiKised to the wind, are
much warmer in winter, and are much more easily
reached by the bees as they come heavily laden from
the lielils. The hives should be located near where
the family constantly pass. They will thus Iw-come
accustomed to the presence of man, and ceasing to
fear harm at his hands will cease to sling. This,
with proper attention, will so "tame" tliem thai,
with care, all needful operations may Im" performed
safely. Swarms from hives so treated rarely escaiM*
to the woods. They are no longer iiilil biri, but
{loinestic, and look to man for shelter and care.

If possible the hives should be sheltered from (he
north winds by a fence; or better, by an evergreen
hedge. They should be protected from the sun in
miilsummerand miilw inter, but in the spring and fall
the sun should shine fidl upon the hives.

.Most bee keepers b.id best let them swarm natural-
ly, because artificial swarming requires knowledge
and skill which but few attain, not because it is dilli-
cull to acipure, but because study and observation
are necessary to ae(]uire them.

Native bees have done as well for me as Italian.
Cnderthe same treatment I have observed no differ-
ence ; however, many bee keepers greatly preferthem,
and my experience may be exceptional. I think their
introduction will be of advantage in securing a cross
with the natives.

Questions and Answers.

How long do bees live ?

Working bees live not more than four months In
sumnu'r, and not more than eight In winter. The
queen lives three to four years.

How do you protect bees from the nnith '.

By so constructing hives as to affoni no hiding
place for moth, and by keeping the stacks always
strong. Still we must not expect to escape losssome-
tlmes.

How do you prevent swarming?

By giving them abundant space in which to work,
remove honey boxes as siwin as full and supply empty
ones; thus they will swarm but little.

Mn. Hai(i>in offered to furnish his dairy apparatus
to the Club or any dairyman for trial, and if It did
not do all he claimed for it, aflcra fairtrial, he would
take it away at his own ex|H'nse. The club accepted
his proposition, and the process will be tested at the
ExiHJrimental Farm as soon as ])racllcable.

BuKKoWF.i) Plimf.s.— .\ naturalist in Knglund
computes from the catalogue of a " Feather Sale,"
that to sup|)ly the stock the death of 10,000 heronsor
egrets was required; and of Humtning binls, 1.5,.574,
besides thousands of parrots, kingflshers and other
birds of bright colors. The writer adds, that as the
plumage of binls is develo|)cd in Us fullest beauty at
the breeding season, the vagaries of fashion may
almost make some s|K-eie8 extinct. The computations
are based on a single catalogue, representing only one
of many sale*. Think of t his, ladies, when you wear
featlicrs.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March,

DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

A Return to Economy.

This is an age of extravasance. Men are living be-
yond their means — expending beyond their income.
Universal indebtedness prevails; individual indebted-
ness, town, city, county. State and national indebted-
ness. The linnest, ec(momical days of the new re-
public have been forgotten. We are all in trouble.
Taxes are so high and burdensome as to be almost
insupportable. The annual running expenses of the
government, that were ?t;0,00n,000 in 1860, have run
up to $340,000,000 in 187.5— and this without includ-
ing the interest on our national debt, or taking that
into account at all. This expenditure must be lessened
materially in some way. Something is wrong some-
where. The blame lav-s at somebody's door. Letus
find it. It cannot be laid upon the farmer — for not a
farmer is in Congress. There are about twenty-five
so-called farmers in Congress, or have been — but they
were men of wealth, and were not in sympathy with
the toiling masses. Although by their numbers far-
mers are entitled to half the members of the House
and Senate — they have not one in either to-day to
speak for them. The politicians want all the places
of honor and emolument, and they are pretty apt to
get them. None of the wrongs or frauds that have
been perpetrated in Congress can, be charged to the
farmer. The Credit Mobilier swindles, the salary
grabs, the steals in the Indiail department, the Dis-
trict of Columbia rings, the navy contracts, the rail-
road subsidies, the whisky rings, and all other simi-
lar transactions — are not traced to the door of the
farmer.

An important question comes up, and that is, shall
we ever be free from such disgraceful transactions,
till farmers take a more active part in taking care of
their interests ? Is it not their duty to look out for
themselves, to strive to have economy prevail, to les-
sen taxation that their burdens may be lessened ? We
have got to get back into the old rut, so far as ad-
ministering the government is concerned; and far-
mers are untrue to themselves and their families, un-
true to their interests — unless they take a leading
part in this matter.

Look at the public buildings the people have to pay
for. In Macoupin county. 111., the toiling tax-payers
have got to i)ay a million and a half of dollars for a
county court house, when one could have been built
for S25,000 that would have answered every purpose.
A court house ring was formed, that imposed this
heavy burden on the farmers there. The State House
of Illinois will cost the tax-payers of that State over
$3,000,000. Manv other States are erecting nearly as
expensive ones. The Custom Houseof St. Louis will
cost at least five or six millions of dollars. And to
get an appropriation through Congress, a ring must
be formed with various sections of the country, with
appropriations enough for each section to carry votes
enough to put the whole thing through; and when
an appropriation is wanted for one, twenty or thirty
others must have it, too — and will not vote for the
others unless they get a slice. And this is the way
matters work.

Magnificent palaces are erected for paupers and
criminals. The study seems to be, not how little
shall we spend, but how much can we make it cost?

Is there no relief from such a pernicious system ?
We must each begin at home to put down extrava-
gance, whether private or public. We must not be
afraid to take a bold, strong stand against it, and, by
positive and united action, we may get back to the
honest and economical ways of our forefathers. —
Cohnan's li. IT.

Farmers' Sons and Daughters Must Work.

To the sons and daughters of many farmers this
injunction is unnecessary. They do work. They take
a lively interest in what is going on in the household
and on the farm. They feel personally interested in
the success of everything appertaining tfiereto. They
are co-workers, and everything moves on harmoni-
ou.sly and in order. They are not drawbacks, hind-
rances, clogs, but active and efficient helpers.

But there are the sons and daughters of other
farmers that feel above work. They are willing to
see father and mother slave their lives away, to keep
them in idleness . Great, strapping boys lie abed till the
sun is high in the heavens, keeping back the house-
work, because they are too lazy to get up and eat
with the other members of the family. When break-
fast is eaten, the next thing in order is to get ready
to go to town, where they spend their time loafing
about grogshops and other bad places, returning per-
haps late at night, unless hunger drives them home
sooner. And one day is but the repetition of another.
Such worthless boys make worthless men, without
exception. And then there are the ruddy-cheeked,
healthy girls. Late rising suits them much the best.
Breakfast must be ready and on the table before they
appear. They have nothing to do in preparing it. As
soon as breakfast is over they apply themselves dili-
gently till dinner time in reading some love-sick
novel. They imbibe false ideas, and live in an unreal
atmosphere. Their minds dwell upon fine dresses,
parties, beaux. Ac. They dress extravagantly, and
are a heavy tax upon their hard-working parents.

They help put nothing into the exchequer, but are
very efficient in taking out all that thrift and indus-
try putsin. And sometimes thisdon't end here. When
such girls get married they are a millstone about their
husband's necks. Everything is left to hired servants.
Large bills at the store, at the dressmaker's, milli-
ner's, etc., are incurred — and these must he paid in
some way. Do not our readers know that we are de-
scribing, in many cases, real life? How can the hus-
band and father prosper when he sees he has no sym-
pathy or assistance (rom those whose lives are linked
with his? How dark and gloomy such a life must be I
There is not one cheering prospect for him. Alibis
earnings are exhausted before they are realized, and
perhaps ere long- the farm is sacrificed to support so
worthless a family.

It is true, parents are to blame for bringing up
children this way. They have loved their children,
and humored them,and when they have seen the error
of their ways, it was too late. The habits of the chil-
dren had been formed, and no amountof talking could
change them. They had brought up idle children,
who will make idle and worthless men and women.
"We have seen too many such instances.

So, parents, bring up your children to work. Im-
press them from their infancy that they must work.
See that they have something to do. Throw responsi-
bility upon them, andseethat they properly discharge
it. Let no amount of coa.xing or whining, let no ex-
cu,ses whatever, if your children are healthy, deteryou
from bringing them up to work. If they won't work
when they are children, they will not work when they
are men and women, and will be a tax upon you while
you live, and will be paupers before they die. We
know we are speaking plainly and earnestly. But it
is necessary, if we would save our children fiom a life
of degradation. Labor is heaven's law. — Cohnan's
Rural World.

How Butter is Tainted.

Winter and spring butter is often very much injured
in flavor by allowing cows to eat the litter from horse
stables. Cows are not unfrequently very fond of this
litter, though it is impregnated with liquid manure
from horses, and if allowed, they eat it greedily ; and
the effect is that their milk and butter will be tainted
with the taste of this kind of food, in the same way
that the flavor is injured by eating turnips, but to a
more disagreeable degree. If litter is allowed to be
eaten, it should only be given to cattle not to milk,
and on no account should milch cows be allowed to
consume other than the sweetest and purest food.
Very nice butter makers are sometimes at a loss to
account for stable taints in butter, especially when
extraordinary precautions have been taken to have the
milking done in the most perfect manner, and so on
in all the processes of handling the milk until the but-
ter is packed for market. Still the butter has a dis-
agreeable taint, and the cause often comes from al-
lowing the cows, when turned out to water and exer-
cise, to feed about the horse stable, when they con-
sume all the litter which, on account of its being
soaked with liquid manure, is cast out of the stable.
— Rural New Yorker.

Dried Potatoes.

A German journal, Der Latidwrilh, thus describes
the manufacture of "dried potatoes" as conducted
at CrastKJrn's works in Lubeck: The potatoes are
peeled with the hand, and cut into disks by a ma-
chine. These are put in a basket, and this in a boiler,
where the potatoes are nearly but not quite boiled.
The disks are next put on wire frames in a dry oven,
where they are dried quite hard. It is important to
preserve the color of the potatoes, and to prevent
them from turning grey, as they would, by the above
process alone ; the material, after slicing, is treated
with cold water, to which has been added 1 per cent,
of sulphuric acid, or 1 to 2 per cent. of muriatic acid.
Then it is washed in pure water, and the drying
proceeds. The perspiration obtained, which has lost
none of his starch, is of a slightly citron-yellow tint,
and transparent like gum. Boiled with water and a
little salt, it is said to resume the natural color and
fibrous structure of pototoes, and is not distinguisha-
ble in taste from newlv-boiled potatoes.

Slovenly 'Women.

The editor of Appleton's Jour7ia! has no patience
with women who are slovenly at home . " Many
women have little idea of how greatly they shock the
tastes and really endanger the affections of their hus-
bands by their unseemly domestic apparel. There is
not a man of sense and refined feeling anywhere who
would not prefer some simple and chaste adornment
for his wife in the morning to any extreme of splendor
at the evening ball. Let a woman by all means dress
brilliant on those occasions that render it proper ; we
have no desire to abridge her privileges nor baffle her
instincts in this particular ; but we claim that it is im-
portant for her, if she values her household serenity,
that she should give equal heed to her customar}' do-
mestic attire. Tlie female who goes about the house
untidily dressed has no right to the title of woman.
She is without those marks and indications by which
she can be classified.

Milk Transmits Infection.

The Sanitary Record (English) states that in .Jar-
row thirty-four cases of typhoid fever suddenly broke
out in a limited district, in twenty different families,
the cases being mostly confined to children. The
houses, with two exceptions, were clean and well sup-
plied with pure water. It was discovered that all the
families received their milk from the same farm,
which was at once visited. Six of the farmer's
family were down with the fever. The water used in
the dairy was from a well close to a ces.spit, and evi-
dently contaminated by soakage, as it became putrid
in two days after drawing from the well. The dairy
was also used as a washhouse, and the linen of the
sick persons of the family were washed in it. The
person who milked the cows was in constant .attend-
ance upon the sick. The niiisance was promptly de-
tected by the health officer and immediately abated.

How to Use Corn Starch.

English Blanc Mange. — Four tablespooufuls, or
three ounces, of Corn Starch to one quart of milk,
two eggs. Dissolve the corn starch in some of the
milk . Put into the remainder of the milk four ounces
of sugar, a little salt, a piece of lemon rind, or cinna-
mon stick, and heat to near boiling. Then add the
mixed corn starch, and boil (stirring briskly) four
minutes ; take out the rind, and pour into a mould or
cup, and keep until cold. When turned out, pour
round it any kind of stewed or preserved fruits, or a
sauce of milk and sugar.

Soiled Pudding. — Three tablespooufuls of the corn
starch to one quart of milk. Dissolve the corn starch
in some of the milk, and mix with it two or three eggn
well beaten, and a little salt. Heat the remainder of
the milk to near boiling, add the above preparation,
and boil four minutes, stirring it briskly. To be eaten
warm, with a sauce.

Dehnoyiico Pudding. — A quart of milk, three table-
spoonfuls cornstarch. Mixthe starch with cold water,
and stir into the boiling milk. Mix six table-
spoonfuls of white sugar with the yolks of five eggs,
and pour into the starch. Put into a pudding-dish,
and bake. Beat the whites of five eggs with six table-
spoonfuls of sugar, and flavor with vanilla ; dropwith
a spoon on the pudding, and brown slightly in the
oven.

Oawego Pudding. — One quart of milk, three table-
spoonfuls of corn starch, four eggs. Beat the yolks,
and mix them with a little of the milk and flour ;
sweeten and flavor with vanilla. Scald the milk, and
add the otheringrediente; boiling three minutes ; pour
into a dish, and set away to cool. Beat the whites
with four teaspoonfuls of sugar. Cover the pudding
with a layer of currant jelly, and spread the beaten
whites over the whole.

Saratoga Pudding. — Mix four tablesijoonfuls of corn
starch in one quart cold milk. Stir until it boils,
when cool, stir in two tablespoonfuls white sugar, six
eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately. Put in a
large pudding-dish, place in a pan of water, bake IJj
hours.

Sauce. — One cup of sugar, half cup butter, the yolks
of two eggs, one glass wine. Rub sugar and butter
to a cream, add eggs and half the wine. Putthedish
in boiling water, stir ten minutes, add the rest of the
wine, and .serve.

Boiled Custard. — Two tablespoonfuls of corn starch
to one quart of milk ; mix the corn starch with a small
quantity of the milk, and flavor it ; beat up two eggs.
Heat the remainder of the milk to near boiling, then
add the mixed corn starch, the eggs, four tablespoon-
fuls of sugar, a little butter and salt. Boil it two
minutes, stirring it briskly.

Jce Cream . — Omitting the butter and salt, the pre-
paration for custard will make an excellent ice cream.

Household Helps.

Sore Throat. — Dr. Re-snllout states that lemon
juice, used as a gargle, is an efficacious specific against
diphtheria and similar throat troubles. He has suc-
cessfully thus employed it for eighteen years.

Graham CtJP Cake. — Unbolted wheat meal, two
cupfuls ; buttermilk, one cup; molasses, one-half
cup ; butter, quarter of a cup ; eggs, two ; soda, half
a teaspoonful. Bake half an hour.

To Clean Furniture. — Take a large cotton rag
well saturated with coal oil, rub each article of fur-
niture with it until all the mud stains and dust have
diappeared, then go over it with a dry cloth, rubbing
each piece until it is perfectly dry. Clean once a
week.

Yeast and Homemade Bread. — Boil one pound
of good flour, a quarter of a pound of moist sugar,
and half an ounce of salt, in two gallons of water,
for an hour. When nearly cold, bottle and cork it
closely. It will be fit for use in twenty-four hours,
and one pint will make eighteen pounds of bread.

Potatoes are adapted to be eaten with lean meat
— the starchy potatoes furnish the fattening and heat-
ing elements which lean meat lacks, while the lean
meat supplies the bone and muscle-making elements
not afforded by potato or fine fiour bread. Fat meat
aflibrds heating and fattening elements, like potato,
but in a form less easily digested by most persons.

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

Sweet M.vcaroni. — Break up a quarter of a pound
of the best macaroni intosniall leni,'llis, lunl lioil it in
two quarts of water wiDi a larije pineli of salt, uiilil
perfectly tender ; drain away Mie water, adil to llie
macaroni into the stewpan a cupful of milk and a
quarter of a pound of sifted luiup suL'ar. anil keep
shaking over the tire until the milk is ahsorhed ; add
any tlavoriuir. Stewed fruit may he served with the
macaroni.

Hei) PEPi'EK is said to have a very beneficial elfeet
on domestic fowls and cape birds. The article sold
in the drug stores is not always fresh, but every one
can cultivate the plant easily. The variety eommoidy
known by the name of " liird's [leppi-r" is the liest ,
and the plant itself is so pretty that it is an ornament
for a flower stand. Tlie seeds possess a stimulatini;
and reviving property. One seed given daily to canary
birds, if they eeem drooping, will have an excellent
effect .

A (■ni.EHK.\TEi) Oerinan writer — Dr. Eisner — states
that the water in which jiarcd potatoes have been
boih'd is admirable for cleaning silver, no matter liow
much it lias becotne blackened and tarnished; and
especially spoons and forks that have been turned by
u.se in eating eggs, may all be polished and made
bright by washing them in this water, and afterward
rnl)iiing"witli a soft rag without any other applica-
tion. The recipe is such a very simple one that every
one of our readers may try it for liimself.

Stewed Appi.es and Hke. — Peel good baking
apples, take out the cores with a seooji so as not to
injure the shape of the apides : put them in a dce]i
bilking-dish and pour over them a syrup made by
boiling sugar in the proportion of one pound to a ])int
of water; put a little piece of shred lemon inside of
each apple and let them hake very slowly until done,
but not in the least broken. If the syruji is thin, boil
it until it is thick enough ; take out the lemon peel
and put alittle jam inside of each apple, and between
them little heaps of well-boiled rice. This dish may
be served citlier hot or cold.

Rice Muffins. — Half a pint of riee boiled and
mashed very smooth. Soften this paste by slowly
adding one cupful of milk, three eggs beaten sepa-
rately, and as much Hour as will make it the same
consistence as pound-cake batter. Add salt, of course,
and bake quickly in rings or small tins. When rice
is properly cooked it makes a very nice addition to
certain kinds of meats. The grains should be pre-
served whole, and not, as is nearly always done,
cooked until they become an unsightly mass ; after
washing and picking over the grains, put them in a
large tin dish or shallow pan, where they will not lie
too closely, and, pouring on a little water, cover, and
place on the stove or in the oven, wIutc they will
cook very slowly ; the steam, being kejit in the dish,
causes the grains to swell, and cooks them without
destroying the shape.

Wine made of the Wild (Jrape: Many a house-
keeper feels the inconvenieneeof a protracted abseuce
from home in summer, when she views her shortened
allowance of stores in the way of preserves, pickles,
and home-made wines. Yet even late in the fall she
may find room for activity. The small wild grape,
known to boys as the " bird grape," never attains its
full sweetness until after the fall of frost, and makes
an exeelleut wine for culinary purposes. Mash the
grapes in a large bowl or tub with a mallet, and keep
them in a warm place until there is some sign of fer-
mentation setting in. Then strain the juice bv drip-
ping through a flannel bag or strong yet slightly por-
ous cotton cloth. To three quarts of juice add one
quart of water and three poundsof light brown sugar.
If you put it away in a demijohn, select a warm, dry
closet, and tie up the moutii closely with a piece of
thin muslin. Do not cork up tight until the whole
process is complete. It will be all the better if fer-
mentation ensues speedily, but if the jilace of deposit
is not warm enough, never mind; as soon as the first
warm days of spring come, it will go ou to ferment
as though there had been no interruption to the pro-
cess, and be none the w orsc for the delay. After all,
it will make wine much sooner than if you waited
even for blackberry season.

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

The Agricultural Horse.
Being at a meeting recently held at Ottawa, 111.,
by a number of breeders of horses, says a correspon-
dent,! was more .strongly impressed than ever with the
necessity of a diflTerenl classificati(m of horses at our
fairs. It became very evident to my mind that there
is a very great demand for one particular class of
horses, which, in the present arrangement, has no
show for a prize. And, strange to say, too, this class
was. at our last Slate Fair, represented in the greatest
numbers. We want three distinct classes, or in other
words, we want the roadster, the draft, and the agri-
cultural horse. This will cover the whole ground,
except as to the dilferent lireeds of the respective
classes. There are the same reasons for a ring for
the ditferent britcds of horses that there are in classes
Of cattle, swine, sheep, poultry, etc. In the showing
at the fairs, if the comnuttec happened to be com-
posed of men prejudiced in favor of either of the

many breeds, that breed undoubtedly gets the prize —
not because he is the best animal, but because he
hap[)cns to he of a breed in favor of which they are
prejudiced. That we need the roadster liorse all must
admit, for light driving and saddle use. .And it is
ctpially as admissilde that this is all the practical use
we have lor him. That there is a great amtiunt of
labor that can only be performed etfectively with tin*
heavy draft horse, is also a fixed fact. No one will
contenil that either can perform the labor of the
other to any advantage. While these are facts that
are not ami lannot be disputed, it is equally as evi-
dent that there is a class of work that nuist be per-
formed by the horse that caiuiot t)e th»ne to any ad-
vantage with either the good roaiister or the heavy
draft horse. This is very suitably named, in the
meeting referred to, the iiffricHllural /un-ff. This class
is of more practii'al utility to the masses than all
others comliincd ; and in my judgment, instead of
receiving the cold shoulder, should, if any partiality
l)e shown, have the iircference. This is the horse
upon which all are dependent, and might fitly l)e
compared to the laboring or producing class of men.
The (jncstion often arises as to what constitutes
the agricultural horse. It is a question easily an-
swered, liut a horse is hard to descrilic, owing cUiefly
to the diiVereiiee of opinion as to what will fill the bill.
I would say that a lK)rse for agricidtural purposes
should be selected solely for that pnr|H)hc, without re-
gard to light harness or heavy draft, further than per-
tains to agriculture. That some farmers do use tlieir
farm horses for buggy and saddle, and all more or less
lor heavy draft, is true. The agricultural horse can
be used in all these capacities incases of emergency,
but selilom profitably. Consequently most farmers
keep a cheap, light team to do light work. I shall not
attcmiit to describe an agricultural horse in this arti-
cle furtherthan to say that about seventy of thceighly
imported horses, and all of the grade Norman and
Clydesdale, that were exhibited at our last State Fair,
should come under that head, weighing, as they did,
in high showing condition, from fourteen liundrcd to
seventeen hundred pounds — but, reduced to working
condition, would have weighed from twelve tosixteen
hundred. That a large horse is most iirofitable for
agricultural purposes is evident to every farmer. Suc-
cessful farmers are scarce that would discard a horse
weighing from fourteen hundred to sixteen hundred
pounds, and select instead one of the same formation
and at the same price that would only weigh from
eleven hundred to thirteen hundred pounds.

Applying Manures.

Bv a series of experiments made some years ago in
England, it was shown that barnyard manure benllt-
ed crops most the first season, when covered about
two inches deep with soil. This result appears rea-
sonable, but the question is, how can farmers place
their manure in the ground at this depth ? It is not
practicable in any case, but they can approximate
to it in some cases. When manure is ploughed under
in the ordinary way, some of it is covered too deep
to benefit the crop the same season, and it is made
available if the land is ploughed the second year;
some farmers plough their land, then spread on their
manure and harrow it in, but much of it is left upon
the surfane, and is partially lost, and the ammonia
that goes otT in the atmosphere is the virtue of the
manure itself.

It is strange that we should find intelligent far-
mers, at this late day in agricultural progress, who
deny that barnyard manure can be injured by expo-
sure to the air and sun; yet they do exist ! A few-
years agoa farmerin Central New York wroteseveral
articles for publication, in which he attemi)ted to
prove that when manure lies upon the surface of the
land and dries up, its fertility is still in It, concentra-
ted in the small crusts that remain !

Fanners, let me caution you against the folly of
carting your manure upon your fields, and spreading
them for a week or longer, before you plough them
under. If this be done in the spring, with a warm
sun, and high, drying winds, a large portion of them,
or rather of the fertility, will pass olT in the atmos-
phere. Don't be deceived in this manner while your
olfactory nerves bear a pungent evidence of the truth
of what I say. Y'ou cannot afford to work your farms
on this wasting principle. Manure is money, and if
one should see you scattering " greenbacks " over
the field, on some windy day, the evidence of your
insanity would be but a little more tangible than
when you spread your manure, and leave them to
evaporate in the sun and by the winds.

Small Fruit on the Farms.

To advise a farmer to grow small fruits for mar-
ket, and at the same time carry on his farming ojk'-
rations, is something we do not do. But there are
hundreds and thousands of farmers who have a
natural taste for fruit-growing, and to whom farm-
ing has become a drudgery— especially that class
who are not strong to whom a change is desirable
and necessary. To these we would say, if you arc
living within three or four miles of a good home
market, and cities not far away by rail or steamboat,
a change to fruit growing will be both profitable and

pleasant. The first thing to do is to rent out most of
your lanil or let out on sfuires, reserving your home,
and say ten or twenty acres of land for your fruit
grow iiig operations, ancl if you have a love for the
business, and go at It systematically and energetically,
yon will make more money from ten acres of land
than you have ever made from your farm, and that,
too, Willi less real hard work.

I'lant only of lea<liiig, well-tried sorts, that are
tuirdy and productive, give them gornl cultivation and
|ilcnty of mulch, and you will reap a large rewanl:
and, too, this kind of work makes less hard work for
tlie wonii'ii folks, and, besides, supplies the table
with fndt dally throughout the year.

There are farmers who have no liking for growing
fruit; but as a rule, these have sons who do not like
farming. These are very anxious to keep their Bonn
on a farm, away from the city. To such we say, let
such a son have the use of a few acres to grftw snuill
fruits; and the longer he is engaged in it, the more he
will like it, and consequently his altaebmeiits for
home stri'ngthens, and. t<M>, by this the table Is sup-
plied with luxtirics yf>u would not ilIs|H'nse with after
one season's experic-nee. There are so many Inland
towns not supplied with fruit and vegetables that we
advise the readers of this paper to take advantage of
such o|)euiiigs.

Points of a Jersey.

Jersey cattU' are steadily grf>wlng in favor at the
west. Their especial value for milk and butler pur-
I>oses are generally understfMxl. The Koyal Jersey
.\gricultural and llortliiiltural S<K-Iety gives a valu-
able scab' of iHiints, w hich are everywhere recognlzeil
as the standard for Jersey cows and heifers. This
breed Is generally admitted to be Ihi- best cream and
butler producing breed of cows In the world, and
though there Is still some discussion as to the proper
color for Jerseys, that of itself Is not a |K)Int of mate-
rial imimrtance. In England, just now, the fashiona-
ble color is a dundeer color, but it seems harder to
determine which is and whiyh Is not the proper color.
As will be observed, color Is not included in the
scale of Points given below:

1. Head — Small, fine and ta|)ering.

2. Cheek — small.
■i. Throat— clean.

4. Muzzle — fine, and encircled by light color.
a. Nostrils — high anil open.

6. Horns— smooth, crumpled; not too thick at bace,
and tapering.

7. Ears — small and thin.

8. Ears — of a deep orange color within,
it. Eye — full and placid.

10. Neck— straight, fine, and place<l lightly on
shoulders.

11. Chest — broad and deep.

I'i. Barrel — hooped, broad and deep.
Ki. Well rilibed home, having but little space l)e-
tween the last rib and hip.

14. Back— straight from withers to the top of the
hip.

1.5. Back- straight from the top of the hip to the
setting of the tail.
IK. Tail— fine.
17. Tail— hanging down to the hocks.

15. Hide— Thin and movable, but not too loose.
I'.l. Hide — covered with fine, soft hair.

211. Hide — of good color.

31. Foreleg.s — short, straight and fine.

22. Forearm — swelling, and full above the knee.
21. Hindquarters— from the hock to the point of
the rump, long and well filled up.

24. Hind legs— short and straight (below the hocks)
and bones rather fine.

2.5. Hind legs— squarely placed; not too close to-
gether when viewed from behind.
2fi. Hind legs— not too loose in walking.
27. Hoofs — small.

25. rdder— full in form; i. c. well In line with
the belly.

29. I'dder — well up behind.

SO. Teats— largely and squarely placed, behind
well ajiart.
:tl. Milk veins— very prominent.

32. Growth.

:i:!. (ieneral appearance.

:U. Condition.

Perfection, thirty-four points.

The Bee-Keeping Industry.

While it is very easy to write of the pleasures and
profits of bee-keeping, amateurs csia'clally must not
expect to acquire great and immeiiiale wealth from
this source without a corresiiondingoutlay of capital,
and above all, ex(H'rienec. That " there's nullions In
it," Is perfectly true, but It requires care, untiring in-
dustry and close study to be able to secure these mil-
lions.

There are probably 70.0(X) jM-rsons In this country
who keep more or less bees, biU If all the lime and
money expended were closely aeeounteil for, we doubt
If more than three-fourths of the number would find
they realized a net profit often i>er cent, on their in-
vestment . There are some notable exceptions to this,
it Is true, but the men who secure the enormous pro-

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March, 1876.

fits are men who devote their time and attention
strictly to the business, and do not expect the bees to
take entire care of themselves, and then yield a pro-
fit. It is said that the income of J. S. Harbison, the
great California honey magnate, derived from the sale
of surplus houey, is more than ^3.5, 000 per annum,
over and above all expenses. In the State of New
York, Capt. Hetherington, of Cherry Valley, sold
last year fifty-eight thousand pounds from his own
apiaries. Adam Grim, of Jefi'erson, Wis., as much
more. But perhaps a better idea will be conveyed by
more general figures. The seventy thousand bee-
keepers of this country own, on an average, a little
more than twenty-eight hives apiece, or in round
numbers, two millions in all. Twenty-two pounds of
honey to the hive is considered a reasonable yield of
surplus, worth twenty-five cents per pound, or 88,-
800,000 for the crop. The wax produced is estimated
at twenty million pounds, worth at least Jl(),0O0,O0O,
making the grand total revenue presented us by our
industrious little friends, annually, -S14, 800,000. We
annually export $1,200,000 worth of honey, and ?700,-
000 of beeswax.

So much for what our honey crop is. That it may
be increased almost indefinitely, we have no doubt,
but it is a business which requires as much care to
insure success, as is needed in any other business.

We would recommend to every farmer or gardener,
to keep a few bees; but we would caution him tliat
unless he will watch and study^ and care for them,
they will prove a dead loss. Kightly cared for, they
will make a very desirable addition to his income. —
Practical Farmer.

A Large Poultry Yard.

The Fancieri^^ Journal gives this account of the
largest poultry establishment in this country: "It is
at Greene, Chenango county, N. Y., and is kept by
Mr. A. B. KobesonT He has 6,000 ducks, 4,000 tur-
keys, and 1,200 hens. They consume daily sixty
bushels of corn, two barrels of meal, two barrels of
potatoes, and a quantity of charcoal. The meal, pota-
toes and charcoal are boiled together and form a pud-
ding, which is fed warm. He has commenced to kill
them olf, and employs fifteen hands to pick, two to
kill, and one to carry away and pack on racks until
frozen. Then they are ready to pack for shipping.
He also employs two men to cook the feed and feed
them. He has twelve buildings for his fowls, from
one to two hundred feet long, fourteen feet wide, and
seven feet under the caves, with a door in each end
of them.

" Mr. Robeson bought most of his ducks in the
west, and had them shipped in crates — three dozen
in a crate. He also has an egg house, 3.5 by .50 feet,
and four stories high. The outside is eighteen inches
thick, and built of cut stone, laid in mortar, boarded
up on the inside and filled in between the outside and
inside wall with sawdust, it taking three thousand
bushels. .Mr. Kobeson claims that he can keep eggs
any length of time in this building. He also keeps
the poultry that he is now dressing until ne.xt Mayor
June, which he sells at eighteen to twenty-five cents per
pound, and it cannot be told from fresh dressed poul-
try. He gets ten cents perpound forturkeys' feathers,
twelve for hens', and sixty-five for ducks'. He says
there is money in poultry, and he thinks he can make
out of his 6,000 ducks enough to pay for his egg
house, which cost S7,000. He intends to keep a great
many more next season, and has agents all over the
country buying up poultry and eggs.

How to Get Eggs in Winter.

The American Agricnltiirisi, answering this ques-
tion, says : " With a warm shelter and suitable food,
pullets that begin to lay in the fall will continue to
lay through the winter. It is mainly a question of
feed. The staple feed is Indian corn, because it is the
most plentiful and the most convenient. It furnishes
plenty of fat, and keeps up the heat of the fowls, but
is poor in albumen and the phosphates. They want a
variety of grains and vegetables, and, to do their best,
one feed daily of warm cooked meal and vegetables.
Most farmers have milk, and if this can be added it
will be all they need. Butchers' scrap cake is good,
and may safely be kept in the poultry yard where the
fowls can help themselves at pleasure. Boiled pota-
toes or turnips, mashed and mixed with Indian meal,
make an excellent feed lor laying hens. Fowls are
particularly fond of cabbages and turnips at all stages
of their growth, and eat them raw greedily every day,
if they can get them. We have found so good results
from feeding cabbages to laying hens, that we always
lay in a large supply for winter. Refuse from the
butchers, and offal from the fish market, also furnish
good material for making eggs. These are accessible
to most villagers, and can be had at small cost. A
hen is only a machine for producing eggs. If you
want the finished product you must put the raw ma-
terial into the hopper. It should not be forgotten that
there is a liberal grinding going on in the gizzard, and
the laying bird should have free access to gravel with
sharp grit, broken oyster and clam shells, which as-
sist in reducing the grains and forming egg-shells.
With the plentiful supply of egg-producing food hens
will lay well in winter, when eggs bring the highest
price."

Small Potatoes for Seed.

Says a correspondent : I have made an experiment
the past season, the result of which, I think, explodes
the theory that small potatoes for seed will only re-
turn a small crop of small potatoes. Cut seed planted
under our burning July sun is sure to rot, while the
use of whole potatoes involves considerable expense.
A square of ground containing 3, .500 square feet,
from which a crop of cauliflower had recently been
taken, was prepared and planted, July 13th, with
white Peachblow culls. Few of them, if any,
were larger than pigeon eggs. As is always the case
here, some of them failed to grow, say five per cent.
The plants began to show themselves early in August,
at which time heavy rains set in and so continually
saturated the soil that no working was possible until
Septemljer ■5th. Then a plow was run through the
rows and a dressing out with a hoe was given them.
Soon after the vines so covered the ground that further
cultivation was impossible. The patch was harvested
October 30th. The product was a fraction over
twenty bushels of the finest potatoes ever grown in
this section. With the exception of two and a half
pecks of small potatoes, about the size of the seed
sown, all are large. Fully one-h.alf average one
pound each in weight, and the remainder are of full
marketable size and fine appearance. This yield was
at the rate of 3.50 bushels per acre. A heavy coat of
barnyard manure was applied to the previous crop,
but no additional fertilizer was used.

Care of Lambs.

Sheep should be closely watched in order that the
lambs may be taken proper care of and receive any
necessary assistance immediately afterbirth. More
lambs die when less than twelve hours old than at any
other time, and if the farmer wishes to increase the
number of his sheep, he must watch his flock very
closely until the lambing season is past. Unless the
new born lambs receive prompt attention there is dan-
ger that they will get chilled and live but a very short
time. If the sheep have been well fed, and are kept
in a warm place, almost every lamb can be saved,
and without any great amount of trouble. A few
minutes' attention at the right time may save the life
of a lamb, which in a few months, and a small ex-
pense, can be made worth several dollars. At lambing
time the sheep should be closely watched, and if any
lambs are dropped which are unable to take care of
themselves, they should be assisted. After they have
sucked a few times they will generally get along very
well. Not only should the sheep be looked to during
the day, but also in the evening, as feeble lambs which
are dropped at that time will not be likely to live until
morning. It is certainly very poor policy to let a lamb
die for wantof the little care which wouldsave its life.

Correctives in Feeding Poultry.

Two admirable correctives, for use in poultry feed-
ing, may he found in charcoal and Cayenne pepper,
judiciously provided and not given too often, to both
young and old fowls. The best way to administer
these condiments efficaciously, is to pulverize the char-
coal to a powder and mix it with soft food. In this
shape the birds eat it freely, and it is a grand purifier
of the system. The Cayenne should be procured of
the best quality (always the cheapest in the end), and
a tahlesi)Oonful should be thoroughly mixed through
a pail of water and given them to drink. This last
method is an admirable preventive of gapes in chickens,
and for older fowls it is found an excellent thing in
cold or chilly weather.

Neither of these aids should he used oftener than
every other day in the week, and only for a week or
two at a time, any way to be effective , but if managed
with discretion they are more valuable, as a common
preventive to disease, and a corrector to the internal
composition of domestic poultry, than all the medi-
cines that can be given fowls after they once get sick.
Both charcoal and Cayenne can thus be easily very
used, and after a little while, it will be found that
the chickens become fond of this change for their
benefit . — Fanciem^ Jonntal.

A Profitable Experiment.

A correspondent of The I'wiiltry Xation having be-
come thoroughly disgusted with the purchase of stale
and spoiled eggs, resolved to keep hens enough to
supply the family with fresh ones, and with this ob-
ject in view he fenced off a small yard, 30x.50 feet,
and in one corner he built a coop 8x10 feet, and 8 feet
high in front and 6 in the rear. It faced the south
and east. One New Year's day, 1874, he went to
the market and purchased eight hens and one rooster
for 84.30. Taking them home and putting them in
the coop with the run of the yard, he fed them all
the wheat screenings they would eat and w'hat water
they wanted. They commenced to lay at once, and
he kept a correct account of all the eggs, also the
cost of feed. In January he got 31 eggs ; February,
91; March, 129; April," 123; .May, 98; June, 93;
July, 46 ; August, .54 ; .September, 19 ; October, 13 ;
November, 20 ; December, 29 ; total number of eggs
for the year, 744 — 62 dozen. He also raised 43
chickens. 63 dozen eggs, at 30 cents, 812.40 ; 43
chickens, at 50 cents,''821..50 ; 9 old fowls, 84.30;
total $38.20. Feed for the year, 818.44 ; 9 old fowls,
?4.30 ; total, $33.74. Profit, 815.46,

LITERARY NOTICES.

The London Garden, published by Wm. Robin-
son, London, is the most complete weekly epitome of
horticulture and pomological facts published in either
continent. Each issue now contains a full-page col-
ored plate, executed in the highest stvle of the art.
Price, $8.66, in gold.

