! $. S.RATHVON'S Fiif 4T1 ; \ "THE FARMER IS THE FOUNDER OF CIVILIZATION.'-WEBSTER. .^J^fe.' ^^^Wi^"^ A MONTHLY NEWSPAPER: DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE, PRACTICAL EiNTOMOLOGY, DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND GENERAL MISCELLANY. EDITED BY PROF. S. S. RATHVON. VOLUME XIII-1881. La45f LANCASTER, PA.: JOHN A. HIE3TAND, PUBLISHER. 1881. CONTENTS OF VOLUME THIRTEEN About Our Late Fair, 1 A Forciijn Grain Enemy, 2 Aildeudum et Correglcuduui, 2 Annual Address, -i A Brief History of the Agricultural Societiesof Lancaster County, 4 A Foot-Warmer, 4 A Clioap and Durable Cistern, 6 A Difficulty with Shrubberies, l:! Apple Compote, 14 Almond Pudding with Sauce, 14 A Principle in Feeding, 15 Arc Our Improved S\vlne too Fat ( 15 A Huge Spider, 15 " Ault Barricks," 10 A Double Apple Preserved in Alcohol, 19 An Ant Story, 22 About Apples, 35 A Patent Rat-Trap, 25 American Agriculture, 2(> A Valuable Table, 26 A Remarkable Year, 3(5 Accumulation of Manure i Stables, 30 A Grape Discussion, 49 Artificial Milk, 185 Arrareek Farm, 55 About Orchard Grass, 59 • April Meeting of Fulton Farmers, 60 About Limestone and Lime as Fer- tilizers, 61 A Half Million in Horses, 185 Attention to Swine, G4 A County Fair, 65 Are Roots Worth Growing, 76 A Cow's Cud, 79 Analyzing Fertilizers, 94 A Mistake of Cooks, 95 Assassination, 97 Arkansas, et al., 99 About Bets, 101 A Word for the Potato Crop, 110 Apples, 116, 136 American Archaeology, 117 Almond Cookies, 127 About Chickens, 128 An Ungathered Harvest, 130 A Worm, 133 A Library Pest, 134 An East Donegal Dairy, 135 A Big Farm, 135 About Frosts, 146 A Giant Grapevine, 15S About Pigs, 159 Address of William Saunders, 164 American Cheese and Its Exports 168 A Shoe-Black Plant, 172 A Knit Bed QuUt, 173 A Quick Pudding, 174 American Horses Again, 174 A Study of Various Sources of Sugar, 177 A Relic, 173 A Curious Beetle, 179 Bone Dust and Wood Ashes. 12 Bran for Milch Cows, 15 Black Ants and Insect Destroyers, 15 Bees and Grapes, 24 Brightening Timware, 31 " Butter and Cheese and I," -H Barley Soup, 47 Barbed Wire for Fences, 186 Beef and Mutton in England, 47 Batter Salt, 62 Beef Tea for Children, 63 Baked Corn Meal Pudding, 64 Broiled Chicken, 78 Baked Pickerel, 79 Barbed Wire Fences, 94 Be Careful of the Cherry Trees, 94 Butter and Cheese, 95 Beef Stew, 95 Breaded Eggs, 144 Bucgy Peas, 149 Bone Spavin, 150 Breeding and Value of Butter Cows, 151 Blount's White Prolific Corn, 157 Brittle Hoofs, 159 Boiled Rice, 174 Big Head in Horses, 174 Clothing of Glass, » Cold Feet, 14 Cocoanut Pudding, 14 Chicken Stew .or Potplc, 14 Chickens' Livers, 14 Chicken and Onions, or with Mush- rooms, 14 Caged Song Birds, 17 Cold Winters, 25 Cultivating the Cherry Tree, 30 Cranberry Sauce, 31 Calves' Foot Jelly of 17S0. 31 Charlotte Ruese, 31 Capt. Ead's Ship Railway, 34 Corn Culture, 40 Cultivating Orchards, 47 Candle, 47 Chocolate Mange, 47 Cornstalks as Manure, fi'i Cabbage, 62 Chocolate, 63 Clam Chowder, 64 Crow's Nest, C4 California Pudding, 64 Cultivating Spring Crops, 69 Castor Pomace as a Fertilizer, TO Cement for an Aquarium, 78 Chicken Pudding, 78 Canadian Jelly Cake, 78 Care of Cattle in Warm Weather, T» Currant Worms, 85 Corn Bread, 95 Cement for Leather Belting, 95 Cheese Omelette, 111 Communicated, 116 Celery Fritters, 137 Cake or Fruit Sandwiches, 127 Causes of Roup in Fowls, 127 Colorado Potato Beetle, 133 Chow-chow, 143 Custard Souffle, 144 Corn Aphis, 147 Care of Fruit Trees, 158 Coal Ashes, 15S Calves, 159 Cotton Manufacturers al the Atlanta Exposition, 161 Comparative Value of Feed Stuffs, 167 Cheap Sponge Cake, 173 Cold Spiced Beef, 173 Common Sense in the Poultry Yard, 175 Difference in Farming, 13 Danger In the " Silos," 13 Delicious Pickled Oysters, 14 Dried Fruits, 16 Diseases ol Cows, 15 Double Apple, 36 Do Bees Puncture Grafes, and If so. How I 38 Drying Potatoes, 63 Danish Pudding, 63 Dietetics — Moral and Physical Reform Closely Allied, 87 Dried Peach Pudding, 96 Dairy Products, 111 Destructive Owls, 133 Death of President Garfield, 145 Delicious Strawberries, 153 Eggs as Food, 6 Enriching Poor Lands, 12 Excerpts, 20, 132, 146, 163, 181 Enemies of Spiders, 32 " Ex Libris," 24 EnsUage, 35,49,,70 Entree, 47 Encouraging Reports from all Over the Union, 75 English and American Implements, 78 Egg Dumplings, 79 Early Turnips, 95 Estimate of Jay Gould's Wealth, 132 Early Frosts In the Garden, 143 Eggs vs. meat, 173 Farm Machinery, 7 Fresh Shad all the Time, S Fulton Farmers' Club, 11, 28, 45, 60, 93, 109, 124, 141, 18? Facts In Soil Culture, 12 Facts About Timothy, 12 Fruit Garden, 13 Fuchsias, 13 For a Time of Need, 13 For Taking Out Scorch, 14 Foreign Slugs, 15 Fat Makes Hem Lay, 16 Fowls, 16 Forests in Pennsylvania, 18 Foreign Pears and Apples, 3ll Fruit Jumbles, 31 Feather Cake, 31 Fruit Crops In Pennsylvania, 39 Fig Pudding, 47 FrI-d Herring, 47 False Flax, 68 Fodder Corn, 69 Flower Garden and Lawn, 76 Fences, 77 Feeding, 79 Feeding for Eggs, 80 First Annual Exposition, 84 Free and Flour Gold, 85 Failure of Seeds, 91 Frosted Apple Pie, 95 Fine Sweet Rusks, 96 Fertilizers in Pennsylvania, 110 Food for Roses, 110 Flecks or "White Caps," in Cream, 186 From Nature's Storehouse, 121 Fifty-four Bushels Apiece, 126 Forestry, 138 Fall pasturing, 173 Farmers' Gardens, 17j Flower Farming, 172 Fruit Trees, 172 Flannel Cakes, 172 French Cake, 174) Fried Mush, 174 Frosting, 174 Feeding Calves, 174 Food for Fowls, 176 Feeding Chicks forjRapId Growth, 175 Grape Culture, 5 Garden Fruits— Getting Ready for Com- ing Season, 46 Game So'up, 47 Green Manurina:, 61 Gapes or Strbngyli, 81 Glucose and Grape Sugar, 94 Grow the Hollyhocks, 95 Grapes from Thorns, 95 Graham Meal Griddle Cakes, 111 German xMillet, 125 Garden Crops yet to Grow, 136 Gingerbread Loaf, 144 Garget ; Its Causes, Symptoms and Cure, 144 Glucose, 158 Grape Vine Treatment, 172 Grape Vines on Stakes, 172 Gumbo, 174 Gapes In Chickens, 175 Grain Speculation of 1881, 184 How to Treat Frozen People, 1 Hotch-potch, 4 Household Hints, 7, 127, 158, 17J How long will Seeds Live, 13 How to Hang Thermometers, 13 How to Boil and Stew, 14 House Plants, 30 How to Cook a Turkey, 31 Hot Beds and Cold Frames, 47 Hot Water for Insects, 50 How we are poisoned, 58 How to Wash Clothes without Fading, 63 Horse Radish Sauce, 6:! Hereford Cattle, 64 How Voltaire .Cured the Decay of his Stomach, 77 Horseback Riding, 78 How the Chinese make Tea, 78 Hellebore, 101 Hurdling Sheep, 111 Horses— Trotters and Walkers, 112 How Cattle are Killed for New York Market, 121 How to Plant Celery, 136 How the French Workman Lives, 143 How the French Manage, 187 Hominy Griddle Cakes, 144 How to feed Pigs and What to feed then 114 Honey Locust, 146 How to Distribute Manure, 158 How to make Beefteak Tender, 159 How to Grow Clover, 17.' Influence of Trees on Health, 14 Items for the Farmer, 36 Insanity of Farmers' Wives, 73 In Testing Eggs, 78 Insects and Insect Remedies, 83 Internal Revenue, 132 International Cotton Exposition, Atlan- ta. Ga., 145 Insects on Fruit Trees, 149 Japan Persimmons, 4 Jelly Custard, 78 Jersey Marl, 139 Kieffer's Hybrid Pear, 3 Killing Canada Thistles, 46 Know how to Cook a Turnip, 63 Kedgeree, 63 Keep a Slate, 173 Lancaster County Agricultural and Horticultural Society, 10, 27, 43, 59, 74, 92, 108, 123, 139, 165, 170 LInuaean Society, 11, 29, 55, 61, 75, 93, 109, 133,141, 156, 171 Late Fall Plowing, 13 Literary and Personal, 10, 32, 48, 64, SO, 96, 112, 144, 159, 176, 191 Lobster Patties, 31 Lice on Chickens, 31 Light Pot-pic, 78 Lusus Naturae, 99 Lancaster County Peat, 114 Lima Bean Enemy, 148 Large Flocks of Fowls, 1.59 Lima Bean Soup, 174 Lambs, 174 Minnesota Flour, 7 Mince Meat, 14 Maccaronl, 14 More Corn to the Acre, 29 Manuring Lawns, 29 Mayonnaise, 31 More Eggs, 31 Mayonnaise Dressing for Salad, 63 Mayonnaise of Fish, 63 Maguum Bonum Potatoes, 76 Manuring the Garden, 77 Marlborough Pie, 78 Moisture, 85 Moths' Ravages, 86 Muck, 94 Manure for the Gardener and Fruit- Grower, 108 Marl as a Tobacco Fertilizer, 115 More About Bats, 115 Mock Buckwheat Cakes, 127 Mutton Haricot, 173 iMush, or Hasty Pudding, 174 Meat Pie, 173 Notes and Comments, 13 New Process In Milling, 27 Nitrogenous Elements of Plant Food, 42 New York Wool MarTtet, 186 Noxious Weeds, 134 Notes on Farm Stock, 174 Nutritive Value of Animal Food, 178 Oleomargarine, 5 Our Exports, 7 Our Great Staple, 8 Our Grain Trade, 9 Ofticers Elected, 21 Oatmeal and Beef Tea, 47 Omelette Souflee, 47 Onions, 63 Osufs a rOrange, Oi " Our Hellebore," 65 Origin of Fultz Wheat, 71 Orange Pie or Pudding, 78 Oyster Fricassee, 9(> Old Documents, 113 Our Coming Wine Crop, 121 Our Primitive Forests, 131 On the Timber Line of High Moun- tains, 1.52 Onions for Chicken Cholera, 175 Pennsylvania Fruit Growers Society, 3 Preservation of Harness, 6 Preparing Poultry for Market, 8 Poultry Association, 11, 28, 170, 188 Practice on the Farm, 12 Planting Potatoes in Autumn, 13 Protecting Plants and Shrubs, 13 Pennsylvania Agricultural Society, 21 Potato Culture, 24, 184 Propagating Fuchsias, 31 Peach Buds and Peaches, 41 Potato Cakes for Breakfast, 47 Pruning Trees, 54 IV INDEX. Pish-pash of Mutton, 63 Potted Meat, 64 Poor Man's Sweet Cake, 64 Potato Salad, 64 Prepare for the Fruit Crop, 77 Pigs Feet, 77 Putting Away Clothes, 78 Pruning Roses, 94 Pork Chop, 96 Planting large Pear Trees, 110 Public Docun-ents, 114 Plowing Toung Orchards, 126 Poultry Notes, 128,159,176,191 Preserving Grapes for Winter, 143 Plowing and Pulverizing, 142 Preserving Eggs, 143 Pan Dowdy, 143 Pocklington Grape, 146 Peacock Moth, 147 Pennsylvania's Untilled Acres, 155 Poultry Exhibition, 163 Plain Kice Cake, 173 Potato Pudding, 173 Persimmon, the 192 Queries and Answers, 22, 182 Quitters, 184 Robbing the Soil, 5 Rotation, 12 Removing Candle Grease, 14 Raising Ducks for Profit, 32 Reply to W.H. S., 53 Rice au jus, 63 Raising Peas, 77 Raise Gapes, 77 Rhubarb Tart, 78 Royal Diplomatic Pudding, 78 Raising Calves, 79 Raising Camels in Nevada, 79 Ravages of the Insect Army, 86 Rhubarb, 110 Rhubarb Jam, 111 Raising Jersey Cattle, 111 Remedies Against Injurious Insects, 149 Revised Fruit List, 150 Remove the Dend Limbs, 158 Raising the Price of Sour-Kraut, 161 Rolls, 173 Rice Chicken Pie, 173 Roast Duck, 174 Salt as a Preservative of Timber, 12 Scrape the Feet, 13 Sausage, 14 Short Cakes, 14 Sweet Potato Fie, 14 Sheep-Raising Near Large Cities, 14 Seventeen Year Locust, 17, 22 Shelter Belts, 23 Salt in Sowing, 30 Snowball Pudding, 31 State Fruit-Growers' Association, 46 Suggestions of and for the Season, 46 Soused Herrings, 47 Snow Pudding, 47 Stuffed Potatoes, 47 Suffering of the Cattle on the Plains, 48 Scientific Conjugation of the Alliga- tor, 50 Sand Bag in a Sick Room, 63 Soiling Milk Cows, 69 Systematic Farming, 76 Stumps, 76 Some Items in Farm Economy, 76 Snow Cakes, 78 Spice Cakes, 78 Salt for Poultry, 80 Sure Death to Flies, 86 Summer Salads, 94 Salt for the Throat, 95 Sassafras for Killing Lice, 95 Scrap Bags, 96 Silk Cultu.e in the United States 98 Silk Culture, 105 Sods, 110 Summer Pruning, 110 Strawberry Culture, 111 Sheep Husbandry in Virginia, 112 Slow Progress, 113 State Board of Agriculture, 114 Summer Drinks, 120 Scientific Notes, 121 Summer Treatment of Calla Lilies, 126 Salad Dressing with Raw Eggs? 127 Sugar-Beet Flea Beetle, 131 Suggestions of and for the Season, 142 Storing and Keeping Potatoes, 143 Sweet Pickles, 143 Sago Pudding. 143 Smothered Chicken, 143 Secure Good Seed, 157 Shade in Pastures, 158 Sugar-Beets, 162 Selecting a Good Cow, 168 Swine-Raising— A Different System Desirable, 169 Seed Buns, 174 Spontaneous Forests, 178 Strategy vs. Strength, 180 Sources of Sugar, 177 The New Tear, 1 Two Remarkable Apples, 5 The Oyster, 9 Taking Cold, 9 Toxic Effects of Tea, 10 The Beet Sugar Industry, 13 To Wash Flannels without Shrink- ing, 13 To Prepare Iron Kettles for Use, 14 To Kill Unpleasant Odors, 14 The Silk Worm in Nevada, 16 The Honey Ant, 15 The Best Food for Egg Producers, 15 The late Poultry Show, 18 The Timber Question, 19 The Stone Age, 19 The New Holland Clarion, 30 The Freezing of Insects, 21 The Corn Cut-worm, 23 The Finest of the Wheat, 30 The Best Time for, Grafting Trees, 30 The Feathery Acacias in Bloom, 30 To Color Roses, 30 Tuberoses, 31 To Renovate Black Goods, 31 The Railroads and the People, 33 The Mammoth Pearl, 34 The Sources of Springs, 36 The Elm Tree Beetle, 36 The Two Catapals, 36 Tobacco Cultu e— How to Grow our Next Crop, 37, 56, 71, 89, 97, 103, 119, 136, 188 The Poultry Society, 44, 75, 123, 141, 1.56, 188 The Bee Keepers' Association, 45 To Clean Ermine and Minever Skins, 47 To Remove Ink Stains from Printing Books, 47 The Rearing of Calves, 47 That's what all should be doing, 49 The Magnum Bonum, 50 The Seventeen-year Cicada, 51 The " Sack Worm," 53 The Uses of Lime in Farming, 58 Tree Trimming, 58 The Mfuagement of Liquid Fertil- izers, 61 The Co.v Pea, 62 The Pomegranate, 62 To Cut Sod, 62 Take Ca»e of the Matches, 62 To Remove Glass Stoppers, 63 To Avoid Insect Ravages, (i6 The Skunk, 67 The Peach Crop, 68 To Make and Maintain a Lawn, 71 Table Corn, 76 The Wheat Crop in Kansas, 76 Timely Notes of Seasonable Interest, 77 To Take Woody Taste out of a Pail, 78 To Make Chocolate, 78 Treatment of Cows with Calf, 79 The Value of Water for Cows, 79 The Apple Worm, 85 The Tear without a Summer, 88 The Farm Laborer, 88 The Tobacco Trade, 89 Tea Two Hundred Tears Ago, 89 The American Merino, 91 The Ground Limestone Question, 93 The Millet Crop, 94 To Keep Very Shaded Places Green, 95 Tying up Raspberries, 95 To Remove Caps of Glass from Fruit Cans, 95 To Counteract Salt, 95 To Destroy Fungus Growth, 96 To Keep Preserves, 95 To Utilize Feathers, 96 T\.oof aKind, 100 The Free Pipe Line, 102 The Agricultural Circle, 110 The Exportation of Dried Apples, 110 Transplanting, 111 To Determine the Weight of Live Cat- tle, 111 The Kieffer Pear, 114 The Game Laws, 115 The Terrible Heat, 115 Tabulated Analyses of Fertilizers made by Prof. Genth, State Chemist, 118 Trade in Flowers, 120 The Turnip Crop, 125 The "Monthly Reports from the De- partment of Agriculture, 125 Top Dressing Meadows, 126 Two Good Pears, 126 Thin the Crops, 126 Timely Suggestions ps to the Treat- ment of Persons Overcome by Heat, 126 The Milk Periods, 127 Tossed Potatoes, 127 Tomato Soup, 127 To Boil Rice, 127 The Drouth, 130 "The Sugar Beet," 131 The Spectre Insect, 1-34 The Peach Cnrl Fungus, 136 The Discovery of Silk, 136 The Fruit Garden, 143 The Corn Crib, 143 The Feeding Value of Corn Fodder, 144 The Crops of 1881, 145 The Corn Worm, 148 The Elm Tree Worm, 149 The Atlanta Exposition, 164 The Coming Tree, 154 To Propagate the Currant, 158 This Will Pay Tou, 162 The Coal-bug, 162 The Sources of Sugar, 167, 177 The Short Wheat Crop, 171 To Relieve Asthma, 174 To Remove Proud Flesh, 174 To Prevent Choking, 17i The Shropshire Sheep, 174 To our Patrons and the People, 177 Thick and Thin Seeding of Wheat 185 Useful Remedies, 31 Usefulness of Lemons, 127 Useful Hints for Measuring Land, 173 Valuable Hints, 13 Value of Water for Cows, 15 Varnished Work, 31 Vennor's Latest Weather Predictions, 53 Veal with Tomato Sauce 63 Vermicelli Soup, 78 Vegetable Animals, 168 Value of Tobacco Stalks, 171 Well Water, 6 White Veins in Tobacco, 6 Waste of Manure, 7 Wise Ants, 10 Wheat-Growing Experiments, 12 What Not to do for Sick People 13 Washing Made Easy, 14 Why We Use Quick Lime Upon the Land , 3(; What is Good Grape Culture, 30 White Cake, 31 Weight and Measure, 46 Why We Shall Never Starve, 46 Work in the Orchard Now, 47 Whip Sauce, 63 Why Cattle and Other Stock Die To- wa. cis Spring, 64 Weeds, 76 White Grubs, 87 What a Tenant May Remove, 88 Waste Material from Towns, 89 Wire-Worms, 97 What About Liquid Manure, 110 Wo -th Knowing, 117 Wonders of Broom-Corn, 126 Whipped Cream, 127 Weather Wisdom, 158 Wo -king Brood Mares, 159 What Does Dew Come From, 163 Wheat, 167 Which Brings the Most Money, 179 Dr. S. S. RATHVON, Editor. LANCASTER, PA.. JANUARY, 18S1. ;CHK A. HIESTAND, Publisher. Liiiicaster CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. EDITORIAL. The New Year, --..-. About Our Late Fair, ----- now to Treat Frozen People, A ForeiiTU Grain Euemy, - - - - - Adileuiiutn et Corregleiiduin, Kieffer'fi Ilyl'rid Pear, . - . - . Pennsylvania Fruit-Growers' Society, - ESSAYS. Annual Ai;nlahl« and Fluwpr Kp*a for I8KI. rich in pnxnivinRS fiom pho- tPgraihB of I he origin iIb. will be eeut FKJ5 to «ll who apply. My ni.l cuBt.iniTM 1 eed not wiile for II. I oir«r one of (tie lart:eHt co'lectionw of vegetable seed ever lent out I'jr any seed Hoitao In America, > li.r(r« portion of whidl were rrowu ou my six seed farms. Full dirrctiont /or eu>- tivation an each package. Ml seed varranlcd to be both fresh and true In name; so f..r, thai fhould It i rove other- wise, / will refill the order gratia. The original introducer of the Hubbard Squaah. Pbiuuey'a Melon, Haablehrad Cab- biiRfB, Mexican Corn, tnd acorea of other vegetables, I invite the patroni ee of off vhn are anxiou* to hace their feed directly from the iiroicer. fresh, true, and 0/ the very best utrain. SEW VKGKTABI.EK A SI»K«. Apl-tf SAWING MADE EAST- THE LANCASTER FARMER. ►ENXSYI.VAXIA RAILROAD SOHF.DIII.K. WE TWARD. Pacific Express* Way Passengert Niagara ExpresB Hanover Aecoramodation,. MaU train via Mt. Joy No.2 via Columbia Sunday Mail Fast Line" Frederick Accommodation . Hai-risburg Accom Columbia Accommodation.. Harrisburg Express Pittsburg Express Cincinnati Express" EASTWARD. Cincinnati Express. Fast Line* Harrisburg Exprt 5:00 a. m 11:00 a. m 11:05 p. m 10:20 a. m 11.25 a. m >:08 a. m 8:05 a Columbia Accommodation, Pacific Express* Sunday Mail 2:00 i Johnstown Express Day Express' | o Harrisburg Accom , 6 The Hanover Accommodation, with Niagara Express, west, at v.ii a through to Hanover. The Frederick Acconimodatiou, west, t ter with Fast Line, west, at 2:10 p. m., am The Pacific Express, east, on Sunday, stop at M-1dletown, Elizabethtown, Mom Tille. •Thf oi Col. 10:40 ! 12:40 p. 1 12:55 p. 1 12:40 p. 1 7:20 p. m. 9:30 p. m. connects at Lancaster a. m., and wUl run NORBECK SMILEY, PRACTICAL kfm Builders, i; (over Bursk's Grocery Store), LincaHter, Pa. A general aseor^meut of furniture ot all kinds constantly on hand. J>on't forget the uuinber. IS X-2 £:a,st ZSlxxxs Street, Nov-ly] (overBurBk'B G.ocerj" Sloi e. i For Good and Cheap Work go to F. VOLLMER'S FURNITURE WARE ROOMS, No S09 NORTH QUEEN ST.. (Opposite Northern M.uket), Also, all kinds of picture 1 raniea. uov-ly GREAT BARGAINS. Alargeassoitmunt of all kuids of Carpets are still sold at CARPET H^LLoTHrs. SHIRK, No. 20-i West Kiny St. Call and examine our stock and satisly yourself that we can show the largest assortment of these Brussels, three jilies and ingrain at all prices— at the lowoai Philadelphia Also on hand a large and complete assortment of Rag Satisfaction guaranteed bath as to price and quality. You are invited to cill and see my goods. No trouble in showing thorn even if you do not want to puichase. Doii't forget this notice. You can save monoy here if yon Particular attention given to customer v ork. Also on hand a full assortiueut of Counterpanes, OU Cloths and Blankets of every variety [nov-lyr. PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON ENTOMOLOGY, Emlnaciuy the history and hubita ot" ^-^^ NOXIOUS AND INNOXIOUS ^^^ INSECTS, and the best remedies f.ir their exi.uUiou or extermination. By S. S. RATHVON, Ph. D. LANCASTER, PA. This work will be Highly lUustrated, and wiU be put in press (as soon after a sufficient number of subscribers can be obtained to cover the cost) as the work can possibly be accomplished. $77- PHILIP SCHUM. SO« & CO., 38 and 40 West King Street. We keep ou liauil of our own mauufacture, GUILTS, COVERLETS, ^ COUNTERPANES, CARPETS, Bureau and Tidy Covers. Ladies' Furnishing Goods, Nb- Parlicuiar attention paid to customer Rag Carpet, and scowering and dyeing ol all kimis. THE HOLMAN LIVER PAD Cures by absorption witliont medicine. Now is the time io apply these remedies. They will i for you what nolhiug else on earth can. Hundreds ot ci zens of Lancaster s->y so. Get the genuine at LANCASTER OFFICE AND SALESROOM, 22 East Orange Street. G. R. KLINE, yVlTOP^NEY-AT-^AW, OFFICE : 15 NORTH DUKE STREET, L,A.NCA.STKK, FA.. Nov-ly The Lancaster Farmer. LANCASTER, PA., JANUARY, 1881. Vol. XIII. No. 1. Editorial. THE NEW YEAR. "AsWrbsti'i-says." as '-Mra. Barton says," as the plav sav> : ■• Fahit heart never won fair ladii " iuiil «■('• li. li.vc its ixfael. Wo have at least this i-onsolatioii, if a tiling is a. faH liraitically, it makes l)ut little dilTei-ence wlh thcT we believe it or not, or wlutluT any- ImmIv else believes it or not. Perhaps there lire luit few who have missed their aim in lili , who would not he williiifc to admit in thrir cahiifr iiioiiients that that miss was mainly due to a fninlneiis pears to us that where this is not appreciated, and in some measure reiilized, it evinces that the schoolmaster is either abroad, or that his system is defective ; for the first human occupation on this earth in- volved the subject of agriculture ; and wherever it degenerates it argues a ])rior de- generation of the agriculturist. There is no prospect that agriculture will ever be fore- stalled so long as this world endures, or man has physical wants that need gratification. This is the anchor of Hope when other occu- pations wane, fluctuate, or become disturbed thrnughout the civilized realm. The year 1880, through which we have just passed, has been an eventful one to our entire country, and especially to the interests of agriculture. It has demonstrated that tin- population of our Union has risen to over 5(1,000,000 souls ; it has witnessed the pea(;e- ful election of a new President \nider all ttu^ forms of law ; and it has experienced a foreign demand lor our agrii'ultural inddiietions be- yond that of any otiier count ly under the sun. It has also witnessed a return of prosperity that presages a brighter future than it has enjoyed for half a score of years. Whilst under these brightening circumstancefi, we would not counsel extravagance or reckless enterprise ; still we would stimulate confi- dence, and gently admonish the people against that mawki.sh " faintness of heart" which " never won fair lady." Men in this life, and especially in the present organization of society, must incur some risk— some venture ; for even the sharpest can't see much beyond the ends of their noses. Still we must exer- cise a rational judgment ; ambition must take counsel of discretion, and leave results to Him "who shapes our ends, rough hew them as we will." When the farmer places his seed in the soil, he has no certainty that he is going to realize a crop, not even when he gives it all the cultivation his reason may sugce.st. Still he ventures, nor abates his energies th<^ present year, because the last one may liavi^ been a failure. He has faith in the ultimate omnipotence of agriculture, however it may be temporarily thwarted through adverse contingencies. In this respect the farmer is the peer of any other occupation in the land. Others, when they fail to realize their antici- pations, "shut down," and drive out their employees upon the cold charities of the world, but the farmer continues on " in the even tenor of his way," whether he "makes a spoon or spoils a horn." The farmer is, therefore, not only the fimnder of civilization, but he is also the " bulwark of the nation," and it is on account of this responsible status that he needs a literary mouthpiece of that civilization. Under the auspices of .his sym- pathy and support, we, with this issue, begin the thirteenth volume of our journal, and we desire, and hope to deserve, as much of that support, morally, intellectually, and pecuni- arily as will convert it into a " silver-backed " mirror, from which his reflection may be cast over our progressive county, our State, and our entire country. We congratulate him on the advent of 1881 — we tender him our New Year's compliments, with a hope for many happy returns of it. We ask this all for the present; for the present will become the past rapid enough without troubling ourselves about the/«fi(re. Our wants, our wishes, and our aspirations relate to the pregnant now, for this alone is ours. If the present is properly cared for the future will take care of it.self. In closing these our fraternal greetings, we again respectfully solicit the literary contri- butions, and communications of facts con- nected with the noble profession of farming, from our friends and patrons. There are also many historical incidents and events con- nected with the progress of our county that would be interesting to our readers, the pre- paration of which would be a "double bless- ing." In conclusion, finally, permit us to invoke for one and all, a right prosperous and Happy New Year. ABOUT OUR LATE FAIR. In reading over President Witmer's ad- dress, delivered at the January meeting of the society, and especially his comments on the last fair of the society at the Northern Market House, and also in reading over Warwick's "Brief History" of the old county societies, we are reminded of the great lab()r and anxiety experienced by those who origi- nated and conducted them ; in which they i stpiandered their time, their money, and their j physical energies, and never experienced a ] real success. People forget these things; new ' generations spring up that know nothing | about them. When wc comi)are our late "failure" with the unrequited efforts of the past, ours sinks into insignilicance. AVe well remember the .small number of self-sacrificing men who alone carried lliosi^ exhibitions through. How they W(!i>t finm house lohou.se in the city of fiamtaster and in the suironnd- ing districts and importimed — yea begged 1 and implored the people to become exhibitors, j iind all to little or no jiurpose, except bv a few of their siiecial friends, and also how they sent their hired men and their vehicles to haul their exhibits out to (he fair ground and home again at the close, and all at their own I expense. Since then agricultural fairs had I become common all over the country — many ] of them successful, but of the labor and ex- pense it cost to make (hem so we never could know, for that |iart never was i)ublished. But many ofthiin also failed, and their effects were finally seized and sold by the sheriff. A fair, doubtless, might succeed in Lancaster , county, and ought to succeed, hut it never can, ! we feel now convinced, until there is more of a unity than now exists, and until the people themselves become more liberal patrons than they have been heretofore. j HOW TO TREAT FROZEN? PEOPLE. i "Somebody who knows what he is talking about writes as follows in the Ameriran Agri- 1 ewZiurisS: 'If any jiart of the body gets frozen the very worst thing to do is to apply heat | dircctl.v. Keep away from the fire. Use snow if you can get it; if not, u.se the coldest ])ossible water. Last winter our little boy of five years froze his feet while out coasting at considerable distance from the house. He cried all the way home, and the case seemed | pretty bad. I brought a bii: i>anful of stiow "i and put his feet into it, rubbing them with the snow. But mv hands could not stand i the pold. I was alarmed to see him keep his feet in the snow so long, but he could not ' bear them out. of it. It was half an hour be- fore he would take them out, and then the pain was all goni\and when I had wiped them di-y and rubheci them a little he was en- tirely comfortable, put on his stockings and shoes and went to play. He never after- ] ward had any trouble with his feet on account j of this freezing. His sister got her feet ex- \ tremelv cold, and put them at once to the fire, iler case at first was not so bad as her brother's, but the result was much worse. , Her feet were very tender all winter, and she J suffered from chilblains. Her toes had a swollen, purple look, and she had to take a larger size of shoes.' " The foregoing— which is now extensively | coined — is unquestionably good, but not un- i qualifiedly so : nor is it iicio. either. It is as j " old as the hills." i)nt happily none the worse | for that, and "< knew of it fifty years ago at ] least. If this remedy is apiilied immediately | after the feet. hand. eaif). &c., are frozen, no j other application is nece.s.aary — except, per- | haps, warm, soft flannel, when the frost is out in cases of very severe freezing. People ; often fortret these things, and it is well that thev should be occasionally reminded of them. AVhen a boy we had our feel twice frozen, but not very severely, so far as we can remember. The first time they were frozen, wc were not aware of it until the approaching spring. We j knew there was something wrong with our feet, but we did not know what it was imtil admonished by one who knew, or pretended i to know. The parts affected became swollen THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, and inflamed, and iti:hed intolerably. Beef gal/ ointment was applied, and two applica- tions perfoiTued a cure. It was a habit among some farmers then, when they slaughtered a beef, to carefully cut out the gall and hang it up for future use. There it would hang "tor several months, until the liquid portion evaporated, and the residue assumed the con- sistence of a salve. If it became too hard or '•stiff" to spread as an ointment, it was softened with lard, sweet oil or butter. Some time afterwards— two or three years— our feet were frozen again, and on this occasion the cold application was tried, and on the follow- ing morning there was very little to evince that they had been frosted ; but there being no snow on the ground, a mixture of crushed ice and water was used, accompanied by friction. Years afterwards a gentleman in- formed us that he nearly paralyzed his nether limbs by immersing his feet in ice water to draw out frost. But it was weeks, perhaps months, after they had been frozen, and wlien they were swollen and inflamed ; moreover, he him-^elf was in a heated or feverish condi- tion. Verily, circumstances alter cases. '-Pork and saur-kraut, as an antidote, may be good for blacksmiths, but its h — 1 on tailors." A FOREIGN GRAIN ENEIWY. " The great cause of the failure of wheat in Russia is a beetle plague. The beetle is known as the "Couzka," or Anisoplia Austri- aca, and first appeared in the Melitopel dis- trict five years ago, but how it came no one knows, as it had never been seen in any part of Russia before. These insects appear to live for several years, and although they take two years to develop from the egg to full growth, yet they increase so fast that in the second year of their appearance so many as ten bushels of them have been collected otf one acre of land." The foreign genus Anisoplia is allied to the American genus Anomala, which sometimes becomes an inveterate pest, both in its larva and its imago stages of development. It is in the larva form, however, that these insects are the most injurious to vegetation, although in its perfect or beetle state" it often seriously damages vegetation, especially the grape in its blooming season, roses, and other flowers. Its larval period is passed under ground, and it then lives on the roots, and tender sprouts of vegetation before they have pushed them- selves above ground. They have a family alliance with our "cherry-bug" [Macrodac- tylus subspiiiosus,) and almost every farmer and fruit-grower knows how destructive these insects occasionally become in some localities. Anisoplia belongs to the order Coleoptera, the subsection Lamellicoisnia, and the family Melolonthid^. The antenna are terminated by a little fan-like appendage which the insect can spread out and close up at will. The larva is a white, fleshy, crescent- formed worm, popularly known under the name of "Grub-worm," but they are much smaller than the common Grub-worm of the "May-beetle." They are voracious feeders and remain under ground, feeding all the while, from two to three years. In Europe a reward is commonly offered for the collection of both the larva and the adult beetles, and the work is done mainly by poor children. There is perhaps nothing that would kill them without also killing the grain. The only way seems to be to loosen or dig up the soil, and sift out the grubs, and sometimes the product amounts to many bushels per acre. It is not likely that we would import the insects in wheat. We have analagous native species that are bad enough. Stephens, inhis ^'■Manualof British Beetles,'''' thus describes Anisoplia ausiriaca- blue- black, glabrous : elytra dull red, with a square black patch round the scutellum ; sides of the abdomen with white facicles. Length, about three-quarters of an inch, or 20 m. m. In- troduced. The family to which they belong have the antennae lor horns) clavate, the club composed of three or more lamellie or pectina- tions, the basal joint sometimes half the en- tire length ; legs slender and elongate, or short- ish and stout, mostly ^formed for digging ; tibia externally dentate and spinulous. In the species here alluded to the legs are long and moderately slender — not much unlike an overgrown "Cherry -bug." liTow, it is within the pale of possibility that we may ultimately have to lament the introduction of this insect, just as we now do the , introduction of the "cabbage-worm," the "currant sawfly,"and the "asparagus-beetle." The Lammellicornian Beetles, however, do not all burrow in the ground and feed on roots. Some feed on much decayed wood, and we have succeeded in rearing the perfect beetles— especially Passalus, Pelidnota and Osmodernia— from larvae that we have taken from decayed wood. Therefore, it seems to us that it is not judicious firming to let old logs (.f wood remain undisturbed "year in and year out," until it is decayed and be- comes the nesting places of these beetles. The Pelidnota, especially, often becomes numerous, and destroys the foliage of the grapevines. On one occasion we saw them so numerous on a Wild Fox grapevine, in the vicinity of where they bred, that they stripped it entirely of its foliage. A. cording to the "clipping" at the head of this paper— sent to us by a friend— the Anisoplia is destructive to the wheat crop of Russia ; from which we infer that the larva destroys the roots, and, perchance, the imago may appear early enough to also destroy the foliage or the bloom, and although it may not be likly that we would import the larvaj, yet it is not impossible we might import the mature beetle or its eggs. ADDENDUM ET CORREGIENDUM. We think Warwick, in his communication in another page of this number of the Farmee, has omitted one society that was the immedi- ate predecessor of the present one, of which we think Mr. H. M. Engle was President : Messrs. J. B. Garber and J. M. Prantz, Vice Presidents ; and Christian H. Lefevre, Secre- tary, and perhaps Librarian. This society met in a back room, and in an upper room of the Cooper House, but it held no exhibitions, ft was organized about, or a short time after, the outbreak of the rebellion — in 1860 or 1861— but in consequence of that event it be- came enfeebled, and finally disbanded. It had a librai-y, kept at the office of Mr. Lefevre, and we were one of a committee authorized to make a disposal or distribution of it. It honored us with the function of Entomologist, and Mr. Staufier with tliat of Botanist. We regret exceedingly the misunderstand- ing between Warwick and the management of the late exhibition ; but to us the whole matter is as transparent as glass. No one, we feel convinced, meant any disrespect or took any undue advantages. The whole thing grew out of one of those informalities which often disturb the harmony of societies where- ever they exist. As societies increase in im- portance and enter into larger enterprises they become more complicated in their organi- zation, and hence are under the necessity of adopting certain rules for their government ; and, the members, as exemplars, are as much in duty bound to observe those rules as out- siders are, if they have the success of the society at heart. We had previously been elected a member of the Board of Managers, and under the .ules of the society all that re- lates to public exhibitions is under the control of that board. But, owing to unforeseen con- tingencies, it was impossible for us to give our personal attention to the matter during the exhibition. It is true that Warwick came to our place of business and donated to us his fruit, we to take possession of it at the conclusion of the fair, and also told us that if it drew a premium it should be for the benefit of The Lancaster Farmer ; for all of which we felt exceedingly thankful, and still feel so. But we supposed he had complied with the rules (being a member of the society, ) and therefore we paid no special attention to the matter, feeling that all was right. Now, it is both a written and an unwritten rule in all societies that hold exhibitions, where there is a competition for premiums, for exhibitors to have their exhibits entered upon the books of the society at the office or department of the secretary and his assistants, and any entries otherwise made, of course, can't come to the notice of tlie officers, nor under the ex- amination of the judges. The judges are usually men who do not covet the office, and hence confine their labors to the entries in the books placed in their possession by the officers. If no entry at all is made in the books, no matter how meritorious an exhibit may be — even if it were "apples of gold" and peaches of silver— it could not come officially before the judges, nor have they any authority to make an entry. All the judges have to do is to determine the degree of merit among the articles recorded. The judges do not even name the amount of the premiums. They merely determine whether it is entitled to a, first, second or third premium, or whether tpecial, a diploma, or honorable mention. The books are then re- turned to the officers and they carry out the amounts according to the published premium list. If we clearly understand Warwick's statement, he, no doubt with the best inten- tions in the world, quietly but informally pro- ceeded to arrange and place his own labels upon his fruit, and then left the exhibition without having reported it formally to the secretaries. If this is so then his exhibit could not be otherwise than neglected. There may be a bit of " red tape " in this, but it is necessarily so. Suppose a bloody revolt was to occur in our county or State, and the suf- ferers were to implore the President of the United States to send on Federal troops to quell the disturbance. What attention could be legally given to such an appeal ? The matter would have to be brought before him officially, in due foi-m of law, before he couid move in the premises at all. But suppose War- wick did report it at the proper place, it might even then be neglected without any one intend- ing to disregard it. Every one who lias had any- thing to do with the opening of a fair knows how often "confusion becomes worse con- founded" on such occasions — when every one wants to be served first. Under such'circum- stances, it is very plain to see how such omissions may occur, without intentional dis- respect to any one. In regard to the demand of an admission fee from Warwick, merely for going in to get his baskets to take them home ; the act was hardly warranted by the circumstances of the case, if it was not discourteous. But perhaps the doorkeeper did not know that that was his only purpose, or, he might have acted too literally under his instructions as to admis- sions. We think, however, that Warwick misapprehends the import of the rule he quotes. That rule relates to exhibits and not to exhibitors, and if any one was charged a fee for an entrance of his goods, it was clearly against the rule, or was done in a misunder- standing of the rule. As to '■'■exhibitors' tickets,'" that had been agreed upon by the Board of Managers weeks before the fair was opened. This is the usual custom where there are liberal premiums ofliered, a large number of exhibitors, and heavy expenses. It seems necessary to draw such'a line, else a person might carry an apple in on a plate, have it entered, draw an exhibitor's ticket, and go in and out for a whole week gratis. We vvere not present when this rule was adopted, but having accepted the position of a manager, we do not hesitate to bear our share of the responsibility. So far as the reporters are concerned, in order to take the "shortest cut," they make their reports from the entries on the books of the clerks. If an exhibit does not appear there it is not likely to appear in their printed reports. We have volunteered these remarks, because we believe the whole thing was one of those fortuitous events that may occur among the best of friends. Subscribe for the Farmer for 1881. 1881] THE LANCASTER FARMER. KIEFFER'S HYBRID PEAR. "This runiiukalile pear was raised from the seed of a bli^'lit-proof Chinese Saiul Pear, sup- posed to be crossed with Hartlett. The origi- nal tree, now twelve years old from seed, has not failed to ossession of the building entirely too short. Since our fair closed I had a long talk with one of the man- agers of a very successful exhibitioh held in a neighboring county, and the amount of work required to bring it to a successful termina- tion was rather appalling. Whether we can hold a successful fair or not remains to be seen, but I am fully satisfied that we cannot unless we can get the business men of Lan<'aster to co-operate with us, and then we must go into the open ground. I must confess that the farmers of the county did not give us the support and assistance ait either of our fairs that I expected. For my part I am opposed to holding any more fairs, unless it be on a very small scale, oi cereals, fruits, vegetables and flowers. I think that those who have the management of fairs generally have too much labor for the benefits received, and, secondly, I think our society was in a much more flourishing condi- tion before we ever thought of holding a fair — at least our meetings were much better at- tended. And I have frequently noticed that as soon as we commence talking about the fair our visitors begin to leave! Therefore I say, let us have no more fairs, but let us get down to good solid work and try to make •Read before the Laucaster County Aerionltural and Hor- ticultuturnl Sociely by President Joheph F. Witmer, on Monday, January 3rd, 1881. the Lancaster County Agricultural and Hor- ticultural Society one of the best and most practical societies in the land. Let us strive to make our meetings more interesting, and induce our friends and neighbors to meet with us and give us the benefit, of their experience. I do not wish to disparage anything that has been done by this society, for I know the re- ports of our meetings are read by a great many who never come near us, and many essays read before this society are republished in the most advanced agricultural papers in the country. The agricultural interest is a.ssuming a much greater imiiortance than heretofore. It formerly was supposed that any one who was not fit for anything else would make a farmer, but now it is dilTcreiit. Some of the best minds in the count ly are given to the calling, and, as in all oIIk r inanelies of business, it is seen that brains will tell. It is oidy to men of good education and large minds that we can look to for any improvement in agricul- ture. Let us all see what improvements we can make in aL'ricidture and horticulture and give the benefits of our experiments to this society. I would recommend smaller farms than are generally cultivated and better cidture. High farming as long as it gives the greatest yield at the least cost per bushel or pound is pre- ferable. We can scarcely hope to long compete with our western bretiiren in raising cereals and stock, and may before long have to look to some other product to make our farms profit- able. True, we have a monopoly of the to- bacco trade just at present, but we must be very careful lest we exhaust our soil, iis so many of the older tobacco growing districts havealready done. Then, again, fashion may change, and an article may be required whicih we cannot i)roduce. I would particularly urge the necessity of thorojigh cultiu'e in all crops and the improve- ment of our stock by the introduction of thoroughbred males. It does not cost any more to raise a grade .Jersey or Short Horn than it does to raise the meanest scrub, but the difference in value at maturity is very much in favor of the grade To keep cattle jirofilably on land as valu- able as Lancaster county farms are we may soon have to resort to some other method than pasturing them during the summer. Soiling pre.sents the two-fold advantage of allowing more stock to be kept to the acre and the removal of all inside fences. Whether "ensilage" will be snffieipntly practicable to be generally ailopted remains to be proven, altliouL'h we have some very favor- able reports from those who have adopted that mode of preserving green crops for win- ter use. I think it would be well for us to turn our attention a little more towards producing such articles as will not bear transportation for great distances, and I think the dairy and the growing of small fruits may in the near future be sources of profit. By the estab- lishing of creameries in different parts of our county the arduous labor of the farm dairy can be done away with, and an article of butter manufactured of more uniform quality, and which will sell much more readilv at a better price. Another important matter, which T think we nearly all neglect, is recrea- tion. We are such a thorough-going, go- ahead sort of people that we scarcely ever take time to rest and amuse ourselves. " All work and no plav makes .Tack a dull boy." I would not recommend following any low or degrading sport, but something that is ele- vating and ennobling, and which leaves the mind and body in better condition to follow the every-day duties of life. In conclusion, I desire to expres.1 my sin- cere thanks to each and evfry member of this society for the uniform courtesy and kindne.s3 with which T have been treated ever since I came amongst you. and I hope that the uni- form good feeling which has existed amongst us may continue until life closes. THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, Contributions. Fon The LiNCASTER Farmeb. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AGRICUL- TURAL SOCIETIES OF LANCASTER COUNTY. A society was organized about 1850 (the first to my recollection) of which the Hon.' Jolin Strohni was President, and his co-man- agers were Benjamin Eshleman, Benjamin Herr, Abraham' Peters, L. S. Reist, John Miller, J. Hershey and J. Hartman Hershey. Soon after 1850 the State Agricultural Society was organized. The managers of this society looked about for a suitable place to hold an exhibition (the first State show in Pennsylva- nia) and finally chose Lancaster as the most proper place, giving the county society a cer- tain interest therein, and from the proceeds of this exhibition the said county society realized between $700 and SSOOas their share. If I am correct in my recollections, the county society made an effort in 185-t to hold a county fair, provided the citizens of the city would assist them. A committee was appointed to solicit funds for that purpose, but it met with no success. The citizens of Columbia then volunteered to raise the necessary funds if the fair was held at or near that place. This fair was advertised to come off about the middle of September, but the cholera breaking out in an epidemic form at Columbia in the begin- ning of that month, the fair was postponed until some time in the following October. This fair, perhaps, was as successful as could have been expected under the circumstances, but the society sunk all it had formerly real- ized from the State Fair. Discouraged by this financial adversity the society abandoned its organization and was " wound up." Sub- sequently a horticultural society was organ- ized, with the late Dr. Henry Muhlenberg as President, supported by about a dozen man- agers. They held monthly meetings_ and exhibitions at Cooper's Hotel, in West"King street. I cannot recall the members of that organization. About the year 1857 a county fair was again agitated, and the then existing society was urged to hold one, but it was unwilling to undertake it, remembering perhaps the finan- cial failure at Columbia. A temporary society or club was then formed by Benjamin Mishler, Emanuel Shober, David G. Eshleman, Jacob F. Fry, Seth Spencer and others, who held several exhibitions in successive years, near where the Reading Railroad depot is now located. When they finally settled up their afliairs they found a financial deficiency, which had to be made up by the members of the society ; and after several subsequent attempts to resuscitate the old society the organization was finally abandoned. After a lapse of several years, or about the year 1865, the present .society was formed, at Cooper's Hotel, and L. S. Reist was elected the first president. It held several exhibitions in Fulton Hall, the Orphans' Court Room, the corridor of the Court House, and also two or three at the Northern Market House. What made these a partial success at least was there being held without premiums being ■paid to any of the exhibitors. Emulation alone was the spirit that developed and con- troled them, and many of the exhibitors also allowed their fruit to be sold for the benefit of the society, or donated it to the "Children's Home." The managers and exhibitors all had free access to the exhibition, going in and out when they pleased, reminding the people of the fine display of fruit, and speaking a friendly word here and there. These /ree fairs were gotten up without premium lists or posters, and only ordinary newspaper adver- tisement ; the members themselves verbally advertising them, the people answering, "Well, I had forgotten all about it, but I will now go and see it." The whole object of the society was a spectacular display, and the question of financial success was only a sec- ondary matter, if it was considered at all. But a new departure was made in accordance with the custom of other societies all over the country, and under all the circumstances liberal premiums were offered. This, of course, involved a greater responsibility than the former exhibitions, and not everyone felt in- clined to assume those responsibilities. Still the society, up to its last exhibition, realized sufficient to cover all its expenses, and this, if not a "success," was at least nota failure, and encouraged the society to make a more liberal and energetic effort. The last exhibition, however, seems not to have been successful, although the manage- ment sent out posters that would have done credit to the "World's Fair," and a fair premium list, by thousands. On looking over the rules to exhibitors I find in Article 3. ' Competition is open to all, except when otherwise provided for. No charges will be made for receiving and entering articles." Notwithstanding, I learned afterwards that an entrance fee was charged, and also a charge was made for exhibitors' tickets. I had spent some days before the fair in gather- ing autumn leaves, forest flowers, and berries, and also two bushels of apples, comprising upwards of fifty varieties. These I brought in on Tuesday morning, with my own labels at- tached, and arranged them properly for ex- hibition. I then went to Mr. S. S. Rathvon and told him that he was to have my entire exhibit, except one or two varieties, and in case any premium was awarded to it, he was also to draw that, for the benefit of the Lan- caster Farmer. As 1 did not expect to be in Lancaster any other day of that week, I went right from his place to the Northern Market House to get my baskets, when I was refused admission without paying, to which I demurred, and went home to find out that I was no exhibitor, my collection receiving no notice whatever, not even from the reporters. Still, hoping future success to the society, I am — " Warwick.'''' FOE [HE LanOASTEB FARMER. ■HOTCH-POTCH." I always see a good many recipes in the Lancaster Farmer for cooking, baking, stewing, &c., but there is one article that I am very fond of that I have never yet seen in The Farmer or elsewhere, and that is the stomach of a pig filled with rneat and pota- toes. Cut a slit in the stomach about four inches long, across the natural aperture, and after emptying it turn it inside out. Take the inner skin off, and when it is thoroughly cleaned fill it with meat and potatoes— about two parts of potatoes and one part of meat. More of the one and less of the other can be taken if desired. The meat should be cut into small pieces, from half an inch to an inch square, and the potatoes should be sliced. Any kind of meat, fresh sausages or spare- ribs are good, but a part of it at least, must be fat. if the meat is not fat, about an equal quantity of "speck" .should be added. Mix well together and season to the taste, (fresh or salted meat will do.) Then fill the stom- ach, but it must not be stuffed too full, or it will burst in boiling. Sew up the slit that was cut before it is boiled. (The bursting can be avoided by sewing a thin piece of mus- lin around it.) Put it in a kettle of boiling water, and boil it moderately for three or four hours, until the potatoes get soft. Then take it out of the kettle and put in a pan and roast it like a turkey. If done well it is ex- cellent— next to turkey. — J. G., Warwick, Jan., 1881. "That's so," and we thank J. G. for this revival of a good old dish, that somehow in this fast ase was becoming obsolete. Our mother made it more than sixty years ago. Our mother-in-law made it fifty years ago, and our wife made it forty years ago. When we first commenced housekeeping, raised our own pigs, and had our annual butchering, the stomach of one pig at least was always con- verted into a "Hotch-potch," as it was called. A little parsley or sweet marjorem was added to give it flavor, but about tlie best flavoring is a dozen of good fresh oysters, when the meat is fresh. It has also" this advantage; there are no bones in it, (unless when made of spareribs) it is easily carved, and th-re is no choice in the pieces. It has been many a long year since we have seen it, or eaten of it, but we are glad to know that it has not en- tirely gone out of fashion in Lancaster county. It is a dish worth retaining, and all of our recollections concerning it are favora- ble to its qualities. JAPAN PERSIMMONS. Mr. Editor : Only a few years since there was much interest felt in the above fruit. Many statements were published in the papers of the great desirability of introducing and growing the trees, by those having eaten the fruit in Japan, and afterwards in California, all of whom declared it a most valuable and delicious fruit. The result, of course, was that many trees were introduced and sold at high prices ; but unfortunately it was soon found that the trees were too tender to with- stand the severity of our winters, and so far as we know, disappointment has been the result in the Middle States, at least in many instances. The Hon. Commi.<;sioner of Agriculture, at Washington, has imported many trees, and he informs ns that some varieties have been killed on the experimental ground, while other varieties have not been injured in the least, remaining green and sound to the top shoots. It thus appears that some of the varieties are more hardy ihan others. It is very probable that trees from the more north- ern localities of Japan might withstand the climate of our Middle States, especially if planted on high ground. Further trials should be continued, and ultimately some of the many varieties may yet be found to suit our variable climate. Some six or eight years ago, I received four small plants from Hon. Thos. Hogg, of Brooklyn, New York. He had brought them with him from Japan, and had planted some on his place at Brooklyn, and succeeded so far as to get his trees to bear fruit. Thinking if the trees were hardy there, they would, of course, be hardy here ; so I planted mj trees out in a clump, but the next winter was extra cold, and ray little trees froze down, and I afterwards found that Mr. Hogg's trees were also killed. However, two of my plants sprouted up from the roots. These I took up and planted in pots ; one died ; the other I still have growing in a nine-inch p'>t. In the winter I simply place the pot in the cellar ; as they are deciduous, they can be placed out of the way in an ordinary cellar, where they keep in a fine, healthy condition. The ground in the pot of my jilant has been frozen as hard as a rock, the plant was not injured in the least. This last season my plant ripened four per- simmons, yellow as an orange, measuring 7 by 7i in circumference ; and as to qujility of the fruit, I can fully confirm all that has been said in praise of the deliciousness of this new fruit ; not a single seed was in any of them, and they might well be " eaten with a spoon," as some had said. Even before fully ripe, they have none of that astringency of our native persimmons. If we cannot grow this new fruit out of doors, we certainly can grow them in tubs or boxes quite as easily as orange trees, and dur- ing the winter place them in the cellar out of the way. Still, I hope some varieties will be found as hardy as our natives, or time may acclimate them so that they can be grown in the open air, the same as our other fruit trees. This delicious fruit is certainly well worthy of further tTiaX.—Bespectfully, J. B. Garber, . Columbia, Pa., Dec. 27, 1880. For The Lancaster Paemke. A FOOT-WARMER. In such cold weather as we have had this winter it is the practice of some people, when they go away from home, to take hot bricks and wrap them in a small piece of carpet, or 1881. THE LANCASTER FARMER. something ot that kind, and lay them on the bottom of tlie sleigh or carriage to keep their feet warm. Now, I have somctliiiig else iiiiicli better, and tliat is a till can, I-') or U> iiulies long, 12 inches wide, and 5 inches diep on the one side and 3 on the other, with the edges rounded a little on the sides, hut the ends square. Of course the reader will under- stand that this is a tin box, with the top in- clined like a desk. In one of the corners of the decp<'st side there should be a hole ;il.ont an inch in diameter, and a coik to lit it ti-zlit- ly. Itshouldalso liavea handle to carry it hy. When I Ro to market I till it. with boiling water, and wrap a piece of carpet around it, two or three times. Then I lay it in front of the market wagon, the narrowest side towards the seat, and the cork uiiperinosl, s.) that if it should hajipen to leak I can see il before the water runs out. I set my feet on the can, and when 1 come to the niaiket house I take it out of the wagon and lay it in my market stall, and when I am done selling I put it in the wagon again. Such a '•foot-warmer" re- mains warm a great deal longer than bricks— more than twice as lonj;- and will not burn the carpet as bricks do, when they are too hot at least. I generally start to market between 3 and 4 o'clock in tli- morning, and when I get home again, about 12 o'clock, the water is still warm enough to wash the hands. The position of the feet, too, being a little higher at the toes than at the heels, is more com- fortable than where they rest on a level sur- face.—/. «., Warwick, Jan. 1881. Selections. TWO REMARKABLE APPLES. About twelve jears ago I became ac- quainted with a new seedling apple which promised to be an acquisition to the apple family. As I was then engaged extensively in the grafting business, I began to prop.igate the variety as rapidly as possible ; and now, after twelve years' experience, I can truly say it has proved an acquisition. 1 named it the "Yoke Apple," by which name it is known in these parts. The history of the apple is as follows : About the year 1860 and 1862 a young seedling apple tree on the farm of Benjamin Yoke, of Paradise, Jefferson county, Pa., was grafted in the top prior to its having borne any fruit ; and some of the natural branches, through neglect or otherwise, were permitted to remain till they bore fruit, which proved much superior to the grafts on the same tree ; and omission or neglect saved to the world the "Yoke Apple." It is in season from the first of September to the middle of October. It is a large, round, sub-acid apple. and in color very much similar to the fall rambo. I have had forty years' experience in the grafting business ; have become acquainted with and grafted almost all the varieties that have been brought to the country from far and near, from more than a dozen nurseries for the last twenty-five years, and will say that in my opinion the "Yoke Apple," for dryiny purjwsex, sta.m\s at the head; and is also very good when fully ripe for eating, and all culinary purposes ; though its best use is for drying. About the 8th of October last I bought a bushel, which I gathered from trees which I had grafted about six or. seven years before, and thirty-two apples was all that would lay in and on each half bushel. A portion of these I took to the Punx.sutawney fair, where they were as much or more ad- mired than any other apple among a very large collection of varieties tliere exhibited. It is without exception one of the best and most regular bearers that I ever knew among apples. The apple should be generally cut in eight pieces to dry. and when di-y is of a rich, whitish-yellow color. This apple has but one drawback or fault. When the grafts are young and growing very thrifty, or when the tree stands in damp or very rich ground, they are somewhat disposed to rot, but when grown on high, dry channery ground, suitable for the growth of the apple, it is without spot or blemish. It is a good grower, and is destined to become extensively cultivated. Hut must I speak somewhat of another apple, anil (hat is thi! •■(iravenstine." This apple came into bearing for the first time in thisconmiunity about four to six years ago, and now it is regarded by all who have it as the most perfect apple they ever saw. As a fall apple il seems to be willi.mt tUnU. .Vbout eight years ai>o I was told by an a^iMit from Rochester, New York, Ibat there, was not ii better apple known among nuisi-rymen than the "Gravensline," and our short experience in this comtnuiiity fully proves it true. 1 feel like sayinij a word for the "Northern Spy." Were 1 to;,'ive my oiiinion, after forty years in grafting apples, and liii\ ing set in that time near or quite •Jdd.diil) Lriults, of flic three above-named apples I would say : The "Yoke Apple" for the purpose of dri/inrj is the most valuable apple ever grafted. The "Gravenstine" is the most perfrctcd apple in all respects I ever grafted ; and the "North- ern Spy" is the most vthiable apple to grow for use and market that I have ever grafted ; and they should all be grown on high, or dry channery ground. — Fh, this nv.My ami witli (lispat.-h, so tliat llu; f,.utli..i-s and tlie carcass in:iv lirkd't in ^'ocd onhT, i-ciiunvs some kiiowlfdKi' of the luisiiicss beforehand. AVhile duck and ;,'iese IVai hers are of more vahie tliiin lliose nl Ihe liirkey or lieii, it i.s a liltle nion^ dillieult to (.btaiii tlicm from tlie dead bodies in t;i"'d order. Ii> the llrsi place the fowls should be shumldered in sneh a manner llial llie phnMa;.-e is not soiled or rulUta, and this is only done by lian>;in),' them by the liecls. When dead, tlie bodies sliould be carried and carefully laid on a clean table in the picking room on the back, with the heads dangling, that the blood may drip to tlie floor. Tlieu before the animal heat es- capes, pluck.all possible, thus preserving the feathers, as it were, in a live state. Lay the left hand (irmly on the breast, and with the right, using the thumb and fore finger, taking a grip of the feathers close to the warm body, gathering only three or four at once, give a sudden [luU and tliey will yield. Continue in this manner as (piiekly as possible, and do the work clean, until the whole breast, which un- usually contains the finest and most valuable feathers, is all pieked ; then proeeed with the neck, legs aiul liack. Alter this is gone over there will still remain on a full feathered fowl a considerable light down. Tliis should all be plucked away, or as much of it as is possible, before the fowl is scalded. When the birds are plump and fat, which every one should be before slaughtering, much of this may be preserved in a natural state. Before commencing operations, everything should be in readiness. The feather bags should be made, and of such material in which the feathers are to remain, as by shifting much of the valuable down and softer feathers are lost. The tick may be covered with some old or inexpensive material, so that it may be preserved from being soiled in the process of filling. Where there are large numbers to be slaughtered, there should be plenty of help, that all may proceed in regular order and with dispatcli. After the fowls are all dry- picked and clean as possible, remove to the scalding room, and give a gentle dip in boiling hot water, and take out the quill feathers, and the other feathers that remain, care being taken that the skin is not rubbed up, as it gives it a bruised look. When putting away to cool, fold the wings under and lock them together on the back, and place the fowl on a board or shelf, in a cool room or cellar, on the back, tlius preserving the smooth plumpness of the breast. Before packing to send to market, remove the head and about an inch of the neck, and make the place where it is severed as neat as possible, bi this manner any one may have attractive poultry, while tae extra care in saving the feathers will more than compensate by their value either in sale or for home use. Many have large flocks to slaughter, and a little care and fore- thought will save much labor and disappoint- ment in the future. OUR GRAIN TRADE. Colonel John W. Foster, American Minis- ter to St. Petersburg, has written a letter to the State Department, which, in view of the interest felt by the people of this country in our foreign grain trade, will be considered significant and well worthy of studious con- sideration. Col. Foster .says: The important part which the United States is now taking in the commerce of Europe in its enormous shipment of grain, is nowhere attracting greater interest than in Russia, where it attracts the deepest concern. This country has been onr chief competitor in European markets lor breadstuffs, and there are various reasons why our rapidly growing predominance should cause alarm. The im- ports into Russia are largely in excess of the exports, and while the former are increasing the latter are annually decreasing. The gov- ernment finances are by no means in a satis- factory condition ; a deficit is annually re- ported in the receipts, compared with the e.\peiulituies, and the country labors under ' more than :'.ii per ciiit. briow par, with a lenileiiey to liivater depn-eiat ion. Cereals have been the eliiet'article of export whereby to keep down. the balance of trade setting in so heavily against her, to meet the heavy demand for gold invoices in imports and maintain the paper currency and fifovern- shipnii-nts of Ainerieaii grain (o ICnrope, to increase the alarm comes the otlieial publica- tion of the exports for the six months of the current year, showing a heavy falling off, {es- pecially in wheat and rye, the most important items of export. From this publication I ex- tract ibe follow inu. >lio\viiiLj tbe <'omparative exports of tlic le;i(liim cereals for the first six months of the yi'ar> IST'.t and 1S80 : Wbcftt, bush Kvc, bush 31,781,486 19,9S1,622 Barley, bush 6,113.892 4,679,694 Corn, bush ; 2,224.874 S,5,54,22.1 Oats, bush 23,483,370 23,201,124 Totiil 104,723.818 72,5.')8,09O The effect of this heavy decrease in the most important of the country's resources is notice- able in other directions' than the government finances. The business stateinentOf Russian railways for the six months of the present year, compared with the corresponding period of 187!), shows a tailing of .$4,0110,(100, or 13 per cent, and $7,O0O,0tJO less than for the first half of 1S7H ; and this decline is almost en- tirely attributed to the decrease of the ex- portation of grain. A depression is also felt in almost all industries and interests. It is- true that various natural causes, as the devastation of insects, the unseasonable winter, etc., have this year greatly operated through the failure of crops to produce this falling off in the exports of wheat and rye; but it is becoming apparent that unless some radical improvements are made, both in the methods of cultivation and transportation, the grain growers of Russia cannot compete with those of the United States in the markets of Europe. The report of the British Com- missioners, Messrs. Read and Pell, giving the result of their investigations in the wheat- growing districts of the United States, has been published here, and has attracted much attention. An intelligent writer in the Jour- nal of St. Petersburg, in an exhaustive exami- nation of this report, points out the absorbing interest which it has for his country. ''If," he says, ''we do nothing, as has unfortunately been the case for the two years i)ast— that is since we felt for the first time in a serious manner the effects of American rivalry — if we remain with folded arms as passive spectators while the grain of America and Australia overrun Europe, then we will have nothing to do but to contemplate not only the ruin of our commerce but that of our great land- holders." He concluded as follows: "The situation is too grave, the interests involved too important, not only to appeal to the individual attention of the state but also to all the elements of the country, to the end that measures may be taken against American competition. Importation alone is increasing in Russia, while exportation is de- creasing on a Very alarming scale. We have suffered enough that three articles which liad already reached a considerable Hgure in our exports — tallow, wool and copper — should lose a great part of llieii importance ; but we will not know how to endure it if we see wheat and rye disappear from our exterior com- merce. The recent arrival at Revel, near Peters- burg, of a few cargoes of Indian corn from the United States, has also contributed lo the alavm, and it is even predicted that before the next year's crop can he harvested American wheat will be imported at St. Petersburg. CLOTHING OF GLASS. The ingenuity that led to the m.anufaotiire of articles of clothing from paper has teen eclipsed, as similar articles are now made from glass. An uptown dry goods house has on exhibition a glass table cloth several feet sipiaie of vai'i('j.'ate(l colors, with ornamental border ami liiii|;ed edges. Tbe fabric is flexi- ble, and only a liltle heavier (ban those woven of (lax, while it is claimed that it can be washed and ironed like the ordinary table cloth. Glass has been spun and woven in Austria for some years, but it is a new under- taking in this eountry. \ prominent glass- niannt'ac-tuiiiig lirm of riilsburu'. I'a., recently engaged in the inannfaclnre ot tins brittle substance into I'abiies, wliieb (hey claim are as perfect, delicate and durable as the finest silk. A representative of this firm said yes- terday that they can spin 2.'