W. A. Burpee's Catalogue of High-Class
Land and Water FovrLS. — A little 12 mo. illus-
trated pamphlet of 20 pages. It contains pictures of
fifteen of the leading varieties of chickens, ducks and
pigeons, and brief descriptions or notices of over forty
varieties. In the matter of "Fancy Pigeons" we
"outside barbarians" are able to form very meager
opinions from the names alone. We may instance
Pouters, Carriers, Barbs, Owls, Turbits, Jacobins,
.Archangels, Fantails, Bald-head Tumblers, Short-
faced Tumblers, Inside Tumblers, Outside Tumblers,
Booted Tumblers, Big-eye Tumblers, Black-crested
Tumblers, .Magpies, Swallows, Nuns, Moor-caps,
Priests, Quakers, Trumpeters, Runts, Dutchies, Hom-
ing Antwerps, Short-faced Shows, and many others
" too numerous to mention."

Of course, we are too verdant to appreciate the
highest aims of " colombo-culture," but we presume
there must be something useful in it. Things are not
to be valued according to the appreciations of any
one set of men, or we should have a very prosy and
onesided world. Variety is the spice of the life of
anything, and especially in gallinoculture, columbo-
culture, or any other kind of culture; and anyone
who desires to engage in them, to any extent, will do
well to consult this little catalogue, and then call
upon Mr. Burpee personally, without going any
farther, or address him at Philadelphia.

Pacific Rural Press. — This is the title of a royal
quarto journal, published by Dewey & Co., San
Francisco, California, in the interest of agriculture,
horticulture, and miscellaneous affairs. It has six-
teen pages of four columns each, well filled with ap-
propriate reading matter on a variety of subjects ;
and, like every other thing of that far-off region, it is
gotten up on a large and most magnificent scale, as
to quantity and quality. The embellishments are
superb, from its ornamental head down to its last ad-
vertisement. On the first page is a fine illustration,
the " New Grange Headquarters," a beautiful three-
story building, built of brick and cut stone, in the
highest architectural stj'le of art, and very substan-
tial. Although its columns are replete with choice
literary and domestic matter, yet it devotes a large
space to the interests of the Patrons of Husbandry,
both statistical, local and historical — indeed the mag-
nificent building it illustrates is covered with such
signs as the " Grangers' Bank," "Farmers' Mutual
Fire Insurance," "State Grange," "Granger's Busi-
ness Association," "Grange Buildings," "Country
E. Association," &c., &c., indicating that the Grange
in the " Golden State," has attained a status that is
seen and felt. We almost envy the public spirit that
can produce such evidences of progress, and could
heartily wish that the farmers of Lancaster county
might be infused with a little of the enterprise that
distinguishes the Pacific coast, in its institutions and
its enterprises.

Lepidoptera, Rhopaloceres and Hetero-
oeres. — Indigenous and exotic, with descriptions and
colored illustrations, by Herman Strecker. Read-
ing, Pa. 1876. Quarterly .50 cents per part. This is
a quarto serial, commenced January, 1872, and is is-
sued as above, and in plain English is simply an il-
lustrated and descriptive history of butterflies and
moths. It is published at such a low price, compared
with other scientific works on the same subject, that
every institution of science, literature and learning,
ought to patronize it, if not every literary man, who
pays any attention at all to the subject of natural his-
tory, and especiallytothatof entomology. The author
and publisher of this work, is, in some respects, an
extraordinary man. We have heard of him almost
from his very boyhood, and have corresponded with
him, but never have had the pleasure of a personal
interview. Lepidopterology seems io \vii\e become a
second nature to him, and he cannot forgo it, any
more than a duck can water. His collection is en-
riched by 50,000 specimens of native and foreign but-
terflies and moths, and comparatively speaking he is
still a ?/0H^if7 man. We have received part 13 of his
work, issued in January last, and in our opinion it ex-
cels any that he previously issued, and they are all
good, containing 18 colored figures and descriptions
ofthatmany species of the family Sphingid.e (Hum-
ming-Bird and Hawk Moths) . Mr. Strecker makes
all his drawings from nature, lithographs them him-
self, and colors them by his own hands. But this is
not all; he writes out all his own descriptions, giving
their bibliography, and sets up his own letterpress. All
that is done outside of his own manipulations is the
printing. L'nder these circumstances the representa-
tions must be as accurate as the objects before him,
or as nearly so as human skill can make them. He
also occasionally finds time to step aside and note
what is going on elsewhere in the world of entomolog-
ical authorship, and to express opinions that are some-
times anything but complimentary to the " notions"
of others, in which he exliibits originality, or inde-
pendence at least.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

III.

I OFFER A LARGE STOCK OF

Trppo|AITLETREES, AI'WTS,

"^ ■*• ^^*^ ■ Irish Junipers, Gooseberries,

AND A fiENKHAl, ASSOIITMENT Ol'

FRUIT TREES

AND

ElVIElRIGIRIEiEiNIS.

t??~LetterB will be uiiswered in Knf^lleh, (.lormuu »ml
French. AddruHH

<ji-:oiu;r aciiei.is.

8-2-2ni)

M'owt <'lioMler, Pn.

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Address

HARRISON BROS. & CO.,

. PHILADELPHIA,

Established as Manufacturers of Fertilizing
Chemicals in 1793.

[K-2-

The Great Agricultural Wonder,

UKING THE

HULLESS OATS,

Which can be obtained of

At Leesport P. 0., Berks County, Pa.,

AS FOLLOWS :

i ponnd.
16

8 pounds $ 3.50

aa " la.oo

...50ols.
« 6.50

It is claimed that it will yield as many measured bushels
as any other variety, while it weighs 56 pounds to the
bushel, and ripens two weeks earlier than common oats,
thereby escaj'iug the rusty season of oats,

t^~ Write for circulars. 8-1 -4t

LUMBER FQE F4EMEES.

NO MIDDLE-MEN.

We have a large stock of Lumber, and oni.- of the most
extensive Sash and Door Factories in the State, and we are
prepared to furnish Il4»ii*ie and Barn Bills complete.

Ail kinds of Manufactured Fencing, &c., making a speci-
alty of 8Uii]ilying the agricultural comnuiuity. We will
make prices deliveied to any Railroad Station. All our
material ^iiiirnntced as rejiresenled. All manufactured
work kilu-driea and warranted not to shrink. All inquiries
cht^erfuUy answered.

One of the firm can be seen at the Franklin House, North
Queen Street, Lancaster, Pa., on Moiubiy of each week.

7-4-12m]

KENDIG, BRICKER&LAUMAN,

Middletown Dauphin co.. Pa.

J. STAUFFER,

LANCASTER, jeENN'A.
235 EAST ORANGE ST.

AH matters appertaining to UNITED STATKS or CANA-
DIAN PATENTS. TIIAPE MAKKS, an<l CUPVKItillTS.
pronii»tly attended to. His experience, success u d faithful
attention to the interests of those who engjge his services
are fully acknowledged and appreciated.

Preliminarj- examinations made for him by a reliable As-
sistant at ^Vashiugtou, Without extra charge for drawing
ur description. [7-4-tf

THE WORLDS FAIR

Columbia, pu/./.led wliat shi- shouUl display

Of tiue home-made t-u 'ler Centenniul dny,

Asked Brother .lunnthan; he scratclied his head,

\\ liittled a while rffli-ctiv4-ly, and sai I,

" Your own inventioii and own making, t(M) ?

Why, liny child eouitt tell you what to do:

Sliciw'eni your Civil Service, and exitaiu

How all men's loss is ovry body's guin ;

Sliow y*>ur new patent to Increase your reuls

By paying (juhi ters for collecilng centH ;

Show your short etit to cure tlimnclal ttls.

By making paper collars current l>ills ;

Stiow your new btouoliing procesH, cheaj) and brief,

Tuwlt: a jury rhnsen by tin- thief;

Stiow your State Legisli.niieN ; show your Kings ;

And ehalllenge Kurupeto i roduee such things

As high otlicials sitting half in sight

To share the p'lunder and to llx things right ;

It that dtm't fetch her, wliy, you only need

To slmw vour latest style ni martyrs — Tweed •

Slie'll hnd it hard to hide her sjdteful tears

At such advance in one poor UuuditU yeais.**

— Javietf Jiusne// /.okv//, in the Sation.

177(> AND 1876. — *' Look at thifl picture, now at
that." The tbllowin^r contniftt (the tirst lines by Dr.
Franklin) will be read with iiilt'rcftt:

1770.

"Farmeis at the plow,
Wife milkii g the cow,
Daughter sj inning yarn,
Sou thrashing in (he burn,
All hat l> t'* " charm."

1^76.
Farmer i^one to ii Hbow,
Daugbtof at her itiimu,
Madiini;' t^a>ly drt'HHeil in Hutin,
All the hoyK Ifitriiiiit;; tatiii.
With u m()rt({ii;<e on the tarin,

LooKiNii FouwAitn. — One liuintri'ci years from
now, liiivi' you eviT llioii^'ht of it ? Whi'ii you sor the
faiiin? leafi llu' opoiiiii,' l>U(i, or tlic pi-i-fi'ct blossom,
did you ever tliiuk \vl:o will look u]«>ii the (lowers
that will bloom, tlic buds that will mifolil, or the
leaves that will fall and wither one hundred years
from now ! Or, when y(iu have walked the Btrectfi,
mcetinir the peoplt* that pass and repass like the wave
of the oecau, did you ever think who will walk tliese
streets an hundred years from now ? Sueh thoUf;hts
are not pleasant, yet it is wi-11 to eherish them, that
we may realize more fully the lleelin;,' nature of
earthly thinss. Yes, I hey are sad thoughts ! yet the
pulse will eease its beating-, and decay must set its seal
on the perishiui; of time and years. We know that
eaeh passing season bears with its many tlian(;es; but
leaves are not all that fade, or the voice of music all
that passes away.

A SouTnAMPTON boy, twelve years old, told his
brother that he wished to sec his mother, who had
been dead eight years; and that the end of the world
would eome in September. He then bequeatlicd his
books to his brother, and took adose of carbolic acid,
which killed him instantly.

Matik Twain said, when he was proposed for Mayor
for Hartford: " Well, all right. Who is the otiicr
fellow i Uo you think the Common L'ouneil will elect
me ? And, by the way, winch party do I belong to ?"

A-MAN in Weston f Mis.sonri) tired in the dark at a
man who was stealing' his coi-n, and the next day the
couuty sheritl'was arounil with his arm in a sling.

A Pennsylvania couple celebrated their wooden
wedding last fall, and have lieeu using uo other fuel
than clothes pins and potato-mashers ever since.

Mb. Crow, a Nebraska lawyer, has just gained his
first cause, and expects henceforth to carry on the
business famously. — Alia Vnlifornin.

A YotiNO man who was recently married to a girl
after proposing to her eighleen times, now wishes
that he hadn't asked her but seventeen times.

An old Indian who had witnessed the effect of
whisky for many years, said a barrel labeled "whisky"
contained a thousand songs and lifty fights.

A voiTNG lady, intending to paint her cheeks with
rouire, put all the paint on her nose, and did not dis-
cover her error until requested to sign ■' the pli-dge !"

TiiK importation of kerosene iuto (ireal Britain is
diminishing. The value imported last vear was only

,i:r.'<l,-J.S2, as against £1,1102, .">41 in 1874.

It is remarked that the men who tell tlic best
stories generally, tell old ones.

The best kind of school-tax— Syntax. — .Vcw York
Commercial Adi'crtixcr.

Ak Oregon girl kills deer and makes gloves of
their skin.

To the man with a mother-in-law, all things ar«
relative.

>TOMat,c

Knitter

m 7

- 9

A Family Knitting Machine.

Now uttracliiig uhiversjl atterittitn liy ItM iistoi ishuig per-
formances and its great pmrlle.il value (<»r every-<lay family
use. It knits every | oHstble vailety ol plain or fancy work

WITH ALMOST MAGICAL SPEED,

nnil give* perf«*ei shape iiiul ftTils*i tn nil gnrmeiiU. |( will

kn!t a pair of tocki in fifteen minutei I Kvery machluf*

\V \ H IC A ^' r I-; l» I iirfe.i . itwl to ttujUMf ir/utf ii rrprrMrnUd,

A com) lete instruction InkiIc ncmmpanlfN e icli niarhlnr.

No, 1 Family Machine. I cylinder. Vi midh**. f.'iO.

No. H •* •' '.' " T? k HK> •• 40.

A Mainpte nuirfiinr will t»e sent to any part of the United

Stales or Caiiudii, (where we have uo agent) rxprfM rharffe*

prejiaiii. on receipt of ihe piici*.

AciKNTs wuntt'd in t-very State, County, City niitl Town,
to whom very Hbenil d'sconnts will be mmle, Addretui.
BICKFOUD KMTTI>:<i MA*'IllNK Mid. (M»..
7-11-tfl Sal.- M..nnt"actuieiH. Urn t tlchoni. VI.

THOS. M. HARVEY.

WEST GROVE. CHESTER CO., PA..

lirr«*<l«'r anti Klii|»|»rr ol

GDEBNSEYISS; BUTTER STOCK,

Yorkshire and Berkshire Pigs.

Dark Brahma Chickens from the best imported
blood. Also Bronze Turkeys.

I hnvc fonuded ray business on the iK-lief that llio publio
are anxious to get their seed directly f rum the (trourr, and I
therefore oflTer kkkk to ©very man and woman in the United
States who cultivates a farm, tills a vejjetable »iar<leu, or
plants a flower ffardeu, my l.UKe Illustrated CataloKUe of
Vegetable and Flower Seeds for ISTfi; it contain'*, in addi-
tion to the choicest kinds j>rodu(KHl in Europe, om- humtrcd
and fi/tu varietus of voirfnhlf seed (irt>in\ on mij/nur wrd
farm«. "Custonierit of last season need not wriit- for ii. Aa
the original introducer of the Uubbaid. MarbleheacI and
Butman S<)nashes. Phinuey's Melon, the Marbhliead Cab-
bages, and a score of other new vegetables, I s^nicil your
imtronage. All seed sold under three warrants. A hundred
thounnhd catalogues will In* issued and sent out the ttrst of
Januarv,
T-lt-fiJ JAMi:S J. H. GKKCIOUY. MarbleUtwd. Mawi.

ROOT'S

(Jarden ]V[ anual

Ih lillr-d wifli t<M irj* of ititi'M'Mt li» cvi-ry owner <if ii Ktirdcn—
is I'OINTKI). l"K.\(TIC.\[.jiii<l THOUormi. tiid oiulainil
oiu .hiilf as inueh us f I..M) Inxiku on lUi- »ill.J(<-l. (iAIIDEN-
KltS IhroudlKUit \\\f country coiiiinend ill* j.ractical labor-
Huving methods im invHhiiitdL> to thrm.

5?^8eMl for in cents, whieh will Ix- »llow6d on the flrit
order for Beedn. A<ldrcns.

J. II. ROOT. Sfp<l tirowrr,

IIOI'KFOUI), iM.INOn.

HORSE-BILLS
I'L.MN lilt IN FANCY COl.OKS.
Printed In the Heal Stylo at tbs olBce of

THB FARMER.

IV.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[March, 1876.

We call ;ittentiun lo our iunuense Stock (GUO acres ) of
Fruil 'l'r<'<'M, St^irtdaid ai d Dwarf.
Kmall Fruits. Gia] es, ('urranta, Eaepberries, &c.
Ornamental TrceH and Shrubs, deciduous and

evergreen.
RoNeN a 6] ecjiilty — «11 the tiuest ports.
Green and Hot House Plants, including best nov-
elties Small i^aieels forwarded by mail when desired.
Prompt attention given to all orders and inquiries.
Descriiitive and Illustrated priced Catalogues sent prepaid

on receipt of stamps, as follows:
No. 1. Fruifs (new ed,, with col'd plate) 15 cts.
No. 2. Ornamental Trees, with col'd plate of Roses, 25c.
No. 3. Greeuhouge, l-'ree. No. 4. Wholesale, Free.

No. 5. l..istof Xew Roses for 13T6, Free.
Nos. 1 and 2 — Neatly bound together, forming an interest-
ing and valuable book for reference,
AddresBf 50 cts. by mail, post paid.

ELIWANGER & BARRY, Rochester, NY-

Goon SEED!!, GROWN WITH CARE. FROM SE-
lected Stocks, alwaj 8 pay. Try mine. Catalogue free.
J. R. V. HAWKINS, Cioshen, N. Y.

FARMEES, lUPROVE YCUE POULTRY DTOGEl

EGGS FOR HATCHING

Of the following varieties, at prices to suit the times, viz.:

Dark Brahmas, Partridge Cochins, White Cochins, Ply-
mouth Bocks, S. 8. Hamburgs, Brown Leghorns, Amer.
Dominiques and Houdans. Address,

8-3-2m]

HAYOSr H. TSHUDY, lAtlx.. Pa.

4)??©.

mm.

As MEMENTOES. SOUVENIRS.
and ORNAMENTS

FOR THE PEOPLE.

As LASTING ADVERTISEMENTS

101 ilSlIlSS 10US1S,

MANUFACTURED OF ALBATA PLATE,

Equal in wear and color to solid

SZZiVSR OB. GOZiD,

Presenting beautiful DESIGNS IN RELIEF, commem-
orating the cue hundredth anniversary of our nation's
birth. Size, !*« inches in diameter. Send for circular.

Price for the Silver, 50 cents each. \

tiold. 75 "
Usual discount to the trade.

AGENTS WANTFD.

Immense protita. ftells at sight. Extensive fields for en-
terprise. Will be sent to any part of the country by mail,
postpaid, upon the receipt of price

U. S. medallion Co., P. O. Rox 5270, N. T.

WIMBLEDON

Long Ttange Breech, Loading

Practice Pistol & Targets.

Carrios a 'i inch ball with aocu- ^^^^^k ^
racy titty leet, without powdt^r or ^^^^^ (/)
percussion. Brass barrel, hair trigger. For sale
by dealers. By mail, tree for 75 cents, with per-
manent ammunition for target practice indoors,
and for sporting out of doors.

AGENTS WANTED.

A. A. GRAHAM. 67 Liberty Street, New Tori-
8-S-6m

E. N. FRESHMAN & BROS.,

ADVERTISING AGENTS,

186 W. Fourth St., Cincinnati, 0.,

Are authorized to contract for advertising
in this paper.

Estimates luniislied tree.

(tfj

send lor Circular.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO FARMERS!

Improve Vour Peultry!

THIS can be done at a comp .ratively small outlay by purchasing one or more sittings of eggs for hatching from choice
thoroughbred and imported fowls. We keep a very select stock of the leading varieties of Poulliy : Brahmas,
Cochine, Leghorns, Houiaus, Game, Hamburgs. Plymouth Rocks, D irkings, etc. Mammoth Hrunze, White,
Blue and Black Turkeys, Toulouse, Embden and Hon*? Koug Geese, all breeds of Ducks, etc. We breed each variety on a
separate farm — thus can guarantee purity. Descriptive Circular free.

Handsomely Illustrated Descriptive Priced Catalogue of Poultry, etc., 10 cts., Post-paid.

ALSO BREEDER AND SHIPPER OF AND DEALER IN

BLOODED CATTLE.

Southdown and Cotswold Sheep, Chester White,
Berkshire, Yorkshire and Essex Swine,
. Sporting and Thoroughbred Dogs.

Descriptive Cirenlar free! All stock boxed free, and safe arrival guaran-
teed. No inferior stock sold EvcTy farmer, ard all interested in pigeons, should send
60 cents for a copy of our new illustrated treatise —

The Pigeon Loft: How to Furnish and Manage»It.

EXTRA FINE SEED CORN— Sample, Sets.

Circulars free. Correspondence Solicited

ADDRESS, w. ATLEE BURPEE, Philadelphia, Pa.

$12

a day at Home. Agents wanted. Outtit and
terms* free. TRUE & CO., Augusta, Maine. t8-3-ly

FOR FRUIT

And Ornament.
500 ACRES OF TREES

At Wholesale and Retail.

Pear, Apples, Cherrifis, Quincep.

Peaches, Plums and Small Fruits.

New and Kare Oruamemal Trees and Shrubs.

Evergreeus, large quant ities.^large variety, cheap. ,

Cot-'fcaved Bircb^ Purple Beech ' Weeping Trees.

CI.KMATIS JA<'KJI.4JI>ri.— Hardy and Perpetual,
blooms profusely until Irozel, ui>,

PEKFETUAI. WHITE CI.EMATIS.— 15 Sorts.
We have over 70 varieties of Clemntis, iu many shades of
color, from dark rich purple to pure white— strong piftiits,
safely sent by mail.

KOSES. Moss. Tea, Climbing and Perpetual.

Small Packages sent safely l)y Mail and Express.
t^~Cutalogues free. Address
T. C. MAXWEE,E A. BROS., Geneva, K. T.

[g-2-2m

SEED POTA TOES!
$125

IN PRSiaiUlVIS

WILL be divided among the five successful competitors
who shall produce the largest quantity from one
pound of the Mahopac Seedling, subject to conditions
named in my Catalogue.

MAHOPAC SEEDLING— the most productive of 160 va-
rieties tested, quality fine, free from rot, per pound, $1 ; 3
pound to one address, $2 — by mail prepaid, by express or
freight, charges paid by the purchaser ; 1 peck, $4 ; 1 bush.,
$15 ; 1 bbl., $30. Also Ruby, Alpha, Snowiake. and Eureka.
For fuU description and price list see my Catalogue, con-
taining the largest and best collection of new and
choice Seed Potatoes ever offered. Prices low.

New and desirable Vegetable Seeds. Dreer's Improved
Lima Bean, per packet, 20c.; Egyptian Turnip Beet, packet,
10c. ; Henderson's Early Summer Cabbage, packet, 25c.;
Early Wyman Cabbage, packet, 15c.; Earliest Dwarf Erfurt
Cauliflower, packet, 50c.; Triumph Sweet Corn, packet, 10c. ;
Peerless Cucumber. 15c.; Hanson Lettuce, packet, 15c.; New
Egyptian Sprouting Lettuce, packet, 2.5c.; Russian-Ameri-
can Water Melon, packet, 20c.; New Queen Onion, lOc;
McLean's Blue Peter Pea. packet, 15c.; Butman Squash,
packet, 16c.; Conqueror Tomato, package, 16c.; Golden
Trophy Tomato, packet, lOc; Rose Mammoth Sweet Pej:-
per, packet, 20c.; French Breakfast Raddish, packet, 5c.;
Lane's Improved Imperial Sugar Beet, the best for feeding
stock, ij lb., 26c.: 1 lb., 90c.; 5 lbs.; $4.00 ; Earlv Red Globe
Onion, early productive and handsome, }^ lb., 75c.; 1 lb.,
$2.50 ; 6 lbs., $11.00 ; Ex Earlv Red Onion, the earliest, very
fine, V lb., 90c.; 1 lb., $3.00 ; S lbs., $14.00.

The above will be mailed at prices quoted.

For full description of the above, and all the new and
best varieties of strictly fine Garden Seeds, care-
fully grown from selected stocks, see my Illustrated Cata-
logue, sent free to all applicants. Do not fail te see it.

J. R. V. HA-WKINS,

GOSHEN, Orange Co., N. V.

$5 to $20

per day at home. Samples worth $1 free.
STINHON & CO., Portland, Maine.

SEE1> POTATOES sent to order as follows : Eureka,
Acme, Snowjlake, and BrowntlVs Beauty, 50c. per lb.,
$1.00 per 3 lbs., by mail ; $1.10 per pk.; $1.75 per % buah.
Eureka and Snoirjiake, $3.00 per bush.; $5.50 per bbl.; Ice
Cream, Earlp Verynont, Co7npton''s Surprise, Carpe7iter^8
Seedling, and Excelsiors, 40c. per lb., 80c. per 3 lbs., by
mail; 60c. ] er pk., $1 per J4 bu., $1.85 per bu., aud $3.25 per
bbl., by expi ess or freight as desired. None sent but genu-
ine. Stock direct from the originators. Send no money in
letters unlesa regit^t ered, . Address LA FAYETTE CAS-
SLER & CO , Box ^fltfpff/^j Ohio. [8-3-lt

Same^hin paper ickcn ycu icritc.

-.a-

NS'W PO'T.A.TOSS !

'i$250

ISI PKEMIl'MS to Growers! Two New

Vaiieties sent gratis, prepaid. Circular

pplicauts. D. .A. COMPTON, Hawley, Pa. [2t

AGENTS WANTED!

Centennial Medallions,

struck in solid Albata Plate, equal in appearance,
we:ir and color to

SOLID SILVER OR GOLD,

Presenting a large variety of beautiful d*'ai.gmi in relief.

These Medallions are larger than a Silver Trade Dollar,
being 1 -(j inches in diameter, handsomely put up, aud aell
readily at sight.

Tbe most valuable Souvenirs uud 'SLetfi^
mentoes ever i*isued.

A complete outfit of magoiticeut samples for agents, in
velvet-lined Morocco cas^iirfncluding the Bust of

" GEORGE ■WASHINGTON,*"^ GRAND ENTRANCE IN-
TERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, MEMORIAL HALL,
(ART GALLERY) HORTICULTURAL HALL,
MAIN BUILDING, aud the grand represen-
tation of the Signing of the DECLARA-
TION OF INDEPENDENCE,

(designed by Trumbull), in gilt, sent by mail on receipt of
draft or Post Office order for $3.50, or will ship by express
C. O. D. upon receipt of exprei<s charges. Agents' Circular
and Price List and one sample sent upon receipt of
50 cents. Immense protitB. Sells at sight. Exteusiye
fields for enterpiise. Address all communications

TT. S. MEDALLION CO.,

P. 0. Box 5270. 212 Broadway, N. T.

SEND 25c. to O. P. ROWELI, & CO., New York, for Pam-
phlet of 100 pages, containing lists of 3,000 newspapers,
aud estimates showing cost of advertising.

$125.00 in CASH PRMIUMS.

For particulars see my Illustrated Catalogue for 1«76, con-
taining all th« new and best varieties of fresh, true aud re-
liable Garden Seeds, carefully grown from fine selected
BtockB, and the largest and best collection of Choice Seed
potatoes ever oflfered. Sent free to nil applicants. Do not
fail to see it.

J. R. V. HAWKINS,

GOSHEN, N. Y.

qjl d I cell \ tUc county.

• SINGLE COPIES 10 CENTS.

To Bill BcTibora out of ) qr-l OC5
the county. i •+>>■• ^--^J'

■THE FARMERS THE FOUNDER OF CIVILIZATION.- WEBSTER

Prof. S. S. RATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, APRIL 15, 1876.

PEABSOL & OEIST, PuWichers.

CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.

i'j

Dorkings, (TUnstrated)
W. Alli* Burree.

Dew — Especially Honey-Dew, Editorial, - 49
Where did They Come From ? Editorial, 50

Tin- Ti-;iVfl ot Pliiule.— Jouiiiul of t'lu-iuintry.
Meteorology of March, 1776-1876, Editorial, M
Swallows, (lUi(::ri-iilnl) Editorial, - - 51
Floral Speculation, Editorial, - - - 53

Tbo 'I'ulii. M.iuia.— W. It. Hooper, in Harper's.
Farm Mortgages, Editorial, . - - 53
Insect and Insect Remedies One Hundred

THE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.

Years Ago,

lixtract from Beuj. Mifflin, with Ed. Comments.

Old Bufo— Toads, Editorial, - - - 53

Old and New Flowers, ----- 53

JoBepliine C. Long, in Ger. Tel.

Thrushes, (Illnstrahd) Editorial, - - 54

The Cultivation of Hardy Roses, - - 54

Harper's IJuzar.

Culture of Asparagus, Gcrraantown Tol., - 55

Fish Culture, Harper's Magazine, - - 55

Tree Laws, Germaiitonn Tel., - - - .50

The Dairy and Butter Making, - - - 50

Experinu-ulal Farm Club.

The Best Cow for the Dairy, Selected, - 56

A Nut for the Botanists to Crack, - - 57

F. It. DiUinticrflor.

The Cost ol Planting an Orchard, - - 57

Vh\ flusl'andman.

The Culture of Vegetables, Old Cultivator, 57

Rich and Poor Grow a Grape Vine, - - 57

Old Ilusbi.udmau.

Summer Blooming Bulbous Flowers, - 58

Walter Elder.

Old Inventions and Inventors, L.S. Rcist, - 58

Annual and Biennial Flowers, " Flora," .58

Which Potato is the Best? "Solamiiii," - .58

How I Raised My Tomatoes, - - - .58

Frank 11. Ditliiiderll'er.

Bees and Bee Hives, Wiu. I. Pyle, - - 95

Transplanting Hardy Trees, " Horticola," 95

The Humming-Bird, Wm. I. Pyle, - - .59

What Causes Honey-Dew ? A. Allen Noe, 00

Our Paris Letter, 00

Our Farmers in Covmcil, - - - - 00

Ptoeeedingsof Lanc.ister Couuty Agricultural and
Horticulturi.l Society— Best Variety of .\pple-treeH
for Plantiiig — Condition of the Croi s— Cultivation
of Wbeat — How to Take Care of our Lawns — Kn-
tomological — Brown Tree- Borer, fitc.

General Miscellany, .... 61-64

Tlir Bent Cnickens — Spring Care of Sheep — Lambs
and Calvee — What will l*ay t — Maliagi'meut of
Manure — Feeding Poultry — An Acre— Don't Chop
with a I'oor Axe^Ammouia as a t'ure for Snake
EiteB — Hints about Meal— Holding on for Higher
Prices — Potato Growing — Carejjf Hugs — Whipping
HorseB Dangerous- Much iu Ijttle— Potatoes for
Horseg- Care of Horses — Plaster on Clover— Hol-
low Horn — A Full Tobacco Vocabularj- — Tree
Mignonette— What Economy will Do — Hay-making
iu Norway — Everlasting Fence Post— Controlling
Bulls — Eastern and Western Wheat — How to
Make an Omelet — Cooking by Cold — Brittle Hoofs
— Various Items— Literary Notices.

Special Displays at the Centennial, - . 1

Our Fence Corners, .... |i-iii

Special Displays.

,Tnst before RoiiiR to proas \vc received cir-
ciiliifs from Director-lieneral (roslioni and
and ISuriii't l.iliidrelli, t^hiof of the Hiireau of
Afii'ieiiltore, coiitaiiiiiiK the followiiiK iiiftir-
niatiiiii relative to the f;reat Iiileriiatioiial Ex-
liibitioii, wliicli will open in Fairiuouut Park
on tlie lOtli of next month :

FllUITS AND VEGKTAliLES.
The Centennial Commission are ercctiiis a spceial
annex for the exhihitioii of fruits ; the dimoiisionB of
the structure, situated on the easlof the Afrrieultiiral
BuildiiiiT, and eoiineeted with it hy a covered way,
are one hundred and citrhty by two hundred feet, af-
fordiiii; room for the disi)lay of eitclit thousand dishes
of fruit at periods of special disiihiys. Althouirh the
exhibitiim of pouiolosieal prodnels will extend over
the entire term of the Exhibition, afrordiii<; most
marked manifest atioii of the wiile range of our soils
and climates, still there will be certain periods es-
pecially desitrnated for the display of particular
fruits, which have especial seasons, under the inlUi-
cnees that more immediately pertain to the States
near to Peimsvlvaiiia, and which, from their proximity
to the jioint (if display, will afford the material for
larire and expressive exhibits.

The jieriods decided upon for these special displays
are as follows, thousjli any of the fruits enumerated
will be received for exhibition either preceding or
subsequent to these dates :
Pomologieal products, - - May 10 to 34.
Strawberries, - - - June 7 to l-'>-

Raspberries and Blackberries, - July 3 to 8.
Southern pomologieal products, July 18 to •Z'i.
Melons, ----- Aufr. 33 to 'H;.
Peaches, . - - - Sept. 4 to 9.

Northern pomologieal products, Sept. 11 to 10.
Nuts, - ,- - - Oct. 33 to Nov. 1.

The Poinoloifical annex will also he used foi the
exhibition of vegetables, contimiously and at the
stated dates of June 30 to 34 for early summer
VCKctables, Sept. 19 to 33 for aniniiui veiretables, and
Oct. 2 to 7 for potatoes aiul feeding roots.

Tables and dishes for both fruits and veffctablee
will be furnished by the Commission free of eharj;e,
producers beiui!; simply retiuested to pay tlic Charges
for transportation.

You are respectfully requested to advance the dis-
play of fruits and veiretables as much as jiossible,
both at terms of stated displays and at all inter-
mediate dates.

DISPLAY OF FISH IN AQUAUIA.

The Centennial Commission has provliled thirty
aquaria for the display of the tish of our rivers, lakes
and seas. The fresh and salt water will bi' of about
equal quantities, the aKgresrale approximating U)
llficcn thousand gallons. Kidl preparations have
been made for thorouu'h lilteration and acratiim, and,
when necessarv, for refrigeration. The expenses at-
tendant u))OU the (isli display will be assumed by the
Centennial Commission, and it is expected that fish
will be contributed by the various State Fish Com-
missions, by associations, and by individuals Inter-
ested in llsh culture. Parlies so desiring may exhibit
lish in tanks of their own contribiitioii, the care of
which will be gratuitimsly a.><sumi'd by the Commis-
sion. In addltiim to tlie disjilay of liviiii: llsh will be
exhibited the processes of hatching tish, and a lull
scries of all the apparatus used in hatching and
transporting roe and young llsli.

Those who arc In a condition to contribute rare
llsh to the display will receive all necessary informa-
tion by addressing Iieu.NET Lanuketii, Chief of
Bureau of Agriculture.

Special Stated Displays.

In iiddition to the fore-joing, there will bo
stated ili.splay3, under their rcHpi^etive dates,
as follows :

AOUICULTCRAL PE0DUCT8.
Early (Jrass Butter and Cheese, - June 13 to 17.
Honey, ------ June 30 lo 34.

Cereals, Sept. 3;". to 30.

Aiitumn Butter and Cheese, - Oct. 17 lo 31.

Autumn Honey and Wax, - Oct. 23 to Nov. 1.

FIELD rniALS.
Mowing Machines, Tedders, and Ilay

Hakes, June 15 lo 30.

Reaping Machines, - - - - July 5 U> 15.
LIVE STOCK.

Horses, Sept. 1 to 14.

Dogs, Sept. 1 to 8.

Neat Cattle, .... Sept. 21 to Oct. 4.-

Slieep Oct. 10 lo 18.

a,vine| ------ Oct. 10 to 18.

Poultry, - - . . Oct. 37 lo Nov. 0.

The above dates may be favorable for the assem-
hling in Philadelphia of Societies and Associations
interested iu the specialties above enumerated. Ap-
plications for entry may be now inaile, on forms
which will be supplied by the Chief of Bureau.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

The LANcASTEn FAaMKii has now cnmplelcd Hh seventh
year— the last having been und'r the ausplceB of the undcr-
aignwl aB pubhshers. When we BBSumed the re«ponslblllly
of the publication one year ago, it w.w with a detrnidinllou
to make such iuiprovemenl" during thi' year as would place
the Fanners' Organ of this great ngriculturnl county in tho
very front rank of puhlicati.iuB of it« claM. That we hmvo
done BO, our readers will bear cheerful temlmony. But our
work of improvement Is Oldy fairly bcguu. We proi>oiii- to
makcthc volume for the Conleuuhil year bIIU more Intenwtiiig
aud valuable than 11b prttlrcenaor for is".'.. In thlB. how-
evei". we need the co-oi>enitlon of every friend of the ent^T-
priae. To make It a bucci-«s, every one who now roadB Th«
Fabmeb ahould at once send u« at least one new Bulmcrllier.

The coutribntions of our at)le editor, I'rof. ItATllvon, on
subjeclBConuec'ed with the BClenc<' of fanning, MJd partic-
ularly that specialty of which he is so thoroughly a niaater-
entomologic;il scieni-i'-.«ome knowledge of which has Is'i-ome
a nect'gsity to the HUCos«ful farmer. ar<^ alone worth muoD
more than tho price of this publicatiou.

The FAitMEn will be published on the ISlh of every
month, printed on go-id i«per with clo»r tyi*, Iu con-
venient fonn for reading sud biudiug, and mailed to »ul>-
Bcrilwrs ou Uic following

TERMS:

To 8ul»cribers residing within the county —
One copy, one year, . - - - - $1.00

Six copies, one year, - ----- 5.00

Ten Copies, one year, .--.-- 7.50

To BUlwcrilMTB outside of Lancaater connty, Includiug
poBtage i>re-i aid t)y the putiUabera:

One copy, one year, ... - - $i.>S

Five copies, one year, ... - - • 5.00

All BubBcripiiouB will oommonoc with Itio Jaunary num-
ber unless otherwise ordereil.

All communlcjitlouB intended for pnliUoallon Bhoiild iKi
addressed to the Kdltor, and, lo secure ins. rlicii, should bo
in his handB by the ttrsl of the moiitli n.

All liUBlnesB letters, conlatnlng Bn udadver-

tiflementB, should bo addresw-d to the i

RAT»:i« or ADVKBTISING. — Ten Cmlii «
line lor oarh Iniu'rilon. Twi-lvc llnca to the Inch.

11.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

FARMERS, GET TH£ B£ST.

f 11 uum & siiiii

FEED CUTTER,

MANUFACTURED FOR

DEALERS IN

HARDWARE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS,

No. 7 EAST nm ST., LANOASTES, PA.,

Haa been demonstrated bv competitive testa to be THE
BEST FEED CUTTER IN THE MARKET. The feed-roll
ie operated by a new and novel device which completely
overcomes the objection to the uneven action of other cut-
ters, while tRe length of cut can be varied to meet the wants
of the operator without the removal of auy gear-wheels.
The material and workmanship are of the very best class,
and guaranteed to give satisfaction to the purchaser. Fann-
ers are invited to call and see for themselves.

"THE CHAMPION."

The Champion Reaper and Mower, which we have sold
with such entire satiBfactiou to our customers for the last
six years, still maintains the lead of all competitors —
33,761 having been manufactured for the harvest of 1375
— and we have already completed our arrangements to sujv
ply the increased demand for next season. The Farmer
who buys the Champion Is always satisfied that he has the
full worth of his money.

DILLER & GROFf ,

No. 7 East King St., Lancaster, Fa.

ill be
mailed free
all aj) pu-
ts. This i.s
one of the largest
dmoftconiprelien-
C-atalognefi pub-
lished; contains about 2.'>0
pasjes. over 600 fine engrav-
ings, 2 elegant colored ]»lntos,
and gives full descriptions,
ices, and directions f"r pluiit-
ing over 1200 varieties of Vegt'iable
id Flower Seeds, Bedding Plants,
Roses, &c., and is invaluable to Fanner,
"Gardener and Florist.^. Address,

D. M. FERRY <& CO.,
Seedsmen and Floriata, DETROIT. Mich.

7-l*2-4t

PATENTS

OBTAINED BEST AND CHEAPEST BY

LOUIS BAGGER & CO,

SOLICITORS OF PATENTS,

T^asJiington, D. C.

or Address all letters to P. O. Box 444. 7-3 ■X'ha

EVERGREEN BONE DUST.

MANUFACTURED BY

M. B. EsUeman, at Leaman Place,

Is gnarutesd Fue Saw Bodo, and nothing elso.