>0 fine threads, each ten miles in length, in one minute. The weaving is done with an ordinary loom, but the process is more ditlicult and much more interesting than the si)inning of cotton or other threads. " We can duplicate in gla.s8 any costume," said this gentleman, "and can make it just as brilliant in color, elaborate in Hnish, per- fect in fit, and equal in its smallest details, even to the buttons on the original. The fabric is very strong, cannot be ripped or torn, and can be sold at a less price than linen, cotton, or silk, or other fabric imitated. It is also very warm, easy fitting, and com- fortable, whether worn as dress, shawl, or other garment in ordinary clothing." Among the articles already manufactured of glass are beautiful feathers, which resemble those of the ostrich, towels, napkins and table cloths. THE OYSTER. Dr. William Roberts, in his interesting lec- tures on the digestive ferments, writes : Our practice in regard to the oyster is quite excep- tional, and furnishes a striking example of the general correctness of the jiopular judg- ment on dietetic questions. The oyster is almost the only animal substance which we eat habitually, and by preference, in the raw or uncooked state ; and it is interesting to know that there is a sound physiological rea- son at the bottom of this preference. The fawn-colored mass which constitutes the dainty of the oyster is its liver, and this is little less than a heap of glycogen. Associ- ated with the glycogen, but withheld from actual contact with it during life is its ap- propriate digestive ferment — the heptic dias- tase. The mere crushing of the dainty be- tween the teeth brings those two bodies together, and the glycogen is at once digested without other help by its own diastase. The oyster in the uncooked state, or merely warmed, is in fact, sel (-digestive. But the advantage of this provision is wholly lost by cooking ; for the heat employed immediately destroys the associated ferment, and a cooked oyster has to he digested, hke any other food, by the eater's own digestive powers. TAKING COLD. There isan old saying, "When the air comes through a hole, say your prayers to save your soul ;" and I should think almost anyone could get a "cold" with a spoonful of water, or the wrist held to a key hole. Singular as it may seem, sudden warming when cold is more dangerous than the reverse ; everyone has noticed how soon tlie handkerchief is re- quired on entering a heated room on a cold day. Frost bile is an extreme illustration of this. As the Irishman said, on picking him- self up, it was not the fall, but stopping so suddenly that hurt him. It is not the lower- ing of the temperature to the freezing point, but its subsequent elevation, that devitalizes the tissue. This is why rubbing with snow, or bathing in cold water, is re(iuired to restore safely a frozen part ; the arrested circulation must be very gradually re-established, or in- flammation, perhaps mortification ensues. General precautions against taking cold are almost self-evident in this light. There is ordinarily little, if any, danger to be appre- hended from wet clothes, so long a.s exercise is kept up, for the "glow" about compensates for the extra cooling by evaporation. Nor is 10 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, a coiuylete dreuchiug more likely to be in- jurious Lhau weLimg of oue pun. But ntiver sit still wet, iuiU 111 chuu^iug rub the body (iry. There is a geueral leuaeiicy, spriugiDg froui latigue, iiiUol iicu or ludiltereuce, to uuglect uaiup feet ; that is to say, to dry them by the lire ; Out tuis prooess is tedious and uijceitam. i would say especially, oft with the muddy boots aud suddeu soeks at ouce — dry stoekmgb alter a hunt may make just the diifereiice oi your being able lo go out agam or never, lake care UeVer to check perspira- tiou ; during Uiis process the body is in a some- what critical couuitiou, and a sudden arrest of the function may result disastrously— even fatally. Uiie part ol the business of perspira- tion IS to equalize bodily temperature, and it must not be lulertered with. The secret of much that IS to be said about bathing, when healed, lies uere. A person overheated, pant- ing it may be, with throbbing temples and a dry skin, is in danger, partly because the natural cooUug by evaporation from the skin is denied, and this condition is sometimes not far from a •■sunstroke." Under these circuui- stauces a person of fairly good constitution may plunge into the water with impunity — even with benefit. But if the body be already cooling by sweating, rapid abstraction of heat from the surface may cause internal conges- tion, never unattended with danger. Drinking ice water offers a somewhat parallel case; even on stooping to drink at a brook, when flushed with heat, it is well to bathe the face and hands hrsi, and to taste the water before a full draught.— Cones' Field of Ornilkoloyy. TOXIC EFFECTS OF TEA. W. J. Morton, M. D., of New York, gives in The Journal of Neimiis and Mental Disease, an account of investigations he has made on the toxic effects of tea. They were carried on in the case of live tea-tasters suffering from disease who came under his care, and in obser- vations of his own symptoms during a week, in which he subjected himself to special treat- ment with tea for purposes of experiment. From the whole series of observations, he draws the conclusions that (1) with tea, as with any potent drug, there is a proper and an improper dose. [-A] In moderation, tea is a mental and bodily stimulant of a most agreeable nature, loUovved by no harmful re- action. It produces contentment of mind, allays hunger and bodily weariness, and in- creases the disposition and the capacity for work. (3) Taken moderately, it leads to a very serious group of symptoms, such as head- ache, vertigo, heat and llushings of body, ringing in the ears, mental dullness and con- fusion, tremulousness, "nervousness," sleep- lessness, apprehension of evil, exhaustion of mind and body, with disinclination to mental and physical exertion, increased and irregular action of the heart, increased respiration. Each of the above symptoms is produced by tea taken in immoderate quantities, irrespec- tive of dyspepsia, or hypochondria, or liyper- aemia. (4) immoderate tea- drinking, con- tinued tor a considerable time, with great certainty produces dyspepsia. (5) The imme- diate mental symptoms produced by tea are not to be attributed to dyspepsia. (0) Tea retards the waste or retrograde metamorphosis of tissue, and tliereby reduces the demand for food. It also diminishes the amount of urine secreted. (7) Many of the symptoms of im- moderate tea-drinking are such as may occur without sus icion of tea being tlieir cause, and we find many people taking tea to relieve the discomfort which its abuse is producing.— Fopular tScience Monthly. an English gentleman set himself to work to And out the trut^i of the matter, and dis- covered tliat they are used to make hot-beds in which the eggs are hatched. As soon as this happens the the bifs of leaves are carried out of the nest and thrown away. In some of the large colonies there will be bushels of this stuff in a pile. Many ways have been tried to destroy or drive away these destructive creatures, but only lately has a way to do so been discovered. The way is simple ; it is merely to scatter some of the refuse leaves from another nest in the paths and ways of a fixmily of ants. This is very offensive to them ; tliey drop their loads instantly, and run for the nest, and will not return for many days. A bushel of this hated refuse will keep the ants away from acres of ground. The English gentleman w'ho writes to the Zoological Society of Loudon about it, says he got the hint from a negro, and he has tried it several times without a failure. Our Local Organizations. WISE ANTS. A stoi7 of the knowing ways of ants comes from Colorado. It seems that in that State flourish great numbers of ants of a large zize, called Atta Cthaloles, which are very destruc- tive to all green leaves. No matter whether they are sweet or sour, tender or tough, the ants cut them all down and carry them off. It was supposed that the leaves were eaten, till LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The regular meetiug of the Lancaster County Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held in their rooms on Monday afternoon, January 3rd. The meeting was called to order by the President. Tlie following members and visitors were present : Joseph F. Witmer, Paradise ; M. D. Kendig, Ores- well; Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy; Simon P. Eby, city ; Casper Hiller, Conestoga; Johuson Miller, Warwick; W. W. Griest, city ; F. R. Diffenderffer, city; E. B. Brubaker, Brickerville ; Dr. C. A. Greene, city; Mr. Hoover, Lititz ; Dr. Wm. Corap- ton, city; C. L. Hunsecker, Manheim ; Calvin Cooper, Bird-in-Hand ; Frank H. Griest, city ; J. M. Johnston, city ; Washington L. Hershey, Chickies ; John G. Kesh, West Willow ; William McComsey, city ; Dr. S. S. Rathvon, city ; C. A. Gast, city ; Hen- ry G. Resh, West Willow. On motion, the reading of the minutes of last meeting was dispensed with. New Members. Cyrus Neflr, of Mountville, was proposed and elected to membership. Special Committee. Dr. Greene reported that he had not yet succeeded in securing any one to deliver a lecture before the society. Crop Reports. Johnson Miller reported that some cherry trees had burst during the cold weather. Casper Hiller said a tree might split and yet bear fruit. Some fruit bnds are killed when the mercury goes down to 15 or 18 degrees below zero. In 1»30 or 1835 the apple trees were so badly frozen that some never recovered. Apple trees can bear a good deal of cold weather without being destroyed. M. D. Kendig proposed that each district report the average yield of the cereals during the past year at the next monthly meeting. The President's Address. President Witmer then read the annual address to the society. See page 3 of the present number of The Farmer. Essay on Windbreaks. Casper Hiller, to whom this question was referred, discussed the subject in the foUowint: essay : As far as my experience and observations go, windbreaks are of no practical benefit to orchards in our county. Our orchards are not often injured by winter winds. If injured by cold, it is usually by the still cold, and that is always greater in sheltered and low places than on high and exposed situations. In one of our extreme cold winters the thermometer indicated 11° below zero, while in a low, sheltered situation, half a mile distant, it sank to 23° below zero. In the former place, peach trees were but slightly injur d, while in the latter they were en- tirely destroved. A few successive sunshiny days in March or early April will start vegetation quickly in those sheltered nooks, oftentimes starting the blos- soms of the apricot, peach and cherry, while on high, unsheltered ground the rays of the sun are contiim- ally cooled by the breeze, and vegetation is not started by a few warm days. Dew forms and settles in these sheltered places, and causes frequent white frosts, while in open places the free air prevents the formation of dew and frost. These influences would not be so marked on the apple orchard as they are on the peach, as the apple is seldom injured in the wood by winter weather, and is so late a bloomer that spring frosts do not often hurt it. Shelter belts have the ettect of ripening the fruit quite per- ceptibly earlier, which, in an apple orchard, would be a great objection, as the fruit already ripens too soon in our locality. Legislation on Forest Culture. S. P. Ebv, esq., to whom the discussion of this subject was confided, read the following paper : We suppose it is no longer a disputed fact that, within the last forty years, the Hate of Pennsylva- nia, and particularly the eastern portion thereof, has undergone great climatic changes,a few of which may be briefly mentioned : 1. That the variations in temperature of heat and cold have become more sudden and intense. 2. That the summers are more dry, and the win- ters more changeable, with less snow. 3. That the flow of our larger springs has decreas- ed in volume, while many of the smalle" ones have disappeared altogether : consequently wells have to be deepened, and water power supplied during dry seasons with steam. 4. That our rivers and streams are no longer as regular in their flow, but rise higher and more sud- denly after heavy rains, and become lower in dry seasons. 5. That winds sweep with greater force. That we have fewer local riins during the hot seasons, and more frequent hail storms. 6. That we have no longer the fine fruit-bearing orchards our ancestors had forty years ago. The principal cause of all these changes, as well as minor ones, which we have not now time to enumerate, has by close observation and careful in- vestigation of intelligent scientific men, both of this country and Europe, been satisfactorily traced to the cutting away and destruction of the forests and belts of timber which formerly existed. It needs no argument to prove that these changes are injurious to both animal and vegetable existence; that they seriously affect our well-being as a commu- nity, by depriving us of many of the necessaries and comforts of life. A land without vegetation or water is either a bar ren heath or an arid desert, unsuited for human habitation, while with the most desirable homes we naturally associate pleasant groves, fruitful gardens, fertile grain fields and springs of pure water. It follows, therefore, that we should employ all proper means to restore as many of those blessings as we can by preserving the forests which yet remain; by restocking such as are getting thin, and by planting new timber belts for windbreaks and for shelter around springs and along the heads of our streams. I do not wish to be understood that whon timber trees have grown to full maturity they should not be cut and used; only that before they are removed others should be planted and partly grown to take their place. We should learn from nature, and have an undergrowth of young trees upon the ground be- fore we cut down the full grown timber. Lancaster county had in 1877, only 12.1 per cent, of timber area, as compared with its clear land, some of which has since been cut down. Of the ad- joining counties, Lebanon had 21.2; Berks, 15; Chester, 14; York, 18; and Dauphin, 24. Forty years ago Lancaster county had six furnaces and fourteen forges, that were supplied with charcoal from timber mostly growing in the county. At the present time, we have but one charcoal furnace and two forges, which look for much of their coal out- side of our county. I think we are safe in saying that more than one-half of the timber standing forty years ago in Lancaster county, is now cleared oflr. The whole of this need not be restored. An increase of from three to five per cent, will, with what re- mains, if judiciously distributed, be sufficient, making the forest area of Lancaster county about 15 per cent. To do this will require about three addi- tional acres of forest to every one hundred acres of clear land— not an expensive nor impossible project, when we consider the increase in the value of the timber twenty years hence, and the important bear- ing newly-planted belts of forests will have upon the crops of the interior. While individual eflfort, and the agricultural so- cieties can do much towards accomplishing the de- sired result, it is plain we must have legislation on the subject, and this brings us to the question. What should such legislation be ? In some parts of Europe the government itself takes care of its forests. Ill other parts the ditlerent communities in which the forest is located, or upon which the community is dependent for its fuel, have charge of and adopt- regulations for its preservation. In our State I think it would best be intrusted to the united enter- prise of private citizens— to companies formed for that purpose similar to insurance companies, com- posed of such persons as may take an interest in the matter To that end I have prepared a draft for an act of assembly allowing the incorporating of com- panies for that purpose, and allowing members and individuals who plant forest trees a credit on ac- count of their county tax for encouragement and compensation. , Dr. Greene also read an essay from Harpers Maqazine, published twenty -six years ago, on this subject, which was at once valuable and interesting. Casper Hiller thought it a question whether rtuch can be got by an act of legislation. He is afraid of such jobs. Even in the West, those who planted trees have had a good deal of troubje to compel compliance with the existing laws. He believed it THE LANCASTER FARMER. 11 must be left to individual effort. He helleved the trouble to be that we have only recently awaked to the reality of the (jreat issue. Perhaps now that all begin to see the masnitude of the evils from cnttlng: down trees, more eaulion will he used in this matter. Mr. Eby said his proposed act was not Intended to Interfere with private enterprise in the same direc- tion. Sonii' Inducement, he lliouirht, should be held out by the State to bring about the desired result . He gave examples of successful timber culture in Germany. He also showed how lands so set apart would soon begin to yield a revenue. He thouirht we should begin now. We may not have beneUt from this ourselves, but our children will have. This society ought to urge tljis matter upon our Representatives, and see that sonn tiling is done at ODce. Souiething must be done if we would avoid the evils that have come upon other lands from the cutting down of timber. C. L. Hunsecker said in this eounty a large area is still covered with forests. This was the case at the ear- ly settlement of the Slate. The early settlers had to cut down their timber. Most of our oaks are under two hundred years old. What will be the result of such a law as the one proposed! It will remain on the statute books an idle tiling. He was not opposed to tree planting. But our land is too valuable to be left standing in timber. Henry Kurtz was not oppoped to tree planting. But he feared that liberties might be taken with the private lands of owners that would not be agreeable or desirable. Johnson Miller took the ground of Mr. Kurtz. He was opposed to give any company the right to take away your property to plant trees on. He was opposed to have any forest planted yvitliin two hun- dred yards of his farm buildings. Dr. Greene called attention to the great needs of the county for timber. Our timber is rapidly going. When it is all gone it will then be too lute to lament the matter. !f things are not so bad with us now as in some other countries, the time will come when they will be. There can certainly be no harm in such an act. But if even one man in this county adopts its views, so much at least will be gained. Mr. Eby wished to have the sense of the society on this suliject. He hoped some action would be taken In the matter. Johnson Miller moved for the appointment of a committee of three to prepare a resolution to be pre- sented to the Legislature, asking that some action be taken in the matter. Calvin Cooper asked for immediate action. If left to a committee, there would be delay ; no time should be lost. That portion of Mr. Eby's bill allowing the pro- posed companies to take lands at will was stricken out, and the document then endorsed. On motion, the society then adopted Mr. Eby's act and it will be accordingly laid before the Legislature. Election of Officers. A motion was then made to go into an election for officers to serve for the coming year. Mr. Witmer was re-nominated for President. He made a speech of declination, which was uot heeded, and he was unanimously re-electtd. J. B. Garher and Henry .VI. Engle were nominated for Vice Presidents, aud promptly elected by ac- clamation. M. D. Kendig was nominated for Secretary and Treasurer. John H. Landis was nominated for Corresponding Secretary. For Managers, Johnson Miller, Calvin Cooper, Ephraim S. Hoover, W. H. Brosius and John C. Lm- ville were nominated. It was moved that Mr. Eby cast the vote of the society where there were no opposing candidates. This resulted in the election of all the above named gentlemen. Treasurer's Report. Messrs. Eby and Miller were appointed a commit- tee to audit the accounts of the Treasurer. They reported having examined them, and declared a balance of 847.:i8 to be in the treasury. On motion, the report of the auditors was accepted and the committee discharged. Miscellaneous. A number of small bills were presented and or- dered paid. Dr. Kathvon, to whom was assigneJ the duty of paying the awards made at the late fair, repor'.ed bavlDg done so. 8H;a.42 were put into his bands, of which he paid out $124.95, leaving iu his hands $37.34. He also reported two certificates as uncalled for, those of North &, Co and A. V. .•er of reports and public docu- ments that had been presented to the club by Dr. J. C. Gatchell. E. H. Haines exhibited Lawrence and Vicar of Winklield pears. Wm. King, an apple for a name. No one present was able to identify it. Layman C. Blackburn, a visitor, asked if bored wells generally give satisfaction. Most of members and visitors thought them rather expensive and not satisfactory, the well being too small to contain water enough to stand much pumping. John Grosnian, a visitor, said that a neighbor of his had dug a well Ibrly feet deep. It was then iKired forty feet deeper with a three-inch drill, but still they got no water. He thought that It would have been better to have blasted the rock, as it would have a tendency to open it up. Besides, in making a larger hole, as In digging, water would often be found which a small auger would be apt to go past without striking. E. H. Haines asked If there was any advantage in racking olf eider that was intended for vinegar? Franklin Tollinger said that if the barrel was kept full all the Impurities would work out of It, and that racking was unnecessary. Amos Smith and several others have had good vlni'gar from cider that had remained In the same barrel that it had come In from the press. Montillion Brown has always thought it best to rack. He had a barrel that would not go to vinegar. He had thought that It was for the want of racking, but what he had heard had nearly upset his Ideas. A member asked what the members were going to do with their cornstalk ground I The answers given to this question showed plainly that oats was regarded as very uncertain, but no- thing had yet been found to take its place in the rotation of crops. At the afternoon session Jeseph Griest read an article he had found in the papers, on what he con- sidered rather a novel suljject, viz : Feeding hay to hogs. It should be cut as for horses, and they will soon learn to like it. Several of the members had noticed that hogs were fond of clover, hay and cornfodder. Selections on different subjects were read by Mon- tillion Brown and Wm. King. Carrie Blackburn and Mabel Haines delivered recitations. The question, " Do farms in this section pay, as a general thing, four per cent, on the money invested in them ?" was then taken up and discussed. Joseph Griest was of the opinion that they did not, outside of the labor of the owner, unless the increased fertility of the soil was valued along with the other products. John Grosman had not much experince in this part of the country, but where land would bring $:iOO per acre, the money would bring more at 4 per cent. interest than could be made off the farm. S. L. Gregg said that a man with $10,000 at In- terest could not rent as fine a house and take as much time for pleasure and live as well generally ae the farmer did, although his money was bringing six per cent. He thought if farms were not bringing more than four per cent., there would be some as- signees to appoint before long. Land that would bring «ixty dollars per acre would produce tweuty bushels of wheat and fifty bushels of corn to the acre. A farm of 100 acres at $1)0 per acre would cost $f),000. This, at 6 per cent., would produce gSliO. Ten acres of woodland would be sufficient. Fourteen acres of wheat, 280 bushels, at one dollar per bushel, would bring J280. The same number of acres in corn would produce 700 bushels, worth JMO. Fourteen acres in oats would produce, say $140 worth. This woijld be In all $770. One-half would go to the cropper, leaving 8 i8.5 as the profit of the farm ; the remaining fifty-eight acres being left for grass, which should pay for all fertilizers and repairs. E. H. Haines said farmers, as a general thing, were men of only average capacity, and they could not command large salaries. Allow hira to have 86,000 at 4 per cent, interest. This would bring 8 40 per annum, which, with a salary of $.500, would be 8^40. A house as good as farmers gener- ally live in could not be rented for less than $150. A A horse and carriage would cost $150 a year, and they would both be depreciating in value. Take these from h s income and he would not be able to live as well on the remainder as the farmer does who always has fresh vegetables on his table and fresh meat at his command from his poultry yard, and lives the best of any man in the worlil He then went into a calculation, which showed that land worth $60 per acre could be farmed at a profit of 8-.40 per acre. All are in the habit of keeping too much woodland. Montillion Brown thought that perhaps they had better be farmers than try to be Congressmen ; but if they farmed out their farms to croppers, they would not get four per cent. If a man and his wife would work, manage and save, he might make four per cent., but not wi hout. The question, '• Which is better — to buy hay and corn and feed to stock, in order to make manure, or buy stable manure from the city?" was adopted for consideration at the next meeting, which will beheld at .Montillion Brown's, at the regular time next month. LINNiEAN SOCIETY- Agreeably to previous notice, the annual meeting i of the Linntean society was held on Saturday, the i2 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, 18th of Decemlier, instead of Saturday, the 35th, as it was decinod impolite to iuterfere with private festal arraiiKeinents. Presideot Professor Stahr, in the chair. Dr. J. H. Dubbs was appointed secretary pro tem. Six members and four visitors present. The proceedings of tlie last meeting having been published, their readin"; was omitted. After the usual preliminary business the foUowiug donations were made to the museum and library : Museum. 1. A most magnificent adult specimen of the "American Skunk" (Mephitis Americanna,) pur- chased by the curators from two citizens of Marlic who caught it in a "dead fall" trap the night previ ous. It was therefore not only in good condition, but was altogether free from the usual disagreeable stench of the animal, artistically stuffed and mounted by Mr. Geo. Hensel. 3. A fine large specimen of carbonate of lime im- pregnated vfilii octahedral Iron Pyrites, from Lehigh county. Pa., donated by Master James Munsen, of this city. .3. A bottle containing thirteen specimens of the "Horned Fungus Beetle" (Bolitophagus cornutus) sent by some unknown person by mail to the curators of the society. 4. Prof. J. C. had on exhibition a specimen of Tnckahoe or "Indian bread," found under ground; near the base of a tree, in Rockingham county, Va., and sent by Mr. G. C. Kennedy to the Diagnothian society of Franklin and Marshall college. Its form is an oblong oval slightly compressed, about eight inches long and the same in its largest circumfer- ence. There are no surface indications of its pres- ence ; in this respect its habit being similar to the trufiSe ; but the truffle is a.fmiyus, whereas this is a tuber, or rather a groundnut, remotely resembling the "vegetable ivory," and is edible. The external surface is similar to that of a cocoanut, although not so smooth and spherical. Library. 1. Nine volumes of the Second Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, from the state department at Har- risburg. Five of these were descriptive volumes, and four portfolios of maps in book form and size, to correspond with the general issue. 2. Nos. 21, 23, 33 and 24 of the Official Patent Office Gazette, from the interior department at Wash- ington, D. C. 3. The Lancaster Farmer for December, 1880. 4. One envelope, containing thirteen historical and biographical scraps by S. S. Kathvon. 5". Two catalogues of scientific and miscellaneous hooks from publishing houses. 6. Eight pamphlets and circulars of miscellaneous literature. 7. A lithograph of Oil City, Venango county. Pa., from a drawing maie by the late Jacob Staufl'er. 8. Doctor Dubbs had on exhibition an interesting collection of foreign and American illustrations of heraldic emblems, mottoes, tokens, coats-of-irms, ifec, both ancient and modern; a few of these fac similes, but the larger number genuine. These ob- jects are grouped in a class known as Ex Libris, or "book plates," and furnishes a very perfect illustra- tion of the history of art, besides other interesting information relating to the histories of families, as sociations, corporations and individuals. Papers Read. 1. S. S Rathvon read a paper on the peculiarities of skunks in general, and on local species in par- ticular. 2. Dr. J. H. Dubbs read a paper on "Ex Libris" or book-plates, which he illustrated by collection on exhibition. S. The treasurer read the annual report, from which it appears that there is a balance in the treas- ury of |6..59. The chairman read the annual report of the curators, from which it appears that nearly two thousand specimens have been added to the museum during the year 1880 and to the library two hundred and eighty-three books, pamphlets, serials, cata- logues and circulars, of which fifty-two were bound volumes. Also four hundred and forty-one bio- graphical and historical scraps. New Business. The curators presented bills amounting to $10.55, which were ordered to to be paid. On motion it was resolved that the election of officers be postponed until the January meeting, 1881. After the usual social intercourse the society ad- journed. AGRICULTURE. Practice on the Farm. The London Agricultural Gazette says: "The Royal Agricultural Society very rightly, when adopt- ing its motto 'Practice with Science,' placed prac- tice first. It is in close attention to details that the elements of success in farming are to be sought. Economy in general management cannot be attained and habitually practiced unless a man understands 'even to the nail's breadth' the particular depart- ments of his business. This particular knowledge can only be acquired on a farm step by step and day by day', as the working of the farm goes on. The ornamental farmer, like the ornamental manager or director in commercial affairs, is a complete failure." Rotation. The famous system of rotation, now extended quite generally throughout England and Scotland, with occasional modification, is as follows : "The first year, clover and mixed grass seed ; the second year, wheat ; the third year, turnips or rutabagas ; the fourth year, barley; and then the same course again. An innovation on this is to add another grain crop, oats, to the shift, making a five years' course ; and so efficient has this course been that it has been cal- culated that the grain crops have increased one- fourth. Danger in the "Silos." We are impressed with the importance of warning people who have put their corn fodder in tanks, es- pecially in deep ones, of the dangerous carbonic acid gas, the "choke damp" of mines and wells. A far- mer near Sing Sing used an old ice-house for pitting his corn-fodder ; on Saturday night, when they knocked off work, there were some seven or eight feet of fodder cut in half-inch bits, and well troddon down in the pit. On Monday morning it had settled considerably and one of the hands jumped in and was treading.about on it to see if it had settled even- ly, when he felt dizzy and faint ; the thought of "choke damp" flashed through his mind, and he called out to have a ladder lowered to him. This was done just in time, and he half crawled and was half hauled out. His head vas four or six feet above the worst of the "damp," for it is very heavy. Had he fallen, he would have been drowned in the gas, as effectively as in water, without a struggle or a murmur. When going into a pit, never fail to lower a lantern first, for half a minute, and if it burns brightly the air of the pit is fit to breathe. — Anierica^i Agriculturist. Difference in Farming. At a recent agricultural gathering in New Eng- land, one claimed that he made 12 per cent, on his capital invested in farming, and another said he did not make over lU per cent. Both may have told the truth, which seems to demonstrate the difference between the two men, and perhaps an equal differ- ence in the original character of their farms. Enriching Poor Lands. There are three principal methods of rapidly in- creasing the supply of plant food in any soil : By feeding concentrated foods upon the land, as oil- cake, cottonseed cake, etc. ; by the application of barnyard manure, and the use of artificial fertilizers. Which of these three methods is to be adopted in any given case must be determined by the many condi- tions and circumstances that surround it. It may be that the feeding of sheep with decorticated cotton- seed cake upon a poor pasture may be the quickest and best method of enriching the land. In other cases the purchase and application of barnyard manure may be the most profitable. When it comes to the artificial fertilizers, it should be borne in mind that their true office is to supply quickly one or two ingredients that may be deficient in the soil — when these are known their use is to be recommended. Facts in Soil Culture. One of the most important facts in soil culture not generally understood is that finely-pulverized soil holds more moisture than that which is solid or compact. The reason is that it is in better condition to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, with *vhich the latter is always more or less filled, and which, the soil being cooler, is being constantly condensed by the same, and held for the use of plants. Another fact is that soils, although they may be well underdrained, either naturally or artificially, yet, if not well pulverized, they become, in a little while, honeycombed, as it were, as far down as the water line by ground-worms and other insects, which act as so many little channels for conveying away the rainfall more rapidly. This, however, is too much of a good thing, as it allows the rain to escape too rapidly, and thus carry off with it much of the fertilizing matter brought down from the atmosphere ; whereas if the surface soil is pulverized to the depth of six or eight inches, it acts as a filter to pass off the water more slowly, and yet sufficiently fast to allow the whole area of the soil to become uniformly moistened, besides affording it a better opportunity to arrest and hold the fertilizing matter brought down from above. Another fact is that the roots of plants will not retain their healthfulness and vigor in the absence of atmospheric air, and as the constant saturation of a soil with water excludes the air, the result is disease and death to the plant. But if by underdraining I and pulverization of the surface soil the rainfall is enabled to pass off rapidly, the air immediately takes its place only to be expelled by subsequent rain, which in turn passes off to make room for other fresh air, and thus the enriching elements of the atmos- phere are brought into constant contact with the roots of the growing plant. — Baltimore Sun. Late Fall Plowing. Plowing is one of the kinds of spring work that can be done to most excellent advantage in the fall. The season for plowing in the spring is often very short, and in many eases the ground is in exceeding- ly bad condition. In many cases teams are weak in consequence of insufficient exercise during the un- favorable weather that generally occurs during the latter portion of the winter. They are not able to do the amount of plowing then that they can in the fall. The advocates of late fall plowing increase every year. Farmers no longer consider it necessary to defer plowing land for most crops till immediately before the time of planting. Most persons acknowl- edge there may be too loose a seed bed for wheat and other sorts of small grain. The advocates of "firming" the soil before or after the sowing most crops are increasing. By plowing land in the fall a good start is made in the work that is ordinarily done in the spring. A large amount of vegetable rubbish is buried in places where it will aid in en- riching the soil. The under soil is also exposed to the action of the frost, which exerts a useful in- fiuenee in preparing it to aid in thegrowth of plants. Salt as a Preservative of Timber Fourteen years ago a Mr. Sterling, of Monroe, Michitran, placed two gate-posts of white oak in front of Iks residence. When they were set he bored into the top of each with an inch and a-half augera hole three inches deep, filled it with common salt, tightly plugged it and coppered the posts. Having occasion recently to change the location of the posts he found them as sound from top to bottom as the day they were planted. Facts About Timothy. Timothy in ripening its seed requires the same in- gredients as those of wheat — principally phosphoric acid and nitrogen. Being remarkable for the abun- dance of seed it produces, that fact alone will ex- plain why it is considered more exhausting to the soil than most any other crop. Indeed, it is held by many that when a crop of timothy is allowed to per- fect its seed before cutting, the soil is exhausted of its fertility in about the same ratio that it is replen- ished by a crop of clover. If this be so, it affords a conclusive reason why it should be cut before the seed has had time to form. Bone Dust and Wood Ashes. A farmer in Indiana gives the following as the re- sult of an experiment made with bone dust and wood ashes on a portion of his wheat. " On one plot of land," says the writer, " I applied 600 pounds of dry, unleached ashes to the acre, sowed it in wheat, and the result was only six bushels to the acre. Adjoining this tract I drilled in 200 pounds of bone dust to the acre on three acres, and got twenty bushels to the acre, being an increase of fourteen bushels per acre over the tract sown with wood ashes." The following year I stubbled that part up upon which I had sown the 600 pounds of ashes to the acre, and put it in wheat again, using 200 pounds of bone dust to the acre, and the result was 40 bushels of wheat to the acre, being double that pro- duced from the bone alone. This experiment satis- fied me that neither ashes nor bone alone would give as satisfactory results as if the two were combined — the one with ashes alone yielding but 6 bushels, the one with bone alone 30 bushels, but the acre on which the two were combined yielding 40 bushels. Thus showing what experiments on a small scale will do for the farm." Wheat-Growing Experiments. Forty years ago Messrs. Laws and Gilbert, two of the most scientific farmers of England, commenced a series of experiments in growing wheat. They selected several plots of ground of equal size, on some of which they tried different fertilizers, while on others, the land having been already brought up to the highest state of fertility, no fertilizers were applied, but on all of them wheat was made to fol- low wheat, season after season, for forty years. In that time there has been a decrease in the yield of just ten bushels per acre, or one-fourth of a bushel per acre a year. Taking this as a standard case, farmers who follow wheat with wheat without giving the land the needed rest, or feeding it with manure or green crops turned under, may look for a decrease, less, of course, some years than others, but an average of one-fourth of a bushel per acre a year. This is a practical outcome from these celebrated ex- periments, for which the farmers of the whole world may thank Messrs. Laws and Gilbert. THE LANCASTER FARMER. 13 Horticulture. Planting Potatoes in Autumn. An iuqulry was lately made iu the Lomlou Garden, of such correspondeuts of that journal as had tried planting potatoes in autumn, as to the success of the practice. A number of answers were received, re- porting exactly opposite results. One cultivator Btatcs that fall plantinp: had been practiced In one neighborhood for SO years, and always with first-rate mediately after planting, which was raked off in spring. Another correspondent said tlie practice had been pursued for 30 years in another place with great success, the three important conditions being observed, of using whole seed, planting 9 or 10 inches deep or below frost, and placing a liberal allowance of stable manure over and in contact with the seed. A third planted two adjoining crops both ways ; the autumn seed being much the deepest (or nine inches,) was later coming up than the shallow epring-planted portion. But the fall-set plants soon outgrew the others, and the result was nearly double the yield. There is no question that the stable manure on the seed, or on the surface, discharged a large supply for the benetit of the plants, of liquid manure during all the winter, which would not have taken place if applied in <>prlng. On the other hand, other experimenters reported opposite results. One cultivator stated that his spring-planted crop gave 20 bushels of exeelletit and eound potatoes, while his fall-set crop produced only 12 and many of these diseased. But he planted the fall seed only six inches deep, nine inches being claimed to be necessary by the advocates of autumn planting, to escape frost. Another speaks of fall- worked soils running together in winter, and asserts that for one good fall-planted crop, a thousand may be cited which have done best from setting in spring; and another s'ill expresses the opinion that fall planting can succeed only in light and poorer soils which do not become hard. These opposite reports show that some important conditions were present where success followed fall- planting which were absent in others. It would be interesting to discover by varied experiments what these conditions were. It is not probable that the practice would succeed in the Northern States, ex- cept in such regions (on the Grand Traverse for ex- ample,) where snow lies all winter on unfrozen ground ; but it might be vvell worth trying farther south. Although the scattered roots left in the ground after digging sometimes grow after having been frozen in the soil, yet generally the vigor of the seed is retarded by such exposure, and wherever the experiment is tried the seed should not be in reach of frost. The Beet Sugar Industry. Recently a new sugar mill at Riverside, a short distance above Wilmington, Delaware, commenced operations, and is now working up tifty tonsof greou beets per day. The mill is owned by the Delaware Beet Company, which expects to work up three to four thousand tons more beets than they did last year. Many citizens along the line of the Philadel- phia and Baltimore Central Railroad were invited by this company to supply beets, some of whom agreed to furnish them. The beets already delivered are testing from 8 to H per cent, of saccharine matter, and the company are paying from $3..50 to ?7 per ton for them. If they obtain the quantity of biets calculated upon, the product, under the new and improved process now in use in the now mill, will be about .5.50,000 pounds of raw sugar, 300,000 pounds of molasses, and 1,700 tons of pulp, which is now selling at the factory to farmers at $1 per ton. It is stated that some of the beets were allowed to re- main in the ground too late in the season, and thereby were somewhat deteriorated for producing sugar. This, with other defects in the cultivation, will, It Is said, be remedied the next season. — Village Record. Valuable Hint. For the last live years I have not lost a cucumber or melon vine or cabbage plant. Get a barrel with a few gallons of gas tar In it ; pour water on the tar; always have it ready when needed, and when the bugs appear give them a liberal drink of tar water from a garden aprinkler or otherwise, and If the rain washes It off and they return repeat the dose. It will destroy tne Colorado potato beetle, and frighten the old long potato bug worse than a thrashing with a brush. Five years ago this summer both kinds appeared on my late potatoes and I watered with tar water. The next day all Colorados that had not been well protected from the sprinkling were dead ; and the others, though their name was legion, were all gone, and 1 have never seen one of them on the farm since. I am aware that many will look upon this with Indifference, because it is so cheap and simple a remedy. Such should always feed both their own and their neighbors, as they generally do. Protecting Plants and Siirubs. There is one principle which should not be forgot- ten ; whatever be the nature of the covering applied to tender plants, more especially to the woody por- tions or parts above ground. This is, that the ex- ctuxioii. of moitture is an important object, without excluding air. Ligatures are sometimes left on in- serted buds for protection, and more usually destroy the buds by retaining water like a sponge. Closely wrapped straw operates in the same way, as well as by excluding air, which is often important. Roots and stems like those of the grape, which will bear a greater degree of moisture, arc partial exceptions. Roots even are often destroyed when in a too moist soil ; and there is no doubt that many tender herbace- ous perennials would survive the rigors of our win- ters If in earth with a dry bottom and sheltered from rain. — Albany Cultivator. A Difficulty With Shrubberies. Shrubs, when set in the grass of a lawn, arc often dwarfed by the turf which su.rounds them. Spading about them only partly removes the difllculty, as the spaded ground never extends to the length Of the roots which always run at least as far each way as the height of the shrubs. Besides, the ground is necessarily more or less defaced by the operation. The true remedy Is top-dressing. Superphosphate, on such soils as are benefited by it, will answer a good purpose and not present an unsightly appear- ance like coarse manure. Finely pulverized old manure will be unobjectionable. In many cases liquid manure for sniall plants will answer well. The top-dressing should be done in autumn or very early In spring^ and special care must be taken to extend it as far from the stems as above indicated. Fruit Garden. Winter protection : Many plants are killed by too much protection. For example, strawberries are hardy, and the covering of straw, marsh hay, etc., that is recommended for them is not so much to shield them from cold as to prevent frequent freezing and thawing of the soil. The covering should be mainly around and not upon the plants. Shrubs that are not quite hardy do not require bundling up, as was thought necessary not many years ago, when more plants were smothered than benefited by the coverin:;. A little brush, or bel- ter, some evergreen boughs placed close to the shrub will ward off the severe winds, modify sudden changes of temperature, and be a sufficient protec- tion. Tender raspberries must be bent down, and covered covered with earth before freezing prevents it. Notes and Comments. Dwarf apple trees, worked on the Paradise stock, although quite hardy at the East, often fail to endure the severe winters in the Western States. The College Quarterly states that one of the oldest Iowa nursery- men planted and propagated them largely for the supply of the demand in towns. The past winter killed nearly every one. The editor of the journal recommends in place of the Paradise stock the use of the dwarf service-bury (AmelattcMer), judging from recent experiments made upon it with the hardy Russian varieties.— Co'M«(rj^ Oentleman. Fuchsias. Fuchsias, says a writer In The fforticultnrist, may be trained into any desired shape if taken in time. Take the little upright plants, pinch out the centre, and in place of one there will spring out two, often three shoots. Let these branches make about the same growth, and repeat the process to each, keep- ing the side branches of equal length, or tapering like a pyramid ; or by clipping off all the lower limbs and letting the upper ones droop over, you have an umbrella. How Long Will Seeds Live .' Darwin and others have made experiments on seeds by immersing them in salt water. Out of eighty-seven kinds sixty-four germinated after being in salt water for twenty-eight days, and a few after an immersion of one hundred and thirty-seven days. Instances are on record, too, of seeds of American plants, which have been washed on the shores of Western Europe, germinating after their long voyage across the Athintic. Radish aoptl lias been known to grow freely whiMi sp\riifi''-ii years nhl. Domestic Economy. How to Hang Thermometers. ""Old VVeathercock" writes to the St. Paul Pioneer Pretx: "There seem to be so many errop'-ous notices among the many amateur meteorologists of the city about the minimum temperature of the twenty-four hours, and how to obtain it correctly, that a few lines from an 'old weather'ock,' I trust, will not be altogether lost. In the first place, then, the tempera- ture of the wall of any building, at any hour of the night or day. Is not the true temperature of the cir- culating air and Is of no use to science. A wood wall radiates its heat more rapidly than a brick or a stone, and the amateur scientist who hangs his thermome- ter on on a wood wall can force hie mercury down below the amateur who selects a brick wall. The proper way to expose your thermometer Is to sur- round It with a light wood frame covered with slats, like shutter work, and roofed ov r. This will protect It from the direct rays of the sun and reflected heat. Run a light wood bar across the centre of your In- strument shelter, to which you can attach thermome- ters, which should be, when properly exposed, oy the north side of the buihling, and the thermometer at least one foot from all objects. If these directions are followed erroneous reports of extreme cold weather will not find their way Into print so often. It is not a very funny thing for the press to report 25° below zero when 15° represented the true tem- perature of the circulating air. It gives persons a wrong imi)rcssic)n of your t'limate." To Wash Flannels Without Shrinking. First have soft water for the whole process, made so artificially If necessary, and next have good soap, or that which does not contain rosin. Our best soaps are safe for this purpose. You may wash and rinse entirely in cold water if you choose, but if you wash in warm water you mnst not rinse In cold. It is decidedly best to use warm water all through, the rinsing water warmer than the suds, if there is any difference. It is best to make good, strong, cleati suds (and not wash nice white flannels in a dirty suds with other clothes that are to be boiled,) and put the flannels in it, instead of rubbing soap, into the cloth. Hand rubbing tends t© full and shrink flannel, as it mats and interlaces the delicate fibres. — American Agriculturint . For a Time of Need. Some one sensibly suggests that every house should hold a trunk of half worn clothing, sheets and pillow cases in readiness for sickness. For this purpose a double gown, made of two calico dresses, might prove serviceable as well as some soft handkerchiefs, bandages and lint ; also plenty of linen, cotton and woolen pieces. While overlooking the various re- ceptacles of such articles, it would be well to re- member this timely hint, and collect them against a time of need. Incase of sudden illness, a store of this kind is invaluable. What Not to do for Sick People. Don't make a fuss. Don't bustle, don't fidget, don't prognosticate. Don't hold consultations in or about the patient's room, recounting all your own and your neight)or's cxjjcriences iii what you suppose to have been like cases. Don't meddle and advise and experiment. We all need a great deal more letting alone than we get, and when we are sick it is one of our prime needs. If mortuary lists were honestly tabulated, we should find that more people have been bored to death than have died from ne- glect. The pest of the sick-room is the inevitable friend who drops In to " cheer up " the patient, the glistening eyes and flushed cheeks which such minis- trations evoke being hailed as evidence of success by the well-meaning persecutor. Don't tease the patient with questions about food or drink, but present the proper quantity at suitable intervals ; and if one article is found to be disagree- able, quietly substitute another without remark. Don't think, because the patient declines nourish- ment, that it becomes less necessary to administer It. By quiet, firm, methodical persistence in pre- senting food at stateil periods, oiyections will be- come feebler and cease, in self-defense. Solid food need not be Insisted upon unless by special direction of the physician, but milk and beef-tea should never be omitted. — /fame Guardian. Scrape the Feet. Every careful housekeeper, with an eye to first causes. Is much interested in the way feet — or rather feet-coverings come in from out of doors. If Imys did n;U have muddy boots tlie cares of the house would be much lessened. But the boys are not the only ones that "bring in the dirt." Men folks are often very forgetful of the amount of work they may make by not attending to the simple matter of cleaning their boots and shoes. Every door step should be provided with a foot scraper, and a brush or broom, and every one, young or old, as he comes In should take the time to use them before appearing on the carpet or clean floor. If a scraper — one made for the purpose — is not at hand, one can make one from a bit of hoop-iron, which is to be placed on a step or edge of the |)orch In a convenient place. It Is well to provide a "mud-mat," which Is simply strips an inch or so square— fence pickets will answer— screwed to to three or four cross pieces, an inch apart; or a more elaborate one can be made by stringing the slats upon fence wires. One with muddy boots is very apt to stamp and rub tliem on the steps or floor of the porch ; a mud-mat will clean them more ef- fectively, and save the porch hard wear. A very 14 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, excellent mat may be made by boring holes in a board, and drawing cornhusks through the holes. Careful persons change their foot gear when they enter the house to remain any leugtli of time, a cus- tom conductive not only to neatness but so greatly to comfort, that is to be commended. Cold Feet. It is, as we have often labored to show, a mistake to suppose that there is any warmth in clothes. Ani- mal heat is the direct result of changes going on within the body itself. Nutrition by I'ood and the discharge of energy by exercise are the efficient causes of heat. Clothes seem good and warm be- cause they prevent the cold air and objects with a capacity for heat which surround the body from _at- tracting the heat generated within itsorganism. The clothing is simply an insulator. It follows that it should be light in weight, and above all things, that it should permit the free and full circulation of blood through every part of the system — to the end of every finger aiid toe — and that the muscular appa- ratus of the extremities should be in perfect working order. If we will wear foot coverings, whether boots or stockings, which compress the feet and render the separate action of each toe impossible, ii is simply absurd to expect to he warm-footed. Heat is the complement of work and nutrition, and if a part of the organism is so bound that it cannot work, and its supply of food is limited, it must be cold. The resort to stouter and heavier clothing under such circumstances is simply ridiculous. Gen- erally it is the stockings that compress the feet. The garter acts as a ligature, and diminishes the blood sup|)ly, while the stocking itself acts as a bandage, and impedes the circulation through the extremeties. Influence of Trees on Health. The value of trees, from a sanitary point of view, in large and overcrowded cities, can scarcely be over- estimated. Apart from the sense of relief and cool ness which they impart, their value as purifiers uf the atmosphere is almost incredible. It has been calculated that a good sized elm, plane or lime tree, will produce 7,000,000 leaves, having a united area of 200,000 square feet. The influence of such a large surface in the absorption of deleterious gases, and the exhalation of oxygen, must, therefore, be of im- mense benefit in overcrowded and unhealthy districts. In all large cities there exists a great number of waste spots in which one or more trees could be planted to advantage in every way. In this respect, at all events, they manage things well in France, and indeed in most Continental cities, where the boulevards are kept cool in summer and warm in winter, owing to the influence which trees have in modifying the temperature ; in addition, they tend by absorption to purify the soil below as well as the atmosphere aljove them. A society for planting trees in the wide streets and waste places of the metropolis might accomplish as beneficial results as the excellent" institution which supplies drinking fountains for the refreshment of man and beast. — The Household. To Prepare Iron Kettles for Use. The best way to prepare a new iron kettle for use is to fill it with clean potato-pairings; boil them for an hour or more, then wash the kettle with hot water, wipe it dry, and rub it with a little lard, re- peat the rubbing for a half a dozen times after using. In this way you will prevent rust and all the annoyances liable to occur in the use of a new kettle. Household Recipes. Apple Compote. — Peel, core and quarter six large apples, trimming each quarter so as to get them all of a size; drop them as they are done info cold water, with the juice of a lemon squeezed into it to prevent their turning brown. Have ready a strong syrup (made with a pound of sugar and one quart of water) boiling hot ; put the apples into this, with the thin rind of a lemon and two or three cloves. As soon as they are cooked (great care must be taken that they do not break) take them out and dispose them on a glass dish. Pour the syrup over them and garnish with sliced citron. DELtcious PioKLED Otsters. — Wash them and hang them over the fire, with barely sufficient water to cover them ; very little is necessary if there is an abundance of the liquor. To one hundred oyster add a small handful of salt; let them come to a scald to swell them ; watch for them and remove immediately with a skimuicr, carefully laying them on dishes to cool ; and one-third part vinegar (hav- ing previously strained the liquor) with whole white pepper-corns, allspice and blade mace to the taste ; let all boil up together and pour over the oysters in stone jars. Keady for use in from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The oysters should be fresh and large. Mince Meat.— Two pounds of currants, five pounds peeled and cored apples, two pounds lean and boiled beef suet, three-quarter pounds citron, two and a half pounds coffee sugar, two pounds raisins, one pound seedless raisins, two tablespoon- fuls cinnamon, one nutmeg, one tablespoonful each mace, cloves, and allspice, one Dint each Madeira wine and brandy. Wash the currants, dry and pick them, stone the raisins, remove the skin and sinews from the beef and chop each ingredient up separately and very fine ; place as soou as done in a large pan, finally adding the spices, "aderia and brandy ; mix very thoroughly ; pack in jars ; keep in cold places. For Taking Out Scorch.— If a shirt bosom or any other article has been scorched in ironing, lay it where the bright sun will fall directly on it. " It will take it entirely out. Removing Candle Grease.— The French, who use candles to a greater extent , than any other nation, have a way of effacing candle grease which is worth knowing. Instead of applying a hot iron, they use a few drops of spirits of wine, rubbing the spot with the hand. The grease becomes powder and leaves no trace. Maccakoni.— Cook the maccaroni the day you have roast beef; boil it in milk and water, with salt ; add three or four tablespoonsful of the hot beef gravy, about a teacupful of stewed tomatoes, two or three tablespoonsful of grated cheese, and a little red pepper ; just brown in the oven. Dried FRniTS.—All kinds of dried fruits should be stewed long and slowly. Tiny bits of lemon and orange peel, together with the juice of two or three oranges and lemons, are a very desirable addition. Only the thin, yellow part of the rind must be used, and care takeij to take out the seeds. The sugar should be added when the fruit is about half done. To Kill Unpleasant Odors. — A scientific writer in the Quarterly Review asserts that a piece of bread about the size of a French billiard ball, tied up in a linen bag and placed in a pot of boiling vege- tables, will prevent unpleasant odors arising from the same. For a cocoanut pudding take half a pound of desiccated cofoanuts and two thick slices of bread; put them tn soak in a quart of milk for two or three hours; l.lien add au ounce of butter, two ounces of sugar, the yolks of four eggs, and a tablespoonful of salt; beat the whites to a stiff froth; add them to your pudding, and bake in a hot oven for three- quarters of an hour. Serve hot. Sausage. — Nine pounds of fresh pork, six tea- spoonfuls of black pepper, eight of salt and ten pow- dered sage. Mix thoroughly, cook a bit to see if properly seasoned, and pack in jars, covering with melted lard. If you prefer to keep in skins, empty them, cut them into lengths, scrape with a dull knife, put to soak in salt and water, let stand three days, then turn them inside out and soak two days longer. Again scrape, rinse well in soda— baking— and water, wipe, tie up one end, blow into it, and if whole and clean, stuff with meat. How TO Boil and Stew.— To do either properly the food must be immersed at the beginning in actu- ally boiling water, and the water must be allowed to reach the boiling point again immediately, and to boil for five minutes. The action of the boiling water upon the surface of either meat or vegetables is to harden it slisrhtly, but enouL'h to prevent the escape of eiilu-r juice or mineral salts. After the pot containiri- the fond has Ijegun tn boil the second time it should be remnved to the side of the fire and allowed to simmer until it is done. This simmering or stewing extracts all the nutritious qualities of either meat or vegetables. The pot should be kept closely covered unless for a moment when it is neces- sary to remove the scum. The steam will condense upon the inside of the cover, and fall back into the pot in drops of moisture, if boiling is slow. Do not think that rapid boiling cooks faster than the gentle pi-nrr ---- 1. , ,,nin;rnilfd. After the pot once boils you hnvi- the ( v--. „ lid uioat of its goodness will go up !.■> and out of the window with the steam. !G Made East.— No woman will regret Wash: having given this recipe a trial. It will prevent many a weary step, many an aching arm or foot- yes, many a heartache, too. Take one pound salsoda, half pound of unslacked lime, put them into one gallon of water ; boil twenty minutes,' let stand till cool, and then pour off and put in a stone jug. Soak your dirty clothes over night, or until vet through ; wring out and rub on plenty of soap, and to one boiler of clothes covered with water add one teacup- ful of the fluid. Boil half an hour fast, then wash through one suds, rinse in two waters, and your clothes will look nice. Chicken Stew, or Potpie.— Wash as many fowls as you need, cut the birds up at every joint, splitting open the back and breast. Soak well in salt and water. It draws out all the blood from the flesh. Then put into an iron boiler, with suflSeient water to cover the pieces, boil till quite tender, tak- ing care to skim well before it commences to boil. Make a stiff dough, like short biscuit, and cut out just like biscuits, either square or round, and drop into the kettle on the top of the chicken, boil briskly for fifteen minutes. You can test its being done by piercing the dumplings with a fork ; if it does not stick to the tines it is done. Remove the dump- lings carefully into a covered dish and keep hot. Stir up two tablespoonfuls of fiour with a little water, breaking all the lumps, so it will be smooth ; turn it into the kettle with the addition of a lump of butter the size of an egg to each chicken. If you like pepper, it is well to add it now. Almond Pudding (with sauce). — A large cup- ful of finely minced suet, a teacupful of milk, four ounces of bread crumbs, four ounces of well cleaned currants, two ounces of almonds, half a pound of stoned raisins, three well-beaten eggs and the whites of other two, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and a small glass of rum. Butter a shape, and place part of the raisins neatly in rows. Blanch the almonds, reserve half of them to be placed in rows between the raisins just before serving. Mix all the remain- ing ingredients well together, put into shape and boil for three hours. The Sauee.— One teaspoonful of milk and yolks of two eggs, well beaten, and some sugar, to taste ; put on the fire and stir till it just comes to the boil ; then let it cool. When lukewarm stir into it a glass of sherry or currant wine, and serve in a sauce tureen. This sauce is a great im- provement to the pudding. Short Cakes (in layers)— One quart of flour, a little salt, two tablespoonfuls of butter; rub into the flour; two tablespoonfuls of sweet milk, three table- spoonfuls of baking powder, add enough water (to mix) to roll out ; divide it into three parts, and now take one of these parts roll it and put it into a but- tered jelly tin ; then butter the top of it ; then roll each part the same way, but do not butter the last layer; bake, when baked separate the layers with a sharp knife ; have your fruit prepared and place be- tween each layer. Sweet Potato Pie.— One pint of mashed pota- toes, one quart of milk, one cup of butter, and two of sugar. Beat four eggs light, add the butter, then the potatoes and milk, flavor with nutmeg or spices, and bake on paste without cover. Chickens' Livers. — One and one-half dozen of chickens' livers, one-quarter of a pound of fat bacon, one saltspoonful of pepper, one saltspoonful of salt. Place the livers into a saucepan, cover them with cold water, throw in the salt, and, bringing the water quickly to the boiling point, let the livers boil for five minutes. When done, remove the livers from the water, slice them lengthwise carefully in order not to break them, and, cutting the bacon into very thin slices, and of a size similar to the slices of liver, thread alternate sizes of liver and bacon upon a spit, and broil all over a bright fire five minutes, turning them constantly in order that they may brown even. When broiled, sprinkle over all the pepper, and send them to table on spit. Chicken and Onions, ok with Mushrooms. — Prepare a fine chicken as for boiling; fill up the bodv with small onions which have been parboiled in milk, with a little salt. Make a stock to boil the chicken in of the giblets, a little bacon, four large onions, and pepper and salt to taste ; let the chicken simmer in this stock for three-quarters of an hour, or until perfectly tender. Make a white sauee by boilini,' four onions in a quart of milk until reduced to one pint. Mix two tablespoonsful of flour in two or three of cold milk ; stir in the thickening, taking care to keep it perfectly smooth. Now stew over a slow fire until the sauce becomes as thick as good cream, when break up two ounces of good fresh butter, and put it into the sauce, with a grain of cay- enne pepper and salt to taste ; stir the sauce over the fire until the butter is well mixed, but take care it does not boil. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve. If for any reason onions are not ap- proved, substitute l.iittnn mushrooms. Stuff the crop of chicken with tlifm, and for the sauce stew some in milk, and proceeil exactly .as for the above. A little creara is a most acceptable addition to either of these sauces. As a matter of economy the onions used for the sauce can be made to serve for stuffing the chicken, or to give flavor to the stock for boil- ing it. Live Stock. Sheep Raising Near Large Cities. Wool-growing as a general thing is confined to places a eood distance away from populous places, where land is cheap and dogs are scarce. In these places the wool alone is cared for. The animal it- self is of secondary consideration. Droves are sent to the great meat markets by rail, but after all ex- penses are paid there is not generally considered much profit in it. Sheep for the meat and with the wool for the second consideration, is rarely thought of. To do this well the sheep farm should of course be near a large city ; but there have been so many discouragements of one sort or another that sheep- raising by a large town is not by any means among 1881.] THE LANCASTER FARMER. 