Special pains taken in preparing it for feeding hens.

'So. I. for feeding, • • ^a.-fO per hundred.

No. 2. for land.

• 1.75

T-9-6m

TliiB includes bags and delivering on board cars.

DB1LEB8 IN ALL KINDS OF

FAMIIiT and I.IB1E-B1IRNINO COAI. I

Orders received at

Office, No. 15 East King street, and at the
«-l-12m] Yard, No. 618 NOKTH PRINCE STREET.

VICK ON POETRY.

James Vick, the great florist and seedsman, of
Rochester, gets off some good things in his Floral
Guide, and the following on corresjiondence, poetry
and poets is one of his best.* Its point ■will be better
appreciated when we state that Vick is an old printer,
although no longer "too poor to indulge in such
luxuries as letter paper :'^

OuK CoKRESPONiJENCE : We like to look over a
basket of letters from correspondents in all parts of
the world — from the missionary in India or Palestine,
the merchant in China, and the wife of a California
miner. It is a pleasure and not a task, and we can
occasionally cull a useful fact, valuable to us and
our readers. It is only the poetry that troubles us.
In the first place, we are not much of a judge of
IX)etry ; in the aeco^id place, we have no taste for com-
mon poetry, and what we get is very common. Ouce,
in a lit of desperation, we thought we would publish
one of the worst pieces we had on hand, just to show
how we were afflicted, and to deter any one from
sending us more poetry. Imagine our feelings, when,
a few days after the issue of the number, we received
a letter from a lady, stating that we might as well
put our name to our poems, as we could not disguise
our style.

We thought then we had done with poetry forever.
But we have relented. We have a poem now that is
not common by any means. It came to us without
name, except what is seen below, and that possibly
is fictitious. It was composed by some editor, be-
cause it was written on printing paper, with a pencil,
just as editors do, for they are generally too poor to
indulge in such luxuries as letter paper. So we con-
cluded to give it to our readers. It will be seen that
the author possesses considerable historical knowl-
edge :

MEDITATIONS IN A GARDEN.

BY CAUL I. FLOWER.

Of all the men within this wick-
ed world (and, Goodness sakes, they're thick !)

There's none who knows a flowerier trick
Than Mister James (Rochester) Vick.

His parterres are with blooms so thick
That Babylon's gardens, built on brick,

Could never have looked one-half so slick
As Rochester Nurseries owned by Vick.

And that's the reason why the Dic-
tionary we spelled, in times classic,
Says Nebuchadnezzar oft did lick
And kick
His men, and swear he'd send for Vick.

Those kings, you know, are terr-i-fic,

And oft with whips and cowhides flick
Their folks; and thrash with walking-slick

Their gardeners, 'cause they ain't like Vick.

When Adam said to Eve, " My chick !

The flowers in Eden are none too thick,"
She softly sighed in Hebraic,

" Dear Addy, let us send for Vick !"

And if they had, just in the nick

Of time— ('tis best to do things quick.)
Poor Eve had had no need to pick

That apple, 'stead of flowers from Vick.

All this is gospel, sound as hick-
ory. But as my muse is sick,

And time runs on with ceaseless tick
And click.
I think I'll send these Unea to Vick.

A PATRON of a certain newspaper once said to the
publisher : "Mr. Printer, how is it you never call on me
for pay for your paper?" "Oh !"said the man of types,
"we never ask agentleman lor money." "Indeed,"
replied the patron, " how do you manage to get along
when they don't pay?" "Why," said the editor,
" after a certain time we conclude that he is not a
gentleman, and we ask him." "O ! — ah !— yes ! — I see !
Mr. Editor please give me a receipt," and hands him
the cash. " Make my name all right on your books."

Nursery Rhyme for the Chemical Child.

Sing a Bong of acids.

Base and alkali,
Four and twanty gases.

Baked into a pie ;
'When the pie was opened,

Wonderful to say.
Oxygen and Nitrogen

Both flew away.

Horace Walpole said this was the worst, that is,
the best bull he ever read: "I hate that woman,"
said a gentleman, looking at a person who had been
his nurse, "I hate her, for when I was a child she
changed me at nurse. This was indeed a perplexing
assertion ; but we have a similar instance recorded
in the autobiography of an Irishman, who gravely
informs us that he " ran away early in life from his
father on discovering he was only his uncle."

A MAN from Chicago, when asked by a Saratoga
waiter what he would have for tireakfast, replied,
"Well, I rather guess I'll just flop my lip over a
chicken."

is the most beautiful work of the kind in the world. It con-
tains nearly l.W pages, hundreds of fine illustrationB, and
four Chromn Plates of Flowers, beautifully drawn and col-
ored from nature. Price, 35 cents in paper covers ; 65 cents
bound in elegant cloth.
■yick's Floral Guide, Quarterly, 25 cents a year.

Address, JAMES VICK. Rochester, N. Y.

1876. PRE-CENTENNIAL 1876.

Ratlivon ft Piglier,

PRACTICAL

TaU^iTS ami OfiatEibirs,

CHEAP, FASHIONABLE AND DURABLE

ESX-ABLISHIVIEIMT,

Cor.N. aUEEN and ORANGE STS.,

LANCASTER, PENN'A.

^^, DOMESTIC'

SEWING
MACHINES.

ify liberal terms ofExchange
for Second-hand Macblnes
orerery descrlpMoD.

"DOMESTIC" PAPER FASHIONS.

The llestPattL.rn^m.ulo. Send Si'ls. tor Uiitaloguo,

address DOMESTIC SEWIN& MACHINE CO.,

tar Agents 'Wantec. -<m NEW YOBK.

7-ll-3teom

GEORGE D. SPRECHER,

DEALER IN ALL KINDS OF

ROOFINC4 SLA.TE.

OFFICE :

No. 15 EAST KING STREET,

8-l-12ni LANCASTER, PA.

PUBLIC SALE BILLS
FOR UEAI, ESTATE OR PERSONAL PRORERTT,
Printed expeditiously and cheap at the office of

THE LANCASTBK FARMER.

The Lancaster Farmer.

Prof. S. S. RATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, PA., APRIL, 1876.

Vol. VIII. No. 4.

DORKINGS.

We Rivp hcrowith a fine illustratinn of a
fir.sl-cla.ss trio ol' (iicy Doi-kiiiLt.s. l)()ikiiif;s
arc of tlin'c colorings or styles of inarkiiiiis —
white, silver-j;rey and colored — as rccoi;iii/,ed
ill the Ainerican standard. 15nl the standard
is cxcecdiu^fy loose in its notice of CoKwed
Dorking's, making no markings, other than
uniformity in the birds of one pen, reiniisite.
One iioticeal)le difference lietwecii White and
(irey Dorkings is, that while the f<niner must
i)ossess rose combs, s(juarc in front, lirm an<l
close-fitting, ami evenly covered over with
small points, terminatiui; in a point Ijehiiul,
tlu^ latter are found both rose and siiij^le
combed. Our cut represents a trio, all having
single coml)s. It is hardly necessary to add,
that for exhibition all the birds of oiu^ pen
must Ije either rose or single-combed, and not
one or two of each. White Dorkings are
til ought by some
writers to be the older
variety, as they for-
merly lired more uni-
versally true to the
fifth toe. l?ut the col-
ored Dorkings are now
well establisiied in that
particular. In general
characteristics both
white and colored
fowls are the same — a
good idea may be had
from tlie accompany-
ing illustration. The
Dorking is iire-emi-
iiently an English fowl
^a very old variety —
and true to his nature,
John Bull has, in this
fowl, adiniral)ly cater-
ed to his tastes. For,
as a table fowl, the
Dorking is unsur-
pa.ssed. This is thi'ir
especial claim to the
consideration of faiu'i-
ers. They are indiffer-
ent, rather poor layers,
but for the table they
all'ordan extra portion
of very line meat, es-
pecially abundant in
the parts most esteem-
ed—the Ineast and
wings. The Dorking
is a lieavy-bodied, well
put-up fowl, long,

broad back and close

feathered. Thus what
they lack in (ipjionnt
size in comparison with
Asiatics tliey makeup in real, solid llesh, and
of a quality very far ahead of either Urahmas
or Cochins. We have sold liirds of this breed
to cross with Brahmas, and for such a pur-
pose they are excellent, as they gain in hardi-
ness, and perhaps .somewhat in egg produc-
tiveness. Pure Dorkings will deteriorate if
in-bred too closely. In our oi)iiuon no cross
could be more i)rontable than one with the
Leghorn, as thereby not only hardiness, l)ut a
very decided increase in the number of eggs
would result.

It may, jierhaps, be worthy of remark, that
on no variety of fowl does the .st^iudard allow
so many points for size — liftceu is the usual
scale of one hundred. — W. Atlce liurpec,
PhilaiUlphia, Pa.

DEW— ESPECIALLY HONEY-DEW.

It IN not, and perhaps raiuiot, be clearly dc-
monstraled that dew /<tlU at all; and from
tlu^ /'(((•( that dew is found as copiously on the
luidersides of tla^ leaves of plants ais on the
uppersides, tlit; conclusion reached is, that
dew is an exhalation of ml)i^ture from llie
earth, and condenses near tlu' earth, or
at no very great distance from it; in short,
that it docs not "fall" from the clouds
like rain. An inverted tub or box will often
have as much dew under it as outside of it;
and that is not all, for the lower side of the
bottom thus inverted will also becovi'red with
d(^w. Hoar-frost is nothing but the frozen ex-
halations of dew or moisture, and this (covers
the entire branches of tret^s and shrubbery,
whether they are iieudant, perpendicular, or
horizontal, and tliis will be the cast' as well
I with branches lying on the ground, as with

Pit.vcTiCAL MEN are .steadily coming up to
a due appreciation of The FAUSiERas a valu-
able medium for transmitting the results of
their experience.

those on the trees; and flat sti>nes. or pieces
of 1)oard — uidess too deeply imbedded in tb.e
earth— will often exhibit as much hoar-frost
on the lower side as on the ui)per side. This
seems to demonstrate that dew is an exhala-
tion from the earth, or from the surface of
vegetation, and tliat instead of "falling" it
actually rises. This can be demonstrated by
putting very cold water or ice in a bottle, a
pitcher, or a tin can, on a warm day. The
surrounding invisible vapor will become con-
densed in the form of dew, on the sides, the
bottoms, and the lops of the containing vessels.

Honey-Dew.

The chief dilficulty in reference to lioney-
dew has arisen from the attempts to reconcile
the iiheiiomeiia with a single cause. AVhen
we discover that there aii' ditleient kinds of
the sul).stance generally called honey-dew, and
that they are the etTects of ditTerent causes,
the (litHcultj- will not seem .so great, although

the solution may not be satisfactory to all.
Jfimiii-fVw, from whatever source ii may
proceed is. by iimny writi'is on veget.ible econ-
omy, reganled as a disease, and is placed in
the category of hliijlu, smut, milihw, driijixij,
ganiji-cne, ctinliitinii, guffnnUion, and o >n.!iuiHjj-
tion. It is a sweet and clamaiy substance
which exudes from, and coagulates on, the
surfai-e of the leaves of vegetables during hot
weather, parlicidarly on the leaves of the oak,
and the beech. The leaves of the beech tree
in particular, on the occurrence of an unfavor-
abl(^ wiml become covered with a glutinous
coating, similar in llavor to the llnid cibtained
from the truidi, and in every respect resem-
bling tlie honey-ih'w of other jilants. Lust sum-
mer, on several occasions, we have hail oak
branches sent to us, the leaves of which were
so thickly covered with this substance as to
glue them together. It is well known that
white oak and hickory trunks, when cut green
and exposed to a hot
sun for a time, will be
covered with a honey-
like .saccharine sul)-
stance, exuding from
the |)ores of the Wood at
tli(^ ends, and this sub-
stance has the siune
ta,ste as that which ex-
udes from the leaves of
tluise trees. .Saccharine
exuilalions are fru-
(pieutly foiuul on the
leaves of many plant-s,
though not always dis-
tinguished by the name
of honey-dew ; which
term only should be
applied wiicn the exu-
dation is in such excess
as to caiLse disexse. If
it is to be aiiplied to all
glutinous exudations
whatever, then of course
they must be all in-
cluded under honey-
dew, but they are not
all saccharine, for the
exudations from the
buds, .and yoimg leaves
of the ''.Silver Poplar,"
for instance, are resin-
ous, and this isthe same
with mdiiua, which ex-
u<les from the a.sh tree
of Italy, as well ;is the
'■ L<(/<(/'M<;ii," a gimi
resin, which is collected
by beating the shrub
that yields it, with
leather thongs. It is
also iHissible that lUvse.
exudations may oftenoccur witlnuit producing
disease, for if it should happen to be washed
oil soon atter its secretion, by heavy rains or
heavy dews, the leaves woidd not suffer.

We have an orange tree which, on several
occasions, became covered with honey-dew,
and we discovered at the siime time that it
was seriously iidcsted by the "orange scale
insect," (Cwus /n^.t/wTiV/iini,) and since these
have Iwen all destroyed, we have not iK-en
troubled with honey-dew. But, there are s])e-
cies of Aiihiii which infest the tender branches
of the api'le, jiear, cherry, plum, peach, rosea,
and indeed, nearly all kinds of vegetation,
which dejiosit a s.iccharine substance on the
leaves of the trees, shrubs and plants they in-
fest, that u.snally goes by th" name of honey-
dew, and ;it one time, and by many piTsons,
these insects were reganhd lus the chief, if not
the ntilif source of this sub.stance. Whatever
may l)e the orign of honey -dew, ajinrt froni
that produeeii by ajihich, nothing c.iii shake

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April,

our belief tliiit much, if not all, occurring on
the leaves above named, is the secretions of
((pitids, or i)lant lice. We have seen them dis-
charge it "a many a time and often" from
the little tubular spines at the end — or near
tlie end— of the upper side of the abdomen.

We do not, liowevcr, intend to insist, in
this paper, that the spines aforesaid are the
organs through which the .saccharine fluid is
ejected, because this has been disputed ; and
it has been alleged that the honej-dew is the
natural oxcreruentitious discharge of the
Aphid, and that it is discharged from the usual
anal oiitice. Be that as it may, we have wit-
nessed the discharge of honey-dew from
aphids dozens of times, and have even caught
it on small pieces of white paper held under
them, and have also tasted its sweetness ; and
this, not of aiihids only, but also of the orange
coccus. Some vegetation yields projiortionate-
ly more saccharine matter than others, and
these species will supply the aphids with a
larger proportion of honey-dew. The sap of
what is called S!ar((?c?!i vegetation, has a thin-
ner and more aqueous constitution, and hence
on such plants there will generally be less
honey-dew than on those of the tree and
shrub kind that contaiu more sugar. But
there is another cause of the absence of this
substance on some vegetation, and that cause
is the presence of other honey eating insects,
such as Bees, Wasps, Moths, Yellow-jackets,
Hornets, Flies, but most especially of ants.
These lap up the honey dew as fast as it is
discharged by the Aphids, and it is even said,
that when they do not discharge it rapidly
enough to suit the demands of the ants, these
little "Keepers"of tlie Aphids somehow stimu-
ate a discharge of it by artificial m eans.
From the fact that honey-dew is usually found
on the upper surfiice of the leaves, it has been
alleged that it falls down from far above, if
not from the clouds. But when it is observed
that the Ajjliids are usually on the underside
of the leaves, or on the tender twigs and
stems, and that they have the power of
ejecting the dew a considerable distance from
them, it will be readily perceived how it falls
on the leaves below them. It is usually dis-
charged in little globules which fall on the
leaves in drops, and where the discharge is
copious, these drops run into each other until
the whole surface is sometimes covered with
the liquid.

With these facts before us, we cannot as-
sent to Mr. Noe's theory, although we are far
from saying it is impossible, ; but, for the fol-
lowinji reasons, we consider it very improl)a-
ble. Firstly, if lioney-dew is the condensa-
tion of the aroma or odor of flowers, how does
it happen that this substance is usually pre-
sent in greatest quantity long after the bloom-
ing and odoriferous season is over V Cherry
trees, apple trees, plum trees, etc., most fre-
quently only begin to show honey-dew after
tlie young shoots have gi'own several inches,
and when the fruit is already formed.
SccomVij, if honey-dew falls from a condensa-
tion of odor or aroma, how does it hapjien
that it only falls upon the leaves of the trees
and shrubs, and not ou the grass and other
vegetation around them? Thirdly, if such,
as lias been suggested by Mr. N., is the cause
of honey-dew, why is it that a beech, an oak
or a willow may have abundance of it, and
other contiguous trees and shrubbery be en-
tirely free from it V and no fragrance or bloom
of any kind be near them. It is true, that
some trees during their flowering season se-
crete nectar so copiou.sly that it .sometimes runs
from the flower-cujis and falls on the leaves
belovs' them— such for instance as magnolias,
dog-wood and tlie white pojilar or tulip-tree ,•
especially the last named. But this is not a
condensation from a vapory condition, it is a
liquid exudation or secretion. .Some fragrant
flowering plants— the white Peony, for in-
stance—after the flower liuds have become
much swollen, secrete considerable quantities
of a sweet mucus, and hence become infested
by numbers of flies, ants, wasps and bees, to
tlie great annoyance of anxious flower grow-
ers, and many other plants in the leaf and

flower buds do the same, but this is an exu-
dation. Finally, honey-dew — so-called — is
eitlier a normal or abnormal saccharine or
resinous exudation from vegetation ; or it is
extracted, elaborated and discharged by in-
sects, generally ^jj//jds or Cocci; and either
one or both of these causes may explain every
case where it occurs, with reasonable satis-
faction.

As touching the subject of condensation,
from an abstract ])oiut of view we admit the
hiwe jxissihility of Mr. N.'s theory; but at the
same time we are constrained to place it in tlie
category of ivqirobtihilities. Of course, the
substance called houey-dew does not originate
from nothing, and therefore must proceed from
sovuthirig. Scent, aroma, odor, perfume, fra-
grance, or whatever else we may call it, is a
material sulistance, but one of the most im-
ponderable of substances, and we opine it
would lie more diflicult to condense it into
as tangible a substance as honey-dew than
it would he to condense carbon into a
diamond. It is too refined, too ethereal,
diffusive and volatile for condensation, with-
out the aid of the most perfect and com-
plicated machinery. It is said that when the
bed chamber and drawers of the Empress
Josephine were ventilated forty years after
she had occupied them, they were still as fra-
grant as they had been during her life time.
No matter what the f)dor may be, it is still a
highly refined material substance, and in the-
ory may be resolved into its original form ;
but, if it may remain forty years ethcrealized
in a confined apartment, the condensation of
odor in the open air will hardly account for
the presence of honey-dew or its swatness.

WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

No doubt this cjuestion often occurs to those
who are i>osi5essed of reflective minds, and they
would liavegiveii almost anything if tliej' knew
where "this, that, or t'other thing" origi-
nally came from.

Indeed, "Where did you come from?"
natur.ally also involves the question, "Where
are you going to?" because if we know pre-
cisely the origin, the latitude, and the native
clime of a iilant, we may also know where we
would lie justified in taking it to, with any
prospect of success in its outdoor cultivatioii.
No doubt the particular origin and tlie native
country of many of our trees, shrubs and
plants, are merely conjectural, but even that
conjectural knowledge is Ynore satisfactory
than no knowledge at all. The qualifying,
" it is said," is sometimes a great relief to iis,
and often assists us in "pointing" a para-
graph, the responsibility of which we fiicl re-
luctant to assume. The following will illus-
trate the when and original whereabouts of a
few subjects of the vegetable kingdom with
which we may be familiar, but the origin
aud history of which we may not always be
able to " lay our finger on " without some
labor or expense.

The Travels of Plants.

Alexander brought rice from Persi.a to the Medi-
terranean, the Arabs carried it to Egypt, the Moors
to Spain, the Spaniards to America. Lucullus brought
the cherry tree (which takes its name from Cerasus,
the city of Pontus, where he found it,) to Rome, as a
tropliv of liis Mithridatie campaign; and 120 years
later, or in A. D. 4fi, as Pliny tells us, it was carried
to England. Ciesar is said to have given barley to
both Germany and Britain. According to Strabo,
wheat came originally from the banks of the Indus,
but it had reached the Mediterranean before dawn of
authentic history. Both barley and wheat came to
the New World with its conquerors and colonists, and
the maize wliicli they found here soon went to Eu-
rope in exchange. It was known in England in less
than fifty years after the discovery of America; it
wasintroduced to the Mediterranean countries, by way
of Spain, at the end of tlie sixteenth century, and the
Venetians soon carried it to the Levant. Later it
traveled up tlie Danube to Hungary, aud gradually
spread eastward to China. While it was thus inv.-id-
iug the regions formerly devoted to rice, the latter,
as we have said, was establishing itself in this country.

The sugar-cane, which, with its sweet product, was
known to the Greeks and P.omaus only as a curio-
sity, seems to have been cultivated in India and China
from the earliest times. Its introduction into Europe

was one of the results of the crusades, aud thence it
was transplanted to Maderia, and early in the six-
teenth centui-y from that island to the West Indies
The original home of" King Cotton " was probably
in Persia or India, though it is also mentioned in the
early annals of Egypt, and liad spread throughout
Africa in very ancient times.

The potato was found in Peru and Chili by the first
explorers of those countries, who soon carried it to
Spain. It is said to have reached Burgundy in ISliO,
and Italy about the same time. It appears to have
been brought from Virginia to Ireland by Hawkins,
a slave trader, in 1.5(;.5: and to England in 15S.5, by
Drake, who presented some tubers to Gerard, who
planted them in his garden in London, and described
the plant in In^s Herball; and it was also introduced
by l;aleigli at about the same date. But it was slow
to attract attention, and it was not till nearly a cen-
tury later that it begau to be muelr cultivated. In
IfitW the Royal Society puljlislied rules for its culture,
and from that time it rapidly gained favor. The
Dutch carried it to the Cajie of Good Hope in 1800,
and thence it made its >ay to ludm.— Journal of
Chemistry.

Time 9 o'clock, A, M.

DAYS. THEEM. WINDS.

WEATHEIt.

METEOROLOGY OF MARCH 1776-1876.

We have never niade.or recorded meteoro-
logical observations, simply for the reason that
we have not had time and opiiortunity, since
we have attached any imiiortance to the sub-
ject. The following record of March 1876, 1
and Maich ii hundred years ago, illustrates in I
a rather remarkable degree the similarity of
the two widely separated periods, and our
readers can make the comparisons for them-
selves, as to details, in which they may be
much more familiar than we are. We shall
occasionally, during the Centennial year, en-
deavor to furnish our patrons with mental and
intellectual food, of the ''old iuid the new,"
just to show us how far aud fast we are travel-
ing, and what we have gathered on the way.
Meteorology has assumed a mighty importance
in this country, since the establishment of the
"U. S. Signal Bureau," and the results are
becoming every year more perfect, more
satisfactory and wide-extended. Its results
are now had in hand and are transmitted by
telegrajih and just here, we think, the "new"
is just so far in advance of the "okl." If every
thing else that constitutes our stiifl' as a people
was making the same progress it would stamp
us as a progressive people.

Meteorological Diary, at Philadelphia, for
March 1776.

1 .... 13 W Fair and windy.

3 .... 3.5 W Fair.

3 ... 36.... S.W Foggy.

4.... 40 N.E. .. H'v'zy.

5.... 47 S.W. Misty.

6 47 W Flying clouds and windy.

7 ... 40 S.W Cloudy. (Stormy prev. night.)

8 46 W Cloudy.

9 ...53 S.W Fair.

10... 33 .... N.E Cloudy.

11 .39 .. N.E Fair.

13 .... 49 .... S.W Foggy.

13 35 N Fair.

14 40 N.W.... Rain.

15 45 N.E Cloudy.

16 .... 51 S. W Cloudy— nain in the night.

17 .... 52 N. W Cloudy.

18 .... 48 N.E Cloudy— rain in tlie night.

I'J .... 4.S ... S.W Cloudy — rain preceding day.

20 ... il W Fair. ^

21 32 . . N. W Fair and windy.

23 37 S. E Overcast.

23 39 W Fair — much rain previous day.

24 33 N. W Wind and Hying clouds. Frost

in the night.

25 33.....N.W Overcast. Hard frost in the

night.

36 38.....N.W Fair.

37 33.... N.W Fair.

38.... 39 N.W ... Fair.

29 36 .... S. W Cloudy.

30 41 N. E Sleet.

31 37 N. W Cloudy — much raiu the pre-
ceding day.
From Pemmylvania Magazine for April, 1770.

The average or mean temperature of the
month of March, 1"7(), was SiljJ. There were
eight days on which rains fell, but tlie quan-
tity was not noted. Perhaps at that period no
instrument was in use for that purpose. It J
may be interesting to some of our readers to ■
coiiqiare 1870 and 1770, day for day, and then
note the diiference for themselves.

1S7G.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

Meteorological Diary at Liberty Square, Lan-
caster County, Pa., for March, 1876.

DAVa. THKUMnMKTEU. COITUMR OF WINDS,

6A.M. :>1'..M. 8I>.M. OA..M. 2 1>. M. .S I'. M.

1 -.i-Z :ili :il... N. S. N. W.

2 23 a; :i2... N. N.W. N.

3 20 32 (i2... N. N.W. N.

4 3S 2H 44... W. N. 8.

5 S5 ,5.'". ....:...4S... N. S. 8.

6 88 69 .V,... S. 8. 8.

7 4.5 (W (JO... S. S. W. 8.

8 .50 47 38.. S.W. N. N.

9 33 48 42... N. N. E. N.

10 43 51 42.. N.E. S. 8.

11 3.5 CO .50... S. E. S. E. S.

12 35 48 .52... 8. E. S. K. 8. E.

1:; 42 ....... 75 4(! .. N.W. N.W. N.

14 30 25 35... N. W. N.

15 20 42 3(i... N. E. N. N.

Ifi 34 3(i 43... 8. E. E. 8.

17 37 42 33... N. S.W. N.

18 27 2(! 19... N.W. N. N.W.

19 10 29 25... N. N. N.

20 22 32 35... 8. E. E. E.

21 30 39 28... 8. E. N. W. N. W.

22 25 40 33... W. N. W. W.

23 30, 40 3G... W. W. W.

24 30 43 3B... W. 8. S. E.

25 41 .54 4-1... 8. N.byW. N.W.

26 3S .56 40... W. W. W.

27 36 4.3 40... W. N. W. N.

28 86 40 .56... E. E. 8.

39 43 40 35... W. W. W.

30 35 40 37... N. W. N. W. W.

13 35 46 38... N.W. N.W. 8.

Observations made by Rachel S. Smith.

Average temperature for March, 1876 — 6 A.
M., aa 5-10 ; '2 P. M., 43 ; 8 P. M., mi ; the
general averaj^e beiiijj; about 38. Consideriuf,'
the dilTerent liours, when the temperature was
recorded, there seems to be very little ditfer-
ence, in the averajife dej;rees, between March,
1870, and the same month in 177(3. The mean
temperature of a day, nor yet the mean dhec-
tion of a wind, cannot be ascertained as cor-
rectly by a single oliscrvation made in the
early part of it, as at ditl'erent liours in it.

Hygroraetrical Diary, at Philadelphia, for
March, 1776.

I>.\Ta. HOUB8. HYOBOM.

A.M. P.M. A.M. P.M.
1 9 3 30 36

2 9 3 40 50

3 No observatious made

4 9 3 .50 60

5 9 3 100 100

6 9 3 80 85

7 9 3 90 80

8 9 3 50 61

9 9 3 80 86

10 -No observution ...

11 9 3 40 .55

12 9 3 .SO. 86

13 9 3 90 86

14 9 3 95 90

15 9 3 70 80

16 9 3 101 Ill

17 No observation

18 9 3 80 86

19 9 3 70 SO

20 9 3 70 80

21 9 3 80 75

22 9 3 30 41

2i 9 3 44 47

34 No observation

35 9 3 86 i")

2(i 9 3 100 110

27 9 .... 3 75 85

28 9 3 50 65

29 9 3 SO 75

30 9 3 70 80

81 No observation...

From Pennsylra?iia Magazine for April, 1876.
IIil<iromctri/ differs somewhat from Barome-
try, and relates more to the moisture in the
air than to its density or pre.ssure, although
both instruments may be used for a similar
purpose. There \vere live days — Sundays — on
which no ob.servations were made, and hence
we have omitted making average. Tlic ob-
servations were all made at i) A. M., before
the true character of the day is determined,
and do not give so fully the mean results.

Barometrical Diary, at Liberty Square, Lan-
caster County, Pa., for March, 1876.
C ileuotcs cloudy; F, fair ; K, rain,

6A.M. 2.P.M. 8P. M. IN. UAIN-.

1 29.60 C 29.79 C 27.-10 K

2 .50 F 62 K 62 F 17

3 62 F 62 F 62 F

4 SO F 74 F 74 F

6 A. M. 2 P. .M. 8 P. M. in. ini.v.

5 .74 F 72 F 79 F

6 72 F 76 F .5S F

7 4.S F 85 F 2! F

8 27 .(IOC 30 F 30 F 72

9 2.5C 31 F 36 F

10 40 F 40 F 4(1 F

11 70 C .50 C .51 C

12 -WV 40 F 19 C Ot

18 -.HF .50 F 60 F 37

14 (il F (!0 F (i3 F

15 70 F 6(!C 63 F

16 .5011 lOlt 27.00 C 1.23

17 28.86 C 38.87 F 2X.iM F

18 37.07 K 39.06 C 29.25 F

19 60 F mV 60 F

20 78 F 70c 39 C

31 aS.76C 28.n0C 2S.10 U

32 29.30 F 29..50 F 2'.I.U F

3i .50 C .500 .50 F

34 .50 F .56 F 46 C

25 40 8 29.000 3S.88 K 3.16

36 39.00 F 06 29.10 F

37 26 F 30 F 33 F

28 (H I{ 28.75K 28..56 K 1.87

29 38.68 90 F 39.00 F

80 39.00 8 29.02 13 F

31 80 F 33 70 F

Ottservations madetnj liaehcl S. Smith,
There wen^ eight rains during the niontli,
in which 8.:i7 inches fell, averaging 1.04 5' inches
at each lain fall, or ."27 in. for each ilay in tlu;
month, lianiniilri/ has relation to lUeprcs.sioc
or (leusily of the atmospliere ; and from the
foregoing it will be seen that tlie/ii|//(r.vt lijrm-cs
were recorded at 2 o'clock, P. M., (2."J7'J,) on
the first day of the montli.

SWALLOWS.

" One swriUoir will nat )iiitl-c a siiriimrr,''''
neither will a score of tliem sometimes, for
we have seen the latest arrivals among tliem —
the " House Martins," or "Purple Martins,"
{Progne pnrpurcii) — .sadly mi.staken in their
meterological calcidations ; we have seen the
jioor little fellows looking out of their bo.xesat
the falling snow, only occasionally uttering a
feeble rhcr-rre-ce, or a faint ricli-cij-dirkei/, and
.seemingly wondering what it all meant; seeing

that the weather had lieen so beautilid and
they had been so cheerful — even noisy — just
the ilay jirevious. Tins, however, does not
connn )idy occur; therefore, when the swal-
lows make their advent, and especially tlie
si)ecies above named, we may feel pretty cer-
tain that summer is near. And what inno-
cent, cheerful, industrious and, withal, plucky
little birds they are, too, and sometimes noi.sy
to boot. From "earlj' morn to dewy eve"
they are on the wing, and in pursuit of their
insect prey. The amount of this kind of food
they daily consume we have no means at
jiresent to clearly estimate, but when we con-
si<ler that, with the ex('e|)tion of one species,
perhaps, tliey feed on nothing else, we may
conclude that the quantity inu.st be enormous.
Their economical stitu.s is tlierefore uiuiue.s-
tionablc, although they niay destroy a few
bees occasionally, by way of a relish.

Six species belonging to tlie family IIlUl'V-
l>IN'n).K, visit Lancaster county every spring,
make their summer altode, breed, and rear
their little families here, (some raising two
broods.) and leave us again in early antunm ;
namely, the "Barn Swallow," Jliriuab) hor- \
reorum; the "Cliff Swallow," H. lunifrons; |

the "Whit.'-bellied Swallow," //. hirnlor ; the
"Hank Swallow," Oitijh: ri/dOi'd; the "l{ough-
winged Swallow," C'. titrripeuiii.% and the
" I'uiple Martin," Proline jiuiimrca. The
"(.'hiinney Swallow," Clintiini ;icf<i,«/iVi, is
now placed in the family Cyi'siklid.e, or
SwiKi's, but for all i)ractical purpos<'s it is na
good a swallow as any among them. They
take a great deal of their prey, if not all of it,
"on the wing," but some of the species do
not conline themselves to the softer, more
delicate, and comparatively liarmle.Hs in.sccln,
but al.so " l)olt " May-k-t'lles, (ioldstnith.s,
.hine-biigs. and the larger and more rigid
kind. (Wilson found six of the.se in the
stomach of one Purple Martin.) Kaeh female
swallow jn'oduees from four to six young ones
at a brood, and where she produces two br<K)d.s
it rc'ipiires a vast nundK-r of insects to supply
them with their needed aliment. The White-
bellied swallow is, however, sjiid to devour
berries in the fall, just before it leaves us for
the sunny .South.

We r(-niend«'r di.slinctly the time yet when
it was believed that swallows did not migrate
southward at the approach of winter, but that
they remained with lis and hid in hollow trees,
knot-holes, in the mud, or in some other simi-
lar pla(;e, but that idea, even among the il-
literate or ignorant, receives now but little
credit, if any are found simple enough to )x;-
lieve il at all.

We once occupied a house for five years that
had been Iho resort of the Purple >fartins for
more than thirty years. They always ap-
peared suddenly and about the liflei'Utli of
May, and left just as suddenly about the
lirst of Seiitemlier, never varying more than
live or six days from Cliese dates. They
occupied bo.xes "under the eaves," and when
the colony became too large they would
build nests outside, or on to|i of the boxes.
They were very early ri.sers, often to the di.s-
turl)an<;e of our own morning repose, and al-
though they also retired early, yet they would
avail themselves of the very latest moment of
twilight. We think they were ab<iut the
busiest colony of living In-ings on the ejirtli,
that had cmiie under our oliservation. They
Were constantly "on the go," except when it
rained very hard. They appeared to be the
veriest slaves to their own and their chililien"s
stomaclis. Their coining in the spring was
never heralded, and their dejiarture in early
antunm was without any previous warning.
We retired on a spring evening KirallDuttus,
and we arose in the morning .■^indlownl, and
inversely this was the same in autumn.

We always fell sad at llieir departure, foril
indicaled tiiat the summer had gone and that
winter was approaching. Ihit during their slay
they Were nio.st industrious •in.seetcii-s," sally-
ing forth and returning tothciryoungasinucli
as twenty times within an hour, and every
time freighted with an insect rep.i.'^t. for one
or more ot their oll'spring. On anotlier <H'ca-
sion we ociupied a house, an unused chimney
in whuh had been a nesting place for the
"chimney swallows" for many years. These
usually niade tlu'ir ajipearance a little earlier
than the Martins. On one occa-sion one of
their nests fell down on a hearth near the foot
of our bed. and wa.s only .sepanited from us bv
a jiaper screen. This nest was made of small
sticks and twigs cemented together by a kind
of gum, and lined inside witli a few feathers.
When it lell the young birds made a most dis-
tressing noise. We righleil the iie.st on the
hearth and put the nakeil young birds into it
again, and the parents appreciating our. services
at once established I'onlidenlial relations with
us. anil continuecl to feed them in that situa-
tion until they were fully Hedged, when they
left us without even s;iying "good-bye." Ihit
that little family of liv("' chimney swallows was
about the noisesl "institution" weever heard.
Tin y could "take down" the noisiest alarm
clock thatever was maile. Wealmo.st n-iwuted
that we had given them domicile in ourajiart-
meiits. That little family devoured at lea-st
twelve breakfasts every morning Ix'fore we got
one, and if talking during the meal facilitate*
digestion, they were first-class physiologists.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April, I

Independent of tlie uses of swallows to the
human family as insect scavengers — the value
of which may be remotely incalculaljle — they
have immediate commercial value in someeast-
eni countries, the magnitude of which seems
almost incredible. Nodoulit many of our read-
ers may have lieard of, or read of, the famous
"Birds-nest soup, "so popular among the higher
classes of the Chinese. These nests are con-
structed by a small " clitl'-swallow" — Hirundo
esrutoita — usually called, in commerce, "edi-
ble-birds-nests." There seem to be various
opinions, or theories, in regard to the comjio-
sition of these nests, but they are generally
conceded to be largely composed — if not en-
tirely — of a vegetable mucilage collected and
secreted by these birds. Some have it that a
delicate, translucent seaweed, is incorporated
with the gum. Be that as it may, the nests
are attached to over-hanging rocks, or in cav-
erns along tlie seacoast of China and the east-
ern islands ; and the whole trade is in the
hands of the Chinese government, and that
country is almost the sole consumer. There are
various qualities of them, the best quality being
worth its weight in silver. Before the birds have
lined their nests, or laid ^their eggs, constitutes
the finest and best quality. After they have
laid their eggs therein they are reckoned
second quality, and after they have hatched
their broods in them tliey become third (piality,
but each of these ciualities are subdivided into
intermediate qxialities. After these nests are
collected and dried in the shade they are
packed in boxes of about l.'iO jiounds each,
called a picid. The common price in the Can-
ton market is, for the first quality, S:i,5(t0 a
picul, something over .fiili.OO a pound. The
second quality is worth S2,8()0 a picul, and the
third .'SI, 00(1 for the same. Dealers assort them
into intermediate qualities and arrange the
scale of prices accordingly. Java, Macassar,
Snluk, Batavia, Ceylon, and other eastern
islands, all export, these edible swallows nests
to China. The annual quantity shipiied from
these idaces is 24-2,400 i>ounds and at the above
prices, this very jieculiar property is worth
$1,203,.519, and all this demand rests upon the
capiicious wants of a single people. The
business is very hazardous, but it pays pretty
well the limited number engaged in it. We
have never seen the liest (juality, but the in-
ferior (pialities we have often handled while
they were in possession of Judge Libhart, of
Marietta. They were not a tempting morsel
to us, looking like a rough cup of dirty white
glue. Of course tlie poor people among the
Chinese cannot afford to consume them,
therefore they are exclusively the monopoly of
tlie nol)ilily and the ricti.

FLORAL SPECULATION.

Tlie following, which we have seen floating
annnid in the newsjiajier press of the country
"long, long ago," is now going the "rounds"
again, for the dozenth time, for aught we
know to the contrary, and still lias an interest
that will never diminish ; exhibitingas it does
the trivial foundation upon which a sjxTula-
tion may rest, its vast extent, and the ticti-
tious value that may be attached to things
that are almost totally destitute of anything
but a merely ordinary value at all.