15 the first things that strikes the fancy of a suburban fanner. But we have been readies lately an account of one who, near one of our larfe eastern towns, has paid so much attention to the little details which go to make up success, that he has made his slieepthe most profitable portion of the whole farm. He first cleared a piece of woodland, and after leaving it lie for a few months, till the herbage appeared, he turned in the sheep, and there they have been with- out any diaufie of pasture for many years. Noth- ing wliatcver has been done to the ground. The natural grass and nature's own vegetation spring up, and the manure which the sheep themsslves make fertilize the whole. The great enemy of the sheep-raiser— the prowling dog— has no fears for him, as every night the llock Is gathered together into a stockade made in the centre of the lot, and in which they also get some feed in the severest of winter weather. This must take some labor, which those who raise sheep in the far West are no doubt free from. The proximity to market probably makes up for this extra care and labor, at any rate he seems to make tlie sheep tract pay so well that it is said he would sooner dispense with all other parts of the farm and all other branches than this. This Is a very dilTercnt mode of procedure that many adopt uuder sheep-killing difJiimltics, and to which we referred some time ago. Instead of aban- doning the care of sheep because dogs will kill some, or leaving the whole farm to run after some maker of dog laws for one's protection, which never protect after all, this man falls to and protects himself, and evidently deserves the great profit that energy, self- reliance and good sense always bring. It is well worth considering by those who have farms near other of our large cities whether there is not more in sheep culture then is generally supposed. — Oermanlowii Telegraph. Value of Water for Cows. Cows should have access to water at all times, es- peciall] cows that give milk. They waut to drink often and return to their feed. The best stable, and one In which stock do the best, is one where water is always running in through troughs before the cattle. Thus managed cows may bo kept up to a full flow of milk, either winter or summer, and for this reason, if the pasture fails from drought, it may be supple- mented with other feed, but a failure of water cau not be remedied. So in winter, cows that are only watered once a day, as many do who consider them- selves good farmers, shrink in their milk and it can never be regained. The same rule will hold good in the stable; abundant feed may be supplied, but if the water supply fails the profit will be nil. The necessity of plenty of pure water for stock is one of the first importance to breeders and feeders. It must not only be in abumiance, but it should be in such supply that stock may either take it at will, or If supplied at stated times it should be offered at least twice a day. and three times will be better. No animal can thrive properly that has access to water but once a day. Every good feeder knows this, and hence in all large feeding establishments the greatest care is taken to keep the supply ample and constant. Many farmers neglect this, and always to their cost. If W!.ter cannot be had near in any other way, wells should be dug and the water raised by wind or otiicr power, as the case may be. Having plenty of water see that the stock get it as regularly as they feed. It will pay. Kemember that animals should De treated well in order to thrive properly. VVe are familiar with the troubles incident to the neglect of regularity In food and drink with the human body, and the consequences are somewhat analogous for our cat- tle.— Nebraska Sural. Bran for Milch Cows. We don't suppose that there is a dairyman in the country but who knows the value of "bran" as a food for milch cows. As long as we can remember anything of cattle-feeding it is connected with tlie use of bran, and the scalded messes given to cows for some time after calving ; also, its sprinkling over chopped pumpkins, turnips, potatoes, " t : rflii'-'' Imv hay rations conslileraMv, an I ■ ' i- - ii ' shorts. Obtain a pniiy In i i and a sharp awl or pa.Mii- i, > !. , stitch or two, taking IujUI will lj.ii k uii;. i!:i l.i !.: .,u that the holes will not break out. We have luunJ a belt lace the best for this purpose, which may be ob- tained at any factory where they have belting. There need be no fear that this will Interfere witli calving. You will have ample time when tliat oc- curs to cut the string. After calving we should re- commend fattening the cow and make no more at- tempts to breed from her. This difliculty is uo doubt caused by a physical weakness, wliicli is not uufrequently transmitted to progeny. A Principle in Feeding. All food beyond such amount as is properly digested and assimilated by the animal is a source of loss to the owner, and that in two ways : First, the food is lost ; and second, the animal is not kept in the best condition for getting the most of its feed — its stomach is overloaded, and its digestive apparatus more or less disarranged. Just inside the limits of assimilation is the point to have in view In feeding ; in this way the animal will have a good appetite, and other things being equal, is sure to give the best returns for food consumed. There is a golden mean in feeding farm stock, which the farmer should find . — American Agriculturist . Are Our Improved Swine Too Fat .' With reference to various articles that have appeared of late, asserting that the present style of improved pig run chiefly to grease, the American Stockman has the following sensible remarks : At certain seasons the demand in the market is chiefly for light hogs, trim and not fat — ^just such a lean, tender animal as can he easily made from a good Berkshire or Poland-China, and plenty of good grass, supplemented with a little grain toward the finish. For such higher prices will be paid than can be then obtained for any but extra fine heavy hogs. But the number of animals wanted of that descrip- tion forms but an insignilicaut part of the vast supply required, and the farmer who has none other to offer just now is not to be envied, for the thin light weights so highly lauded some months ago are a drug in the market now, at prices from 25 to 35 cents below those readily paid for those heavy, fat hogs in which there is an abundance of good lard. We would advise farmers to keep right on in the work of breeding hogs which have a strong tendency to take on fat, for a lean hog can be made of a well- bred pig, but a fat hog cannot be profitably made of a scrub. Entomological. Black Ants and Insect Destroyers. The Geneva Continent says : "Many of the lead- ing orchard proprietors in Northern Italy and South- ern Germany are enthusiastic cultivators of the black ant, which industrious insect they hold in high esteem as the fruit grower's best friend. They establish ant-hills in their orchards, and leave the police service of the fruit trees entirely to the tiny sable colonists, which pass all their time in climbing up the stems of the fruit trees, cleansing their boughs and leaves of malelactors, mature as well as embryotic, and descending, laden with spoils, to mother earth, where they comfortably consume or prudently store away their booty. They capture the eggs of caterpillars, grubs aad canki'r-worms ; they " requisition " all tlie countless varieties of leaf-lice that strip trees of their young foliage ; they break up the chrysalides awaiting transformation, and carry them off in minute morsels; they never meddle with sound fruit, but only Invade such apples, pears and plums as have already been penetrated by the canker, which they remorselessly pursue to its fastnesses within the very heart of the fruit. Nowhere are apple and pear trees so free from blight and destructive insects as In the immediate neigh- borhood of an ant-hill five or six years old. The favorite food of ants would appear "to be the larv:e and pupae of those creatures which spend the whole of tiieir brief existences in devouring the tender shoots and juvenile leaves of fruit trees. But noth- ing In the way of creeping or stationary preyersupon vegetations comes amies to the Indefatigable and insatiable ant, whose animosity airalnst the minuter insect trlbi-s is so inveterate that " his great revenge hath stomach for them all." The Silk Worm in Nevada. The Agrleiiliural Bureau at Washington has re- ccivcMl iiiforniutloii tliat a new varietv of silk worm hastjeen diseovered ueciilentally in Nevada. Natural- ists pronounce the worms Bomhyx guerclcux. It is a silk worm that feeds on oak leaves, and Is largely used 111 China. It makes several broods In a year, and its silk has peculiar qualities. The fibre te ^ircpiiger. All other silk worms. In emerging from Il .m, cut a hole for exit, which, by breaking iiiiiity of the thread in unwinding, renders It I \alue. The Bombj/x guerciCHK pushes aside I M 1 1 M i.l.s Instead of cutting them, and the cocoon IS :iB valuable as others reserved In ordinary kinds lor spinning by killing the contained worm. This new silk worm is hardier tlian the old. It Is raised in the open air, needing neither care nor shelter. The Honey Ant. The honey an* makes its store-vessels from the bodies of l^he workers. First, it bites the end of the abdomen, thereby setting up an Inflammation, which closes the apertures of the body. Then It feeds the maimed creature with honey, pouring it into the mouth of the living honey.pot, just as the bee pours honey into i's crop. This process Is continually re- peated until the body of the store-ant is distended to an astonishing size with honey, the skin being stretched to such an extcut that It is sufllcienlly transparent to show the honey within. It cannot escajje, for its body is so heavy that the limbs are insuflieient to carry it, and so it remains In the nest until the honey is wanted. In .Mexico these ants arc so plentiful that they form regular articles of com- merce, being sold by measure in the markets, and used for the purpose of making mead. Specimens may be seen in the British Museum. — Rev. J. O. Wood, in Good Words. A Huge Spider In the sands of Central Asia a huge spider exists which Is known popularly as the Grandfather Gray- beard, which has long hair, "and, when walking, seems as large as one's two fists." This formidable beast is given to biting when irritated, and with its jaws makes four little holes in the flesh. This bite is poisonous, though not deadly. Its victims feel at first no more discomfort than from the sting of a gnat ; but after a time the pain spieads over the whole body, and is accompanied with fever and great exhaustion. A traveler has stated that the body of this loathsome creature is the size of a but- ternut. Foreign Slugs. Persons who receive plants of any sort from other countries would do well to destroy any insects or eggs that may be attached to them. A box of bulbs from Germany was received in Rochester, New York, four or Ave years ago, in which were a number of large slugs. They were foolishly set free In one of the city parks, and are said to have thrived to an alarming degree, spreading over the city In a way lo make them a serious nuisance. They are much larger than any native slugs, measuring from four to six inches in length, and are likely to become very injurious to vegetation. Poultry. The Best Food for Egg Producers. It has again and again been demonstrated that wheat is the best of all cereals for the production of eggs. But next to that is milk, and especially sour milk, and if we add to these a third substance, namely, gravel produced from broken granite of suitable size and quantity, we have as nearly a per- fect food as can be furnished for egg-producing fowls. But there arc some details which ought to be at- tended to in order to attain the best resulU. Thus, in hot weather and In all weather but that which Is very cold, the grain should be previously soaked twenty-four hours and the water salted, but only moderately so. But shrunken wheat, or mill scJeen- Ings, when they are not musty ami when they do pot contain rotten or unsound grain, are quite as good as clear wheat, and some say Ihey are better, because shrunken wheat kernels con- tain more of the egg and llesli-making principles than sound ones. But we cannot always procure wheat or wheat screenings, and then we must find the best substitute. The I'ollowing arc good In the order in which they are nameii: Barley, oats, cracked corn and whole corn, and each and all should have the preliminary twenty four hours' snaking. Buck wheat and rye will do very well as complements to other grains, but when fed alone they are unsafe ; the former because It Is too 16 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [January, 1881. stimulatinff and the latter because it is too fat- tening and difficult of digestion. Meat, offals and scraps, broken victuals, vegetables and the like are valuable additions to the daily ration, but they are unsafe if fed in large quantities, for they not only injure the health of the fowls, but impair the quality and flavor of the eggs. One essential point vphich must not be forgotten in the make up of the daily rations— in cases they are not principally wheat and sour milk— the constituent element of bones and egs shells must be furnished in the shape of burned bones, broken small, or ground oyster shells. — Xew England Homestead. Fat Makes Hens Lay. There is much refuse fat from the kitchen that can be turned to good account by feeding it to the hens. Of course where soap is made it will be used up in that way, but it is a question whether it is not much easier and more profitable to buy soap and make hens lay by feeding them with fat. Everything that is not wanted for drippings for cooking purposes should be boiled up with the vegetables for the fowls. Fowls. With half the farmers their fowls cost them more than they get from them. They feed them just enough to keep them alive and to enable them to lay an egg now and then. When a dry time comes, very likely they do not have any water, and hen ■without water do not do well. They should have plenty of clean water always accessible. It is the extra feed an animal gets over and above what required to sustain life, which makes the profit. With poultry it will make eggs in the season, and with all animals flesh, which is gain, and the gain is profit. '^ Literary and Personal. Dairy Farming— Being the theory, practice and methods of dairying, by J. P. Sheldon, assisted by leading authorities in various countries. Published by Cassel, Potter, Gilpin ifcCo., London, Paris and 596 Broadway, New York. The 18th part of this beautifully illustrated quarto has been placed upon our table, and it more than sustains the deserved reputation it started out with some months ago, not only in quantity but more especially in q'ualitv. The full page colored plate, illustrating Welsh cattle, is unsurpassable, and, indeed, the illustrations throughout are executed in the highest style of art. "BuflTalo grass" and "Bermuda grass" are so per- fect in their delineation and execution that the novice in botany ought to be able to recognize them without referring to the explanatory letter press. The botanical contributions to this journal are most ably discussed, both practically and scientifically, furnishing the intelligent and progressive dairyman with the very fundamental elements of his profes- sion; for if there is no butter in the plant food he will not be likely to extract it from the lacteal of his animals any more than he would "blood from a turnip." Nineteen pages of this part is devoted to "the dairy cattle of America"— their history, breed- ing and management— cross-bred buffaloes, produce of dairy cows, prices of cattle, &c., &c., from which we learn that "the first domestic cattle in America were brought over by Columbus on his second voy- age in 1493." This paper is very elaborate and thorough, and introduces many familiar and distin guished names in the cattle operations of the country. The illustrations: "Cross-bred Buffaloes," "James- town Cattle," "Cross-bred Jersey Ayrshire Heifers," "The Oaks Cow," "Old Creamer" and "Jersey Belle of Scituate' are among the finest cattle por traits of this artistic period. Of course, as the title of this journal indicates, it discusses the subjects of its specialty from the standpoints of produciiveness and quality. As an absolute factor, form only occu- pies a secondary relation to "butter, cheese and cream," although, in conformity with physiological law, intrinsic excellence will exercise a perceptil)le influence upon extrinsic texture and form. This work is published in monthly parts at 40 cents each, and when compared with other works of the same quality we regard it as the cheapest publication in the country. The American Bee Journal- Devoted to scientific bee culture and the production and sale of pure honey. This, the leading apicultural journal in the Union, was heretofore published as a monthly octavo ; but now it is changed into a four-columned weekly quarto, and from this time forward will be publ shed in that form. Thomas C. Newman, editor and proprietor, Chicago, Illinois. Terms, *2.00 a year, in advance. When clubbed with the Farmer the two journals will be furnished for ?2.85 a year. The Bee Journal enjoys the enviable reputation of having been the first periodical exclusively devoted to apiculture in America, and it is at this time the only meekly paper devoted to that specialty in the world! It is a remarkably clean and clear print, on fine calendered white paper, and we commend it to our pations and the public. Each number will contain eight pages (32 per month) at least an inch longer and wider than the Farmer, and well filled with the most ably conducted bee literature in this or any other country; and at the end of the year its patrons will possess 41(5 pages of the choicest and most reliable bee literature extant. We know from many considerations that this "departure" will be acceptable to the old patrons of the Bee Journal (and their names ought to be "legion") not only in America, but wherever the English language can be read, or bee culture pursued. It affords ns unalloy- ed pleasure to notice these indications of progress on the part of our contemporaries, and especially those engaged in illuminating the realm of "beedom." And here we would respectfully suggest that so able a specialist as the editor of this journal should solve the problem, if possible, whether bees do really tear open and destroy the pulp of grapes or not. That charge rests upon them hereabouts, whether true or false, and we would like to have the sentiments of those who are able to speak with authority on this much mooted subject. The Texas Sun, for October, November and De- cember, 18-iO, is a large double folio, published at San Antonio, Texas, in the interest of Texas and Mexican lands, railroads, mines, mercantile opera- tions and stock raising, at .50 cents per annum, 12 copies to one address $3.00. Copyrighted in 1879. No man, or family, or company of men, designing to settle in Texas or contiguous Mexico should fail to consult this journal, if he desires to act intelligently in the matter, whatever his special occupation may be, even if he possesses other sources of information upon the topics It discusses; for "in a multitude of counselors there is safety." It contains a map. of western Texas, illustrating its ereat railroad from San Antonio to El Paso, on the Rio Grande del The Kansas Daily Tribune, of December 14, 1880, comes to us freighted with the "Great Law- rence Sensation," in relation to " The Western Farm Mortgage Company ^^^ which, according to the public statement of Mr. J. B. Watkins, of the firm of J. B. Watkins & Co., must be an arrant fraud. But whether a fraud or not, or whether mere business rivalry or not, the expositions involved will not be hurtful to outsiders, and especially those at a dis- tance. If Mr. Watkins' story is true, then we have as emphatic an illustration of the monkey seizing the cat's paw to scratch his chestnuts out of the fire — in the person of .Mr. F. M. Perkins— as ever was placed, on record. Equal to a "brass mine." The "Holiday Number" (vol. 1, No. 3) for Jan- uary, 1881, of Our Little Ones, was duly received, and we are in accord with the press in general in re- gard to its merits. It will no doubt be hailed with acceptance by the parents and the appreciative chil- dren of the nation. We had occasion to notice a previous number of this excellent juvenile publica- tion in a former number of the Farmer, but the one now before us is far superior to the former one, and indicates a progressive future, and must elicit a hearty welcome in the liearts and homes of our com- mon country. It is very profusely illustrated, and the illustrations are almost uuexceptioually good and finely executed. This is trnlv a holiday number, and faithfully caters to the holiday fancies of the "little ones." In scanning its paircs the children will be rollicking in the pleasirjg realizations of the pres- ent, whilst the dim recollections of the elders will be descanting on the past, perhaps with some regret that the halcyon days of youth have forever fled. But for them there is a delightful compensation in seeing others delighted, especially children. Surely with all the advantages possessed by childhood in this pregnant age, the future generations ought to exhibit a higher state of mental and moral develop ment than the generations that have passed. Pub- lished by the Russell Publishing Company, 149 A Tremont street, Boston, .Mass., at $1..50 a year in advance; 8 numbers *1.00, 16 numbers 8 '.00. Club rates, two copies one year $2.80, 3 copies $1.00, 4 copies J.i.00, and 5 copies $15.00. Every household blessed with children should have it. The American agriculturist. The American Farmer, The Gardener's Monthly, and The Poultry World, January, 1881, are now before us, and may be regarded as fair representations of the specialties to which they are severally devoted. Each occupies a different position, and covers a somewhat different ground, but all are excellent of their kind and ex- hibit unmistakable evidence ot jnogrets. Of course, these journals are too old, too prominent, and occu- py too large a space in the field of agricultural liter- ature, and moreover, are too ably conducted, to need any special commendation of ours ; neither is this our purpose on this occasion. They speak to a bet- ter purpose by speaking for themselves. But we no- tice nnr special spicing in them(which we, alas, lack) without which no journal can make itself always in- teresting, acceptalile and instructive to its readers, and that is their many able contributors and corres- pondents. Their columns are fairly "peppered and salted" through and through by a cordon of contrib- utors who seem to be habitual thinkers, and who know how to place their thoughts on record, Sup- pose every publication in Lancaster county were stricken out of existence to-day, would it be a sorrow or a joy '. a joy that we might then enjoy a surcease from reading and writing, and vegetate to the "top of our bent;" a sorrow that no avenue existed through which we only can talk to the world . The one in- volves a candle in a candlestick, the other a candle under a bushel. "He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear." The Home Almanac for 1881 is a perfect bijou in its way — absolutely the prettiest little publication that has 'come under our observation "this year." Most beautifully and elaborately illustrated, after paintings of celebrated artists. It only includes 36 pages 8 vo. in paper covers, but among those are nine full page pictures of the most interesting char- acter, besides about a score of half and quarter page pictures. Published and distributed by the Rome Insurance Company of New York. It contains the usual calendars, besides appropriate poems, and de- scriptive and historical matte"-. If the external is any indication of the i7iternal, and we had occasion, we should not hesitate to patronize the Some. The Musical Herald. — This super royal quarto for January, 1881, has been received, accompanied by one of the most liberal premium lists that has ever been issued in this country, including 130 pre- miums, ranging from $1.00 all the way up to $1,000. It has been many a long day since we were "music mad," but persons who take part, or who are inter- ested in music, cannot afford to lose sight of the in- structive articles on this subject, which are being published in the Musical JTerald from month to month. It is published at $1.50 a year, but it is worth ten times its cost. All who are engaged in the study of music in any of its branches will find the able articles from the thoroughly educated writers in its editorial corps, as well as its other con- tributors, worth many times the cost of the journal, and, apart from the teacher, really the best means for securing the valuable information they seek. We have been particularly interested in the series of papers for some time being published, on the subject of musical instruments, ancient, medieval and mod- ern, and in this connection we would respectfully ask, when, and by whom, were the "bones," or bone castinets, first introduced into Atnerica ? Sixty years ago an old African itinerating minstrel sang, and accompanied himself with "hones and bell," in Lancaster county. Poor old Ben Caywood was frozen to death just thirty years ago in a barn, where he had betaken himself for a night's repose in the frigid month of January. But he was already famous Ions before any other professor had "rattled the bones" in this region. The Musical JTerald is published by a company of that name, at Music Hall, Boston. The Drainage and Far.m Journal. — Devoted to farm drainage, progressive agriculture, and the manufacture of drain tile. Published monthlv by J. J. W. Billingsby & Son, Indianapolis, Indiana, n( one dollar a year. The January number of this pe- riodical has been received (vol. Ill, No. 1.) It is an octavo in form, and contains 32 pages of mat- ter relating to its specialty, and 18 pages of advertisements, many of them relating to the man- ufacture of drain tiling. Drainage in some localities is absolutely indispensable, and ought to be resorted to by many who pay little or no attention to it. Much otherwise useless land could be reclaimed by drainage, and even that which has long been culti- vated might be improved by this process. Although tnis journal contains useful information on various subjects, yet it is mainly the repreeentative of the tiling interests in the land. Send and get a catalogue. Breeding, Raising and Management of Horses in Kansas. — The Fourth Quarterly Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture for 1S80 has been received. It is a pamphlet of 134 pages, containing statistics relative to live stock of the State, the production of butter and cheese, number of acres in farms, meteorological data, quarterly report upon the condition of crops and farm animals. A short- account of the Inter-State Agricultural Convention, at Springfield, Illinois, together with valuable papers on bee-keeping by prominent apiarians in various parts of the State. The special feature of the re- port, and probably the most valuable one, is that portion of the volume devoted to " Breeding, Raising and Management of Horses in Kansas." Com- mencing with a short descriptive history of the thoroughbred, the trotter, Percheron-Norman or French draft, and Clydesdales, the papers, sixty- three in number, giving the experience and observa- tion of breeders from every part of the State, aggre- gate a vast amount of practical experience of great value to the farmers of Kansas. This portion of the report is followed by a short paper upon epizootic, and extracts from Dr. D. E. Salmon's article upon Texas cattle fever, recently published by the Com- missioner of Agriculture. "The last paper of the volume is an illustrated essay upon " Insect-Eating Birds." This report may be obtained by inclosing two three-cent stamps to the Secretary, J. K. Hud- sou, Topeka, Kansas. THE LANCASTER FARMER' MISCELLANEOUS. The Lancaster Examiner. We desire to cull the attciitiou of the readers of the Karmek to the Daily and Weekly Examiner. The Daily was enlarged over six eoluinns on January 1st, anil is now the largest daily published in the county. The weekly supplement was also enlarged over three columns, and the weekly is now one of the largest weeklies in the State. Subscribe for the Examiner. They are both, dally and weekly, good family newspapers. SECOND ANNUAL EXHIBITION LANCASTER COUNTY POULTRY ASSOCIATION! TO HE HELD AT LANCASTER, PA. An Incubator, pt^teutpd by \Vm. G. Foehl, of Lancaster. Pa., will Hatch Obickeiis daily duriug the Exhibitlou. This will be the Finest and Largest Display of Poultry held in Peuusylvanta tliiti year. FRIDAY, SATUKDAY, MONDAY, TUES- DAY ami WEDNESDAY', JANUARY 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 1881. PREMIUMS OVER $800. EscufHiou Tickets with couiiOns attached, admitting pur- obaser to the exliibition, will be issued by the P. K. B. Co., from Dowuiuglown, Npw Holland, Port Deposit, Yolk, Harrisburg and all intermediate stations. Daily Excursion Tickets over the Reading and Columbia R. R. Exhibitors will beluruished tickets at reduced rates. AD9IISSIOK 15 riM. - - CIIILUREN 10 I'ts. ^^Send for I'remium List to rn ij n n OFFICE. No. 0 North Oueen Street LANCASTER, PA.. GERMANTOWN TELEGRAPH. Which is generally acknowledged to be the best Literary. Farming and A^riculi Ural Newspapers in Pennejlvauia, is issued iveekly at Germuritown, PhUadelphia, at $2.60 per uuuum. It will couiiiieuce its Slst volume with the drst number in March, proximo, being established and conduct- ed by its pres-eut editor and proprietor. No family giving it a trial for a year would be willing to do without it at double the subscription. Address PHILIP R. FRE.«»«, Germmtown, Phila. '^ THE VICTOR 7^ Double Huller Clover Machine "WANTED. BUTTER. EGGS. Berries and Peaches. "Send for Prices. BAIXASD, BRUNCH & CO., 112 Broad St., N. Y. l-lt General Produce Commission Merchants. GRAY'S SPECIFIC MEDICINE. overwork of the perfectly barmless, ucts Before Taking ^^VeSyused'/o^orr After Taking. thirty years with great success. Full particulars in our pamphlet, which we de«ireto send free by mail to every one. The speclflc medicine is sold by all druggists at $1 per 'pack- age, or six packages for $.5, or will be sent free by mail on receipt of the money by address j ng THE GRAY M EDICINE COMPANY, No. 10 Mechanics' Block, Detroit, Michigan. B'"Sold in Lancaster by H, B. Cochban. 131 and 139 N. Queen St., and by druggists everywhere. [79-3-12 THE OLDEST AND BEST. THE WEEKLY LANCASTER HXAMINBR One of the largest Weekly Papers i the State. Published Every Wednesday Morning, Is an old, well-eatablished newspaper, and contains just the news desirable to make it an interesting and valuable Family Newspiper. The xiostage to subcribers residing ' ' ■ ' ■ ity is paid by tne publisher. Two Dollars per Annum. THE DAILY LANCASTER EXAMINER The Largest Daily Paper in the county. Publislied DaUy Except S nday. The daily is published ev^^y evening during the week. It is delivered in tile City and to surrounding T.'wns ac- cessible by railroad and d^ily stage liueB, fur 10 ceutN a week. Mnil Subscription, free of postage — One mouth, 50 cents; one year, 85.00. THE JOB ROOMS. The job rooms of The Lancastisk Examiner a filled with t'le latest styles of presses, material, etc., ai we are prcpar. d to do all kiuds of Book and Job Printili at as low rotes and bhorl notice as any establishment I the State. SALE BILLS A SPECIALTY. ! bills iu the Slate. JOHN A. HIESTAND. Proprietor, No. 9 Nort^A Queen St.. LANCA-STEK. FA.. SEND FOR On Concord OiBpi-vines, Tran»|ilaTitey the 10m,0()U . J. JE.VKIXN' NVRNKRT, 3-2-T9 WINONA, COI LMDIANA CO., OHIO. $66.; M. HABERBUSH, MANOFACTIIItEn OF Plain and Fine Harness, COLLARS, WHIPS, FLY NETS. &c., .\I.so i)i;.M,i;it IN TRUNKS, TRAVELING BAGS, BUKALO KOBES, Horse Covers, Lap-Rugs, Gloves, &c., No. 30 Penn Square, -1-12] l.ANC.\STKU, PA. \CHAS A. LOCHER. aaaholesaleaW"^ retail 1^^ DRUGGIST. ^^■ CATTLE POWDER GLOVES, SHIRTS, UNDERWEAR. it?j SHIRTS MADE TO ORDER, E. J. ERISMAN. 56 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. . PHAKES W. FRY, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in WftlL PAPER 8, WINDOW SHADES, lIollaiKl-i. pittiii Nlia<|p «'l«lli. Fixtures, Fringi-8, Tassels and all goods pertaining to a Paper and Shade Store. No. 63 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. CHRISTMAS GOODS BKLOW COST. RATHVON & FISHER, READY-Mi^DE CLOTIjING, i;i:i,(>\v COST. ALSO, FURNISHING GOODS, FROM NOW UNTIL JANl AKY 1st, AT COST. CLOTHING MADIC TO OliDKK In the prevailing styles and at IDt-dium prices. Comer N, Queen and Orange Street « LANCASTER, PA. RATHVON & FISHER, MEKOHANT T.MI.UItS. (^R Tfl (tnnicr dayathoa.e. Samples worth JS free, (j) J I U ipZUAddrees Stihson k Co., Portland, Maine. THE LANCASTER FARMER [January, LANDRETH'S EXTRA EARLY PEAS, The earliest Peas grown. American Wonder Peas, CRYSTAL WAX BEANS, BLOOIISDALE EARLY MARKET CABBAGE, BLOOMSDALE LATE FLAT DUTCH CABBAGE, The fluest in the world. Gourd Seed Corn, Prize Stock, Recleaned CIo- and Timothy and other Grass Seeds. Cooly Creamer, Csok Tree Proteetor, VEGETABLE ROOT CUTTER, Cahoon's Broad Cast Seed Sower, SPAIN'S PATENT CHURNS, Mi 1 H»nd anA Power. Laijdretlj's Rural Register &Almaijac for '81 In English and German — Free. u. L.\SDltfcTH A- SONS. 2S A 33 Noillh Sixth Ht., oct-6m PHILADELPHIA. nlXtLi^ i >3 GOOD F.4VI ETEAUY EMPLOTUEHT SEI,!-!Xa TEE STAr.'DARD AQRICCLTIIBAL BOOK, Tai?miag Tor Profit. acting Paveri ailiomest Rnl Best Farm Book ivt.^ published. Eacrt/ Farmer ahould have a Copy. For D,;5criptivc Circular ao4 Terms to Agents, Addresi, J. C. KcSrJBY & 00., 633 Chestist St., Fhiladjlphii, P». CinoiaDaH. (i. riiiucja, El. or 3t. Louis, Mo. It: (advert of Phil; getheV' ill FARMING FOR PROFIT. i eojieeded that tliis lart^^e and eoniprehen-i. Q}'KE!SS, N.Y. jan.lt $72^ certainty ul action in atop- ic hunch. Price «1 00. Send fur illus- ulflfffiving positive proof, and your ent'saddreis. Kendall's Spav- "In Cure Is sold by JtrnicEists, or Met by Dr. B. J. Keudlll & Co., Enosburg Falls, VermoDt 79-8.tf. A HOME ORGAN FOR FARMERS. Sa-Jring off a Log, Easy and Past. OurhtL t improved sa\iing machine cnts off a 2 f ot lo£r m 2 minutes. A $100 PRESENT Mill be given to two men who can saw as much in t]:e old wav, as one man can with this mnchina. Circulars sent free. U. S. MA>IIFACTURING CO., 14!» Cl.irk St., Chiciisro. III. Qd coutrols Eastern CAUTJ«>Sr.— Auv siiwiuE injehioe having a seat for the operator, or treadles for his feet, is an intriiigement on our patents, and Tp aie inoBtcutiug all infriuRers. So BEWARE WHO Toti BUY OF. jan-?m •mis 3srE-';xr ELASTIC TRUSS Has a Pad dif fering from I all others, is cup-shaped, with SEI.F. ADJTJST'NG BALL in the center, adapts itself to all positions of the hody, irhUe the BALL in the C«p PRESSES BACK THE INTESTINES JUST AS A PERSON "WOULD -WITH THI FINGER, W^ith lighl pressure the Hernia is held securely day and night, and a rad- leal cure is certain. It is easy, durable Etnd cheap. Sent hy mail, postage paid. Circulars free. Address, Eggleston Truss Co., Manfira. Or C. H. EGGLESTON CO.. Chicago.lH. J9-7-ly] world. Also nothins can beat ( CHINK. It sawa off a 2-foot log i Pictorial booki free. W. GII.£S, Chicaso, dec-6m] A MONTHLY JOURNAL, Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, Do- mestic Economy and Miscellany. Founded Under the Auspices of the LancaS' ter County Agricultural and Horti- cultural Society. EDITED BY DR. S. S. RATHVON. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION : ONEDOLLPPERANNUI POSTAGE PREPAID BY TBE PROPfilETOR. All subscriptions will commence with the January number, unless otherwise ordered. Dr. S. S. Rathvon, who has so ably managed the editorial department in the past, will continue in the position of editor. His contributions on subjects connected with the science of fanning, and particularly that specialty of which he is so thorouhly a master— entomological science— some knowledge of which has become a necessity to the success- ful farmer, are alone worth much more than the price of this publication. He is determined to make *'The Farmer* a necessity to all households. A county that has so wide a repatatfon as Lancaster county for ita agricultural products should certainly be able to support an agricultural paper of its own, for the exchange of the opinions of farmers Interested ui this mat- oter. We ask the co-oporation of all farmers in..erested in this matter. Work among your friends. The "Farmer" is only one dollar per year. Show them your coi>y. Try and Induce them to subscribe. It is not much for each sub- scriber to do but it will greatly asuist us. All communications in regard tothe editorial management should be addressed to Dr. 8. 8. Rathvon, Lancaster, Pa., and all business letters in regard to subscriptions and ad- vertising should be addressed to the publisher. Rates of adveitisiug can be had on application at the office. JOHN A. HIESTAND, No. 9 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. i ONE DOLLAR PER ANITTTM -SUTGLE COPIES 10 CENTS. RATHVON, Editor. LANCASTER, PA.. FEBRUARY, 1881. JOHN A. HIESTAND, Publisher. CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. EDITORIAL, ids, - - •Caged .Soiin Seventeen Year Locust, - A Grceii-llouse Product!. Forests in Pennsylvania, ■ The Late Poultry Show, "Ault Barrieks," "The Stone Age," A Double Apple Preserved in Alcohol, - The Timber Question, Its Effect Upon Our Social Enconomies, and the Inlcgrlty of Our Sea.sons— The Cause of Drouths —Where our Forests are Going. Bxcerpts, -The New Holland Clarion, The Freezing of Insects, Pennsylvania Agricultural Society, - Officers Elected, Mcehiinics' Library Association— Berks County Agricultural mid Horticultural Society. ENTOMOLOGICAL. Seventeen Tear Locusts, - . - . . The Corn Cut-Worm, - ' - Enemies of Spiders, An Ant Story, Queries and Answers, CONTRIBUTIONS. Shelter-Belts— TKancict, Bees and Grapes— If. .ff. /S uU who apply by \ Our Expnrlincntal GrnnndH whii-h we KKt ou»- Vca:ctable and Flower Sfodn nrcnioNtroiii(>U-io; f land onr CreenlioiiNps l'nrl>laiii» l(?ovrrin2 3 arre«i In Rlans), are I tUe lari^vNt In America. IPETER HENDERSON & CO. 35 Cortlandt street. New York. SAWING MADE EAST- Machine riv:>ls M ng Sawing •*ni bo given I. Circulars sent Free. Agents wanted. iio>ris:H ysBTinss sav oo., 163 Kaiu'olph St., Chicigo, lU, ELASTIC TRUSS HasaPaddif fering &om all others, U oap-shaped, with SEI.F. ABJTTST'NG BAXL in the center, adapti itseU to all positions of the hody, while the BALL in the Cnp PRESSES BACK THE INTESTINES JUST AS A PERSON WOUrD WITH THE FINGER. With light pressure the Hernia is held securely day and night, and a rad- ical core is certain. It is easy, durable and cheap. Sent by mail, postage paid. Circulars free. Address. Eggleston Truss Co.. Manfirs. Or c. H. EGGLESTON CO., Chioago.lH. T9-7-1T] ^N Enlarqco View i toru «oo uowtntir HaiM. itemit namney or pottace iiunpt. m* footUhkvc&n MfvhlfiheO r«pot*i'fln antl so to sH parU e>tlb» ■worl/. J. 1.KWIS rMlLDS, afTGfiNS, N.¥J THE LANCASTER FARMER. WE TWABD. Lancaster. Harrisburg. Pacific Express' •2:40 a. m. Way Paseeiigert IIOO a m 11-20 a m Hanover Accommodation, . 11:05 p.m. Col. 10:40 a. m. MailtraiuviaMt. Joy.:.... 10:20 a.m. 12:40 p. m. No. 2 via Columbia U.25a. m. Sunday MaU 10:50 a.m. 3:26 p. m. Frederick Accommodation. Col. 2:45 p. m. 5:45 p. m. 7:40 p. m. Columbia Accommodation.. 7:20 p. m. Col. S:2i) p. m. Harrisburg Express 7:30 p.m. 8:40 p. m. Cincinnati Express' 11:30 p.m. 12:45 a.m. EASTWAKD. Lancaster. Philadelphia. 2.55 a. m. Harrisburg Express 8:05 a. m. 10:00 a. m. Columbia AccommodatiOD.. 9.10 p. m. 12:0 p.m. Pacific Express* ^^^. Bundiiy Mail 5a>0p.m. Johnstown Express 3:0.-. p. m. 5:S0 p. m. Day Express^ 5:35 p.m. 7:20 p. m. Harrisburg Acoom 6:25 p. m. ion, west, conn cts at Lancaster with Niagara ExpreBS, wes , at 9:35 a. m .,aud will run The Frederick Accommod tion, west, coi lectsat Lancas- The Pacific Express, east OQ Sunday, w len flagged, will oy and Landis- stop at MMdletown, EUzabe) itowu, Mouat . TlBe. •The only trains which ru 1 daily. tRuus daily, except Moud NORBECK & MILEY, PRACTICAL Gapfiage Builders, cox & CO'S OLD STAHD, Cornef of Duke and Vine Stfeets, LANCASTER, PA. THE LATEST IMPROVED SIDE-BAR BUGGIES, PH.4ETONS, Carriages, Etc, Prices to Suit the Times. REPAIRING promptly attended to. All work guaranteed. 79-2- Manufacturer of Cirriages, Buggies, Phaetons, etc. CHURCH ST., NEAR DUKE, LANCASTER, PA. Large Stock of New and Seoon-hand Work on hand, Terr cheap. Carriaires Made to Order Work Warranted or one year. [TI-»-lJ EDW. J. ZAHM, AMERICAN AND FOREIGN WATCHES, SOLID SILVER & SILVER PLATED WARE, CLOCKS. JEWELRY ITABLE CUTLERY. Sole Agent for the Arundel Tinted SPECTACLES. " Repairiug strictly ntteuJed to. North Queen-st. and Centre Square, Lancaster, Pa. I*. 3BO-«\7"3VEjA.Kr, AT LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES, Fully guaranteed. No. 106 EAST KING STREET, )-l-12) Oppttsilf Leopard Hotel, ESTABLISHED 183? G. SENER &SONS, Manufacturers and dealers in all kiudB of rough and finished The best Sawed SHINOEEK iu the country. Also Sash, Doors. Blinds, Mouldings, &c. PATENT 0. G. WEATHERBOARDING and PATENT BLIND.S, which are far surerior to any other. Also best OOA L constantly on hand. OFFICE AND YARD : Northeast Corner of Prince and Walnnt-sts., LANCASTER, PA. 79-1-12] PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON ENTOMOLOGY, Embraciug the history and habits of .NOXIOUS AND INNOXIOUS INSECTS, and the best remedies for their expulsion or extermination. By S. S. RATHVON, Ph. D. LANCASTER, PA. This work will be Highly Illustrated, and will be put In press (as soon after a sufficient number of subscribers can be obtained to cover the cost) as the work can possibly bo $77 Outfit free. SHAW It CO., Augusta, Maine. fTKEES Fruit, Shade and Ornamental Trees. Plant Trees raised in this couuty aud suited to this climate. Write for prices to LOUIS C. LYTE Bird-in-Hand p. O., Lancaster co.,Pa. Nurserj' at Suioketown, six miles east of Lancaster. 79-1-12 WIDMYER & RICKSECKER, UPHOLSTERERS, And Manufactu FURNITURE PD CHAIRS, WARER001M.S : 102 East King St., Oor. of Duke St. LANCASTER, PA. Special Inducements at the NEW FURNITURE STORE W. A. HEINITSH, PTo. XS X-a U. ItllWCl- S-r-DEtEET (over Bursk's Grocery Score), Lancaster, Pa. A general assortment of furniture of all kinds constantly on hand. Don't forget the number. 13 X-2 XlASt ZSlxxxg; Sitx-eet, Nov-lyl (over Bnrsk's d.ocery Store.) For Good and Cheap Work go to F. VOLLMER'S FURNITURE WARE ROOMS, No 309 NORTH QUEEN ST.. (Opposite Northern Market), GREAT BARGAINS. CARPET HALL OF H. S. SHIRK, No. 202 West King SU Call aud examine our stock and satiBfy yourself that we cau show the largest assortment of these Brussels, three plies and iugralu at all prices— at the lowest Philadelphia na haud a large aud i Qplete of Rag Satisfactiou guaranteed bath as to price aud quality. You are iuvited to call aud see my goods. No trouble in showing' them even if you do uot waut to purchase. Dou't forget this noUce, You cau save money here if you waut to buy. Particular attention given to customer v ork. Alao on hand a full assortment of Counterpanes, Oil Cloths aud Blankets of every variety. ^ f uov-iyr. PHILIP SCHUM, SON Sl CO., 38 anti 4© West King Street. We keep ou baud of our own manufacture, QUILTS, COTERLETS, ^ COUNTERPANES, CARPETS, Bureau and Tidy Covers. Ladies' Furnishing Goods, No- Par'ticuiar atteulion paid to customer Eag Carpet, and : and dyeing ol all kinds. PHILIP SCHUM, SON & CO.. THE HOLMAN LIVER PAD | Cures by absorption without medicine. Now is the time io apply these remedies. They -will lor you what nothing else on earth can. Hundreds of ci zens of Lancaster sij so. Get the genuine at LANCASTER OFFICE AND SALESROOM, 22 East Orange Street. C. R. KLINE. 5Attoi^ney-at-|jAW, OFFICE : 15 NORTH DUKE STREET, NoT-ly The Lancaster Farmer. Dr. S. S. RATHVON, Editor. LANCASTER, PA., FEBRUARY, 1881 Vol. xm. No. 2. CAGED SONG BIRDS. '■ The Cardinal Grosbeak deserves a promi- nent place among American caged sotif; birds. It sings well in confinemcHt, and thrives upon such seeds as are used for the Canary. It has been termed tlie Viiijinia Nightingale, in consequenee of its singing by night as well as by day. Its varied song is musical and clear. Both se.\es sing, the fe- male quite equals the male in compass of voice. There is a peculiar richness in the vermilion plumage of llie male. The female is of a rich brown, tinged with red. Both have crests, which they elevate at will, giving them a gay and spirited apinaninee. They are geographically distributed from New Eng- land to Central America, and are iiarticular- ly numerous soutli of Pennsylvania, where they are found tlic year round. In the North- ern and Eastei-n .States they are" migratory. They build their nests of small dry twigs and dry grass, and usually place it in shrubs in the vicinity of a small rivulet. They lay four dull white eggs, marked thickly, but ir- regularly, with spots of olive brown. Their yoiing are easily reared by hand, and old trapped birds are easily domesticated." We have known this beautiful bird (Cardi- nalis virginianus) these very many years in Lancaster county, and from the fact that we have seen it in theChickiis li ills as late as No- vember, and as early as rebiuaiy, we have inferred that it occasionally parsed the winter here, especially if it should happen to be a mild one. The first one we saw was in the possession of Andrew Hershey. Sr., who lived on the Donegal Creek,, about one mile above its oonfluence with the Chickies. This was fully sixty years ago, and we vividly re- tain impressions of its sprightliness and its rare musical qualities. It was tlien already an old male bird,and had been cnged fourteen years. Its food was noi confined exclusively to seeds, for it had been educated to eat insects, especially gra.sshoppers, and many is the one we have caught and fed it, It would have been strange indeed, if it had not learned somethiny different from its normal habits in fourteen years. Judge Libhart saw the nest of one in a "honeysuckle" in the garden of a neighbor, in the borough of Ma- rietta, Fa., a short distance from a kitchen door — indeed considerable numbers of them were seen in the yards of the above named town, on various occasions. The common name of "Virginia Corn-eracker," was also applied to it in addition to those above named, and in "Pennsylvania Dutch " it was called "Blude-fink " although this name was also applied to the " Scarlet Tanager" (Tan- egra rubra). The most vulgar name it re- ceived was the "Red-bird," or "Top-knotted Red-bird." In an economical point of view, it probably possessed no special value, for in its state of freedom, it fed on seeds and berries, unless it may have "fed its young on insects. It, however, was a cheerful occu- pant of the chapperal, the garden, and the lawn, and may have been more useful than we knew of. "The Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks are allied close to the Cardinals, though differing in color, the general color being black, white and rosy crimson ; the last is confined to the breast, narrowing in width as it descends to the belly. It is a northern bird ; winters in the Middle States, and wanders in the sum- mer into high northern latitudes. Its song is remarkably sweet, and its notes clear and mellow, s'.nging by night as well as by day. The prevailing colors, white, black and crim- son, contrast richly, making it a desirable cage bird, though unfortunately it is scarce, and seldom seen confined in cages." This h'ml{Guivacn ludoriciaiKi) also called the "Louisiana Grosbeak," was also frequently metwitli in Lanca.ster county, but it was not .so common as toe "Cardinal." There is also reason to suspect that it wintered here in mild seasons, although it was more frequently found on its passage to more northern locali- ties, as its chosen breeding grounds ; still, it often breeds and passes the summer here. It, however, is rather secluded, and is ran-ely seen, e.vcept by experts, and by them most frequently during its passage in early spring. We have frequently seen it hi cages in the po- scsssion of fanciers, but know very little about its singing qualities. Its food is per- haps the same as that of its family (i'Viii- (lillidw), which is mainly seed.s and berries. We have a specimen now in our possession which we shot and stufl'ed two and forty years ago, which remains intact, and is an object of many pleasant memories of long ago. "The American Goldfinch, popularly known as the Yellowbird, is held in high es- teem, although very commonly seen. Its lemon yellow body and black and white wins;8 contrast nicely. They are docile in confinement and sing sweetly, though their notes are weak. They afford fine amusement for the boys during the pairing season, as they are easily taken by means of a call-bird and trap-cages. They sing as h-ipily confined as in the wild state, and eat freely the same seeds as the Canary. The female is less gaudy in plumage than the male. They construct a neat nest, lay five dull white eggs, spotted at the larger end. This bird {Chrysomitris trisJi.s) was also call- ed the "Salad-bu-d" and "Thistle-Finch ;" and by the Penna. Germans, "Distle-fink. " AVe have frequently seen it in flocks of fifties, feeding on the seeds of the common thistle, in late summer, or early autumn, or on the garden lettuce, when in seed. It also very frequently breeds in Lancaster county. Per- haps there was no bird, fifty years ago, of which the average town-boy had a better and a more pleasing recollection than this species, especially those towns surrounded by vacant and uncultivated commons, where, for years, the thistle or other seedbearing weeds grew almost iminterruptedly. Here the "yellow- birds" would congregate in tolerably large flocks, towards autumn, and feed on the this- tle seeds, and perhaps discuss their departure to a more genial winter clime. And when they were interrupted, he may be also able to recall their peculiar flight— their alternated chattering notes — their undulated motions in the air — the rapid manipulation, and the sud- den sessation of their wings until they had passed beyond the reach of danger. Even at that period an occasional- individual would be foimd in a cage,, but the instances were rare ; bird-fancying was not then as much of a Uisiness as it is now. Housewives complained of them destroying their "salad-seed," and the boys were oft^en instructed to "hillo" them out of the garden. Being finches they of course were graniverous, although they may have fed some insects to their young. "The Indigo Finch is much admired on ac- count of its indigo-colored plumage. Its song is sweet and vigorous, though short, and it continues to sing during the hot months, when most birds in the wild state are silent. The female is brown, tinged with blue. They are usually shy birds, and it requires one well skilled in the business of trapping them to succeed in catching any considerable num- ber in a single day. For this purpose a decoy bird is employed, and then, by frequenting the vicinity in whicli they are found, by a little manoeuvering they are taken. They are usually found on the line of a railroad ; and by a roadside not much frequented the adept will soon hear the familiar song of the Indigo Finch. The cage containing the decoy bird is then held in front of the trapper, as be ad- vances in the direction of the songster, occt.- sionally flirting his fingers against the wire cage, which causes the uccoy to flutter and chirp. This attracts the attention of the out- side bird ; the cage is immediately set upon the ground, and before the trapper has gone many yards from the cage tiie stranger is upon it, if not caught. The Indigo Finches are always found in pairs, though the female is scMoiii caught. She does not sing but only twitters. They are hardy and easily reared. In c'liiliiienient during tlie winter they lose their beautiful plumage, though in exceptional cases it is not at all changed. They build their nests in low bushes, suspended by two twigs. They lay four blue eggs, having a lilotch of purple at the larger end. In con- finement their diet should be the same as the Canary's. They are very fond of beet leaves." — James S. Baily, M. D. This is the "Indigo-bird" {Cyanoxpiza cy- anea) or " Blue-finch " of our boyhood. The Lancaster county Germans, who had any name for it at all, called it the " Blau-finkh." We knew it long before there was a foot of Railroad or Canal in Pennsylvania, and doubtless it was here long before there was an improvement of any kind, but adapted itself to them after they invaded its native domain! We had an experience with one of these birds which more strongly illustrates the monagamic character of some of the feathered tribes, than anything that ever came under our observation. In the spring and early summer these birds frequently came into the town in which we lived, and nested and raised their broods therein. This was especially the case in an uncultivated town lot, the lower end of which was covered with a thicket of locust sprouts and blackberry canes. In the spring of 1838 we shot a fine male, for an "ornamental specimen," which we skiimed, stuffed, and mounted, and we have it still in one possession, in as good con- dition a& it was then. The tree from which we .shot it hung over an alley near where we resided, and we could see it every time we went into our garden or back-yard. And there would come the female and mournfully sing-, from day to day, a seemingly funeral dirge over the spot where fell her beautiful partner ijy wanton hands. We felt self-re- |)roach, and thought ol making amends by shooting her also, »nd bringing them together in deatii as they had been in life (to outward appearance at least) but she always contrived to evade us. This continued for fully a week, and then the mournful ditty ceased, and we .saw the bird no more on that tree; and of course supposed she had found another mate, and had abandoned the fat.il locality. Some days afterwards we had occasion to visit the aforesaid thicket and there, immediately un- der the tree, close to the fence, we found the dead body of the female " Indigo-bird," and we never doubted that she may have "pined away and died," for the loss of her beautiful mate. We liardly ever looked upon our stufl'- ed specimen that we did not think of this cir- cumstance, and yet, we do not know that we have made a record of it before— at least not a public one. It is true the bird may have died by violent hands, but there was no mark on the body that indicated violence, although its carcass had been invaded by "the worms," after it had suflered the "canker and the grief." SEVENTEEN YEAR LOCUSTS. I have now in my possession a specimen of Cicada septendecim, or seventeen-year locust, that evolved from its pupal form on the sec- 18 THE LANCASTER FARMER. ond day of February. 1881, possibly the only instance of such an occm-reiice on record ; and if it has no other significance it might have illustrated that this insect passes at least four months in the pupa state. It is pretty well established that this insect makes its ap- pearance, in certain localities, every seven- teea years; and although these septendecenial periods may be broken, by broods appearing earlier or later than the regular seventeen year period, still there always are seventeen years intervening between the appearance of the respective broods, except in the case of broods which appear every thirteen years, and this difference has been deemed sufficient to establish a new species known as the " thir- teen year locust (CicacZa tridecim). Now, the ragular seventeen year period of the cicada in Lancaster county will not occur until the year 1885, with perhaps a few irregular excep- tions, alluded to above. This year will be the regular period for the thirteen years species, w^iierever it occurred thirteen j'ears ago ; but I do not regard the specimen now before me as absolutely .belonging to the thirteen year variety, or species. A Green-House Production. This individual evolved in the green-house of Mr. George O. Hensel, the enterprising florist of East Orange street, in this city, and its history is very probably as follows. In or about the month of Juue. 1864, Mr. Hensel was employed in the peach region of the State of Delaware, and on his return to his home in Lancaster, he brought with him about fifty living specimens (more or less), which he set at liberty in the neighborhood of where he now resides, and it is possible there will be a reappearance of that limited brood the present year. Last fall (October or Novem- ber) Mr. Hensel erected a new green-house, and in digging the foundations he exhumed large numbers of the larva of the cicada of at least two different sizes. These may have be- longed to the two difterent broods. They were so numerous that in a square foot he counted fifty of them. The individual before me was included within the enclosure, after it was finished, and doubtless mistook the genial temperature of the green-house for summer, which caused its rapid and premature devel- opment. I said above that this occurrence miiiM have illustrated that the cicada passes at least four months in the ^nyice state, but unfortunately Mr. H. did not preserve and present to me specimens, in order that I might have determined whether they were larvce or jmpce, which would not have been ditficult to do. Pupae and Larvae. In the piipm the rudimental wings are al- ways present, but never in the larvce, hence those that come up out of the ground in May or June, every seventeen years, nxe 2Jiipre. On the removal of a solid brick pavement in North Duke street, Lancaster, ih 1869, at ft place where there was no pavement in 1851, but instead thereof a number of trees, a large number of the cicades were found in a pupa state; these, of course, were retarded individ- uals, on account of the pavement, through which they could not penetrate ; but when, or how long before that period it was that they assumed the ptcpa form is not known. I liave found, and have had also given me, the larva of cidada three, five, nine and eleven years after the regular period of their advent, but none of them had the remotest appearance of wings, and at seasons, too, which precluded the probability of their being the larva of the annual-cicada. The premature subject before me is a female, and is minus the abdominal tympani or drums, with which the male pro- duces his musical notes. Anacreon sang beautifully of these "happy creatures," and accords to them the attributes of "a demi- god, at least," but Xenarchus, the incorrigi- ble Rhodian sensualist," intimates a different reason for their happiness in — "Happy the cicadas' lives Since they all have voiceless wives !" "We have an annual species that makes its appearance about the first of August, but it is much larger than the seventeen year species, and its music is harsher ,ind louder ; and, hi looking at the two, we may well wonder why it is that the one passes through all its trans- formations within a single year, whilst the other requires seventeen years to accomplish the same routine of development. I have seen, heard and handled the seven- teen year cicada, or locust, four times, name- ly, in 1817, iu 1834, in 1851, and in 1868, and the Linnaean Society has in its collection spe- cimens of those four periods, and also of 1800. All the superstitions and horrific apprehen- sions attached to these insects are repeated every seventeen years, as regularly as the in- sects make their advent amongst us. The generations of their last appearance do not seem to have derived any benefit from the ex- perience of tliose of their foriner~visits. The newspapers of 1868 were full of their devas- tations of the vegetable kingdom — stripping all the trees, plants, and shrubbery of their foliage. This surely could not have been the cicada ; indeed, I question very much if a single well-authenticated ease is on record of their ever having partaken of any kind of food at all during their imago period. If they have, it must have been in a fluid form. The females, however, do injure the branches of trees by rasping incisions, and depositing their eggs therein. FORESTS IN PENNSYLVANIA. Editor Lancaster Farmer— Dear Sir : I was amazed to read in The Lancaster Farsier, at page 182, " Was Pennsylvania a forest country ? Professor Me.ehan seems to think it was not." Permit me to say that I have never given any such an opmion. I well know that the State was wholly under forest with the excep- tion of the very few larger valleys, of which there is some reasonable doubt. I have never anywhere uttered anything to warrant your correspondent's assertion that I have seemed to advance otherwise. Very truly yours, Thomas Meehan. " "Was Pennsylvania a forest country ? Prof. Meehan seems to have advanced the opinion that it was not." This is the lan- guage of our correspondent " Warwick," on page 182 of the 12th volume of the Farmer. In order to do justice to Prof. Meehan, and to illustrate just how far Warmick may have apprehended or »nisapprehended him, we will quote what he says touching this subject, in his paper read before the "State Board of Agriculture," and published in the January number of the Oardener^s Monthly for 1881. " In going through the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the absence of any remarkably old trees was apparent, and Maj. Hotchkiss furnished proof entirely satisfactory thai when the white man settled in the valley it was wholly clear of timber, and that most of the immense quantity we find there now, has grown up during the past one or two hundred years. In like manner the probability is that in all the large valleys of Pennsylvania there was no wood at the early settlement of the State.''' Prof. M. then adds, "This is the tradition among almost all who have had family estates for several generations ; and this is confirmed bv tlie recent investigations of Dr. Joseph Leidy, of the Philadelphia Academy of Nat- ural Sciences, who reported to that body re- cently the finding the bones of the buffalo in caves of northeastern " Pemisylvania. " And further: "Indeed, the tradition is, especially in the Cumberland valley, that these valleys were annually fired by the Indians, chiefly that the trees might be kept down, and food provided for the buffalo instead." Warwick says, the age of the majectic for- est of the present period, generally ranges, by counting the annual growths, from 150 to 200 years." And, "The uplands were burned over occasionally if not annually." Also, "No general and extensive forest fires are likely to have occurred after 1680." Now, it seems to us, that these several statements are I [February, rather corroberative than otherwise. Tlie In- dians must have had som.e object in firing the uplands annually, and who cpn tell that that object may not have been to keep down the trees, in order that the buffalo miglit be pro- vided with food, especially sinc« buffalo bones (if tliey were not the bones of Jones's mule) have been found in Pennsylvania caves. If we were to write an essay on this subject we should quote both of these writers in the af- firmative of the theory that Pennsylvania was once destitute of timber where it is now found abundantly. THE LATE POULTRY SHOW. The second annual exhibition of the Lan- caster County Poultry Association closed on Wednesday evening, January 19, and it scor- ed a financial suece.ss. The receipts at the door were about S400 leaving the society SlOO better off than before the show. The re- ceipts were §25 in exce.>*s of those of last year, but the profit Vras larger because the entry fees were much higher. It is estimated that nenrly 5,000 people visited the show, includ- ing the school children at five cents each, and the complimentary tickets. On Thursday morning all was confusion about Roberts' Hall, the exhibitors being busily engaged in removing their exhibits. All "the exhibits were found by the exhibitors in as good con- dition as when they were given into the soci- ety's keeping, with a single exception, and the damage done to it certainly deserves no milder term than that of A Dastardly Trick. Some time during Wednesday evening, and unobserved by any oue, some heartless rascal seized the mail golden pheasant by the tail and pulled out nearly all of his beautiful plumage, 'xhe bird is not injured, physically, liut his beauty is sadly marred. We clip tlie above from the £ra, and feel gratified that some things can be a "success " in Lancaster county. The great secret of the success of the Poultry Society may be mainly attributed to the/act that it undertakes and carries through its enterprise with ewersf^, and tlie association, as a unit, assumes therespon- sibility, without which, almost any eiiter- prise would fliil. When those who ought to be leaders and exemplers in an enterprise manifest a disposition to "shirk the responsi- bility," in nine cases out of ten, the thing is already, to all interests and purposes, con- demned to failure. " A house divided against itself cannot stand ;" it is contrary to the usual order of things— it is contrary to the inculcations of Divine authority. There is a sense in which, " he that js not for us is against us." If a. respectable majority of a society determine on a worthy enterprise, it is not creditable to a minority to hang with indifference on its "ragged edges." But one sentiment ought to pervade the whole society, and that — success. The success of the late poultiy exhibition redeems the failure of the agricultural and horticultural exhibition of last fall, so far as the county is concerned, but it cannot com- pensate the disappointment experienced by the sponsors of the latter, nor exonerate any one from the responsibility of that failure. Another element of success in the chicken show was the fact that it was gotten up by live chicken fanciers — by interested amateurs and professionals, and in the interest of cliicken culture. It did not depend on dis- interested outsiders. The members of the so- ciety knew they could not expect success with- out energetic labor, and for this they planned and schemed. It was admirably conceived and executed. Again, it had but one object, or idea, and that was chickens, and what pri- marily and subordinately relates to chickens. Its success, however, is not to be measured by its money receipts; it was a success witb- out that. Compared with the magnitude of the exhibition, and the quality of the "goods" displayed, the income was quite ordinary; still it was much better to realize a surplus than to "fall short " that amount. A chick- en show too, is more limited — more distinctly 1881. THE LANCASTER FARMER 19 outlined— thau an agricultural show, and hence possesses the elements of s'eatev oon- centnilion than those of a greater diversity of objects; Iviit the same methods and eiierpies in any dir.clidu would be likely to meel with success. We hope therefore it may ahwiys be successful, for the chicken is a great item iu the domestic economy of the people, and de- serves the encouragement of the people. All honor to the Poultry Society ; may it bo a permanent lixtm-e amoi\g us. ■ AULT BARRICKS." " Taking time by the /ore/ocA-."— Here we have a card, issued on the 17th of January already, which inforuis us that the " Berks County Agricultujal and Horticultural Soci- ety," will hold its twentii-sfventh nmvial cxhi- hition iu the City of Ileadinc;, on the :27lh, 28th, 2'Jth andSOth days of Septiinl.rr, 18S1, and irom the proceedings of said Society, pub- lished in the Reading papers, 5ve also learn definitely, that its exhihilion of 1880 was an entire success, and that the Society is, practi- cally, now out of debt, and has a clever bal- ance in its treasury. And not only that, but that it also owns property, is a unit in its or- ganization, has the material support of the community, and is popular with the people. Well, we don't envy •■ Old Berks ;" but we often ask ourselves, what is Lancaster doing, or what has she done, of such a peculiar na- ture, that she should be deemed imworthy of a similar success V Perliaps the proper ques- tion is, what has she left undone, through which all her agricultural exhibitions have been such signal failiu-es. Who, which, where, and what, is the >' Jonah " that needs to be tlu'own overboard, in order that the enterprise may be enabled to sail into port? Does Lancaster county occupy a social, moral, and material place that is higher than that of Berks county, and therefore does not need these public pageantries as stimulants to success? Are these things so overruled as to redound to the highest social and fmancial good of the people ? Without for a moment doubting the ultimate " blessings of adversity," still we cannot refrain from looking a little deeper into the questiou, and contemplating the problem whether those who can only become regenerated through adver- sity may not occupy a lowerjplane of moral alti- tude, than those who can become regenerated through prosperity. Lancaster has been prone to look (foicn on Berks, when she, perhaps, should have looked up. Long, very long ago, a native of Old Berks used to visit our father's domicile and glowing- ly expatiate upon the qualities of his native domain, and its superiority, in all that related to domestic progress. Perhaps he may have been a little vain of " Ault Barricks "—as he expressed it— but we cannot help admiring his fidelity to the memories of his youthful days. It illustrated that local pride, and unity of senti- ment, through which any community finds its shortest and surest road to material success. AVhen a man thinks his wife bakes the best bread, and compounds the best apple dump- lings on earth, it shows that they are a domes- tic unit, apd in their domicile we are likely to find ■ prosperity and contentment — the house is not "divded against itself." Perhaps this is the key to the lock of Berks county's suc- cess in all her enterprises. She may not be perfect — indeed she may be far in the rear of Lancaster in many essential things, but we cannot deny that she is in advance of us in her Agricultural shows. We are glad that Berks county is in Pennsylvania, and that Pennsylvania is in the United Slates, because we unconsciously partake of their " blushing honors " notwithstanding we may do so little in their achievement. We, perhaps, have not yet attained to our true calling, and are still in a state of progressive probation. If we cannot turn a "summersault," we may, at least, "dance among eggs" without breaking them. All men do not possess the same gifts, the same powers, and the same faculties -at least not in the same degi-ce, and what is true of men, is also true of communities, of counties, and of States. We think, that with- 'out a radical transforiuatlnn, LanCiister coun- ty is not the place in which to hold a success- ful Agricultuial Fair, and that Berks county is. Agricultural shows should be conducted by agriculturists, and iu the iutiaest of agri- clture. That makes all the difference, and that alone. -THE STONE AGE." Indian Relics Plowed Up in Lancaster County. Mr. W. H. McFalls exhibited to us two of the most perfect implements of tlie kind that it has ever been our privilege to see. They are what are usually culled "pestles," and are supposed to have been used for crushing corn, but is questionable whether these were ever used for that purpose,, or even intended to be so used. One of these implements is 17 inches long and 7 inches in circumference, at the thickest part — In the middle. It is made of a yellowish argillicious rock, smoothly finished and tapers beautifidly towards each end, the ends being rounded. The other is in the same form, 10 inches long, 61 in circumference, and is of a harder rock. It has a brownish color, perhaps hornblende, and being susceptible of a finer finish, and not being so liable to external disintegration, it is therefore iu a still more perfect condition than the former; almost pol- ished. Both the implements (or orukments) are perfectly cylindrical (a transverse section would exhibit a perfect circle) and symmetri- cally tapered from their centres to their ends. Pestles or "corn-crushers," in order to be eflfcctive, would natm-ally be larger aud squarer at the base, but the end of these are cone-shaped. They resemble "rolling-pins," and if not used for that purpose, may have been war imple- ments or batons of authority. Mr. McFalls l)lovved them up in one, of his fields, near Clearfield, Providence township, Lancaster CO., Pa. _ A DOUBLE APPLE PRESERVED IN ALCOHOL. Mr J. William Roeting, of Elizabcthtown, I^ancaster county. Pa. , sent us a few days ago, a singular double apple, which we are endeav- oring to preserve in alcohol. The color is uni- formerly a light red, streaked with darker red, but only faintly. Latitudinal circmference, ten inches; longitudinally the circumference is seven inches on one side of the basin and seven and a half on the other side. The basin is moderately deep, and oblong iu form; it had no stem, but the appearance is, that it origi- nally luui a branching stem, one branch at- tached to each end of the basin, indicated by two depressions, or indentations, Between the two divisions of the apple there is an ob- tuse suture on the one side, and a more dis- tinct one on the other side; at the apex — or rather apices — the suture is entirely obsolete, and a slightly elevated ridge instead. There are two very distinct and well defined calyxes, two inches apart. The whole is ovoid in form, as if about the two-thirds of two apples had muted together in their growth. To us the most probable theory is, that two apples grew on one bifed stem ; and that as they in- creased in size, either by friction or pressure, the skin become ruptured, bringing the pulp of each in contact, and that they thus assimi- lated and formed a "silent partnership." Ex- cept this abnormal freak the fruit is well formed, has a smooth surface, and is without a blemish save a slight contusion near the calyx of the inferior side. We don't like to cut it open to explore the inner side, but we judge from the position of the calyxes, that there are seeds and seed cavities in correspon- dence with the external contour. From the dimensions given it may be seen that the size is hardly medium. Jlr. R. said nothing about its variety, and, under the circumstan- ces, we shall not venture to name it — especi- ally since there are about two thousand de- scribed varieties in the United States, and that is, perhaps, one thousand too many. THE TIMBER QUESTION. Its Effect upon our Social Economies, and the Integrity of our Seasons. "Scientists have been teaching us for a number of yi-ars, that the immense amount of timber being cut away was the prime cause of lessening the rain and snow fall. This winter completely explodes that theory aud it these men of science are not submerged by the snow they will please rise up and acknow- ledge their utter ignorance iu matters meteor- ological. "Thus far this has been what we call an old fashioned winter, like they had in the days of our fathers, when they would sit be- hind the stoves all winter, playing "old sledge" and drinking hard cider, spinning yarns aii We have frequently seen species of Pfr- K*B {shad Hies) coming up through fissures in decomposing ice along the shore of the Sus- quehanna, in February and March. We have also found insect larvic frozen so stifl' that Ihey coidd be broken like icicles, and .yet ou the removal of those intact to a warm niedi- um, they have revived and become active. On one occasion we cut tlie caterpiller of Arclia Isabella out of a solid block of ice, in a rain stand, and within three hours afterwards we found it creeping over the carpet in a warm room almost as briskly as in summer. Diu-- iug the cold winter alluded to above, Mr. Hensel, of East Orange street, cut potato beetles out of the frozen earth, but the bee- tles did not seem to l>e trozen— they mashed and made a yellowish streak, as they do on being crushe "snow liiu" Ihe present winter, how cold- it is above that lirie;:nid to illustrate how invulnerable some aliove that line are, we have only to mention that on ^londay, the 7th inst., a young man brought to us a lively chrysalis of Allacus rTcroyJa— "for name"- whicli he had very injudiciously taken out of its coooon. This is the large "American silk- worm," or "Cecropia moth," and we think if any insect would be likely to freeze this one would, for it always spins its cocoon and fi\stens it in a low branch, a weed, a. shrub or some such place. -Its cocoon is impervious to water, and that is pretty much all it pro- vides against. Th. s secured, it is very doubt- ful if ever one was killed by c)Id. Nor will water always effect the destruction of insects, unless they are immersed in it for a long period or until decomposition takes place. It is certahily known that "house Hies" caught in a "water trap" have revived after exposure to the sun's rays in less than an hour. Rev. Mr. Kirby, one of- England's most distinguished entomologists, had his at- tention first called to the study of insects from a most striking case of their tenacity, which came under his observation. lie im- mersed a small yellow and black-spotted "Lady bird" {Cocinella iO-punctata) in spirits, and in placing it in the sun some hours after- wards, it revived and flew away. We have often been astonished, when we have killed and impaled insects, to find them "alive and kicking" two or three days thereafter. Al- though a certain degree of heat will revive insects that are thought to be dead, yet in- tense heat is a surer mode of destruction than intense cold. We wish we could assure farmers and others of a millennial absence of noxious insei ts through the intervention of cold winters, but we cannot. They are here, and have been, here since our earliest recollec- tion, and perhaps always will be here as long as the earth produces food for them to feed upon; and the more the untamed earth is cultivated and its products improved in quan- tity and quality, the more inviting and facili- tating will it he to the pre.sence and increase of insects. No farmer cures his meat, or has his meals cooked, without providing salt. This is an all-pervading and ever accompany- ing essential. Let him regard insects as something that he shall have "always with him," as a matter of course, and make pro- vision by prevention, circumvention, or ex- termination, as conditions upon which he can only be enabled to "reap what he sows." As to Prof. Riley's predictions in reference to tlie appearance of the|seventcen-year locust in Lancaster county in 1881, to which Dr. Greene alluded, we think the professor only refers to it approximately, and not as a finali- ty. He doubtless bases his theory on certain data which ought to produce certain results, if those data have been correctly noted or re- ported. Prof. R. has done more to reduce to systematic order the chaos that has existed in regard to the various broods of tliese insects for the last humlred years, than perhaps any man living. We do not expect such an ad- vent of these insects this year in Lancaster county, as those we witnessed in 18.'54, 18.51 and 1868, although small and isolated broods may appear in certain localities, both in York and Lancaster counties, and to which we have more fully alluded elsewhere. It does not require much prophetic power to forecast the damage done to vegetation liy the seven- teen-year locust. BeyoiKl a little pruning, in some cases absolutely bemlieial to some tree.s, they do very little "dania-e, exeeiit to very young trees, or dwarfs and shrubbery ; but their visits are so "few and far between" that a single year may set matters right again. Had they never been wrongly called " locusts," perhaps, no destructive character- istics would hav(! attached to them ; but that name suggests the locusts of Asia and Africa, &c. PENNSYLVANIA AGRICULTURAL SO- CIETY. The annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society was held at the rooms of the society in llarrisburg, Wednesday, January 2(Jth, 1881. The following officers for the ensuing' year were elected : Pre>ident--\VilliamS. Bissell. Vice I'rcsidents-D. L. Twaddcl), George Blight, William ilassey, Thomas T. Tasker, Charles L. Shariiless, David H. Branson, William II. Holstein, Tobias Barto, S. S. Spencer, Daniel II. Neman, D. 11. Waller, Ira Tripii, .1. S. Keller, James Young, Joseph Piolett, John A. Lemon, .lohn S. Miller, Daniel O. Gehr, L. A. Mackey, George Rhey; .lohn Murdoch, Jr., W. W. Speer, John Mc- Dowell, Moses Chess, J. D. Kirkpatrick, James Miles. Additional Members Executive Commit- tee—A. Wilhelm, Abiier Rutherford, William Taylor, John H. /iegl.r, W. B. Culver. Ex-Presideni-. Members of the Board- Frederick Watts, D. Taggart, Jacob S. Hal- deraan. Amos E. Kapp, John C. Morrow, J. R. Eby. Corresponding Secretary— Elbridge Mc- Conkey. Recording Secretary— D. W. Seller. Treasurer— John B. Rutherford. Chemist and Geologist— A. L. Kennedy. Librarian— William II. Egle. OFFICERS ELECTED. Mechanics' Library Association. At the annual meeting of the Mechanics' Library Association, on the 15th ult., the fol- lowing officers were elected to serve during the ensuing year : President— II. R. McConomy. Vice President— George E. Zellcrs. Secretary- Samuel H. Zahm. Treasurer— Christian Gast. Library Committee— S. S. Rathvon, Wm. F. Duncan, J. W. Byrne, D. C. Haverstick and R. E. Snyder. Property Committee— G. M. Zahm, J. W. Byrne, Philip Docr.som and J. D. Pyott. Librarian — S. S. Rathvon. By a resolution, the annual subscription for others than members was fixed at $1. The association has now over 5,000 books in the Library. Berks Co. Agricultural and Horticultural Society. At the annual meeting of the Berks County Agricultural and Horticultural Society, held in the Court House, in the City of Reading, Pa., on Saturday, January 15th, 1831, the following officers were elected to serve during the ensuing year : President— Jacob G. Zen-. Vice-Presidents— George D. Stitzel, Adam Styer. J. H. Reinhold, William R. High. Reuben W. Scherer.. Secretary— Cyrus T. Fox. Corresponding Secretary-Albert 11. Fegely. Treasurer— Willi.am S. Ritter. Auditors— Matthias Mengle, Ezra High. The twenty-seventh annual exhibition of the society will he held in the City of R«ad- inir, September -27th, 28th, 29th and 30lb,- 18i81. The office of the society is at No. 11 J North Sixth street, (Itmes and Dispatch Office.) Reading, Pa. 22 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [February, Entomological. SEVENTEEN YEAR LOCUSTS. Prof. Eiley, the entomologist, says the year locust will abound next June in Marquette and Green Lake counties, AVls- consin, ip the neighborhood of Wheeling, West Virginia, and probably in Marylaiid, Virginia and District of Columbia. They may also appear, he says, in the west part o'f North Carolina, in northeastern Ohio, Lan- caster county, Pa., and Westchester county, N. Y. There are two broods of these period- ical locusts, one appearing once in seventeen years, and the other once in thirteen. Both broods will appear this year, but not in the same localities. The professor says that the thirteen-year brood will probably be seen in Southern Illinois, in all of Missouri except the northwest corner, in Louisiana, Arkan- sas, Indian territory, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Caro- lina and South Carolina. Tlie two kinds of locusts differ very little in appearance. The earliest appearance of the seventeen-year locusts in this country, so far as the records go, was in 1643 in Plymouth, Mass., and they have not failed to a^jpear once in seventeen years ever since. " Prof. Kiley is aufait on the subject of the " Seventeen year Locust," but we are inclin- ed to believe that his prophecies will not be realized so far as Lancaster county. Pa., is concerned, as a general advent. We have wit- nessed four appearances of the seventeen year locusts, namely in 1817, in 1834, in 1851 and in 1868, and we expect them to visit us again in 1885. If any appear here before that time, they must be an irregular brood, or the thir- teen year variety, although the latter should have appeared in 1880. In parts of York, Adams and Franklin counties a brood ap- years at an irregular period, according to the reports of those who have said they saw them, and in the oil regions a brood appears two' years before the regular period. A sort of dread has been attached to the appearance of these insects that probably will never die out; because, between their appearances a new generation usually rises up, and these do not seem to be much beuelited by the experiences of the generation that precedes them. We were just five years old when we first saw them (1S17), and between that time and the next appearance (1834), we passed through our school days, worked five years on a farm, served five years as an apprentice, grew to manhood, passed through our journeyman- ship, commenced business, and got married. THE CORN-CUT-WORM. "We noticed briefly in a late number the discussion at the Eliuira Farmers' Club on this insect, which is so often destructive to the corn crop. In a late number of the Husbandman we observe the following direc- tions tor destroying it, given by Secretary Armstrong, whicli may be useful to some of our readers, and which we have successfully adopted for many years : "There is really but one way to save the crop after the plants are once attacked by cut-worms— that is to dig the worms out and kill them. It is not a difficult ta.sk, nor is it rery costly. I presume that a fourth part of the loss sustained would be the full equivalent of all the labor it would cost to dig up the cut-worms and kill them. The worm does the mischief at ni^lit, and before morning bur- rows in the ground near the spot where its depredations have been committed. A prac- ticed eye will readily discern the entrance to the hiding place, a small round hole into which the worm has passed and lies concealed. The way to bring the pest up is to thrust a pointed knife down near the hole and lift out the eartli to the depth of two or three inches, when the malefactor will lie exposed to view and can be instantly destroyed. I have known of large fields being cleared by this process at a cost of labor so slight as to bear no comparison with the loss that would other- wise have resulted." The above is the most practical and the most certain remedy for diminishing the number of cut-worms that has ever been dis- covered, as it is also the oldest and most laborious. Other remedies of prevention, or circumvention, there have been published many of, at various times, but their effects are not so certain as the above, if they have not been, in most cases, entirely useless. The cutworm is still amongst us, and especially since the mtroduction of tobacco culture. The "worm" stems to be exceedingly fond of tobacco, and tobacco-growers "go tor him" accoi-dingly. Whether he cuts the corn or the tobacco, it is the "same old coon." These plants, with beans, pPiis, cabbages, radishes, &c., are all the same to him; he is not par- ticular which, and the remedy foi: one is the same for all. ENEMIES OF SPIDERS. " The well-known naturalist, the Rev. H. E. McCook, of Philadelphia, has been talking to the Academy of that city on spiders, which he designated as the most benevolent of in- sects. Among the principal enemies of the spider he enumerated many of those hymen- opterous or four winged flies, the bees, wasps, etc., which produce flesh-eating grubs. Large numbers of spiders are used by this species as food. The nest of one- of these forms was exhibited, built of clay in such a manner as to resemble the pipes of Pan. When opened, these nests were found filled with spiders of different species. They were all paralyzed by the fly, but not killed, and in this .state of suspended animation they remain until the hatching out of the grubs, which eagerly de- vour them one after the other. The unfortu- nate captives lie limp in the jaws of the grubs, showing no sign of sensation and making no resistance. Other flies, and amoiig these may be included the common black house fly, prey upon spiders by destroying the cocoons or by sucking the contents of their eggs when they happen to be uncovered or only slightly pro- tected. The eggs are also devoured in large numbers by birds. Some species of birds as- sist in preventing the spread of spiders by making use of their webs, especially the thick- er portion used in the construction of co- coons, to build their nests. A bird's nest was exhibited composed of this material in such .quantity as to indicate the destruction of a great many webs. Those hymenopterous in- sects which deposit their eggs in tlie cocoons of the spiders, are, however, their most de- structive enemies. When the grubs are hatched, they attack the eggs and young of their hosts and consume them as food, until sufficiently developed to obtain their own nourishment." Many a time, when we were a boy, hnve we watched the Blue wasp (Spinx ' cerulen) building his mud nest and llien sloi in- it \\\U\ spiders; and many a time tnu )i:ive n-e i>.-eii bothered to know his object iu thus JTiipriBon- ing the spider, and tlien closing up the aper- ture of ingress with mud ; never for a mo- ment suspecting that he provided them as food for his young. We have also followed him to the place where he procured his mnd, sometimes carry- ing off a pellet of it lieavy enough to weigh down the front part of his body. House- keepers had no particular love for the wasp, but their aversion to spiders amounted to a dread ; and, had they known the habits of the wasp, they woidd liave loved him more. AN ANT STORY. Frank Buckland, the naturalist, is responsi- ble for the following story : "One day a lit- tle boy of mine, about four years old, being tired of play, threw liimsclf on a grassy mound to rest. Shortly after I was startled by a sudden scream. My instant thought was, some serpent had stung him. I flew in horror to the child but was at once reassured on seeing him covered with soldier ants, oji whose nest he had laid himself down. Num- bers of the iints were still clinging to him with their forceps, and continuing to sting the boy. My maid at once assisted me in killing them. At length, about twenty were thrown dead on the ground. We then car- ried the boy indoors. In about half an hour afterward I returned to the same spot, when I saw a large number of ants surround- . ing the dead ones. I determined to watch their proceedings closely. I followed four or five that started from the rest toward the hillock, a short distance off, in which was an ant's nest. This they entered, and in about five minutes they reappeared, followed by others. All fell into rank, walking regularly and slowly, two by two, mitil they arrived at the spot where lay the dead bodies of the soldier ants. In a few minutes two of the ants advanced and took up the dead body of one of their comrades ; and then two others, and so on, until all were ready to march. First walked two ants bearing a body, and then two others with another dead ant ; and so on, until the line extended to about forty pairs. And the procession moved slowly onward, followed by an irregular body of about twQ hundred ants. Occasionally the two laden ants stopped, and laying down the dead ant, it was taken up by two walking unburdened behind them, and thus, by occasionally relieving each other, they arrived at a sandy spot near the sea. The body of ants now commenced digging with their jaws holes in the ground into each of which a dead ant was laid, while they now labored on until they had filled up the ant's grave. This did not quite finish the re- markable circumstances attending this funeral of the ants. Some six or seven of the ants had attempted to run off without performing their share of the tai-k of dig- ging ; these were caught and brought back, whenthey were at once "killed upon" the spot. A single grave was quickly dug, and they were all dropped into it. Queries and Answers. CABBAGE WORMS. Salem, III., January 31st, 18S1. ' Prof. S.S. Rathvon— -Dear Sir: I have, as one of the members of the .Jo Daviess County Horticultu- ral Society, been requested to discover if there was any remedy for the "Cabbage Worm" which has proved so destructive to tlie cabbage, in this part of the Slate. Through the columns of the ia«(;ns(er lutellUiencer , I see your name as still Interested in the societies there, and although many years have j,assed since I knew you, I filt us though you were yet willins- to funiisli iiifi'i .n:ili< iii to the Lancaste- rians of former times. I.U inu in tlie city, the infor- mation is of no persiiual iuuirst lo me, but would be of real service to my friends. One person reports that a (ierman woman here owed the freedom of her plants, from the worm, to raisimr a bed of flax all around, like a boi-der, to her cabbage bed, and the "White Millers " never got on the plants to deposit th'irnva. Another said, eoveriniif the small plants V, it!i hi;iu, or saw dust, had proved of service, others Said a number of toads round the bed destroyed the woriii.'s. All seem to claim that none of these were forcible enough to satisfy those who were directly interested. Will you be kind enough to write and inform me if there is any remedy for this destroyer of a vegetable that is of such service to us during our long cold winter. During the last week the thermometer has been 27° below zero, and we have line sleighing and our atmosphere is a dry cold, and of a very bracing nature. Hoping to hear from you, lam R. P.S. We cannot answer our correspondents through the mail. When their communica- tions contain anything it would be useful to the public to know, we publish them, and answer them, to the best of our ability, through the columns of oui' journal. There are several insects that are destructive to the cabbage crep, but we infer that our corres- pondent alludes to the " White Cabbage But- terfly " {Pieris rapce) since this insect has been the bane of the cabbage plant through- out a large part of the country for the last seven years'. In its larvoe state it is generally known as the "Green AVorm," because, in color it approximates nearly to the color of the plant upon which it feeds, and hence it may be on the plant some time before its pres- ence is discovered. In regard to the remedies THE LANCASTER FARMER. 23 mentioned in tlio above communication, wc liave no kiii)\vledj?o of tho efficacy of any of them, except that of the toads, and that is only [;oail so far as it goes. Toads ate very effeclivt' insiMi dcstiwers and live almost ex- clusivily upnii tlifin, but they are sucli pei-^ie- cutod auinials. anil they are so repulsive to many people, that it would be dillicult to {^ot a sufficienl imniber tofjetlior to lu.ike their in- Quence fell in a large '"eabbage patch." We have heard of '-bran" lieiuR used to destroy the "cut-worm," but our tobacco-growers seem to have no conddeuee iu it ; cut-worma are as abundant now in Iaue worm iiuisl be fouglit through all ils siages of development iu order to effect its total destvuel ion.. This insect is not a native of our country — it is a "foreign importation," but it is UKu-e destructive, and also more numerous nere than in Europe whence it came. The predominating color of thetly is white, and in size it is about as large as the common yillow bntterlly, so well known from our youth upwards. Tliis fly appears early in the spring and deposits its eggsbn cruciferous plants generally, but is partial to the cabbage. If they are then captured with a hand-net the destruction of each female will prevent the deposition of from one to perhaps three hundred eggs ; and this would certainly be a very eflective mean? of prevention. But if this has not been done, or only partially done, (except searching for, and destroying the eggs on the plants) the next step must be a warfare against the Zdcfce, or "green worms." This will require the application of White Helle- bore, Paris Green, London Purple, or Pyre- tkrum, either as a dry i)owder or liquid in- fusion. Both the Paris Green and J.ondon Purple require a dilution of 15 or ^20 per cent., according to its quality. Ifthe.se ap- plications do not destroy all the worms, and some of them should consequently transform to the cliry.salis, or pupa state, then, by placing strips of rough board about three inches wide, and cross-pieces about six inches higher — iu the form of low benches — between the rows of cabbage plants, the worms will use the lower sides of these benches as con- venient places to pupate, when they may be gathered and destroyed. These insects pro- duce at least two broods during the summer season in this locality, and tlie second brood is always more numerous and more destruc- tive tlian the first ; it therefore behooves the gardener to exercise vigilance until he secures his crop in the fall. The most hopeful cour tingeney, however, is that; this insect Ivas a parasitic enemy tliat destroys multitudes, and in localities where this enemy abounds the cabbage worm has become nearly extermi- nated. A farmer in Fraukliu county. Pa., sent us twenty chrysalids about a year ago, and out of the number seventeen were destroyed by these parasites. Of course the remedy of hand-picking is always available, and although it may be repulsive to some people, still it is not more so than destroying the tobacco worm by hand, a custom that has been very conuuon i'or many years in tobacco- growing distriets, and especially in the South. In conihisiou, jjerhaps it may be necessary to atlmonisli the novice tliiit Paria Green and London Purpk are both virulent mineral poisons, and sliouid be manipulated with caution. On this account many persons are prejudiced against the use of them'; .some, - also, fearing that they might become poi.soned in eating tlie cabbage. But there is no ground for such fears, unless it is prepared by a cook too careless to be tolerated among civilized pe»)i)le. Mrs. P. E. Gjbbons, one of the most intelligent authorities in the County of Lan- caster, iissures us that there is no danger whatever .with proper care, as she has used Pans Gm II as a remedy, "oier and over," with no bad results. When Paris Green was tirst recommended as a remedy against the "Colorado potato beetle," raanyof our farm- ers revolted against it, on the same ground, but they soon overcame their prejudices, and now it is ahumt the only remedy used, and the potato is as certain a crop as any raised in llie county. Ihlhbore and Piircthrum are vegetable poisons, the latter of wliieii has only recently come into use, and is said to be a safer and more effectivo than any remedy now in use, but the supply is still limited. Decoctions of tobacco or sumac flowers are said to destroy the worms when they arc quite young. In tlie application of dry powders, it should be early in the morning while the jilants are covered with dew, and if no dew has fallen they should be .sprayed with water. Finally, if we desire to preserve our •'saur kraui" hitaet we must be •'up and doing." .Since writing tlie foregoing we have re- ceived a bulletin from Prof. Riley, from which we make the following extract ; '■' Experiments wUli Ptirelkrnm—Safe Reme- dies for Cabbage Worms and Potato Bett'es.— The following experiments with Vyretkrum were made, at our recpiest, by Prof. A. .J. Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural College, at Lansing. They are interesting as cfjnlirm- ing all that we have hitherto said in recom- mendation of this pojvder for the imported cabbage worm, no safe and satisfactory remedy for which had been discovered before we recommended this powder and showed that it could be economically used, when simply mixed with water. Its' value, used in this way for the "Colorado potato beetle," as a substitute for the niore dangerous arseni- cal compounds, willatimcebe appreciated."— a V. li. Sept. 27, 1880.— I placed ten cabbage cater- pillars (Pieris rapne) in two small wooden boxes, which were covered with wire gauze. In one box I dusted the least possible amount of Pryrethrum mixed with flour in the pro- portion of one pait of Pyrethrum to twenty parts of flour. I sprayed tliose in the other box with a liquid mixture, using one table- spoonful of Pyrethrum to twenty gallons of \yater. In five minutes all the larvee were on their backs, nor did any of them recover. A large number of caterpillars on the cabbage plants were sprinkled or dusted with the Pyrethrum, the proportion being the same as above. In one hour the plants were ex- amined and in evei-y case the caterpillars were dead. Pyrethrum isa flowering plant that be- longs to the order CoiirosiTvE, and generi- cally allied to the Chi/santliemums, if it is not identical with C. Siense. It is said to be of very ea.sy culture in any common soil, and may be propagated by cuttings, by suckers and by seeds. It is a perennial. Contributions, SHELTER-BELTS. The subject of shelter-belts was discussed at the January meeting of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society, when friend Hiller read an essay adveree to them in his neigh- borhood, or in Lancaster county. I would respectfully differ with him, but would not confine myself to this county — I would take a wider range. Oijr county has many natural shelter-belts through that diversity ot nature's face, as it is presented on the surface of our terrestial abode— in valleys, hills and ridges. I know many instances where buildings were providentially so located that they were shel- tered on all sides . from the cold and bleak winds of winter. Some may be so situated as to be protected only from the northwest or the east winds, but under ordinary circum- stances that is all sutliitent. How pleasant to be protected from tlii' chilling winds— often so (Uimaging to fruit-culture, by liills, trees, a;id high iidges. Sometimes we leave our homes without particularly feeling the dis- comforts of the chilling winds, until we get away some distance from the house. People in by-gone days in this county used to occupy ' mansions in places surrounded by the majestic I oaks of the forest. Some were protected only I on one side, and many are shidtered by belts I of forest trees, and enjoy a comfort unknown ; to those who live in exposed places. Why ' not then go to work and plant shelter-belts iu open or exposed places, and follow artifi- cially the suggestions of nature's laws. It would become a pecuniary "beneftt, as well as a comfort to men and beasts. It would also i encourage and multiply our insectivorous I birds, and diminish the number of noxious I in.sects. I think it a mistake to suppose that I the only efiiecl of shelter belts is to hasten vegetation and render it more liable to injury from early or late spring frosts. Prematurely advanced vegetation is more the effect of the heat of the sun and the earth, independent of protective belts of trees. As the spring ad- vances the rays of the sun become more verti- cal and penetrate the earth more thoroughly, which gives vegetation an earlier start than otherwise. These belts are of great advan- tage even in late si)ring,when apples, peaches, cherries and grapes are in bloom, protecting them from the rough bliists of wind and hail, so fatal to fruit trees about tho fertilizing period. Our shelter-belts should be of mixed timber, with plenty of evergreens. These would then furnish evergreens sufficient for decorating purposes from the trimmings alone. It was the design of Providence to furnish beautiful parks and forests for the subjects of his crea- tion, as a means of making them happy and contented. I have seen in my travels some of the most exquisite natural parks, but these are now being shamefuU^^ invaded, and few of them remain intact, even in this county. On a few of out water-courses we often find what would be beautiful natural parks of evergreens. But these are annually mutilated or decapitated to furnish Christmas and other decorations. Among the people generally the propensity of destruction is greater than that of construction. Through all the West- ern States the very first improvement made, after the building of a habitation, is the plant- ing of shelter-belts; and no place is deemed desirable without them. They plant ever- greens, mixed with other varieties of timber. Walnut is one of the leading timbers for value. It is esteemed a great luxury in the West to possess a house sheltered from the cold winter winds. It is a great enjoyment to "man and beast" to be so protected. That no benefit is derived in any shape from a tim- ber grove (except the value of the timber) is a question that should be no longer debated ; or, that the thermometer varies from 1 to 5 ilegrecs higher in localities surrounded by trees. I knew an orchard in 1833 that was protected, both by a ridge of high ground and by a forest, which wa.s the only orchard in the county that bore a crop of apples that year. There is no doubt whatever that fruit trees will do much better in sheltered places than elsewhere. In the olden times farmers were more particular in locating orchards than they are now. When I was a boy I was fond of rambling through some of the timber parks along some of our larger streiims, and in them I found growing abundantly the com- mon wild red-plum, in what seemed to me their perfection, and when well ripened they were delicious. This was undoubtedly owing to their shel- tered situations as they grew in those groves. Years afterwards t planted one of these wild plum trees in my yard, which was almost treeless then, but it would not bear fruit until I had a thick growth of trees as a shelter arounil it, when it connnenced to bear. I never doubted that these trees attracted the birds, and that the birds destroyed many ot the eurcuHos. I am sorry that my friend from Conestoga hiis taken a stand so dis- couraging to tree-planting, and especially to shelter-l)elts, and at a time, too, when so large a portion of our country is looking hopefully in that direction, and when we .should encourage our people to increase our 24 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [February, planting instead of throwing cold water upon such a laudable enterprise.— TfarwicA:, Febru- ary, 1881. Doubtless, ''circumstances alter eases." It is now more than half a century since we retired from the farm and became a denizen of the town, but we can vividly recall some of our observations and experiences of that period, and they seem to be somewhat in harmony with the sentiments of "Warwick," whether his theory is true or false: After the cold winter of 1834 and 1835 it was found that the peach trees, apricots, nectarines were so badly frozen along the valley of the Susquehanna, that the crop proved an entire failure. This was also largely tlie case with the cherries and apples. Some of the trees were so badly frozen that their trunks and branches bursted. But high up on the very top of the hill that borders the Susquehanna, on the York county shore, was an orchard of peaches, pears, apples and cherries, entirely surrounded by trees. A short distance north- west of it was an elevation called "Round Top, ' ' sparsely covered with evergreens. This elevation, with the intervening trees, formed a shelter to the enclosure. Never was such an abundant crop of fruit seen anywhere as that orchard bore that year— especially of peaches. True, the quality was inferior, but the quantity was simply marvelous. We do not pretend to give the cause, but the facts were substantially as we stated them. On more than one occasion we have seen the sides of trees, exposed to dashing rain and hail at the fertilizmg period, entirely desti- tute of fruit, whilst the protected side bore an ample crop. ^ For The Lancasteb Farmeb. BEES AND GRAPES. Editor Lancaster Farmer — Dear Sir: By close investigation I have satisfied myself that bees do not destroy sound grapes. We had, during the past season, 22 colonies of Italian and common black bees ; all the hives were in close proximity to the grapes, while a number had the vines trained over them for shade during the heat of summer. The grapes are of the Concord variety, of which we had an abundance of fine fruit, some clusters of which grew within 18 inches of the entrance to the hives. Bunches of the grapes remained on the vines until the frosts had killed the foliage, which fell off and left the grapes exposed, af- fording every temptation to the bees ; and this, too, through a season when the honey yield from natural sources was so small that the bees were consuming the stores they had gathered earlier in the season. But the bees do work on grapes, and also on other fruits under certain conditions. If the skin of grapes, peaches, pears, &c., .is rup- tured from any cause, the bees, wasps, ants, &c., are very quick in discovering it, and soon leave only the dried shells. During the hot weather of August, especialy when there are frequent showers, the skin of ripening fruit cracks, for reasons which I will leave to some philosophical friend to explain. My conclusions are not hasty; nor were ray observations superficial ; but they were pro- longed from the time the first grapes ripened until the close of the season. I found some clusters of grapes literally covered with bees scrambling and fighting for the little sweets contained in the cracked grapes, which are the only ones on which they work, as I found out by driving the bees away and removing from the clusters all the bursted grapes ; when the bees, as soon as they found on]'_ i ound fruit remained, went away and left tht, grapes uninjured. We also laid some bunches of grapes on top of the hives and others close to the en- trances, also left clusters hanging on the vines close to the hives, where they remained unin- jured by the bees as long as the fruit was sound. I know very well that bees can gnaw through heavy muslin, or shave' off wood and straw. To cover the bees we have quilts made of heavy muslin which they sometimes bite through, and we have wood and straw hives on which they have enlarged the entrances; but, nevertheless, I am fully satisfied that they do no injury whatever to sound fruit.— Yours, &c., W. H. Stoiit, Pine Grove, Janu- ary 22, 1881. Although it is not now the time to plant potatoes, it is never out of season to lay plans for next season's operations. In this severe winter weather, when outdoor work cannot be carried on to much extent, we have good time to plot out our next _ summer's work, so that when the season for each par- ticular work comes around we may be ready for it. How much ground are we going to plant to potatoes ? Shall we plant in corn- stalk ground or in sod ¥ If for an early crop on stalk ground, we should have hauled our manure on the ground last November and plowed it down, but if that was not done, the manure should behauled on the ground and plowed down as early as possible, and the potatoes should be planted as early in April as the weather will permit. A good dressing of stable manure appears to be essential on stalk ground to raise a good crop of early potatoes. A mixture of cow and horse manure is good. Cow manure alone is not considered of much value for potatoes. But no good farmer will have his manure other- wise than mixed. The value of a manure pile on wliich the cleanings of the cow and horse stables are regularly mixed weekly, is worth fifty per cent, more than the fire- fanged hor.^e' manure is when piled up by itself. If the ground is poor it may be well to scatter about two hundred weight of a good superphosphate along the rows before dropping the seed. If stable manure is scarce, stalk ground can be put in good con- dition for growing potatoes for late crop, without stable manure, by sowing the ground in early fall to rye, or if this was neglected it will be of some benefit to sow to oats as early as possible. But a clover sod is ijetter than any of the foregoing, either for an early or late crop. But as many of our farmers can- npt, or think they cannot spare the clover sod, they can adopt the green manuring with profit. The best time for planting for a late crop is from June 1st to 20th. Before planting sow broadcast on anacrethe mixliirf' in tin- fol- lowing formula, which Ikis Ihmi lii.d mid found valuable: 200 It.s. (li.-^sulvpd animal bones ; 200 ibs. Acid of South Carolina Rock ; 300 K>s. Sulp'jate of Potash ; 200 fts. ground land plaster. These ingredients can be had of responsible parties at a cost not exceeding ten dollars. In this green m.anuring -it is necessary to plow the potato seed in. By using a chain the rye, oats or clover can be completely turned under, where they will gradually decay, giving both food and mois- ture to the growing plant. The seed should be dropped every third furrow, regulating the furrow slice so that the rows will be from 32 to 36 inches apart. Experience has sliown that that distance apart is-iiiont riglit for the amount of cultivation that is necessary in dry seasons. Seed cut to two eyes has proven the most satisfactory. One of the i)rincipal objections to single eyes is that many fail to grow. Two eye cuttings should be planted 12 to 14 inches apart, while one eye cuttings may be put down 9 or 10 inches apart. Lay tlie seed Close to the inverted furrow ; this will make it come up regularly between the fur- row slices ; it will also be less liable to be tramped by'the horse walking in the furrow. The first culture necessary is to prevent the formation of a hard crust and to destroy all weeds as fast as they appear. A spike-harrow is the proper implement to use before the potatoes are up, and it can be used to advan- tage even after they are an inch or two high. For the rest of the cultivation the shovel- harrow is ihe best. In the earlier part of the season run the shovel-harrow deep and as close to the plant as possible ; later, not so deep, and further from the plant. Theshovel- harrow properly used will hill up the plants about as much as the crop requires. The object of cultivation is to keep down weeds, and the ground from baking ; and for these purposes it is necessary to keep it up to the end of the growing season. If this is faithfully carried out you can laugh at dry weather and be reasonably sure of a good crop. An acre on clover sod, in 1879, treated as above, yielded 200 bushels. Three-fourths of an acre, also clover sod, in 1880 yielded 100 bushels. The 1879 crop liad only one rain during the season sufficient to reach the root, while the 1880 crop had no rain that moistened more than the surface. The 1880 crop was planted with single eyes, which made a bad failure in growing, proba- bly about one-fourth. The mimber of pota- toes to the plant was from one to tliree, sel- dom four, many of them being undesirably large. Two-eye cuttings would have made a better set, and probably would have increased the yield otherwise. The potato crop under the ordinary treatment which it usually gets is the most uncertain of our crops. By good manuring and high cultivation it can be made pretty reliable.— 0. Essays. - " EX-LIBRIS."* Literary collections are as old as civiliza- tion. In Europe complete series of Roman coins have been found, so exquisitely ar- ranged that there can be no doubt that their collection had been a labor of love on the part of certain ancient patricians. It is re- corded that the historian, Cremutius Cordus,. had made a collection of autograph letters, and that when they were in danger of being destroyed by fire his daughter proved her filial aftectio'n by saving them at the peril of her life. Pliny says that in his days the auto- graph letters of Julius and Augustus had become exceedingly rare, and were highly prized by amateurs, which proves that rare documents were collected and treasured as at present. At present there is hardly a class of objects which has not received the attention of the amateur. All work of this kind is fascinating, and (J very culleftion thus formed is possessed i.f inti'iist. Xcry leceutly there has been a ras.- for "Bonk-1'lalcs," or "Ex-Libns," and I deem it proper to mention to the Linnsean Society the appearance of this new "hobby," as well as to acknoyvledge my personal weak- ness for these bits of torn and tarnished paper. Book-Plates are believed ito have appeared during the Reformation at Nuremberg, which was tlien the great centre of wealth and literature. Willibaldus Pirckheimer, a wealthy patron of letters, who was among the first to declare himself in favor of the Reformation, induced his friend, Albert Durer, to engrave' a plate, which he mounted in the volumes of his library. His example was soon followed by other patricians of Nuremberg, and spread to all the countries of Euroiif, TliPse plati'S. as they successively aiipcar it) vaiidus coiiiiti-ics. furnish jierfect illustralions of llir hisloi'v of art, besides the fact tliat tliey preserve a vast amount of curi- ous information concerning the history of families and individuals. German and French "ex-libris" have always been rare, but in England, especially during the last century, every family of note had its separate book-plate. Sometimes half a dozen of them are found placed over each other in a single volume, thus giving the history of a number of generations. Every heraldic device has its story to tell, and thus the work of collection is found to possess ex- traordinary fascination. In America "ex-libris" were common dur- THE LANCASTER FARMER. 25 iiii,' the Colonial period, but during the early \t:irs of the republic, when the display of ;mnoriiil bearings was regarded as aiiti- rL'))ublican, they were almost unlinown. All this is rapidly changing, and almost all of the book-worms of our great cities once uiore in- dulge in this literary luxury. At the request of certain members of the society I have brought with me a few specimens of the "ex- libris" of various countries, which I have col- lected witli the intention of finally arranging them in a volume, according to tljcir age and nationality. It is with some licsitalion thai I venture to exhibit tliein. To the great multitude of Philistines, "who believe that man lives by bread alone," the whole subject is no doubt suflicicntly contemptible, but to those who have sufferid for years from lack of aiiprcriiition in liuir several employments, it will ln' ]ilaiii tliiil lirsides furnishing a de- lightful recriation tlicsp little "ex-libris" are capable of furnishing a considerable amount of valuable information. ABOUT ABPLES.* It has, for some years, been manifest that Lancaster county cannot compete with West- ern New York and some of the Nortliwestern States in growing apples for market. Our apple crop of 1880 was a plentiful one, but about the holidays very few good Lancaster county apples could be found in our market, while York State apples, of the best quality, were "plenty, at about two dollars a barrel. Owing to the extreme hot and dry summers that have been the rule for ten or more yeais past, our apples ripened so early in the season that they were not to be relied on for winter use. Many persons pronounce apple culture unprofitabel, and in consequence orchards are left to go down, and new ones are sparingly planted. It may be admitted- that, in a com- mercial sense, niueteen-twentieths of our • orchards are a failure, but it is, nevertheless, a mistake for any one to think that he has a well-regulated farm oh which there is no orchard. An acre orchard of good varieties with ordinary care willone year with another, without selliug a dollar's worth of fruit, real- ize more to the owner than his average acre • of the farm. It furnishes us with sauce, pies, cider, vinegar, applebutter, snits, a supply of ripe fruit from early in July to winter, giving comfort and health to the children and all about the house ; also, taking into considera- tion the saving of bread and meat, and it will also be quite an item in the saving of corn by feeding the scrubs and surplus to the pigs. Add" these together and see if your orchard does not compare fiivorably with your other acres. But apple culture is not so entirely discouraging, but that by judicious selection of varieties, soil and care, orchards could be made profitable, commercially. An intelligent farmer in Strasburg town- ship realized five hundred dollars (actual sale) from an orchard of one hundred and fifty trees. His selection of varieties is a good one, but for his special market purposes hfs profits would have been better if he had only had half or perhaps one-third as many varieties. A ^ood selection of fifty trees for home use would be about as follows, viz : 1 Early Harvest, 2 All Summer, I Red As- tracban, 2 Benoni, 2 Maiden's Blush, 2 Jeffries, 2 Townseiid, 2 Hubbardston Non- such, Ic Smokehouse, 2 Mellinger, 2 Rambo, 4 Baldwin, 4 Griest's Winter. 4 York Im- perial, 4 Smith's Cider, 4 Willow Twig, 4 Russets, 4 Sweet. If the fruit is wanted for a general market during the season, the list would be better somewhat like this : 2 Early Harvest,4 Bed Astrachan,4 Benoni, 6 Mellinger, 6 Maiden's Blush, 8 Smokehouse, 6 Hubbardston Nonsuch, 8 Baldwin, 0 York Imperial. Or, if the fruit is wanted for a special mar- ket, the list would admit of further improve- ment, say : •Read before the Lancaster C'ouiitv Aprlinillural nnd Horticultural Society, by Casper Hiller, Momlav, Feliru- ury 7tU, 1881. 10 Smokehouse, 10 Ba,Idwin, 10 Ewalt, 10 York Imperial, 10 Smith's Cider, 10 Griest's Winter. Many years of observation has shown that the foregoing varieties are reliable and valu- able, but there are many other kinds that are equally good. The rule by which the planter should be governed is to plant largely of varieties that lie knows are especially good and profitable in his own neighborhood. In order to be more successful with our future orchards, we will have to pay more at- lenliun to the soil and location. Our dry southern slojies must be avoided as much as po.ssible. Northern inclinations are i)refer- able, because they are not so much atlected by. the sun and dry we.iHirr. Depp clay loams retain nmisliire Ix-ltn- ilmn miikIv soils, and therel'.ire sIkiuIiI have lie- prelniMice. To grow the speeial list above jriven it will be of the highest importance to have a rich moisture, retentive soil, a level bottom or a drained swamp, where the water may be but a few feet beneath the surface, but where no stagnanl water ntmains after a rainfall, or a rather sleep iiorlhcrn slope of a hill. Anyone having such a situation could hardly fail in having an orchard that would yield far better returns than the average crops of the farm. If these northern slopes, or moisture- retaining soils, are not available, we must guard against the effects of he,at and drought by cultivating and mulching. If all the water that falls in our summer thunder showers could be made available our trees would want very little more. But thisse fall so fast, aud often last but a few minutes, that the soil becomes moist only an inch or two, while the water flows away. Some one has suggested that a basin be made around the tree by banking up the earth that would hold a hogshead or. more, into which the waste water could be turned with very little labor. The water would soon sink away and moisten the earth so deep that it would take some time to dry out. The suggestion is worthy of consideration. After the selection of a site, and the jmiper planting of the trees, it is important that we give our orchard proper attention and care. We do not attempt to raise a crop of corn or tobacco without mitnuring and cultivating. We sometimes think it expedient to put .§.?() worth of manure to an acre for tobacco. But as the seasons come around we look for a crop of apples, never thinking that the trees too want manure and cultivation. Ten dollars worth of manure to the acre in the shape of wood ashes or superphospiiate would no doubt be a paying investment, add- iug not or ly vigor to the tree, but also size and- 1)eauty to the fruit. Trees are very grateful for cultivation. It is astonishing what vigor, with the aid of manure, it will put into trees.- A plot of gr«und was dug and manured, and has been annually top-dressed for a few years for an experimental grape patch. On this plot stood au old dwarf pear, over twenty- five years old, a poor, stunted thing. This, under the treatment, took a new lease of life, and is now as thrifty as a fruit tree can be. Where it is impracticable to continue culti- vation, the next best thing is to sow to grass and give liberal -treatinent afterwards. An annual top-dressing of a fertilizer, rich in potasli and pho.sphorit^ aeid, to the amount of from two to four hundred weight to the acre, would make a crop of grass and keep the trees thrifty. The first cutting of the grass could be made into hay, while the second should be spread over the ground where it would act as a mulch and as a manure. It has been re- commended by a good authority that a top- dressing of iialf a cart load of 'road wa.sh or earth from ditches, swamps, &c., spread around each tree is highly beneficial. Orchards so situated, where the wash from roads and hillsides can be conducted over them, are always among the best bearers. This may also be a hint for selecting a site. | The secret of success with orchards, there- fore, would appear to be to a great extent in our own control. Selections. A Patent rat-trap. The Singular Effect the Beating of Drums Had on a Nest of Rodents. , A most remarkable phenomenon was wit- nes.sed in the Second ward, this city, says the Newcastle (Pa.) JVeH-s, being no less than large numbers of rats being enlieed to their death by the roll of drums. A number of the small boys of this city, hearing it is said that nits could be brought out of their holes by Uie beating of.drums, determined to try the ex- periment. So, procuring a number of these instruments of martial music and a half dozen dogs with a weakness for rat flesh, they pro- ceeded to a barn near Pear.son's flouring mill, in which .structure were known to dwell many well-fed rodents, who subsisted on the con- tents ot the grain bins near by. Stationing part of their number with drums in the hay- mow of the stable, and the other at the doors with the dogs, everybody was eager for the fray. The drummers brought their sticks down on the taut calf-.skin, and .soon the building shook to its very foundation with the deafening roll. Several boys had been sta- tioned at various knot-holes in the floor of the hay-mow, and these youths, iieering down into the semi-darkness helow. soon saw twink- ling eyes appear at certain aiieitiires all around the apartment beneath. The drum- ming was continued, and shar])-i)ointed noses aud then sleek bodies f)f rats came from the boles. Soon the rapid rolling of the drums seemed to excite the rodents to a |)oint lie- yond self-control. They began to taper and whisk around the stable'llooras if intoxicated. They ran around the feed liins in a wild chase after each other. So rapidlv diil thev turn corners that their tails snaiiiied with a report like that of al)ull-wliacker"s whip. and making the flour fly from their caudal appendages so .as to fill the .apartment with dust. Now was the time for action. The boys with the dogs were siL'iialed, the doors were opened and the biiii; - ' 11, -^ let in on them. The unfortu- nii' ' i I Id lie undera spell .and made '!" ' ^'-ek their holes. For five iiiiiiii! .- . ;,.ii^.,u r reignedsupr<3me, and when it had .subsided the floor w'as covered with the bodies of forty-three rats. Again were the drums called into retjuisition, and the same scene ensued again. This time thirty-eight rats bit the dust. The boys continued their ojK'iations with their drums and dogs all the afternoon, and when evening came tlier^Mvere piled u\} in front of the stable, mangled, cut and torn, the bodit-s of four hundred and seventy-nine rats. In fact, all tlie rodents which had lived and thrived for vears on the grain in the mill had been totally extermi- nated. COLD WINTERS. The Winter of 1779-S0- The Cold Friday of February 7, 1807. The winter of 1770-80 beuan as the present one did, and bctore the slight moderation in the atmosiiherc. many of the elder residents, whose fathers aud mothers had told them many tales of that terrible winter, were speculating as to whether the present one would resemble it in other respect.?. lu 177'.»-SO the .-old weather set in alwiit the middle of November and continued until about the middle of February. During that long period there was not enough warmth in the sun's r.ays to melt the .snow on the ground, nor to affect in the least the fetters of ice that bound the cieek.s, ponds and rivers. One snow storm followed another until finally the ground wa.s so covered that it was difficult to go from place to place, and the ice upon the rivers at all convenient points was used by men and teams and animals in place of roads. 26 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [February, The cold winds were so piercing that wild turkeys were found frozen to deatli in the forests, and domestic fowls fell frozen from their roosts. The deer and bufl'alo .sought shelter from the blast around the cabins of the settlers, and all kinds of wild animals perished in the forests for want of food, which was buried beneath the snow. The fierce wolf and panther, which usually skulked about the boundaries of the settlements only by night, now came near in broad daylight in search of the bones and offal thrown from the cabins of the settlers. No rain fell, and the pioneers were compelled to obtain water for drinking, cooking, etc., by melting ice and snow. The Northern and Western rivers were tightly bound by frost, and even as far south as Nashville the Cumberland was frozen over with ice tliick enough for tlie safe passage of emigrant trains. The Delaware, at Pliiladelphia, had ice three feet iu thickness, and tlie Chesa- peake Bay and Long Island Sound were frozen over. Another similarity l)etween the present winter and that of 1779-80 was the mild autumn weather that preceded it. When the cold began in November, 1779, the leaves had hardly fallen from the forest trees, and many trees and shrubs were putting forth new growth. The same condition of tilings was witnessed last fall. The winters of 1788, 1784, 1786, 1787, 1792, 1796 and 1799 are all reported as having been very severe. It is stated in "Hildreth's Pioneer History," that on the 26th of December, 178S, the Delaware and Oliio rivers were both frozen over and navicration was suspended upon them until the 18th of the following ISIarch. In 1792, when soldiers were sent to the disastrous bat- tle field of Gen. St. Clair to bury the dead, they encamped where Cincinnati now stands, January 23. Tlie snow was reported two feet deep upon the ground, and the Ohio was so stronixly frozen that the soldiers rode tlieir horses across from Kentucky on tlie ice. The 7th of Febi'uary, 1807, was known for years as cold Friday, and was the groundwork of many a grandfather's tale. On the evening of the 6th the weather was mild, and raiti began to fall as night set iu. In a few liours the rain changed to snow, which fell to the depth of six inches, after, which a hurricane came to sweep over the land. It grew colder /and colder as the night progressed, and the next morning the trees inlhe forests were cracking like Oie reports of guns,' and every- tliing was bound up in fetters of ice. There was no thermometer to register the cold, but the day comes down in history and tradition as Cold Friday. All cultivated plants contain lime in their aslies, and it is considered necessary to their l)roper growth. But as soils generally contain enough lime, and we apply it for its action upon the soil, lime acts upon and greatly aids the decompositions of organic matter in tlie soil. It is thought to neutralize the organic acids contained in what are called '"sour soils." In a complicated manner it aids in the fl.^ing of Ammonia. It also acts upon the inorganic or mineral constituents of the soil, and aids in converting them into forms in which they can be taken up by the plants, especially in liberating potash from its combi- nations. The edo'ct of lime upon the mechani- cal condition of the soil is an important fea- ture. Upon heavy clay soils its effect is most marked ; the particles lose their adhesiveness, and allow air and water to enter. These are the leading effects that follow the use of lime. In view of the claims made for ground, un- burned limestone, it is an important question how far it can produce the above effects. That the unburned limestone will supply the demands of the plant for lime, that it may slowly neutralize organic acids, and help the mechanical texture of the soil, seems very probable. But that it will perform one of the most important offices, the decomposition of organic matter in the soil, and convert that into plant food, seems improbable, because tlie ability of lime to do this depends in a great measure upon its avidity for carbonic acid, while limestone, being already a car- lionate, lias no Jieed of more. That limestone cannot jiroduce all the effects of lime is shown by the well-known fact that soils underlaid by limestone, and naturally containing a large proportion of finely divided'carbonate of lime, are as much benefited by the use of quick- lime as are soils deficient in limestone, The advertisements of ground limestone, that we have seen, make great use of the experiments of one person in Pennsylvania, who states that his yield of wheat, treated with ground limestone, was more than double tliat to which slaked lime had been applied. He also claims to have found it a much cheaper fer- tilizer than lime and bone dust, and more profitable than Guano and Superphosphate. These statements have been sent by several who ask our opinion. Our "opinion" is, that we do not accept as final the results of any one experimenter, when they are in direct opposition to the accumulated evidence of tliose whose pi-actice runs through many years. In nothing more easily than in agri- cultural experiments can an effect be ascribed to the wrong cause, and when we see the fer- tilizing value of ground Limstone placed above Guano or Superphosjiate, we do not accept \t.^ American Agriculturist. . AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. One of the most extraordinary facts con- nected with the recent progress of this repub- lic is, that during tlie year ending ending June 30th, 1880 "the value of the exports of domestic ai^riculture amounted to $083,- 019,076, and constituted 82.0 per cent, of the total value of exports of all kinds of domestic enterprise in the United States. We call es- pecial attention to these figures as significant- ly illustrating the amazing prngiessof our na- tional agriculture, and the extent to which it has become the chief reliance of the general trade and (■niiiiii.-n-i' nf ilu' ri';mlili<;-, I'ur it must be i-pcILt!. ,1 that in adililinu u, this volume iif i-.\ij('rlati"ii to furrigii cnuutries, our farmers and planters finnished all tlie cotton used in the domestic inanut'actines, all the wool used in the home industries, all the breadstuffs consumed, all the live stock, and all the meat and provisions. Of course we have no intention of underrating the value of manufactures and mining to a nation like ouns. But it must be evident that — notwith- standing all the progress we have made in tlie primary and advanced arts of civDization — this nation is still devoted so overwheljuingly to agricultural pursuits as fairly to dwarf ail other interests. In 1860, and for forty years preceding, the exports of raw cotton from the United States to foreiaii comitiips were fifty-three per cent, of the total \aluc nf the exports of domestic merchniulise. But during the last fiscal year the exports of cotton amounted to only about twenty-six percent, of the total. This was owing to the remarkable fact that the export of bread- stufls rc.se from #24,422,310 in the year 1860, to $288,036,835 in the year 1880, while in the same period the exports of provisions in- creased from $16,612,441 to no less than $127,- 043,242. Those who shidy these figures at- tentively will appreciate the attention given from tiiiie to time by the Ttleijniph to the amazing development of the live-.stoek interest in the Northern and Western States. Grain-farming in this country seems to stand in no need whatever of encouragment or stimulation. It increases spoiit.aneously so fast that the only trouble is to provide adequate facilities for transportation. But those branch- es of farming which relate to the provision trade offer much better chances of profit, and are more varied and diversified iu character and details. Although not so easily under- stood as grain-farniing, they nevertheless seem to be acquiring immense scope in all parts of the North and West, and in the course of the next ten years there can be very little doubt that tJiey will raise the exports of provisions from this country to an equality with the exports of cotton or breadstuffs. In fact, it really seems to us to be the true voca- tion of our people to be the great agricultural reliance of the civilized world. To say that this republic is destined to be the world's gran- ary but feebly meets the case. It seeins to be xjur province to feed and clothe the world. Before that great fact, all other national inter- ests dwindle away into insignificance. — Ger- manlown Telegraph. A VALUABLE TABLE. Messrs. D. Landreth & Sons have issued the following table, giving the quantity of seed and number of plants requisite to crop an acre of land, which will prove valuable to farmers aiid gardeners, and to families gener- ally who may have only a small garden. It can always be referred to to set one right in any matter of doubt connected with the subjects involved. We have ourselves often been bothered for instant information which this table would have supplied : Asparagus in 12-inch driils, 16 quarts. ■ " plants @ 4 by m feet, 8,000. Barley, 2% bushels. Be.ius, Bush., in drills @2V< feet, IH " " Pole, Lima @ 4 by 4 feet, 20 quarts. " Carolina, Prolific, &c., 4 by -i, 10 " Beets and Mangolds, drills @ 2'^ feet, 9 pounds. Broomcorn in drills, 12 " Cabbage, outside, for transplanting, I'i ounces. Cabbage shown in frames, 4 " Carrot, in drills @ 2]4 feet, 4 pounds. Celery, seed, 8 ounces, plants ® 4 by M feet, 25,000. Clover, White Dutch, 12 pounds. " Lucerne, 10 " " Alsike, 6 " " Large Red with Timothy, 12 •' " " " without " 16 " Corn, Sugar, 10 quarts. " Field, 8 Corn Salad, drill @ 10 inches. 25 pounds. Cucumber, in hills @ 3 quarts. " " in drills, 4 " Egg Plants, plants 3 by 2 feet, 4 ounces. Endive in arills @ 'J.yi feet, A pounds. Flax, broadcast, 20 quarts. Grass, Timothy, with Clover, ri " " " without Clover. 10 " Orchard, 25 "' " I{ed Top, or Herd, 20 " " Blue, 28 Rye, 20 " .Millet, 32 Hemp, broadcast. % bushel. Kale, (ierman Greens, .3 pounds. Lettuce, in rows @ -IM feet. ^i Leek, " 4 " Lawn Grass, 35 " Melons, Water, in hills, S by 8 feet 3 " " Citron, " 4 by 4 feet. ^' " Oats, 2 bushels. (I!;! :. ill i.i, !-,■,■' , !)y '^ feet, '>'■• ■ •• ■■ r .^i-'is; 20 50 pounds. ; -1 l.-.vge bulbs. 7 " P. 11 -,,:',. ', ,- ■ . LJ'.: iL-e', 5 17,.500. Pumpkin, i,, • 1 11, 2 quarts. Parsley, m 4 pounds. Peas, inilril,:^, -i..,, ,,:in.|„.^, tail ltol> bushels " broadcast, Potatoes, 8 " Radish, iu,drnis (212 feet. 10 pounds. Rye, broadcast. 1^ i bushels. " drilled. 11 " Salsifv, ill drills (n, 2'.. feel, in' pounds. Spinach, broadcast, 30 " Squash, Bush, in hills, 4 by 4 feet. ."> " " runnliig, 8 by 8 feet. 2 " Sorghum, 4 quarts. Turnips, in drills @ 3 feet, :j pounds. " broadcast. 3 " Tomatoes, iu frame. 3 ounces. seed in hills, 3 by 3 feet. 8 " plants, 3,800. Wheat, in drills. I'x ;jjusliels '" broadcast, ■i A REMARKABLE YEAR. Viewed from a business standpoint, the year has been a remarkable one, probably the most remarkable in the history of the country. There has been a good revival in tiade, and the volume of legitimate business during the year was beyond all precedent. This im- proved condition of affairs was the natural result of large crops, a good export demand for our products, the growth of the country. 1881] THE LANCASTER FARMER. 27 the heavy infhix of gold from Europe, and the complete restoration of confidence, Rrow- ing out of the success of si)ecie payments. One of the most >;ratifying features of 1S8() has been the great falling off in the number of -failures and amount of liabilities of suspend- ed merchants. The growth of the country and the large additions to the national wealtli during 18S0 are strikingly illustrated in the products of the soil, of which we raised 475,- 000,000 bushels of wheat. 