It is ditlicult to perceive on what merit the
"Tulip Mania" could have been liased, for at
best, their season is short, and tliey are desti-
tute of fruit, flavor or odor, and on" the ground
of utility, far inferior to tlie bulbs of onions.
Had they been jioppies they might have
yielded opium, and have been classed with
things connnercial ; but being merely Tulips
they had nothing to recommend them, saving
their beauty, and even on this score they are
far inferior to many other flowering iilants
that enter into the lists of the Floriculturists
of the present day. The antiquity of the
event, however, and its novelty, entitle it to a
permanent record.

The Tulip Mania.

Of all ttnnr::s in the world in whic-li to make a cor-
ner, to excite a speculation, to be imflt'il liy brokers,
it would seem as if flowers would be the last. But

that a W'liole nation sliould srrow mad over bulbs,
that the imlustry of a jjcople shouhl be turned aside
from tlie pursuit of airriculture to that of liorticul-
ture, and that the mania sliould spread from the
phlegmatic Dutchman to the phlegmatic English-
man, seems almost incredible. Yetlu the beginning
of the seventeenth century the desire for tulips had
BO .sjiread over Eurojie that no wealthy man consid-
ered his srardcn perfect without his rare collection of
tulips. From the aristocracy the rage spread to the
middle and the agricultural classes, and merchants
and shop keepers began to vie with each other in the
rarity of tlieir flowers, and in the prices jiaid for
them. A trader at Haarlem was actually known to
pay half his fortune for a single root, not from any
expectation of profit in its propagation, but to keep
it in his conservatory for the admiration of his ac-
quaintances.

The first tulip seen in Europe was beheld at Augs-
burg, in Germany, in 1.5.5fl, and was imported from
Constantinople, where it had long been a favorite.
Ten or eleven years after this the plant was in great
demand in Holland and Germany. Wealthy burtrh-
ers of Amsterdam sent direct to Constantinople for
their precious bull's, and paid extravagant prices for
them. The first roots planted in England were
brought from Vienna in the year piOO, and were con-
sidered a great rarity. For thirty years tulips con-
tinued to grow in reputation. One would suppose
there must have been some virtue in this flower that
made it so valuable in the eyes of so prudent a peo-
ple as the Dutch. Yet it lias neither the beauty nor
the perfume of the violet nor the fragrance of the
rose. It hardly possesses the beauty of the humble
sweet pea. Its only recommendation is its aristo-
cratic stateliness ; and this should hardly have com-
mended it to the only democratic republic on the
globe. But it is by no means the first time that fash-
ion has turned ugliness into beauty and rarity into
wealth.

In 16:14 the race for tulips among the Dutch was so
great that the ordinary industry of the country was
neglected, and the whole peojile turned to the pro-
duction of tulips. As this mania increased, prices
increased with it, until in 1(m.5 merchants were
known to have spent ^4(1,000 in the purchase of forty
tulips. At this time each species was sold by weight.
A tulip of the kind known as the Admiral Lietkin,
and weighing 400 grains, would sell for .SISOO ; the
Admiral Von der Eycke, weighing 4.50 grains, was
worth J1.500 ; a Viceroy of 4C0 grains would bring
$1200. Most precious of all, a Semper Augustus,
weighing only 200 grains, was thought to be cheap
at $2200. This last species was much sought after,
and even an inferior plant would readily sell for §800.
When this species was first known, in Kjofi, there
were only two roots of it in Holland, and those not of
the best — one belonging to a dealer in Amsterdam,
and the other was owned in Haarlem. So anxious
were the purchasers for this new variety that one
person offered twelve acres of valuable building land
for the Haarlem tulip. That of Amsterdam was sold
for $1840, a new carriage, two gray horses, and a com-
plete suit of harness. As a specimen of the valueof
these bulbs we give the actual copy of a bill of sale
for certain articles given in exchange for one single
root of the Viceroy siiecies :

Two lasts of wheat $179

Two lasts of rye '.i'iS

Four fat oxen 192

Eiubt fat ewme 9ti

Twelve f At sheep 48

Two bogsheails wliie 28

Four tous beer 13

Two tons butter TT

oue t bousautts pouu'is clit ese 4S

Cue bed. conjjtlete 40

One suit clothes 32

Oue silver cup 24

JIOOO
Since that day tulips have declined in value, but
wine, butter, and cheese have decidedly advanced. —
Wrn. li. Ifoopcr^ llarjH'T^s Marjazine,

YP^Kyi MORTGAGES.

Almost every one who has had occasion to buy a
farm, and to leave lie a portion of the purchase money
on mortgage, must have felt the injustice of being
taxed for what he does not really own. A man buys
a I'arm for say §10,000, and ^r),(Ki(i remains ; he pays
taxes to the full value of the §10,1100, liesides ]iaying
$300 in this State or f-lOO in the West for the use of
the §.5,000 remaining unpaid on the land. But the
Government not only makes him jiay a tax on the
whole ten thousand dt)llars, suiiposing the farm to be
assessed at the full value, but it comes the second
time and takes the holder of the §.5,000 he has " out
at interest." Now "the man who has money at inter-
est is determined to make six per cent, at least on his
money. He must do it to mak* it w'orth his wliile to
have money out at all. And so he looks about to see
how he can so fix things as to make it fall on the
holder of the land. So he either takes it into con-
sideration in fixing the price of the land if lie is .sell-
ing ; or if he is a mere lender on land he extracts a
heavy " bonus," or buys a mortgage at a discount in
order to make him whole ; and in this way the one
who is so unfortunate as to owe anything on laud,

pays taxes twice on his indebted portion to one only
when it is clear of all incumbrances. This is a curi-
ous anomaly in law. Usually it is thought to be the
genius of good laws to favor the honest, industrious,
struggling debtor ; hut in this particular case of a
tax on mortgages this law is made to operate in just j|
the other way. *

It seems remarkable that any tax should have ever
been imposed on mortgages under the head of prop-
erty. If there be any tax on income, the money de-
rived from mortgiiges might have there a legitimate
jjlace. But as property it is clearly absurd, as a
mortgage is simply the evidence of debt. It is no
more property than is a duly-attested receipt for
money paid. It is indeed nothing but a promise to
give property in case certain stipulations are not car-
ried out in manner and form as aforfigaid. It is in no
sense property, yet as property it is taxed, although
the property which it covers is already taxed in the
hands of the one to whom it has been deeded.

It came up before the Supreme Court of California
recently, by the objection of some mortgage-holders
to pay this sort of " property" tax, and the court
decided in favor of the holders. And now what do
other States say, in which this anomaly exists?

The above, from the editorial column of the
GermaiHown Tf'leijraph, applies equally to
town houses, and other species of real estate,
both in town and country ; and, having had
some experience in tliis and other systems of
taxation, we have for twenty-five or more
years failed to see tlie right of it in any case,
for tliis is the jiiYictjce if not the law in Penn-
sylvania ; a practice which we have often and
alwiiys condemned, and which has just as
earnestly been defl'iided, even by some of
those who were its victims. Mankind are
generally— almost proverbially — lax in tax-
paying, or in making just returns of what is
legally taxiible ; and many people either feel
themselves justifiable, or excusable, for de-
frauding the government, solely on the ground
that the t;ix is not eipiitably, or is excessively,
levied. This, of course, is not riijJd, although
the law may be wrong; Init in any event, hun-
dreds, thousands, yes, tens of thousands of
dollars are annually lost to the government
and the honest jiortion of the people, through
the unjust duplication of taxes; to the gov-
ernment, liecause knaves omit to make a fair
return, on the ground that somebody else is
jiaying the tax, and to the honest people, be-
cau.se they are paying double ttixes.

A comparatively poiir man owns two proper-
ties worth one tliou.sand dollars each, and sells
one to his poorer neighbor, taking his obliga-
tion for the payment of thcsaine ; and if tliey
arc both honest men, they pay tlie taxes on
two tliousand dollars worth of real estate,
at the usual rates of taxation, and the one
who holds the obligation of the other is taxed
luldilionally for one thousand dolkirs which he
is deemed to have "out on interest." If any
law-maker can .see justice in this he is gifted
with a higher degree of moral penetration
than we are — that's all.

During the reliellion the United States reve-
nue laws were administered in the same way,
although we had it over the antograiih of a
distinguished member of the Committee of
" Ways and Means," that such was never the
intention of the law. For instance — a marble
ma.son was taxed six per cent, on a finished
slab of marble ; a looking-glass manufacturer
was taxed the same amount on a finished mir-
ror; a hardware merchant was taxed the
same on locks, knol)s, screws, casters and
nails; a dealer in "cabinet findings" was
taxed on veneers, turned work, paints, oils,
and varnishes. AH these taxes being added
to the first cost of all this material was as-
■sessed ujion the cabinet-maker who used them,
and then he was taxed on the value his labor
added to the combining of this material into a
piece of cabinet work, and also on the cost of
materials with tlie previous tiixes included ;
and yet obtuse revenue commissioners af-
fected not to see tliat there was a dujilication,
if not a triplication, or quadruplication of
taxes, members of Congress or even-handed
justice to the contniry notwithstanding.

Human beings — unregenerated human be-
ings at least — are morally weak ; but when
tliey come consciously under inequitable taxa-
tion, and see the mal-application and fraudu-
lent appropriation of taxes after they are as-

187G.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

sessi'd ;iii(l cDllcctcd, il is not so siirpi-isiii<,'
lliat tiixcs should lie so loiii; withheld, so
gi-a<l;,'in)i]v i)iiid, and so rni'ai,'cily rclin-ncd.
It (^ocs si'iMii, that no matter how honest and
disinterested men nia^' appear hel'ore they K>'t
into otHce, as soon as tliey attain sneh "posi-
tions they Ijeeome indilVereid. or are solely al>-
sorbed in sehenii's ot seit-a.L,'t;randi/.ement, and
neLjleet the interest of the people entirely.
Let us have (quilnblc taxation, whether the
taxes are lnmiKlly paid or not. O/ict taxed is
enough, in a country of equal laws.

INSECTS, AND INSECT REMEDIES
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Fnini the U. .V. Maijaziiw <if ITT'J.

"Ill the fall of 17711, I iiioveil from I'liilailelptiia
hito Kciil eiiuiily, ill tlie Di'lawaro 8late, wlii-ri', oli-
Buiviiii; till' cli'stnietion (il'llu' lly iiiafle on lh<^ wheal,
it rcealU'il to my iiu'iiiory liaviiii,' read in an F.ii:;lisli
maij-azine Bome Iweiily or tliirty years siiieo, a liUe
ealainily in Franee, wliich nearly liniiiijlit on ii
famine, and the iiiellioil the Freiieh look to stop tlie
devastation. .Vceonlinu'ly last ^[irini; I lu-spolie my
year's consumption of tinit jrrain, ofa neii^hhorim;
farmer, to be ilelivorcd to me inniiediatcly- aftei'
harve.st ; liiit I diil not iiv\. it until two weeks'afier il.
was cut, in wllicll time 1 olisel-ved the lly had lie!;un
its deiuvdalioii. 1 tlii'ii put a hiast into llie oven,
hut not sullieieiit to heat it for baUins:; when the
wood was liunit down, I rakeil out the eoals
witli what ashes the rake would brin;; out with them
and havim; previously prepared a tub of w ater, and
a Uu'L'e mop ; alternately I rinsed the mop and
swabbed out the reniainiiiij ashes until the hearth
was so eooled that I eould bear my linger on llie
brieks nearly ten seeoiids.

Iinnieiliately I then tumbled in my wheat, and
bavins; elosely stopjied up the oven, I let it remain
therein twenty-four hours. This process, 1 find, has
totally destroyed the insect and its emliryo. Thus,
while the neighborhood around nie are obliged to
eat their maggoty, putrid grain, we have good bread,
as heretofore.

At first I was fearful of oue or other of three evils
attending the [irocess; either it would kill the vege-
tation, or it would prevent fermentation, or it would
give the Hour a brown cast, and perhaps all three ;
but 1 have the pleasure to tind neither is the ease,
for we have as light and as white bread as formerly,
aud on trying a small handl'ul of the wheat in moist
earth, I found it take root and sprout in aljout three
days, and I could not perceive a grain miscarry.

iiy the best accounts I could gather, the farmers
hereabout have lost near two-thirds of their present
crops by the lly, and what remains is light, very dis-
agreeable to the taste, aud I believe very unwhole-
some. A comniou sized oven will, at one operation,
kiln-dry si.\teen or eighteen bushels, no matter how
full the oven is, which my be turned iu at the hole
left to carry olf the smoke in heating. Thus, one
oven in a week will secure one hundred busliels from
the voracity of that destructive insect. Grinding it
into Hour inuuediately after reaping, will answer the
same end ; but this is an advantage tliat but few can
obtain, aud if the whole could, iihe mills must lay
idle the remainder of the year.

Perusing the London iliKjar.ine for the year 1773,
since I wrote the above, in the month of May for that
year, I found the following experiments, addresse I to
a member of the Royal Nockli/ ; and as I appridiend
the rc-i>ublication may be of great utility, I shall be
mucli pleased to see it in your useful magazine.

Benjamin JIiiilin.

Tlie above writer baloii<;ed to an old and
distingnishud Pennsylvania lainily, tiiid was
no doubt a brotlier of TlloMAs MlFFLIX, a
Revolutionary ollicer, and one of the early
governors of the State, under the Constitu-
tion ; and the insect to wliich he alludes ini-
der the name of the "Fly" was no donlit, a
species of "weevil," for there is no ////tliat we
wot of, the maggots of which could do any
damagt^ to wheat after it had ripened. The
" midge" {6Vfi(/o)/(//i(t (ri'Si'c)') after the larvte
litis matured, goes into the earth, and ellects
its transfoniiation there. Tliis insect tlieu
nuist have been tlie black or "granary
weevil" {Sitdjihilus ijrannrius) which infests
corn, wheat and otlier grains. The tulult fe-
male deposits its eggs on ripe grain, from
spring to fall, and the. larvte lives and under-
goes its tninsformations within the kernel.
We htive often detected it on the hetids or
ears of ripe wheat in tlu' lield ; and wlien the
eggs are hatched the young Uiri-fc bore into
the floury parti of the grains of wheat and
corn, if indeed the mother does not lirst punc-
ture the seed before she deposits her eggs.
We have also seen teiis of thousands of tliese

weevils in granaries, corni-ribs and old barns,
and we happen to know that they luivea very
ininrious elTect upon the ipiality of tiie
wheat, ;uid the Hour that is made from it.

Now, adniilting thtit the foregoing article
has referenct^ to the gninary weevil, we do
not think any bidter plan has been developed
for its destruction during the entire century
than that which w;is prtiiticed one hundred
years ago, by Mr. Milllin, and which had been
known in France a (juarter of a century be-
fore. For this reason we reproduce it here,
;uid also to show the antiquity of agri<adtural
entomology, and illustrates i\w jirogress wc;
are making in that direi-tion. Kiln-drying
has often been reconnnended for infeste<l
grains, nuts and seeds, and wlieie it has been
skillfully done, it has been successful. It is
triU', this process may be a slow on(f, but if it
is ;i sure one it is worth trying. I'erliaps we
have too little veneration for old things, only
liccausi: they ;irc old. We want in some ipiick
w;iy to "do.s(i" insects, and then let it work
its own way, whilst we turn our atlention to
some other speculation thtit will "n;iy"
better. The article tdluded to in Mr. M.'s
closing iiatagraph, we reserve for another
occasion, fof, during the yetir, wi; intend to
placid ISTii and 1770 in contrast where we
think it uaii be useful. — Eu.

OLD BUFO.

We entertttin a feeling of iirofound regard
for the common toad ( Hafiidiairiranii) anil also
for those who condescend to say a kind word
in his favor. And yet, it is in reality no act
of co)i(^,spc)i,sJo)i to do so, but an impenitive
duty ; for, of all tlu! ho]i|)iiig or creeping
things that have a local haliitalion anioiig us,
there is none more useful than the toad ; and
yet he is almost universally despised, if not
"hated and maltreated, lie does no harm what-
ever, but on the contrary, a great deal of
good, and consequiMitly he is always a wel-
come guest to our domicile and garden. In-
deed, they seem to know that they are wel-
come and often conduct their scavengering
Udiors in our iireseui^e, seemingly to show
whiit they arc capable of doing. We know
not how long a toad will survive, but it seems
that we have recognized the same old rusty-
coated blinkers for a succession of seasons.
They have the most capacious mouths and
stomachs of any animals of their size and
weight, and aiipetitcs to correspond. We are
satisfied that they answer the end for which
they have been permitted to exist, far nearer
thau many of the human species.

Toads.

The toad is a most useful thing in a garden. I
had a plant dreailfully infested with wood-lice, almost
destroyed by them, and a toad located himself by as
its protector, and to be ready in an emergency he
made in the mould a hole all but tleej) enough to hide
himself in, but not deep eiiouirh to pruvent his liav-
iiig a thorough good view of the plant ; and wlicn
wood-louse, beetle, or anything of the kind appeared
near him or the plant, out he came and jiounced
ujion it — " You arc mine !" This was wholly his
work. I only watched him sometimes, greatly
l)leased at his success. Another time as I was walk-
ing alom; a path in the garden I saw the load ap-
proaching ; the pace was (piii-k for a toad, but I soon
saw what Ik- was after. Just on lieforc him was a
beetle which I expected to see caught, liut ere there
was apparently time for them to meet, the beetle had
disappeared, so quickly that my eye was not i|uiek
enough to .sec it taken, but no doubt it was in the
load's mouth, as i heard a click that told the talc of
eapturt;. Two other toads seem to havis concerted
between themselves how to act one evening so as to
take a border regularly, and in order to do their
work well it appeared to tie arranired that one of
them should go on the liorder and this other stay out-
side, having the box cd^'ing between tlicni ; and so
they did their work of clcaring,"keepiiig just opposite
the oni' to the other, as I was watching them from
the window alKive. 1 wish we could all act with
good feeling towards such useful creatures. They
do much good and no harm, but I have every reason
to believe they are sometimes treated most cruelly. —
I{. T. in Gardener's Chronicle.

To CoiJi!ESPONDENT8.— E. J. D.'s poetical
elfusions will ai)pear in season.

OLD AND NEW FLOWERS.

I noticed an article in your paper last fall
speaking of tlie deterioration of our old-
fashioned dowel's, and of the inferiority of the
new Hybrid ro.ses, when conipared with the
old " llnndred leaf" " "^'ork ;ind I.anca.ster,"
Cabbage roses and others. I will agree with
(he writer as regards perfume, but not its re-
gtirds form and coloring. A gentleman re-
siding in < 'assvillc (.Mr. I. Hamngarliier) lias
ro.ses in his garden which usually bloom pro-
fusely from .lime till ".lai'k Frost" putsan iiii-
tiiiiely end to their loveliness, and tin- quality
of the flowers will bear comparison with any of
their kind. I do not remember Just how many
varieties he liti.s, but ipiite a number, and most
of them he has budded himself. Fine Hybrid
roses are the " rule " nitluT tliiiii the "excep-
tion " in Lancaster, (iiant county. I noticed
very fine ones there this summer.

Xow, as regards the old-fashioned flowers,
such as I'iiiks, I'Idox Druinmondii, Aslein,
I'etunias, and la.st but not least, Verbena.s, I
cannot, so far as my ex| erieiice gotss, agree
with the before-mentioned writer. In lH7:{-7-t
my Asters were almo.st eipial to Dahlias. TIiIh
year they were not nearly so line, but the fault
W'as my own. 1 gave them a shady location
and but little ctire, which they resented by
giving nic small stunted (lowers. My I'Idox
were iicrfeetly betiutiful. I counted over forty
distinct varieties, and the flowers were very
large and the colors brilliant. My I'etuniiiS
were not .so large nor the colors as fme as
usutil; my own fault again, for this most of
them were .self-sown. My I'ortulaca, or Hose-
Moss, was the linest I ever .saw. Three years
siiK* I bought some doujile .Mo.ss .seed from
.lames V^ick, florist; the first season there was
but one kind, which proved to be double
flowers— they wei-e red; till of the I'ink, M,a-
genta, Yellow and White, were single. The
next year iu the same Im'iI, .s'(/"-.-.oicyi, I found
some fines double white flowers, and one root
of double yellow. This year almost every root
in the bed bore double flowers— yellow, white,
and three or four shades of red, and the flowers
so large that they looked like roses, the half-
blown buds being eipially as large as rose buds.

My Verbena bed was very line; there were
three or four shades of red, three or four of
ytdlow, some pure white, some variegated.
ThelH'd and every inch of the groimcl was per-
fectly covered with a dense nia.ss of foliage and
flowers, some of the branches riinning out
three or four feet from the main stalk, taking
root at each Joint and sending up new branches
of flowers. My A'erbenas commenced bloom-
ing early and bloomed till long after the frost
had killed all the other llowers, except the
Pausies.

I must speak a word in favor of the Tropeo-
lum Mtijns, as a rnnning vine. Mine were
planted in front of a high porch for the pur-
])ose of giving shade in the afternoon, when
the sun would shine directly on llitit side of
the house. My plants cominencecl blooming
when less than' two feet high, and I was quite
.sorry to see them do .so, feeling ipiite sure that
there would be no vines to serve as a screen
from the sun this summer; but I was mistaken;
they did run, soon reaching the top of the
l)orch and then riuining over the roof quite a
disttince, the whole length of the vines U-in^
lifteeii feet and blossoming coii.stantly, so thai
the front of the vines were one continuoiia
nia.ss of flowers. .Some of the largest in size
and flnest in cidor were along the top of the
porch, covering t he eave-trough. Over tmother
porch I had Madeira vines. They are U-autiful
with their thick waxen glossy leaves, and so
cletin, no worms or insects about them. If
any one wants vines with but little trouble get
a bulb of Madeira vine and take ptiins to give
it a rich soil, ;uid the next year you can cover
the whole house with vines if you wish, such
ipiantities of bulbs will you liavi' in the fall. —
Ju.sciiliinc C. Linuj, 6'ra»( m., iri.f., Gcr. Tel.
^

TnECENTEXNiAi-ExiiiniTioNwill open on
the Kith of next month. It will be the linest dis-
play in buildings and industrial products ever
seeu in oue collection, and will be worthsccing.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April,

THRUSHES.

" When fair Aurora blushes,

Ami ekiee are serene and clear,
The Linnets, Larks and Thrushes
With music delight the ear."

The TuKDiD^E, or Thrush family, is a pretty
numerous one, and includes some genera and
species that have never received the distinc-
tive name of " Thrushes ;" therefore, to apply
the term lltnisli, in a general sense, to a bird,
may mean a Robin, a Bluebird, a Kuby-
crowned Wren, or a Water Ouzel, as well as'
the true Thrush ; and formerly the Catbird
and the Mockingbird belonged to the same
family, and, judging by similarity of form
and song, they seem to be nearer allied to the
family of Thrushes than some of those inclu-
ded at jjresent in it.

The term Tnrdus, from whence the family
name of these birds is derived, literally means
a thn(sh; but the common name of Thrush is
not applied to all, even in the genus Tunhis,
of which the common robin is an example.
We have about twenty species belonging to the
Thrtish family in the United States, (eight of
which belong to Lancaster county,) and nine
of these have received tfie common name of
Thrush. All these birds are good "iusectors,"
and laws ought to exist, and be enforced at all
times, against their destruction. Some of
these bii ds, especially when young, are es-
teemed good game birds, and this is particu-
larly the case with the Robins. (Planesticus
mujrutorius. ) Great bundles of these birds
may often be seen garnishing the
doors and windows of fashionable
restaurants, notwithstanding the wise
laws enacted by our Legislatures for
their protection and preservation.
This bird is an almost universal favo-
rite, and it is beginning to increase
very rapidly, and is re-establishing its
confidential relations with the human
family, where these laws are re-
spected.

The Thrushes sometimes migrate
northward ju'ematurely, and we have
on several occasions seen great Hocks
of Wilson's Thrush [Txirdus fusces-
cciis) overtaken by a " cold snap " in
the month of March, and perish by
hundreds. When rearing their young,
they devour enormous quantities of
insects and their lariw, daily, al-
though litter in the season they be-
come voracious " berryers," and this
fact is considered sufficient in the minds of
some to engage in their destruction.

The songs of these birds are varied and cheer-
ful, and the first liird-music that we became
familiar with in the days of our youth, and in
after years we recall them with feelings of
pleasure, and when we hear them we are irre-
sistibly carried back in memory to
"The light of other days."

Although free growers, they do not require
evere pruning. The old "four-seasons" rose
of the gardens is a type of its varieties.

S. ceutifoHa, the hundred-leaved, Provence
or cabbage rose, is a native of the Eastern
Caucasus. The sepals or calyx leaves in this
species are not reflexed ; the flowers are mostly
globular in form, with large petals, very
double, and somewhat drooping, the flower
stems not being as strong as in most of the
other species ; they are generally exquisitely
fragrant. Among the many varieties ot this
species is a section of very dwarf growth and
free habit of blooming. This species has been
largely hybridized with other species, and a
very "large number of garden varieties pro-
duced. According as to wliat they were
crossed with does their habit of growth take
its character ; some are very vigorous, and
should be pruned but little ; others are more
delicate in growth, and require close pruning.
They all require rich soil and high cultivation.
The old cabbage-rose of our grandmothers'
gardens and the moss-rose belong to this sec-
tion.

R. galUra, the French or officinal rose, is a
native of France, Italy and Caucasus. This
rose is of very robust growth and erect habit.
The flowers are generally high-colored, large,
very double, and borne on stiff, erect foot-
stalks, hut do not have the fragrance of the
hundred-leaved rose ; but this is increased by
drying, while that of the damask rose is al-
most destroyed in that process. Nearly all of

THE CULTIVATION OF HARDY ROSES.

There are over two hundred species of the
rose described in botanical works, but our al-
most innumerable garden varieties have been
obtained from only a dozen or fifteen species,
which, by cultivation, by hybridizing and
croSs-breeding, have produced almost endless
shades of color and habit of growth. As much
confusion exists in the nurserymen's cata-
logues as to their proper classification, we will
notice some of the leading species from which
our garden varieties have originated, giving
their most striking peculiarities. This will
enable amateur growers to determine which is
the most proper of the different modes of cul-
tivation, which we shall describe, to apply to
the varieties they may grow.

Rosa daniaiicena, the Damascus or damask
rose, is of Syrian origin. All of this tribe have
rough spiny shoots, leather-like leaves, and
long reflexed sepals or calyx leaves. They
have a robust haliit of growth and large
flowers, mostly in the lighter shades of red.
It is from this species and its varieties,
crossed with others, that the so-called hybrid
perpetual or remontant roses were derived.

the hardy variegated roses are derived from
this species. All the varieties from this siie-
cies require high cultivation and liberal prun-
ing.

R. spwosissimn., the Scotch rose, is a native
of Scotland, Caucasus, and many parts of
Europe. It is a dwarf, compact-growing
bush, with creeping roots, and very spiny, and
the double-flowering varieties were formerly
much grown in our gardens, but are now sel-
dom if ever seen, it having gone out of fashion,
which is to be regretted, as it came into bloom
very early in the season, and was exceedingly
fragrant, with flowers rather small, but
globular and very double. It requires very
little pruning, and will thrive in poor, sandy
soil where other roses will not.

R. alba, the white rose, is a native of the
central i>arts of Europe, and is also found in
Cochin China. The foliage of this species has
a glaucous appearance, as though covered
with a fine gray powder ; the shoots have
scarcely any spines. There are no high-
colored varieties of this species. They are
mostly of moderate growth, and require rather
close pruning.

R. ruhiginosa is the sweet-brier rose, of
which there are several doul)le varieties, some
of which have quite high-colored flowers.

R. hitca is the yellow rose of the north of
Italy ; of tliis there are three double varieties.
The well-known Harrison's yellow is one of
these, and is easily grown. The Persian yel-
low requires to be budded on a sweet-brier or |
Manettii stock to succeed well. It does best
in a rather moist, poor soil, and should not be
much pruned. There is another double yellow .

rose, from Syria or the Levant, known as R.
md})hurca, which is scarcely worth growing, as
it seldom opens its buds.

R. alpinu is the BoursaiUt rose of our gar-
dens ; it is a native of the Alps and the south
of France. It is a sort of half-nmning rose,
with long, flexible red shoots, and is well
adapted for training against fences and out-
buildings. It will grow in almost any soil,
and re()uires but little pruning except short-
ening back a little.

R. ruhifvUa is otir well-known prairie rose.
Its varieties are all strong growers, but should
be but moderately pruned.

R. arvenxis, the Ayrshire rose, is a climbing
rose of rapid growth, very hardy, and will do
well where other roses will scarcely grow.
The varieties of this species are well adapted
for covering yiaXls, arbors and similar struc-
tures.

From these different species, crossed and re-
crossed with each other, have originated va-
rious classes of hybrids, which have been
classified as follows :

Hjibrid Prorence Roses. — These are derived
from the Provence and French roses. Gen-
erally they produce large, well-formed and
very fragrant flowers, and are strong growers ;
hence they are very suitable for growing on
poles or pillars. They only produce flowers
once in the season. They are of easy cultiu'e,
and should be but moderately pruned.

Hybrid China Roses. — These are derived
from the Provence and French roses, crossed
with the China, noisette and tea-
scented roses, but in so doing have
lost the ever-blooming character of
the last. They are very vigorous
growers, and make suiierb pillar
roses, having flowers of large size,
fine form, very full, and of exquisite
coloring. They require to be weU
thinned otit in pruning.

Hybrid Bourbon Roses. — These are
obtained from the Provence and
French roses, crossed with the Bour-
bon rose instead of the China or tea-
scented. They are remarkable for
the exquisite form of the flowers,
some of which are elegantly cup-
shaped, and have greater substance
of petals than the hybrid China.
They are also more abundant bloom-
ers ; the foliage, too, is heavier and
stronger. They require to be very
closely pruned.
Hybrid Perpetimls, or Remontcmts. — These
are derived from all sorts of crossing and re-
crossing, until it is diflicult to tell definitely
from what particular species they were de-
rived. It is a misnomer to call them perpetu-
als in this country, for unless the parentage
of the damask or four-seasons rose predomi-
nates in them, they do not produce flowers
more than once a year. When that parentage
predominates they will produce flowers a sec-
ond time toward the autumn. Owing to their
mixed parentage, they vary much ui regard to
hardiness, habit of growth, mode of flowering
and requirements of cultivation. Some re-
quire close pruning, and othors should be
pruned but slightly.

Damask perpetuals have a large infusion of
parentage from the China rose. They are of
moderate growth, very fragrant, of a very
bushy habit, and do better when grafted than
when on their own roots. They require a
very rich, rather stiff soil and close in'uning.
Perpetual Scotch roses are hybrids between
the Scotch rose and the damask perpetuals.
Only two or three really good sorts have been
produced ; these commence blooming early in
the season, and under proper treatment will
produce flowers at intervals until October.

Perpetual moss-roses are derived from the
Provence moss-roses crossed with the four-
seasons rose. They are but poor growers, and
require very high cultivation, rich soil and se-
vere pruning to make them succeed well.

Almost ail the roses imported into this coun-
try from Europe are budded on the sweet-
brier or Manettii stock, as this gives them a
stronger growth. What are called standards

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

arc grattwl on stacks four totivi^ feet liigli, Imt
they are jierfeetly worlliless in this flimate,
and it is only tlu'owini; money away to liny
them, as the liot sun in summer and tlic dry,
cold winds of our winters kill the slock in a
year or two. What are called dwarfs, ortliose
budded within three to .si.x implies of the
ground, do better, but as they are continually
throwing up suckers from tiie stock, tliey re-
quire constant attention to cut them out, for
if left to grow, they so impoverisli the top as to
destroy it. Wo therefore reconiincud the
growing only of such sorts as can be grown ou
their own roots; these all our leading nur-
serymen can furnish, as in this country they
are now sehUim grown in any other way.

Koses are all gross feeders, and rei|niro a
liberal supply of manure, which, however,
should be well root<'d liefore being dug in. It
should not be dug in with a spade, as the roots
are thereby cut otf, and nuii-h injury thusdoue
to the iilant ; it should therefore be done with
a spadiug-fork. Two to three incthes of
mulching maniu-j should be laid on the sur-
face as far as the roots extend ; for the rose
delights in a cool, moist soil, loams suiting it
best. They should be pruned iu February or
early in March every year. AVIkmi the shoots
are very strong prune tliem back one-fourth or
one-third their length ; if not strong, cut
them back toone-half their length. The buds
on these shoots will then push and jiroduce
blooms. At the next season these secondary
shoots should be cut back to two or three
buds, when they will again produce blooming
shoocs. The third season, the shoot which
has thus produced two crops of (lowers should
be cut clean out close to the surface of the
ground, as it will seldom produce good flowers
tlie third year. By proper attention to ma-
nuring, and thus encouraging strong new
growth, and i)runing a.s thus directed, ro.se-
Ijushes can be grown to a large size, and made
to produce fine llowers for tifleen or twenty
year.s.

Rosesare much troubled with what are known
as the rose-bug, the rose-slug, and aphides, both
green and black. To destroy the Hrst, syringe
the plants with a solution of whale-oil soap.
The slug destroys the under side of the leaf,
and can be destroyed by dredging the under
side of the leaves with powdered white helle-
hore,' taking care not to inhale it, as it pro-
duces convulsive sneezing. The aphides are
readily destroyed by dipping the ends of the
shoots iu strong tobacco-water, to which suf-
ficient soft soap has been added to make it
slightly glutinous.

The best season for transplanting roses, if
from the open ground, is in October, but they
will succeed it planted very early in the
spring. When transi>lanted from pots, the
spring is the best time to do it ; if done in the
autumn they are liable to be thrown out of
the ground.

In making a selection of sorts from the re-
montant class, always choose the strong-grow-
ing sorts, or those having a strong infusion of
the four-seascms stock, as they are more likely
to produce tlowei'S in the autunm, and the
tlowers are generally larger and liner than the
other hybrids. Avoid those having a large
predominance of t'hina rose stock, as they are
genei'ally feeble growers, liable to mildew, and
entirely lose their ever-blooming character
when hybridized with other species.

CULTURE OF ASPARAGUS.

Very much has been written on this svdjject,
and a great deal has appeared even in our own
columns, but with each recurring year there
Seems to be something to learn and to nnleani,
and hence though we were to write an article
on it every year, in the light of continued ex-
perience, there would iirobably he something
new to be told each time.

So far as the farm-culture of asparagus is
concerned, there seems to be little new to be
told; and yet one of the practices which the
plow cultivators hav(^ foHn<l necessary toi)rac-
tice — of necessity and not because it was
thought to be absolutely the best — seems com-

ing to be considered a good thing under any
circmnstauees.

It is the general practice in lield-cultiire to
set the plaids six, eight, or even more inches
deep, and more in light .soils. This was Tiot
thought to be any gre;it beuelit, but because
the grouuil could then be easily plowed and
cultivali'd iu the spring. After theasparagus
was lit to (uit in the spring, no farther culture
was attempted. Wi'eds and grass may grow,
hut when tln^ fallcomesaud the lopsdicaway,
or the spring approa(^hes, tl.(^ wholi! can be
plowe(I over, harrowed and cleaned, the whole
operation being ciiuducled ;diove the level of
the roots, which thus has the advantage ofa
light soil to push through as wi'U as a tho-
oughly clean surface to begin the year with, at
least. Recent experiments which wehaveseen
referred to recently, both in this country and
abroad, seem to show that this ilejith of earlh
over the roots is a great advantage; (hat the
(inestaud sweetest asjiaragns results from Ihe
plant having to push its way from a good depth
ui) to the surface; and it is reconunended iu
some instances even to have the plants as
much as a couple of feet below. This seems so
utterly iiu:onsisteut with all we know of food-
culture, (for most l)lants as a rule like to have
their roots near the surface of the ground) that
weri' not the practice endorsed by some of the
(irst names in horttcnitnral lilerature, we
should hesit.ate to refer (o it. IJut tlit^ facts and
figures undiuditedly prove that where the roots
are some distance below th(^ surface the very
(iuest asparagus has been the result.

But, and here the greatest cauticm is neeiled
to note the full force of language, tlii^ i)lants
are not set deeply in the griuuid. They are
planted very near the surface in tlu^ tirst in-
stance, and the depth is gained by depositing
on the surf.ace. Though the asparagus is a
seaside plant and therefore supposed to be fond
of water, it is found by experience that it loves
rather dry gromid, or rather situations where
the water does not lie long before it (lasses
away; and this rather dry condition of things
is secured by jilanting pretty near the surface.
Where this naturally dry condition of things
cannot be olitained in any other way, ditches
are dug between the beds and the soil from
them thrown on to the beds, so as in this way
to drain off the water and make the whole
thing dry. These ditches an^ annuaily dug
out and the accumulations thrown over the
pl.ants, and what with the annual mannriugs
and the soil thrown out the beds are made an-
nually higher and of course the jilants get to
be farther and farther away from the surface
from year to year. But all this time the roots
are kept high and dry, an<l it is as much this
elevated and dry i>osition added to the dei)th,
that gives the plant its great advantages.

We have heard of people who have set
plants deep down from the ordinary level sur-
face of the groimil, an<l always with injury,
especially in clayey or heavy soils. In these
cases the very fact of making the bed deep and
loose, only increases its chances of getting
water-logged, the water runniugover the hard,
(Inn soil into the looser earth provided for the
l>ed. The roots are thus always cold and
damp ; and very often, especially when lir.st
planted, rot away entirely. The point is to
have the roots deej) under the surface ; but
still the ground around the roots must be high
and dry.

It is interesting to note how our forefathers
often found out good jirartices without know-
ing exactly the reason for them. In all old
gardens asparagus was planted iu beds with
deep ditches between them; ami we all know
that the asjiaragus of that tinu' was beder on
the whole than the asjiaragus nowadays, and
since we have adopted the Hat and level sys-
tem of culture. Tliey all thought gardening a
business in which one bad to learn the art, see
how things were done, and ask no (piestions.
Modern gardening is supposed to 1h' founded
on the "rea.son for things, " and anyone who is
capable or supposed to be capable of tracing
cause from ell'cct, is regarded as likely to make
quite as good a fellow as one who has Iw^en
years at the business. But all these little

things show how advantageous is experience,
and how limch we should listen to the results
of experience, although for the time iH-iug wo
may see no rciison in them. — GcrnuitUown
Tekijraiih.

FISH CULTURE.

As usual, the suliject of PiscAmHurc and the
Finhirica continues to occupy a large share of
th(^ ]>idplic attention, in view of the popidarity
of the measures taken toward the increase in
the supply of fresh-water lishes, and the pro-
per ut iliziition of the products of the wati'rs
generally.