15.-,,(I00.0(I0 busliels of corn, 413,000,0(10 bushels ..t oats. 24,000- 000 bushels of rve. 4(i,U0it,(Hiii bushels of bar- ley, and 6,000,000 bales of cotton, to say nothing of the toliacco, sugar, rice, hemp, hay, and other crojis, and the hogs and dairy products, which yield au immense sum of money in the aggregate. In plain words, the United States now raises enough to ;feed her own 50,000,000 of people and to supply the deficiency of the balance of the civilized world. During the year more miles of railroad have been built, more consolidations and combinations have been entered into, more freight and passen- gers have been trausportcd. more money earned and nicirc interest and dividends paid, than in any former year. The commerce of the country during the year has made rapid progress and caused the United States to take still higher rank, being now third among the commercial nations of the globe. NEW PROCESS IN MILLING. All the Minnesota millers are now lighting the old-fashioned Hour barrels. They say it is a relic of barbarism. They desire to substi- tute the cotton sack in its place. Cotton sacks holding a half barrel of flour are worth ten cents apiece. Flour barrels aie worth forty- five cents each. All the flour shipped to Glasgow and Rotterdam goes in cotton sacks. These sacks are worth as much there as here. The millers maintain that flour does not sift through a good cotton bag as much as it sifts through a barrel. The bags of flour were shipped to Glasgow, returned to Minneapolis, and sent again to Glasgow. "When weighed they bad actually gained in weight. Six hundred barrels "of flour put up in bags and shipped to Glasgow will gain in weight one thousand eight hundred pounds. When l^ew York flour dealers begin to handle flour in half-barrel sacks, the people will save twenty- five cents on a barrel and have their good sacks left. The old millstones are taken out and new Bteel rollers are substituted in their places. The wheat passes through five sets of rollers, ea(;h set closer than the former. These rollers are thirty inches long and ten inches in diameter. After passing between each set of rollers it is "bolted" or sifted through the cloth. The last rollers are hardly anything but wheat hulls and the waxy germs which do not crack up, but smash together. So flour is now cracked and disintegrated without grinding. The first rollers crack the kernels of wheat into say six pieces. The slarcliy substance which rattles out drops through the cloth sieves or bolting cloths. These six pieces are broken between the next rollers into thirty-six pieces. Then the wiiite starch crumbs are sifted out again, and the thirty-six pieces are passed between still tighter rollers, which crack them into 216 piees; another set of roll- ers multiply each of these particles into six more, making them agregate 12fl6. Another set of rollers screwed together with tremen- dous pressure makes 777(5 pieces. The scien- tific miller says a grain of wheat is finally cracked into 7776 pieces without being ground at all. This is the Hungarian process. The germ of a kernel of wheat is a waxy sub- stance, not fit to eat. Between .stones this germ grinds into the flour and damages it. By the new process of the Hungarian rollers this germ is flattened out, and it is bolted out. However, it is finally ground up with the debris, on stones, to make the low grade of flour, which we sell in Eotterdani for S2.50 per barrel.— Cinciwjiati Conmurcial. Our Local Organizations. LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Tlic n-riiliir st.itc-.l iiiiolin;,- of'llie I,:inc.is(cr County A-iiiiiltmal and Horticultural Society was heW ill ttioir room, In City Hall, on .Monday after- noon, February 7l)i, President WItnier In tlu> cliair. In the absence of the Secretary, M. D. Kciidle, Calvin Coo|)er acted as Sccietary. The readliiff of tlie minutes of lant meetini; was dispensed ivitli. The followinir membera and visitors were present : Joficpli F. .Wltmer, President, Paradise ; Calvin Cooper, Bird-lii-llaiid ; Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy; Casper Ililjer, ConestoRa ; John C. Linvlllc, Salis- bury; Wm. H. Brosius, Uruinore ; Washiniitou L. Hershey, Chickics ; Frank H. Dlfl<;nderfl'er,cily ; Henry ihiffer, Upper Lcacock ; Henry Hcrr, Lan- caster towiisliip; J. M.Johnston, city; Cyrus Naif, Manor; John .Slerlinc, West Hcnipfleld ; Simon P. Eliy, city ; John Kesh, Pequea ; W. W. (iriesl, city; Dr. VVm. Compton, city; E. 8. Hershey; James Wood, Little Britain; John H. Frey, F.phrata: J. H. Hershey, Uohrerstown : Dr. C. A. Greene, city; Levis. Kcist, Oregon. M. L. Grcider, of Kaplio, and John E. Huber, of Pequea, were proposed for membership and elected. Crop Reports. Henry Kurtz said he could report a vary heavy crop of ice and snow, and an abundance of unstripped toliacco. Of tlie stripped tobacco only a small pro- [wrtion has been sold. The ground is so deeply cov- ered with snow and ice that it is impossible to tell what is the condition of the winter wheat. It is re- liorted tliat the peach trees and some ot the apple trees are frozen. Casper Hiller said that if the peach trees -were not frozen it might be regarded as almost a miracle ; for it is generally conceded that the peach will not stand a, temperature of more that 10 to 15 below zero, and this winter the mercury has fallen to 20 and 34 below. In 1856, when the mercury fell to 11 below zero, peach trees planted on high and dry ground survived the winter, while those planted in the low ground were killed. This year the wood of the peach is plump and full of sap, and there is a chance that the trees may survive. It is not likely that the apple trees will be much injured. John C. Liuvlllc did not think the peach trees would he killed. The past season was remarkably dry, and the wood became mature and hardy before the cold weather set in. Many young peach and pear trees have, however, been killed by the rabbits, which have entirely girdled them. He feftred that the wheat in low and wet sections was badly dam- aged, as it has been so long covered with solid ice. Johnsou Miller had little to report except that he still remained in winter quarters, the mercury this' morning marking 4 degrees below zero. He fears tlie wheat has been greatly injured by the severe weather. He never knew a good harvest to follow a very cold President Witmer said that he had cut through the snow and ice to examine the wheat, but a neigh- bor of his, who had filled an ice-houee with ice cut from the pond in a wheat tield, reported that the wheat looked green and heallliy. Casper Hiller said that this winter the ground was well covered with snow before the severe weather came ; so that the great sheets of ice with which the ground is covered do not lie directly on the young wheat, but are found some distance above it, and therefore not so liable to kill it. James Wood said he thought there was more ice and snow on the ground in the winter of 185(i than there is this winter, and yet we had an unusually good crop of straw that year. Dr. C. A. Greene read the following short paper on "Insects" and the longer one upon the horse : Insects. Prof. Riley has notified the farmers of Lancas- ter county that the seventeen-year locusts will make their unwelcome appearance this summer in this county ; and my prediction is that if tliey so show themselves, no decided harm will take place — solely from the fact that insect life in all its forms will be largely killed off by the continuous severe cold of this winter. Neither the mature insects, larva, chrysalis, or egg can stand freezing. The Horse. There is no animal to which man is more decidedly indebted than the noble, intelligent, willing horse, and many men so understand it, and treat him with due consideration. Many persons think as much of his comfort as they do of their own. He is always well fed at proper times and well cleaned and watered, and kept in a well ventilated, warm stable. It gives me real pleasure to stand and look at the round, slock, shiny coats of some of our farmers' horses. Toucan at once perceive that they have not been nci;lected, and you can imagine, now the farmer's wife and bis girls take pride in his appearance, and that they like to take him some extra tidbits, and feed him with their own bands. Unfortunately for the reasoning animal there is another class of humans who arc either ignorant of hi9 wants or else they are of huch brutal instincts themselves that hislwants are only partially fuiailed, and t.\iih horses sutler more than man has any knowledge of. Wonderful and cxceetllugly interest- ing anecdotes have been told and verltled in refer- ence to the reasonine: ability of tliis useful quadru- IK'd. I've studied him well, and 1 believe if big tongue was unloosened sometimes he would givebls owner such a scorchinir,wiihering lectnreon Ingratf- tiide as would force lilni from real remorse to treat hlin as he deserves. The horse and man are a good deal alike. He wants a variety of food just like man. Some farmers ■ thlJik if they throw him a half peck of corn iu tba ear they have well fed him, and they do u day after day. Now, a horse gets just uji tired of whole corn as a man does of liwr or chicken all the time. If you try the experiment and put ditl'erunt kinds of food before him you will see how quickly and eagerly he makes a selection. I never had a horse, which Would not, after a time, eat bread, sugar beets, car- rots, cabbages, and even [Kilato 'peelings and other table droppings, especially when some bran or mual was liberally sprinkled on them. Horses suffer from cold, and lose flesh and fat rapidly if exposed too long and too often, to its In- fluence. As a matter of economy, if not of kindness it pays anyone to keep the; imal warm, and any roan who owns or has hired a horse and will let him stand unblankeled In tlie streets for hours, ought to get thirty days imprlBOnment for the lirst oll'ence of the kind. During the winter the bridle bit should always be warmed before it is placed in the horse's mouth. Hundreds of. horses suffer pain by the frozen bit having taken olT the skin from the tongue and mouth by this cruel proceeding. To all those persons who in order to majce the horse "show otf" (as they say) . to advantage, tightly check up the hcud, I would only say it is ex- tremely cruel, and if they can't believe it let them l)Ul a wooden bit in theirown mouth and let some one draw their head buck for ten minutes and I'll guarantee they will never so tantalize him again. Galls and sores on hones are usually caused by pure carelessness on the part of the owner. The thills are too close and rub, or the harness Is too tight and unyielding. Always watch the condition of the skin, and it you sec the hair wearing off change the arrangement of the harness or put some softer and more pliable material under the harness which galls the animal. See that that the collars are always clean and well oiled. If the inside is left dirty it is hound to make a sore. Blinders are the relic of barbarous times. A horse does not need such an appendage any more than a man does. One half of the horses know more than men do, and if they could express their opinion on this subject they would say ; "Take off these horrid things: at the very time when I am the most anxious to know whether there is danger iu my rear, I can't see, and if I could, my fears would at once be quieted. Why kccj) me in ignorance of what is behind me ? You think I'll shy ! 0, no, I shy because I imagine danger. Besides, the stiff things strike my eyes and the bones around niy eyes and make them very much inflamed and uncomfortable." From my experience I can advisedly say they are of no use whatever, and there Is no horse fn the world, but will soon become so intelligent without them as in no manner to reiiuirethem. Besides the above they often cause decided suffering by the closencis of the blinder injuring the eyes and sight. Film and cata- ract of the eye arc often caused by the blinder. Most animals are fur better off without the crup- per. It galls and pajus them, and whenever It can be, it should be left oft'. In fine, let me say a horse if properly cared for, well-fed, well-kept in a clean, well-ventiiatcd stable, ought and will be in t?ood working condition at twenty years of age, and ii richly paysthe owner to care kindly for this intolll- gent, willing, obedient and affectionate animal. Henry Kurtz endorsed nearly all Dr. Greene said about the horse; but didn't think that blinders could bu dispensed with, especially where the horse was hitched to reaping or roowini: machines. Casper Hiller took exception to the statement that the seventeen-year locust would make its ap|iear- ance next summer. He said the time of its appear- ance would be in 1885. He did not believe cither, that the locust or' other insects would be killed by the severe weather. Wm. H. Brosius also thought the insects were doing very well during their hibernation,. One inch below the surface the earth is very little below the freezing point. Calvin Cooper was much pleased with what Dr. Greene had said about the horse and called special attentiou to the cruelty of placing frozen iron bits in their mouths. He advised that the bits should be covered with leather, or If this was thought to be too much trouble, dip the bit into water before placing it into the horse's mouth. Tlie iron will be thus immediately covered with a thin lilm of ice, which will prevent it from adhering to the skin of the mouth. S. P. Eby, esq., endorsed all Dr. Greene said in behalf of' the horse, but did not think the frost 28 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [February, would kill the insects. He inclined to the opinion that locusts and other insects had holes far below tlie surface, into which they could retreat when the winter became cold. It is well known that worms and the summer locusts have such retreats. Dr. 'Greene asked whether it was not a fact that all insects wei'c killed when they were exposed to a temperature a few decrees below the freezing point. Casper Hiiler said they would not. Many of them deposit their ei;!;e under the bark of trees and their larva in cocoons exposed to the severest cold. Mr. Linville Said that Prof. Rathvon and other en- tomologists held that cold weather will not kill the insects, whose terms of life extend beyond a single year ; but that they are offten destroyed by wet weather. Mr. Linville agreed wiih Dr. Greene in all he had said in regard to the horse. On his motion the thanks of the society were voted to Dr. Greene. Apple Culture. Casper Hiiler read an instructive essay on apple oulture, which will be found on page 2.5 of the Far- mer. S. P. Eby, esq., knew a gentleman in the northern part of this county, who h.ad winter apples grown in hie own orchanl, lli.at were .as good us any grown in Northern New Y.uk. Twice a year he washes his trees with lye Irnm hard wood ashes, and cultivates and manures the ground around the trees. The or- chard is an old one and lies on a slope facing the northeast. Mr. Eby favored high lying grounds for orchards, and believed in liberal irrigation. John Resli tried an experiment with his orchard which might be wortli mentioning. Tlie orchard was in grass and up. ing of barnyard he ■, and on top of the manure he bad spread t/ie eartn which he dug from the cellar of a new b\iild'ng wliich he wa« erecting. This was done to kill the sod ;ind prevent it from appropriat- ing to itself the fertilizing properties of the manure. He regarded the exjjeriment as a success. Calvin Cooper mentioned a case in his neighbor- hood in which a valuable orchard was eftectually killed by being planted with tobacco. What are the Relative Value of Wheat, Bran and Corn for Feed ? John C. Linville read the follow to a question referred at the last meeting" The answer to this question depends somewhat on the object we wish to attain by feeding. Corn con- tains a large percentage of carbohydrates and a small amount of albuminoids. Wheat bran ie rich in albu- minoids and phosphate of lime. A perfect food should contain carbonaceous matter to keep up the animal heat and form fat, nitrogenous or albuminous matter to form muscle and i)hos|)horiis and lime to mg paper m reply ind lud • ■ measure, ol •1,1 lor young Cattle that have aliM,,. i i.;. ir ^r-juUi and are fed for beef will thrive on one-lburMi or one-third bran and the remainder cornmeal. Thousands of cattle and hogs are fed in the West on corn alone. But these animals are unhoused and exposed to the in- clemency of the weather. A large proportion of their food is burnt up in the system to maintain the animal heat. In that case, perhaps, corn, witli its large proportion of carbohydrates, is as good a feed as any. Ad excellent daily allowance for a milch cow in winter consists of four quarts of cornmeal and four quarts of bran, with a peck of sliced mangles and as much clover hay and cornfodder as he will eat. Linseed cake and cottonseed cake are much richer in nitrogen than brau and are valuable concentrated feed for young stock and milch cows. Every ojie knows the great value of oats for horse-feed. This js due in a great measure to the large amount of liitrogen they contain. A principal oliject in feeding grain and other con- centrated feed is fo increase the value of our manure piles. An ordiiiL: lo a table prepared by Dr. J. B. Lawcs, III i;,.ili;i instead, England, it would seem that the inaiiure from one ton of wheat bran is worth more than that from two tons of cornmeal; that the manure from one ton .of linseed cake is worth that from three tons of cornmeal, and the manure from one ton of decorticated cottonseed cake is worth more than that from four tons of cornmeal. Dr. Lawes estimates the value of a ton of decorticated cottonseed cake as manure, after being fed to ani- mals, at «-J7.86. Manure fs valuable in proportion to the nitrogen, phosphoric acid and jiotash it contains. From 8.5 to 95 per cent, of these valuable fertilizers are voided in the excrements of the animals, and with proper care may be utilized. A large amount of carbon- aceous matter is burnt up in the animal and lost, but it is of little or no use as manure. Dr. Greene, Johnsoii Miller and'Wm. H. Brosius spoke in commendation of the views of the essayist. Fallen Apples. "Should fallen apples be allowed to remain on the ground?" was a question referred to Oalvin Cooper for answer. He answered, "No; many of them contain insects or the eggs of insects ; they should be gathered and burned and thus the insects will be destroyed ; or they may be fed to the pigs, as even imperfect or partly rotten apples contain some nutriment. Cultivation of Corn. On motion of Casper Hiiler "the cultivation of corn " was chosen for discussion at next meeting, and Mr. Hiiler was appointed to open the discussion. The Agricultural College. President Witmer stated that he had received a letter from Thomas M. Harvey inviting him and as many others .as could make it convenifint, to at- tend a meeting of agriculturists to be Ijeld in the elub room at the Farmers' Market, Philadelphia, to consider what is best to be done in regard to the palpable failure of the Pennsylvania College of Agriculture to meet the wants for which it was organized and endowed. The letter was accompa- nied by a report of a committee of the Eastern Ex- perimental Farm Club on the Pennsylvania State College and its relations to the experimental farms. Report of Committee. Tour committee respectfully report that they have carefully considered the subject referred to them, and desire to say : That the Pennsylvania State Col- lege is now and has been for several years in receipt of an annual income of about $30,000— said income derived from a congressional land grant, donating lands to our State for special educational purposes. The interest of the sum accruing from the sale of these lauds was placed by our Legislature, undtr certain conditions, to the use of this college. One of the conditions especially affecting us as farmers was: that in consideration of the receipt of this annual in- come the college should agree to " establish, con- duct and maintain three experimental farms " — which condition the college accepted without reserve. But your committee are free to say, that^ having an intimate knowledge of the manner in which the Eastern farm was "conducted and maintained " by the college, that such maintenance was not in ac- cordance with the terms or spirit of the Legislative act above referred to. When the experimentaF farms were first started, the intelligent farming community took a marked interest in them, the Eastern farm being principally stocked and equipped by citizens of Chester county. But the ignorant management of these farms by the college, and their niggardly maintenance, has made them'a discredit to the farming community, iu whose interest they are supposed to be run, and as public institutions are a disgrace to the commonwealth. But your committee fully believe that "experimental farms " or " experimental stations," properly con- ducted and maintained, can be made of great value to agriculturists and to the people generally ; and, therefore, iu view of the fact that the State college has utterly failed to do its plain duty iu this matter, we would suggest that you petition the Legislature to compel a com]iliance with the act referred to, and secure it by selling aside one-third part of this in- come for tile conduct and maintenance of such farms or stations ; and further, as the college has shown such ineompetency in the management of such sta- tions, that the portion so set aside shall be under the control and direction of the State Board of Agricul- ture with such restrictions and regulations as the Legislature in its wisdom may see fit. Your committee are willing to go still further, and say that inasmuch as the college trustees have so iujuriously changed the character of the college from its original design as the " Farmers' High School," as devised by Dr. Elwyn and other eminent men, and inasmuch as unfortunate location and pre- vious bad management have always made it un- popular, and with no probable hope for future use- fulness or popularity ; and inasmuch as large sums have been spent upon this institution without any adequate return, therefore, we would further sug- gest that you recommend the Legislature to substi- tute some better managed or more popular institu- tion as the recipient of this land grant fund, by endowing a professorship of agriculture and the mechanic arts ; or in such manner as the Legislature may deem best. All of which we respectfully submit. Jno. I. Carter, Job H. Jackson, Thos. M. Harvey, Benj. W. Swayne, Sylvester D. .Linvill, Milton Conard. Accompanying the report was a petition to the Legislature for the enactment of a law to remedy the evils complained of by appropriating to some more practical purpose the $S0,000 annual income now wasted by the management of the college. Johnson Miller stated that he was present at a meeting of the State Board of Agriculture, last week, and heard the new President of the State Agricul- tural College ask that action on this subject be sus- pended for soine time, and let the new management have a chance to redeem the character it acquired under the former President. Joseph F. Witmer related the ex))eriences of one of the managers of the State Experimental Farm, and they were not such as to reflect much credit on the State College under whose care they unfortu- nately are. The college virtually starved him. Levi S. Reist also said that the loeation of the college was a grand mistake. " There was neither well nor spring water on it when he was there sev- eral years ago. It was a very poor place to put such an institution. L motion was made and carried that all the mem- bers sign the petition to the Legislature, and that it be sent to Harrisburg at once, and that the society shall be represented at the meeting to be held at Philadelphia, which has the matter under consider- ation . Calvin Cooper offered the following resolution, which was adopted ;. Resolved, That the sentiments expressed by the committee from the vicinity of the Eastern Experi- mental Farm are cordially endorsed by this society, and we cheerfully join them in petitioning the Legis- lature for some action in behalf of oppressed agri- culture. On motion, Mr. Witmer was appointed to repre- sent the society at the contemplated meeting in Philadelphia, on Wednesday. S. P. Eby exhibited an apple called the Baltimore, which was pronounced excellent. On motion, the society adjourned. POULTRY ASSOCIATION, The Lancaster County Poultry Association met on Monday morning, February 7th, in their room in the City Hall. The meeting was called to order by the President, H. H. Tshudy. The following members were present : H. H. Tshudy, Lititz ; J. B. Lichty, city ; T. Frank Evans, Lititz ; Geo. A. Geyer, Spring Garden; John A. Stober, Schoeneck ; W. A. Schoenberger, Clare Car- penter, W. W.|Gricst, F. R. Diffenderffer, Chas. Lip- pold, city; .Joseph F. Witmer, Paradise; John E. Schaum, city ; E. H. Hcr.'.hey, ; I. M. Kreider, Mount .Joy; J. W. Bruckhart, Salunga; Dr. Mayer, Willow Street: J. M. .Johnston, city. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved. Reports of Officers. The Executive Committee, through their chair- man, J. B. Lichty, made a report, giving in detail the results of the late exhibition. "The statement showed that there were 411 entries of birds, from which $185.25 in entrance fees were received-; $2.30.50 were paid in general premiums, ?120 in special premi- ums, |I55 in miscellaneous specials ; the total paid out in premiums having been $.50S..50. The report was on motion adopted.- Treasurer's Report. T. Frank Evans reported that the total expenses of holding the exhibition were ?G44.08, and the total receipts were $.597.05, leaving, however, certain moneys still uncollected. This does not, however, leave a deficit, as there was money in the treasury before the show and there is still a balance there after buying new coops and other miscellaneous ex- penses of .Sj:)..50. The report was accepted. A pair of almond tumblers having been stolen, the question whether the society should pay for them came up. The rules of the exhibition do not guran- tee exhibitors against loss by accident or theft. Re- ferred to the Executive Committee. New Business. The Secretary of the Society said' that a. contract had been entered into for the storage of the coops during the cominu' year. ill Lion : -ed or I fowls Society sh.i;: (.,..,■< t.ici» .lU..; tv^ii iuv.i ,,v ijird so ex- hibited, and shall didiver tlie score cards to the Ex- ecutive Committee for examination and determina- tion." There seemed to be a general desire to have some- thing of this kind donCj as the partial scoring gave a good deal of dissatisfation. There was a long discussion on the resolution, some advocating it and others objecting for various reasons. A vote was taken on it, which resulted in its adoption. New Members. William Bullard, of Marietta, and Tobias llershey, of Sporting Hill, were elected to"membership. Question for Discussion. The following question was proposed for discussion at the next meeting : " Are the smaller breeds of fowls more subject to injury, owing to change in the weather, than the Asiatics?" The society, on motion, adjourned. , FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. The January meeting of the Club was held at the residence of Montiltion Brown, Fulton township. Very few of the members were present. The extreme 1 . 1881.] celd weather and the snow blockading the roads in many places will probalJy accoui.t for the measre attendance. The visitors present by invitation were James Smedley ami Joseph A. nonum. Questions and Answers. Montilllon Brown asked : "What kind of fertilizers are those present iroing to use for corn ?" The answers given to this question showed that a decided preference was given to South Carolina Koek by most of them. James Smedley asked if any one had tried South Carolina Rock alongside of other fertilizers ? Solomon L. Gregg had tried it against barnyard manure and other fertilizers ; the Kock was decidedly the best. Once hp had sowed a land across a wheat field in the spring of the year. It made no percepti- ble difference In the wheat crop, but it showed for several years in the grass. James Smedley had tried it against lime. The rock made better corn and oats ; after that it was all covered with barnyard manure, but the rock still made its mark in the wheat and In the grass for the three following years. Montillion Brown saiil that rock and phosphate do well ou his farm, but that he had put on half a ton to the acre of ground bones at two ditl'crcnt times and had no perci-ptible results. Joseph A. Roman had noticed that the man who owned the bone mill was putting on rock. William King : Docs any:one present know how to make good, marketable butter.in cold weather, with- out using artillclal coloring ? It was answered that it could only be done by feeding eornmeal to to the right kind of cows. For making butter of good color Alderneys were pre- ferable. Joseph A. Roman said that there was a great deal of common sense in a remark once made by a friend of his, that he did not see the use in giving high prices for Alderneys when he could color live hun- dred pounds of butter with five cents worth of aoDatto. Interesting Exhibits. Joseph A. Roman exhibited a bag full of ensilage taken from his silo. It was of light-brown color, and had something of the smell of tigs. His experience In the use of it. was very lituited, but he had fed enough of it to know that his cattle are very fond of it. The green fodder can be cut aud put up cheaply, as there is no rush or hurry about it. He had taken the wheat ofl' the ground last harvest, plowed it, raised the fodder corn, and took It off, and seeded the same ground again with wheat in the fall. It cuts easy, and a great deal of it can be stored in very little space. He is of the opinion that his experi- ment will prove a success, and that the discovery will be a great benetit to farmers. He also exhibited a sample of cotton seed meal, costing $3S per ton in Baltimore, aud stated that a neighbor of his had tried feeding a pint a day to his dairy of thirty cows, aud found that it increased the product of butter fifteen pounds per week. The feed of eornmeal was reduced considerably while using the cotton seed meal . Result of an Experiment. E. H. Haines gave the result of an experiment in setting milk. Six hundred pounds of milk well mixed together were set, part iu shallow pans, in a warm atmosphere iu the cellar, and part in deep cans, aud the cream raised by means of ice. The milk set in shallow pans made a pound of butter to twenty-one pouuds of milk, while it took twenty- three pounds of the milk in the deep cans to make a pound of butter. Other experiments that he had made were more I'avorBble to the deep setting, and as it was much less trouble to set deep he expected to experiment further. Literary Exercise. Ella Brown recited "Merry New Year's Day," writ- ten by a convict iu Lancaster County-Prison. Rebecca D.King read "Queries," a temperance article. M. Brown read "Beeelier on Bob Ingcrsoll," and Wm. King read an article on "Jiusilage and Silos," frOm the Kew York Tribune. After a few remarks by J . Smedley, the club adjourned to meet at Joseph K. Blackburn's next month'. THE LANCASTER FARMER. 29 LINNiEAN SOCIETY- Tlie society met on Saturday, January '29, at 2 o'clock P. M., at the usual place, President Stahr and Secretary Davis in their chairs. Present, nine members and six visitors. After the usual prelimi- nary business, the followiug donations were made to the museum and lil.rary : Donations to the Museum. 1. The heirs of the late Jacob StauU'er donated to the society the entire botanical collection of our late fellow-member, comprising tweuty-live large port- folios, containing about 2,500 specimens of the flora of Lancaster county. 2. Mr. George H. Haldemau donated a large col- lection of minerals, belonging to his father, the late Dr. Edwin Haldemau, comprising a large number of specimens, some of which are very fine aud rare. 5. Mr. J. William Rooting donated a "double apple," which is" now preserved iu alcohol, a de- scription of which was published in the Daily Ex- aminer of January 14, 1881 . 4. Master James Munson donated a Sienlte, "Ham- mer stone," (ail Indian relic,) dug out of the soil in the city of Lancaster. Also, a " Brown Bat," ( Ke»- perlilis Carolinetmn,) that was captured in this city In January. Also, the nest of a "Cat Bird," (.Vlmiu CaroHventis,) made of womly fibre and line roots. Also, a nest supposed to be that of a species of sparrow. .5. A portable writing desk, made of fine dark wood, inlaid with pearl, and said to have been the property of Jetterson Davis, was donated by Mr. D. McNealy Stauffer. 6. A friend donated a beautiful polished trans- verse section of brown agatized wood; 5 metallifer- ous fragments ; 12 fragmentary varieties of agate : U arrowheads ; a large specimen of " ribbon agate ;" 2 iron " grape shot " balls, and 0 minnle rifle balls or slugs. The minerals were picked up by the donor at Iowa City twenty-five years ago, and the grape and minnle balls from the field three days after the battle of Antletam. 7. A wood cut of Strasburg Academy and adja- cent buildings, drawn and engraved by the late Jacob Stauffer, donated by William L. Gill. 8. A canoe paddle of the Indians of British Guiana, 1878, and a Maquarri whip, used in the dance of the Maquarri Indians of British Guiana, donated by Mrs. S. S. Haldemau. 9. Two large boxes, containing a great number of Indian relics, minerals, fossils, &c., collected by the late Dr. S. S. Haldeman, and donated by Mrs. Haldeman. 10. A piece of semi-fossilized wood from Ocean Grove, New Jersey, donated by Jas. G. Thackara. 11. A living alligator (Alligator MimHuippitmis,) over ten inches long. Donated by Prof. I. S. Geisl, of Marietta. This animal was brought up from Florida, by J. B.Hopkins, Esq., of Baltimore, iu November last, and presented to Prof. Geist. 12. A large tlattened pod of Kyah Shah, or " Tiger Tongue," from British Birmah, was donated by Miss Lefevre. ]:i. Forty-two arrow and spearheads from Ken- tucky, were donated through .Mr. Gill, by Mrs. S. S. Haldeman. These are fine specimens, and are of agate, jasper, chalcedony, quartz and horn stone. Library. 1. An illustrated paper read before the " American Philosophical Society," on the contents of a Rock Retreat near Chickies, by the late Dr. S. S. Halde- man. This is a quarto of 17 pp. and 1.5 plates, in- cluding 255 figures. Donated by Mrs. S. S. Halde- man. 2. Report of the Commissioner of Education for 1878, 7:i0 pp. octavo, donated by the Department of the Interior at Washington. 3. Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents, for 1879, 416 pp., dcmi-quarto, from the Department of the Interior. 4. Numbers 25 and 2G, Vol. 18; and 1,2,3 and 4, Vol. 19, of the Official Patent Office Gazette, from the same. 5. A skelcth of the Wyoming Historical and Geo- logical Soeiely. K. A copy of the Musical >/«ra7d for January, 18S1. 7. The Lancaster Fakmer for Jauuury, 1K81. 8. Eight old alm.anacs, namely: Anti-Masonic almanac for 1830 and 1832; United States almanac for 1830; Farmers and .Mechanics almanac for 1830 and 1831; Pennsylvania almanac for 1834; Uncle Sam's almanac for 18.52; and Agricultural almanac for 1833, donated by a friend. 9. A manual of Devotions for the Catholic blind, by Rev. James O'Reiley, printed in raised letters, and to be read with the fingers ; donated by the same, 18ti7. 10. A portfolio of manuscript botanical papers, consisting of classified lists of plants, and a number of other papers relating to botany; from the heirs of the late Jacob Stauffer. 11. An octavo volume, containing a catalogue of the Herbarium of the late Ellas Diffeubach, whose collection is now the property of the society ; from the same. 12. Three unbound folios, containing drawings and impressions of plants, taken from the plants themselves, in ink. From the same. 13. Several large chjirfs. In the form of botanical trees, Illustrative of plant classification aud scien- tific arrangement. Same. 14. An unbound volume of the "Rural New Yorker." From the same. 15. Two ciruulars of information, Nog. 4 aud 5, of the Bureau of Education, from the Department of the Interior. Historical. 1. A draft from the "Lancaster Cotton House" on the Farmers' Bank, of Lancaster, for ten dollars, in favor of George Washington Brown, or bearer ; signed bv J. Adolphus Peters, and dated June 2d, 1810. This relic is iu the form of a bank note, and has the "Old Factory" for a Vignette. Donated by a friend. 2. A fifty dollar note on the Lancaxter J3ank,BigDei by David Longeiiecker, president, and B. M. Bach- man, cashier, and dated December 3d, 1849. Across the face Is written In red Ink, "Payment demanded March 3d, 1S57, D. M. Lebkiches, cash, pro tern." By the same. 3. A lease of lot No. 563, in the borough of Lan- caster, from Wm, Hamilton, Esq., to Christian Neff, dated May 29, 1790. This document bears the genu- ine autographs of Wm. Hamilton, Jasper Yates and Dan. Oflar. Donated by the heirs of the late Jacob Staufi'er. 4. A brief of titles to Lancaster estates. This paper contains briefs of 25 titles, dating from 1731 to 1753. Same. 5. Lists of lots leased by Wm. Hamilton and Jasper Yates, "under a special warrant of attorney." These lists contain lUO numbered lots of ground, and were leaseil to 70 persons, the aggregate amount being i;2.'')6 Us. Id. Same. (>. Four envelopes, containing 08 historical and biographical scraps, from Dr. S. S. Rathvon. New Business. the society with their liberal donations on this oc caslon. The librarian was authorized to procure a blank book and catalogue therein the books belODglng to the society. The curators were instructed to examine and classify the contents of the boxes of donations, arid to make a proper record of the same. The annual election of offlccrs was held, which resulted as follows : President, Professor J. S. Stahr; Vice Presidents, Professors J. H. Dubbs and T. R. Baker; Recording Secretary, Dr. M. L. Davis; Cor- responding Secretary, Professor I. S. Geist; Treas- urer, Professor S. S. Rathvon ; Librarian, Mrs. L. .VI. Zell; Curators, S. S. Rathvon, C. A. Helnltsh, .John B. Kevinski and W.. L. Gill; Miscroscopist, Dr. M.L.Davis. After a season of interesting social intercourse the Society adjourned. Agriculture. More Corn to the Acre. The farmers in the Middle and Atlantic States are beginning to study out the expediency of raising more cereals to the acre than they have heretofore been doing. They see very clearly that it can be done, and in the case of maize or Indian corn es- pecially so. It is true that the labor bestowed will be somewhat greater; but when they consider that a very large portion of the labor is done with ma- chinery, it does dot present the same drawback that it did formerly. Besides there is no crop that shows the benefit of good culture so much as corn. It can- not stand wellin its own defence against the rapid grovrth of a multitude of greedy rampant weeds ; hence, its gratitude when the Iflvading enemies are thrust out and it is allowed to go on its way rejoicing. In referring to a heavy yield of corn grown by Nathan G. Pierce, .Maryland, twice during the year just closed, he furnishes for publication the state- ment that one hundred and ten oushels were the product per acre, or rather that number of bush- els allowing seventy-five pounds of ears to equal one bushel of shelled corn. But to remove all case for evil, he sets down the net yield, notwith- standing this allowance, at one hundred bushels per- acre. This seems to be a liberal estimate, and farmers in general will no doubt admit it to be so. His mode of culture is to plow the grouud, which was a grav- elly loam, about the first of May, harrow it in the usual manner, and treat it to nine hundred pounds of a standard krtiliz'-r per acre ; again well harrow the land, make the rows three fet apart, then a " small amount" of fertillier scattered iu each row, and on May 10 drop three grains of corn (the Lost Nation variety), two feet apart in the rows; cultivate and hoe tlie crop four times, cutting out one of the three plants and removing all the suckers and weeds until time arrives for cutting and removiug to the barn for huskiug, &c. This is only what every good fanner ought to be- stow ujion a crop of corn. ' There is nothing out of the way about it all ; hence, there Is no Just reason, with an ordinarily favorable season, that the result' should not be the same, or measurably the same, in the production of the crop generally.— fferino7i(oinn Telegraph, Manuring Lawns, and objectionable practice is to spread manure In coarse lumps on lawns, just before winter, where the grass needs a fertilizer. These lumps lie unbroken till spring, entirely destroying the good appearance of the lawn, and on warm days giving off an odor not of a pleasing character. Lawns need enriching, and this may be effected In a better way. Compost, or old manure, finely pulverized and spread half an Inch thick very evenly over the surface, will settle between the blades of grass, 30 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [February, impart viffor to the roots, and protect the surface. An inch of finely broken peat or dry swamp muck is excellent in protecting the surface when evenly spread over it, and the grass will make an earlier and more vigorous start next'sprins. On soils which are beneted by superphosphates, these form an ex- cellent top dressing, although the offensive odor, ■which lasts some days, may be an objection. If the mowing of lawns has been properly discontinued early in October, and a growth of grass some inches long has been permitted, this growth will constitute a good protection, and assist in giving an earlier spring growth.— Co«n<)-^ Gentleman. Danger in the " Silos." We are impressed with the importance of warning people who have' put their corn-fodder in tanks, especially in deep ones, of the dangerous carbonic acid gas— the " choke damp " of mines and wells. A fafmcr near Sing Sing, used an old ice-house for pitting his corn-fodder ; on Saturday night, when they knocked off work, there were some seven or f'ii.'iit feet (if fnililcr i-nt in lialf-inch bits, and well trrnjcliu a.iAii in Mil- jiii. On Monday morning it juiniji-.i ii, ami i.a-~ tn u.liiu iiljout on it to see if it had bellied cvuLilv, » lien lie felt dizzy and faint; the thought of "choke damp " flashed throiigh his mind, and he called out to have a ladder lowered to him. This was done just in time, and he half crawled and was half hauled out. His head was four or six feet above the worst of ihe " damp," for it is very heavy. Hfad he fallen he would have been drowned in the gas, as effectively as in water, with- out a struggle or a murmur. When going into a pit never fail to lower a lantern first, for half a minute, and if it burns brightly the air of the pit is lit to breathe. — American Agriculturist. Accumulation of Manure in Stables. A large mass of dung, unless frozen or kept near the freezing point, will undergo decomposition, and gives of}', besides steam, ammonia, and other gases. These tend to soften and injure the hoofs of animals, and especially horses, that maybe forced /to stand continuously 'upon the accumulation of dung. Tnese gases cause inflammation of the eyes, and injure the general health, iutt-rferc with the digestion, and re- duce the viu'or of the animal. There should be no mass of manure in any stable where horses are kept. A clean fioor and pure air are requisites for the best health of the animals. , though well- ■s, is scarcely ii) Its wonder- iiyfactof its lUse— a cause quite ripe, after which it never comes to its best flavor ; and before it took to cracking in some few locations. The White Doyenne, however, had just as many votes as the Beurre Diel, and this, also, our people "would have agreed to years ago. The Doyenne tins, still a popular pear, comes next ; and then the Beurre de Cap! nnnnt. w known to many of ..ik i.-:,r r popular, because its i; i ■• : fully prolific characir I ,^1 enormous bearing i> ;ir> .ilv i which judicious thiuniiii;- iiiiL:l!l nuK-dy. >;a[iMl.>(,ii stands fifth ; but in this case .\i.e,iri,,, Ikh. i,m- thi'ng to say, for although it is 11 iiiai 1: .li'} iealiliv and productive and of tine quality ii . iten a ^lav or two after maturing, there are none left after a week or so is gone. 1^ next one is Williams' Bon Chretien, or as we say, Bartlett ; and then comes Marie Louise, which, like Napoleon, ripens too fast for us to make anything out of. Finally the two last oil the list we find to be Beurre Clairgeau and Beurre D'Hardenpont, well-known to Americans as excellent pears in some localities. 01 conr.^e our order of excellence would be very ditlerenl IVum tliis ; but- still as compared with the apple, it is remarkable to find all well-known kinds to us and kinds which we find so often in our gar- dens, to be the leadiiiL' ones iu tlie German lists. It would he intere.siiii- to know how our best American seedling peajt dti in Eur-.pe. Tlie Sockel, the Tyson, the Sheldon, tlie Biandywine, the Read- ing, the Lawrence and others would, no doubt, be as'acceptable to them as their varieties are to us. — Oermantown Telegraph. The Fin ,01)1', of the Wheat. real products of this annual S50, to n 1870. and 2,4a1,(1UO,1)00 in IsTy. The value of th( products increased from S3,9B.5,000,000 iu §7,977,000,000 in ISiiO, and 1111,000,000,000 North of the Ohio river there are 400,000,0ou acres of land immediately available, which can produce in wheat and other cereals at least 4,800,000,000 bushels annually. Salt in Sowing. Some French as well as some German authorities recommend the use of salt at the rate of one hundred and flftv pounds per acre for clover and other legu miuous'plants ; for wheat and flax, two hundred and fifty pounds ; and tor barley and potatoes, three hundred pounds — to be sown broadcast iii the spring season, before the herbage has attained any consider- able growth. Horticulture. What is Good Grape Culture ? A friend joyfully told us a few days ago of his anticipations in the grape way. He had bought a little place in the vicinity, and had made up his mind to have things right. His maxim was that what was worth doing at all was worth doing well, and he meant to doit. He had done it. He had dug out the dirt three feet into the clay, and had filled with light rich compost, through which the roots might push their way in ease and comfort, and live on the fat of the land. He had spent consider- able money in doing the job well. He intended to get only the best vines, and felt sure such an ex- peuditure would result in magnificent grapes and plenty of them. He had done his work well. It is strange that such a course as this should ever have been recommended by horticultural writers, but it is a fact that Ihey have. Grapes are now so easily and cheaply grown— fruit often four and five cents a pound- that we had well-nigh forgotten that this was the standard advice of the books years ago. But our friend produced It in black and while from the pages which he had chosen as an authority, and then we knew how it was in the olden time. Now, our readers at least should know that in- stead of such a proceeding as this being an evidence of doing it well for the grape, it is simply an act of folly. Tlie grape root needs to be warm and dry, but this deep well in the clay, encouraging the col- lection of water from all around it, has just the con- trary cH^ect. The roots are damp and cool and not warm and dry. Indeed, it is only of late years when people have given up all this expensive foolery that grape-culture has become a tolerable success. Under the old plan we had failure after failure, and we came to believe only those varieties wliich were little removed from the wild fox or the frost grapes could be grown. But now we have the finer kinds getting quite com- mon. As soon as we gave up tliis deep trenching nonsense, grape-culture — real grape-culture — took a fresh start, and this real culture consists in little more than planting a vine in good earth, of less depth than we would any ordinary tree, and see that it does not sufl'er for want of food. This is good grape-culture in a nutshell. utmost care, spreading out the roots their full length, and stake them firmly, but so that they will not rub by the action of the wind. Then cut away super- fluous top-branches, of which each one must judge for himself, and be careful that in digging and grubbing about the trees no injury is done to the roots or bark . The Best Time for Grafting Trees. In several publications we notice that the cutting of grafts in the fall, "or before the sharp cold of winter injures their vitality," is highly recommended. Dire, lions are thus given how they are to be pre- sci VI 4 iiirough the winter : "They may be packed away in l>oxes of fine damp moss, damp sawdust, or buried in the earth or sand." There is a great deal more added which we do not think worth while to quote. This mode may be a very good one, but we have' never tried it and just now do not seem in the mood to do so. We have done most of our own grafting, and have been successful. We never cut our grafts before February, and if the ground is not frozen stick them in at the foot of the tree, then the variety is kown without labeling. If the ground is frozen they are tied up, the bunch labeled and buried in the ground under a shed or in a rather dry place. We have set seventy of these grafts (pears) at one time and every one of them grew. Once on a time we employed a professional grafter, who brought his own eions (cherries) and set thirty-two for us, every one of which died. The following spring we thought to try our own hand at it, and set sixteen (cherries) on the same tree which had been fifteen years planted, the grafts cut as usual in February, and eleven of them grew. This we thought was doing pretty well with cherries. It the grafts are carefully preserved and properly set, it makes no difi'erence whether cut in fall or "spring. Cherry grafts, how- ever, should be always cut before the buds show any signs of swelling.— German^owjt Telegraph. Floriculture. Foreign Pears and Apples. Not long since the German pomologists undertook to discover by a system of voting, once popular in our country, but which, very properly, we think, has lost favor of late years, what varieties were— not the best — hut were most popular in the various dis- tricts. Not one of the apples returned do we recog- nize among our popular kinds except the Ked Astrachan, a Kussian variety, and this is given at the tail end of the list, with the remark that it does well in an occasional case. The Golden winter Pearmain, one almost unknown to our cultivators, is set down as the best apple in twenty-two out of thirty-four of these large districts, and" such trashy things ,that is, trashy as wc find thom — as Alex- ander, kibston Pippin and the various Keinettes, carry olf tlie palm. Now, iu pears of all kinds named as their best are well-known to our cultivators, and although we would not put them in the same order as resulted from this German inquiry, some American cultiva- tors, it is not at all impossible, would make some such list. First and foremost they have the Beurre Diel, which would have suited a large number of Americans some years ago, before it took to shed- ding its leaves early in autumn before the fruit was Cultivating the Cherry Tree. A few words of advice in planting out and pro- tecting cherry-trees may not be out of place at this time, when people are making up their lists of fruit- trees, etc., for transplanting the approachingspring. There is no tree that requires more careful handling and setting and attention than the cherry. Fre- quently, those being transplanted from a long dis- tance suffer sufficient injury to render them unfit for planting. In our expei-ienee we have havejmet with repeated loss in this way. The worst of the disap- pointment is, that after being set out the tree will give just enough signs of growing to induce one to Tet it stand until the whole summer and fall are past, thus depriving us of two opportunities to throw it out and plant another in its place. In all such cases we would advise in the first place the cutting off of nearly the whole of the top, and then if it docs not in the course of a few weeks give decided evidence of a fresh growth to remove it entirely. We have saved several by this sharp pruning, which are now fine, healthy trees. But, in the first place, set out no cherry tree that has not a full supply of roots, especially of small ones, and the stem of which is not free from bruises, from which they will never recover. Set out with the House Plants. The soil best adapted to the growth of house plants is one in which some organic matter, as old turf or partly decomposed stable manure, is slowly decay- ing. One of the chief reasons why plants do not grow well is that the soil is not rich enough. A good compost is made of two parts of well decomposed stable manure, two parts partly decayed and one part sand. These proportions may be varied to suit the different kinds of plants, the rose, smilax and calla requiring a larger amount of manure, while the cactus needs more sand. Watering is the part of the work of plant grow- ing in which most persons fail. Three reasons can be given for.watering plants, viz: to supply the moisture evaporated from the foliage and soil ; to dissolve the plant food in the soil, and by running through the soil to carry out the impure air which is replaced by a fresh supp"ly as the water escapes from the opening at the bottom of the pot . The amount of water that must be applied depends upon the quantity of the foliage and the dryness of the .atmosphere. Those plants having but little foliage require less water 1 !, Ill I.' a i .uin-- a large amount, and oue in vigorous ,1,, , , _ i.tli more than one in a dormant or r, 1 11:; 111. "To apply water until it runs into il,,' „a.; r anl not water again until the soil is in condition as to almost cause the plant to wilt. With plants in small Dots watering may be required every day, or in some cases twice in one day." Some plants, however, like the calla, require more water than they would receive by following this rule, but there are only a few exceptions.— JfiJss. Plough- man. _. The Feathery Acacias in Bloom. The yellow acacias are in bloom, and all glorions in their feathery, tropical verdure. The acacia is mentioned bv very ancient writers. It extends over Oriental countries, Australia and Polynesia, and ex- ists in some two hundred varieties, of which only a few are found in temperate climates. In the times of Israel's greatness and glory, before the Wander- in" Jew started on his melancholy and eternal round, it* was planted at the heads of great men's fraves, not as a drooping mourner, but as an emblem of eternal life. It was made use of as a funeral emblem by the Knightly Crusaders. For these reasons, and more particularly because it was the tree of Solomon, it is held in high regard by the Masonic fraternity ; and of all evergreens it is pre- ferred as an emblem to be worn at burials and to be cast upon the cofiin lid when a friend is about to dis- appear forever from the world . To Color Roses. A yonng man on the cars the other day had in his hand three roses, one of which was white, oue green, and one of a delicate flesh colored tint. These flowers attracted the attention of the ' passengers, both ladies and gentlemen. One lady remarked that she had seen the buds of the green rose, another i'HE LANCASTER FARMER. 31 said she had seeu the rose Itself, but had. never seen any so lovely and perfect as this one. The flesh colored one was also commented upon and |)rai«od. Finally the young man volunteered the iuforniatlon that all were white In the morning, and that this coloring was done by pultinn one Into green ink, and the other Into red InU, Although the leaves were beautifully colored, the i>iN'G.— Boil one quart of rich milk and then thicken it with a tablespoouful of- llour or arrowroot ; beat up the yolks of four eggs with three tablespoousful of white sugar, then pour the milk slowly into the eggs and sugar, stirring all the time. Pour this custard into a pudding dish and brown it slightly ; beat up the whites to a still' froth, adding four tablespoousful of sugar, and flavoring with lemon ; ilrop it on the custard (wbeu browned) in the form of balls as lai-ge as an egg. Se't it back iu the stove to brown a little. Calves' Foot Jellt op 1780.— Put four feet into two gallons of cold water ; let it boil down to one gallon, strain It, and set away until cold ; then take oft' the I'at from the top and the sediment from the bottom ; put the jelly Into a kettle with a pint of white wine, the juice of four lemons, and the peel of one ; beat the whites and shells of six eggs and add to it; sweeten to your taste; let it boil for a few minutes ; pour into the jelly-bag, and repass until quite clear. If needed for an invalid, add a cup of pale brandy. Feather Cake. — Beat to a cream half a cup of butter, add to it two of sugar and beat well together ; one cup of milk with one teaspoon of soda dissolved in it ; heat well together ; add one cup of sifted flour with two teaspoons of cream of tartar prcvionsly rubbed into it ; add next the well-beaten yolk of three eggs, beat the whites separately until more cups of flour; beat well between each successive addition ; butter two middle sized tins, put In the cake and bake for twenty minutes or half an hour in a moderate oven. White Cake.— Four ounces of butter, three gills of milk, one uiid a half pints of flour, one pint of sugar, one and a half tcasfXKinful of cream of tartar, three-quarters of a teaspooneful of soda, two eggs, the whites whiskiMl to astill' froth, and bitter almonds to the taste. Beat the batter and sugar together, add the yolks and beat until very light; then stir in the milk, in which the soila is dissolved, the flour in which the cream of tartai- Is sifted and the whites of eggs, alternately. Add the almonds and- bake in paper-lined pans. MatoxjcatSE. — One tablespoonful of dry mus- tard, two even teaspoons of salt, a small jiinch of eayi-nnc, half a gill of vinegar, half a pint of sweet oil, and oUc raw egg. Mix the mustard, salt and pepper with one and a half teaspoonsful of vinegar in a large bowl, add theegg and beat well. Pour iu the oil in a continuous thread-like stream, keeping up a brisk beating'. When well beaten and like a thick batter add a gill of vinegar slowly. CuARLOTTi: Iti'ssE.- Cover an ounce of isinglass with cold water, place a weight iijion It to prevent Its floating, and soak two hours. Line moulds with thin strips of sponge cake, stlckino- the edges together with white of egg. Scald one jilnt of inllk over boiling water, beat the yolks of four eggs, and add six ounces of sugar ; [lour the hot milk on tbcra ; take the isinglass from the water, lay It In the hot custard, then stir the whole over the boiling water until a little thickened, and put aside to cool. Whip one quart of eream iu a deep l)Owl and lay the froth on the shallow side of the sieve. lieturn to the bowl the cream that has drained through the sieve and whip as much of It as possible. What cannot be whipped may be added to the custard. When the custard Is cool and quite thick beat It very thorough- ly with the whipped cream, then pour it in mouldt and place on ice. To renovate black goods, take one-flfth of a pound of extract of logwood and one ounce of salaeratus ; put in a boiler willi.ten gallons of water, cold or hot ; stand over- the fire, and when Imlliug hot put in the goods, either wet or dry ; let stand twenty minutes, moving about occasionally ; rinse in cold water imtil the goods drip clear, and Iron Imme- diately. This will be found a most excellent recipe . for restoring black goods of any kind that have be- come rusty or brown— cloth, eashinere, a water- proof, worsted grenadine, or any material that will not cockle in wetting. Press on the wrong side. Lobster Patties.— Line the patty pans with puff paste and put into each a .small piece of bread. Cover with paste, brush over with egg and bake of light color. Take as much minced lobster as is re- quired, and add six drops of anchovy sauce, lemon juice and cayenne to taste. Stir it over the .fire for live minutes, remove the lids of the patty cases, take out the bread, UII with the mixture, and replace the Poultry. More Eggs. The great reason why we have not more eggs Id the winter Is that the hens have not inure comfortable quarters uor requisite food. Ihc hen Is a tender animal. .She is an exotic in this cold climate, and wants a warm bedroom aud comfortable nursery. If we compel her to sleep on a fence or in a tree and lay her eggs where the snow can sift upon them and the frost crack them, she will lay very few. ' Under such circumstances slic has very little energy in this dlrcctiOD, and knows too much to waste what little she has. Comfort is the concomitant of egg pro- duction, and food the great forerunner. In summer, the hens. If allowed the free run of the farm, can scratch for a living aud pick up 6ec ;' ' ! ' ■ i-ages, which discusses the uses, the m" ' • '• ' "' cul- ture of the catalpa in a very abii; ai.J lXi« ilmeutal manner, and also very scientifically. We have known this tree for full sixty years, but until re- cently we never supposed that it possessed any other value than as a beautiful flowering shade tree. Al- though its specific gravity is less than hickory, white oak, elm, walnut, birch, wild cherry or ailanthus, yet it is said to grow more rapidly and is more durable than any of them. It can be used for posts, rails, railroad ties, cabinet work and general building purposes, and in the general depletion of our forests this tree may become our uUimatutn. AN^a'AL Report of the "Fruit-Growers' Society." Prepared by its ofticers, 1880. 76 pp. Royal octavo, with four full-page plates, illustrating ehoice varie- ties of fruit", two of which are colored. The colored illustration of "Kieffer's Hybrid Pear," is the most beautiful picture of a pear tliat has ever been brought to our notice, and if one-half can be realized that has been said in behalf of this pear, it will be an ad- dition to our fruit list that is invaluable. The colored illustration of the .Martha Grape is also very beauti- ful. The "Yacob, or Schautz," and the "Sohaeffer" apples, are the subjects of the uncolored plates, equally well executed. The quality of the paper, the typography and the literary contents are unex- ceptionable. Illustrated Catalogue of optical goods manu- factured and imported by Meyrowitz Bros., opticians. No. 297 Fourth avenue, southeast corner of Twenty- third street, building of the Society for the Preven- tion of Cruelty to Children, New York, is one of the finest illustrated catalogues of its kind that lias ever been published. It is 7 by 12 in- i - :\i >:/,«, mtains 134 pages, and 1,63S finely exvi I, ; ,,,- ns of everything in the optical line t; im , mation can conceive of. Such a cataln-u. i.iu.i iinlirate a large and profitable business, and we advise our readers who have any wants in that line of goods to order one immediately. We are indebted to Prof. Meehan, editor of the Gardener's ilonthly, for a copy of his paper read before the Academy of Natural Sciences of Phila- delphia, "0/( the Timber Lineof High Mountains;" also, one on the " Sexual ■ Variation in Castanea America?ia," by Isaac C. Martindale, and himself. Our thanks are also due to Prof. A. E. Foote, M.D., for six numbers of the "yatnralist's Leisure Hour, and Monthly Bulletin." 1323 Belmont avenue, Philadelphia. To one desiring to accumulate a col- lection in any department of natural history this lit- tle periodical is almost indispensable, especially as it contains catalogues and prices of all that the doctor has for sale at his scientific depot. Frances Dunham's Bee-Comb Foundation Ma- chine. A pamphlet of beekeepers' supplies, DePere, Brown county, Wis. Life and Health— Physical, mental, moral; how lost, how gained. 'Vinemont and Reading, Pa. January and February, ISSl. A beautiful royal quarto of 8 pages. Edited and published bi-monthly by Thos. F. Hicks, M. D., Wernersville, Berks county. Pa. "An independent journal of health, progress, religion and sanitary science." A remarkably well- gotten up paper, and of unexceptionable literary contents. Only 30 cents a year. The "Southern Planter and Farmer," pub- lished by I/ulfe S. Sanders, Editor and Proprietor, for January l.sSl, comes to us greatly enlarged, im- proved, and beautified ; and, as to quantity and qual- ity, will compare with any agricultural magazine in the entire country. It is an octavo of 76 pages, and is published at No. 28 Ninth street, Richmond Vir- ginia, at 83,00 a year in advance, with exceedingly liberal cliib rates. The fact that it contains'Sl pages of advertisements in addition to its regular number (of literary letter press) evinces that it elicits a fair appreciation as a medium of business communication with the people. Its list of distinguished contributors cannot fail to place it in the very front rank of agricultural, livestock, and rural literature, and the character and quality of their contributions, must continue it, as it now is, "the oldest (and best) agricultural journal in the South," being in its forty-second year. Its me- chanical execution is unexceptionable, and a real "godsend" to those under the ban of that dimness of vision which is the usual accompaniment of in- creasing age. It enters upon the new volume with increased facilities for carrying out its design to impart additional interest and increased value to the work. So mote it be. "Seed-time and Harvest,"— An illustraled quarterly horticultural magazine, published by Isaac F. Tillinghast, La Plume, Lackawanna county. Pa., " for every one who plants a seed or tills a plant," at the very low price of 35 cents a year, with liberal premium inducements. Number 5 for Jahu- ary, 1881, has been received, and the article upon hot-beds in this number is, we think, the most com- plete ever published, and contains hints of great value to gardeners. It is worthy of note to state that this magazine will be sent free to all the patrons of Mr. Tillinghast's seed and plant establiflini.-nt. This magazine contains 2-1 pji. Svo., and we w^mld not know where else to send our patrons that, tli-'y would be so sure of getting so much at so small a price. The Journal of Forestry and Estates Man- agement for January, 1881, reached our table in that month, but too late to receive a notice in The Farmer for January. We kindly greet the familiar face of this excellent journal, for we have been in the regular receipt of it from its very first number, and are pleased to note its onward and upward progress. Edited and published by J. & W. Rider, No. 14 Bartholomew street, London, and D. Van Nostrand, 2B .Murray street. New York, at 12 shillings a year, (post free) or one shilling per number. Three more numbers will complete the fourth volume, and if the minds of our countrymen have not been imbued with ideas of systematic forestry, still, since its advent there has been a strong sentiment excited towards the preservation of our present forests, and the re- planting of new ones. A large double-page plate in this number, illustrating appliances used in forestry, invests it with additional value. Musical Journal. — Edited and published by Thomas Brothers, Catskill, N. Y. A monthly royal quarto of 28 pages, including ornamental covers, 10 pages of which are printed music, mainly vocal. A remarkably well executed work, and of the' finest and best material. Its general appearance looks. like "business" — and as an advertising medium it cer- tainly has no superior within its special sphere. Terms, $1.00 a year, postage paid. The American Garden.— a quarterly illustrated journal, devoted to the gardening interests of America. Published by B. K. Bliss & Son, No. 34 Barclay street, N. Y'., at the very low price of 35 cts. a year. No cheaper and better 16 pages, on fine calendered paper and fair type issued in this country; the illustrations and literary contents are simply superb. Nebraska FARMER.--This excellent journal is now issued semi-monthly. Devoted to agriculture and kindred subjects. Published by McBride & PruBBj at 51.50 a year in advance, at Lincoln, Neb. 16 pp., 4 to. This new departure is a vast improve- ment on what was almost faultless heretofore, and greatly enhances its usefulness. The letter-press and illustrations are excellent. Worcester Monthly Visitor.— Devoted to literature, mechanics and the farm. A demi-folio of 8 pages, at 50 cents a year in advance. Worcester, Mass. A new candidate for public patronage, and from the number before us, amply deserving it. Keystone Farmer and Miller.— This is another new candidate for public favor, and is published by a company under the management of J. S. Sanders, Plymouth, Pa., at .50 cents a year. 8 pages, demi- folio. There seems to be an opening for a paper de- voted to the milling interests of the Commonwealth at least, and this journal ought to secure it. New Mexican Miner.— We hardly know whether to call this a royal quarto or a demi-folio. It is a new journal of le'pages and is devoted to the mining interests of that far-oflf State, and is of paramount value to those eng.aged in mining, or who propose I engage in it. And in looking through its pages w cannot but wonder at the expansion of our country, the enterprise ofour people, and the progress making by the "art preservative of all arts." Injdustrial News.— Published by the Inventors' Institute, Cooper Union, New York. 24 pp., royal quarto; monthly, at *1. 50 a year, postage paid. This is a splendidly gotten up journal, and the January number, 1881, is embellished with an excellent portrait of Peter Cooper, and a sketch of his life. Its material and execution is first-class, and it must be of inestimable value to those engaged in inven- tions and patent-rights. The Musical Herald for February is one of the best numbers yet issued of this leading magaz It opens with a humorous illustration, " The Musical-. Committee in Session," which is in every respect ai capital "hit," overflowing with sarcasm. An article' on " Wasted Talent," by Dr. E. Tourjee, speaks in-^ a very practical manner on the number of young' voices which conld • be advantageously used in: church, Sunday, and public school, jnd the most' efficient manner of their instruction. Mr. Gotthold Carlberg, the well-known symphonic conductor of' New York, contributes an instructive paper upon ■ "Modern Instrumentation," wlierein the use and- abuse of difi'ereut orchestral instruments are fully discussed. Mr. W. F. Apthoi-p draws many useful thoughts for the advancement of the present art from'the history of the past. Mr. Louis C. Elson, in an essay on " Criticism," defends the critic from the necessity of art-creation, and proves that the best composers, poets, and painters have been the poorest critics. There is an excellent paper giving " Hints to Teachers of the Piano-forte." The inter- esting serial story of "The New Tenor" is con- cluded. The departments of Foreign and Editorial Notes, Questions and Answers, Critiques, Reviews of'j Music, Hymns and their Authors, etc., etc., piiiuaiit, brilliant and reliable. There are numerous uMii r I ililorials; and the music represents some of llic laii.sl, [iroductions from the pens of Sullivan, Ko.schai, Joseffy, Hopkins, etc., much of it being of very moderate difficulty, but of sterling worth. Texas Planter and Farmer. For the farm and ■ fireside. Fublished semi-monthly, by H. C. and J. P. Jones, office corner Main and Market-sts., Dallas, Texas, at $1".00 ayear. Six copies for $5.00. The copy -of this paper before us is a five columned, ' eight paged folio. No. I, vol. 1, of an indefinite se- ries, issued on the 15th of January, 1881, about the size of "Colma?i's Rural World," and makes, quite as preopssessing an appearance. We consider" the general "make up" and literary contents of this agieu[tural infant (infant only in age, however,) as a credit to the Lone Stir, and we cheerfully reciproca the X; but, "at this event we stil must wonder." In December, 18o6 we stood on the banks of the lower Ohio river and witnessed the steamboat struggling against an ice flow, which bore the famous Santa Anna, as a hostage under the protection of our flag, to the city of- Washington, after his inglorious defeat . by General Houston, on the field of San Jacinto. • Times looked " blue " in Texas then, and Dallas was not yet even conceived ; and here we already have a , representative agricultural journal that would do honor to any country an hundred years old. Afield and Afloat is a " right down " good pa- , per, perhaps, one of the best representations of the . sporting interests in the country, a specialty, howev- er, in which we must confess hi« take very little inte- rest; and, therefore, we are hardly competent to- speak wl ii.s [nerits. It has some good points outside of the siiuitiu^ King; but, "for the life of us" we cannot be either interested or entertained in gunning, fishing, rowing, walking or sailing, as sources of mere sport, although we are far from intimating that ; they are illegitimate or useless. SoRrBNER's Monthly, for December 1880, is on our table, and is laden with its usual literary budget, among which is a marked article intitled " The Rail-., roads and the People," with which we are in sympa- - thy so far as we understand the subject, but morel observation "and reflection will be necessary to the ex- . pression of an unqualified sentiment. THE LANCASTER FARMER- MISCELLANEOUS. The Lancaster Examiner. We (Ipsirc to cull the attention of tlie readers of the Fakmkk to the Daily and Weelsly Kxainmer. The Daily was cnlarijed over six columns on Janu^ry let, and is now the largest daily published in the coODty. The weekly supplement was also enlarged ■OT«r three columns, and the weekly is now one of the largest weeklies in the State. Subscribe for the Examiner. They are both, dally and weekly, good family newspapers. J. J. H. Gregory's Seed Catalogue. r. Gregory's Catalogue (advertised Id our columns) opens with several flne engravings of new vegetables, after which follows an immense variety of flower and vegetable seed, inclnding 47 kinds of beans, !}:J of beet, 54 of cabbage and cauliflower, 86 com, 38 of cucumber, 28 of lettuce, 41 of melon, (if squash, 24" of tomato, 30 of turnip, &c., &c., iliilv described. Catalogues are advertised free ul,' " It The Lancaster Farmer. Farmers, do you want a good, cheap farm jour- nal ? If you do subscribe for The Lancaster Fakmkk and encourage a home paper. Head the articles prepared by practical farmers relating to •our own county. It will pay you. Get your neigh- fcor to subscribe for it also. The price is only one dollar a year. $1000 00 ^^ CASH i« deposited in ▼"W''''»''W bank ag'ainst any otlier ■aw machine in America. Tliis is tl':e cheapest machine made, and wai-rauted to saw log-s easier and faster than aii.7 other. We are the oldeSt saw machine firm in America. Any prominent mer- chant will tell you we are responsible. Bevrare of infringements. Our circulars are free. Address, Dnlled States Manufacturlog Co., Chicago, III. Our WELL AUGERS wiU bore a well 75 feet deep and 2 feet in diameter In a day. This would clear you $50 in o day. Send for our Pictorial Cataloerue. 0. S. MANF'G CO.. Chicago. Ill feb-lml SAVED on lon.V and aoc.on WHEAT c.irt jioi-ilin/y be ■worUl. Also nothing' CHrXK. It 8RW3 I Pictorial books tree. cheapest and beat in the mn boat our SAWING »1A- IJ a L'-foot loK in '2 minutes. W. GILK^j, Chlcaeo, Dl. THE VICTOR Double Huller Clover Machine hullt°d°lio Affrlvunuml ImpU'tncnt Mfa. Oo. ■1UJ AUvcrlisfmenl. llajpTstowa, Ala. WANTED. BUTTER. EGGS. Cheese, Potato™, Ouions, Poultry, Wool, Hops, Lamb, Mutloii, Veal, Dried ApplOB, Berries aud Peaches. tsrseui for Prices. BALLARD, BRITNCH Si CO., iia Broad St., N. Y. Apl-lt General Produce Commiasioa Mershanti. THE OFFICE, No. 9 North Queen Stfeet LANCASTER, PA. THE OLDEST AND BEST. THE WEEKLY LANCASTER EXAMINER One of the largest Weekly Papers in the State. Pablislied Every Wednesday Moriiiug, l8 au old, well-established newspaper, aud contains just the news dcBii-able to make it au iuteresting aud valuable Family Newspaper, The postage to subciibers residing outside nf Lancaster cuuuty is paid by the publisher. Beud for a specimen copy. Tv/o Dollars per Annum. THE DAILY LANCASTER EXAMINER The Largest Daily Paper in the county. Pablished Daily Except S inday. The dally Is published every evening during the week. It is delivered in the City .lud to surrouudiug Towns ac- cessible by railroad and daUy stage lines, for 10 cents Mall Subscription, free of postage— One month, 50 cents; one year, $5.00. THE JOB ROOMS. The Job rooms of The Lancaster. Examinee are filled with the latest Btylee of presBee, material, etc., and we are prepared to do all kiudB of Book and Job PrintiQ at as low ratee and short notice as any establishiueut 1 the State. SAXE BILLS A SPECULTY. attractive sale bills iu the State. JOHN A. HIESTAND. Proprietor, No. 9 North Queen St., L^A-NCASTKR. PA- SEND FOR On Concord Qrapeviucs, Transplanted Evergreiins, Tulip, I'oi.lar, I.inden Maple, etc. Tree Seedlings aud Treea for limber plantations tiy the lon.oiio. J. JE.^KINN* NVRHKRY, 3-2-79 WINONA, COLUMBIANA CO., OHIO. •tfiR" ""■'■'' '° >""■■ """ '""'"• Terms aud V> ontBt free ipDDAddress II. llii.LKTT 4 Cu , Portland, Maine. ^Jun-lyr. M. nAP>EHr.USH, MA^'^T^■.^cT^l!l:l■. or Plain and Fine Harness, na»i>i,i:n. COLLARS, WHIPS, FLY NETS, &c., TRUNKS, TRAVELING BAGS, IIUI'ALO I'.dBKS, Horse Covers, Lap-Rugs, Gloves, 'urn, Lilly's Butter Worker, Reid's But- ter Worker, Hay and Fodder Cutter, CornSheller, Little Giant ' 'orn and Cob Mills, Corn Mid Hand and Power. Laijdretlj's Rural Register & Almaijac for '81 In English and German—Free. 1>. LANDRKTH A- SONS. 21 ur Vcsetablo and I Flower Seeds arcmostcoin|ilotc; land onr Grccniioiises lorPlanit* l(eovcrin2 3 acres in eiass), arc ItUo largest In Aiucriea. ^ IPETER HENDERSON & CO. 35 Corllandt Street, New York. NieH0LS,SHEPARD8cG0 YIBRATOR THRESHERS, Traction and Plain Engines and Horse- Powers. ModtCorapIctoThrcuhrrFnctory J Established Inlbc World. i 1848 \l') YEARS nr... without chOT^o oi nun.o. %3 M^ manoKt'incnt, or location, io " frac* Mjt tht ^^ ». > ..../.. ...'...« /», aU ovr ffootU. SAWINU Wfil't tAbf. Our nfw portable Monnrr-h T,l~Ii(nin|; Sawing Machine rivals all mhjr,. »,io c».h >. il bcRivcn to two men who can saw r\s />ft ^nd faty in the old way. as one boy 16 years ol-i cr^n with ihii machine, rculars sent Free. Agents wanted. traHunsa eav co., 163 Ranilolph St , Chieaco, lU. STEAM-POWER SEPARATORS ,«nd Complete Stcain Oi:Ifitso/«w/. Tinut Traction £ii«rinc8 and Plain Ensuies ever seen in the American market A mvUilurfo of •ptrial /Voture* and intprovtmmU f or 18SI , tOfe'et her with fuptHar qiialiH<-» tn wnWnie- lUm and malcriah not ilrcamed of by olher^mallcrB. Four Blzea of SciisratoR". from 6 to 1 12 borxe 1 Blyles •Mou ' Horw-Powen. 7k(\(\ AAA Feet of Selected I umber ,OUU,UUU (from Ihrn to MX yeura ■• r-.lrird) conatsntly on liar: ' — ■-'-■- ■- '-"• "■ - — ible nparable wood-work of ourmachlnory THE LANCASTER FARMER. PEXXSYI>VANIA KAII.BOAD SCIIEBCL,E. Trains LEAVE the Depf • — ~ »-"—.-■ WE TWARD. Pacific. Express" Way Passengert Niagara Express Hanover Accommodation. MaU train via Ml. Jo.v No. 2 via Columbia Sunday MaU Fast Line' Frederick Accommodation Harrisburg Accom Columbia Accommodation. Harrisburg Express Pittsbnrg Express Cincinnati Express' 1 this city, Leave Lancaster. 7:30 p. 8:50 p. 11:80 Lancaster. 2.55 5:08 8:05 I 12:55 p. 1 12:40 p. 1 3:26 p. ! Col. 2:45 7:40 p. I Col. 8:20 I 8:40 p. 1 10:10 p. r 12:45 a. E Philadelphia 7:40 a! m. 10:00 a. m. 12:0 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 5:00 p. m. 5:30 p.m. 7:20 p. m. 9:30 p. m. Lancaster Exp Ma Express Day Express* | d:3o p Harrisburg Acootu i 6:2o p The Hanover Accommodation, west ■with Niagara Express, west, at 9:35 a. m., auu win run throngh to Hanover. _ ^ , ■ The Frederick Accommodation, west, connects at Lancas- ter with Fast Line, west, at 2:10 p. m., and runs to Frederick. The Pacific Express, east, on Sunday, when flagged, wiU stop at M'idletown, EUzabethtown, Mount Joy and Laudia- TiBe. •The only trains which run dally. tBuns daily, except Monday. NORBECK & MILEY, EDW. J. ZAHM, AMERICAN AND FOREIGN WATCHES, SOLID SILVER & SILVER PLATED V^^ARE, CLOCKS. JEWELRY I TABLE CUTLERY. Sole Agent for the Aninilel Tinted SPECTACLES. Repairing strictly atteuded to. Nortli Queen-st. and Centre Square, Lancaster, Pa. :ei. 35*, ^o^vK7^^s/LJ^L.^pa^, AT LOWEST POSSIBLE PRICES, Fully guaranteed. No. 106 EAST KING STREET, 9-1-12] Opposite Leopard SotfU PRACTICAL Carriage Buildepg, cox & CO'S OIB STA^D, toef of Duke and Vine Stfeets, LANCASTER, PA. TREES Fruit, Shade and Ornamental Trees. Plant Trees raised in tbiB county and suited to this climate. Write for prices to LOUIS C. LYTE Bird-in-Hand P. O., Lancaster co., Pa. Qiles east of Laucaster WIDMYER & RICKSECKER, UPHOLSTERERS, And Manufacturers of FURNITURE PD CHAIRS, WAREROOMS : 102 East King St., Cor. of Duke St. ■LANCASTER, PA. 79-1-12] Special Inducements at the NEW FURNITURE STORE W. A. HEINITSH, pro. xs x-2 IE. xs.x:nr<3- srraei.EsiB'r (over Bursk's Grocei-y Store), Lancaster, Pa. A general assor'ment of furuifureof all kinds constantly on hand. Don't forget the number. 15 1-2 £:et,r9t ZSlxaxs !Sttx-eot, Nov-ly] (over Bursk's Giocery Store.) For Good and CheaiD Work go to r. VOLLMER'S FURNITURE WARE ROOMS, No 309 NORTH QUEEN ST., (Opiiosite Northern Market), XjA,xxca,sitex-, I"**,. Also, all kinds of ijicture frames. uov-ly THE LATEST IMPROVED SIDE-BAR BUGGIES, PHAETONS, Carriages, Etc. mmBmmmmmi Prices to Suit the Times. REPAIRING promptly attended to. All work guaranteed. 79 -'2- . G. SENER & SONS, Manufacturers and dealers in all kinds of rough and finished The best Sawed SlIIlXGIiESiu the country. Also Sash, Doors, Blinds, Moltldiiigs. &c. PATENT 0. G. WEATHERBOARDING and PATENT BLINDS, which are far superior to any other. Also best COAI. constantly on hand. OFFICE AND YAED : Northeast Corner of Prince and Walnnt-sts., LANCASTER, PA. GREAT BARGAINS. sold at CARPET HALL OF H. S. SHIRK, No, 202 West King St. Call and examine our stock and satisfy yourself that we can show the largest assortment of these Brussels, three plies and ingrain at all prices— at the Also on hand a large Carpet. Satisfaction guaranteed bath as to price and quaUty. You are iuvited to caU and see my goods. No trouble in showing them even if you do not want to purchase. Don't forget this notice. You can save money here if you Particular attention given to customer » orfe Also on hand a full assortment ol Counterpanes, Oil Cloths and Blankets of every variety. [nov-..yr. lowest Philadelphia and complete assortment of Rag PHILIP SCHUM, SON & CO., 38 and 40 "West .King Street, We keep on hand of our own manufacture, QUILTS, COYERLETS,^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Bureau and Tidy Covers, Ladies' Furnishing Goods, No- ' '" Rag Carpet, and s. 13. oois:. Manufacturer of Cirriages, Buggies, Phaetons, etc. CHURCH 8T„ NEAR DUKE, LANCASTER, PA, I arae Stock of New and Secon-hand Work on hand very cheap. Carriage* Made to Order Work Warranted or one year. l,l»-»-li PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON ENTOMOLOGY, Embracing the history aud habits of NOXIOUS AND INNOXIOUS "^ INSECTS, edies for their expulsion or eitermination. By S. S. RATHVON, Ph. D. LANCASTER, PA. This work win be Highly lUuatrated, and will be put in irpMB [as Hoon after ii sutficient number of Bubscnbers cau le obtained to cover the cost) .as the work can possibly be $77 Ou THE HOLMAN LIVER PAD Cnres by absorption without medicine. Now is the time io apply these remedies. They will do lofyon what nothing else on earth can Hundreds of citi- zens of Lancaster s".y so. Get the gcmime at LANCASTER OFFICE AND SALESROOM, 22 East Orange Street. Nov-lyr C. R. KLINE, ^TTOF^NEY-AT-^AW, OFFICE : 15 NORTH DUKE STREET, Nov-ly The Lancaster Farmer. Dr. S. S. SATHVON, Editor. LANCASTER, PA., MARCH, 1881. Vol. XIII. No. 3. Editorial. THE RAILROADS AND THE PEOPLE " Wlifii llie United Stall's Oovuinineiit as- sessed a tax of one liuiidivd pi-r 0,000,ti0(i, and we have an aggregate for the United States and Canada of 13,600,- 000 cows, 900,000,000 pounds of butter, 425,- 000,000 pounds of cheese, 2,200,000,000 gal- lons of milk, amounting to 8458,000,000. Our exports of butter and cheese are given decenially from 1790 to 1880, but omitting the intermediate years, we will merely give the two years named, by way of contrast. In 1790 we exported 470,440 pounds of butter, and 144,734 pounds of cheese, whilst in 1880 the quantity exported was 39,236,658 pounds of butter, and 127,553,007 pounds of cheese ; an increase of 38,766,218 pounds of bntter, and 127,409,173 pounds of cheese. In 1879 we exported 14,100,567 pounds of cheese more than we did in 1880, and 988,632 pounds less of butter. These figures illustrate not only the num- ber of our dairy stock, the magnitude and money value of our dairy production, but also ihe necessity and the quality of the literary channels through which this information is collected and diflused ; as well as the modus operandi by which such results are accom- plished, pre-eminently amongst which, is the journal from whose columns we have been "quoting. So far as the matter relates to the quantity, the quality and the pecuniary value of our exportations or importations, whatever the commodity may be, there is perhaps no difficulty in arriving at accuj-ate conclusions, if the original records have been accurately made. But it is not so easy to obtain re- liable information upon the exact amount and value of home production and consumption of any object of human industry. Perhaps two- thirds of civilized society care vei-y little about the amount they produce or consume, 80 that ends meet, or exhibit a reasonable plus. Indeed a large proportion of the world don't want to know whether their living " costs more than it comes to " or not, and this is not confined to the profligate and the indolent only. This indifference being in the way, there will always be a difficulty in collecting ac- curate statistics, especially in the products of the dairy. How many cows are in the pos- of private families, who perhaps never of a cent's worth of butter, milk, I or cream, but consume it all within their own families ? and yet, all this must be recognized iu aggregating the dairy pro- ductions of the country. Those can, there- fore, only be estimated, until more detailed light is dift'used. ENSILAGE. This is comparatively a new term in con- nection with the subject of agriculture, and yet it is becoming popularly familiar; but new as it is, in principle, it has been known and practiced these very many years ; for in point of /acf it embraces the same chemical princijiles that are operative in preserving green fruit ; namely, the expulsion of atmo.s- pheric air. As much as five and fifty years ago— during our apprentice days— a neighbor- ing housewife was somewhat remarkable for he"- good green currant pies prepared during the long winter seasons. On one occasion we were present when she opened one of her miniature " silos" and deposited the plump currants into a dish, previous to the manu- facture of her pies. There they were, crisp and juicy, albeit a little paler than they were wheii taken from the bush in the i)revious early summer. The modus operandi was simply this and nothing more: The currants were gathered and picked from the main stems ju.st before they began to change in color, and were spread out to allow whatever moisture may have enveloped them, to evaporate. They were then put into large glass bottles with narrow necks, also thoroughly dried out. When quite full, and thorouglily shaken together, the bottles were tightly corked — perhaps hermetically sealed — and set away in a cool place, and kept for winter uses. Thus, every bottle was a mina- ture silo, and the process, practically, modern ensilage. The canning of green corn, peas, beans, cabbages, etc., are approximations to ensilage in its application to green fodder, and the success or failure in the one involves the same chemical principles as the success or failure in the other, namely the perfect or the imper- fect expulsion of atmospheric air. How many cans of green corn, beans, peas and tomatoes were utterly spoiled— sometimes causing ter- rific explosions of the cans— before success was attained ? atid yet no body thought it necessary to come out over their signatures in condemnation of canned vegetables. There is no guess-work about ensilage— no zodiacal signs to be consulted, and no moon's phases to be' exorcised, in order to attain success. Indeed, every kraut-stand is a silo, and the preparation of sauer-kraut is a near approxi- luation to ensilage. It is not the small moiety of salt that is used that preserves the kraut ; it is the thorough packing it down and the exclusion of air, and the heavy weights on the top are to keep it packed, the brine that rises on the top being equivalent to sealing. Any ])art of the kraut which is above the brine always spoils, and as the brine sinks, through leakage or otherwise, the kraut becomes ex- posed to the air and spoils. In the preparation of green fodder by en- silage, the same precautionsmust be observed, as in the preparation of sauer-kraut and green fruit and vegetables— namely the thorough exclusion of air. Why have we better and more butter during the summer than during the winter ? Simply because the butter-pro- ducing animals have access to green fodder during the summer, which they generally have not during the winter, and it is to prac- tically can the fodder and keep it green, that ensilage is resorted to ; but the process must be as perfect, as possible— the nearer per- fection the better— or the cattle that eat it may be injured as much as. people are who eat spoiled fruit and vegetables. We had a conversation with an intelligent and enter- prising dairyman a few days ago, who visited thesiios of New York and "Massachusetts, and he is fully satisfied with the utility and practicability of ensilage. Where one man used it two years ago, one hundred used it last year, and one thousand will use it this year, and wherever it has failed, it has been through the slovenly or careless maimer in which the process was executed. Men must read, think, and observe the chemico-pneu- niatic laws, through which perfect ensilage only ciui'be practically' accomplished. A silo does not mean imnlv dig-ing a hole in the ground, throwing tin- fodder loosely in- to it, and covering it with a few loose boards. It means an airtight pit, or airtight box, sunk into the ground — either round or square — Willi an airtight covering ; but no matter about the form, so that it is airtight. When we say airtight, we do not mean absolutely so, because, pneumatically considered, a perfect vacuum is hardly practicable, but it should be as nearly airtight as it can possibly be made, and the nearer so the better. But the establishment of the fact that en- silage is practicable, and that its principles are correct when rigidly adhered to, by no means justifies a blind or hap-hazard adoption of it by every person who may possess " a cow and a pig or two," without regard to compen- sation, and the cost of the silo. There would be little economy iu building a sUo that would cost the farmer or the dairyman more than the additional profit he would realize over feeding the ordinary dvy food. It is comparatively a new thing in this country and needs to be adopted cautiously, feeling their way care- fully as they proceed. The question is not so much ' Can it be done V' as ' Will it pay after it is done ?' And that this question needs to be duly considered— and thoroughly too— we quote from oiu- cotemporaries, the first of whom we recognize as the editor of the OermanUJwn Tehyraph, whose age and long experience in handling professedly progressive ideas, entitles bis opinion to the favorable re- gard of his fellow-citizens. It is always best to "be sure you are right " before you at- tempt to " go ahead." Ensilage is either a bad thing as a profitable investment or it is a good.thing. If it is a bad thing, it will of itself come* to naught- perhai)S after the farmer-has squandered his means unavailably upon it ; but if it is a (jood thing, the gates of prejudice cannot prevail agaiust it. Under any circum- stances it will not injure the intelligent and progressive farmer to view all its points be- fore adopting it. The Silo. No matter how absurd any new tiling introduced into agriculture or horticulture may he, there are not only ardent advocates of it, but these advocates are not willing to allow anybody to differ from them without condemning their want of judgment, or in expressing opinions without having opportunities to form them. Yet these very persons, without any more experience have gone Into the construction of pits and filling them with green corn cut into short hitp, which, coming out green and fresh, iu the wiuter-tiiue, and the cattle eating it freely, they shout at once to come and see and then judge 1 Now, no one ever doubted that the green corn could not be preserved in this way, or that the cattle would not eat it readily ; but we did and do doubt that there is any saving as is s.i vehemently claimed, in the inethod. Again, we did not condemn it at all, only advising our agricultural friends that if they regarded the thing favorably, to try it at flret on a moderate scale, so that in case of not being satisfied they could abandon it wiih little loss. One maniac says, just come to my place about four o'clock in the afternoon, when I feed my cattle, and see how they consume the fodder, and the milk the give. This Is no doulit all very nice ; we have not a word to say against it ; but that does not meet the question. The cautious farmer wants to know what it co»t» in com- parison to the present methods of feeding. The silos are expensive ; the cartage of the green corn is very heavy; the cutting of the stalks into one or two inch pieces is very laborious ; then it has to be packed lightly down in the pits so as to exclude the atmos- phere ; then there is no small time occupied in re- moving it from the pits and covering up again ; and then there is interest to pay on the cost of the silos. This is what farmers want to know exactly about. If it can be shown that the new way of feeding is better and cheaper than the old— and this has not yet been shown— it will be taken hold of and intro- duced fast enough. The silos and ensilage origina- ted in France, if we are correctly informed, but it is not generally in use there, neither is it in England, where, of all countries, and for reasons unnecessary to state, it ought to be universally adopted. We call attention of our viticulturists to the paper of Prof. Tustiu, of Lewisburg, Pa., on page 38 of this number of the Parmer, and hope the question may be better tlie comiug season . 36 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [March, THE SOURCES OF SPRINGS. On page 19, of February number of tlie Farmer, a correspondent says : "Fifty years ago, or more, more than half the farm was woodland, and especially those parts which bordered on the creeks were covered with timber. Near tlie house, and at the base of a liill was a large ' never-failing ■* spring, sur- rounded by trees. The entire fore.st growth had boeuf removed : and when we visited the farm on the loth of December, 1878, the spring was non est— it had disappeared a quarter of a century ago. Not a tree or a shrub was near it ; all the hills on both sides of the creek were denuded of their timbers, and this drying up of the spring, and the di- minution in the flow of the creek, was cotem- porary with the removal of the trees, and was doubtless the effect of that cause." Are we to understand that in the part Of the country where this occurred, Geolo- gists teach that a hill immediately over the mouth of a spring, has the slightest influence on its source ? — T. M. The " correspondent " alluded to in the above paragraph, is no other than our "own sweet self," and no geological doctrine is to be inferred, other than what the general facts may imply. We were merely giving our in- dividual observations on the changed charac- ter of the locale of our boyhood, as "seeming to favor the theory that forests exercise an influence on climate and water flow. Of course, we do not infer that the removal of the trees immediately surrounding a spring will exercise much influence over it, unless it is a very week (me, and especially not over its source ; and yet, ive do knmo of a half a score of springs along the Susquehanna, that have entirely disappeared since the days of our boyhood, when there were many small groves, where there are now only cultivated flelds. The farm to which we alluded, and upon which we wraught in 1826 and 1827, con- tained perhaps 150 acres, about one half of which was forest, and contiguous to it were also otlier forest lands. This forest occupied the highest ground, north and westward of the spring, but this is now all cultivated fields ; and the spring, was such a strong one, that we confess we were much surprised at the magnitude of an eft'eet from, apparently, such a slight cause. The present occupants of the farm know nothing about the spring, save from tradition. We .cannot say that we have yet been able to come to ii definite con- clusion upon this question of climatology, and therefore we have merely related a plain unvarnished fart, for whatever it may be worth. We feel confident, however, that the theory can never be either sustained or over- thrown, by grasping at little inadvertent straws in the testimony, either pro. or con. to the main issue. Queries and Answers. THE ELM TREE BEETLE. Faiemount Park, Phu.adelphia, March 4, 1881. Prop. S. S. PlATHvos, Lancaster, Pa.— Z»far Sir: I am seekina: information regardina: an insect, {Oalcnica calmarieiixix) a. &ma.U beetle that infests the elms, around and south of Philadelphia, and which I believe is unknown north of us. The beetle flies upon the leaves to deposit its eggs, and the larva feeds on the leaves, until the trees are quite denuded of foliatje. Wliat I desire to know, is whether they undergo their metamorphosis, from the larva, to the pupa condition, Upon the tree and descend to the ground by means of the trunk, or do they accomplish their descent by the falling of the leaves. I have referred to several works on the subject, but cau find no reference to the question. Any information you can give me in relation to this matter, will be fully ap- preciated. Tours truly, Cbas. H. Miller. By reference to page 131, vol. 8 ; p. 98, vol. 9 ; p. 97, vol. 10 ; p. 97, vol. 11 ; and p. 98, vol. 12, of the Lancaster Farmer, (187(5, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880) you will perceive that the " Ehn-leaf ]3eetle " has been a common pest in Lancaster county — and especially in und about Lancaster city— ever since about the year 1875. But first allow us to say, that the insect to which you allude is not the Oalenica calmariensis, but the G. xanthoma- loena ; the first named species confining itself exclusively to equatic plants, and probably docs not exist in this country — at least we have never seen it here, in its native state. Those writers who have confounded the latter with the former named species, probably never saw a specimen of the former. AVe sincerely wish you could have ready access to the volumes of the 'journal aViove named, be- cause we tire of repeating what we have al- ready written upon the subject. Many beau- tiful Elm trees fell victims to the infestations of these- pernicious insects during the year 1880— for they were present in mihions, in the city of Lancaster, and yet the people generally — except, perhaps, the owners of the trees— seemed to regard them with com- parative indiflerence. This was conspicuously so, in regard to several trees that stood on church properties, where the beetles were al- lowed full sway with little molestation. The Elui-leaf beetle is a winter hibernating insect, and gets into dwelling houses, stables, or out- houses of dirterent kinds, under the bark of trees, or any other cover of which they can avail themselves, and come forth in the spring, as soon as the elmleaves begin to ex- pan'd. There are at least two broods of them during the summer season, but the second brood is always the most numerous and the most destructive. Both the beetle and ■ its htrva feed on the elmleaves, but the larva is the worst on account of its longer life and its greater numbers — each female depositing from two to three hundred eggs. After the larva is matured, d riiiu' July and August, it comes down, and pupates iiinl.r tin- trees, creeping under any cover tliat is available, and where the ground under the trees is hard and smooth, or where the ground is paved, they will pupate in the seams between the bricks', or in any small cavities around the bases of the trees they infest, and may be swept together by hundreds of thousands and destroyed. Usually the larva travel down the trunks of the trees, but many fall with the leaves, and WB have also reason to believe that many of them let themselves drop d:)wn from the branches, for we have seen the pavements covered with them as far as the branches ex- tended, and often on a space three feet square, we could have gathered as many as would have filled a. piut-nieasure But they do not all pupale ml the trriiuiid ; for, when that in- lerestiiiji iiciuid in tlair development occurs, they pupate wherevir they hai)pen to be, hence under tlie scales of bark all over the trunks and larger branches of the trees their yellow pupiE may be found. Doubtle.ss the larvai would yield to the spraying of the trees with poisonous solutions and decoctions, but in great high elm-trees this is almost imprac- ticable. They are most assailable in tlie pupa state, and if they cannot be circumvented in that condition, the only remedy is to remove the trees, for they infest no other trees, even when they are in in near proximity to them. A strong solution of whale-oil soap, and a stiil brush with a long handle (such as is used in cleaning gutters) will be necessary in cleaning the trunks and branches. Those gathered from the ground may be scalded, burnt, or crushed. It will, however, require a per- sistent effort to destro3' them. Birds — at least the English sparrows— have no liking for them; for, in a "roost" of about one hundred sparrows' nests, not a stone's throw from an infested tree, we never saw a single sparrow approach one, or appropriate a single beetle, although they were active in feeding their young all summer. . The Elm-leaf beetle is about one-half larger than the " Cucumber beetle " [Diahrotica vittata) to which it has a family alliance, and is* similar to it in form. The general color is a clay-yellow, and also generally three black *Since writing the above we are informed that full sets oftheLAXCAST-B FAKMKRforl875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879 and l^so niaj be obtained, at the usual price, by address- ing tiie publisher. .John A. Hiestand, Ksq,, "Examiner" oflice, Lancaster. Pa. spots, tranversely arranged, on the thorax. But these are not always distinctly present, there is also generally a black longitudinal dash near the' outer margin, at the hinder ends of the wing-covers. When the weather is warm the beetles are tolerably active and quickly take flight, but early in the spring they are somewhat sluggish and may be easily captured when surprised in their hiding places. Of course they fly into the trees and deposit their eggs on the leaves. On one occa- sion a lady in the county brought us about a dozen specimens, which aimong a hundred others, she found behind a fireboard in an upper unoccuped room in her house, in the month of March. If they can be found and destroyed in the spring, the number will be so much ies.sened during the summer, for each female will deposit a great number of Communications. ITEMS FOR THE FARMER. As soon as the upper portion of the straw of the cereals becomes yellow, no farther increase takes place in the weight of the seed. If the grain be not cut down soon after the ap- pearance of this sign, its quality deteriorates, and its weight diminishes. It is as easy to grow 100 bushels of corn to the acre, as it is to grow 70, and with the same labor only, and after the plan of 'doing it is at once explained, it will be as plainly seen as the nose on one's face. The seed from the same, grown in this wise, is cheaper at S2.00 per bushel, than your present seed corn is at a gift, as it will always produce the same, (more rather than less). Where two trees of the same class of fruit bear a good crop every other year only, it is an easy matter to change and have one of the two to give its portion of fruit every year, and it requires but little labor, say one hour, and the work is permanent, without any fur- ther work or trouble. These items are worth knowing, especially where the fruit is choice, and for one to be master of his trade (agri- culturist). For the two above receipts, any one wish- ing to learn how, can do so, by writing to me.— Wm. I. Pyle, Box 400, West Chester, Chester count;/, Fa. DOUBLE APPLE. Mr. Rathoon: I see by the February num- ber of the Farmer, that yon have a double apple. I will here tell you how it was made double, as I have seen the like. Immediately after the fall of the blossom, the stem split at the fruit end, and as fruit is nothing but a modification of a leaf, the fruit, or tight com- pact substance of leaves, gradually divided with the stem, and being furnished with sap, it healed as it divided. I have seen fruit and leaf both in the one and same body, both apples and tomatoes, more especially toma- toes, fruit and leaf, leaf at both ends, and fruit between. In this case there is no seed bearing solid fruit. Yours truly, Wm. J. Pyle. For The Lancaster Farmer. THE TWO CATAPALS. The writer of this asked through the columns of the Farmer, for information as to the wood of the western species of catalpa, as that wood is said to be the coming wood for durability, for railroad ties and tor fence posts. No one having responded, I will therefore essay|a description, through John A. Warden, M.d!, President of the American Forestry Association. We have two species of catalpa, both native to our country — an eastern species, and a western species. Our western catalpa, ac- cording to Micheau, has a wide habitat, sti-etching from Vincennes, Indiana, to Illi- nois, Kenuicky, and Tennessee, and from thence on to Kansas and most of the tribu- taries of the Mississippi. This species waa 1881. THE LANCASTER FARMER. 37 introduced into Ohio, and into at least two diffi-rcnt localities that were widely separated from each other. At first it was simply known as the ••catalpa tree," hut in the meantime the I'astern species, the Cntnlpa bignmn(>idn<, of Wallers, had been widely dis- tributed bv tliv nnrseryim-ii on either side of the 40th piinitlel of north latitude. Here both trees weri' (ihinted totjethcr, and here it was where their .superior hardiness was first ob- served by Slid Foster, of Muscatine, Iowa, on wliosi' ijroiinds the experiment was miide, durinu the severe winters of 1S5-") and 1850, with The entire escape of the speciosa, or west- ern species, and tlie destructioM of the 613- novioide.s, or eastern species. The upenma stood the cold winters on the Missouri river, at Onialui, wlicre the-eastcrn tree was apt to be injured. The Indian and French settlers had long before discovered the value ot the wood and had utilized it. The observant General Harrison, afterwards President of the United States, when acting as Governor of the Xofthwestern Territory, fully appre- ciated the " Shavanon '" tree of the Indiana, and also utilized it. Some posts of Ids plant- ing were in good condition when removed after having done service in a fence during forty years. Some of them were set in other fences now standing. Near the old Governor's mansion, at Vincennes, are catulpa trees still growing, which were probably of General Harrison's planting, one of which is three feet in diameter, with a tall erect stem, bearing its top branches full fifty feet above the ground, and having lateral branches of almost eqnal breadth. This was called the "Treaty- Tree," under which he may have cemented the compact between the United States and the northwestern Indians. Although a great admirer of this tree, the Governor probably, only knew i^ as the catnlpa, without any botanical observations. And so it was reputed by Mr. Nnttal, who, in his "Genera," page 10, on the au- thority of General Harrison, gives this region as an indubitable habitat of this tree ; for, up to 1836, that distinguished botanist and extensive traveler had not .seen a catalpw tree in a state of nature ; as he tells us he then did, for the first time, on the banks of the Cbattahoot-Shee, near Columbus, in Georgia. — ■'jStfua Aynericana, vol. Ill, p. 77." On leaving his office of Governor of the Northwestern Territory, General Harrison brought the western species of Cataipa with him to his farm at North Bend, where his de- scription wa.s first written. The tree has been spreading in the neighborhood ever since and has become alreadj' perfectly naturalized, although on a (Hffereut soil from that of its native' habitation. Some of the tree.s have been cut down, dressed, and used ;i.s gate- posts. Although taken at midsummer, July 2, 185i, they are to-day firm and sound. The CuMpa speciosa. is taller, straighter, less branching, more symmetrical, and more hardy than the eastern species {bignonioides). Tlie (lowers are more abundant, larger, and of a purer while. The fruit is usually longer, sometimes two fwt in length, but the steeds present the surest and safest distinguishing characters, as the cornu is spreading, less pointed, and the tissue soft and silky, and the grains are also much larger. This tree seems now to be cultivated very extensively throughout tlie west, and they are furnished "on moderate terms by nurserymen. Stone, Harrison & Co., offer SiOO collections of a variety of trees, and among them they will pack 100 catalpas, and forward thera to any address by mail, post i>aid. L. S. R. Warwick, Febniari/, 1881. [Pretty much all that we practicallv know abont the Caia'pa is contained in a para- graph on page 181, in the 12th volume of the Fakmer. "We did receive some weeks ago, an interesting little pamphlet on the subject, and had prepared an article for our journal, compiled mainly from information found therein, but somehow, both it and the pamph- let have been "spirited away " for just now we cannot lay our hands on either of them. If there really are but two species (Dr. Gray recognizes but one), and if the wood is of such an endurable and superior quality, it does seem a little singular that those facts were not discovered very long ago. This ovei-sight, however, may be due to the abun- dance of belter material existing heretofore, and that a prospective famine now st;iring the eoundy in the face, has elicited attention to the subject; and al.so that rapidity of growth has as iiiueh to do with the question as the quality of the wood. Its specific gravity is far less than oak, hickory, walnut, cherry and ash. Essays. TOBACCO CULTURE— HOW TO GROW OUR NEXT CROP. We herewith publish an essay on tobacco culture for the benefit of th(«e who are al- ready classed among the growers of the weed, as well as for such as have concluded to enter upon the cultivation of this croj) during the coming season. Such an essay, if it entered fully into all the details, fioni the prepanition of the seed bed until the packing of the crop, would take up much more space than could conveniently be allotted to the subject in a single issue of this paper. We have therefore determined to prepare a series of • articles covering the general sub- ject of tobacco culture, which will appear at seasonable periods during the year, each one having a special reference to that portion ot subject which engages the tobacco grower's attention when it appears. In this way the reader's attention will not be confounded by a multiplicity of unseasonable details, but will be occupied for the time being with only that portion of the subject which covers the period at hand. As the time is rapidly approaching when tobacco growers will be compelled to begin their preparations for the coming season, we present our first instalment of the general question of tobacco growing. Lancaster county has assumed such a commanding position for the extent, excellence and value of her tobacco product, that the methods practiced by her growers must of necessity be valuable to growers elsewhere, especially to those whose experience h,is been limited and who are not yet thoroughly posted in the most approved modes of tobacco culture. There are perhaps thousands of growers to whom what we shall say will convey no new infor- mation. It is not for such that these chapters are prepared, but for those in other and newer districts, who, while anxious to grow an article that shall command the highest market price, have neither h.ad the required experience nor requisite opportunities for per- sonal observation to enable them to do so. Good Seed. In order to grow good tobacco, it is essen- tial that nothing be left to chance. Every step of the process must be taken with the final result In view. A defective link any- where in the season's chain may render all previous or future etforts useless, and render the cami>aign a failure. It is therefore of the highest importance that a correct start is made if final success is to be hoped for. It is true that accident or a favorable season may compensate for a blunder or two, but the to- bacco grower must not rely upon any such stray contingencies. Good, healthy, vigorous seed must be had to start with. Too little attention is paid to this anparently small but very important matter by many tobacco growers even here i n Lancaster county. At the proper season, which is of course topping time, the strongest and best plants should be allowed to develop their flower stem. Not all the seed pods must be allowed to mature. All of them except about a dozen at the top must be removed. This will insure much better and stronger seed, and consequently more vigorous plants, a most important consideration at all times and in certain seasons decisive of the quality and value of the crop. It would not be amiss if every seed plant had a stake driven into the gnnmd by its side, to which it could be tied and thus be secured against damage from stomis of wind. The pod worm should be carefully .searched for and destroyed. When the bolls have turned black or a dark brown, the sjiike containing Iheni must be cut off and hung up in a dry place, with the tops down- ward, and here they may be left until the the time for sowing them comes round. New, fresh seed should always have the preference; it can be told by its dark brown color; iti grows lighter in color as it grows older. A few growers have suggested, and, we believe, practiced, the planting of a few old seeds along with fresh ones in order to have a bet- ter succession of jilants when the time comes for setting them out and in case they should be needed. Old seed, however, must not be regarded as vulueless. It preserves its vitality five or more years. A good test is to throw some on a hot stove; if it crackles or "pops" it may be sown with confidence. There is an opin- ion current that the quality of tobacco will gradually deteriorate unless renewed fiom outside sources evei-y year. There are no good reasons to believe this of any of the va- rieties cultivated here — with the " Pennsyl- vania seed leaf" or the "Gleaner" varieties. Farmers, we believe, have it in their power to keep up and even improve the varieties they have by careful cultivation. The plauta set "apart for seed should .stand near each oth- er; this enables the winds and insects to carry the pollen from one to the other more readily, and thus effect a more complete fructification. This plan ought to be observed instead of the present plan of letting the seed plants stand ill every part of the field. These are appa- rently trilling points, but they all contribute their share to the ultimate success of the grower who observes them carefully. The Seed Bed. The seed bed may be fairly regarded as the starting-point of the tobacco grower. It is here that the future wrapper, rich brown in color, generous in size, thinly veined and silky in texture, Ls nourished into life. Its proper management will demand his closest atten- tion, and barring accidents, including the contingencies of the season, his future success depends in a large mea.sure upon his careful preparation of it before planting the seed and his unceasing attention to it afterward.s. At no period of the entire year will watchfulnesg and good management go further towards se- curing a good crop. Knowing this, he must spare neither time nor labor to get a good start, and his seed bed is the place where the work must be beifun. Growers of tobacco everywhere are agreed in the opinion that the situation of the seed- bed is a matter of the utmost importance. On this will depend largely the full and timely supply of plants needed. A southern sloping exposure should be selected whenever possible. Where this is not possible, then a southeastern one ; a western one is not desirable, and a northern one still worse. It must he sheltered on the north and west from the keen blasts of early spring. The southern exposure gives the young iilants the full benefit of the sun's rays early in the season and advances them rapidly, enabling the farmer to set out his fields earlier than he otherwise could, thus avoiding the hot weather of summer. Burning the Seed Bed. We desire to draw esiiecial attention to a custom which is invariably fruitful in pood results, which is almost universally practiced in the Southern tobacco States, but which hardly one farmer in a hundred in Lancaster county practices ; we of course allude to burn- ing over the seed bed prior to planting. Anything that will burn may be employed for this purpose ; brush wood, corn stalks, old rails and logs, briars, in short anything that is at hand. Several hours hard burn- ing is not too much. This has the effEect 38 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [March, not only of killing all weeds and seeds that may be in the soil, but also the noxious insects near the surface — no slight consideration. It would be difficult, in fact to describe all the good results from this practice. After the bed has been carefully burnt over, the refuse matter should be care- fully raked off, leaving only the ashes. The ground must then be dug over, <-are being taken not to turn up the subsoil. All stones, roots, or other foreign substances must be carefully removed, and the soil made fine and friable. We feel as if we could not too strongly impress the good results of this fact upon our tobacco growers. In those portions of the State where timber is still plentiful and cheap, the custom ought to be universally followed. The ordinary custom is, however, not to burn over the seed-bed. It should be dug over as early in the spring as the weather will admit or the ground is dry enough. A rich virgin loam is the best soil ; black, if it is to be had, is preferable, as the color absorbs the sun's rays better and advances the plants faster. If the ground is not naturally rich enough, it must be made so. You cannot make it too rich. Well-rotted stable manure is much the best article that can be used ; chicken or hog manure are not nearly so de- sirable, nor are artificial manures. A com- post made the previous year of the various manures produced on the farm and plenti- fully applied would, no doubt, produce ex- cellent results. This must be spaded in and care be taken to render the soil on the sur- face, and indeed throughout, as fine as if run through a fine sieve. Lumpy ground would impede the free sprouting of the minute sued by covering them. The bed is now ready to receive the seed. Sprouting the Seed. Most growers sprout the seed before plant- ing, but a few do not. The former course is much the best. It is surer, because it enables you to see whether your seed is good. It also gives you plants sooner, as unsprouted seed in an unfavorable season sometimes lie hi the ground a long time before germinating. Wheu the season is late and inclement weather prevents the early preparation of the seed-bed, it is sometimes all important that the plants are brought forward as rapidly as possible. There are different methods of sprouting the seed. 'The more common way is to tie it in a little bag and place it in slightly tepid water for a day or two ; it is then removed and placed under some .moist woollen covering in an atmosphere suflSciently warm to forward the process of germination; near a stovein a light room is a good place. Much care must be taken in handling the seed at this critical period. Any injury to the tender sprout that issues from the minute seed is sure to result in the death of the germinal principle. They must be kept slightly moist all the while, so that the sprouting process may not be interrupted, which, were it to occur, might also result disastrously. An old and very successful grower of our acquaintance sprouts his tobacco seed in an entirely different manner. He selects a lot of chip soil from the site of an old woodpile, sifts it carefully to remove all foreign sub- stances and to pulverize the earth thoroughly. This is then moistened with warm water, placed in earthen pots, or some other vessels, and the proper quantity of seed thoroughly mixed with it. The pots are then placed near a stove ; the soil is kept most by the addition 01 sulBcient water, and it is besides carefully stirred over several times daily to prevent packing and to expose the seed to the light. Much care is necessary when the tiny shoot begins to emerge from the seed, as rude hand- ling would soon break it ofl'. Either of the two methods just given, if carefully followed, will give good results. — New Era. Eight hundred varieties of pears and near- ly one hundred kinds of native grapes are said to be iu cultivation in America. *DO BEES PUNCTURE GRAPES, AND IF SO, HOW ? The question as to whether the Honey Bee, A^ds melUJica, punctures and tears open the skin of fruit, and especially that of the grape has called forth considerable discussion. That a matter apparently so simple should for so long a time be in an unsettled condition seems not a little surprising. Bee keepers generally deny that bees do auy injury to sound fruit, and as they doubt- less best understand the habits of their favor- ites, they make a strong argument in their own behalf. Fruit-growers on the other hand, earnestly claim that bees do them gresit harm. They, find these insects industriously engaged in sipping the juices of bursted grapes, and in their vexation over the lost fruit, and with- out much discrimination, they charge the whole work — both the rupturing of the skin, as well as the extracting of the juices — upon the busy yet harmless insect. Here we have the chief point of interest in this question— the fruit grower, from persbnal considerations, demanding that the bees shall be destroyed or kept within bound : — the apiarist denying that his bees do any harm, and that therefore they should not iu any way be restrained. The subject was assigned to me to report upon before this society, at a time when I had not the opportunity of giving it any special attention, and yet in a general way I have observed for several years that bees have been very numerous about my vines, and that many a grape was robbed by them of its sweet juices and rich pulp. That bees have increased in number and that they are fond of feeding upon the luscious contents of a ripened bunch of grapes are well admitted facts. The food most natural to the bee is the fluid secretions contained in the nectaries of various kinds of flowers, and the pollen dust on the anthers. But when flowers are scarce, or when they have passed their season,— since the bee must live and gather honey all the day— its instinct leads it to other saccharine substances, and on this account, doubtless, it takes to the ripened peach, grape, pear, and the like. The bee is furnished with organs, enabling it readily to gather its food. In the first place it has a double stomach, or more cor- rectly, two stomachs, the first of which serves as a receptacle or pouch for the tiuid matter which it gathers from the flowers ; this fluid matter thus gathered and stored up does not appear to differ from honey. In this honey-stomach no digestion of the honey is known to take place, and' it seems to serve the only office of holding the gathered honey until the bee returns home. The coatings of this stomach being furnished with the power of muscular reaction, the honey is readily emptied into the cells of the comb. To extract the honey-fluid from the flowers and introduce it into this stomach, the bee is furnished with what may be regarded as an elongated tongue, formed by a prolongation of what with us answers to the lower lip. This tongue is flexible, and capable of a cer- tain degree of extension. It is not a hollow- tube with a suction arrangement at the end, to enable the bee to s..ck the fluid of the flower into its stomach, as has commonly been supposed. But in gathering honey, the bee inserts its tongue into the nectary of the flower, and whatever honey may adhere to the surface of the tongue is introduced into its mouth and ultimately finds its way into the stomach. It is in tliis way that the bee gathers its honey. This tongue is a very delicate organ and^has no, puncturing or pen- etrating power. To further enable the bee to accomplish its work the mouth is furnished with " feelers " or palpi— four in number. These are for the insect, its organs of sense. There are, be- sides, two strong mandibles or jaws, furnish- ed with two teeth. These parts are not used as in vertelirates for masticating the food, but for a variety of other purposes. For instance, sometimes the parts of the flower may be so compressed, that ready access to the necta- ries cannot be obtained and it may be neces- sary for the bee to push apart or to cut away portions of the floral envelopes, so as to gain the honey. And in the work of preparing a place for the building of the nest, or the making of the comb, it may be ne- cessary to break away or to cut through hard substances. ■ In the accomplishment of these things the mandibles furnish the requisite power, while the paliri or feelers tell the bee ^vllat is to be done, and Ikao and where to do it. That these mandibles have, for the size of the insect, considerable power, may be seen by consideriug for a moment some of the gen- era allied to the common honey bee. Thus, instances are known where the bum- ble-bee has been shut up within the corolla of flowers, and he has cut his way through the walls of his imprisonment. There is the so- called boring bee, which with its mandibles often skilfully cuts its way for a considerable distance through dry timber. Then the ma- son-bee detaches and gathers together grains of sand and by the aid of a mucous secretion works these up into cells of an almost im- . perishable kind. So that the mandibular power of the bee family is quite conspicuous, and it is a power to be exerted according as the exigencies of the case may require. The sting of the bee is an organ in its structure and in its use quite different from the mandibles. It is situated in the posterior part of the body and is a finely pointed in- strument with au open tube extending along its entire length. At the root of the sting is a little sac in which is contained the poisonous fluid, which the bee injects through this tube into the wound which he may have made. The object here is to provide the insect with the necessary means of self-defense when it is exasperated or attacked, and so far as is known, it is only under these circumstances that the sting is used. It is strictly an organ of defense, and in no way used as a means to assist in the gathering of the food. When the sting is used, it simply punctures the sur- face to which it is applied, unless that surface be powerful enough to resist the fine point of the sting. So toat with reference to the question before us the opinion is generally held, that in their ravages upon grapes, if bees ever do tear open the slcin, they certainly do not and cannot do tliis with their sting, this organ having no power to tear or cut' open, but only to penetrate orpuncture«asily yielding substances. But it is not certainl}' known that the bee does ever tear open the skin of the grape. From what has been stated, its mandibular power is without doubt sufficient to enable this to be done, and that it is iwssible may not be doubted. But there is want of evidence that thee bee ever does this, I have never seeu a bee in the act of tear- ing open the skin of a sound grape, although I have seen repeated instances, of one and indeed several bees together luxuriating upon the sweet juices of a Dalaware or a Concord. And so far as I have been able to corres- pond with them, I find that the authorities upon this subject quite unanimously agree, that there is no evidence against the bee that it tears open the grape, although this assidu- ous little honey-worker is ready to appropriate the sweet substance of the grape, the peach and kiudred fruits, when once tlie skin has been broken from any cause, whether on ac- count of a defect in the growtli of the fruit, or Ihrongh disease, or by reason of an excess of juices in the fruit whereby the skin not being able to yield sufficiently must burst, or through the sting of a wasp or of other insect. In a note from Professor A. S. Packard, now of Brown University, he says that though he has no evidence that they do so, yet liis "impression is that bees will puncture and bite open grapes," but this impression he says is founded simply on this, that he sees THE LANCASTER FARMER. 39 "no reason from the structure of the mouth why they could not do so." But the observations and experiments of Mr. Charles H. Math, the Secretary of the Cincinnati Entomological Society, are more to the point. lie says that if you lay a ripe bunch of grapes with sound berries in front of the liive, with the entrance thereto con- tracted to ,( or to i of an inch, so that every bee going out or coming home will have to run over or around the bunch, you will notice that they try their very best to attack the grapes, while yet every berry remains intact. He found the same to be true of a sound ripe BartJett pear. After he had .satisfied himself of the inability of the bee to penetrate the skin of the grape, he then punctured each berry with a pin, and in an hour or two no- thing remained but ^he skins and the stem. Dr. S. S. IJathvon, the learned editor of the Lancasteu Farmer— a pai>er of excellent scope and character, and devotiil to the high- est interests of agriculture and liorticulUire — ■says in a letter of the date of Octolier L"), " I have grown grapes (Isabellas, Clintons, Con- cords, Hartlord Prolilics, Marthas, Dela- wares,) upon my premises for thirty years, and yet I liavc never observed a bee cutting or tearing ojieii any of them. From the or- ganic structure of the mouth of the bee, it is very probable that they can lacerate skins of the niore delicate grapes, and the testimony from intelligent sources seems to be so strong that I do not feel like ignoring it, and yet I fear that many observations in that direction are too superficial to be entirely reliable." From another part of the letter we quote, "I have not conversed with a single person who says he ever saw a bee in the act of cutting open grapes. But the grapes are found rup- tured, and the bees at work upon them, and that seems to be the bulk of the testimony." Mr. A. I. Root, the editor of "Gleanings in Bee Culture "—a paper published at Me- dina, O., says that "although bees may at times puncture sound grapes, the evidence is very strong that they very rarely, if ever, do so. Their work is principally on broken or bursted grapes." But the highest and best authority is Pro- fessor A. J. Cooke of Lansing, Michigan, who says in his communication of Dec. 13, "From close observation for many years, from careful experiments seemingly crucial, and from a vast amount of testimony, I feel sure that if bees ever attack sound grapes it is ex- exceptional : some scientists say they do at times — so that I cannot say they do not. But L am sure that it is very rarely, if ever, the case. I have lived for some years in the midst of vineyards, and where bees were very nu- merous, but I never saw bees tear open a sound grape. If bird or wasp or disease break the grapes, and the bees find no other stores, they will lap up the oozing juice. At such time I have broken grapes, and when they were being supped by bees, I would re- move tliem and place sound grapes in their stead, when the bees would at once stop work." Our conclusions from observations, and from the testimony of others are then— 1. That the bee cannot puncture the skin of the grape with either its tongue or its sting. 