Of the various State Commissions, those of
\''irginia, California and Maine have lately
published their reports of sati-faelory work.

The varied enli-rprises in whii'h tin; llnilcd
Slates has been i-nuaged during the autumn
have been suc(;essfully prosecuted — the UniKKl
States hatching establishment on the Sacni-
mento river, under the charge of Mr. Living-
ston Stone, having obtained nine niillions of
eggs, in b\dk am lunling to eighty busluds.
Some two millions of the young were hatched
out and plai-ed in the S.icram'nto for the pur-
pose of keeping up its supply, and the remain-
der of the egiis were sent east, for thc> most
part to the Slate Commissioners of Fisheries.
The introduction of young (ish into suitable
waters was prosecuted maiidy iluring the
mouths of |)ecend>er and .lanuary, and nearly
all the waters of the United Stales east of the
Mis.souri have their share. A very large num-
ber were planted in the headwaters of the
Ohio, Missi.ssippi, and <fthi-r streams in the
central portion of the United States, as well as
in the waters tributary to the (ireat Lakes,
and those of the east from Maine to (Jeorgia.
It iK not too much to \w\w that in a few years
most satisfactory results from the experiment
will lie experiiMiced. .Mr. Atkins has also con-
tinued his work in (collecting and developing
the eggs of the Eastern Salmon, at Buckporl,
Maine, and has se<:ureil between tlirei' and
four millions. These, sus beiiig later in the
year, and of slower development, will be dis-
tributed in March or April. In addition foliis
laliors with the sea salmon, Mr. Atkins has
also si'cured a large munber of eggs of the
land-locked salnion from the (ireat Lake
Stream, in Eastern .Maine, some nine humlred
thousand eggs iu all having been jilat-ed in the
hatching bo.xes. Iu the course of its labors
during The sunnner of IS"."), having reference
to the shad, about twelve milli'Mis of young
were hatched out and distributed in vari(Uis
waters by the United States Fish (Jomniis-
sion.

A very important enterprise of the s;ime
general character is that which is now in pro-
gress under the dini'tiouof the Fish Coinmis-
sionersof Canada, .Michigan. ( )hio. The Miclii
gau Connnissioners are now hatching about
.seven millions of white lish eggs, those of Cana-
da having almost as many. The Ohio t"om-
missioners were nnable to complete their («-
tahlishments in time for extensive operations
this sea.son, but they hav<' at their four hatch-
ing stations a considerable nundier of the eggs
of the white lish, i)artly furuisbeil to them by
the (Jonnnissioners of Michig-an.

An imiiortant movement has been made on
the Hudson river by Seth tireen, under the
direction of the Fish Commissioners of New
York, in the multiplication of sturgeon. The
economical value of this (ish is only Ix-ginning
to be appreciatcil in this country, although in
JMU-opeit has long ranked among tho.se of most
impoitauee. Hut already a large business in
the manufacture of isingliuss and caviar. :is
well as in supplying this lish for consumption,
both fresh and smoked, bus Ih-cii prosi'cuted
for some time. The Hudson river formerly
abounded in sturgeon, which have In-come
.scarce, and the object of Mr. (Jreen's work
has been to increa.se the number. An inci-
dental l>eiielit resulting from the multiplying
of tliesetish.it is expected, will be the destruc-
tion by them of th.> stake nets which at pres-
ent do so much to prevent the natural inci-eiiae

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April

of shad in that river, tlie nets lieing too weali
to resist so powerful a fish as the sturgeon.

Tlie prominence of the turbot and sole
among the more expensive fishes of Europe
has suggested the idea of introducing them
into American waters; and at the request of
Mr. J. S. Kidder, of Boston, tlie United States
Fish Commissioner is now engaged in making
prejiarations for a sufficient uiunlier of young
fish from tlie British coast to that of Massa-
chusetts to make a satisfactory experiment,
the expenses to be borne Ly Mr. Kiddei". — Har-
per ^S Magazine.

TREE LAWS.

A few weeks ago we referred to an absurd
attempt to get Congress to pass a law in re-
gard to patents on new fruits. The agricul-
tural press has spoken emphatically against
it. We See now that another sclieme is before
the House in regard to tree laws, in which
the agricultural press has been as emphati-
cally against as in the patent plant matter. It
is really astonishing how easily ill-considered
matters like these can obtain a hearing, and
even approval, before a body so generally in-
telligent as are the men who compose the
American Congress. The project now is to
appoint a Commissioner of Forestry, to take
charge of American forests, with a view to
their preservation. This is, we believe, the
third year that the attempt has been made to
found this new department ; but though twice
defeated, it seems bound to rise again.

We all know now that much that has been
said about this forest-tree subject is the veriest
trash, and has been kept before the public sys-
tematically, no doubt, for the interest of a few
who want to be constituted a Board of Com-
missioners. There is, so far as the practical
question is concerned, nothing for such a
commission to do that the agricultural press
of the country has not already done. We —
all of us — have pointed out that there is a
waste of timber going on, but tliis waste has
no bearing, or very little, on our future sup-
ply. Where timber is wasted, it is generally
in localities where it is really worth little be-
cause it is not near any place where it can be
marketed, nor would it be for many years ;
and therefore it is burned down and cut to
make way for farm crops. Wherever it is
near to any such market, or near to a pros-
pective market, it is seldom destroyed. It
needs no law for its preservation under such
circumstances. Americans can see questions
of profit and loss as quick as any one, and will
not wantonly destroy that which will make
them rich. As for timber outside of civiliza-
tion, people talk of jireserving it as if a tree
were rocks and stones and would last for ages.
Most of our great western forests have al-
ready reached mature age, and are on the
downward road. Many of these are between
one and two hundred years old. It is impos-
sible to preserve that which Nature has
doomed. How are ," Commissioners " to
"preserve" them V Even were they much
longer-lived than they are, the chief trouble
comes from forest fires much more than from
the woodman's axe. Can a Commissioner
prevent the sportsmen's wad or the spark
from the locomoti ve V

What we really want is not so much the
" preservation " of the old forests in the far-
away parts of our great country as the encour-
ugment iif new plantations ! and this iilantiug
is not a work for the general government to
do, which does not propose to hold public
lands.

But supposing that there was nothing more
in this proiwsition than the mere creation of
a new bureati with a new pack of office-hold-
ers, what is there in it more than ought prop-
erly to fall within the existing Department of
Agriculture ? Forestry has ever been re-
garded as an adjunct of agricidture, and there
is nothing proposed to be reached by this
Commission that might not just as well be ac-
complished by the Department of Agriculture
as it at present exists. Indeed, the present
Commissioner has paid considerable attention

to the forest question, and could do more, if
encouraged by Congress or other influences to
do so.

At any rate, nobody wants this Commission,
if we i-ead aright the feelings of our agricul-
tural exchanges. It is simply a "job," and
nothing more. — Gcrmantown Telegraph,

THE DAIRY AND BUTTER MAKING.

At a late meeting of the Eastern Experi-
mental Farm Club, at West Grove, Chester
county, Mr. Ileeder, of Bucks county, was in-
troduced and spoke mainly uijon the venlila-
ticm of dairy houses. He had been much
troubled in years past ; the spring-house would
overflow when heavy rains occurred, and in
the summer tlie milk would sour and thicken
before the cream would rise, and in winter it
was too cold to get the full value or benefit of
the milk; so he resolved three years ago to
build a house or aiiartnient for dairying purpo-
ses, and before d oing so visited some of the most
noted in New Jersey and'Cliester county. His
observations satisfied him that liy securing a
proper ventilation and temperature he could
have good butter at all seasons of the year,
and u])on philosophical principles he would
warm his house in the winter, and keep it
cool in summer. In the summer he would
have a large V shaped ice box located in one
portion of the room and regulate the tempera-
ture by ventilation, and in the winter he would
have artificial heat by a stove or furnace, and
regulate the temperature as in summer. He
took exceptions to Prof. Wilkinson's mode,
the Gulf Stream principle, as impracticable,
as well as expensive ; he liked the cool air
principle much better than the cold water
baths for milk ; and here Mr. R. explained his
ideas to the audience, as to what he esteemed
a model dairy house.

After Mr. Keeder closed, Mr. Hardin, of
Ky., was introduced, and entertained the
club for more than an hour upon his practical
theory of butter making. He said he started
a butter dairy about four years ago, near
Louisville, Ky., where the climate was hot
and humid, and where animal substances de-
cayed rapidly ; where insects and parasites
were numerous, and to spread out milk in the
usual way ill pans was to invite the enemy,
which he was anxious to avoid. To overcome
these difficulties he began a series of experi-
ments by the use of shallow pans in open air,
and step by step he lowered the temperature
and increased the depth of the milk, until he
reached the Swedish plan of setting milk, im-
mersing in water at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, in
cans twenty inches deep and 8 inches in di-
ameter. As a matter of economy, he built a
box with double sides and a close-fitting double
door, and so arranged as to exclude the sur-
rounding atmosphere. He also inserted a
shelf ill the upper part of the Viox, for the re-
ception of ice, which is quite a desideratum
in warm climates. In this box he sets his
cans of strained milk with a tight cover, and
thus subjected to the cooling process, and left
in at the ordinary temperature, which, in such
cases, is about 4(j degrees, for the sjiace of
from thirty-six to seventy-two hours. AH this
time the milk is sweet, and the cream is also
sweet, and is churned in this condition. Mr.
H. contends that the points attained by his
process of cooling and butter making, are a
better flavor, uniformity in quality, better
grain or texture, as well as keeping quality ;
that the cost of the utensils and buildings are
trifling in comparison to the present method
of building siiring-houses with the jiatent ven-
tilators, and with much less laljor or care. In
this case, or with my method, the ice shelf is
filled once a day only, and the cans, which
hold from 30 to 35 pounds, are set in or taken
out, as desired, and a man can do nearly all
the work if required ; and with this economy
in labor there is a corresponding economy in
the cost of pans, which is about one to four in
favor of deep cans. He also argues in favor
of his operation as a matter of health, especi-
ally to the dairy women, as they are not at all
exposed to long attendance in the damp spring-

houses or vanlts. Mr. Hardin gave satisfac-
tory evidence from actual experiments, not
only conducted by liimself, but by experienced
butter makers, and in eveiy instance he made
more butter from the same numlier of pomids
of milk than by the old method, with a flavor
e(iually as good if not better. The size of the
milk box or refrigerator for a dairy of 5 cows
is about 4 feet 2 inches high, 2 feet 2 inches
deep and same in length, and can be made or
sold for about S25.

John I. Carter read an essay from Prof.
AVilkinson, of Baltimore, upon the subject of
butter making. It was expected that the
Professor would be here in person, but illness
prevented his being in attendance, and that
the members should not be wholly deprived of
his counsel, reported on ))aiier, as the next
best thing he could do. The Professor was
opposed to the sudden cooling of the milk ;
that in so doing the animal odor was retained
in the milk or cream. He claimed that gradual
cooling or artificial heat would assist in throw-
ing off the animal odor and thus produce a
fine quality as well as texture of butter. He
also stated that milk heated to 140 degrees or
1.50 degrees and then cooled would keep sweet
much longer than when cooled in the natural
way, and also contended that cream raised on
milk set in deep vessels will not make as good
butter, or of as good quality, as that set in
shallow pans.

THE BEST COW FOR THE DAIRY.

In treating of this subject we discard at
once the idea of combining every good quality
in a single animal — such as large size, nice
quality butter, deep milking, ease of fattening,
beef producing, &c. Such an animal never
lived, or never will live, for the reason that
some of these qualities are incompatible with
each other. AVliat the butcher requires is
heavy carcass — the very opposite of what the
dairy desires. The latter wants all the secret-
ing and assimilating organs to concentrate in
the udder for the production of milk, whilst
the butcher wants them to centre on the back
and ribs for the building up of flesh. For this
latter purpose, there seems to be no cattle
equal to the Durham or Holstein, and to that
end they have been bred for a century, just as
the Jersey has been bred for richness of milk
and the largest amount of high flavored butter.

If the farmer desires a cow that will pro-
duce the finest article of the latter, and one
that will retain the largest money value for
the food required, then we should say by all
means take the Jersey. A discreet farmer,
even had he never seen a specimen of the kind,
would l)e very likely to describe as his prefer-
ence just the qualities she possesses. But if
bone and muscle, Durham or Holstein, would
fill the bill mucli lietter, whilst the amount of
food required to keep up their thrift and status
would be much greater. The smaller the size,
therefore, of a cow, so that slie unites there-
with the faculty of secreting the largest per-
centage of rich butyraceous matter, the better;
and such, unmistakably, is the province of the
Jersey. It is not so much the amount of food
ajipropriated and taken into the stomach that
constitutes her chief value for the dairy, as it
is in the use made of it when so appropriated.
The Jersey cow knows nothing of accumula-
ting fat on the back and ribs, nor is it required
of iier. She appropriates notliing in that direc-
tion, but possesses in an eminent degree the
marvelous faculty of assimilating and .secreting
from her food, a milk rich in oleaginous mat-
ter — the material of which the butter is
formed — and for which especial purpose she
seems to have been created.

What the farmer or grazier wants is a cow
small in stature, with the least amount of bone
and oftiil, and somewhat wedge shaped — wide
behind and tapering to the front, with hips
sufliciently broad to sustain the weight of the
bag when filled, a small head, prominent eye,
yellow and soft skin, a capacious iiauncli, a
flat instead of a round rib, a thin tail, a tajier-
ing muzzle, prominent milk veins, a thrifty
constitution, and with allagentle disposition;

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER

and then, to yiiUt milk wlia-li enn he cluinifil
in the shortest jiossiliU' time, aixl turn out hiit-
ler of a golOen color and otthe highest llavor.
All these rciiiiiremeiits are to he fonnil in
the Jersey cow, and in none other; and it tlio
farmer has a taste lor the heaiitifid in nature
or art, lor the line scenery and the f;reen fields,
dotted over with the usefid as well as the
ornamental, he would lind reseinhlinf; in a
herd of Jersey cows, a flock of tallow dei'r, and
for which at ii distant view they might readily
be taken.

For Thk Lancartkh Fakuer.
A NUT FOR THE BOTANISTS TO
CRACK.

So accustomed is the botanist to he con-
fronted with new and sinjiular forms in tlic
vetietahle world — witli unexpected develop-
ments and odd facts— that now-a-days it must
he something wonderful indeed that excites
more than a momentary suqirise. Already
acquainted with more tlian 12U,()0() dilferen't
forms of vegelahle life, the discovery of a new
S|iecies, although a very plea.sant and accejita-
lile result, sclent ilically considered, is never-
theless an achievement that does not call for
special remark. Sometimes, however, cir-
eiunstances give rise to fresh facts concerning
long and well-known mendjers of the vegeta-
ble kingdom, that bother him more than to
jn'operiy determine where to place a newly
iliscovered but doubtful specimen.

It has been the fortune of the writer to be
brought face to face a score of times with a
singular fact (to him at least) in the economy
of that familiar friend, and we hope favorite,
of every ri'ader of this, the common suntlow-
er. (JlcUunilius (inimun.) As often as the
circumstance presented itself, it set us to puz-
zling over it, but inasnuich as we never
reached a conclusion concerning it that was
entirely satisfactory, we herewith present it
to the "readers of The Fau.-mkk, in the hope
that some one else may he able to oilier an ac-
cejitable solution of the problem.

Across the broad plains of Kansas, Ne-
braska and Xew Mexico, are wide and well-
beaten highway.s. over which thousands of
wagons lailen with merchandise and drawn
by mules and oxen, are passing and rejiassing
during eight months of the year. In dry and
favorable seasons no Fenn.sylvania road is
firmer or harder, and under favorable circum-
stances, the well-defined, grey trail can be
traced for miles with the naked eye. During
the great part of the year the rain-fall is but
light, and the slow, white-shaded caravan
moves along with scarce an imjiedimeut. But
there are times when the windows of heaven
arc oiiened, and the Hoods descend, and then
what was once a road that might rival a paved
street in hardness, liecomes little I)cttcr than
a (piagmire. When this occurs it is custom-
ary for the wagon trains to leave the beaten
track and open a new road in the also soft hut
less-yielding prairie to the right or left of the
old highway. Each succeeding train for the
same reason follows in the newly laid-out path,
and the result is the entire abandonment of
the old road ibr pnrjioses of travel.

No sooner is this done than is seen the re-
markable fact to which we wish to call atten-
tion. On each side of the deserted road at
once springs up a strong, den.se growth of sun-
flowers, and these fringe the once traveled
route, sometimes for miles, but more gciiierally
until, the soil becoming harder, the new road
again leads into the old one. I will not as-
sert that this is the case in every instance, hut
I believe it to be so nine times out of ten ; it
is the rule, which a few exceptions, if there
be any, would only conlirm. These sun-
flower plants are from one inch to ten or more
feet high, and at the i)roper .season laden
with flowers. Although not a dwarf variety,
as the tallest stalks prove, even the most di-
minutive ones generally rejoice in small but
well-develoi)ed discs, tm-ned sunward ; times
without number have I measured a iilant only
four inches high with a beautiful crown of
golden glory, and as oftcu as I did so, I could

not liut marvel whence and how this iihaner-
ogannan came to take its phu'e in such an odd
and seemingly out of the way locality. It
must be renumbered that this occurrence is
seen far from any settlement, often hundreds
of ndles from any human habitation, and
therefore very unlikely to be the result of hu-
man agency. Naturally birds suggest them-
selves as the involuntary disseminators of the
seed, and thus furnish a clue to the mystery;
hut in that dry and treeless region birds arc
far from being iilentifnl, aTid even if they were
so, would he much more likely to be attra<'lod
to the new roads in search of the droppingsof
passing animals, and thus convert them into
long avenues bordered with a spontaneous
growth of sun-llowers. Neither can we at-
tribute the result to cayotes ; these, it is very
true, will eat anything from a seed to a buf-
falo steak when hungry, ;ind are constaidly
])rowling along the beaten highways with thi^
same ]iurpose that the birdsdo, and thend'orc,
like them, would be more likely to seek a new
road than an aliandoned one ; therel'ori^ we
must ae(|nit Iheni also of any instrumentality
in the matter. Winds cannot do it, for they
would scatter the seed broadcast over the
prairie where the plants are not found ; the
l>elt of snn-llowers is always well-delined along
the roadside, and varies in width from ten to
thirty feet or even more ; straggling stalks are
occasionally seen at some distanci! from the
main body, but such cases are exceptional.

I feel assured that some other potent agency
is at work in the (iroduction of this singular
circumstance. The ditliculty I lind in accmfid-
ing for it is, that every hypothesis that sug-
gests itself ai)i)lies with even more force and
cogency to a like condition of things along re-
cently made roads, hut where, as we have
seen, it is fVumd w^anting. Some one, iicrhaiis,
better versed in the mysterious workings of
the countless forms of vegetable lifi; that sur-
round us, may be able to penetrate the secrecy
that enshrouds the subject, and make clear
what is now obscure. Perhajis if the secret
were laid open, it would, from its very sini-
l)licity, teach us how little we really know con-
cerning the mysterious workings of natural
kiws.-^i^. R. D., Lancaster.

For The Lancaster Farmer.

THE COST OF PLANTING AN
ORCHARD.

Any intelligent farmer can reckon up the
cost of making an tn-chard of apple-trees.
This way : Flow the land deejily, an<l manure
it as fully as for a crop of corn ; harrow well
along and .acrross, and roll, to break all hard
and large clods. Fair sized apiile-treescan be
got for twenty-live cents each. If planted
thirty feet ajiart both ways, forty-eight trees
will plant an acre; cost, twelve dollars. If
set forty feet ajjart l)oth way.s, thirty-six trees
will plant an acre; cost, nine dollars. To an
orchard of ten acres the cost for trees will he
from ninety to a hundred and twenty dollars,
hut such a uundier could be got for a hundred
dollars at the greater nundier of trees. It is
generally now supposed that Indian corn is
the best crop the first year upon a newly-
l)lanted orchard, as it shades the trees
in the hottest months, and when cut up in
fall the trees get the benefit of sunshine and
air, which harden them to withstand the
winter's cold. A hill of corn is left out for
every tree ; so the loss is very small. The corn
cro)) should be taken off and shocked in an-
other lot, so that the whole land of the orchard
will be plowed and .seeded down with wheat
and grass. The gra.ss cro)), .after the wheat,
may remain three or four years ; then plow
and croi) with grain. Give heavy manuring
in the course of rotating crops ; the orchard
will be again seeded down to gra.ss, to lie for
live years, giving a top dressing of manin-e or
concentrated fertilizers (if they are good).
During these year.s the orchard will yield
nearly as good crops as are on other open
fields, the soil will be well stiiTed for (-rops of
corn and jiotatoes, the trees will make largo
growths after the second year, and when large

enoiigli the orchard may 1«' jiastured. The
cattle and sheep will eatiip the fallen fruits,
and the grubs within them, and that will de-
stroy many hundreds of noxious insects yearly.
In time the orchard will yiidd double crops;
say grass or grains and fruits also. Some of
the trees may nei'd setting straight and staked
u|> ; some may need slight pruning to balanc.o
their heads. The best varieties that thrive in
tlu^ locality should be got, and all purcha.sed
from responsible iiur.servmen, who advertise
in The Faumek.— 0/(J iltuilMndman.

K<ir 'I'lIK I-AS<'AMTKn Karmkb.

.THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES.

Many gardeners and others skilled in the
culture <if vegetables, lost their crops of latu
Ix-ets, carrots, |)arsiiips, .salsify, pansley, celery,
and onions, from seeds of last year, by sowing
them too late. The long-continued dry
weather so dried the soil that the seeds did
not germinate. The seeds of those crops have
hard shells, and it reipiires much moisture In
the soil to soften the shells mid let the geriiui
push through to grow.

As soon as the soil is fit to dig or plough,
sow the seeds at once of carrots, parsiii|)H,
salsify, parsley, celery and onion.s, and plant
onion sets. Sow early beets plentifully, in
case of failures of late varieties. tJeiierally,
late beets and carrots are sown a month later
than the early varieties, but last year they
failed. Parsnips, salsify and celery need all
the .season.

The best parsnip is the Sugar parsnip. I,«ng
Orange carrot is the Ik'.sI. While solid celery
is best. The Curled Jiarsley is best. The Vel-
low Strasburg onion is. best. TIk; U-.st two
l>cas are Extra Karly, for first crop; Eugene,
for .Second croii, sown two weeks lalerthan the
Extra Early. Stowell's evergreen sugar corn
is the best. Dwarf wax Iwan is the Itesl bush
bean. I/inia pole bean is the U'st shelling
bean. The (ieriiian wax jiole bean is the l>e.st
pole bean whose hulls arc eaten, as string
beans are. It needs no stringing, and neither
does the dwarf wax bean. They have no
strings; are both very rich and buttery. The
Long l$loodbeet is the best for late crop. The
Early Hose potato is the best. There are many
new varieties highly commended by seedsmen,
such as Extra Early Vermont, Urownell's
Heauty. They are most excellent. There are
several others, all sold by pound, jieck, bushel,
and barrel. The Colossal asparagus is best.
The dark Egyptian beet is in high repute for
early croji. The Hanson lettuce is the Ix'st.
For cabbages, get Large York for early, and
Flat Dutch for hxtc.—Old (hdikaUjr.

Kit Thk I...\NCA'^T»:it K.\nMKR.
RICH AND POOR GROW A GRAPEVINE.
Every householder should grow one or more
hardy grapevines. When trained upon .irlHirs
or fences they do not take up any surface
space in the way of other crop.s. A neat arlnir
over the back kitchen door is a comely appentl-
agc to it, and furui.slies a grateful shade when
clothed with vines. It also serves as a nick,
on which to hang small towels in daily use in
the kitchen. The Cmrord ijriijip. is the ln'.st
for general culture; is of thrifty growth, and
yields plentifully. The fruit is black, and
rijiens early and keeps .sound long. The l.sa-
bella is alsoa good variety. The Catawba ihie.s
well in sunny situations anil in dry sea.sons,
but in shady |)laees and wet .seasons it does
not color and rii>eii its fruit well. The ]y<dler
is a superior variety: yields large cmps. The
fruit keejis long, and is the only native gnipc
fit for making raisins of. If raisin-making
ever becomes a business in our country, the
Walter grape will be the one for the purpose.
There are many other choice varieties for
wealthy amateurs to cultivate with ])leasurc
to themselves. All the varieties tlourlsh lie.st
and yield largest cro] IS when the shoots are K'Ut
from the periM-ndieular; a half horizontal jiosi-
tionisliest, after risim,' some feet from the
ground. So an arbor with sloping roof is the
Ix'st. It is said that grapevines grown (do.se to
the house imiiart a lively feeling to its inmates.
Plant now. — Old Jlusinndmun.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April,

For The Lancasteb Farmer.

SUMMER-BLOOMING BULBOUS
FLOWERS.

Lilimn (Lily) liolds tlie first rank. Tlie
species and varieties are numerous, and of
surpassing beauty, of many colors of blooms,
spotted, striped, etc. Laucifalium or Japan
lily is exceedingly beautiful ; six varieties.
Golden lily is wonderful for large size, beauty
and fragrance. All the above bloom in July
and August, when other flowers are wilted.
The White lily perfumes the whole garden in
June ; of pure white. The famous "Orange
lUy " accompanies the AVhite in June bloom-
ing ; so do Superbium, Pennsylvanicum,
Philadelphicum, etc. — all orange, and spotted
with maroon. The Tiger lily is well known ;
there are several new, superior varieties ; one
with double blooms. We can remember when
the Candidum, Chalcedonicum and the Tlum-
bergianum — all of several varieties and of
great splendor — were universally grown and
highly prized. All the above species are
hardy, and may stand in the same places for
five years. The following genera are tender ;
planted in spring, the bulbs kept in cellars in
winter : QlailMus is now very popular ; of
hundreds of splendid varieties of many shades
of blooms, and bloom in July and August.
/?-is, the bullions Iris, is very beautiful, with
much blue in blooms. Tiijriduv (Tiger flower),
two species : the blooms are beautifully spot-
ted. Tuberose — now of several varieties of
single and double blooms — blooms in late fall,
and deliglitfuUy fragrant. The variety named
Pearl is of late introduction ; grows only half
as tall as the otliers ; it produces thrice as
many blooms, all doulile and sweet scented.
Variegdta has leaves striped with white and
green ; is a gem without blooms, j'et it
flowers as freely and sweet scented as the old
species. — W. -E., Philadelphia, April 1, 1870.

For The Lancaster Farmer.
OLD INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS.

As the Millers of Lancaster county are
forming a " Millers' Association," I will con-
tribute a few items about the inventors of
the olden times, and other matters relating
thereto.

Why does a barrel of flour weigh 196
pounds ? This originated in England, and
was explained at a meeting of the "Corn
Exchange" in London, attended by our late
Minister, Mr. Schenck, thus : a "stone" is an
English weight of fourteen pounds. Seven
stone makes ninety-eight pounds, which is a
half-barrel, and fomteen stone make 19(5
pounds, or a barrel.

One of the most noted Lancaster county
mills of the olden times, was the LiTiz Mill,
now owned by Benjamin Ritter, and upwards
of one hundred years ago by the Moravian
society of that place. It was then leased to a
man by the name of Klaus Keln, who made
and sent cargoes of his flour to Jamaica, W. I.
On its arrival in the West Indies, on one oc-
casion, it was discovered that the barrels con-
tained shipstiiff.*

On the return of the vessel information was
madifto the Philadelphia merchants, who at
once i)etitioned the Government for the ap-
pointment of a Fhmr Inspectm- for the port
of Philadelphia, and this was the origin of
that oflice in this State, t

The machinery in mills at that time was
very clunisy and complicated. After the
wheat was ground, it required the presence
of a boy to work on the bolted stuff in the
bolting apparatus.

There once lived a man on Hammer creek,
at a place now known as Brubaker''s Mill,
but formerly Peter Staufter's mill. This
Peter Staufier, the former proprietor, had
seven sons, one of whom was the great-
grandfather of the writer, aod the seventh

son was the great-grandftither of Mr. Jacob
Stauffer, the patent agent of Lancaster city.

In those days it required a boy to attend
the hopper, called the "hopper-boy." The
Stauffers, however, went to work and invent-
ed an attachment called the Hopper-hntj, first
used in 1764, and continued in use from that
day down to 1840, and is still in use in some
localities. The Stauffers were great mill-
men. At one time there were no less than
eight ''Stanfler Mills," in Lancaster York,
and Franklin counties.

Oliver Evans, the author of the "Mill-
wright's Guide," took out a patent for tlie
Hopper-boy, and comnienced to collect
patent-right fees about the year 181'2, and
when his agents came to Lancaster county
they were refused payment by the Stauffers
and others, as it was a well known fact that
the Ilopper-boy was a Lancaster county in-
vention, and quite as well known that the
Stauffers were the inventors.

Evans brought suit, several cases of which
appear in the legal records of that period, t
These suits came off in Philadelphia. Sons
and grandsons of tlie original inventors were
still living, and tho.se who were too old to
go to Pluladelphia-made aflidavit before the
uncle of the wiiter of tliis imperfect sketch,
who was a justice of the peace — a country
"squire." There was one of these machines
in Frederick's mill (now Ritter's mill) and
Mr. Frederick took it along to Philailelphiit.
When it was exhibited to the jury as one of
the original machines as invented by the
Staufters, they immediately rendered a ver-
dict in favor of the defendants (the Staufters.)
Inventions are often claimed by persons who
have no right to them, and who never siiould
have been granted a patent on them.

Within the the last three years a writer in
the yorth Ainerican, in speaking of Oliver
Evans as a great inventor, among other
things accords to him the invention of the
Hopper-hoy. — L. S. i?., Warwick, April,
1870.

• How diflfereni it was with the flowr which Washington
Bhipjed to the B;'me jiort; his "brand" was eutficient, aud
therefore, it needed no inspection.

t This otlice seems to have originated in conseqneuce of
fraud, wliich perhaj'S may account for its sulisquent fraiul-
ulent administration in bo may cases — no great credit to
Lancaster county. — Ed.

For The Lancaster Farmed.
ANNUAL AND BIENNIAL FLOWERS.

All hai'dy annual and biennial flower seeds
should be sown in April. The new varieties
of the well known species are very superb. Of
annuals, Sweet Alyssum and Mignionette are
sweet scented. Drumoiulii Phlox, Candytuft
and Portulacca, are pretty dwarfs. Esch-
schaltzea, Calliopsis and Larksjjurs, are
showy. So are Marigolds, but their smell is
unpleasant. The above may all grow where
they are sown. The following may be sown
in warm spots, or in frames with glass saslies,
in May, and transplanted when two or tliree
inches higli: Double German Asters, Balsams,
Zinnias Browallia, Globe, Amaranthus, Gail-
ardia, &c., all very beautiful.

mevnials. — The new varieties and species

t In a collection of patent cases decided in the upreme
and Circuit Courts of the United States. By James B. Robb,
cousclor-at-law. Boston 185A, vol. 1, page 166. Evans vs.
Hettick, [3 Wasli. 408]. Action for an infringement
of the plantiflF's right to the hopper-boj , described in his
jjateiit. Plea not guilty. The evidence was the same ae in
the case of Evans vs. Eaton (1 Peter's Rep. 322,) save that
David Aby, one of the defendant's wituesaes.said the hopper-
boy used by the defendant, was the Staufcr^f* hoppcr-bny.
This consists of aii uprif^ht shaft with a cog-wheel that
turns it, gei'red with the water-power of the mill. An arm
or board, somewhat resembling an S, with strips of wood
fixed on one side, and so arranged as to turn the meal l>e-
low it, cool and dry, aud conduct it to the bolting chest. Of
course, sundry legal quibbles were brcught to bear as to the
identity of the original invention of Staffer and the patent
sulwequently granted Oliver Evans. On page 193, the case
concludes thus : "If it was in use, in any part of the world,
however unlikely or impossible that the fact should come
to the knowledge of the patentee, his patent for the same
machine cannot be supported." *' Verdict for tltf dcfentl-
an'." We find another case of the same, Evans vs. Eaton,
[:i Wash. 443]. The defendant upon testimony of numerous
witnesses, proved that Daniel Stauffer first saw it in opera-
tion on his father's, Chrisaan Stauffer's mill, in the year

1774. In 1775 or 1776, he erected a similar one in the mill of
his brother Henry; and another in Jacob .Stauffer's mill, in
177Kor 1779. Philip Frederick swears, that in the year

1775, hesaw a Stauffer's hopper-boy in operation in Chris-
tian Stauffer's mill; and another in U. Charles' mill, and
that it was always called "Stauffer's machine," (page 19S).
George Roup, states that in 1784 he erected one of these
hopper-boys in liranueman's, and iu 1782, he got the de-
scription from Abraham Staufi'er, as iu use in his father's
mill. This case concludes on page 207, in these words,
^'verdict firr defendant."

These abstracts from the lengthy reports, are simply
given to confirm the statement made by Mr. Reist,

J. S.

are very lovely. The seeds are sown, and the
plants transplanted, when large enough, of all
the species, and bloom the second year. Sweet
Williams and China pinks of many colors, and
double and single blooms. Canterbury bolls,
white, sky blue and dark blue. Foxglove, the
original rose-colored species, a white ami
yellow-white varieties. Columbiue, a rose
color, a blue, purple, white, violet, &c., with
both double and single blooms. Carnation
pinks of various colors, single and double
blooms. Heddewigi pinks and Laciniatus
l)iiiks are both fancy pinks of great beauty. —
Flora.

For The Lancaster Farmed.
WHICH POTATO IS THE BEST?

The potato is more extensively grown and
more generally used than any other culinary
vegetable; and the good varieties are, per-
haps, the most wholesome of all vegetables.
We have had a large number of varieties for
trial ; many have been of good (luality, but
not so productive as the inferior varieties, so
cultivators have grown the inferiors for profit.
The PcaclMow yields large crops upon sandy
soils, but it is too much of the coarse Iwrse-
yeim. Its hard core makes only two-thirds of
it fit to eat. The following are good for early
use : Early Rose, Extra Early Vermont, King
of Earlies, Snowflake, Aljiha, &c. For late
crops grow Late Rose, Brownell's Beauty,
Peerless, aud White Peachblow. They are all
good varieties. The Early Rose and Late
Rose arc well known as first-rate, both in
tpiality and productiveness. Brownell's
Beauty is a splendid looking tuber, of first
(juality ; and, so far as we have grown and
seen it in many places, is very productive.
The Peerless is also excellent and productive.
We almost fear the White Peachblow, as
coming from the old Peachljlow. It is well
to try all new kinds, as one tuber can be
bought, which can be cut into many sets for
a fair trial. They may jiroduce a bushel for
next year's planting, so the experiment is
not expensive. — Solarium,

For The Lancaster Farmed.
HOW I RAISED MY TOMATOES.

I may as well state at the outset that my
experience in the cultivation of this delicious
vegetable has neither been derived from a long-
continued series of experiments, nor from its
production on an extended scale. Nor is the
system pursued original with me; on the con-
trary, the hint was taken from the agricultu-
ral corner of a counti'}' newspaper, and for
aught I know, may be the plan continually
followed by truck gardeners. I sim|>ly wish
to relate my own experience, from which the
reader may draw his own deductions?.

The ground set apart for my tomato patch
was only sixteenfeet long and seven feet wide:
it is what is known here in the city as "made"
ground; that is, not the natural surface soil,
but made up of earths of several kinds, dug
out of cellars and excavations, and used to fill
up low places. This was not the most pro-
mising sort of material out of which to con-
struct a garden soil; Ijut there was no help
for it, and the only thing to do was to make
the most out of it. It was heavily manured
in the spring of 1874 with chicken droitpings,
dug over several times in the siiring, and again
in the fall after the few vegetal)les that grew
on it had been removed. Contrary to the oft
repeated assertion that tomatoes do not require
a rich soil, I gave the ground another heavy
manuring of the same kind in the spring of
1875. Tlie backward season also permitted it
to be spaded over deeply two or three times
before the plants were finally set out. Care
was taken to mix the earth and the fertilizer
as tlioroiighly as jiossible, and in this I was
])retty successful; but even now, with a liberal
addition of sifted coal ashes, it is iminviting
and heavy.

Into this contracted piece of ground, three
rows of plants were carefully set out, the rows
running the long way, aud each one contain-

1876.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

iiig six iilants. This was lallicr dose work,
but 1 liopod to oVL'ivomc it l)y tlic plan of cul-
tivation I had in view. Tlu' [ilauts witc of
the Tropliij varii'ty, and wt'io purL-hascd on
market of Mr. (norfjc AV. Scliroycr, of this
city. They soon took root and jjriw rapidly,
and ere lonfj re([uired additional support: this
I all'orded tlicni in the shape of props four feet
hiflh, to which tliey were tied near the ground,
aud asain mar the head of the jilant, and
sometimes a third and fourth tinii^ before they
were ashij^h as the siistainiii}; jioles.

As soon as the Rrowiu^ vines manifested a
disposition to llower, I beLjan to remove with
a sharp knife all the leavis from the jrrouud
al)out halfway up the stalks, and to this plan
I rigidly adhen'd from first to last. Two or
three of tlie n ost thrifty shoots sent out from
the main stem were permitted to grow, but
these also were constantly freed from all un-
necessary foliage in the shape of leaves.
Branches of fruit would form at intervals,
and while these, in all instances, were left, the
leaves l)oth above and below tliem were re-
moved as often as the occasion seemed to de-
mand it. It was continually a matter of sur-
prise to me how rapidly the leaves grew. I
think I am within boimds when I say that in
the height of the season a large ai-uiful of
leaves was cut from these eighteen phints re-
gularly once a week.

When the vines were as high .as their sup-
ports, quite narrow stripsof board were nailed
on the hitter the entire length of the rows, and
transversely across them other strips of the
same kind were laid, whereon not only the
vines might rest when they grew higher than
their supports ami bent over, but likewise to
sustain the branches of fruit when too heavy
to be sujiporfed by the .stalks themselves. On
the top of this lattice-w(uk, as 1 may call it,
the process of leaf pruning went on, even to
the end of the season. Bunches of fine toma-
toes in every stage of maturity adorned the
plants from within a foot of the ground to
their outer extremity.

Meanwhile the ground beneath was tho-
roughly cultivated: every few days the rake
was passed through it, loosening the soil, de-
stroying the weeds, and ])re venting it from
baking around the roots of the plants. In dry
weather they were regularly watered by hand,
and were not allowetl to suffer for want of
moisture. As the lowest and first formed fruit
I'ipened and was removed, the few leaves that
had been permitted to remain on theljranches
were also taken off, until finally hardly any
foliage was to be seen within three feet of the
ground, and the sun had free access to the
roots of the growing, bearing vines. This I
regard as a great advantage, and which could
not have been secured had the useless foliage
been permitted to remain and cover the
ground with its dense shade.