3. That it is possible that bees may tear open grapes from the fact that they possess the necessary mandibular power. S. We believe that tlicy rarely, if ever, do this, and that their depredations upon grapes are confined to cases where aheady from other causes, the skin has been ruptured. The complaints of bees destroying grapes and other kinds of fruit are more frequent than they were thirty years ago, and possibly for the reason that in later times the trees and shrubs and plants from which bees have been in the habit of gathering their lioney have been relatively decreasing in numl)er, while at the same lime the culture of bees has been increasing all over tlie country. The remedy for such complaints should be found not in destroying the bees, nor in advocating their restriction, for honey we must liavc and j it is quite as desirable to many persons as is I fruit. The true way will be for the bee- [ keeper to provide in places conveniently near the hives, tlie necessary clover and other j flower-bearing plants from which his bees may derive their food. Imluied with its instinct of industry, the bee will not be idle. It will gather its stores fVom flowers if it can ; from various fruits, peaches, grapes and pears, if it yuust. FRUIT CROPS IN PENNSYLVANIA. Mr. E. Satterthwait, of .lenkintown, Mont- gomery county. Chairman of (he (iemial Fruit Committee of the I'ennsylvunia l'"niil Growers' Society, presentrd tlie following re- port in reference to the fruit crops of the past season in Pennsylvania, which was read at tlie recent annual meeting of the society held in Gettysburg : To the President and Members of the .Sociely. I have received answers to my inquiries in regard to the fruit crops of the past season from most of the members of the committee, and from these, together with my own per- sonal observations, I have gathered the fol- lowing conclusions : The Large Apple Crop. The apple crop throughout the State was unusually good. All the reports except from one locality agree in this, and all have the same complaint to make, that owing to the unusual forwardness of the season all varieties ripened some weeks before their time, so that a large proportion of the winter varieties had to be disposed of early in the fall to little profit, but fortunately those that stayed on the trees until the proper time for picking were unusually fair and fine and are keeping very well ; and this was the only part of the apple crop that paid, the summer and fall varieties as usual not bringing enough to pay the expense of sending to market. The de- struction from codhng moth is not complained of as much as usual, but this is probably owing to the fact that the crop of apples was uncommonly large, and there being only an average crop of the insects their ravages were not so much noticed. I fear there is no good ground for hoping for any immediate abatement of this great evil as most probably another season will show, with a smaller crop of fruit and an increased crop of insects. As this insect is the only real obstacle to the produc- tion of apples in this State in any amount and of the best quality, it is of great importance that some more effectual remedy than any yet devised may be discovered. Nothmg better has been suggested in my reports than the gathering of the wormy fruit as it falls from the tree and the destruction of the worms, either by feeding the fruit to swine or making into cider for vinegar. This is very well as far as it goes, as is also the trapping of the worms with hay bands and other simi- lar devices, but these though doubtless very beneficial as far as they go have not proved effectual. Some complaints are still made of injury to and destruction of apple trees by the borer. As this is a thing so easily guarded against, and the one, simple, easy and effectual remedy has been so frequently mentioned at these meetings that it would seem almost in- credible that any member of our society should be so far behind the times as not to have learned how to save his fruit trees from injury by the borer. There docs not seem to be anything else worth mentioning injurious to the apple crop. Selection of Varieties of Apples. The most important consideration, perhaps, connected with apple culture in this State is the selection of profitable varieties. Next to the destruction by codling moth, the grej\t cau.se of the failure of the apple crop in this State for many years, has been the platiting of trees from New York nurseries, not because these trees are not as good as trees grown here, but because they are all of kinds, which though good varieties there, are of no value here. Almost all of the kmds wliich are grown in the North for keeping varieties and do so well there, ripen here in the fall and will not keep and are conseciuenlly worthless. I am sorry I am not able to give a list that could he depended' on for tlie State, or for any large part of it. As it is not only a question of climate, but the kind of soil as well as cul- tivation, and perhaps many other things wlrich are not yet understood have much to do in determining the adaptability of a variety of fruit to any particular locality, I will merely give here the varieties mostly spoken of as having done well the past year. Karly Harvest, Red Astracan,Benoni, Porter, r.lush, Smokehouse, Domine, Krauser, York Striiie, York Imperial, Fallawater, Ben Davis, Grimes' (Joldeii, Smith's Cider and Kidge Pippin. This is indeed a very meagre list, and perhaps does not embrace the one- tenth part of the valuable varieties that are cultivated here and there in the State, but are not generally known and have not been widely tested. This is one of the questions upon which information is greatly wanted, and should claim a large share of the atten- tion of this society. A great deal of good work has been done by this association in bringing into notice and diffusing valuable varieties of apples that hiid only a local rejiu- tation, and there seems to be no reason why we should not be able to obtain a list of varieties of apples asjcertain and reliable as we now have of pears and peaches. I have dwelt, perhaps, too long on this subject, but it is one of great importance. Pennsylvania can and will in time grow all the apples needed to .sup- ply her own population and many to spare for foreign markets, instead of purchasing the larger part of our own supjil y, as we have been doing from other States. We are learning to do it, but not as fast a.s we ought to. Most Profitable Varieties of Pears. Pears, from all accounts throughout the State, were not more than half a crop. The failure is attrilluted to late frosts which are said to have killed the blossoms. Fortunately we are not as much at sea as to varieties of pears as with apples. Great unanimity lias prevailed for years as to the most profitable varieties of pears. Bartlctt, Seckel, Duehesse, Buerre d' Anjou and Lawrence and Man- ning's Elizabeth for an earlier sort, are the varieties universally recommended, and for those wanting a greater variety. Doyenne d'Ete, Buerre, Giffard, Ott, Itowell, Des Nomes, Buerre, Superfine, Buffam, Rutter and Vicar of ^Viukfield can be relied on as doing well everywhere. And it is safe to say that any one desiring to plant will not go far wrong in planting these, unless, indeed, they are soon to be superseded as some think by the new and hardier and more vigorous seedlings of the Chinese pear. It seems but proper to say here that the Kiefler, the only one of these which has as yet been fairly tested here, has fully held its own the past year and so far has proved to be all that was claimed for it, in quality as well as in fniitfulness, vigor of growth and freedom from disease. Fire Blight— The Great Enemy. The one gre;vt obstacle to pear culture con- tinues to be fire blight. It is very strange how this mysterious disease continues its never ceasing and destructive, but erratic and per- fectly unaccountable course— breaking out suddenly in one locality and as suddenly ce.asing altogether in another, without tlie slightest reason that can be imagined for either. As the cause of this totally incompre- hensible disease is not even within the verge of conjecture, no rpmedy can be suggested but the planting of varieties least subject to it. It may not be out of place to say here that my own crop of pears, notwithstanding the general failure reported, was very large and fine, and I might add that I have not missed a good croi) of pears for many years. I could give what I consider the reasons for this, but do not think it would be proper here, as it would involve disputed theories of cultivation which would be out of place in a report like this. 40 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [March, Danger of Overstoc'dngf the Market. There is one thing about pear culture of which it might be well to remind those about to engage in fruit culture for market purposes, that the pear market is very easily broken down. The consumption of pears i.s very small compared with that of peaches and winter apples. In winter there is no demand for pears, and during the greater part of the summer and fall, the markets are so full of peaches, grapes, melons and other fruits that are generally preferred to pears, that only a limited quantity of these are wanted, and not- withstanding the great destruction of pear trees by blight, the quantity of this fruit sent to market has latterly been so largely on the increase that it is evident tlie time is near at hand when none but those of the finest quality will pay for marketing at all, and that not for long distances ; and though I think a few pear trees indispensable to every farm, I would not recommend them for a market crop. The Peach and Its Enemies. Peaches were a good crop generally. The old varieties that have stood the test for many years are mostly reported as having done well. Of the many new very early sorts I have nothing favorable to report. The earliest peach, so far tested, that seems to be worth planting, is the Mountain Kose, and succeed- ing that the following : Foster, Reeves' Favorite, ilary's Choice, Stump the World, Susquehanna, Crawford's Late, Smock, Golden Eagle and Salway. This list does not include near all the valuable varieties of peaches, but these are all good kinds and about as many sorts as it is generally profit- able to plant. The one great enemy of the peach continues to be "the yellows," and though volumes have been written and an endless amount has been said upon the sub- ject, and though undoubtedly we have ob- tained some light, there is much yet to be cleared up. It would occupy entirely too much space to go into this subject here, fur- ther than to say, that it seems to be well "es- tablished that the disease, whatever may be its cause, is in some way, and to some extent, contagious, and that it "is incurable, and the only remedy consists in being very careful to plant none but perfectly healthy trees, grown from seed procured where no yellows exists, and worked with buds taken from perfectly healthy trees, and on tlie appearance of the first symptoms of the disease, remove at once. As to weather it is necessary, as Mr. Ruttev and others tell us, to take out the tree, root and branch, and burn it, I have doubts, but this is one of the questions that we will be better able to determine, when we learn more' as to the nature of the disease and the man- ner in which it is communicated from one tree to another. We have the usual com- plaint about the peach borer, but not so much as of the apple tree borer, the same re- marks as were made in regard to the latter will apply here. The subject of peach culture is important and is entitled to a large share of our atten- tion. The time is not far distant when the markets of Pennsylvania will be supplied with this fruit from the products other own soil, and not, as heretofore, from adjoining States.' Already enough has been done to demonstrate that no country in the world is better adapted to the culture of this, the most delicious of all fruits, than is our own good old common- wealth. It is true, as I have said, that much remains to be done before we shall be entirely master of this dread disease, which for so many years has been the cause of the utter neglect of peach culture here, but the ice has been broken and the road to success is as- sured. Cherries, Quinces and Plums. About cherries there seems to be nothing new to report. Every year we have about the same reports about this crop— a large crop but nearly all rotten; unless it be some of the sour varieties. It seems hardly worth while to try to grow cherries, the tendency to rot seems to have become so universal. Quinces have done better than usual, and there seems to be some hopes, that in spite of the codling moth, their one great enemy, they may yet be made a profitable crop. The apple tree borer is very bad in the quince and must be attended to in the same way by taking them all out, early in the fall, before thfey have got far into the wood or deep in the ground. Fiums, of eourse, were mostly destroyed by curculio, and what escaped the insect rotted like the cherries. There seems to be some mysterious climatic influence of late yeara, that causes these fruit to rot so badly, and as no remedy is likely to be found for this they are not worth planting in most places. There are however, locations that seem to ' be exempt from this influence, where plums still do well, when not destroyed by curculio, and are a profitable crop. A good deal of atten- tion has been paid within a few years to varieties of the common wild plum of the country, under the name of Wild Goose, etc. If proper attention were paid to the selection of good sorts of these, something valuable might be obtained, as there are varieties of these wild plums that are really good, and they seem to withstand both the curculio and the rot. Strawberries and Other Small Fruits. Strawberries— the reports from almost all locations speak of failures from severe and prolonged drought. So generally in this the case that little is said as to the varieties. The Cumberland is more generally well spoken of than any other. Miner's Great Prolific is set down as very promising. As to the Sliarp- less, most cultivators seem to be waiting for a more favorable season before giving a decided ojiinion. The Monarch and Chas. Downing are still recommended by many, ' the Captain Jack and Crescent by some, but many con- demn them as too small. In the. neighbor- hood of Philadelphia strawberries sirtfered greatly from drought and were a poor crop and did not pay, as the market is now always glutted with the immense quantity that over- flows from the New York market. RaspbeiTies also suffered from drought and were not abundant.' There seems to be noth- ing settled, as vet, as to the best raspberry to plant. Many still adhere to the old Philadel- phia, but certainly the Reliance is a great im- provement on this. The Brandywine and Bristol are still largely grown for market. The newer varieties need to be fui-tlier Iri.d. Of blackberries I hear of nothiii:; new to re- port, and the same may be said of gdos*-- berries and currants. The currant worm still continues its ravages and has now nearly completed its work, by the destruction of the crop in most parts of the State. The markets of Philadelphia are now mostly supplied with currants from the State of New York, where they seem to have great success with tlieni ; whether it is because they are still exempt from the currant worm I have not learned. For grapes the season was very favorable and the crop abundant everywhere. Grapes are now grown in such quantities that they no longer possess any value as a market crop, though they are one of the most value and in- dispensable of fruits, and should be planted to a limited extent by every one who possesses a foot of ground. Of varieties there are two, the Concord and the Clinton, that always do well, and besides these there are some 'hun- dreds whose claims are advocated by different growers, and many of these are undoubtedly valuable, but tf I were to attempt to speak of them here, I should not know where to begin, nor where to leave off, and I prefer leaving the subject to some one more familiar with it. In concluding this report I desire to return my thanks to all the other members of the committee who have so kindly responded to my inquiries f >r information from their re- spective localities. I have endeavored to em- body in this rejjoi-t a summary of the informa- tion thu.s obtained together with some obser- vations of my own that seemed to be perti- nent, all of which is respectfully submitted. *CORN CULTURE. The corn crop among cereals is the most valuable in Lancaster county. I have no cor- rect data of the average of this crop for the county, but late statistics fix the average of the State at 36 bushels. The average yield of wheat is estimated at 14 bushels to the acre. At these rates the money value of the crops is nearly the same. But this State average for corn is evidently too low for the county— probably should be about 45 bushels. Many of our best farmers have, perhaps, averaged not less than 70 bushels during the last °ten years, while those same farmers in the same term have been below 20 bushels in their ave- rage for wheat. From our present know- ledge and experience we can easier raise the average of corn to 80 bushels than we can the average of wheat to 25 bushels per acre. Corn requires only about four months from planting to harvest, and is therefore not so much exposed to weather influences and to insects as wheat is, which requires nine months to come to perfection, and which in that time is subject to the depredations of the fly, in autumn and spring, to severe winter cold, to drought at various times of the year, and at times to heavy rain storms. From those causes wheat is often a short crop. The corn crop rarely fails. Drought is the great- est hindrance to large crops, but this can in a measure be counteracted by high culture. That our soil, as fi whole, is remarkably adapted to the growth of corn is shown by the crops that are raised under the system that is i)racticed. The general plan is to plow a clover sod, spread from 50 to 100 bushels of lime on each acre, harrow, mark out and plant as early in the spring as the weather- will permit. Cultivate the corn as soon as it makes its appearance, and when it is three or four inches high give it the finishing toucli by banking up the earth against the young plants with a Harnly scraper, and then trust to Pro- vidence tor a big crop of corn. No matter how baked and bard the earth gets, or how many weeds grow after this, there must be no more culture for fear of tear- ing ofl' a corn root or breaking a plant in turning the team. Who can seriously call this good farming ? The requirements for a good crop of corn are: First, a rifih soil; second, good cultivation; and third, good weather. The first we have under our control. We can apply fertilizing materia! to the acre suflicieut. to make plant food for .50 bushels, or for 100 bushels, or for 200 bushels. But experience has taught us that it does not follow if we apply manure that will bring a crop of 60 bushels, tliat by putting on two times that amount of manure will realize 100 bushels: The big crop de- pends on other circumstances beside the ma- nure, yet it is obvious that there must be more plant food in the soil to raise 100 bush- els than 50. How are our corn fields fertilized ¥ By putting to the acre from 50 to 100 or more bushels of lime. To this practice our farm- ers cling tenaciously, notwi&tanding that chemical science has demonstrated that there is very little manure in lime. Lime, no doubt, on these clover sods will help to increase the crop of corn, not by adding plant food to the crop, but by makang the vegetable mass quickly available. And since lime is no ma- nure, the crop must necessarily uraw wholly upon .the substances already in the soil for sustenance, and consequently it is just that much poorer when the crop is matiu-e. Would it not appear to be reasonable to let the vege- table matter in the soil gradually decay to be food for the entire rotation, and assist the corn cro'vby a direct fertilizer? Ten dollars' worth (the price of a dressing of lime) of a good superphosphate, or acidulated South Carolina rock, which are in themselves plant food, as the}' contain nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash, the most valuable ingredi- ents in any manure, would seem to be of far more service to the soil. These are not used THE LANCASTER FARMER. 41 for any action on other substances already in the soil to make them available, but for their direct ell'ect in manuring the crop. Tlie more of these direct fertilizers are put on the soil the richer it will be, while the more lime that is put on the poorer it will be when the crop islripe. Tliat is evidently the best farming which leaves the soil better at harvesting than it was at the end of the previous crop. The second and third requirements for a good crop of corn, viz : good cullivatiou and good weather, are so dependent on each f the other ; Crawford's Late, Troth's Early, Mountain Rose, Salway and a host of other varieties producing blossoms of the smaller kind, while Hale's Early, Bilyeu's Late Octo- ber, and nearly all of the early sorts, produce blossoms of the largt^r khul.'^ Bilyeu's Late October is Ihi^ firM variety to bloom, while at the same time Crawford's Late exposes the organs of its buds to the elements by parlinlly opening its petals and allowing the pistils and stamens to slightly protrude, and remain in that condition several tlays before their final expansion. This is also true of all small blossoming varieties, although somewliat la\e. Next iu order of blooming are Troth's Early and Mountain Rose, next Early York, Mixon Free and Smock Free ; lastly Salway, Hale's Early and many of the new open blooming varieties, Salway being particularly noted for its tardiness in opening its petals, and con- tinuing in hloorn several days later than its sister varieties. Last spring (1880) we had a sharp frost just ■at the time Crawford's Late i^arWa/^.y opened its petals, which damaged the organs of Us blossoms, while at the same time most other varieties except Troth's Early and Mountain Rose weie well protected within the folds of the blossoms. Several days later, when tlie trees were in full bloom, the injured organs were easily perceived: One peculiar habit of Crawford's Late is to open quite all of its petals simultaneously, while Troth's Early and Mountain Rose are more gradual ; heix-e the reason why their crop was iiartial. The only reason that I can conceive why the orcliard with the northwest- ern exposure bore as much fruit as it did, is because it did not expand its petals by .several days as early as in orchards of more favorable location, and thereby escaped the early frost. Although Bilyeu's Late was the first to bloom, it did not suffer as badly as the other varieties named, owing, I belieVe, to the pro- tection rendered by its large petals. How often do the newspapers when report- ing the prospect of a peacli crop, say, "All badly damaged but Hale's and Smocks.'' Why are they less liable to be injured ? Because they are late and gradual in opening their blossoms. I have but once known the Salway to be entirely killed by severe cold or spring frosts. It bears a small nuttijhwX and is very gradual iu blooming ; many buds are just opening while the first opened are losing their folds. This accounts for its great tendency to over-beat, which I by no means consider a fault. Nature's God here has placed in our liands a matter for our control, and we, as horticulturists, .should profit by it. I believe ] that the large blooming varieties, as a class, I are less liable to be at any time injured by frost than tlie smaller blooming sorts, with the exception of the variety last named. The 42 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [March, organs of the large blossoms are nicely envel- oped within the corolla until nearly the time for fertilization to take place, while, on the other hand, the organs of the smaller bloss- oming varieties are exposed to the elements a number of days before the general expansion of the blossom. Had Crawford's Late the power of with- standing or resisting cold as greatly as some of our more- hardy varieties,, the peach grow- ers in this county alone, the past season, would have reaped prohts of thousands of dollars where they did not reap hundreds. Here is a field well worthy of serious inves- tigation, and our botanical friends can assist us. Many of our fruit growers have a mama for extreme earliness. This is right in its place, but let us not overlook other desirable points in our craft by striving alone for earlir ass. Let us take with us fruitfulness and hardi- ness as well as size, color and flavor. We have varieties that will ripen in succession from the very earliest to the very latest, having the size and color of the Crawford, shipping qual- ities of the Smock, and fruitfulness and har- diness of the Stalway. We may be years in attaining these points, but by proper hybridi- zation, cross-fertilization and observation, they will eventually be attained. We have already in our land varieties that have been brought into existence by intelligent hybridi- zation, such as Wilder, Downing, Saunders, Louise and Rivers. This proves that by the assistance of an intelligent mind, new varie- ties having desirable qualities can be pro- duced. Let us take a glance at what our enterpris- ing stock breeders are doing. They are breeding their animals to the size and shape of the mirror, to the splash on the forehead, color of the feet, or tip of the tail. Our brother apiarians are breeding to the length of the bee's tongue in order to enhance their profits, by getting honey from flowers that the common bee cannot reach. Can't we as peach growers keep pace with our brethren in other industries ? I think we can. While they may have some advantage over us, in directly controlling their subjects, nature, on the other hand, off'ers us many advantages that they have not, by proffering in her boun- teous efforts, thousands of natural seedlings, which we, by judicious care, can take from her storehouse of variety the very objects that we are desirous of obtaining, I have placed in my nursery varieties that my atrention has been du-ected to by their having desirable qualities. One of them hav- ing the size and color of Crawford's Late, one week later in ripening and a more regular bearer. Let us ever be on the alert for new seed- lings, and if any have escaped the severity of the past winter note them well. So long as there are desirable points to be attained, so long can we aff'ord to test new seedlings. We cannot by any means, succeed in producing varieties that will withstand the severity of any winter, or the effects of a very late severe frost, but there is room to improve greatly on the hardiness of many varieties. I have been frequently asked the reason why peaches fail more frequently now, than 30 or 40 years ago V I invariably reply, that in our efforts to increase earliness, size and quality, we have in a measure iost sight of hardiness. The old natural varieties our an- cestors propagated in the fence corners and by the way sides, were in fact nearly all of the large blooming kinds, and these natural sorts yet ofttiraes produce fruit when all others fail. It is true, that we are advancing rapidly in peach growing. Twenty-five years ago August 10th was considered, in this lati- tude, an early date for peaches to ripen. Now, July 1st is the opening of the season. Then September 25th quite late ; now October 15th is the closing of the season. Then an orchard could scarce'ly be found that ripened its ft-uit in stmession tor a period of 6 weeks ; now 14 or 15 weeks is not considered more than an ordinary achievement, and yet we are on the lower rounds of the ladder. There are still many above us, all of which we can surmount by close investigation and intelligent applica- tion. Let us be vigilant, be active and unwearied in our labors, in one of the delightful fle Ids that God has created for man. •NITROGENOUS ELEMENTS OF PLANT FOOD. I. Almost all, if not all, the nitrogen con- tents of all vegetation, is derived by the plant from or through the soil. It has been main- tained by some, that certain orders of plants, particularly from among agricultural vegeta- tion, the broad-leaved root crops derive at least a small portion of their nitrogen through their leaves, from the atmospheric nitrogen or nitrogenous compounds. This, to say the least, is extremely doubtful. II. Nitrogen exists in the .soil in three classes of condition : (a.) Those compounds which are insoluble, and are the intermediate products of vege- table decay— classed as nitrogenous organic bodies, etc. (6.) The soluble compounds of nitrogen, in- cluding ammoniacal and nitrate salts. (c.) Free nitrogen held in solution in soil water or in the air, held in the pores or con- densed on thelsurfaces of the pores of the soil. HI. The nitrogen of the soil is derived from the four sources : (a. ) From the decay of former vegetation as stored in the soil. (6.) From the air carried down as am- monia, nitrates and organic dust in solution, or suspension In falling rain, snow and dew. (c.) From the circulation of air through the pores of the soil. (cZ.) From additions in the form of barn- yard manure or chemical artificial fertilizers. IV. Nitrogen in the insoluble form, and as free nitrogen, can not be assimilated by the plant. Hence the two food forms of nitrogen are ammoniacal and nitrate salts, and in the light of our information on the subject, it seems very probable that it is in the latter form, or as nitrates, that the plant finds the conditions in which it is best able to avail itself of nitrogenous food offered to it. Here, as in many other cases where we at- tempt to question the processes of nature, we find ourselves unable to obtain a definite an- swer to our query. In this instance there are on record certain admirable experiments, some quite recent, which seem to indicate, that in some cases, with certain plants under certain conditions of age and treatment, the plant is best able to avail itself of the nitrogen oftered in the form of ammonia. But the general statement given above, is expressive of the most successful practice and experi- ment. V. The soil has, to a certain extent, the power of retaining within itself the soluble nitrogen compounds, (ammonia and nitrates,) by partly physical, but more by chemical ab- sorption. VI. But, in consequence of their solubility, these same assimilable forms of nitrogen are, also, likely to be lost by the action of the per- colating waters. A discussion of these principles would be interesting, but we pass this by, to the con- sideration of several inquiries which these principles render of extreme practical import- ance. (a.) What is the relation of atmospheric nitrogen to the food supply, through the soil ? (6.) What conditions are favorable for ren- dering tlie nitrogen of the soil, stored or added, assimilable ? (c.) What conditions are favorable to the retention of assimilable nitrogen in the soil, and bringing it to those layers of the soil through which the main portion of the roots ramify ? {d.) What relations do different kinds of crops bear to the food supply of nitrogen ? 'Delivered before the State Board of Agrieulture at Gfettyaburg, by Prop. Reidenbach, at the annual meet- ing, Januarry, 1881. (e.) If nitrogen is to be added in fertilizers, in what form is it most conveniently and cheaply applied ? In other words, we inquire, "How can we bring the nitrogen of the soil into condition favorable to plant growth'? How prevent its undue loss ? How arrange our crops to most economically utilize the nitrogen in the soil ? And how can we add nitrogen to the best ad- vantage ?" I must repeat here, that I can only give but a brief outline of tlie answer to each topic. (a.) What is the relation of atmospheric ni- trogen, to the food siqiply through the soU. You are aware that about four-fifths (79,100) of the atmosphere by volume, and slightly less bweight, (77-100,) is free nirro- gen, which is inert, and, as free nitrogen, is not available for plaut nutrition. In addition to the free nitrogen, the atmosphere also con- tains traces of nitrogen, in the form of am- monia and nitrates, formed by action of de- cay, and carried into the air", and, also, by other processes. Ammonia is barely in excess over the nitrates. These compounds being soluble in water, are carried down, by rain and dew, into the soil. Careful determina- tions show that the amount thus obtained from the measured fall, that is, from rain and snow alone, is from eight to ten pounds per acre, on the average, for each year. The amount carried down by dew has not been as- certained, but is probably an important amount. Indeed, it may often be very con- siderable. To this we must add the atmos- pheric source of nitrogen, free or compound, fixed and retained by the soil, by some chem- ical action with which we are not acquainted, brought into the soil by circulation of tlie at- mosphere through its pores. Experiments made at Rothamstead, England, by Gilbert and Lawes, indicate this as a very important source of nitrogen for plant food. We thus see that the atmosphere not only supplies all the carbon of the plant, and the water necessary, but, also, is a reservoir of nitrogen, from which there is a certain, though variable, supply given to the soil. How far this supply of nitrogen is sufficient is an important and as yet unanswered in- quiry. (6.) What conditions are favorable for ren- dering the nitrogen of the soil, stored or added, assimilable f We have already referred to the nitrogen in the soil in two classes of conditions, available and not available, for the plant. It is of value to the farmer to know if he can assist nature in bringing the unavailable nitrogen into an assimilable or available form. I briefly mention some of the leading condi- tions for bringing about this change. The presence of mineral fertilizers, particu- larly of potash, and carbonate and sulphate of calcium ; that is, limestone and gypsum. The presence of oxygen of the air, and such substance as can supply oxygen, among which are red oxide of iron as found in our Adams county red shale, sulphates as gypsum. Moisture acts as an agent of change. A free circulation of the air also promotes the same change. Among other reasons why these conditions are favorable to our purpose, they tend to promote the conversion of other nitrogen compounds into nitrates, the process known as nitrification. Tlie mineral fertil- izers, phosphates and potash salts, facilitate to a wonderful, degree, particularly on clover and other leguminous plants, the bringing of the nitrogen of the air into a condition of availability. On the other band the presence of caustic lime causes a serious loss of available nitrogen in converting even the already formed nitrates into ammonia and preventing their formation, ammonia thus formed passing into the air. It is hardly necessary to add that the phy- sical condition of the soil has much to do with this same nitrification; such treatment as pro- motes moisture during dry, hot weather and renders the soil friable, are important ad- juncts, also the presence of sand and marl. I also add a condition which we are not able 1881. THE LANCASTER FARMER. 43 to control, but we can modify its action. I refer to the fact that nitrifaction is more ac- tive during hot weather, but if the soil is very dry at the same time, or so compact as to exclude oxygen, ammonia may be formed from nitrates themselves, and thus be lost to the immediate use of the plant. You thus ob- serve, that during winter tlie nitrogen may remain as ammonia stored for the use of veg- etation during its active state. I have not spoken of ozone, or of ferments, or of rootlets, or of other causes of nitritica- tion, because, though important, they are not under the active control of the former. (c.) What c'onditinns are favorable for the retention of assiwilubk nitrogen in the soil? The mention of the causes of loss will sug- gest the ruincilits. Till' priiuipal loss is foand in the solubility of uitnitLS and ammonia in water. In soils with ueur-lying impervious subsoil, the drain- age may cause a very considerable carrying awry of these other mitritive elements, as is shown by analyses of spring, well and river waters. Another loss is found in the formation of ammonia, and yet another is caused by the absence of those mineral compounds which act as absorbents, chemical and physical, of nitrogen compounds, such as phosphates, car- bonate of lime, and gypsum. One remedy against loss, is to have a soil in that condi- tion of looseness by plowing and hoeing, as increases the absorbing power for water, and decreases the evaporating power. (d.) What relation ao different kinds of crops bear to the food supply of nitrogen. We consider this question first in the amount of nitrogen found in difterent crops. If we have an acreage crop of twenty-eight bushels of wheat, with twenty-five hundred pounds of straw, about forty-five to forty- eight pounds of nitrogen will be found pres- ent. In a crop of two and one-half tons of meadow hay, fifty to sixty pounds, (that is lo each ton, twenty to twenty-four pounds,) and in a crop of two and one-half tons of clover, from one hundred to one hundred and fifteen pounds of nitrogen, (each ton containing forty to forty-six pouuds.) In general, the leguminous crops, clover, beans, vetches, are rich in nitrogen, while the cereals and grasses are relatively poor in ni- trogen. Now comes the remarkable fact, shown by many investigations, but recently and remark- ably demonstrated in over thirty years' cul- ture on trial plots of various crops by Gilbert and Lawes, that the poor in nitrogen crops, namely cereals and grasses, require the pres- ence of a larger quantity of as.similable nitro- gen, than do those rich in nitrogen. The exi)eriinents are grouped in three classes, made in each case on iDOth kinds of crops : (a.) With nitrogenous manure. (b.) Without any manure. (c.) With mineral manure containing phos- phates and potash, but no nitrogen. The results may be tabulated thus : 1. Without any manure, the nitrogen in all crops gradually diminished, and also the soil content was lessened, that is, the crop dimin- ished. 2. With mineral manures, the amount of nitrogen in the cereals still diminished as also in the soil, but at a somewhat less rate, while the nitrogen of clover and beans is diminished but little, and the soil content even increased. In other words, the mineral fertilizer, parti- cularly potash, enabled the clover to use more nitrogen and thus to i)roduce a good crop, and at the same time increase the store of ni- trogen in the soil, even rendering it assimila- ble. 3. What is more renjarkable, the crops rich in nitrogen derive far less benefit from nitro- genous manures than do those poor in nitro- gen. 4. Root crops exhaust particularly the superficial layers of soil of theii- nitrogen, under any of these conditions. We have no time to-day to inquire Into the reasons of these facts, but they Are of most practical imiwrtance. Two conclusions must appear : (a.) The leguminaceae must draw a con- siderable portion of their supply of nitrogen from the air, and, as already stated, through the soil. (!).) Mineral fertilizers have at least as valuable indirect action, in reference to sup- ply of nitrogen, as direct in furnishing potash and uhospliorus to the growing plant. (c.) If nitrogen is to be added to the soil in fertilizers, in what form is it most conveniently and cheaply applied f Our answer has already been suggested. Clover is the best, from the aniount of nitro- gen it gathers in its own tissues, and from the increase it i-lli-cts cm the .soil, besides the considerable amount found in its roots. Of mineral manures, nitrates arc the best, par- ticularly hi dry weather. Sulphate of ammo- nia, in a wet season, is equally good. For leguminous i)laut8, particularly for clover, no large quantity of nitrogen is required by ordi- narily good soil, but use a complex mineial fertilizer, containing a goodly percentage of potash. From these statements, we must conclude that from the air through the soil the plant gathers a large portion of its supply of nitro- gen, but that crops having unequal power in thus utilizing the supply of nitrogen from the air, such a rotation of crops can be employed as will keep the supply of nitrogen in soil al- ways sufficient for the plant use. There is a growing sense of the importance of having experiments made on this and kindred subjects. There is required careful management, under the intelligent persever- ing discretion of practical farmers and trained chemists. This great State of Pennsylvania should do some efficient work in this direction. Our Local Organizations. LANCASTER COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. A stated meeting of the Lancaster Agricultural and Horticultural Society was held in their room in City Hall, Monday afternoon, March 7th. The following named members and visitors were present : Joseph F. Witmer, Paradise: Johnson Miller, War- wick ; Casper Hiller, Conestoffa ; Henry M. Enjrle, Marietta ; F. R. Diffenderfer, city ; John C. Linville Salisbury; John H. Landis, Millcrsville ; Calvin Cooper, Bird-in-Hand ; Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy ; Levi S. Reist, Ore- mas, got Black Spanish, then Legliorns, and his ex- perience has been that the Brahiuas were the best, and those he has continued to breed ever since. Ue had cholera badly among them, but the adoption of sanitary measures brought them through, and he has been pretty clear of it ever since. The light Brahmas have been the best layers in his experi- ence. Mr. Lluville has had no expericucc with the small breeds. A remarkably hardy cross is the Plymouth Kock and Partridge Cochins, and they are good lay- ers besides. They laid during the coldest weather of the last winter; iu fact, he got more eggs than ever before at the same time. A lull-blood cock bred to common fowls will, in his opinion, always produce a stronger class of birds. J.M.Johnston staled that he had a number of partridges couflned during the winter. They were led on wheat screenings, look plump, are fat, have plenty of water, and yet lately they have been dying rapidly. He wished to know how the mortality "was to be prevented. Charles E. Long thought good screenings and cracked corn would perhaps remedy the matter. The Stolen Pigeons. J. B. Lichty, as the chairman of the Executive Committee, reported that the sum of $3 had beeti agreed upon by them as the amount to be paid to Mr. Sebum for the stolen birds. Chas. E. Long said that while he voted for the payment of the lost pigeons, he believed it was a n rong precedent, and the society should put its foot down on such claims in the future. The society dis- tinctly disclaims all liability for exhibition risks and losses. J. A. Stober agreed with with the former speaker, and believed the society should recognize no such claims in the future. Chas. Lippold thought the society should have taken belter care of the exhibits, and permitted none to be stolen. He believed the society should make itself rcBponsible for such losses. Chas. E. Long moved that hereafter the society will not consider any claims for losses of this kind. Several other members spoke iu favor of Mr. Long's i-esolutlou, while several advocated the nega- tive side of the question. J. M. Johnston read the rule of the society gov- erning the case, and moved Mr. Long's resolution be laid on the table. On being put to vote, the resolution was carried. The Secretary called attention to the fact Ihat in defiance of the rules birds .were exhibited by persons whodid not own them. The thing should be frowned upon and stopped if possible. T. Frank Buch olfered a resolution which was in- tended to end this trouble, by means of an investiga- tion. The society adopted the resolution. Questions for juiscussion. How can we best prevent fowls from feather eat- ing? Referred to S. G. Engle. Is the rearing of fancy poultry a financial success? Referred to C. E. Long. , Will Bantams mix wilb Asiatics if allowed to run In the same yard ? For general discussion. On motion, the society adjourned. THE BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION. A mectinj; of the bcekcopcrs of Lancaster counlv was held on Monday afternoon, .March 14th, in the parlor of the Black'llorse Hotel. The meeting was called to order by the President, Mr. Peter S.Kelst. The following members were present: Peter S. Kclst, Litlz; J. K. Horshey, .Mt. Joy ; Ellas Hersliey, Paradise ; John S. Uohrcr, city, Levi 3. Reist, Oregon. Peter S. Kelst reported that out of about 60 colo- nies, wliieh he had on the summer stand, he lost about Ave during the winter. He did not think any of lliem froze. Several starved. The last time he saw them they were Hying and appeared to be in good condilinn. He put uu a wind brake on the back part of the hives, but the fronts were open the some U9 In summer. He did not feed any during the winter. John 8. Uohrcr said he has six stands of bees ; wintered them on the summer stands ; he got a great deal of honey from them. About the llrsl of Novem- ber he cleaned the hives on the top, and then closed them up with the exception of one fourth of an inch. When the warm weather came his bees began to lly out. He thought a great many bees died during the winter owing to too moch surplus being left in the hives. He made it always an object to prevent swarming. As soon as a cap is full he takes it away, and this he thought in a measure prevented swarm- ing. Mr. J. P. Hershey went Into winter quarters with IVi colonies. He went into a bee house. He divided a great many of the swarms and had lost so far three small swarms. The rest are in a good condition, although not very strong in bees. In Febrnary he took them all out and found many of them to have young hatching bees. He then put them back again and tliey are in the houses now, although he expects to take them out as soon as the weather gets warmer. W. B. Detwiler, of Mt. Joy, went into the same style of winter quarters with 80 colonies and had not lost one. H. n. Myers, of Spring Garden, went Into winter quarters with 12 or 15 swarms, and they were all doing well. These bees were wintered in houses also. He found that those who went into winter quarters with the bees unprotected had lost a great many bees. Ellas Hershey went Into winter-quarters with twenty-nine swarms, nine of which died, and the rest are very weak. He heard from his neighbors that a great many of theirs had died. He lel't his bees on the summer stands. His father, .lacob Hershey, had ten stands of native, and they were all well and hearty. Most of his bees had died of dysentery or diarrhoea, not of starvation; some of them died of cold. Mr. Difienderffer, of the ^Tetc Era, called the at- tention of the society to the fact that the danger was not yet over. A great many of the hives weie weak, and he desired to know how they could be built up. Mr. J. F. Hershey said the proper way was to take all the comb" from them except just as many as they could conveniently cover. They should be well fed and carefully attended in regard to warmth. They should alfo be kept quiet. They should not be allowed to fly out very much in the spring, because a great many would get chilled and drop down. As soon as they are getting a little stronger, another comb should be given them, and in that way con- tinue until you have a full-sized colony again. There are a great many of what are called weak swarms that can be kept alive if they are attended to properly, whereas if left to themselves they will surely die. The strong swarms must also be care fully looked after. Everything should be kept clean and sweet about the hive, and the hives should be guarded against the cold air. Levi S. Reist went into winter quarters on the summer stands with three colonies and lost one. The other two are doing very well. The one that died had not honey enough tocarry it over the winter and starved. Adjourned to meet on the second Monday in .May. FULTON FARMERS' CLUB. The February meeting of the club was held at the residence of Joseph R. Blackburn. Davis A. Brown, a visitor, exhibited specimens of Long Island Russet and Baldwin apples. J. K. Blackburn exhibited a package of Heiges' "prolific wheat" that he had received from the Agri- cultural Department at Washington last fall, too late for planting. It is said to be a hybrid of the Arnold and Fultz. The grain resembles the latter variety in shape, but is less amber-colored. As its name implies it is said to make a large yield. Asking and Answering Questions. S. L. Gregg : What effect will the snow and ice be likely to have on the w heat that is growing ? Isaac Bradley thought that it is doing more good than harm. Davis A. Brown did not think that the wheat would be hurt by the great amount of snow. Further north they always have a great deal of snow and ice, yet they generally have good wheat crops. Most of the others present thought that there was too much Ice among the snow, and that It would be likely to injure the wheat, especially on low ground. K. n. Haines liud read in an agricultural paper of a man hauling across a wheat field, and a cake of lee had formed on the road. The wheat on the road, Instead of being killed, proved to be better than the rest of the field. Joseph R. Blackburn asked if live stock should be furnished with earth or clay to lick In the winter! Franklin Tollinger thought that.it would be a good substitute for old shoes, clubs and bones that they often get in the habit In the habit of chewing. Davis A. Brown thought It would )>e well to give It a trial. He remembered a sick horse that the doctor recommended to give earth ; all that he would eat. Joseph Gricst : Will feeding wheat bran or bone ir.Cal to cows prevent them from chewing bones 1 Levi B. Kirk said that they could oaen get all that they wanted while on pasture, but would still There did not appear to bo any one present who couhi give a satisfactory reason why cows would chew bones or tell what would prevent it. An Important Question. Rebecca D. King : Why are eggs so scarce this winter? Solomon Gregg said when the ground was covered with snow fowls require shell-maKiug material, such oyster shells and lime. They also need gravel to wheat and keep them warm and they will lay. Grace A. King said that one of her neighbors fed oats to his hens, and he always had plenty of eggs. Davis A. Brown said that part of his chickens staid at the wagon house and were fed on corn ; others staid about the barnyard and had access to the sheep pen, where they got fed on wheat Bcrceo- iugs. The ones at the barn are the best layers. F. Tollinger had always found a few warm days better than any kind of feed, but they will lay well if fed on wheat screenings and oats. E.H.Haines: Will the paint on carriages be Id- jured if they are kept over or close to a barnyard or stables? Josepli Rreist said It would injure the varolab. This might possibly '.le prevented by having a tight floor for them to stand on. Davis A. Brown asked for a remedy for hens eat- ing their eggs. 8. L. Grecg would feed broken oyster shells. They do not do it in the summer time. It must be to sup- ply a want. Building nests so constructed that the egg would roll out of their reach was suggested as a remedv by some. J. R. Blackburn and Lindley King would take their heads off and send them to market, as there was danger of their learning others. The Host's Premises. After dinner the host exhibited some fine hogs and young cattle, and made the following report of the produce of his farm for the year 18*^0 ; 10 acres of wheat, 210 bushels ; 11 acres of corn, B.'JO bushels; 11 acres of oats, ^<00 bushels ; 2G bushels of |K)tatoe8, IH bushels sweet potatoes ; pork and bacon sold, $141,88 ; home raised cattle sold, $207. Literary Exercises. " Don't run In debt," was recited by Carrie Black- burn ; •' The Pumpkin," by Whittier, was recited by Mabel A. Haines : an article on entertaining compa- ny was read by G. A. King, showing that rich and costly dinners do not constitute true hospitality ; but it is the friendly welcome, the looks and the be- havior that make your visitors feci that you aro really glad to see them. An article from the New York Tribunt on plow- ing down green crops for manure, was selected by J. R. Blackburn, which he read to the club. The arti- cle contended that the great need of the farm was nitrogen, and that the cheapest way to get it was from the atmosphere by plowing down green crops, and that live stock on the farm was an expensive necessity. There was no one present who had much expcri- ence in enriching the soil in this manner, but the general sentiment of those present, who expressed an opinion, was that the writer of the article was rather wild in some ofhis ideas. The club then adjourned to meet at the residence of Joseph Gricst, in Fulton township, at the usual lime in March. LINNiEAN SOCIETY- The society met at the hall on Saturday afternoon, February 20, 1S81. Oflicers in the chairs: Vice President Prof. J. H. Dubbs; Secretary pro tan. Prof. J. B. Kevlnski, and subsequently Secretary M. L. Davis, .M. D. Present, eight members and seven visitors. After the usual formalities the following donations were made to the museum and library : Museum. 46 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [Marci on the 2d day of February, 1S81. Donated by Geo. O. Hensel. For further particulars see paa;e6 17 and 18, Vol. 13, of the Lancastee Farmer. The Alligator Misxixaippiensix, donated by Prof. Geist at the last meeting having died, the* curators had it preserved in alcohol and placed it in the Two small bottles of North and South American "Walking twigs" (Phasmida) in alcohol. These animals Belong" to the orthopterous order, which in- cludes the grasshoppers and crickets. Donations to the Library. Proceedings of the " American Philosophical society," from March to December, 1880. Nos. ti, 7, 8 and 9, Vol. 13, of " Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office." Catalogue of .works on natural history. Lancaster Farmer for February, 1881. Four catalogues and circulars. Historical. Three envelopes containing 40 historical and bio- graphical soraps. Papers Read. A short paper by S. S. Rathvon on the systematic position the alligator occupies in the class Reptilia, and its relation to other animals in the same class. The committee appointed to examine and make a specific record of the donations of the January meeting, and also the library, reported progress and are continued. New Members. Mr. Brinton and Miss S. S. Lefever were nnanl- mously elected active members of the society, pend- ing which a question arose upon the status and con- ditions of the dift'erent forms of membership, when, on motion, Messrs. liathvon, Davis and Dubbs were appointed a committee to examine the constitution and subsequent legislation on the subject, what changes, if any, are necessary, and report at the next meeting of the society. Under "Science Gossip" various topics were tem- porarily discussed and thoughts interchanged, after which the society adjourned. STATE FRUIT-GROWERS' ASSOCIA- TION. This society met in twenty-second annual session in the Court House, Gettysburg, on January 18 ISSl. President Stitzel and Secretary Engle, witli ten or a dozen of the members, were on hand in good time, and they, assisted by the local committee, proceeded to arrange on tables provided for the pur- pose in the court-room, an exhibition of such fruits as had been brought in. The exhibits were largely from Adams co., but Berks, Lancaster, Cumber- land, York, Chester, Philadelphia, etc., contributed many handsome specimens also. In apples the dis- play was especially rich, and well worthy of the admiration it excited. Several new seedlings (nota- bly that presented by ex-Sheriff Hersh) grown in Adams county were received with much favor by the visiting fruit-growers, and at their suggestion have been sent to Mr. Charles Downing for examination and report. President Stitzel called the meeting to order at 3 o'clock. H. J. Stable made a epeech of welcome, to which the President responded. The speeches, essays and discussions will be printed in the annual report . Several prominent apples. Smith's Cider, Newtowu and Abemarle Pippins, etc., were taken up and their points inquired into. Smith's Cider and Ben. Davis seemed to be favored more because of abundance in The evening train brought quite an accession of members, and the regular business of the meeting was taken up and attended to in order. Various committees were appointed and reports read, the latter showing the society to be in good financial and working condition. A number of new members were added, the annual fee being one dollar. Three sessions were held on the 19th. The elec- tion for officers resulted in the retention of all the old ones, viz : President, Hon. George D. Stitzel, Reading; Vice Presidents, Henry M. Engle, Mari- etta; Josiah Hoopes, West Chester, and Wm. P. Bissell, Pittsburg ; Recording Secretary, E. B. Engle, Marietta ; Corresponding Secretary, W. P. Brinton, Christiana; Treasurer, George B. Thomas, West Chester; Professor of Botany, Thos. Meehan, Ger- raantown ; Professor of Entomology, S. S. Rathvon, Lancaster ; and Professor of Horticultural Chemistry, S. B. Heiges, York. The committees for the year were also appointed, Kaphael Sherfy being at the head of that on No- menclature (naming fruit.) Joel V. Garretson, also of this county, is a member of the General Fruit Committee. The President read his Annual Address ; followed hy Raphael Sherry's essay on " Peach Buds and Peaches," received with decided expressions of favor on all sides of the hall, and printed in this issue of the Compiler. Joel V. Garretson read' an essay on "The Apple," J. C. Hepler on "General Fruit Cul- ture," Rev. Dr. Calder on "Pruning," and Prof. Meehan on " Farmers' Gardens." Others were read by the Secretary ; John I. Carter on " Tree Planting by Roadsides and Waste Places," and " Apple Cul- ture in Cumberland Valley," by Dr. Sibbett. Seve- ral highly interesting discussions followed the read- ing of essays ; and a number of prepared questions were reached: "Is Pennsylvania well adapted to Apple Culture ?" "Will the new methods of Evap- orating Fruits prove profltableto the Fruit Grower?" " What birds are trulv the Farmer's Friend ; what of the English Sparrow ?" "Should Rabbits be Pro- tected by Law?" lir. Satterthwait, of Montgomery county, one of the most extensive fruit growers in the State, pro- nounced unqualifiedly in favor of stable manure for orchard trees. The President had had excellent, if not the best, results from wood ashes. Opinions dif- fered as to the bext manure, but all agreed upon lib- ■eral feeding, nearly all upon stirring the soil of the apple orchard, and all upon plowing the peach or- As to the birds, there seemed to be no difference of opinion in regard to the value of the old insectiv- erous kinds, the robin, blue bird, woodpecker, &c., but the English Sparrow came in for a good deal of adverse criticism, the President concluding the dis- cussion by declaring that there are those now living who will have abundant reason to regret the impor- tation of this bird. "The five best winter apples for Pennsylvania, con- sidering vigor of trees, productiveness, quality and long keeping," was voted upon, and the following were the favorites in the order mentioned : York Imperial, Smith's Cider, York Stripe, Baldwin and Ben Davis. The Smokehouse had many friends, but classed as a, fall apple, it received only a few votes. So with the Red Streak, Pound Apple, &c. The society voted to hold the next annual meeting at Harrisburg, and passed resolutions thanking the citizens of Gettysburg and vicinity for their atten- dance and interest. The society then adjourned without day, after a meeting that appeared pleasant and profitable to the membership, as it surely was to our people. It has served to create a new interest in frnit culture, and the result we think will show itself in marked im- provement in succeeding years. Adams county already has a good position among the fruit produc- ing sections of the Commonwealth, but the discus- sions of last week in our midst cannot but work out for it a still better name. The officers of the society proved themselves eiH- cient in every sense. Judge Stitzel presides with a good-natured dignity that suits the average taste, whilst Secretary Engle shows himself exceptionally well fitted for his post. The debates were participated in by Professor Meehan, Mr. Satterthwait, Dr. Calder, Mr. Woods, Mr. l^upp, Mr. Engle, Mr. Hoopes, Mr. Hepler, Mr. Brinton, Mr. Garretson, Mr. Lint, Rev. Dr. Hay, Rev. Joseph Sherfy, Raphael Sherfy, H. J. Stable and others. — Oettyxburg Compiler. Agriculture. Weight and Mi Mr. A. P. Owen states in the Santa Cruz county Courier, of California, that he spent two days recent- ly in gathering items from persons of intelligence and veracity of that county, who had taken pains to weigh the wheat and measure the ground from which it was taken, and that a good many fields turned out from 70 to 90 bushels t<) ih' acre, and two fields yielded over 100 bushels to the acre; while 50 to 70 is Bone-dust and Wood-ashes. An Indiana farmer sends to the Practical Farmer the following result of experiments with bone-dust and wood-ashes on wheat: " I applied 600 pounds of dry, unleached ashes to the acre, and sowed wheat on that, and the result was only six bushels to the acre. Adjoining this tract I drilled in 200 pounds of bone-dust; and three acres produced 20 bushels to the acre, being an increased yield of 14 bushels over the tract sown with wood-ashes. The following year I used 200 pounds of bone-dust on the plat on which I had previously sown 600 pounds of ashes, and the result was forty bushels of wheat to the acre, being double what the bone produced alone. This experi- ment satisfied me that ashes alone nor bone alone would not give me a yield that paid to my satisfaction. The acre with ashes yielded six bush- els ; the acre with bone-dust yielded twenty bushels; but when the two were combined I harvested forty bushels. This showed what experiments and a_ small expenditure of money will do for the progressive farmer." Why We ShaU Never Starve. According to a recent compilation and comparison of the statistics of grain production of the country made by the Chicago Times, the wheat yield of 1871 was 230,732,400 bushels, in 1S75 it wm 293,136,- 000 and in 1880 it was 480,840,733. In the same period the yield of corn increased from 991.898 000 bushels in 1871 to 1,.5.37,.535,940 bushels in 1880, the Western States producing the bulk of corn as well as wheat. The grain area of ISSO was 104,143,676 acres, a large total, but yet 70,000,000 less than the single State of Texas contains. The average yield per acre of wheat in 1S80 was 13.3 bushels ; of corn, 3S.9; of oats, 27.8; of barley, 25.1. The value of the grain products of the United States since 1871, is put down at $10,000,000,000. The value of last year's crop is divided as follows : Wheat, ?453,.5.58,- 371 ; corn, ?i;06,6S5,37l ; other grains, $177,389,269. The growth of the export movement of grain has been constant during the decade, except in 1875 and 1877. In the former year there was a decrease of 18,000,000 bushels and in the latter leas than 1,000,- 000. In 1871 the total exports of grain from all ports of the United States were 73,122,.398 bnshels ; in 1880, 289,537,974 bushels. Killing Canada Thistles. A cotemporary notices two modes of destroying this weed, one of which is to be a tablespoonful of salt on each stalk or stub, causing the plant to wilt, become dry and disappear by October. This is re- commended as better than the other mode, which is to cut off each plant with a knife, just below the surface of the ground, as one does asparagus. These modes may answer for very smalT patches in gardens, but any one may easily contrast its econo- my in labor on a large scale on a farm, with the rapid work of turning the plants under with a plow. We have destroyed many acres in this way, so that not a plant ever reappeared. A strong pair of horses will turn over a sod eight inches deep, and much lower than the knife in the hand will go ; and if the work is thoroughly done and no.balks left, the plants will stay under the inverted soil for three or four weeks, unless in very porous or light soil, which must be plowed oftener. The only failure which we have known with this treatment was wheie the plowing was imperfectly done, or so long intermitted, that strugglers found their way to the light and fur- nished a feeding to the roots below. Suggestions of and for the Season. Manure, the key to successful farming over the larger part of the country, demands attention. Per- haps in no one item of farm practice has there been a greater change than in that of the management of manure. Formerly it was thought that manure should only be brought to the field just as it is to be used. Now it is taken out when carting or sledding is good, and the hands and teams are not pressed with other work. By hauling it in winter, and placing it in heaps near to where it will be needed in spring, it gets the benefit of an extra turning, and, if desirable, these heaps may be again turned'before they are spread. Of course some forethought must be taken to put the manure in the most convenient place for the after labor of distributing it. What- ever else is done with manure, let it be kept in com- pact heaps ; to scatter over the whole barnyard that which should only cover an area of a few square yards is wicked waste. After the winter rains have washed out the soluble matter from the scattered manure (often it runs to the nearest creek), what remains is of little value. It would be far better were the manure upon the field where its washings would be utilized. One fact has been often repeated in these columns, but our correspondence shows that it is not everywhere understood, which is— the quality of the manure depends upon the quality of the food. The animal adds nothing to what is fed to it; it takes out something, but leaves the refuse, which it does not want, but the soil does, in an available form. The old adage, " out of nothing nothing comes," is commended to those who think they can make a large quantity of rich manure out of a little poor food. — American Agriculturist. Horticulture. If a new garden is to be made, or plants added to the old one, the varieties and the number of each should be decided upon, and the order sent to the nearest reliable nurseryman at once. It is best to select the bulk from well-tried kinds, though the new sorts may be indulged in somewhat. The mar- ket and the home table have both to be consulted in making the choice. If the market is a distant one, then firm fruit that will reach its destination in good order must be selected. The local market and the home table demand a difi'erent class of fruit. The claims of those having new varieties of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, etc., for sale are not to be ignored, but a good well-tested sort is not an uncertainty. Tnere is much work to be done in the fruit garden that may be preparatory to the busy time of spring. All such work as the getting ready of the trellisses and supports of grapevines, raspber- ries, etc., may be flone now with great advantage. For 18S1J THE LANCASTER FARMER. 4t grapevines in small vineyards we prefer tlie upright trellis. Posts are set S feet apart ; a strip 2'^ inches wide is nailed on a loot from the ground and another at the toj) of the posts (3 or 4 feet above the lower one). The arms of the vines are fastened to the lower strip, and perpendicular wires from the upper to the lower strip allow each ascending shoot to lie securely tied. Pruning that has been neglected should be attended to as soon as the weather will allow. Grapevines should be pruned long before the buds begin to start ; the same holds true of the cur- rants and gooseberries, in which vegetation begins very early, hence should be among the first things trausplaiited.— ^mericuji AgrUulturM. Cultivating Orchards. There Is extraordinary error in supposing orchards cannot prosper unless the soil is cultivated, and error also with regard to manuring. If the orchard is in grass, and sheep and calves or yearling cattle graze It, the droppings from the animals will be sulflcieut to keep the land. Of course the land must be rich when the trees are planted or there will be little grass for sheep and young stock to eat, and conse- quently little manure from them. In England all the orchards are on old grass land, and the trees when young are protected from being barked by having thoru-brush tied round the stems with tar cording or willow withes, and sometimes a frame called. a "crutch" Is put round to keep the stock from gnawing the bark or rubbing against the tree. ■ The harm in recommending keeping orchards in grass is that It is not explained that the grass must never be allowed to grow long, but must be grazed close. If a nice, comlbrtable shed or two are in the most sheltered parts, and the animals are fed with nourishing food every morning and evening througli the autumn, the sheep and calves will, by going about the orchard, drop more manure than is due to the grass eaten, and thus enrich the earth very much. A good orchard near a farm house is very handy for keeping calves which are weanrd on skim milk. They are used for this purpose a good deal In England. On the Island of Jersey orchards are grazed a good deal with the milch cows, which have their heads fastened to one fore leg in a way which gives free action excepting to reach upward. This is where the trees are at full size. Hot Beds and Cold Frames. With regard to the management of these import- ant auxiliaries of a well regulated garden, Mr. \V. D. Philbrick says in the New England Farmer : This is the time for starting hot-beds and cold frames Into active service. The weather is still cold and windy, but in clear weather the sun has a good deal of power under the glass, and the dandelion and parsley in ihe cold frames will make conside- rable growth. About the middle of the month is the time to get ready a hot-bed for starting the seeds of tomatoes, cabbage and lettuce for setting out in the flclk ; also lettuce for heading under glass to come just before the field crops. There is no need of more than twelve inches deep of good hot manure to start the above named seeds. Too much heat is very troublesome, and makes con- stant watering and airing necessary. The bed, how- ever, should be well banked around with strawy manure as high as the grass to prevent the frost from working in at the sides in cold, windy weather. In bright weather the sashes on the hot beds will need raising a little for three or four hours everyday, to give air; the cold frames, however, will not need airing much If at all till March, and careful atten- tion must be giveu to covering up at night with mats and shutters. It should constantly be born in mind that the dif- ferent kinds of seeds need difl'erent treatment, ac- cording to tee hardy or tender nature of the plants. Thus cabbage, lettuce and radishes "are hardy and require only a mild heat to start them, say from 40° to 60°, such a heat as is to be found in an old bed or in a new one with only about eight inches of ma- nure, covered with six inches of loam. Tomato, pepper, egg-plant and cucumber seed being tropical, need a.heat of 70° to 80° to bring them up; this is easily obtained by twelve inches of hot manure, covered with four inches of loam. These tropical plants will require cautious airing in sharp, windy weather, as they easily suffer from cold. Work in the Orchard Now. At this season of the year, If not already attended to, in many places reached by our paper, the hus- bandman takes his hatchet and saw and pruning- knlfe and goes to his orchard to trim his fruit trees. It may be that as the twig is bent the tree's inclined ; but somehow this foresight is not always ready to hand, and It grows as we would not have Inclined it ; and often when we know better, the tree runs on in its own willful way, simply for want of time or occa eion to put in practice that which we know. Cer- tainly of whatever might have been, as an abstrac- tion, looking on things as they are, we know of but very few orchards that a good pruning in winter will not benefit. In a large number of cases, where the orchard is of some age, sprouts will oomc up from the trunk just under the ground, and form a complete bundle around It. This is the more likely to be the case with trees that have overbore, and have a large number of half-stunted branches, and also in cases where the borer has been working in the tree near the ground. Whatever obstructs the passage of the sap up the trunk. Induces shoots to break out from below in this way. Of course, we should try to help this by encouraging vigor in the head of the tree, so as to check this tendency to throw out collar-sprouts; but at any rate, these sprouts must come away. Many rest with cutting them back to the ground, which merely makes them push stronger the next year. The ground should be opened a little with the grubblng-hoe, and with the same Implement the sprouts rooted clean out. Throughout the tree these sprouts are often common and should be cut away, unless the main branches show signs of being worn out by disease or overbearing. In which case it is best U> cut these long arms away to the young vigorous sprout, which should thus have a chance to grow up and replace them. Sometimes cutting away these large branches leaves large scars on the trunks, and the old wood, weakened by disease, soon rots away, and leaves a hollow place for water to collect In, and then the hole soon gets worse. But this Is remedied by painting the place over. It makes no difference what kind of paint Is Used. Anything that will keep out the water from the wood will do. It Is because these precautions are neglected that people have a chance to say that cutting off large branches Injures trees. Nature herself often seems to ask for the pruning-knife. Branches often seem to he struggling between death and life, as if the tree were begging of some one to cut them off. The trees are always lienefited when they are. — Oer. Telegraph. Household Recipes. To Clean Ermine and Minever Skins.— Take apiece of soft flannel and well rub the fur with it against the grain; then rub again with common flour until clean. Shake it well, and rub again with the flannel till all the flour is out of It. I have had a minever boa four years ; it has never been cleaned with anything but flour, and is not in the least in- jured by the rubbing. It was a school companion who told me that her aunt (a Russian lady) always cleaned her white fur with flour, and that they looked beautiful. It has one advantage — the lining does not require to be taken out, and it only requires a little trouble. Ermine takes longer than minever ; the latter is very easily done. To Remove Ink Stains from Printing Books.— Procure a pennyworth of oxalic add, which dissolve in a small quantity of warm water ; then slightly wet the stain with it when it will disappear, leaving the leaf uninjured. Barlet SotTp. — Boil one pint of pearl barley In one quart of stock until it is reduced to a pulp, pass it through a sieve, and add as much more stock as will be required to make the puree of the consistency of cream; put the soup on the fire; when it boils stir into it (off the fire) the yolk of an egg beaten up with a gill of cream ; add half a pat of fresh butter, and serve with small slice of bread fried in butter. Game Soup (Clear.)— Take the remnants of any kind of game, not high, put them in a saucepan with an onion and carrot, two or three cloves, a small piece of mace, a bay leaf, some parsley, white pepper and salt to taste. Cover the whole with a veal or poultry stock, and set the saucepan to boil gently for a couple of hoilTs. Strain off the soup and set it to boil again, then throw in an ounce of raw beef or liver coarsely chopped ; let It give one boll, and strain the soup through a napkin. If not quite clear, the clarifying process must be repeated. A very small quantity of sherry may be put in before clarifying. Oatmeal and Beef Tea.— I find this quite useful to give strength to weak patients ; take two table- spoonfuls of fine oatmeal and make it perfectly smooth in two spoonfuls of cold water; pour Into this a pint of strong beef tea; boil It eight minutes ; keep stirring all the time ; it should be very smooth ; if lumpy pass through a sieve. Sauced Herrings.— Place the herrings side by side in a pie-dish, with slices of onion and bay leaf, and some salt and whole pepper; mix half and half of vinegar and ale, and pour as much of the mixture over the fish as the dish will hold. Put the dish into a pretty hot oven for about twenty minutes, taking care never to let the flsh get dry, but as they get soaked up pour over the remainder of the vinegar and ale. Serve cold. Entree.