By this plan I obtained from twenty to
thirty-five tomatoes from every plant : the
average, I suppose, was about twenty-five. I
presume this, when the quality of the fruit is
considered, to be .a fair yield; at any rate, I
was satisfied with it, and I saw very little on
market that equaled it, either in firmness or
fleshiness. Although the spring .set in very
late, my tomatoes began to ripen not long
after the southern article came into market,
and before any of my neighbors could indulge
in the home-grown article. It was with some
pride, (pardonalile, I trust,) that I called the
attention of chance callers to the handsome
clusters of every shade, from a delicate green
to darkest red, that were everywhere visible.
It is true that before they began to ripen, the
absence of foliage seenud at first sight to con-
vey the idea that the vines were more thrifty
than prolific, and my attention was called to
this fact often enough, liut I invariably asked
the critic to count the nundjer on a single vine,
when he, too, came to the conclusion that
twenty-live tomatoes was, jierhaps, as large a
yield as was usually realized from vines that
were permitted to grow up without support,
only to tumble down and cover three or four
square yards of garden ground planted with
Other vegetables.

I do not think the foregoing was a fair test
of this plan. My ground is not favorably loca-
ted. Its eastern boundry isa high board fence,
winch prevents the sun from reaching the
plants at that end at an early hour, while on
the western side is a stable which obstructs
the sun after two o'clock in the afternoon.
With all these drawbacks, one plant attained
a length often feet, and bore several clusters
of line fruit within twelve (U' fifteen inches of
the top. The severest i)ruuing did not appear
to interfere with the growth, either of the
vines or fruit. I feid assured that had the en-
tire foliage been left on them, the result would
have liicu nuich inferior tomatoes, as well as
much lalrr ones. The free access of sunlight
to the soil stimulated the growthof the plants,
and its access to the growing fruit was equally
influential in giving color and flavor to it. In
a more favorable locality au<l better soil, muidi
better results nnghl rea.sonable be expected. —
F. li. U., Ldncaster, Pa.

For T»F. I.ANCARTEH FARMCB.

BEES AND BEE HIVES.

Your Faumer is always a welcome visitor —
full of information of a useful character, if
liropcrly applied. Several corresiiondeufs have
given tlH-ir views on 15ec Culture, and I ask a
small jilacc in yom- colunms for a few words
on the same subject. I have studied the nature
of Bees for many years. It re(iuires time and
l)atience, but now 1 think I have Ix-eii ftdly
l)aid for all my trouble.

First, then, as to size and shape of hive, also
surplus honey-ho.x. I find natural swarming
to be the best, as nature never madc^ a mistake
in her work. The hives should be made of
pine, one inch thick, clear of knots, ten and a
lialf inches s(ptare on the inside, and fifteen
inches high. In this size the Bees will build
nine straight combs, and in the fall they will
contain thirty pounds of honey. Twenty
pounds will feed the largest stock during seven
nu)ik,ths of winter. This amount can be, and
is gathered in from ten to fifteen days during
the white clover harvest, and I waul the
balance as a surplus. This I get from one box
on the top of the hive, which holds fifty
pounds, and I seldom fail to get them full. I
remove them in .September, therefore the bees
are ann<iycd only once; but when small boxes,
containing oidy five or six pounds are used,
they are required to be removed as soon as
full, which will be every five or six days.
Then there is as much time lost in getting the
boxes cleaned and all the corners puttied,
ready for work, as it takes to fill them. Count
this lost time of the bees and you will find
yourself minus at least twenty pounds of
iioney, besides the frequent disturbing and
annoyance you cause them.

My hives are plain, with four cross sticks to
support the combs. The boxescontain movable
frames, one inch and three-sixteenths wide,
and a ipiarter of an inch space between for
room for travel. Now, with a little melted
Ijeeswax on the end of a stiff feather, draw a
line along the middle of the toji and two ends
of each frame, and the bees will wall on to this
and fill each frame with a straight worked
comb, and each frame can be removed with-
out disturbing the others.

I learned this in the year 1840, in Valpa-
raiso, Chili, on board a (ierman sliii), which
carried fifty stock on board, bound for San
Francisco. I took down the model in my
diary, and on my return home adopted the
jilan, and have never desired a change. ' In
the winter I always put on the boxes, leaving
the passage way open, so that the sweat from
the bees niay pass ui)and evaporate, otherwi.se
it would drop to the bottom and form ice, and
in time freeze thein. AVhen new pollen is to
be had I shut them off from the box by ii;iss-
inga ]iiece of tin between the hive and the
box, until the first swarm comes off. I then re-
move the tin that they may go up and fill with
Iioney. believing it to be worth more than the
.second swarming, as this is a preventive,
having space for Ih'cs and room for work.

I have received many solicitations to pur-

chase Italian queens, or entire hives. I once
did i)ureliase a hive at a big figuif, and had it
two years, and I never got either a swarm or
any surplus honey ; but In-fore killing them I
hybridized my American black bee, whicli I
think is an improvement. I came to the con-
clusion that the Italian Ih'cs are like the
" natives ;" so long as they have a dollar they
will not work to accunndate a .store, and after
the hive is full they will not gather any sur-
plus.— M'm. I. Pijlc, Wcsl Clicster, March
lllh, 187G.

For The I.ancartku Fauhcb.
THE HUMMING BIRD.

On reading the interesting article on the
nature of the lliunming bird, in TlIK Fahmku
for this month, I notice dilfereiil opinions in
regard to their mode of living, breeding anil
the size of the bird. I think their foinl is in-
sects taken from the flowers and sonirtinics
from spider webs. In confirmation of this 1
send you a tVather taken from the tail of a
Humming bird, which 1 extracted from a
spider's web in ('hili. South America, twenty-
four years ago. The bird had been caught in
tlie web just as I came to a llower liusli in full
bloom, and in the bush was the spider's wel).
The spider was throwing his coils around tlio
bird, which was struggling hard to free itself.
With a stick I set the spider off and relea.st-il
the bird. I then knocked the insect on Iho
grouuil. It "hissed" at me and swelled up
as large as .a toad. It wa,s as black as coal,
except its legs, which were brown and very
long. I think it could stand at least four inches
from the ground. I killed it, aud then relieved
the bird of its netting, which was ahnosl a.s
strong as thread. I then drew the only llirec
feallu'i-s which composed its lieaiiliful tail.
The middle one was stiff and of a browncolor ;
the other two (one of whidi I send you,) were
of a snowy white, although, as 1 liave had
them since ls."):i, they have become somewhat
discolored. The one I send you was a little
longer (the length of the barnd) say a quarter
of an inch. The bird was a chocolate color in
the shade, with blue neck and green liead ; in
the sun it would change colors or shades. After
the tail was out there was not much of it— not
much larger than a small humlile liee. It is
called (iu((iiiaiiiliirnra,i<Vii rare variety of the
Iluinming bird. As I brought this feather
from a foreign country, procuring it from
the tail of the smallest meml)er of the feathered
tribe, and have preserved it since 18.")2, 1
thought you might consider it something of a
curiosity. — Wm. I. Pyle, Wtsl Clttster, March
2U«/i, 1870.

For The Lahcakteb FABMKn.
TRANSPLANTING HARDY TREES, &c.

April is the chosen month of spring for
transplanting hardy trees, shrubs, lierbaceou.s
llowers and iiereunial vegetables, such its
roots of rhubarb, asjiaragiis, hoi-se radish,
&c.; lieavy loams sliould be well stirred .iml
finely broken to put about the roots in tran.s-
planting. The holes should be larger than the
extent of the roots, so that they will all be
spread out in their natural positions. If the
farmers of Lancaster county could ])erceivo
how much they are favored with good soil,
good clinrite, and tlu- line rolling lay of their
lands for the cultureof liirdy tree fruits, tliey
woulil soon make themselves and their county
famous for choice fruits. The farnu-rs of ( 'lies-
ter and Delaware counties are more advanced
in fruit culture, though less favored in soil,
climate, &e. It is not too late now to Ix-giii.

In plaiiliiig ornamental triH'sand .shrublHTy,
the deciduous species should lie .set out first,
and as soon as frosts are over and soil fit to
dig in. Kver-rreens can be transplanted later;
yes, in May. Hardy herbaceous llowei-s .should
be planted early, and the more tendiT species
can be set out in May and .June. — IIorluMUi.

Ask Toi'n NEiniiiioR to otiliscrllK" for Tun L*y-
CASTKii KviiMKii. It ih wiirtti tell ttmcs the ro8l to
any farmer, ijanleiior, <ir fruit irrower. Tills Is lliu
teslinioiiy uf some of tliu best practical mcu is Ibo
couulry.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April,

For The Lancaster Fabmbb.
WHAT CAUSES HONEY-DEW ?*

There has been much speculation about
honey-dew, and as yet no settled conclusion
arrived at. There has been seen falling from
above a moisture or a dew which is sweet to
the taste: hence its name, honey-dew. As it
cannot come from nothing, we conclude it is
the result of sonieiliinfj, and below will be found
what seems to the writer as a probable cause.

It is a well known law of nature, that vapor
is constantly arising from the surftice, and
ascends to a colder strata of air, when it be-
comes condensed and falls in the form of rain
and dew. It is also well known that tlowers
of the fields, forests, gardens, and widespread
prairies, are constantly throwingoff an aroma,
a line etherealized essence, which no doubt
arises and becomes condensed like the vapors,
and falls, the same as rain and dew.

We cannot conceive from whence comes its
sweetness, unless from this cause. — A. Allen
iVoe, Lancaster, Pa., March 10, 1876.

OUR PARIS LETTER.

Farming on the Continent of Europe.

CorrespondeDce of The Lancaster Farmer.

PAitis, April 1, 1S76.

INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATUBE ON MILK AND
BUTTER.

M. Tisserand having visitpd the dairy districts in
tlie vicinity of tlie Baltic, draws attention to the ad-
vantages to be gained by the conservation of milk,
the preparation of butter and tlie making of cheese
at lower temperatures than what are generally em-
ployed. France, and perhaps other countries as well,
fail to enjoy all the advantages in butter-making that
the farmers of Denmark and Sweden reap by the
adoption of a lower scale of temperature. In France
It is believed that, in order to obtain good cream and
good butter, the temperature ought to be maintained
between 5:^ and .55 degrees Fahrenheit ; below this,
the cream, it is alleged, will not mount. M. Tisser-
and has experimented on milk, fresh from the cow,
at temperatures varying from 41, 5U and ilo degrees,
pemiiug 'M and liG hours, and found that the cream
rose most rapidly as the temperature approached
most to o3 degrees ; that the volume of cream ob-
tained was greater, the yield of butter superior, and
the quality of cheese and butter peculiarly fine.
There is nothing surprising in all this ; it is only
natural that cold should act on milk as it does on
beer, wine and sueli fermentable liquids, by conserv-
ing and ameliorating, them, by preventing those
changes due to the action of the agents of fermenta-
tion. The excellence of Vienna beer is owing to its
being faljricated at a very low temperature. In the
north of Eurojie milk Is kept at a temperature very
low by means of ice, and the ice is preserved in
trenches for summer use. Thus there is not a little
ceouomj' in dispensing with fuel and its apparatus
for heating. Milk cooled down to 37 or 39 degrees,
by means of a running stream of spring water, will,
according to M. Tisserand's experiments, yield 10 per
cent, more butter than when maintained at a tem-
perature of 57 degrees. M. Dahl, of Norway, ob-
tains 17 ounces of butter from 13 quarts of milk,
churned at 37 to 39 degrees, while 13 quarts were re-
(juired to produce the same quantity of butter when
the temperature was maintained at (ii degrees. It is
owing to this peculiar method of preparation that
Denmark is enabled to export butter to China and
Japan . One drop of milk contains 45,000 globules of
various dimensions, the largest being fewest in num-
ber. These globules, consisting of fatty matter, re-
semble a sky clustered with stars, and only occupy 7
or 8 per cent, of the volume in which they move ; be-
ing lighter than the serum in which they float, they
mount to the surface, the largest globules first, and
form cream. In Denmark the milk is placed in
block-tin vases twenty inches deep and sixteen iu
diameter ; these are placed in a reservoir, where
water is constantly running, and to which ice can be
added.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOW OF FAT STOCK.

The Fat Stock Show just held in the Palace of In-
dustry, under governmental auspices, marks a not-
able progress over that of last year, both in general
entries and the symmetry of the animals. The first
cattle show iu France dates from the year 1S44. The
display of sheep was above all remarkably excellent.
This year, also, bulls, rams and boars were admitted
for the first, time, and although no prizes were
awarded, the ela.ssification by a tried jury must tell
by drawing the attention of breeders to those points
recognized as superior, embodying thus sound ad-
vice for all whom it may concern. There were some
excellent specimens of the White Cliarolais and the

"See page 49 of this uumber of The Farmer.

Red Breton, as well as of that splendid race, both as
to form and finenessof skin, the Charolais-Nivernais.
In rams, the Merino took the lead, and perhaps next
its crosses. The Shropshire-dowu and the Disbley-
merino had very fine representatives, some weighing
200 iJounds, and exhibited what is considered the
ideal of form — absence of horns, short neck, and con-
sequently chest well developed. The display of
poultry was very beautiful, and a cock and five hens,
belonging to the Crevecoeur race, which obtained the
prix (V?tonnenr, looked superb in their jet-black
plumage and tuft. The dead poultry were monster
masses of grease. In fat stock, a Charolais-Durham,
etc., weighing IS cwt., .and aged 34 months, obtained
the first prizes, as did also a lot of three sheep, aged
S months and 15 days, weighing collectively 4'.2' cwt. ;
in pigs, a Yorkshire-Berkshire-Normand animal,
aged 10 months, weighed 4J^ cwt.

THE STANDARD FRENCH CATTLE SHOW.

The principal fat cattle show in France is that which
has recently taken place at Nevers; it is, in a way,
the standard for the country. What the breeders
and reai'crs seek, is not an animal excessively fat, for
such would be objectionable, but an increase in tlie
saleable meat, of good quality, tender and juicy, with
the fat spotted, as it were, throughout the lean. In
place, as formerly, of having only a yield of 50 per
cent, of meat, as much as 65 and even 70 per cent, is
now obtained, the skin, tallow, offal, &e., being thus
reduced to 30 [ler cent. This will not diminish, how-
ever, the price of meat, because persons who for-
merly eat it but twice in the year, consume it at pres-
eut every day. In the neighborhood of Nevers, the
rent of pasture land has risen nearly flve-fold in
twelve years — what was fr.l2 per acre is now 60.
The locality has a special race of stock, the Nii'crnain,
which is the product of successive crossings of the
white Charolais with white Durhams. There is a
large business carried on in the fattening of cows, a
proof that the prejudice against that kind of meat —
never a rational one, is on the decline. As a general
rule, animals of a mean size are preferred by French
butchers ; large races do not bring so high a price as
average ones ; and three sheep, weighing 90 pounds
each, are more profitable than one of 330 pounds.

TELLIER'S new process of preserving MEAT
FRESH.

It is in this month that the company formed to work
the Tellier process of preservation of meat in a fresh
state, will despatch its first specially fitted up ship to
La Plata. The process is this : The germs of de-
composition are killed by a temperature of 32 degrees,
and live only between one varying from 43 to 48 de-
grees. Tellier, by means of inethylie ether, h.as con-
served meat perfectly fresh and savory, save a loss of
10 per cent, in weight, for .57 days, the ether main-
taining the temperature at the freezing point and dry
by the aid of ingenious generating cold machinery.
France consumes 4,000 tons of fresh meat daily, and
the company expects to add thereto by 100 tons, so
the competition cannot frighten farmers, for the pres-
ent, at least. The voyage from La Plata to France
is expected to he m.ade in at most 30 days. The ani-
mals will cost but fr.70 at the port of shipping, near
which they will be slaughtered.

SUBSTITUTE for CLIPPING HORSES IN AUTUMN.

M. Veterinary Surgeon Felizet recommends that
instead of clipping working horses in autumn, a good
shining coat, free from skin dust, can be secured by
giving the horses, from the middle of September,
either alone or mixed with their evening feed of oats,
one-tenth of a quart of bruised hemp seed, and the
same quantity of buckwheat in its natural state.

ECONOMICAL FEEDING OF STOCK.

Very minute attention is being given to the econo-
mical feeding of stock. For their sustenance only,
the food ought to be in proportion to the one-sixty-sixth
of their weight. It must also be borne in mind that
the consumption is not so much in relation to the
animal's weight as to the capacity of its chest, and
that two animals, each 600 pounds in weight, will
consume a little more than a single animal of 1,200.
In the ease of draught animals, their rations ouglit to
be doubled for every twelve hours of work, taking
hay as the type of nutrition. Of course, a dietary
wholly consisting of hay is not to be thought of, but
grains substituted pro rata. In the case of growing
animals, in addition to their sustenance ration, they
will require 14 pounds of forage to add one pound to
their weight. For fattening, 10 pounds of hay added
to the ordinary feed, will prodpee one pound of meat,
and a sujipleinental ration of one pound of food will
yield an increase of one pint in the milk, provided the
cow be of a good milking breed ; if not, the aug-
mented food will only fatten. A point not to be over-
looked, is to have a trustworthy cow herd, who will
possess some clear ideas respecting the necessity of
feeding animals at fixetl hours, and duly measuring
their rations. He ought to exclude all damaged food,
or adopt the usual means for ameliorating it, never
forcing an appetite.

THE PRESERVATION OF GREEN FODDER.
M. Gotfart, who is one of the apostles of the move-
ment in favor of the preservation of green maize for
winter and spring feeding, asserts that he has received

thousands of letters from his countrymen and foreign-
ers, testifying to their success, and craving for more
information. A few items on this important topic.
The Giant Maize, or Caragua, though the seed has
never been imiiorted from Nicaragua, is the variety to
sow. It yields as much as 70 tons per acre. M.
GofTarl cuts his green maize into lengths of four
inches, by steam and hand machines. He has sup-
pressed the angles in the trenches, and since the ends
of the pit are oblong, the maize suffers less deteriora-
tion. He has also employed portable doors, when the
pits are opened, to take out the forage. This plant letter
excludes the air. He pitted two tons of chopped green
rye the 8th of last May, and opened the pits the fol-
lowing September, when the cattle eat the rye the
same as green maize then supplied to them. All green
fodder can be similarly preserved in an uncut as well
as in a chopped state.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.

Much conversation has since a year taken place
relative to the Telliez process for cultivating pota-
toes. The tubers were planted iu August, and were
ripe in .January. The agricultural society deputed one
of itsmembers to test the experiment. He followedex-
actly the instructions of M. Telliez, and with the tubers
supplied by him, planting others in a like manner.
The sample tubers vegetated, and the produce from
six tubers just raked up, was less than half a pint, the
potatoes not being much larger than hazelnuts. The
other tubers planted did not vegetate at all.

As liay is scarce this year, farmers substitute cut
straw, steeping it with some bran for twelve hours
with ordinary cut roots. When potatoes are employed,
such ought to be either cooked or fermented.

The subject of planting trees, chiefiy poplars, on the
roadsides, is strongly opposed in many localities by
the owners of property in the vicinity of the trees; the
roots stretching into the neighboring land feed in a
soil where they have no right. The state, on an ave-
rage, nets one franc per annum by the prunings on
each tree — proprietors estimating their loss at two
francs.

OUR FARMERS IN COUNCIL.

Proceedings of the Agricultural and Horticul-
tural Society — Cultivation of Wheat —
Selection of Fruits — How to
take Care of Our Lawns.

The regular monthly meeting of the Lancaster
County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was
held in the. rooms of the Athen«um on Monday,
April 3rd, inst., the President, Calvin Cooper, in the
chair. On account of the weather the attendance
was very small.

Tlie committee appointed by the chair, at the last
meeting, to report the best variety of apple trees for
planting, made their report. Tlie committee con-
sisted of M. D. Kendig, of Manor; H. H. Engle, of
Marietta, and Casper Hiller, of Conestoga. The re-
port consisted of two parts, the following being writ-
ten by Casper Ililler, who was unable to be present,
and the latter by the other two members of the com-
mittee :

Best Variety of Apple Trees for Planting.

The task that has been laid on your committee is
by no means an easy one. Thirty years' experience,
to a close observer and experimentalist, might enable
him to say pretty conclusively what is worthy of plant-
ing on his own patch ; but, if he has also been a close
observer, he has noticed that what is good with him
is often worthless iu another part of tlie county, and
often so on his neighbor's land. Different soils, dif-
ferent elevations, different exposures, &c., make
much difference in varieties. The list lierewith pre-
sented may, from these causes, not prove satisfactory
to all, but embraces such varieties as have a general
reputation for good, or have proven satisfactory to
your eoniniittee :

Early Su.vimer Varieties : All Summer, Red
Astracan, Sine Qua Non.

Late Summer Varieties: Benoni, Mellinger,
Jeffries, Townsend.

Fall Varieties : Gravenstein,Hubbardston None-
such, Smokehouse, Jersey Sweet.

Winter Varieties : Baldwin, Dominie, Falla-
water, Greist's Wiuter, Belmont, Smith's Cider, York
Imperial.

Tlie committee appointed at the last meeting to
report on some of the best varieties of apples for
cultivation in this vicinity, would recommend the fol-
lowing as our choice, in order of precedence, confining
ourselves to six varieties of each as being ample :

Summer — All Summer, Mellinger, Strawberry,
Duchess of Oldenburg, Garrettsou's Early Primate.

Fall — Fall Pipjiin, Jeffries, Gravenstein, Porter,
Mai'len's Blush, Smoliehouse.

Winter — K. I. Greening, Hubbardston.

Best Keepers — Smith's Cider, York Imperial,
Golden Russet, Creek.

There are others of equjil value, but would dis.
courage running into too many varieties, except for
the purpose of testing.

On .account of the slim .attendance, Mr. MeComsey
moved that the reports be laid on the table for dis-

1876.J

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

cussion at the next nipptine, when he had no iloubl
Oierc would ho a hn-fici- attendance. So ordered.
Condition of the Crops.
ReiKirts of crops Ijcinir next in order, Mr. Powuall,
of .Sadbhnry, t-aid that tli- wheal at the close of
winter looked better than last fall. The Koltz wheat
lias taken the place of the Mediterranean varieties.
It ajipears to frive fjrcat satisfaction, and he thinks it
{rivi'? more wheat and straw than any olhcr kind of
wheat. The clover looks very poor, is thinly set, but
there is a chance for inipiovenient.

KiMiiiAiM lloovEK saiil that in .Manheini and Kast
Ilempticld townships the wheat lields dti not look as
promising: as on previous occasions. The Koltz wheat
appears to stand the freezing htst. The other varie-
ties of wheat sown appear to be gettin/i; less, and
here and there in the ticlds can be seen vacant spots.
lie could not tell llie cause of this. Tlie (jrass looks
proniisinir. The clover is frozen out, in souk' places
roots and all. This is the ease all over his section of
the county. During; the last cold snap the peach
blossoms and yrapes do not appear to have been in-
jured. If this is the ease we will have u largo crop
of peaches anil t;rapes.

Mautin Kkndio, of Manor, said the crops in his
neighborhood were about the same us those spoken
of by Messrs. I'ownall and Hoover.

John Ilini'.u said that the peaeh trees lying on
high ground wci'e not injured by the late cold snap.
Those that were in low grounds were invariably
found frozen.

Mu. Cooi'EK, the President, said that as far as he
had examined, he found all of the peach blossonis
frozen .

Mk. I'ownali. said that the peaeh growers in bis
neighborhood reported some peach blossoms frozen
that were in high places.

Mr. Mc'CoMSKV callctl the attention of the Society
to an article on luirrowing wheat in spring, which he
had clipped from the I'uiinlri/ Gciillinuui.. It was a
matter he had never heard of bidorc, and as it claimed
to increase the crop from II) to 1.5 liusbels to the acre,
he thought it a matter that should attract the atten-
ti(tn of all engaged in fai*ming pursuits. Hi: hoped
that alter the article was read every farmer would
test the matter, aial give the result of his experience
to the ^^oeie^y. The article was tlu'n read by one of
the members of the press present, and is as follows :
Harrowing Wheat in Spring.
The advantage ol" harrtiwing wheat lands thor-
oughly in the spi'ing, as soon as the groinal lu'comes
dry enough to prevent the horses frimi sinking into
it, is known to many farmers who have practiced it,
but is unknown to the majority. Wheat is usually
sown in Sei)tendier, upon wcll-preiKired land. This
laud is left there sutijeet to all the slornjs of rain and
snow, and the dry weather in succeeding spring, un-
til after the wheat is harvested. In conse(iuenee,tho
land becomes in May and June nearly as hard as a
nu'atlow. At a seasoil of the year when the plants
are in the giealcst vigor o( growtii, the laml is so
hard as not to giveone-half the nouiishnient it would
if kept iiudlow by anyjirocess. Suppose, for in.stanee,
corn should be planted in the fall, under similar con-
ditions with wheal, and that the uinterdid not injure
it; and tliat it were left without eultivaliou of any
sort until liarvesled— it is evident that the yield would
be diminished over one-hall ; in fact, the yield would
jjrobably be so light and poor as to be almost worth-
less.

Now, wheat, from many experiments in its cultiva-
tion by hand in Kngland, shows as great sensitive-
ness to cultivation as corn — the yield, by care'l'ul
band eidtivation, being increa.scd to (iO, and, in some
instances, SO bushels per acre. Now, a thorough
harrow lug of w heat in the spring, in a very inexpen-
sive manner performs the curtivation nearly as well
as when done by hand. If the crust formed by the
winter snows and spring rains is thoroughly broken,
and the ground to the dejith of two or more inches
well pulverized, the ell'eet upon the wheat is almost
like magic. It starts mto the most vigorous growth,
and in a few weeks has nearly or quite doubled in
size the wheat not harrowed. In pieces of wheat
which have come under the writer's observation,
w bieb w ere harrowed in strips — that is, one strip not
harrowed at all, and other strips on each side thor-
oughly harrowed— iu the early part of .lune, the har-
rowed wheat stood fully one loot higher than tlieuu-
liarrowcd at each side, and in every way was strik-
ingly ranker and more vigorous. -Mr. Kobert G.
Swan, of bo.se Hill farm, tieneva, N. Y., who has
heavy clay land, says he has harrowed his wheat for
four years with the Thomas harrow, and tinds the
yield to be inereased fully teu bushels per aero.
Byram Moulton, of Alexander, (ieneseo county, N. Y.,
harvested from lifly acres 1,I)UU liusliels of wheat.
His neighbors oidy obtaiueil about ten Imshels jier
acre. The only ilitlcrence in land or treatment was
that .Moulton's wheal was thoroughly harrowed with
the same implemeuis in the spring, aud his neigh-
bors' wa.s not.

The ettect produced by harrowing barley and oats,
after they have obtained a growth of lour or live
inches, is equally as marked. 1 have observcil nujiiy
instances where lully twenty bushels per acre in-
crease, in cousequeuee of thorough harrow ing. w as
Obtained.

These facts and many others of sindlar character
show clearly the great profit which farnuTs may de-
rive from a thoroUL'li cultivation by harrtiwing of
wheal, oats, barley and other sown crops.

Mr. D. Smevcii knew of a L'cntleman In York
county who cultivated his wheat, the result of which
was a gain of 10 or 12 bushels to the acre.

.Mr. Ken Dili said that the Thomas harrows referred
loin XW article rcail, were entirely dillereiil from
tho.se used around this jiarl of the country. In our
harrows the spikes run directly Ihrouu'h the beam;
in the'rhonias harrow they are bent back to an an-
gle of about forty-live degrees. They iloii't cut
clean throiiirh like ours, but merely go over the
ground, pnlverizlni; it very nicely. He believed If
wheat was cultivated, it would prove iK'nellcial.

Mr. .MeC'oMsEV : All Kuininer erojis depend on cul-
tivation to a great extent. As such was the case, he
could not see why the same would iioi hold good in
wheat. Hinielicved there was something in it, and
advised all present to spend a day in a small patch
near the house, using a hoc instead <if a harrow.

.Mr. Ki'iiuAiM IloovEic had read an article' several
years ago, which stated that a geiillcmaii in Kiii:land
went over his wheal lield with a large brush, which
loosed up the soil around the roots ofthe wheat to
some extent. The result was a large increase of
wheat. If the farmers had no harrow, they might
lake a larice brush, as did Ibis irenlleiiian in Km,'-
land. ?'or exiierimenling on a small patch, hewould
prefer a rake to the hoe. If corn, potatoes and to-
bacco could he raised successfully by cultivation, he
could see no reason why wheat coiiM not.

Mu. PowNAi.i, did not bi'lieve nuieh In harrowing
wheat, as the harrow would destroy the young grass.
Timothy and clover arc generally sown ibout the time
you would do the harrowing, and he believed the
grass was worth more than the increase of wheat you
would derive by the harrowing. If you did not sow
grass he would be in favor of harrowing the wheat.

Mk. Cooi'EU received a small bag of grain from
Mii'liigan some years ago which he sowed about
twenty-four itiehes apart. In the spring he harrowe<!
over the ground twice, and the result was a large in-
crease of gr.ain, there being a perfect mass of heads,
with large grains. The harrow he used was a small
one, eighteen inches wide, and he harrowed the
ground erossways. He believed there is room for a
great deal of iniprovemeiit.

How to take care of our Lawns.

" Our lawns and how to take care of them," was
the next subject brought before the .Society.

Mk. Kendio believed this was a subject that would
attract every one if it was brought liefore the people
in a proper shaiie. Every family should have a yard,
and have it laid out in walks and planted with trees,
shrubbery and llowers. He ]ioinIed out the many
advantages and pleasures derived from such a jilaee,
aud said that in arranging a front yard he would lay
out a tlagstone walk from thedoortothe gate, around
the edges of which he woiilil have a llower bed. In
different jiarts id' the yard he would plant all kinds
of clioiee fruit and ornamental trees, and over the
walk he would I'rect a gra|)e-arbor.

KiMiKAiM IloovEU believed in having trees and
shrubbery in the yards. Kvery person should plant
theiii ; if not for their own benelil , for that of others.
On the trees we should build bird houses, and encour-
age, instead of drive the birds away, as some farmers
do. The insects they destroy ari' worth far more than
the little fruit tlie\' eat. In regard to the making of
walks, he did not think curbstones should be used, as
they injured the scythes when you cut the grass. A
pebble walk is very nice, and much iireferred. A
]il.iee which has a yard well jjlanted with fruits and
llowers is always attractive, and when olfered forsalo
will enhance the value thereof greatly. .\ few hours
each day spent in planting llowers, liuit aud orna-
mental trees, will soon bring out a dull yard. This
can be done after dinner, an hour w'hieli is frequently
sjieiit in sleeji by the farmer.

.Mk. PiiWNAi.L believed in ornamenting our yards.
In traveling with friends, and when they would pass
a place where the yards were laid out in trees and
llowers, they were sure to ask him, " Who lives
there f" The presence of trtes and llowers makes a
home look cozy ami comfortabkr. In making a walk
ho would iiut lime on the ground before the pebbles
were put dow n in order to kill the grass. Where this
is done, grass will not grow for live or six years.
Evergreens should be planted on the north and south
ends of the buildings. They grow very last, and
soon become a shade and protection to the house.

The subject eliciting no further disciLssion, was, on
motion of .Mr. MeConisey, deferred for lurllier dis-
cussion at the next meeting.

Mr. E. U.llKKsiiEV, of Columbia, was a|)polntcd
by the chair to prepare an essay on the subject lor the
ne.vt meeting.

JlH. .Mc'CovsEV was also requested to pref)arc an
essay for the next meeliiig, the subject to be selected
by the genlleiuau himself.

Entomological — Brown Tree-Borer.
A bottle id' worms and a ])iei-e of an ap[ile tree was
presented to the society by .Mr. I'ownall. The tree
was a tlirifly grower and was blown down during the
late .storm, 'fhe worms, etc., are thus described by
Prol. S. S. Kathvou :

The nccompanylnir bottle of worms are the larixt
ofthe " Brown Tree-Horer," Vartindrn ry/ii/wr, of one
and two years old. The tree was about eighteen
Inches in diameter, part of a transverse section of
which exhibits the locality of the l<ii-ri( in the trunk,
mill the niaiiner In which they have been 0|>eraling
In it. This section was cut about two feel from the
ground, and It will be seen that the borers have con-
lined their o|K'rallons, at the height nientioniil, ex-
clusively to the heart ; the surrounding wikmI being
perfectly Intact and solid. At the earlh-buse of the
tree arc )H-rforatlons through which the young grubs
seem to have entered, and for a short distance iipwunt
their burrows are nearer the outer surface; but
higher up they seem to have all congrcgaleil In the
heart. In which there were more lliun (me hundred
liulivlduals of various sizes. As there are no hori-
zontal perforations anywhere through which the mu-
lure beelles could have esea|H'il, If any have eKcu|H-d
al all, it must have beenthroiigh the aperture U'low ;
but, as It would have re(|ulre<l one year yet iH-furo
the largest of these lamr nnilured, I Infer thul none
have yet been traiisl'ormed to the beetle state, and
that egirs were probably only de|HisHed In ISTI and
1S7.5. The tree being very large, did mil seem to be
niiiterially Injured by the preeeiice of the woriiiB.

In addition to the foregoing allow me to say, lliat
this apple tree was blown down by the violent equl-
noetial storm of .March last; that {irevious I41 sawing;
thetrunk Into sections— liceonling In .Mr. I'liwnuU's
statement — there was no external Indicalion thul the
heart was unsound, or that it hud been Infesteil by
"borers" at all; lair was there anything In Its gen-
eral health t<i lead to such u sup|Hisltion. 1 do not
state (Misitlvely that the tari'ir were those of I'ariui.
(Irii, and If so, that they were of the hmtIcs (jlnUr,
as we have several Bpecics, hut I have found gliUier
the most common. I huve often found Varandra In
decayed wood, and on one occasion, where the trunk
of a tree (an oak) had been broken oil' by u tlorni, 1
found the heart decayed, [KTloratcd, and eonlalnlng
larrtf similar to those exhibited by .Mr. Pownall, and
In the dcbrl.s of the hollow stump I found many frag-
ments, as well as whole siiecimeiis, ImiiIi living ami
dead, of J'nruiutrit t/taU-r. 1 Iherelore inferred these
to be similar, if not the very sunie. 1 have never
found the "strilH'd apple tree borer*' {Sajtcrtt^t Urit'
tatii) under tlu' same cireunistanees. The heart of
this tree, for about six inches in diameter, was In u
state of brown ilecay, ami was perfecily lioiicy-
conibed with various sized perforalions, according to
the sizes of the borers, which were from u <|Uarterlo
three -(quarters of an inch in length, and of corres-
ponding thickness.

The while wood surrounding the heart, was |ht-
fcclly sound, healthy liMiking and sappy. Although
.Mr. P. took out over a huudred of these Itirvic he did
not explore the whole trunk — probably he might
have obtained as many more, 11 not live hiimlred.
We have always found the larva of the slrl|H-d tiorer
in indcpendciil burrows, iminedialely under the Ijurk,
or ill the white wood further in — unless the tree wu«
a small oiii — ami in pcrpendicnlar position, or nearly
so. In this instance the galleries were in various dl-
rcelions — iuT[iendicular, liorizoiiial, and at various
angles — often one breaking Into unolher, and all
within the decayeil [yirtiou of the tree. No inalure
insects, or fragnieiits of the same, were discovered.
If they exist they will be lound in the stump, but
very probably lliey had yet malurcd. Subsei|Uently
a small aperlure was discovered al the base of the
tree, which was sup[ii^sinl lu have communleutioii
with the decayed heart.

Mr. Pownall very justly remarked, "If these are
the true ajiple tree borer what becomes <if the renuily
iyi ijoimj ttj'ttf tlu-in \\\\\\ a barbed steel wint f" for
they are located in the heart, from two to three feel
from the ground, or any apertup' of ingress.

These larva', although seemingly not fully de-
veloped, have tlic general resemblance of the Loiigi-
coriiia, but the gl<itux of I'araiidra has fur a long
time been considered itufnunn.

There being no further business, the society aJ-
jourued.

GENERAL MISCELLANY.

The Best Chickens.

Not unfrequenlly we are asked which is the liost
breed of chiekins ; but it is by no means an easy
question to answer. If we were to ask the same
question of a dozen men, all having dill'erent bree<ls
in their fMisscsslon, we should not be surprised to hear
as many answers as there were men. While men
dlH'er, and we continue to have so many breeds of
chickens of sU|ierior quality, it » ill lie vain lo cx|K'ct
Ihciii lo agree as lo which is the Ih'sI. We are re-
minded ol the genilcman who said he was glad tliut
all men were not like lilni, or all would have pre-
ferred his wife ; but was siH'edily met with the re-
joinder from another gentleiuan : " And if all were
like ine, noliody would have wanteil her." 80 with
the choice of chickens. While some prefer a certain
breed, and will have no other, others will prefer any
breed but thul. flu I'uuUnj /jul/tYin coniineiids Ihu
beauty ofthe Ulaek Spanish, and .Mr. J. Y. BIcknell
speaks highly of lliein as layers, and as U> Iheir bar

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April,

diness. C. Y. Wilson, of Massachusetts, extols the
Liarht Brahma, ami, while some prefer them of a
modified age, lie wants them as large as possible,
and elaims tliat a blindfolded epicure could never
distinguish the difference in the meat.

E. S. K. writes to the I'onllrij ^Vorld:

"As many persons are inquiring what breed of
fowls is the best for general purposes, permit me to
Bay, that after fairly trying Leghorns, White Brah-
mas, Dark Brahmas, and noudans — each variety of
the best stock that could be obtained — I find that
Houdans are sujierior to all others. Leghorns pro-
duce as many eggs as Houdans, but the chickens are
tough and stringy, compared with Houdan chickens,
while the hens are no better as setters. Both Light
and Dark Brahmas have the defect of accumulating
fat with such facility that, unless great care is exer-
cised in feeding them, they cease to lay. They also
have a constant tendency to sit, and the chickens are
mainly legs after they get too large for broilers.
Houdans are such restless and persistent foragers
that an excess of grain tlirown to them does not ren-
der them lazy."

But the very thing E. S. K. recommends in the
Houdans — restlessness — would be considered objec-
tionable by three-fourths of those choosing a new
breed, and especially those living in or near towns
and villages, where they are likely to bother their
neighbors.

J. F. King writes the Poultry Aryus:

" I have fully made up my mind to raise the Brown
Leghorn in spite of anything. I have tried in the
course of my exijcrience a great many breeds of
fowls, and have settled down on Brown Leghorns as
being the best and the most economic egg producers
on the list ; and eggs are more profitable to me than
poultry."

Mr. King speaks for eggs alone ; and thus we
might go through the list, some claiming for the
Games great superiority for the fineness and de-
licious flavor of the meat, which is generally eon-
ceded. While we have not even a desire to settle
the question as to the best, we have a word to those
Willi wi.sh to improve their chickens on the farm by
crofssing and grading up, thus avoiding the expense
of starting anew at fancy prices. Several important
points should be looked to — such as laying qualities,
early maturity, large size of body without too great
length of legs, meat fine, juicy and of good flavor,
and especially thej' should be liardy.

Our experience is in favorof the Partridge Cochins,
but, from our limited knowledge of the Butf Cochins,
■we believe them about equal — the bodies heavy and
well featliered and legs short. The Partridge Cochins
lay well w inter and summer, mature early, are good
mothers, docile, very hardj , and meat delicious. By
putting one cock with ten or twelve hens, the flock
will soon be graded up. These cocks should be ex-
changed for others, or sold aud others bought, every
spring, and there need be but little trouble about
sickness. Two neighbors buying one year can ex-
change the next. Good cocks can be bought for from
f 3 to $.5, and the increase in weight alone will doubly
pay for them the first year. — Jountal of Agriculture.

Spring Care of Sheep.

This is a job that is very often neglected, to the
great inconvenience of the sheep and loss to the
owner. It takes but a short time for a couple of men
to go over two or three hundred, and the amount of
wool saved will more than doubly pay the expense,
to say nothing about the relief it gives the animal,
and the saving of trouble afterwards and the risk of
losing some, for it is not uncommon that the accumu-
lation of filth causes soreness, which the flies soon
find out, and in a very short time all will be over
with those so unfortunate as to become thus affected.
I have known as many as a half-dozen to be killed in
this way out of a flock of less than two hundred.
Warm, wet weather is the most apt to produce these
results, aud the merino sheep are the most apt to
give tiouble in case of neglect.

If the tags are put in the fleece at shearing time,
care should be taken to have them well washed, as
it is not an uncommon thing for people to get them-
eelves into serioustrouble, when through an avaricious
desire they allow tliem to he put in without this very
necessary precaution. 1 knew one to lose fifty dol-
lars and another fort}' dollars in this way. As good
a plan as any is to leave them out and sell with uu-
waslied wool ; it saves trouble of washing, aud they
can be disposed of on their merits. As a rule, a de-
duction of one-half is asked, wdiich in most cases is
not too much.

In handhng sheep care should be taken not to catch
them by the wool, as is so often done. It is just as
easy to grab them by the hind leg or around the
neck, and passing the arms around the body, they
can be lifted up with ease, (ientleness in handling
sheep is a very essential thing, and they who practice
it will be rewarded with quiet flocks. They should
early learn that they are in no danger from those
whose business it is to watch over them.

After a winter with as much rainy weather as there
has been during the past one, there is danger of sore
feet, and should the season continue wet, there will
be more or less in this direction ; and, as is very

often the case, an oimee of caution is worth a pound
of cure, and a stitch in time saves nine. The hoofs
will grow long, and will require trimming, for which
a sharp knife or a pair of toe-nippers, or both, will
be needed. If any are lame, they should be exam-
ined, and if in the least sore, trim well. and apply
some pure pine tar or a little powdered vitriol, or in
many instani'es a little salt, well rubbed in, will have
the desired effect. If foot-rot gets among a fresh lot
of sheep, it makes sad havoc and quick work. Never
let a sheep limp a day without knowing the cause,
and give immediate attention. — M. N. Russell, Ilain-
moudsHlle, O., March S, 1S7G. — Ger. Telegraph.

Lambs and Calves.

Now for the calves and lambs, and there is no in-
terest with which farmers have to do where the
" ounce of prevention " pays better than here. Be
sure and have the cow gaining when the calf is drop-
ped. Give a warm, dry room, with a good bed for
"lying in," a light but generous diet afterwards, with
no ice water ; treat her with gentle kindness, and
above everything else, keep her from cold draughts
of air, and you will find that it will pay ever-so-much
better than doctors and farriers after your cow has
gotten out of sorts from want of proper care when
she most needed it.

A cow that is gaining when she calves, and is taken
care of at and after the calf is dropped, is almost
sure to do well ; and such a one is all ready to com-
mence her season's work of producing butter-stock.

It has been my invarialile practice, for more than
twenty years, to feed my cows lightly before calving
with ears of corn, unless they a-re in good grass ; and
I have not had one to retain the afterbirth in all that
time.

So, too, care pays when the lambs are dropped in
cold weather. Every man that has a considerable
flock sliould have two or three small warm pens, into
each of which he should put three or four sheep a
few days before they are to lamb ; and if the weather
is cold he should look after them once or twice in the
night, and there is really no more need of losing a
lamb than a calf.

It is sometimes the case when a sheep has twins
that she will own but one, unless she or they have
help. Usually if she is put in a very snug pen im-
mediately after the lambs are dropped she will accept
the situation. If one stubbornly refuses to own her
ofispring, just put her head between two stakes driven
into the floor of the pen and let her be there. I never
knew one I could not subdue. By all means have a
nursing bottle on hand, and feed the lambs just
enough to keep them hungry and smart ; and if the
sheep are poor milkers give them shorts and potatoes
with plenty of salt, sulphur and water. Cut the tails
pretty short at three days' old, if the lambs are
smart, but within the first week usually. Keep off the
ticks and the lamb will be fit to sell in season for the
dam to get in good order for winter, and a sheep that
comes to the barn fat is about half wintered.

" An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
—D. II. Thing, West Mt. Vernon, Me.— Ger. Tel.

W^hat Will Pay.

Year after year crops are moved off without re-
turning anything to the soil. Manures are put under
the rains and the dropjiing of eaves until they are
drained of their best material and rendered nearly
useless. This could be obviated by building cheap
sheds to cover the manure as thrown from the sta-
bles. This can be done at a small cost and will pay.
Winter is not a good time to build, but for such a
purpose as this it is better to build now than not at
all. Plaster should also be used in the stables to pre-
vent the escape of ammonia, and care should be taken
to keep it in as good condition as possible. If the
barns aud yards are so situated that the wastings are
carried off by every rain, a little time with a team,
plow and scraper, will make a ditch (a broad, open
one it should be) around the barn on three sides;
then at all times keep this filled with the trash and
litter which naturally accumulates about the barn.
The ditch will hold ' the water, etc., from the yard,
and cause the straw to rot rapidly and will afford a
large quantity of good manure. When the manure
is removed in the sin-ing, the ditch can be filled with
wheat straw, uj^on which a few bushels of lime has
been scattered ; then as fast as it rots pile it up in the
ditch and fill the spaces between each pile with straw,
and so on. In the fall there will be a fine pile of
manure, which will renovate the worn out fiefd ; or
to scatter on the exposed knolls on the wheat field,
preventing winter killing. Another great waste is
the large crop of weeds, which each year is allowed
to go ty seed, and spread all over adjoining farms.

Using too much hard labor is another wayof wast-
ing on the farm. Many machines can now be used
to save ranch of this labor. More horse-powers must
be used. And after we have raised our crops they
should larirely be fed out on the farm. It is much
cheaper to ship corn, oats, etc., in the form of meat
than to send it in the bulk as raised ; besides tlie
soil is made richer, instead of constantly reducingits
producing capacity. — Prairie Farmer.

Management of Manure.

A farmer's manure account is the next thing to his
bank account, and everything that helps one aids the
other. The old Hearth and Home had, while living,
an excellent practical contributor, who was famous
for " hammering away" at the manure heap. Here
is a scrap from one of his papers, as good now as the
day it was written : " Where all the stock is kept in
one large barn, with a manure cellar underneath,
there is little diflicultyin managing the manure, espe-
cially if there is a large tank for the spare liquid.
The main points are to provide sutlicient ventilation,
so that no deleterious gasses shall penetrate to the
hay or cattle above, and to use enough material to
keep the manure from getting wet. On farms where
considerable straw and cornstalks are used, and
where the manure is kept out of doors, the main
point is to get the manure into a compact heai>.
Where the manure from the cow stables and pig pens
is thrown out into a small heap by the door, it
freezes through and no fermentation takes place un-
til spring ; but if all the manure from all the horses,
cows, sheep, and pigs is put together in a large, com-
pact heap, fermentation will set in, and the frost
will not penetrate more than a few inches on the out-
side. Our plan is to place the heap in some central
point and wheel all the manure daily to the heap,
shake it out, and spread it about the heap ; endeavor
as much as possible to mix the horse, cow, and pig
manure together. It is necessary to insist on this
point, as the men have a great disinclination to spread
the manure about. If they become negligent, set
them to turn the whole heap over. This will do the
manure good, and teach the men a lesson. They will
will soon learn that a manure heap carefully spread
out, can be handled than much easier one left in
small heaps with the cornstalks running from the
lower barrow to the one above, as a well made load
of hay can be unloaded with less labor than one built
without thought or skill. It will pay to manipulate
with as much care as if you were making a mam-
moth hot-bed. An hour's work now, when there is
comparatively little to do, will save two hours' work
in the busy days of spring. Maimre so managed, if
the stock is well fed, can be reduced one-half without
the loss of any fertilizing material. Last year our
manure so managed was in splendid condition by the
first of .'Vlay to draw out and spread the ridges for
mangolds."

Feeding Poultry.

It is said that a very common-looking man, and
one who was supposed to be a very common sort of
person, found himself in the capital this last Con-
gress, having been elected a representative from a far
distant State. Anticipating fun, some old stagers
asked him what were his sensations on first entering
so grand a building. He replied, as they thought, in-
nocently, " he wondered how a man like him.self had
ever had the luck to get into such a place," but, he
added, " my second thoughts were still more surjiris-
ing, for when I looked at you, it was a complete puz-
zle how you got here."

We suppose some such feeling as this must be up-
permost in the minds of many readers on what goes
as agricultural matter in the rounds of the papers.
They are often tempted to write, but in their modi'sty
hold back because they cannot conceive what they
would like to say could get admission into a popular
paper ; and thus they wonder still more when they
seff-the character of the s'.uff that soofteo really finds
a place there. Often we see paragraphs of this kind
and wonder how it is th;it they pass as thej' do the
ej'cs of the editors.

Here before us is an article on chicken-feeding,
which is made up from some floating paragrapli so as
to appear like an original editorial note. We are told
that the hen that eats the most is the one that pro-
duces the most — which, in a certain sense, may bo
true. Building on this, we are assured that one
bushel of corn will make just twelve and a half
pounds of eggs, and the paragraph then closes with
this reflection : " Most farmers have a feeling that
the corn which is fed to poultry is thrown away. They
should look upon the transaction as just so much
grain exchanged for eggs."

We fancy that most farmers have never learned
this exact mathematical way of turning corn into
eggs. Those who have had experience in raising
fowls know that the best success with them is when
they are left in a great measure to scratch out their
own daily bread. To give a fowl all the grain it will
eat, is the surest way to make it lazy and worthless.
The active fowl is the healthiest, and good health is
the first essential of a good layer, as well as of along
liver. The proper way to treat fowls is to place
them where they can be encouraged to get their own
food, only making up what they themselves cannot
find. — Gcnnantown Telegraph.

Four thousand eight hundred and forty square
yards make an acre ; a square mile, six hundred and
forty acres. To measure an acre, two hundi-ed and
nine feet on each side make a square acre witliin an
inch.

1870.]

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

Don't Chop with a Poor Axe.

Clioppinirwitliapooraxe is like niowiuK grass or like
crudlinsf ^rraiii with a cradle tliat is not tit tor use. A
great many eliopjters \vill hack, /mc/i', hack ail day
witli an old poor axe, n^;inli: np sullieient iniisele to
eliop two eords of \V4iod, wliile willi that uhl "stiih"
not more tlian half a enrd \\ill he ehopp<'iI. It i.*^ the
worst sort of poliey to eliop with an old and worn-
out tool, as a chopper with a ;;ood axe, dnrini; a few
days, will earn more than enous;ii to eaneel the ilitlVr-
ence between the iniees of a new axe and an old one.
Choppiusis fatiguing labor, even when a idioppir has
a good axe. If the steel at the edge of the axe has
been in use so long that it will not retain a satisfae-
torv edge, or if the corners have been broken off or
wtuai away so that the edge is as circular as a small
wheel, better cast the axe away and procure a new
one. In caise there is a satifaetory amount of steel
at the edge, let the i>art of the tool near the cutting
edge 1)1' grouncl down to a proper thicknt'ss. Hut
when grinding beware of redui-iiiL' the steel too thin.
.Many a good axe has been spoili'd simply by bcin^
ground too thin near the ctilling I'llge. The steel close
to the culling edge must be sullicicntly thick to pos-
sess the necessary strength rci|Uircd to resist the
strain when the edge is entering hard aiul gnarly
timlier. When the steel near the cutting edge is
ground so thin that it is no thicker than a piece of
paper, no axe can be expected to retain a good cut-
ting edge. Many choppers suppose that the thinner
the steel is near "the cutting edge the more rapidly
they will be able to chop. But there never was a more
grave mistake. If nothing were re(|uircd when chop-
ping but to cut oil' the grain of the wood, a vi'ry thin
axe wonhl be the best. But the jioint of the axe lu-ar
the edge should be of such a form as to heave out the
chips as the grain of the timber is severed. In order
to accomplish this jioint ino.st ctlh'icntly, Ihe cutting
edge from the front corner to the inside eornersliould
not he circular more than one-fourth to one-half inch.
Then the steel should be beveled gradtnilly towards
each corner from a imint about one inch back of llie
middle of the cutting edge. If ground in lliis way,
that peculiar form of the axe will heave out a chip
at almost every blow. — I'rdclical Fanner.

Ammonia as a Cure for Snake Bites.

Several cases of snake bite, in which the value of
Prof. Ilalford's renii'dy, sulicutancous injection of
ammonia, has l.iecn demonstrated, have, says the
Melbourne Ai-i/ii.i, lati'ly occurred in the colony. At
Seymour, on the 14tli oi' December, a young man, 2(1
years of age, named Dwyer, was bitten by a snake
iietween the thumb and the first finger of the right
hand. The wound was received at 9 o'clock, and no
treatment was applied until half past eleven, when
the patient was powerless and almost insensible,
ammonia was injected into the right arm, when he
revived at once. He sufl'ered a relapse, but the am-
monia was again successfully applied, and he ulti-
mately recovered.

At Bungaree a young girl was bitten by a snake,
aial gradually sank into a state of stupor. Two hours
and a half after she was bitten animoina was inject-
ed. Relief was immediately obtained and the girl
rapidly recovered.

A third ease happened on the -\eheron, eleven miles
from .\lexandria, where a little girl two years of age,
the daught<'r of a farmer named Doak, was bitten by
a snake just above the ankle of tlie left foot. Symp-
toms of complete coma were setting in when the am-
monia injeetiim was used w ith nuigical cHect. The
child sat upright and became cpiite lively. A relapse
oei'urring, a second injection was made^ith as great
elfeet as before, and the child from that time con-
tinned to improve until her recovery.

Another case is mentioned of a native woman on
the Wirretia station, .South Australia, who was bit-
ten by a snake on the ankle. She became uncon-
scious, and ttie surface of the body was turiung cold
when ammonia was injected. The woman at once
revived and recovered. — I'all Mall Gazelle.

Hints about Meat.

The leg of mutton is the most profitable joint, con-
taining most solid meat. The neck is an extravagant
joint, half the weight consislingof bone and fat. The
shouhlcr has also much waste in boiu'. The brea,xt
docs w ell for dinner, nicely stutled ; it is much cheaper
than other joints. Sirloins and ribs of meat are very
extravagant joints, from the weight of bone. The
roasting side of the round pari of the buttock, and
the part called the "toiiside," are the most profitable
family eating. The nujusc buttock is used for stew-
ing-, shin is used for soup or stewing. The quantity
of butchers' meat consumeil in a family is, on an ave-
rage, tbrce-quartirs of a pound a day for each per-
son; but when the family consists of women and
children, half a |Kiund per'day is about the quantity
consumed, one with another, independent of hams,
bacon, jwultry, fish and game. .Meat should be wiped
with a dry, clean cloth, as soon as it comes from the
butchers; tly-blows, if found in it, cut out, and in
loins the long pipe that runs by the bone should ly.
taken out, as it soon taiuts ; the kernels, also, shoul

be removed from beef. Never receive bruised joints.
Meal will keep good for a long time In cohl weather,
and, If frozen through, nuiy be kept for months.
Frozen meat nnist be thawed before It is c(K)ked, by
plunging it into colli water, or placing it bclbrc Ihe
lire before setting it down to roast. It never will be
dressed through if this precautitm Is not taken, not !
even wlien twice cooked. I'eppir is preventive of
decay, in iIcL'ri'c ; il is well,therid'ore, to pe|iperhung
joints. Powdered charcoal Is still more remarkable
in itsi'll'ect. It will not only keep the meat over which
it is sprinkleil, good, but will remove the taint from
already dicaycil Mesh. A piece of charcoal boiled in
the water with " high " meat or fowls, will render it
or them qnile sweet. A piece of charcoal, or pow-
dered charectal, should be kept in every lardc-r.
Hams, after being smoked, imiy he kept R>r any length
of time packed in powdered charcoal. — The J/uune-
kee^jer.

Holding on for Higher Prices.

The (HU'sthui ofti'U comes up, whether It Is best to
sell a cro|i as soon as it is ready for nnirket or to
bold on for hisrher prices. It is a <ptestion which
camiol be dceideil liy newspaper articles. There are
so many tcmjiorary or local circumstances which
lari^cly enter into the question ami on which every-
one must decide for himself. But in a general way
there is no doubt that it is best to sell as .soon as rca<ly,
aial this is the advice that we have frequently given
in these columns.

Even tbiaigh prices be low, and there is the reason-
able prospect of a rise in a short time, there are the
losses from shrinkage and waste, which in a large
mimbcr of cases are quiti* as much as any average
increase in jiricc would be. In the arlhdes whadi we
have before given, and to wbii-h we have alluded, we
have pri-seiilcd this fact particularly, and we I'cmem-
ber esi>ecially referring to the case of a friend who
put oiH' huniircil bushels, of potatoes in the cellar in
fiill, and which oidy turned out eighty when sold in
spi'ing. Here was a loss of twenty per cent., and
with interest on the reci'i|its, if they had been sold in
fall, reciuires a good advan<:e to nuike it worth while
to hold under such circumstances.

We refer to tlu^ matter now hccansc we bclievethat
this figure, twenty percent., even by those who are
conscious of a loss Ijy keeping, is generally believed
to be ipiite as much as is lost ; but we have recently
seen some fig\n"es which show that it is often niueli
greater than this. Twenty per cent, is given as ahfiut
the loss by shrinkage in corn : hut as much as thirty-
three per cent, is tdaimed as the loss in jiotatoes if
kcpt'till late in the season, say -Jnnc. This isastr()ng
argtinu'nt against the general principle of holdiniron.
— Uennanlown Telefjraph.

Potato Growing.

As an article of daily food for this country, and
some other counti-ies, the potato has no rival. Hence
it becomes an important question — what varii'ty is
best, all things considered? The kind that yields best
and of the best 'quality, is a desideratinn much to be
desired. There are so many circumstances bearing
on both points of the (iu<'Sti<in that it is dillleult to
arrive at eoi-i-ect conclusions. A potato that has
proved good this year may, under ditlereiit circum-
stances, next year jjrove a failure.

The Early Uose for an early and the Jackson White
for a late potato, seem now to be i)referred in New
England markets. They are both good potatoes,
but not one jot better than several other kinils that
yield double what cither of these varieties do. We
have in this country several varieties besides the two
mentioned above, that I thiidc will prove excellent
potatoes. The I'cerless, of which I know nothing
pcr.sonally, but have heard it possessed considerable
merit in quality and yield ; and lirei'se Prolilie uu-
doubt<'dly has the same good qualities. I experi-
mcntcil with Brooks' Seedling last year, and think it
equal to the Early Hose in quality, while it will yield
twice as many on the same land. I W(UiM say tii any
one not familiar with it, that it rcsendiles the Early
Kose, a shade darker, somewhat thicker, a good late
potato, ready to dig first of October. There are but
few Early Kose raised for the nnirket in this section ;
they are good enough, but yield sparingly.

It seems to"me, if we can find a late potato as good
in quality as the Early liose, and a much better
yielder, it ought to sui)ersede it after it is well ri-
jiened. The Kose might retain its ])laee as an early
])otato, say for .\ugust and .■September, and Brooks'
Seedling, or some equally good one, for the remain-
der of the year. — ./. G. Gooil/fur, in Germantuicn Tel.

Whipping Horses Dangerous.

I wouM caution those who train horses or use them
niHui another iK)lnt, viz.: that of exciting the Ill-will
of the animal. .Many Uiink they are doing finely, and
are proud (»f their success In horse-training by nuMins
of severe whipping, orotherwisi' rousing and stimu-
luting the passions, aial tlu'U, from necessity, crush-
ing the will through which resistance Is prompteil.
No mistake <an be greater than this, and thcR' In
nothing that so fully exhibits the ability, juili:nu'iit
ami skill of the real horsenuin as the care displayed
in winning Instead of repidling the action of the
mind. Although It may be necessary to use the whip
sometimes, it should always Ik- ujiplieil juilielotisly,
and great care should be taken ii(»l to rouse the pas-
sions or excite the will to obstinacy. Tin' legltliinilo
ami proper use of the whip Is calculated to operate
n;MUi the sense <d' fear almost entirely. The allec-
tionate and better initnre nuist be ap|H>aled to In
training a horse, as well as in training a clillil. A re-
proof given may Im* lnlende<l for the giMsl of llio
child, but if oidy the [lassions are excited the ellect
Is depraving ami Injurious. This Is a vital principle,
antl can be disregarded In the mamigement ')f sensi-
tive and courageous horses only at the risk <i{ s|Kiillnt;
them. I have known many horses of a naturally
genth' character to be s|H>ileil by whlp|>ing oih'c, ami
one horse that was nntde vlcli»us by Indng struck with
a whip while standing In his stall. — J'tof. /'uirler.

Much in Little.

A man walks thret^ miles an hour; ii horse tn>l8 7;
steamboats run 17; sailing vessels 10; rapid rivers
7; shfw rivers 4; moderate winds blow 7: storm
blows :>(> ; hurricane Hb ; a ritle ball I,OIKI; sound
74 1; li-htTi 1,(1(10,000. A barrel of llouriveighs lOtilhs.;
barrel of |H)rk 'iOO ; firkin of butter .'Ki; a tub of
butter 'H. Wheat, beans and clover seed (1(( {KMiiids
to the bushel; corn, rye and Maxseeil .'WJ; buckwheat
IVZ; barh-y+S; oats :!.''>; bran »l ; lluiolhy seed :i8;
coarse salt H'l. Sixty drops make a ilraehm ; 8
drachms make an ounce; 4 ounces make a gill; 4
gills a pint ; (10 <lrops a tUbles|M>onfnl, or half an
ounce ; two tablesiM)onful an oimee ; -S tcas[Mionful a
gill ; 2 gills a eollee <-up or tumbler ; (i lluid ounces a
teacupful. Four Ihousaial eight humlreil and lorly
square yards make an acre; a square mile (140 acres.

To measure an acre : liOO feet on each siile making
a s^iuare within an inch. There are «,7.'»(l languages.
Two persons die every second. .\ general ion is :i.^
years, average length of life 21 years. Thcstamling
army in I'russia, war times, 1 .2<>il.(i(MI ; A list ria , «2.5,-
(K)0; Spain, ll)0,(IOO: Belgium, '.•4,000 ; England, 7.5,-
000; Lnited States, 24,000. Mails in Ni'W York city
weigh 100 tons a day. New York eonsunus (KK)
beeves daily, 700 calves, 20,OUO sheep anil 20,000
swine in winter.

Care of Hogs.
Hogs love sulphur, and a considerable amount of
it is lU'cessary to keep them in fair health. When
hogs run at large and fiial green food they siqiply
themselves with what is needed, but pigs kept in
ch«e |iens and fed on hou.sc slops or corn need some
more laxative food. Charcoal should be fe.1 to hogs
frequently. Keep a supply by them in small boxes.
Mix four ([uarts of salt, two ounces of sidiilinr, and
one bushel of wood ashes, and keep con^^antly in the
pens in Imixcs. It tends to reduce lever, destroy
worms aud aid digestion.

Potatoes for Horses.

I once came near losing a very valuable horse from
feeding him dry hay and oats with noihing liNisening.
1 have never believed in dosing a hor.«i' with uii'ill-
cinc, hut something is actually necessary to keep a
horse in right condition. Many use powders, but
potatoes are better, and safer, ami chea|)cr, If fed ju-
diciously. If those who are not in the liabit of feed-
ing potatoes to horses will try them, Ihey will Ik!
astonishc<I at the result. I have known a horse
change from a lazy, dumpish one to a quick, active,
headstrong animal in five ilays, by simply adding
two quarts of jiolatois to his fei><i daily. If very
much clean corn-meal is fed, thi'y do not need so
iminy potatoes. T(K1 nuiny |sjtaloes are weakening,
aial so are loo many ap|>les. When I was a lad, I
was away fr(un home at sehoiil one winter, and had
the care of (uii' horse, one yoke of oxen, and oik'cow,
every one of which I had to curd or curry cviTy day.
Thehorse had three pails ol water, four quarts of
oats, two quarts of small [Kilaloes, and two (pnirtsof
corn extra every day he worked, with what hay he
wanted, and a stronger or more active horse of liis
inches I have never yet seen.

Care of Horses.

The London TTume Iluok says : " All horses must
not he fed in the same pro|K>rtion, without regard to
their ages, their eon.slitutiou and their work, because
the imiiropriety of such a practice is self-evident. Vet
this is eonslauily done, and Is the basis of disease of
every kind. Never use bad hay on accoiuit of the
cheapness, because it brings on inllammatiiui of the
bowels, and skin diseases. ChaO is better for old
horses than hay, beeaust: they can chew and lilgesl it
better. When a horse is worked hanl, its fcKsI should
chicUy be hay — because oats supply more nourish-
mentan.I thsii making material than any other kind
of food ; hay, not so much. Back fecdiieg Is waste-
ful. The better plan is to feeil with chapped hay,
because the fotal Is not then thrown out, and Is more
easily cheweil and digested. Sprinkle the hay with
water that has salt dissolved in il, because il is phras-
ing to the animal's taste and more easily digesled.
A tahlesiioouful of salt in a bucket of water is suUl-
cieiit.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April

Plaster on Clover.

Please inform me whether it will be beneficial
in eowiiiff clover seed in the sprina; on wheat,
to broadcast wood-ashes or jilaster, or the two mixed.
Or shall I wait until after the wheat is cut, and then
BOW the plaster and aehes on the young clover? I
wish a fertilizer to the wheat as well as the clover.
In what pro|iortion should the plaster and ashes be
used to the acre? — A. .S'., Jfaryland.

[The common iiractice is to sow plaster on clover
in the spring:, the year after sowing the seed ; but if
It could have an additional dressing the year pre-
vious, as soon as the wheat is cut, tins would tend to
make a stronger growth in autumn. It would be
less advantageous to sow immediately after the sow-
ing of the clover seed, but the experiment is easily
tried. In some seasons, and on certain soils, it might
assist the growth of both wheat and clover, but gen-
erally the result would be light or impereeiitible.
Ashes are often useful, sometimes not ; and the only
way to determine this point is to try the experiment.
As both ashes and plaster must be sown dry, it will
make no ditierence whether they are mixed or sown
separate.] — Country Gcnl(ettuiu.

Hollow Horn.

If the horns of the animals are cold in the morning,
you may expect they have the horn ail. If the eyes
look dull and heavy, and the matter gathers in the
eyes, and the nose is dry and lloes not sweat, it is
another evidence of horn ail. If the hair is dry and
stands out straight, and the droppings are dry and
hard, it is a third indication. Take a common tea-
cup half full of good strong vinegar, put in a table-
spoonful each of line salt and black pepper, ground
fine, and let it soak. In the morning put a table-
spoonful in eadh ear of the animal atiected ; the next
morning repeat the dose. If the case is not a had
one, two applications will generally etfect a cure. As
soon as the natural warmth returns to the horns then
the cure is efl'ected. I would not recommend to bore
the horns nor cut them off till the above remedy has
been tried. In applying the medicine it will be neces-
sary for one person to hold the head and another to
apply the medicine. Be sure to hold the ear up, so
that the licpior will not run into the head. I have not
known a creature to die witli the horn ail, that has
been treated with this, for forty years.

A Full Vocabulary.

The r'. /S. Tuhaeco Jouniid publislics the following
list of ingenious phrases used to describe the many
qualities and peculiarities of leaf tobacco :

Body, veins, texture, he.avy, thick, thin, fat, tough,
hairy, soft, hard, dry, wet, tine, common, spongy,
silky, fleshy, ledery, short, narrow, broad, long,
dark, light, brown, brownish, red, reddish, yellow,
green, fiery, shrinky, shrivelled, old, new, sweated,
heated, unsweated, mild, high-flavored, rank, dull,
glossy, shiny, spotted, sprinkled, dotted, sound,
rotten, touched, damaged, damaged on the butt,
damaged — per cent., over sweated, raw, lively,
white ash, gray ash, blue ash, spiderweb ash, bony,
bad, burniirg, funky, rim throwing, blistering, flacky,
coaling, wouldn't hold fire, pole liurned, frosted,
fishy. Salty, quality, lor export, working up, low,
high priced, siuibby, farnier'spacked, regularpacked,
mark-weight, re-weight, worm-eaten, cured, killed,
dead.

Tree Mignonnette.

This is by some supposed to he a distinct variety
from the common kind grown in the garden, but it is
not. The tree form is due to careful pruning and at-
tention, and there is no variety of mignonnette which
will assume a tree form without constant care. The
way to raise a "tree " nugnonnette is to sow the seed
as usual, and when the plants are about two inches
high, select one of the strongest, and jilant in a pot
or box bvitself,andkeepit well supported by astakc.
Every side branch that appears must be pinched olT,
but the leaves nuist be allowed to remain on the main
stem as they are needed for the health of the plant.
When the plant is about a foot or more in height, the
Bide shoots may be pernntted to grow, but they must
have their heads pinched otf occasionally to force
them to form a bushy top. It will take some mouths
to accomplish this, but it will make a beautiful
plant. — Country OentUman.

What it will Do.

If ameehanic or clerk saves 2% cents per day, from
the time he is twenty-one until he is thi-eescore and
ten, the aggregate, with interest, will amount to
g3,il00 ; and a daily saving of 27>i cents will reach
the important sura of ?29,l)00. A sixpence saved
daily will provide a fund of $7,0U0— sufficient to pur-
chase a good farm. There are few employees who
cannot save daily, by abstaining from the use of
cigars, tobacco, liquor, etc., twice or ten times the
amount of the six cent ineee. Every person should
provide for old age, and the man in business who can
lav by a dollar a day will eventually find himself
possessed of §100,000.

Hay-Making in Norway.

Of this a correspondent thus writes : " The way
they make hay in Norway will be new to your farmer
readers. The grass is hung up on poles to dry, and
I have never seen such bright colored hay in my life.
It is almost as bright a green as when growing. In
some fields you see strings of fences, a few rods long,
which begin and end nowhere. These Hues of fence
are about as wide apart as a New England farmer
makes his winrows. On these fences the grass is
hung till the wind and sun can cure it. The sun does
not burn it. That is one way, and perhaps the most
common. The other way is to plant po.stsin the fields,
twelve feet or so apart, and in these posts insert pegs
about one loot asunder. On these pegs poles are laid,
and on them the grass is hung just as we used to dry
paper at the mills down East, forty years ago. The
result is hay that any farmer would be proud of.

Everlasting Fence Post.

I discovered many years ago that wood could he
made to last longer than iron in the ground, hut
thought the process so simple and inexpensive that it
was not worth while making any stirabout it. I would
as soon liave poplar, basswood, or quaking ash, as
any other kind of timber for fence posts. I have
taken out basswood posts, after having been set seven
years, that were as sound when taken up as when
they were first put in the ground. Time and weather
seemed to have no efleet on them. The posts can
be prepared for less than two cents apiece. For the
benefit of others, I will give the recipe : Take boiled
linseed oil and stir it in pulverized charcoal to the
consistency of paint. Put a coat of this over the
timber, and there is not a man that will live to see it
rot.

Controlling Bulls.

Without a ring a bull is unmanageable, unless there
is some contrivance which can hobble his action, and
I know of none such. Were one obliged to incur tlie
trouble of forwarding a full grown bull, unused to be
handled, what would be the best aids to provide ? I
think to provide a strong head-stall or halter, having
rings, with a rope wound round the base of the horns,
and its two very long ends passing through the head
stall rings, and then allowed to trail on the ground
behind one on either side, would be advisable head-
gear; and what besides? The herdman's staflTshould
not be of the ordinary form, i. e., opening with a
snap ; but it should have a screw passed through
both sides of the loop at the top, so as to prevent the
possibility of the snap opening and allowing the ring
to escape the grasp of the staft'. — A. B., in Lomloii
Field.

Eastern and Western Wheat.

Eastern grown wheat has some advantage of west-
ern grown in quality. In grinding ifp a mixture of
western and eastern wheat adds considerably to the
value of the (lour. A much larger quantity than
usual was shipped this year to Ohio on account of
the western wheat being rather below the average in
quality. The wheat of New England, and, indeed,
the Eastern States down to Delaware and Maryland ;
on the other hand, is above the general average in
quality. Climate has not only much to do with the
quality of these articles, but the little variations we
find from season to season has a considerable iullu-
euce also.

How to Make an Omelet.

The proper way to make an omelet is to take three
teaspoonfulsof niilk for each egg, and a pinch of salt
to each one also. Beat the eggs lightly for three or
four minutes, and pour them info a hot pan in which
a [liece of butter the size of a walnut has been melted
a moment liefore. Tlie mass will begin to bubble and
rise in flakes immediately, and the bottom must be
lifted incessantly with a clean knife so that the softer
parts run in. An omelet should be cooked about
three or four minutes, and made in this way will melt
in the nioutli. If a little parsley and some well-boiled
onion, cut into small pieces, be added, it is much im-
proved. — Bertha, Clullenham, in GcrmantowH Tel,

Cooking by Cold.

The Scientific American says : Quite recently a
Hungarian chemist, Dr. von Sawicezwsky, it appears,
has investigated all the various ways suggested for
preserving meat, (by ehenucals, cooking by heat, and
hermetically sealing, etc.) and has found points of
objection to all, has attempted the preparation of tlie
material by subjecting it in a perfectly fresh state to
a temperature (if o.>o below zero, Fah., and sealing
it afterwards in tins. The results obtained have been
highly 8atisfact<n-y ; the meat on being removed from
the cans ap;)ears, in point of smell andcolor, as fresh
as if just taken from the butchers' stall. An exten-
sive factory is being erected in Hungary for its
mauufacture

Brittle Hoofs.

Horses or mules' hoofs are often rendered brittle by
causing them to stand on the heated manure or filth
in the stables, and sometimes by chronic " founder "
or fever in the feet. If the first cause is suspected, it
should be stopped at once; if the latter is the cause,
it should be remedied by giving the horse some cool-
ing medicine, placing the hoofs in a bath of water so
hot that it cannot be borne by the hand, and then
smearing them with glycerine. The remedy may
need to be repeated for some time, until all heat or
fever is removed, when the glycerine dressing should
be continued until the new growth of horn replaces
the old one. — Auierica/i Agriculturist.

It is stated that corn loses one-fifth and wheat one-
fourteenth by drying. From the estimate made, it
seems that it would be more profitable for the farmer
to sell unshelled corn in the fall at 75 cents than to
keep it until spring and sell it at $il, and that wheat
at SI. 3.5 in December is equal to S1..50 the succeeding
June. In eases of potatoes — taking those that rot
and otherwise lost — together with shrinkage, there is
little doubt that between October and June the loss of
the owner who holds them is not less than 33 i)er
cent.

A CURIOUS statement has been made and published
in a French paper in regard to hens. It reckons the
number of hens in France at -10,(100,000, valued at
§20,000,000. Of these about one-tifth are killed an-
nually for the market. There is an annual net pro-
duction of SO, 000,000 chickens, which in market yield
$24,000,000. The extra value to be added for capons,
fattened hens, and the like, at .$2,0;)0,000 The pro-
duction of eggs per pen, worth 848,000,003. In all it
is reckoned that the value of hens, chickens and eggs
sold in the markets of France, is ^S0,000,001).

For kitchen and pantry floors there is nothing bet-
ter than a coat of hard paint ; the cracks should be
filled with putty before it is applied, and the paint al-
lowed to dry at least to Weeks before using. Then it
is easily kept clean by washing (not scrubbing) with
milk and water ; soap should never be allowed to
touch it. " Red lead and yellow oeher I prefer for
coloring ; the former makes a hard paint that wears
well." — ^Scientific American.

A FRUITFUL source of malaria is found in the
earth adjoining ponds which are dammed for manu-
manvfaeturing or other purposes. The soil in the
vicinity, through the water being raised above its
previous level, becomes soaked, and hence damp and
very dangerous to health. — Scientific American.

In washing calicoes in which the colors are not fast,
be careful not to boil them ; but wash in the usual
way with soap, and rinse in hard water. For dark-
eolin-cd goods add a little salt to the water ; for light,
a little vinegar.

Yeast Dumplings: Take light bread dough,
shorten it a little, put salt in Ijoiling water, then form
the dough in small dumplings, drop them in the
water and boil 20 minutes.

Omelet : Beat the yolk and whites of 1 eggs
together with 2 tablcspooufuls of milk ; add salt and
pepper; fry in hot butter and lanl ; eat while hot.

LITERARY NOTICES.

Mentor in the Granges and Homes of P.i
TRONS OF Husbandry. By Kev. A. B. Grosu, first
Chaplain of the National Grange.

This is a handsome Royal 12 mo. of 47S pages,
something, in style, siie, and quality, like the "Odd-
Fellows Improved Manual," by the same clever au-
thor, whose name andliteraryreputatiou alone would
be a sulHcient guarantee to us of the intrinsic value
of the work without having seen it. Its object is to
explain the origin, aims and government of the Or-
der, answer objections, advise candidates, teach the
lessons of each degree, duties of oflieers ami mem-
bers, and aid Patrons to be better members of fami-
lies, of the Order, and of society. Embellished with
a portrait of the author, and a large number of excel-
lent engravings of the emblems, symbols, and otticial
insignia, this work has received, very justly, the
commendations of the highest oHicial functionaries
of the Order, and ought to be in the hands of every
Patron of Husbandry in the Union. Not to know this
work, by tho.se for whom it is designed, must inevita-
bly argue themselves unknowing and unknown. We
do not see how any intelligent or progressive Patron
can deny himself the privilege of daily perusing its
golden-freighted columns, unless he " loves darkness
rather than light." Indeed, its domestic and social
instructions can never be limited to the " pent up
Utica " of the Grange, but are equally applicable to
the " vast unbounded continent " of human society,
wherever the spark of civilization has lighted up and
burns. Its moral ethics are such as have received
the stamp of approbation among the wise and good
of all ages, and therefore we have no hesitation in
recommending it to all cultivators of the soil ,at least,
and especially " to the household of its faith." Pub-
lished by Clark & Mavnaud, No. 5 Barclay street,
New York, at §2 per copy, and sold exclusively by
agents.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

III.

FARMERS and TRUCKERS !

Btjy THE

NITRO-PHOSPHATE,

itiAni-: II Y 'nil':

FARMERS' BONE AND FERTILIZING CO.

Ouarnntoo^l AnnlyNJM, ns fullowR:

Phosphoric Arid, suluhlo iiml uvjiilnbk-, 8 to 9 jier ceut.

Nitrogoii, t'<iuivah'iit tu Aniiuuuiu, 3 to 'A)^ jier ceut.

rotush, '2J^ to 3 ler ci-nt.

Uu8uri»aP8ed if eiiviiilh'd by any otlwr fertilizer in the
murkot, in ]tru|turtiuii to its cowt, lor iiU Bpriuj; L-roim. Thy
obovo Kortiii/t-r, ti.K«tlier with our (ilUHTND KAW BONK
(warrnmted aliflohittly imri') will bo found in tho ImndH of
dealers ^jent-rully, or inny b*- had on ui'iilicjition tit the ottU-o
of the <.\>nii>iiny. Ah a Farnicrs' tloinpiiny we iihk the pu-
trouugo and co-operation of nil interested in the production
of fertilizers of reliable worth. Send for circulars.

WM. A. FISIIEU, I'reH't, I T. W. TUK(H), Trens.,

Bryu Mawr, Mont. Co. | Doylestown, Bucks Co.

JOEL W. STUAWN, Sec'y, and (Chemist,

119 N. l>elawaro Ave., Philadelphia.

DTRECTOllS.— William A. Fisher, T. W. Trego, H. I).

I^onKaker, .I»)nhna Ashbridge, Charles Paxson, Jonathan
Kuight, and Joel W. Strawn.

Factory at the foot of Mifflin street, River Delaware,
Philadelphia, always opeu to the iuBjection of consumers of
fertilizers.

(T^'The almve named article is one of the best fertilizers
in the market for the i)roduction of good tobjicco. Refer-
eDces : Henry O. Shenk and M. M. Moore, of Lancaster
coxmty. Constautly kept on hanil and for t*alu by A. F.
BAIR, No. U2 North Duke street, Lancaster, Pa. Also sold
by D. D. HKS3, Quarryville. S-i-lt

FERTILIZERS!

HOIVIE: IMC.A.DE:.

CHEAPEST AND BEST!

-o-

WRITE for Circular and Recipes, which are furnished
without charge, containing complete instructions for
making, at home, first-class chemical manures, suited to
the growth of special crops. Our forniulie have p^ovet, in
actual use, to be of the greatest value to all who have used
them.

We offer Fertilizing Chemicals of our own manufacture,
at lowest prices, with a guaranty as to strength and pu-
rity. Ask i)rices for

Oil Vitriol,
Ground Bones,
Land Plaster,
Sulphate Potash,

Nitrate 8oda,
Sulphate Ammonia,
Muriate Potash,
Sulphate Soda and Salt.

Address

HARRISON BROS. & CO.,

PHILADELPHIA,

EBtablished as ManufiicturerB of Fertilizing
Chemicals in 1793.

[8-2- m

are the best the world produces. They are planted by a
million jieojile in America, and the result is beautiful
Flowers and splendid Vegetables. A Priced Catalogue sent
free to all who inclose the postage — a 2 cent stamp.

Vick's Floral Guide, Quarterly, *2.t cents a year.

Vick's Flower and Vegetable Garden, 35 cents; with
cloth covers, (>.=» cents.
It] Address, JAMES VICK, Rochester, N. Y.

The Great Agricultural Wonder,

BEING THE

HULLESS OATS,

Which can be obtained of

At Leesport P. 0., Berks County, Pa.,

AH FOLLOWS I

1 ponnd .50clN.

16 •• « «.oO

8 pftiiiidH $ 3.30

3a " la.oo

It is claimed that it will yield us mauy nioastired bushels
B8 any other variety, while it weighs 5G iiomida to the
bushel, aud ripeus two weeks earlier than coiniuou oats,
thereby eseai'iug the rusty seasuu of oats,

WWrite tor circulum. 8-l-4t

FINDING OUT THE SECRET.

Mrs. Brown ami luT i^o.sxii), Mrs. Wlil/e, were con-
vcreiiii; alHUit tiiisbaiids ami the secrets of Kree-
UKisoijry. Mr. Urowii was a Freeniusoii ; ami tlie
faetdfiiot Iieinirable to s!iare the seerets of tlie onler
with liini iiiaile .Mrs. lii-owii very milia|i|iy. She was
[Hiurlni; out her !;rief to Mrs. While, ami sayiii:; for
tile thousaiidtli time, " I wonder what they do in the
loti^^e room '"

" I have no cioitlit but it is ilreuilfiil," rejilieil Mrs.
While. "But if my liusbaiid was a Mason, I'll licl
IVl Ijml out what he did."

" Hut liow I Tliey dare not tell."

" .Ml ! but I'd ma'lie him lell."

"How ! oh, liow ;" asked .Mrs. Brown, anxiously.

" llusli ! I'll till you ; but don't breathe it for the
world, beeiiuse it is a dead secret."

'• No, no ; I won't."

" Well, ilo you liiiow that tiekliiiij a person's ear
when they are asleep will make them talk?"

" No. "Will it, Ihouirh f

" Yes. Now you wait 'till Brown eonics home from
the iod^e next time, and have a Ijroom straw in bed
with you. When he y;ets asleep you liekle his ear
with it j^ently, and he will bej^in lo lalk about what
he has Iteeii doin^r in tlie lodt^e, and in lliis way can
get the whole of the business out of him."

"tiraeious me. You don't say so, .Mrs. White !"

"To be sure I do. I always get my husband's
secrets out of him in this way."

"I'll do it!"

"And you'll tell me all aliout it, won't you?"

" Certainly. But you must never say anything
about it?"

"Oh, of course not. I'm very close mouthed," re-
plied .Mrs. White, earnestly.

So it was agreed upon, and they separated. But
unl'ortunatcly Mr. Wliile overlicard the consjiiraey,
and lost no time in informing Mr. Brown, who laughed
heartily over it.

A few nights afterward Brown attended a meeting
of his lodge, and his wife was all anxiety regarding
it. On retiring, she armed lierself with a spray from
lier lirfiom and wakefully waited for her lord and
master to return. At last she had almost broken
down the veil of secrecy which had troubled her so
long, and her heart beat wildly when she heard him
open the front door and come in.

Of course she professed to be asleep, and did not
see the comical smile on her husband's face as he
turned on the gas and began disrobing for bed. But
he said nothing, and in a few minutes he was com-
fortably tucked in and gave out premonitory indica-
tions of approaching slumber.

Then Mrs. Brown opened her eyes cautiously, and
convinced herself that he had gone to that land from
which sleepy husbands never return until sometime
next day. Cautiously she reached under the pillow,
and took the broom straw from its hiding place. Then
stie readied over carefully and began to tickle her
husband's ear, and he was all the time doing his best
to keep from exploding with laughter.

Finally he began to talk a little, and her cars were
keenly alive to every syllable.

" Yes, he must die,'' said he. " lie betrayed our
secrets to his wife. I've got to kill him— the lot fell
on me."

Mrs. Browu screamed and leaped from the bed,
while lier husliand, unable to control himself, gave
vent to his laughter and disturbed the neiichbors for
the next ten minutes. But they never came lo any
understaniling about the strange atlair. She never
asked him what he was laughing at, and he never
asked her what it was which made her scream and
leap out of bed so quickly.

Mrs. Brown and Mrs. White don't speak now. She
thinks Mrs. White played a joke on her, and she
seems to have lost niueh of her anxiety regarding the
secrets of Freemasonry.

A Reflection on the Cot'KT. — When Judge
Hewett was on the bench in tlie Western District of
the State of New York, and Colonel Billings was
trying a ease before his honor, the jinlire overruled
so many of the lawyer's exceptions that Billini;s got
out of patience, and spoke so severely lliat the judge
at last dcniunded in a voice of thunder ;

" What (lues the ecmnsel suppose I am here for ?"

Colonel Billings kxiked sadly diseoncertcd, scratch-
ed his head, thought a moment, and at last, with a
bland smile on his face, replied :

" I confess your honor has got me now."

A NewHampsiiiue dealer in fancy fowls sings the
praises of his favorite breeds in the following unique
hymn :

If you want some feathered st ^
That will not your wishes m
Wheu at their nests you daily kn J-ock,
Buy some e^gs or net a fl I

Of the famous I'lyuiouth R J

When a Chicago man loses the respect of the com-
munity, he takes his guu and starts <mt to kill an
alderman as the only means of belug restored to
(xipular esteem.

ID .
«

e z

6 r

>OMatic

Knitter

» i

s ■»

'tii

A Family Knitting Machine.

Now iittrudtitK unlverHiil att«-t)tioii by Itn aHtoi InhhiK P^r-
formaiiC<*H and ilM (.,'rt*at priictlr;il viihn* for rvery-ilay runilly
UBO. It kuit.s every j nhHiblt- vui itty i»f plitiii or faiiey work

WITH ALMOST MAGICAL SPEED,

and Kiv<'H tx-rfrrt Hlni)>*- mid fbiinh to all KamivntH. H will

knit a pair of sockt in fifteen minutoe) Kv«*ry ninrliliio

\l'AKICA^TI-:i» \'*rU'vt, and (tula jiiMf tr hat U rrjrrrjirntfd.

A coiii|ilt-te inHtruction IkkiU accoinpuntftt tuch inuetilue.

Nit. J Family Machine. 1 cyliudi-r, I'i n*t'dle»», $;tO.

No. 3 " -'2 " T2 AlOO •• 40.

A RainpU tnarhitie will bo sent to any jwrt pf tbo ITDiti>4l

States or Canada, (whore we have no agent) exprens ehargr-a

prr/iaiil, on receipt of the price.

AciKNTM WHntcd in ev»jry HtHle, County, City and Towd,
to whom very liberwl dtKcounte will l>e ninrte. AiIiId'hr,
BICKFOUI) KNITTINO MACIUNK MF{}. <<i.,
7-11-tf] Bole MunufacturerN, KrHllli>lM»ro, Vt.

LUMBER FOR FARMERS.

NO MIDDL£-M£X.

We have a larRo stock of !,umI>or, and one of the most
exteuBivis Sunh un<l l>o()r Fiictori(-M ni the Stat)-, and wc are
prepared to furnish IIoiiho and Knrn lidlH tximplcto.

All kinda of Manufacture*! FeuciuK. A:c., makinx a upeci-
alty of HU)>plyinR the agricultural ootniuunity. We will
make pric^B delivered to any Itailroud Stattun. AJl our
material ^'■■nrnHleed aa rei-reMente*!. All nianufiiclnred ,
work kihi-drii-rt and warranted not to Hhrluk. All Inqulrien
cheerfully auHwered.

One of the flmi can be wen at the Franklin House, North
Queen Street, Lancaster, I'a., on Momlay of each week.

KENDIG, BRICKER & LAUMAN,

7-4-12ni] Middlctown Dauphin cc, Pa.

I have foinided my buaiiieRK on the iM-lief that the pabllo
are anxious to get their serd iiircrdy fritm the fjrotrrr, and t
therefore offer krkk to every man and woman In the United
States who cultiVHt''fl a farm, tills a vegelttble gardfu, or
plauta a flower garden, my large IlluBtrate<l Catalogue of
Vegetable and Flower S<t*ds for ls7r. ; it contains, in addi-
tion to the choicest kinds j>n«luced in Kurope, on^ hututrM
and fi/tt/ van'efieA of ri-ffctahle ttcfd <jroitn on mt/ /mir *^£d
faJ-ittA. Customers of hint season iie«4i not write for It. Aa
the original introducer of the Hubbard, Marbtehead and
Hutman Squashes, Phmney's Melon, the Marblehead Cab-
bages, and a %c*tTv of other new vt-geishles. I w>ilrit y«)ur
jiatronogc. All seed sold under three warrants. A hundred
thonsnud catalogues will Ih> issued and aent out the first of
Januarv.
7-11-r.l" JAMKS .1. H. GUFOOKY. MarM. head. Maail.

NflVT POTA.TOES!

C&Or^i^ IX l*RK.nH*MM toOrowcrs! Two New
Twi^^yKy Varieties sent gratis, prepaid. ClrcuUr
frtjelOMll applicants. D. A. COMI'TON, llawley, Pa. («l

SKNP 2Sc. to G. P. ROWFIJ. k CO., Ne»- Vork. for Pam-
phlet of 100 |<age«i, containing liala of :t,OOU uowspftpen,
aud estimates showing cost of advertising.

$125.00 in CASH PREMIUMS.

For i>articul8rB pec my IlhiRtratotl Caialof^uo for 187«, OOD-
tniniiift all th.» new ami iH'ct varietloit of frr«th, true mnd n*-
liablo Garden S«H'.la, carefully urowii from fine w!l©ct<Nl
ntocks, and the larKe«t and t>eRt colU^'lion of Cliolce H«*d
FotatoM ever offered. Seut free- to all api>liraDlfl. Do not
fail to He It.

J. R. V. IIAWKIXN.

OOSIIKS, N. Y.

HORSE-BILLS
I'l.AIN UK IN FAN<"Y COLOIW.
Prloted in tbo Beat Style at the ofllcc of

THE FABMBU.

IV.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

[April, 1876.

We call attention louur imineiiee Stuck (6UU acres) of
Fruit Treesi. Staudanl ai-ii Dwarf.
Niiijill FriiitM. Grai-es, Currants, Raspberries, &c.
Ornaiiieiital Treen and Shrubs, deciduous aud

evergieeu.
Roses a Biiecialty — all the tiueet sorts.
Green an«l Hot House Plants. ir.cUiding l»eet nov-
elties. Small i.iircels forwarded by mail wbeu desired.
Promiit attention given to all orders and inquiries.
Descriptive and Illustrated priced Catalogues seut prepaid

on receipt of stamps, as follows:
No. 1. Fruils (new ed., with col'd jdate) 15 cts.
No. 3, Ornamental Trees, with col'd plate of Roses, 25c.
No. 3. Greenhouse, Free. No. 4. Wholesale, Free.

No. 5. I^ist of Xew Roses for 1ST*;, Free.
Nob. 1 and a— Neatly bound together, forming an interest-
ing and valuable book for reference,
Addresfl. 50 cts. by mail, post paid.

ELLWANGER & BARRY, Rochester, NY.

GOOD KEF.nS. GROWN WITH CARE, FROM SE-
lected Stocks, alwiiys pay. Try mine. Catalogue free.
J. B. V. HAWKINS, Gosheu, N. Y.

FARMERS, IMPROVE YOUR POULTRY STOCK 1

EGGS FOR HATCHING

Of the following varieties, at prices to suit the times, viz.:

Dark Brahmas, Partridge Cochins, White Cochins, Ply-
mouth Rocks, S. S. Hamburgs, Browu Leghorns, Amer.
Domiuiques and Houdaus. Address,

8-3-2m] HAYDX H. TSHUDY, lAUx, Pa.

*??6.

mm.

|intiiijiiil I'diliioB?!

As MEMENTOES. SOUVENIRS,
and ORNAMENTS

FOR THE PEOPLE.

As LASTING ADVERTISEMENTS

MANUFACTURED OF ALBATA PLATE,

Equal in wear aud color to solid

SIliVEH on GOliD,

Presenting beautiful DESIGNS IN RELIEF, commem-
orating the cne InmdredtU anniversary of our nation's
birth. Size, !*„ inches in diameter. Send for circular.
Price for the Silver, 50 cents each.
" » Gold. 75 '* "

Usual discount to the trade.

AGENTS WANTFn.

Immense profits. Sells at sight. Extensive fields for en-
terprise. Will be seut to any part of the country by mail,
postpaid, upon the recei[it of i^rice

IT. ». Medallion <'o., P. O. Box 5270, N. Y.

WIMBLEDON

Long Ttaufje Breech Loading

Practice Pistol & Targets.

X
Carries a \{ inch ball with acou- ^^^^^ ^
racy fitty leet. without powder or ^^^^^ CO
percussion. Brass barrel, hair trigger. For salo
by dealers. By mail, free for 75 cents, with per-
manent ammunition for target practice indoors,
•nd for sporting out of doors.

AGENTS want::d.

A. A. GRAHAM, 07 Liberty Street, New Tort
8Sein

E. N. FRESHMAN & BROS.,

ADVERTISING AGENTS,

186 W. Fotirtli St., Cincinnati, 0.,

Artt authorized to contract for advertising
in this paper.

Estiiiiates liiniisliBd Iree.

[tf]

Seni lor Circular.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO FARMERS !

Ixaprove Vour Poultry!

rriHIS can be done at a comparatively small outlay by purchasing one or more sittings of eggs for hatching fr«m choice
I thor<iughbred and imported fowls. We keep a veiy select Btoch of the leuding varieties of Poultry : Bralinias,
J- Cocliins, Leghorns, Houdaus, Game, llamburga, Plymoutli Rocks, Dorkings, otc. Mammoth Bronze, White,

Blue and Black Turkeys, Toulouse, Embdeu and Hon*^ Kong Geese, all breeds of Ducks, etc. We breed each variety on a

separate farm— thus can guarantee purity. Descriptive Circular free.

Handsomely Illustrated Descriptive Priced Catalogue of Poultry, etc., 10 cts.. Post-paid.

ALSO BREEDER AND SHIPPER OF AND DEALER IN

BLOODED CATTLE.

Southdcwn and Cots"wold Sheep, Chester White,

Berksliire, Yorkshire and Essex S"wine,

Sporting and Thoroughbred Dogs.

D^^scriptiv^ Circular free I All stock boxed free, and safe arrival guaran-
teed. No inferior stock sold Kveiy farmer, and all interested in x^igeoiia, should send
50 cents for a copy of our new illustrated treatise — *

The Pigeon Loft: How to Furnish and Manage It.

EXTRA FINE SEED CORN— Sample, 6 Cts.

Circalars free. €orrespoii<Bencc Solicited.

W. ATLEE BURPEE, Philadelphia, Pa.

$12

a <ljiy at Home. Agents wanted. Out til and

terms" free. TRUE & CO., Augusta, Maine. [S-3-ly

FOR FRUIT

And Ornament.
500 ACHES OF TREES

At Wholesale and Retail.

Pear, Apples, Cherries, Quinces.

Peaches, Pluins aud Small Fruits.

New aud Rare Omameutal Trees and Shrubs.

Evergieeire, large quantities, large variety, cheap.

Cut-leaved Birch, Purple Beech, Weeping Trees.

CLEMATIS JAfli.H ASf Sf I.— Hardy aud Perpetual,
blooms profusely uutil frozen up.

fEKFETlIAl, WHITE C'I.EM ATIS.— 15 Sorts.
We have over 70 varieties of Clematis, in many shades of
color, from dark rich purple to pure white— strong plauts,
safely sent by mail.

ROSES. Moss. Tea. Climbiiigraiul Perpetual.

Small Packages seut s ifely by Mail and Express.
B^^Catalogues free. Address
T. C. MAXWEI.Ii & BROS., Geneva, N. T.

[R-2-3m

SEED POTA TOES!

XAT PREIIVKIUiyES

WILL be divided among the five successful competitors
who shall produce the largest quantity from one
pound of the Mahopac Seedling, subject to conditions
named in my Catalogue.

MAHOPAG SEEDLING— the most productive of 150 va-
rieties tested, quality fine, free from rot, per pound, $1 ; 3
pound to one address, $'2 — by mail prepaid, by express or
f' eight, charges paid by the purchaser ; 1 peck, $4 ; 1 buwh.,
$15 ; 1 bbl., ^0. Also Ruby, Ali)ha, Snowflake. and Euieka.
For full description and piice list see my Catalogue, con-
taining the largest and bost collection of new aud
oBsoiee Seed Potatoes ever offered. Prices low.

New aud desirable Vegetable Seeds. Dreer's Improved
Lima Bean, jier )iacket, 20c.; Egyptian Turnip Beet, packet,
10c. ; Henderson's Early Summer Calibage, j^acket, 25c.;
Early Wymau Cabbage, packet, 15c.; Earliest Dwarf Erfurt
Cauliflower, packet, 50c,; Tiiumph Sweet Corn, ])acket, lOc;
Peerless Cucumber, 15c.; Hanson Lettuce, packet, 15u.; New
Egyptian Sprouting Lettuce, packet, 25c.; Kupsiau-Ameri-
can Water Melou, packet, 20c.; New Queeu Onion, lOc.;
McLean's Blue Peter Pea, packet, 15c.: Butman Squash,
packet, 15c.; Conqueror Tomato, package, 15c.; Golden
Trophy Tomato, packet, lOc; Rose Mammoth Sweet Pei -
per, packet, 2uc.; French Breakfast Raddish, packet, 5c.;
Lane's Improved Imperial Sugar Beet, the best for feeding
stock, hi lb., 25c.: 1 lb., 9iic.; 5 lbs.; $4.00 ; Eailv Red Globe
Onion, early productive and handsome, >:, lb., 75c.; 1 lb.,
$2.50 ; 5 lbs., $11.00 ; Ex, Early Red Onion, the earliest, very
fine, V lb., 90c.; 1 lb., $3.00 ; 5 lbs., $14.00.

The above will be mailed at prices quoted.

For full description of the above, aud all the new and
best varieties of Ntrictly fine GarcEeii Seetls, care-
fully grown from selected stocks, see my Illustrated Cata-
logue, seut free to all applicants. Do not fail to see it.

J. R. V. HA-WKINS,

GOSHEN. Orange Co., N. V.

per day at home. .Samijles worth $1 free.
STINSON & CO., Portland, Maine.

$5 to $20

SEEI> POTATOES sent to order as follows : Eureka,
Acvie, Snowjlake, and BrownelVs Beauty, 50c, per lb.,
$1.00 per 3 lbs., by mail; $1.10 per pk.; $1.75 per }^ bush.
Eureka and Snoirjiake, $3.00 per bush.; $5.50 per bbl.; Ice
Crentn, Early Vermont, C(/mpton'8 Surprise, Carpenter's
Seedling, and Excelsiors, 40c. per lb., 80c. per 3 lbs., by
mail ; 60c. per pk,, $1 per % bu., $1.85 per bti., and $3.25 per
bbl., by express or freight as desired. None sent but genu-
ine. Stock direct from the origioators. Send no money in
letters unless registered. Address LA FAYETTE CAS-
SLER & CO , Box 64, Canton, Ohio. t8-3-2t

A'a»ie this paper when you write.

CENTENITIAL

Memorial Medals.

Stnict in solid Albafa Plate, equal in appearance,
wear and color to

SOLID SILVER OR GOLD,

Presenting a variety of beautiful designs in relief.

These Medallions are larger than a Silver Trade Dollar,
being 1^., inches in diameter, handsomely put ui^, and sell
readily at sight.

The most valuable Konvenirs and Me-
lucutoes ever issued.

GOOD AGENTS WANTED in every City

and Town in the U. S. and Canada, to

whom exclusive territory will

be given, if desired.

RETAIL PRICES.- For the Albata Silver, 50 cts.; Gilt,
$1, in fancy box. Usual discount to the Trade.

A complete outfit of magnificent samples for agents, in
satin or velvet-lined morocco ciise, containing Six Medals,
diifereut de.signs, one gilt, suitable for jewelers, show win-
dows, etc., sent on receipt of draft or Post-otfice order
for 14, or will ship Express C. O. D.

Descriptive Circubir Price List aud one sample sent upon
receipt of 50 cents. Immense profits. Sells at eight. Cor-
respondence soUcited. Information free. Extensive fields
for enterprise. Address all communications^

U. S. MEDALLION CO.,

P. 0. Box 5270. 2X2 Broadway, N. T.

$1 a Year

t To subucriberB in
the couuty.

SIITGLE COPIES 10 CEITTS

To fiul>«orlberH out of > d^-l O C5
tUe eouuty. (' »4>1.^0.

;„^ii!v?^M..,

Prof. S. S. RATHVON, Editor.

LANCASTER, MAY 15, 1876.

FEABSOL k QEIST, Fublishers.

THE FARMERS HOME ORGAN.

A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER,

DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE, HORTI-
CULTURE, DOMESTIC ECONOMY
AND MISCELLANY.

PRACTICAL ENTOMOLOGY

Made a-promiueut feature, with special reference to tlie
wnuts of ttie Farmer, the Gardeuer aud Fruit -Gropver.

Founded under the auspices of the Lancaster County
Agricultural and Horticultural Society.

Edited Ij Prof. S. S. RATHVON.

The Lancaster Farmkk has now completed its eeveuth
year — the last haviug beeu uuder the auspices of the uiuier-
Bigned ae pubUshers. When we iisHumed the reBpousibllity
of the publicutiou one year ago, it wus with a determiuiitioii
to make such iropruvemeuts during the year as would pl.ice
the Farmers' Organ of this great agricultural couuty iu the
very front rank of publications of its class. That we have
done so, our readers will bear cheerful testimony. But our
work of improvement is only fairly begun. We propose to
make the volume for the Contenuial year still more interesting
and valuable than its predecessor for 1S75, In this, how-
ever, we need the co-operation of every friend of the enter-
prise. To make it a success, every one who now reads The
Fabmeu should at once send us at least ou^new eaibscriber.

The contributions of our able editor, Prof. Kathvon, on
subjects connected with the science of farming, and partic-
ularly that specialty of which be is no thoroughly a master-
entomological science— some knowledge of which has become
a necessity to the successful farmer, are alone worth much
more than the price of this publication.

The Farmer will be publxMhed on the 15th, of every
month, printed on good paj.er with clear type, in con-
venient form for reading and binding, aud mailed to sub-
Bcribers ou the following

TESMS:

To subscribers residing within the county —
One copy, one year, , . - - - $i.oo
Six copies, one year, - . _ - . - 5.00

Ten Copies, one year, ------ 7,50

To subscribers outside of Lancaster county, including
postage pre-paid by the publishers:

One copy, one year, _ - - . - $1.25

Five copies, one year, - - - - - - 5.00

AH subscriptions will commence with the January num-
ber unlcws othen\iBe ordered.

All communications Intended for publication shouhl bp
addressed to the F,ditor, and, to secure insertion, sUoald be
in his hands by the first of the month of puldication.

All business Utters, containing subscriptions and adver-
tisemeuts. should be addressed to the publishers.

PEARSOL & GEIST,

Express Buildings, 22 South Queen Street,
LANCASTER, PA.

RATEN OF AUVEKTIKIXO. — Ten CrntN n
Huf^ Tor each iuserllon. Twelve huea to the luch

CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER.

G.5
(!.5

or,

Of.

llutidans. rituslralirl. \V. Atlee Bl'ui'ee,
Solectiuc Fowls for Breeding, - - - .
New Use, for Chicken Feathers, - - -
Cabbages. {Brnxiiica Oleracea.) Editorial, -
Our Centennial International Exposition. Editorial lit!
Honey Ants A^ain. Editoi'ial, - - - - fifi

Insect Remedies One Hundred A'ears Ago. Editorial 07
" Honey Dew." Editorial, - - . - 07
American Tobacco. Editorial, - - - - 68

American Fruits. .Maksuali, P. Wii.ueh, - 68
Queries. Editorial, ------ 68

Kcduced Fareon the P. 1^ R., - . - 68
Peek's Improved Liquid Atomizer. Editorial. Il-
lustrated^ -------69

Value of Barn-yard Dung. James Mitchell, 69
Insect Depredations. |Editorial, - - - - 70

Adapting .Means to Ends. Editorial, - - 70
Decorating Flower Gardens. '■ Fi.ouA," - ■ 70
Fruit Culture in Lancaster City. F. R.Diffen-

DEUFFEU, ------ 71

Seasonable Hints. Old Cultivatou, - - 71
Choice Ever-Blooming Roses. Rosaca, - 71
Honey Dew. W.P.Bolton, - - - - 72

The Dairy— No. 3. Henhy M. Engle, - - 72
Tuberous Rooted Flowers. Walter ELDEn, - 72
Planting and Pruning Evergreens. W. Elder, 72
Choice Vegetable Crops. Walteu Eldkh, - 7:i
To Prevent the Birds from Pulling Corn. J. C.
LiNViLLE, ------ 7:1

Farm Accounts, ------- 7:i

Commercial Value of Hen Manure. N. F. Journal. TA
A Wrinkle for the Young People. A. L. O. 8., 74
" Holstein" Cattle. Country GenUcman, - 74
Veterinary Notes. William Horne, - - 74
The Hamburgs as Layers. J. G. McKean, - - 74
Two Bee Questions Answered. C. V. Rielly, - 74
Our Paris Letter, . - - . - 7.5

Our Farmers in Council, 7.5

Proceediugs of the Lanonster County Agricultural
and Horticultural Society,
Our Bee-Keepers iu Council, . - - - 76
Proceediugs of the Luucasler County Bee-Keep«r«'
Society,

General Miscellany, 77-78

Lawns -How to Make and Keep Them-The Man-
agement of Lamps autl Oil — CloverseeJ — Fanning
iu Contiueutal Euroiir — Hints for the Season—
Neatness in Making Hulter— Destroying Weeds-
Worms in Fowls— Manure for Orass— To Fix or to
Lift a Gate Post — Attvautages of Drainage — Don't
ITse the Hatchet or Sitw— Our Nut-lioaring Trees —
How io Pour Tea — How to Remove Grease Spots —
White and Rv\ Wheal— t'uttiug aud Curing To-
bacco— Sunliglit— lioiwood Kdgitigs— ('alia Lilien-
Early Tomatoes Death of a Famous Horse — New
Potatoes— Planting Gardens Early— Whitewash—
Ponllrv Manure— A Simple Microscope — .TelTerson's
Ten Practical Rules of Life- Boot Pruning and
Dligbt— Hyacinths in Glanes — The Crops in Illl-
uoia— Cure of Fowls — Fanuers' Fruit Cake— Biting
the Nails — Various Items.
Literary Notices, .... . .80

Our Fence Comers, II

Hints to Centennial Visitors . - - - 111

— — — ^

THE LANCASTER EXPRESS,

(DATLT AND -TTEEKLT,)

Tlje Leadiipg Local Family and Business Newspaper, and the
otjly Independerpt Republicai) Journal ir; the County.

THE I FOUNDED ( THE

WEEKLY, > i;v mik ] DAILY,

1843 J PRESENT PROPRIETORS, i 1856

The Weekly Exfrkkk haa bwn before the cltizenn of
IjiiicaBter county for ajterlod of tliirty-thrt'C yearn, and The
Daily Kxprkah for over nineteen years. Durlufi thia long
lieriod, and without chuiiKe of iniiunBfnitMit, Tiik Kxpbkm
haB fairly earned u lurge Hbure of patrona^*' ^nd flrmlv
estnbliHhed itnelf in tbe i>iiblic conndeiice, »» un nprlRbt ana
indeitendcnt journal, nevtr beKttuttuf; to defend I In • right
and denounce the wrong, no matter where found to exist.
It ban lilwayn been a journal of ]»roKrfs8. und ihe outnpoken
friend of educutiou, teinr<^rance, HOund munilH and religiOD.
Ab in the imat, un it will continue in the future.

TERMS OF THE EXPRESS.

The Weekly Express, one year, - - $3.00

The Daily Expresa, one year, .... 5.00

The Express and The Farmer : To any peraon realding

within thr liniitu of I,.un\iMtiT county wc will mail- -

The Weekly and the Lancaater Farmer, one year, $2.50

REAL ESTATE ADVERTISING.

The extended circulati()n of Tmk Kxi'Ukhh mukea ft tha
beat medium for advurtiaiuK Hi:u] Estate and PeraoiuU
Pi'oiierty in the county, n fact which can Im- alteiited by ho
many farnuMt* and olheri* who hiive availed tliemaelvea of
the uae of itH columns, and to which we iuvlte thu attention
of all having proj^erty to (lisponr of.

PRINTING SALE BILLS.

Thk ExPBEHS printing office is one of the best fumiahad
eatiiblinhnientH for turniuR out all kiudf of pnntiug to b»
found in tbe interior of the State, We are j»repareU to
print any job from tbe MniuU vifuring card to the largest sale
or liorHC bill, poatcr, or broatlMtde, iilain or in colora, mm
qiiicfttraait can be done at any other estabM^hment. and on
U8 rcaa(^|ble tomie. We make the i«ituiiuf( of Oalr-bilU
for /''arnicf*jf'« npecialty. and nu-»nmt*"*' fJitinfartlou to our
customcrB.

OUR STEAM POWER PRESSES

include the varioua pattonifl adapted to printing boolm,
jmniphlelB, p»)Bter», Hulebilla, hand-bllU, mlllera' reoeiptf,
calaloguea of live hU'cV, aud any kind of work done in a
tirBt-cia«H printiuK oflice; iu nhort anythitig thiii may b©
cjtlled for by the fanner, merchant, banker, mi'cbanic, or
buaineaa man, and we guamutf** to do the work at* aatlafao
tory aa it can bo done lU I'liiladelphiii or elaewhcrc

With one of the moBt c<»m]'leti* Job Offieea ui iheHlate,
and unsuriMiHWHl convenlencen forexpediilou«ly turning out
work by (he beat workmen, under the i^ennuiHl Mupervlaion
of the proprietors, who ure Utth priiCtical j-rintcrM, all r>«'r-
BOUB in ne<*d of I'rinting will t\nd it to their intereat to give
us a trial.

PEARSOL & GEIST,

BOOK. NEWSPAPER AND JOB PRINTERS.

Express Buildings, 22, South Queen-st,
liANCATSER. PA.

Cnnvnmienii Wanted for Tnc Fabhbb, witb whom

liberal arraugenients will t)e mad*.

11.

THE LANCASTER FARMER.

FARMERS, G£T TH£ BESX

Til siLfii & muim

FEED CUTTER,

MANCFACTTTBED FOR

DEALERS IN

HARDWARE & AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS,

No. 7 BAST KING ST., LANCASTER, PA.,

Has been demoustrated by competitive tests to be THE
BEST FEED CUTTER IN THE MARKET. The feed-roU
is operated by a new and novel device which completely
overcomes the objection to the uneven action of other cut-
ters, while the length of cut can be varied to meet the wants
of the operator without the removal of any gear-wheels.
The material and workmanship are of the very beat claes,
and guaranteed to give satisfaction to the purchaser. Farm-
ers are invited to call and see for themselves.

"THE CHAMPION."

The Champion Reaper and Mower, which we have sold
with such entire satisfaction to our customers for the last
six years, still maintains the lead of all competitors —
33,761 having been manufactured for the harvest of 1S75
— and R'e have already completed our arrangements to sup-
ply the increased demand for next season. The Farmer
who buys the Champion is always satisfied that he has the
full worth of his money.

DILLER & GROFF,

No, 7 East King St., Lancaster, Pa.

7-ll-Sm

fL&WLR>-Y| GETAg LE g

is the most beautiful work of the kind in the world. It con-
tains nearly 150 jiages, hundreds of fine illustiations, and
four Chrmno JHates of Flowers, beautifully drawn and col-
ored from nature. Price, 35 cents in paper covers ; 65 cents
bound in elegant cloth.
Vick's Floral Guide, Quarterly, 25 cents a year.

Address, JAMES VICK. Rochester, N. Y.

PATENTS

OBTAINED BEST AND CHEAPEST BY

LOUIS BAGGER & CO.,

SOLICITORS OP PATENTS,

"Wasliixigtoti, D. C.

«»" Address all letters to P. O. Box 444.

7-3 -12m

FERTILIZERS!
hoivee: ivejA-de:.

CHEAPEST AND BEST!

WRITE for Circular and Recipes, which are furnished
without charge, containing complete instructions for
making, at home, first-class chemical manures, suited to
the growth of special crops. Our formulse have prover, in
actual use, to lie of the greatest value to all who have used
them.

We offer Fertilizing Chemicals of our own manufacture,
at lowest prices, with a guaranty as to strength and pu-
rity. Ask ijrices for

Oil Vitriol,
Ground Bones,
Land Plaster,
Sulphate Potash,

Nitrate Soda,
Sulphate Ammonia,
Muriate Potash,
Sulphate Soda and Salt.

HARRISON BROS. & CO.,

PHILADELPHIA,

EstabliBhed as Manufacturers of Fertiliziug
Chemicals iu 179S.

[8-2- m

Serves April Just Right.

NOT THE FESTIVE SEASON THAT IT IS CKACKED UP
TO BE.

Some fellow arives the month of April a dig under
the fifth rib, as follows :

April is the month when the earth is most rent by
earthquakes, and the air by the voice of the orange-
hawker.

In April a bald-headed lie is called a joke.

In April there Is either a new bonnet in the family
or a row.

In April a woman ties a towel around her back
hair, snatches up carpets, wears out brooms, and
never neglects to leave a chunk of soap on the bottom
stair for a man to step on.

In April Sunday-school children begin to look for-
ward to pic-nies, lots of attenuated lemonade, and
very robust colic.

In April girls prepare for croquet by buying shoes
a size smaller than before.

In April big, brawny men chase little spheres of
stockina-ravelings around cow pastures, and call it
base ball.

In April politicians arc miserable. 'Tis then they
buy hats and pay election bets.

In April bankers, car conductors and other men of
wealth eat asparagus, and the rest of the people try
to be happy on such spring fruits as boiled beans and
fish-balls.

In April a young man nightly stuffs his pockets
with majilc sugar and strikes out for the home of his
girl. Two fond souls chaw the same cake of sugar
quite frequently that night.

In April a virtuous man takes his semi-annual bath.

In April children are not happy without ten hard-
boiled frescoed eggs. They eat the eggs and the doc-
tor calls presently with a stomach pump.

In April the farmer goeth forth to sow — sew does
the seamstress.

In April the tramp turneth up his nose at soup-
houses and goeth forth seeking whose chickens he
may devour.

In April tiatboats and skiffs navigate our streets
most successfully.

In April rhubarb pies and other abominations lead
the best of people into profanity, and their counte-
nances into bow knots.

In April the house-fly reappears in the milk pitcher.
He is not a successful swimmer.

In April it is very apt to rain. When not engaged
in raining it sometimes showers a little. The showers
are useful, for, as everbody knows, " April showers
bring forth cauliflowers."

In April you can see a man streaking to the dyer's
with his last summer's clothes tucked