— Remove the tendons or gristles from a breast of veal (these lie at the end of the front bones in a breast), and place them in a stew pan with good white stock, one large onion, two carrots, a bundle of savory herbs, and the peel of half a lemon cut very thin, two cloves and a blade of mace. The stock should simply cover the tendons. Simmer for four hours, or until they are perfectly tender ; when this is the case take them out and lay them on a steamer before the Ore to drain and dry. Strain and boll the gravy to a thick glaze, arrange the tendons in a circle on a hot dish with a fried crust of bread {crouton) between each piece, and fill the centre of the circle with some very young boiled green peas. Many persons serve a puree of peas. Remember that the tendons are well glazed aacr they are dried with the glaze made from the stock before tbcy arc arranged to send up. This Is a very economical dish, as the breastof veal can be dressed next day In a variety of ways. Snow Puudino.— Pour one-half pint of cold water on a half box of gelatine ; after standing ten minutes, pour one-half pint of boiling, water, add one cup of sugar, and the whites of four or six eggs ; beat three-fourths of an hour ; place in the dish used on the table and put on ice to harden. Flavor the mix- ture with wine, or If preferred, the juice of two lemons, In which case add one cup of sugar. To be eaten with cream, or a rich boiled custard. Caudle.— Beat up an egg to a froth, add a wine- glassful of sherry and half a pint of gruel, flavor with lemon-peel and nutmeg and sweeten to taste. Fio Pudding.— Six figs chopped fine after boiling them, three cups of bread crumbs, one-fourth pound of suet, one egg, one-fourth iMJund of sugar, one lemon, grate the riod ; one nutmeg grated ; boil three hours In a tin mold or bag. Potato Cakkb for Brkakfast.— Save from din- ner a soup plate of mashed potatoes, add to It a half a saltspoonful of pepper, the same of nutmeg, a* lit- tle salt, and the yolk of an egg ; form into small cakes, put In a buttered baking-pan, brush the top with the white of egg, and brown In quick oven. CiioroLATF Mange.— Boll one box of gelatine In as little water as possible till entirely dissolved ; let boil one quart of milk and one quart of cream ; sweeten to taste ; flavor with vanllle ; also one cup- ful of chocolate; lastly pour In the warm gelatine through a strainer. Let all lioll about five minutes. Then pour in molds. Eat with cream. Fbied Herring.— These flsh abound Just now and are very reasonable in price. Clean them and scale and dry in a towel. Take a piece of letter- paper, rub a little hot or cold butter on it, fold a herring in it, salt and pepper it, and broil. Eat with a little lemon juice, or make a sauce with butter and a little vinegar. Omelette SoupLEE.— Six eggs, six tablespoon - fuls powdered sugar, juice of one lemon, one-half the peel grated; beat yolks and whites separately; add to the yolks by degrees the sugar, beat to a froth until thick and smooth, and the whites until stiff enough to cut with a knife ; stir logether lightly with the seasoning; pour In a buttered dish, and bake in a quick oven five or six minutes ; the dish should be warmed when it is buttered. Stuffed Potatoes.— Take large, fair potatoes; bake until soft, and cut a round piece off the top of each; scrape out the inside carefully, so as not to break the skin, and set aside the empty cases with the covers, mash the Inside very smoothly, working into it while hot some butter and cream, about half a teaspoonful of each for every potato; season with salt and pepper, with a good pinch of grated cheese for each; work It very soft with milk, and put into a saucepan to heat, stirring to prevent burning ; when scalding hot, stir in one well-beaten egg for six large potatoes ; boll up once ; fill the skins with the mix- ture, replacing the caps ; return them to the oven for three minutes ; arrange upon a napkin in a deep dish, the caps uppermost ; cover with a fold of the napkin, and cat hot; or you may omit the eggs and use a double quantity of cheese. Live Stock. Beef and Mutton in England. Notwithstanding the constant large importations of these from America and Australia, the English papers inform us that the prices not only keep well up there, but are likely to continue to do so. This Is owing mainly to the Increasing population, and the Increasing prOKperity in the manufacturing dis- tricts. .Moreover, those poor people who formerly got meat of a poor quality only once a week, on ac- count of its high price, now that abundant importa- tions have placed before them a superior quality at a lower price, can afford to have it nearly every day on their tables, and hence this greatly Increased con- sumption of meat in the United Kingdom. As to mutton more particularly, the liver-rot has again broken out among the fiocks of Great Britain, causing many deaths in them from the disease, and this again assists to keep up the price of mutton as well as of beef and pork. The Rearing of Calves. It may be laid down as a first proposition that a dairy farmer should raise at least as many heifer 48 TH-E LANCASTER FARMER. [March, : calves as are required to fill up the vacancies that occur year by year in his herd of dairy cows ; and it is all the better if he has a few more than he wants for that purpose. Some people contend that three- year-old-in-calf heifers can be bought for less money than they can be raised for, counting; in the risk. This depends, however, entirely on the iticili- ties a mail has for keepinsf young cattle so as not to interfere with his mill; pastures. On all mixed farms it is commonly a simple mat- ter enouah to summer and winter young cattle so cheaply that it is better to raise them than to buy others for the dairy herd, and many farmers find it to their advantage to raise them for sale when "on note," or to fatten for the butcher. Judiciously car- ried out rearing pays very well, and heifers raised on the farm are commonly found more profitable to it ill after life as millvcrs, tlian otliers that are raised elsewhere and purcliasc-d. liesides which it is more than probable that rearing will always pay well, providing only that the stock is of good quality ; for the demand for luill; in our towns and cities is sure to goon increasing and their will always be a brisk demand for stock of good quality for grazing pur- poses. A careful breeder can but seldom buy dairy stock that will suit him as well as those of his own rear- ing. Those he buys may, pel haps, be as well bred as his own are in every respect, but if they are only as well and no better bred, they will scarcely ever do as well in the milk-pail as those that have been reared on the farm. — Farmers' Union. Suffering of the Cattle on the Plains. A Chicago Tiinea. correspondent sent out to inves- tigate the cfr.Ti ,,r tlir li ir.l winter on the cattle in the great i;r;i:-i!._ • :._■■.-. ■ :■ .i.iphs from Kansas city that owiim t'l ! ' > I ■ i^i' of ''the beef empire" iu which till- hiiiU riim,:: vill, it is almost impossi- ble to gain reliaDlc news. Inielligence received from the ranges of the North Platte river between the towns on that river and Sidney, Nebraska, and northward for 1.50 miles from the Niobrara ranges extending 200 miles along tlie valley of the Niobra- ra, and running over into Dakota from the grazing ground in Northeastern and Central Colrado, and from Northeastern New Mexico and Southwest- ern Kansas indicates great probable losses, while the greatest fears are entertained that the thickly populated pasture lands of Montana, Idaho and Or- egon may be strewn with carcasses by the time springs open. William Parton, a member of the Nebraska Legis- lature, from Omaha, expects to lose from .5,000 to 7,000 of the 1.5,000 head on tlie North Platte, estima- ting a loss of from $100,000 to $125,000. J. N. McShane, another member, anticipates a loss of 30 per cent, in the Creighton herbs, numbering some 30,000 head. The cattle men no longer try to conceal the fact that, at best, the season of 1.S80 will be disastrous to their native interests; and, though it should turnout that the actual loss by death is fess than the present appearances indicate, it is universally conceded that the percentage of increase will be far below the reg- ular percentage. The cows will be so weakened by exposure and the approach of starvation, that they will be barren for a year or two longer. The estimates of loss in the various ranges run all the way from 10 to 75 per cent. Literary and Personal. Everitt's Descriptive Catalogue and Price List of Seeds, Seed Potatoes, &c., for 1881. A royal octavo pamphlet of 38 pages, on tinted covers, and splendidly illustrated, Wafsontown, Pa. A distin- guishing feature of this catalogue is its illustration and description of several choice and improved vari- eties of the potato, among which are the " Lux- ury,'' the "Champion of America," the "White Rose," an "English Variety," the "Mammoth Pearl," the " Magnum Bonum," &c., ifcc, of which Mr. E. makes a specialty. The pamphlet also con- tains a select list of vegetable seeds, and concise de- scriptions of their culture ; indeed, the historical and descriptive character of this catalogue indicates a progressive step in this department of agriculture which, duly appreciated, must result to the advan- tage of the seedsman, and the farmer. The " La Plume Celery," the "Lackawanna Cauliflower," and the " Berkshire Beauty," are very special objects of kitchen garden culture. On the whole, this pamph- let, in quality and reliable contents, is worthy of the special attention of our readers, and we advise them. In their cultivation of solanaceous weeds, to send for a copy of it, believing they may find something that will pay as well, and be a greater boon to humani- ty than devoting their whole attention to the culti- vation of tobacco. Uses of Forests in Lancaster County. Their Influence on the climate, temperature, springs and streams. Their protection against storms and floods. How forests improve the soil. The question of the influence of forets on the raiu-fall considered. How orchards have been affected. Reasons why new forests should be planted, and the timber belts of the country should be restored and preserved. An aaaress by S. P. Eby, Esq., Librarian of the Lancas- ter County Agricultnral and ITorticnUural liociely. This is an octavo pamphlet of 35 pages in tinted paper covers. In this Essay Mr. Eby does not con- fine himself to his own observations and experi- ences, but cites the most noteworthy and intelligent authorites on this interesting and very important subject ; showing a commendable zeal in his re- searches, and the development of a class of facts that are of a significance that cannot be doubted, although the theory may be denied. There are very few men, of any observation whatever, who may not— in an experience of fifty or sixty years — have noticed many times, that the trees and shrubbery, •in many places, have passed away, and tliat the character of the climate is no more what it was during the period of their boyhood, whatever may have been the cause. We think it would be much liarder to prove that these meteorological changes have not been produced by the removal of the for- ests, than the converse of the question. If these prolific coincidences have not produced these too evident results, then what has produced them ? The . efi'ect we notice almost daily, but, because they are so familiar to us, by lio means evinces that they can- not occur without a pre-existing cause. We confine a fox and chickens in a pen together, and daily find that our chickens are growing " beautifully less " in number; we need not hesitate to conclude that the fox has eaten the chickens, although we may never have seen the fox destroy them. We would commend this pamphlet to the intelligent and thinking portion of our readers, and especially those who till the soil. Perhaps they may see in it something that they ean corroborate by their own experience. Agricdlture of Pennsylvania, containing re- ports of the State Board of Agriculture, the State Agricultural Society, the State Dairymen's Asso- ciation, the State Fruit-Growers' Society, and the State Agricultural College for 1880. We are in- debted to our local Representative, E. G. Snyder, Esq., for a copy of this the most creditable volume ever issued by the State Government, and one that fairly represents the State's agricultural resources and progress. The work-, is a royal octavo of 6.59 pages, printed on fine calendered paper, in clear type, and is embellished with 26 full page illustra- tions, and .86 cuts illustrative of crops, implements, machinery, &c., &c., including lists of oflicers and faculties of the different institutions ; their proceed- ings, and copious indexes to the whole. The most voluminous and elaborate is that of the State Board of Agriculture, the youngest and seemingly the most vigorous of our State agricultural organizations. It •isl.o be rather regretted that all the associated ener- gies and resources of the State cannot be consoli- dated in one organization. This volume also con- tains the lists of premiums awarded at the late agricultural and wool shows, held in Fairmount Park, in September last, including illustrations of some of the premium stock. Containing, as it does, many valuable statistics, the volume ought to be specially interesting to our farming population. Report of the Kansas State Horticultural Society for the year 1^79, containiu* the proceed- ings of its ninth semi-annual meeting, held at Beloit, Mitchell county, June 17, 18 and 19, and the thir- teenth annual meeting, held iit Holton, Jackson county, December 16, 17 and 18, 1879. Together with the proceedings of the division, county and local societies ; edited by the Secretary, 460 pages, royal octavo, with many illustrations of noxious insects, and as a frontispiece, a portrait of William M. Homsley, M. D., a veteran pioneer and worker in the field of horticulture. This isthe ninth volume of the series, and only represents the State Horticul- tural Society , and, like all that has recently come under our observation of Kansas' State publications, it is gotten up in the best quality of book-making material and composition. The work is practical, being the experimental knowledge of practical men, and cannot fail to be of practical service to horticul- ture, both in and out of Kansas. Reports op Proceedings of the International Dairy Fairs for the years 1878 and. 1879. Royal oc- tavos, respectively of 176 and 80 pages, in tinted covers We thankfully acknowledge the receipt of these excellent reports, although they seem to have been "long a coming." They are handsomely and ably gotten up, and contain much valuable information of a very practical character. Twelve pages are de- voted to "descriptions of the processes" of those to whom were awarded the high.est prizes for the but- ter and cheese they had on exhibition. This we deem a most ^aluahle feature of the reports, and one in which every new dairyman at least must feel an abiding interest, because it contains the experi- mental knowledge of the most prominent dairymen of the entire country, and in future numbers of the Farmer we shall take pleasure in laying; some of these before our readers. Gettysburg Compiler.— We are indebted to some considerate friend for a copy of this journal, containing able papers read before the State Board of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Fruit-Growers' Society at their annual meetings held in January last, and we regret that we did not receive these papers in time" to publish them in our February number. En passant, the Compiler is not only a K«e paper", but it is also a very lively one— "chuck full " of good things. The Poultry Monthly— Published by the Ferris Publishing Company, at Albany, N. T., is a royal quarto of lie pages and tinted covers, and also most royally illustrated with choice specimens of poultry stock. It is printed in clear type and on finely calendered paper, and on the whole will vie with any publication devoted to a similar specialty in the country. Subscription, one dollar a year. To all new subscribers we will furnish the Lancaster Farmer and the Poultry Jlonthiy at the low price of one dollar and fii"ty cents a year in advance — the cheapest publications in the Union. The Poultry World, devoted exclusively to poultry, with 16pages quarto and 'Zl pages — includ- ing the tinted covers— of advertising matter, comes to hand with its usual budget of gallicultural lore, perceptibly improved, and is, apparently, the lead- ing poultry journal of the country. In the way of illustrations, nothing could excel the Black Cayuga Ducks, on the first page of the March number, for 1881. The Poultry World now going into its 10th ; volume, may be regarded as a success and is well de- serving of it. Published by H. H. Stoddard, Hartford, Connecticut, at $1.25- per year : Chromo edition g2.00, including postage. The Fruit Recorder, and Cottage Gardener, a 16 pagej-oyal quarto. A. M. Purdy, editor and man- ager, published at Rochester, N. Y., at $1.00 pec year. Its scope is indicated by its motto^"To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat, and the beautiful to enjoy." On the first page of the cover are fine il- lustrations of eight varieties of the Stra,wberry, natural sizes, namely: Warrm, Longfellow, Crystal City, Miner's Great Prolific, Glendale, Crescent Seedling, Cowiug's Seedling, and Windsor Chief. These are all new varieties. Mr. Purdy is a veteran editor and a practical fruit grower, and has a reli- able reputation, and he says, at present he knows of no strawberries superior to those illustrated on the first page of the January number of the Recorder. This journal evidently cares little about general ad- vertising, and therefore devotes the whole of its 16 pages to the general and particular details of fruit growing and cottage gardening. The American Cultivator, devoted to Agricul- ture, Horticulture, Markets, News, Art, Science, and Home Literature. This is a large eight paged folio, going into its 43d volume; and therefore, not to know it, argues one's .''elf unknown. Published weekly, at $2, .50 per annum, including postage, Boston, Mass. Address Geo. B. James, 48 Summer street. The January 2Jd number of this magnificent journal came to hand too late to transfer a very interesting, marked, article to our columns, but we shall do so in our next number — if we don't forget it. The Rockdale Enterprise, published by Spindle, France & Milnes, Shenandoah Iron Works, Page county, Virginia. A new monthly folio at fifty cents a year, in advance. No. 1, Vol. 1 for February, 1881, is on our table, and is well filled with interestinir local and literary matter. It makes a very creditable appearance and is an enterprise worthy of success. The Illustrated Champion— A journal de- voted to agriculture, the mechanic arts, and useful ,i and entertaining literature, published by the I "Champion Machine Company," at Springfield, ■ j Ohio, and edited by Charles G.Rowley. This is a ^.1 large double-foiio, splendidly illustrated, issued, apparently, occasionally, in the special interest of the company. An able and well-executed repre- sentative. The American Dairyman, and Butter, Cheese and Egg Reporter— A weekly record of • dairy interests at home and abroad. An eight-page royal 4to., conducted with great ability, and alive to all interests connected immediately or remotely with its specialties. Published at $1..50 a year, in advance, by Clark & Co., 5 and 7 Murray street. New Tork. Dominion Bazaar.— The Amateur's and Fan- cier's guide to profit, amusement, pet stock and home interests. Toronto, Canada. An eight-paged royal quarto, published monthly at $1.00 per year — illustrated. The Virginias— a mining, industrial and scien- tific journal ; devoted to the development of Vir- ginia and West Virginia. A demi-folio monthly of 24 pages, including geological illustrations and a great deal of statistical information. Terms, $3.00 a year in advance. Jed. Hotchkiss, editor and pro- prietor, Staunton, Virginia. A substantially bound volume of this journal for 18S0, with 18 extra pages of maps and sections, complete, with index and title page, will be sent by express or mail, prepaid, to any address in the United States for three dollars. This is a remarkably well gotten up paper in the specialties to which it is devoted, and is well worthy the patronage of those interested therein. THE LANCASTER FARMER^ MISCELLANEOUS. Send for a Catalogue. j If you intend plantlD^'trecsof any kind tliis spring, write to Louis C. Lyte, Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster CO., Pa., and he will send you a Catalogue containing the different kind of trees he has on hand and for (•;ili-. Ilis nurseries are at Smoketown, one mile west of Bird-in-IIand Post Office, and six miles east of It The Lancaster Examiner. We desire to call the attention of tlie readers of the Farmek to the Daily and Weekly Eraminer. The Daily was enlarged over six columns on January 1st, and Is now the largest daily published in the county. The weekly supplement was also enlarged over three columns, and the weekly is now one of the largest weeklies in the State. Subscribe for the Sxamiuer. They are both, daily and weekly, good family newspapers. J. J. H. Gregory's Seed Catalogue. Mr. Gregory's Catalogue (advertised In our eolumns) opens with several fine engravings of new vegetables, after which follows an immense variety of flower and vegetable seed, inclnding 47 kinds of beans, 33 of beet, "54 of cabbage and caullllower, 26 •of corn, 28 of cucumber, 28 of lettuce, 41 of melon, 17 of squash, 24 of tomato, 36 of turnip, &c., &c., all duly described. Catalogues are advertised free loan. It LIGHT BRAHMA EGGS Forhatchincr, now ready— from the best in the 91. SO for a Hetting of 13 XSgSIS* 9S,00 if sent by lixpress. Address L. RATHVON, Nc. 9 Norlli Quri n nt., Exnminer Onice, Lancjister, Pa. HOPE 1 DEAF. Garmore's Artificial Ear Drums PERFECTLY RESTOUE THE HEARiNO and perform tlio work of the Watnral Drniii. Always in position, but Invisible to otbers. All conversation and even whispers heard distinctly. We refer to those using them. Send for descriptive circular. Address. 04R1H0RE Jt CO.. Southwest Corner 5th and Race Sts.. Cincinnati, O. SAVED Sc. p«T b-isilJ" »n I OR Si and aOc.iinWllKAT WELL-AUGER.°e'^:i'p: i gnaranteedto be the cheapest and best in the world. Also nothins can beat our S.-ttVIXG »IA- CHINE. It sawaoffa 2-foot loa in -J minutes. Pictorial book* trea. W. GIL,Eji, Clucaeo, ni. dec-Bni] ,# THE VICTOR '/fi't.-''' Double Huller Clover Machine y. BULBS, TLAHTS. paU. lOOIMiolu.. 10 8 Lille.. 9 .ort. n.int4, »L 19 dgubla Tiil)»ro«>l, lie. J. LEWIS cflll.DS, Qi;i%.\S. OFFICE, Ko, 9 North Queen Sheet LANCASTER, PA.. THE OLDEST AND BEST. THE WEEKLY LANCASTER EXAMINER One of the largest Weekly Papers in the State. Published Every Wednesday Morning, le an old, well-establislied newspaper, and contains just the news desirable to make it an interesting and valuable Family New8pai)or. Tlje postage to subcribers residing outside of Lancaster county is paid by the publisher. Send for a specimen copy. Two Dollars per Annum. THE DAILY LANCASTER EXAMINER The Largest Daily Paper in the county. Fablisked Daily Except S inday. Tlie dally is' published erery evening during the week. It is delivered iu the City and to gurrounding Towns ac- cessible by railroad and d»ily stage lines, for 10 cents a week. Mall Subscription, free of postage— One month, 50 cents; one year, ($3.00. THE JOB ROOMS. The job rooms of The Lanoabtkb Examinee sr< filled with the latest styles of presses, maleriiU, etc., and we are prepared to do all . kinds of Book and lob Printin at as low rates and ahort notice as any estabUsluneul i the State. SALE BILLS A SPECIALTY. With a full assortment of ne ^ outs ihat we haye JuBt purcUABOd, we are prepared to print the flneat aud most attractive sale bills in tho State. JOHN A. HIESTAND. Proprietor, No. 9 Nort'i Queen St., SEND FOR J. JKSTKINS' NVRMERY, 3-2-79 WIKONA, COLUMBIANA CO.. OHIO. (POOn wwU III your i.wn loWn. Terms and fi "Utflt 1 oOOAcl.lnss H. llAi.i-icTT i Co., Porllauil. Maine. '^Jun-lyr* M. HABERBUSH, MANDFACTIIKEUOF Plain and Fine Harness, WAItltl.KN. COLLARS, "WHIPS, FLY NETS. ^L';r/.'i«». Make Money lU SnTeTiHlrprj:"""- Beat Bnok for Farmers and Farmera' Bnyf. Bndortai hf Trading Papfr» and AbUit WriUrt a< a ThorouQktv PraeHcal Manual r>/ Farm Afatrs. ««»'« many tlmt* iU oott tvry tMton, nm rat^. 140 MlnalraUant. Han'1ioinc«t aad Rett Farm Boot ,wr i-ubli-.hM. Every Farmer thotUd hare a Coj-p. For DiJ9.st place in Lancaster to .buy Furniture. Picture Frames a specialty. CHINA AND GLASSWARE. HI«H A MARTI X, No. 15 East KiuR St., rtealers in China, Glass and tiueensware, F'ancy Goods, Lamps, liunicrs, Cliiinneys, etc. CLOTHING. MTBKS * KATHFOST. Centre Hall, No. 12 East King St. Largest Clothing House in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia DRUGS AND MEDICINES. GW. lIl'i.L. Dealer in Pure Dru^s and Medicines , Chemicals, P.Ucnt IMe.licines, Trusses, Shoulde Braces, Supporters, &e., 15 West King St., Lancaster, Pa JOHN F. LONG * .SON. Druggists, No. 12 North Queen St. Drugs, Medicines, Perfumery, Spices, Dye Stufi's, Etc. Prescriptions carefully compounded. DRY GOODS. C~1 1VI>KK, KOWKKS * HrKSr, No. 25 E. King X St.. Lancister, Pa., Dealers in Dry Goods, Carpets and Merchant Tailoring. Prices as low as the lowest. . HATS AND CAPS. JEWELRY AND VyATCHES. HZ. RHOA9>!li <& BKO., No. 4 M^est King St. . Watches, Clock and Slusical Boxes. Watches and Jewelry Manufacttired to order. PRINTING. JOHN A. HIE»i'|-ANI>, 9 North Queen St., Sale Bills, Circulars Posters, Cards, Invitations, Letter, and Bill Headsand Envelopes neatly printed. Prices low. M.V Annual C atalogne of Vpsatr tbic and Flowfi- »of«l f<> me flora pho- tograi'lis of the orl in tie, will b t FUEL apply' My old cus, -mers ueed not v.ite for it. I offer out l.y any seed Hon 31- in Amnric , a 1 1 ge port m of which X seed farms /resh and true lo nan wise, I will re/ill the ider qratix. I'll u.lt'in:; iiitriidliCfr of the Hubbard Squa bages, Mexican Cor sh. Phiuney' M.- u„, Mi,;a ehfi.J Cab- seed direcllii from th nrower, fresh, rtM, and ofthe very NEW VEGETABI.es A RPEriAI/rT. .TAMES J. H. GREGORY, Marbleheati, Mua Nov-6mo] EVAPORATE YOUR FRUIT. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUH: FREE TO ALL. AMERICA NDRIER COMPANY, Cbaoibersbnre, Pa. Apl-tf FARMING FOR PROFIT. highly recommended by the best affucultural wri and the leading papers, and is destined to have an tensive sale. Agents are wanted everywliere. ja PEAS, The earliest Peas grown. American Wonder Peas, New variety, very fine. CRYSTAL WAX BEANS, BLOOIISDALE EARLY M.\RKET CABBAGE, Large size, early yipening. BLOOMSDALE LATE FLAT DUTCH CABBAGE, The finest in the world. Gourd Seed Corn, Prize Stock, Recleaned Clo- and Timothy and other Grass Seeds. Cooly Creamer, Csok Tree Protector, VEGETABLE ROOT CUTTER, Cahoon's Broad Cast Seed Sower, SPAIN'S PATENT CHURNS, Davis' Swing C'uro, Lilly'.s Butter Worker, Reid'8 But- ter Worker, Hav and Fodder Cutter, CornSheller, Little Giant i orn and Cob Mills, Corn Mid Hand and Power. retlj's Rural Register &Alraa!5ac for '81 In English and German — Free. D. LANDKETH & SONS, 21 & 23 Sonth Sixth St., PHILADELPHIA. Laijd Ready-Made Clothing BELOW COST. RATHVON & FISHER, Are Selling off their entire stock of ftEADY-Mi^DE CLOTI^ING, BELOW COST. ALSO, FURNISHING GOODS, OF THE LATEST STYLES BELOW COST. CLOTHING MADE TO ORDER lu the prevailing BtyleB and at medium prices. Corner N. Queen and Orange Stree ts LANCASTER, PA. RATHVON & FISHER, MERCHANT TAILOR?. GERMANTOWN TELEGRAPH, Which ie generally acknowledged to be the best Literary, Farming and Agricultural Newsnapera in Pennsylvania, la issued weekly at Germantown, 'Philadelphia, at $2.50 per annum. It will commence its Slat volume with the lirst Dumber in March, proximo, being established and conduct- ed by its pretent editor and proprietor. No family giving it a trial for a year would be willing to do without it at double the Bubscrlption, Address PHILIP It. FREAS, Germantown, Phila. MddreeB Stiksoh rites as a Fertilizer— The Colopa Spisiosu— Bueiiiesa for Next Meeting. March Meeting of Fulton Farmers, - Question— Discua.*»ion. April Meeting of Fulton Farmers, - - . Questions .\»ked and Answered- Entertained the HoMt^Papera Kejui — An Interesting Essay- Literary. The LinnssaD Society, - - - . AGRICULTURE. About Limestone and Lime as Fertilizers, Green Manuring, The Management of Liquid Fertilizers, - Cornstalks as Maniue, . . . . Cabbage, ------ HORTICULTURE. The Cow Pea, ---..- The Pomeffranate, - . . . To Cut Sods, -.-... A Difficulty with Shrubberies, - Onions, ------- DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Butter Salt, Fading, Take Care of the Matches, - Drying Potatoes, Know How to Cook a Turnip, Sand Bag in a Sick Room, How to Wash Clothes Withou' Chocolate, - - - - - - - To Remove Glass Stoppers, - - - - HOUSEHOLD RECIPES Fig Padding, Whip Sauce for Above, . - - . - Horseradish Sauce, ------ Kedgeree, - ' - Rice au Jus, ------- Stuffed Potatoes, Veal with Temato Sauce, - - - - Beef Tea lor Children, - - - - Oeufs a I'Orauge, ------ Mayoimaise Dressing for Salad, Pish-Pash of Mutton, - - - .Mayonnaise of Fish, - . . - - Danish Pudding, ------- Snow Pudding, ------ Clam Chowder, ------- Crow's Nest, -..-.. Potted .Meat, ------- Poor Man's Sweet Cake, _ - Potato Salad, - - - - To Remove Ink Stains from Printed Bonks, Baked Corn Meal Puddinir, - - - - California Pudding, - LIVE STOCK. Attention to Swine, - . . - . Hereford Cattle, - - • WhyCatt.le and other Stock Die toward Spring, Literary and Personal, - ' - HENDERSON'S COMBINED CATALOGUE OP SEEDS PLANTS be Jlailed Free to all wM apply by Ltltcr. Our Experimental Gronndn In I whlrh v*-e test our Vccetablo and I I Flower Sccdii are niost com nietc; land our GreenhouRei* for Plants ■ (covering 3 acres In glass), are I ItUolarj^est lu America. IPETER HENDERSON & CO. 35 Cortlandt Street, New York. WELL-AUGER.r:::: Dlsaeminiiior <»r Hh^ ManLmoth Pearl and Magnixm Bonum Potatoes {'iJ)^ l>n. jrrown from 1 lb. of eeeil), Berkshire Beauty Cab- bage, Amber Cream S-«reet Corn. L.a NCHOLS.SHEPARD&CO VIBRATOR THRESHERS, Traction and Plain Engines and Horse-Powers. Mo«t Complt tc Thresher Factorr J Established Iji Uie World. i I84S rf"l ICflnOnr.<. without t '" tbis city, as, follows : WE TWARD. Pacific Exyress" Way Passeiigeit Niagara Express Hanover Afcommodatiou.. MaU tralu via Mt. Joy No. 2 via Columbia Sunday Mail Fast Line" Frederick Accommodation . Harrisburg Accom Coltunbia Accommodation., Harrisburg Es])ress Pittsburg Express Cincinnati Express' EASTWARD. Colambiii A PaciHc Ex) Sunday Mu 11:00 a. I 11:05 p. 1 10:20 a. I 11.25 a. I 10:50 a. I 2;30p. I 2:Kp.l 6:t5p. I 7:20 p. 1 7:.30p.i 8:50 p. I 11:30 p. 1 «:05 a. m. 9.10 p. m. :46 p. m. 2:00 p. m. 3:05 p m. 5:35 p. m. 6:25 p.m. 11:20 a. m. Col. ll>:40 a. 12:40 II. m. Accommodation, west, 9:36 The Hano with Niagara Ex through to Hanover. The Frederick Accommodation, west, connects at Lancas- ter jrith Fast Line, west, at 2:10 p. m.. and runs to Frederick The Pacific Express, east, on Sunday, when flagged, will stop at M-'ldletown, Eiizabethtowu, Mount .Toy and Laudis- ville. •The only trains which run dally. tKuns daily, except Monday. NORBECK & MILEY, EDW. J. ZAHM, AMERICAN AND FOREIGN WATCHES, SOLID SILVER & SILVER PLATED WARE, CLOCKS. JEWELRY ITABLE CUTLERY. Sole Agent for the Arundel Tinted SPECTACLES. Repairing utrictly attended lo. North Queen-st. and Centre Square, Lancaster, Pa. 79-1-12 AT LOWEST I»«S!SIBI.,F, 1>RH'ES. No. 106 EAST KING STREET, ESTABLISHED 1832. fTBEES Fruit, Shade and Ornamental Trees. Plant Trec-B raised in this county and suited to this climate. Write for prices to j^^^ jg ^ LYTE , Bird-in-Hand P. O., Lancaster co.. Pa. Nursery at Smoketowu, six miles east "f Lancaster. WIDMYER & RICKSECKER, UPHOLSTERERS, And Manufacturers of FURNITURE PD CHAIRS, W.4ltKROOM!>i: 102 East King St., Oor. of Duke St. LANCASTER, PA. Special Inducements at the NEW FURNITURE STORE W. A. HEINITSH, I«^o. XS X-2 -Ei. ItlHirG- SI (over Bursk's Grocery Store), Lancaster, Fa. A general assornuent ot furniture of all kinds constantly on hand. Don't forget the number. 15 X-a Xlj^st XSIxxxs £itx-eet, Nov-ly] (over Bursk's Giocery Store.) For Good and Cheap Work go to F. VOLLMER'S FURNITURE WARE ROOMS, < No 309 NORTH QUEEN ST., > PRACTICAL Iwm Builders cox & (lO'S OLD ST.l^ft, Co[ne[ of Ouke and \m Stieets, LANCASTER, PA. THE LATEST IMPROVED SIDE-BAR BUGGIES, PHyETONS, Carriages, Etc, Prices to Suit the Times. REPAIRING promptly attended to. All work guaranteed. 79-2- _^_^_______ s. :o. Go:sL, Manufaclurer ot C images, Buggies, Phaetons, etc. GHURGH ST„ NEAR DUKE, LANCASTER, PA, G. SENER &SONS, M.uiufai.tureiE and dealeis u all k n Is f r u„h ar 1 finished i.x7IMIB]e:ii, The best Sawed SHlSifil.ES in the country. Also Sash, Doors, Blinds. Mouldings, &c. PATENT 0. G. WEATHERBOARDING OFFICE AND YAIJD ; Northeast Corner of Priuce and Walnut-sts., XjANCA-sxkr, pa. No 309 (Opposite Northern JLaket), Also, -all kinds of pictu GREAT BARGAINS. A large 8 0 1 1 eat of all kinds of Carpets are still sold at CARPET 'Fall orH" s. shirk, No. 202 West. King St. Call ud ex nine our stock and satisfy yourself that we eai sho \ the largest assortment of these Brussels, three ll sand ingialnat all prices— at the lowest Philadelphia ^"^Aho oa hand a large and complete assortment of Eag ^"'t^'sl ctiou guaranteed bath as to price and quality. 1 D 1 iL lUMted to call and see my goods. No trouble in sno V ug them even if yon do not want to purchase. Til, II t to Let this notice. You can save money here it you PHILIP SCHUM, SON & CO., 38 and 40 West King Street. We keep on hand of our own manufacture, QUILTS, COTE^LET|,^^p^^^^^p^^^ Bureau and Tidy Covers, Ladies' Fumishing Goods, No- ""partfcuiar attention paid to customer Kag Carpet, and eg and dyeing of all kinds. PHILIP SCHUM, SON & CO., PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON ENTOMOLOGY, NOXIOUS AND INNOXIOUS INSECTS, and the best remedies tor their expulsion or extermination. By S. S. RATHVON, Ph. D. LANCASTER, PA. This work wiU be Highly Illustrated, and will be put in press ^alsoorTfter a snftfcieut number of subscribers can be obtainedTo cover the cost) as the work can possibly be accomplished. 79-2- ii of fanners and all who are interi'stcil in the feeding of stock, is called to the reiiuukiiliie artiele headed " Arrareek Fann,"coi)iod fri)m|tho last nuinb(T of "Har- per's Weekly "' into the present issue of the Farmkr. Ilow far the extremely favorable result of the new method of stock feeding there detailed is capable of being-realized by farmers generally who may pursue this plan we will not inidertakc to say, but the subject is certainly deserving of 1he"ir earnest consid- eration. THAT'S WHAT ALL SHOULD BE DO- ING. Wbat ? Why, lookins| after the noxious in- sects before they deposit their first "batch" of eggs. Every "now and theu " some cor- respondent senis us either the eggs, the larvfe, the pupa, the nest, the cocoon, or the imago of insects, and desires to know what they are, whether they are noxious, and how to destroy them. Only a few days ago a gentleman in South Queen street stated that one day last winter he kicked over a small heap of sawdust, .and found in it about 300 "Lady-birds," and although the thermometer was four degrees below zero tlicy were all alive, or revived shortly after they were placed in a warm room. This don't look much like insects being killed by freezing. Tru6, many of the Lady-birds are innoxious, but our informant did not know to which class these Lady-birds belongetl, but judging from his description,we do not know Init tnat they were of the nox- ious kinds, for on one occasion we took about five' hundred specimens from under a piece of bark-on an old cherry-tree, little more than a foot square, in the month of March, ■which proved to bo the great "Northern Lady-bird," (Epliackna horealis) which is exceedingly inju- rious to melon and pumpkin vines. We would advise people to kill them off, noxious or innoxious, unless they positively know to what tribe they belong, looking for their com- pensation in the fact, that if their insect ene- mies are destroyed, they will not need the as- sistance of their insect friends. Do not place any dependence in the " probability " that insects are very materially injured by the in- tervention of a cold winter. In exceptional cases some of them may be,but all other things being equal, they will pass the winter intact, no matter how cold it is. We have had many cold winters during the past fifty years, and yet, somehow, the succeeding summers, in- sects have l^een as prolific as ever. Most of the insects that survive the winter are fertil- ized females, and if ten of these are destroyed in early spring, it may prevent hundreds later in the season. Kill them off! kill them off I That's what every farmer and his boys should be doing now. Give no heed to the fallacious doctrine that the survival of insects of a cold winter is only exceptional, or that only those survive that are protected by a cocoon. Cutworms and potato beetles are not thus protected, and yet they resist an intense degree of cold, and those that pass the winter in the egg state are still more invulnerable to cold. Before the trees and shrubs are olothed in their leafy sheen, the cocoons and follicles inclosing ehrysalids or eggs may be plainly seen, and these should now be removed, if they have not been remov- ed at an earlier period. Examine the black- berry and raspberry canes, the currant and gooseberry bushes, the gr.ape vines and the pea<'h, apple, and pear twigs, and see wheth- er they have insects eggs'on them, or in them, and if so cut them off and destroy them. Only a few days ago we received some apple twigs from Etarrisburg that contained the punctures of the " Snowy Tree Cricket," an insect that is rapidly multiplying and becom- ing injurious to the tobacco plant. Although these twigs had .been punctured two summers ago, and the young insects had made their es- cape from them nearly a year ago, yet the same thing may have been done to other twigs last season, and these will hatch out the pres- ent season it they are not destroyed. These eggs are not affected by cold, no matter how intense it is, provided fliev are not immersed in cold freezing water too long. Many of the twigs perforated by these insects die and break off at the point of puncture, but it is not for the damage they do to the trees on which they are found that they are particularly objectionable, but for the damage the mature insects do to other crops, and especially the tobacco and the green grapes. The clustei-s of eggs or of the young larvae of the spring wcb-worms may also be now seen in the forks of the branches, and the bracelet of eggs around the branches, of the "American Lackey moths, " and the cocoons and eggs of the " American Vapor Moths " on the outside of them, should all be destroyed this month if it was not done last month— kill them off I kill them off!! A GRAPE DISCUSSION. The Kingston Journal a)wl Weckh/ Freeman, N. Y., come to us with a conspicuously marked article on the subject of Vitiue iden- tity, through which it is alleged that the Hudson and the Prentiss are one and the same variety, although they are offered to the pub- lic as different varieties. Perhaps, in the multiplicity of varieties in the different kinds of fruit, it is not at all astonishing that there should be two claimants to the same variety under different names ; and when such is the case it may be of some importance to the pub- lic to know exactly upon what foundation those claims rest. If both of the claimed va- rieties are equally meritorious, the public can run no risk in patronizing either of them, or both of them, at the same time it cannot be considered honorable for one man to propa- gate and vend as his own, under anew name, a variety that has been the discovery or origi- nation of some other man. When each party with equal zeal claims that he is right and his competitior is wrong, and each with equal persistence proceeds to place his goods on the market, it would seem expedient that those who are expected to patronize them should have some knowledge of the premises they re- spectively occupy ; and it is solely with this view that we place the argument "before our readers, so far as it has been brought to our notice ; and not for the purpose of becoming the special champion of either. We prefer to let the parties in the controversy speak for themselves; and with this view we adduce the following from the journal above named, which, .although snfflciently plausible, is still only exparte testimony. Those of our readers who are practical grape-growers themselves, and are well posted in such matters, will know exactly what use to make of it ; and also whether either of the claimed varieties has any merits worthy of their special con- sideration. In 187(5, Dr. Staman, of Kan.sas, had enumerated over 1500 varieties of apples. It would not be surprising if some of these were identical with others of a different name. Editor Freeman : Having waited for nearly six monthes for the proprietors of the Prenti.«3 grape to refute my suspicions that the Hudson and the Prentiss are the same, and being pressed from all quarters to explain, receiving letters from the owners of the Pren- tiss teeming with billingsgate, and threatened the last letter one month ago that it the state- ments made before our society in regard to the identity of the twograpes in question were not recanted in one week, he would publish me in our local papers and the leiuling agri- cultural journals of the country. As there lurs been no light thrown on this mystery since it began, and in which thousands of people are pecuniarily interested, I feel that it is a duty to myself and especially to the coun- try to give the facts as I have them, and in doing so this paper will be necessarily lengtliy, as it is a transaction of long dura- tion. The Hudson is a Rebecca seedling, no at- tempt at crossing having been made. While in fruit a company of veteran fruit-growers and i)omologists from the Newburg Bay Hor- ticultural Society were invited to visit it at Poughkeepsie. After examining it for an hour or more they consulted privately, and their unanimous advice was to "spend no money on the Hudson " in the way of propagating, as it could never prove valuable, and the following are among the re;isous they gave: First, that it was a seedling of the Rebecca, which is half foreign and tender. Second, the vine was a poor grower and the leaves likely to mildew. Third, cluster too small, skin thi -k and bitter and quite foxy, and that in advertising, a cut of a single cluster would be too small to ap- pear at good advantage, and in \new of the superiority of the Rebecca, they would plant it in preference. I then put it out for testing in the hands of about sixty gimtlemen, scattered through many of the states, but the greater portion m central New York; the largest number in one locality was on Crooked Lake, and on the west shore in the Pultney neighborhood there were three, two of which were J. W. Pren- tiss and E. Roff, who had a Hudson and Dutchess vine. All who have received my new fruits for testing have signed an article binding them not propagate or sell them or allow others to do so until two years after our first general sale. We have not yet sold a vine of the Hudson. There has been two or three cases where I have had reason to complain among all this great number who are testing our new fruits. The first we heard of the matter in question, I was written from Western New Ywrk last spring, that a company of gentlemen had ob- tained specimens of the Prentiss and Hudson, and after close examination h.ad pronounced them identical; this was reiterated from sev- eral other localities during the summer. I holding the Hudson in abey.anee for reason- above named, and at the same time seeing so many encomiums of the Prentiss, and kmw- ing it involved a question of general interest throughout the country, I concluded not to be hasty in any correction I might make. On my return from the state fair Last fall on the second day of our local exhibition at Marl- iKirough, on looking over our collection of grapes I inquired of ray sons why they had two plates of Hudson onjthe table, they replied that "one of them was Prentiss," which had been placed near our collection. Their one- ness in appearance brought to mind the state- ments made from the West during the previ- ous spring and sumtuer. The two plates were examined by many persons during the day. We afterward laid tlie Prentiss and the Hudson before some of the most experi- enced grape growers in this and other .sections of the country. " No difference " w;i8 the universal answer. The owner of the Prentiss sent a gentle- man iu western New York a specimen of the 50 THE LANCASTER FARMER. fruit and foliage, both of which were tested with the Hudson growing on his farm, and he pronounced them one variety and so informed the owner of the Prentiss. The same grapes were then examined by several old growers (one of them the most distinguished horticul- turist in central New York), none of whom could distinguish them. A grape-grower and agent for the Prentiss living in Cliutondale, Ulster county, was invited to visit an old Hndson vine growing near and take with him some fruit of the Preiitiss. He did so, and in company with several parties compared them minutely, in cluster, skin, flesh and seeds, and unhesitatingly declared them one variety, and stated he would so report at headquarters, There are more of these instances, but they are too numerous to be mentioned here. After I had reason to believe that the Hudson and Prentiss were one variety, I asked the owner of the Prentiss by letter if he thought it honorable to propagate and sell a new va- riety of grape belonging to another, who thou4!;ht his seedlings safe in the hands of parties where he had placed it for testing, and told him since he had got so far with it if he would pay me S500 I would turn the whole stock of the Hudson over to him. His an- swer was one of the letters spoken of above. I then answered that I should give the true character of the Hudson to the country, and sell it for what it is worth. His answer was another of the letters previously named. Finding correspondence unavailing, a third party, to whom the Prentiss interest is behold- en, through his desire for peace, consented to propose the following to the owner of the Prentiss: " t to turn over to him the whole stock of the Hudson now, and disinterested parties to be chosen in any section of the country, and a vine of the Hudson and Pren- tiss be placed in their hands to be planted to- gether, after three or four years, or when the vines were sufficiently established, and found to not differ in any particular the owner of the Prentiss to pay me $500, but if found to differ in the slightest degree I to have nothing and he to keep the whole stock of the Hnd- son;" his answer to this was that he would do nothing of the kind.— ^. /. Cnywood & Son, ■Marlborough, iV. T., March 15, 1880. SCIENTIFIC CONJUGATION OF THE ALLIGATOR. Class Reptilia. Order 1. CAeJoraJa— "Turtles." ^/" 3. Loricata — "Crocodiles." ,'' " 3. Sanria — "Lizards. ,''' " 4. OpAidia— "Serpents. ,'.'' " 5. Jiatrachia — "Frogs, Toads," &c. Order 2 Loricata. Family 1. Crocadiladce. Genus 1. Oroeodilut. " 2. Oavialis. _,^— •-" " 3. Alligator. ^^— '-'''' . " *• Oairnanus. ^^.-'-'''' " 5. Jacare. -^— '"" SenmS. Alligator. Species 1. Mississippiensis. There is but a single species belonging to the restricted genus AUigutor (A Mississippi- ensis) and that is confined to the gulf-sates of North America. They are a middle genus in the family to which they belong, but are nearer allied to the Caimans and Jacares of South America, than they are to the Croco- diles and Gavials of Asia and Africa. Croco- dilics mlfjarus is the sacred reptile of the Egyptians, and Oavialis gangetica, is the sa- cred crocodile of the Ganges. The most prominent distinctions between the crocodiles and the alligators are in the shape of the head and in the dental system. In the former the muzzle is long and narrow, whilst in the latter it is shorter" and broader. Their habits are very similar and they both attain to a very large* size. Alligators have been known to attain a langth of twenty feet, and crocodiles as much as thirty feet in length. The skin of the alligator, when properly tanned, is said to make good belting and boots. If this can be profitably realized they are bv no means a useless creation. [April, THE MAGNUM BONUM. There is no resemblance between this pota- to and the English variety of the same name. This new potato was origiuated in New York. In 1878 the originator had accumulat- ed enough to plant 27 rods of ground, and from the same raised 102 bushels; and the next year he raised 548 bushels from one measured acre of ground, without any manure whatever and they matured and were dug two months and five days after planting, many of the tu- bers weighing from three to four pounds apiece. In the right situation they will certainly yield tremendously, although they may not always realize the originator's success, as above de- scribed; but as an early potato, probably no other variety equals it. HOT WATER FOR INSECTS. "According to the editor of the Gardener's Monthly,, it has been found th-at water heated to 130O is fatal to all insects that infest plants even though exposed to it but for an instant! while the immersion of a plant for an instant in water of that temperature does not injure the plant in the least, unless the leaves are very tender from having been grown in the shade. But even thenlhey do not suffer at 120-^, while the insects seem to be destroyed at about 100° or 110° ; so in gardening prac- tice the rule is to recommend the water to be heated to 120°. The practice generally is to turn the plant upside down and dip the plant, but not the pot, for an instant only, in hot -A The Magnum Bonum is a seedling of the " I'each-Blow, " and somewhat resembles that once valuable variety in its general form and appearance. They are very early, even in size, free from all disease, the very best keep- ers, and do equally well planted early or late. One eye produces only one stalk with many branches, which stand up firmly like a tree, and protect the hills from the hot rays of the sun, and cause them to get full benefit of the little summer rains, bv conducting the water down to the roots. Each stalk produces four or five potatoes weighing from one half to three pounds each. They are nearly round or a little flattened, sklu, russet white, small pink eyes, slightly sunken, flesh white and nutty, and when boiled or baked are nearly white as snow: good as the Early-Kose ever was and will keep well into June for table use. Tho origi- nator says they should be planted three feet apart between the rows, and ten or eleven inches apart in the rows. Put two pieces of one eye each in a hill. If planted on rich manured land, and a fair season, many will grow to weigh four pounds each. Awards of $100, in premiums, have been won by the Magnum Bonum, for the largest yield of potatoes from one pound of seed, under the supervision of legally qualified commit- tees. 1665 pounds, or 27J bushels, have been grown from one pound of seed. Of course, it is to be understood that such extraordinary results are the efi"ects of extra- ordinary causes, and these causes are greatly assisted by favorable seasons and skillful cul- ture. Perhaps we don't need 1665 pounds of tubers from every pound of seed that is plant- ed, any more than we do a fully matured fish from every roe that is spawned, but we do need a remunerating crop, a good quality, and an early maturity, and tliese may reasonably be realized in. the Magnum Bonum ; and if so, Where's the use in spending time and toil in cultivating the miserable roots that still find their way into our markets. For further par- ticulars see the Everitt's Catalogue for 1881, Watsonstown, Northumberland co.,Pa. Subscribe for the Farmer. water. In use the water has to be carefully tested by a thermometer." The foregoing is practically what we have long since recommended in the treatment of tobacco beds, and what has also been recom- mended by an essayist on tobacco culture, published in the March number of the Lancas- ter Farmer. Not only in relation to tobacco beds, but also beds or cold-frames in which any kind of early spring vegetation is intended to be started.' Although insect vitality may resist an intense degree of cold, yet it invar, iably succumbs to an intense degree of heats as we have practically demonstrated hundred- of times. The saturation of the soil of cold- frames, or tobacco beds with "scalding' water," two or three times before the seeds are sown will be an efleotual extinguisher of all insects, insect eggs or insect pup?B that may be in the soil at the time such scalding is done ; but, of course, it can have no influence beyond the limits of the beds or frames. Still, if those insects that are evolved beyond that limit, cannot have access to the insides of the beds or frames, it will be so much gained for the young plants in their salvation from the "bugs." Some years ago the tobacco beds were infested by a small species of centipede, or rather a Polydesmus, belonging to a group oiMyriapods between the Centipedes and 3Iilli- X>edes. We at that time recommended drench- ing the soil with hot water before the seeds were sown, but we believe that water can be so tempered as to kill the insects, and yet not injure the plants after they have grown. Ex- perience has demonstrated that plants will resist a heat of 120° with impunity, and in- sects have succumbed at 100, or at least at 110. We have always regarded heat as the quickest, cheapest, and most effectual means of killing insects when we collected them for scientific purposes. Of course, on a collecting tour it would be inconvenient to carry a heat- ing apparatus, and therefore the entomologist resorts to chloroform, ether, camphor, ammo- nia, &c., but still, when he returns home, he may be under the necessity of resorting to heat, to finish what these suffocating oi stran- gulating substances had failed to do. It is not even necessary that the hot water, in such 881.] THE LANCASTER FARMER. 51 ases, should come in contact with the insects -ii is sufficient to immerse the collecting lottle for a miunte (more or less) in the hot i'ater, and when they are once killed by heat, hey will never revive again — a pin may be try safely " stuck in " just there. THE SEVENTEEN-YEAR CICADA. cly Called ' Seventeen-Year Locust." Perhaps, no subject belonging to the Ento- Inolngical fauna of North America, has been more popularly, and more persistently mia- liaimd, than the one whose history and habits I propose to discuss in this paper. It is un- rortunate that the term Locust was ever ap- ilied to it, as a distinsuisbing title ; and it fnust have been so named in utter ignorance i)f the form, the habits, and the anatomical structure of a true Locust. And more than hat. it is nothing to our credit, that in no ountry where the genus exists to which it jelongs, save in the United States, is it called I Loamt, either by the ignorant or the intelli- rent. I have said that it is unfortunate that t was named a Locust, because that name mplies a widely different insect, and falsely nvests it with characteristics which it does lot possess, and which are impossible to it, ^ lirom its organic structure. j' I In 1828 I first read Captain "Riley's Nara- ; five," and I well remember how we "Knights of the Shopboard " criticised and even ridi- I buled his book, because in illustrating a Locust, he had portrayed a huge " grasshop- her." We had received our impressions of a i/Lornst from tiie Cicadas of 1817, and from our Annual species. Capt. Riley, I believe, was a New Yorker ; had been wrecked on the coast bf Africa, and had been taken prisoner by flic Caffrariaiis, marched inland, and saw a great deal of the African Locust After suf- fering many hardships, he was finally ran- miird, returned home, and wrote a book, .vli (li was read all over the country. r.ut when I subsequently saw an illustra- tion of the Locusts upon which John the 1! iptist subsisted in the wilderness of Judea, I wa- compelled to reliix my criticism of Riley, lit hough my mind was still much confused on the subject of Locusts and Grasshoppers ; and ' the xtattcs of these insects only became clear to ' Ine, after I viewed them through the medium } hf scientific entomology. This may serve to illustrate the false impression that may be iiiade upon the ductile mind of youth by giv- ing an animal a false or inappropriate common (name. But it teaches more than this ; it ex- j liibits the absolute necessity of designating bhji'ots in natural history by scientific names, I iev'en though they never should be pronounced I in reading a description of an animal. I I Some years ago I read a conspicuous para- igraph in a Tennessee newspaper, in which .the editor describes a visitation of the seven- jteen-year Locust, during which they ate off |cvery green herb, and left the country as I |dPSoiate as if it had been visited by a confla- te:rrttion. No man could tell what insect the editor aforesaid alluded to, other than what [the name implied, and that was a physical [impossibility. It seems that it is harder to lunlearn than to learn, and hence these impos- ;3ibilities are perpetuated. j Let me illustrate.— For the sake of conven- jience, the class of the Animal Kingdom, which includes the insect world may be divided into two great sub-classes, named Mandibidat'i and Haustellata. or masticator- ial and suctorial insects. Those belonging to the first named sub-class are provided with a more or less strong pair of Mandibles, corres- ponding to the jaws of the liigher orders of animals, except that they have a horizontal instead of a vertical movement. These organs are used for cutting and masticating their food ; for making excavations into other sub- stances : for^aggression and defence, and as instruments by means of which they con- struct their variously formed cells or nests. The second sub-class, on the contrary, are | without jaws, but are provided with a Ilaus- tcllum, or proboscis, by means of which tlicy penetrate animal or vegetable substances, and absorb their interior fluids. These, therefore, can appropriate no food, except it be in a liquid form. Nor have they the power to bite, in the sense usually understood by that term. This/act, however, is not more reassur- ing than the response of the showman to the lady who cautioned her son not to approach too near the Anaconda, or he might " bite." ' No danger, madam ! That animal never bites, it swallows its victims whole.' Suc- torial insects never bite, but some of them possess extraordinary piercing or stinging powers. This division between the mandibulated and haustellated insects is, however, not ab- solute or distinct throughout all their .stages of development ; for, some entire orders of in- sects during a part of their lives are either on the one side or the other of that line. During their larval period, or worm state, they may possess a stout pair of cutting jaws, and ex- traordinary mandibulatory power ; and whilst in that state they may be exceedingly de- structive to vegetable and other substances ; whilst during the matured or imago state, they may be haustellated, and capable of imbibing fluids only — some of them indeed harmless — gaily flitting from flower to flower, and daintily sipping their tempting nectar ; but others, possessing a formidable proboscis, and capable of penetrating the integuments of animals and plants, and voraciously appro- priating their circulating fluids. These in- sects, however, form an anomalous, interme- diate class. But there is another class division which separates insects by a different line, and this line runs athwart that already mentioned, admitting Mandibidata and Haustellata on either side of it : namely, those in which the transformation is complete, and those of an incomplete transformation. In insects of a complete transformation, the young comes forth from the egg in the form of a worm, a caterpiller, or a slug, possesssing no feet at all, or from four to twenty-two. After it has passed through the various stages of its worm state it stops its feeding, and is transformed to a footless and quiescent pupa or chrysalis — incapable of partaking of food of any kind — from which, in due time, it is transformed to the imago or perfect state, its ailment and its habits of life totally changed. But, in those of an incomplete transforma- tion, the young comes from the egg a six- footed animal, approximating the adult form, acquiring only wings and wing covers— an active creature, feeding until the end of its days, if it feeds at all. Indeed, by some En- tomologists these changes are regarded more as transitions than transformations. The form remains much the same through all its periods of development. These latter characteristics constitute the only resemblance between the true Locusts and the spurious or Seventeen Year Locusts. The true locust is a mandibidate ; the spur- ious locust is a haustellate. The true locust is a voracious feeder, from early spring until late autumn ; whilst the spurious locust evolves and passes away within a single month ; and it has never been satisfactorily demonstrated, that it partakes, in its imago state, of any food at all, and if it did, "it could only be in a Uquid form. This much by way of fixing the status of our subject. The insect which by common consent is now usually called the sevenleni-year hcnst, belongs to "the order Homoptei-a,' the family Cicadidoi, and the genus Cicada, this genus be- ing the type of the family. The term Homop- tera is a compound of two Greek words, which mean same or lil<£, and imng, because the in- sects belonging to this order have four mem- branous wings, which are hfimogeneous in structure and form, although differing in size. These wings do not overUi)) each other, but are deflexed, like the double pitch of a roof. Nor do they contract in longitudinal corruga- tions, or folds, like a fan, as is the case with the underwings of the Jrue Locust. The generic name Cicada is Latin, perhaps de- rived from the Greek, but, like man}: other generic names that are employed in Ento- mology, it is arbitrary, and does not seem to have any particular relation to this insect at all. As authors differ in their definitions, we will ])ass it by for the present. The speci- fic name, sfiitfidhrim, is derived from the long estabhshed and long known fact, that this in- I sect requires, for its development from the egg to the imago, the full term of seventeen years — the most remarkable instance of insect longevity on record. According to the " Grammar of Entomolo- gy" our subject would be susceptible of the fol- lowing conjugation : Sub-kingdom Anricu- i.ATA ; class Insecta ; section Haustel- lata; order Homopteka; family CicadiDjE ; genus CiCAi>.\, and species septendccim. Ex- cept that it is an articulated hexapod of incom- plete metamorphosis, there is nothing that allies it to the locust. The true Locusts be long to the sub-class Mandibulata ; order Orthopteka ; group Saltatokia ; family LocusTADyR ; genus Locusta. The species are numerous, but the great eastern and most destructive species is the Migratoria, or migrating locust. The term Orthoptera is a compound of two Greek terms which mean straight- wings. Asaltaterial insect is a leap- ing insect, and the structure of its limbs indi- cates such a habit. The true locusts deposit their eggs in the ground, and when the young are hatched they come above ground and feed on various species of vegetation, and espe- cially on cereals. The Cicadas, or Spurious Locusts, deposit their eggs in the small branches and branch- lets of trees, and when the young arc hatched out, they fall to the earth, and immediately commence burrowing into the ground, and remain there from one to seventeen years, feeding on the juices of vegetation extracted from the roots ; but when quite young it is difficult to ascertain what they feed oii. Some say the moisture exuding from the roots of fruit and forest trees. There are many species of Cicada— even in our own country— very materially differing in size and coloration ; but no country on the planet, so far as is positively known, produces species that require seventeen yffirs for their full development. We have in Pennsylvania one or two species of Cicada which "appear annually, that are much larger in size than the seventeen year species ; besides a species that makes its appearance every thirteen years ; and why is it that the one should effect all its transformations within a single year, and the other sjiould require thirteen or seventeen years to effect a similar develop- ment, is a problem in natural history that will probably never be satisfactorily solved. I have seen, heard, and handled the seventeen- year Cicada four times in my life, and if I should live until June, 188.5, and retain my eyesight, and as much of my hearing as i Iiossess now, I as confidently expect to see, hear, and handle it again, as I expect to- morrow's sun to rise. The first advent ofc this insect I witnessed was in 1817, when I w^s but five years old, and I recall the event as vividly as if it had only occurred yesterday. I can recall the consternation of my mother when I entered the house with my hat filled with the " terrible locusts." and that hat on my head, for, at that early day, perhaps more than now, they were regarded with a super- stitious dread; with the ominous " W " on their wings, and their peculiar stridulations, which were interpreted into "P/iarwft." Although T was but five years old, yet before they appeared in 18H4, I had passed through my school days, served five years on a farm, five years as an apprentice, two years as a master workman, and had gotten married. We never forget the year in which we were married— whether for " weal or woe "—and on that occasion I could distinctly hear the song of the Cicadas across the Susquehanna — a physical privilege I am deprived of now. When these insects appeared in 1851, I was a 52 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [April, resident of Lancaster, and then for the first time I saw and examined their eggs. In 1868, their next appearance, my observations were more thorough, and I then for the first time developed and collected the young, and wi-ote and published ten separate papers on the subject, in the city journals, and else- where. No doubt some of you have seen or heard of tlie sere»teen and thirteen year cicadas at other periods than those I have mentioned, and so have I. Although, so far as my exper- ience goes, there is always either seventeen or thirteen years between their appearing, they do not appear in all places in the same year- there are local breaks in their normal periods. "Whether the seventeen year Cicada origi- nally appeared within the limits of its normal habitat, uniformly everywhere in the same year, perhaps can never be determined; it is "suflflcient to say that it does not so ajipear now, whate\'er may have been the cause of this variation. There are districts, even in Pennsylvania, where they make their advent one or more yearsearlier or later than tliey do in the county of Lancaster; but still, so far as observations have been made, seventeen years have always intervened between each advent. There are districts also in which they seem to occur twice in seventeen years; but as they are precisely identical in species, tliis pheno- menon is regarded as the result of two partially overlapping districts, and thus, although they appear to be the same, they in reality are two difEerenl broods, having an inteiTal of seven- teen years lietween their respective advents, which only becomes conspicuous beyond the boundaries of the over-lapping district. This subject may be partially illustrated by a case in point. As I have before stated, our regular "locust year" will occiu' in 1885, yet it is very probable we shall have a partial brood wiihin the limits of Lancaster city the present year. About seventeen years ago Mr. Geo. O. Hensel, of East Orange street,~brought about fifty living specimens from the state of Dela- ware, and set them at liberty in that portion of the city. Last autumn he made an altera- tion in his green-house, and in digging for a foundation he exhumed a large number of these insects In the larva or pupa form ; and within the area of the green-house one indi- vidual actually evolved on the 2ud day of February lust, which I now have preserved in alcohol. He had an abundance of these in- sects on his premises in 1868, and doubtless will have them again in 1885, nothwithstand- ing their appearance there tlie present year. These insects are not migratorial in their habits, after the manner of the true Locusts. Wherever there were trees seventeen years ago, in the branches of which the Cicadas de- posited their eggs, other things being equal, there they will appear in 1885. Their span of life is so brief, and the quantity of aliment they require so limited— if any at all— that there seems no necessity for their migrations, if there is any vegetation on the ground they occupy, that would be a suitable nidus for their eggs. This is not the case with the true Locust. They migrate to new localities as ^oon as they have devoured all the edible vegetation on the one they last occupied. The Cicada does not, and perhaps cannot deposit its eggs in the trunk of a large tree They choose small branches, either because they are easier to penetrate, or because they can grasp them and thus acquire sufficient lever power in using their ovipositors. Tlie ovipositor is a modification of the sting. What is a sting in some of the other orders of insects, is an ovipositor in the Cicada, as well as in many that are remotely removed from it in systematic classification; and this instru- ment appertains exclusively to the females. Indeed, no male insect in the whole realm possesses either ah ovipositor or a sting, (what- ever significance may be attached to it either as a simple fact or a symbolical representa- tive.) Wlien you are stung by a hornet, a wasp, or a bee of any kind, you" may be sure it was a female. Biit it would be impossible for the Cicada to penetrate any substance •uddenly with its ovipositor, as a "hornet or a bee does. The ovipositor is composed of a central rasp, and a sheath on either side of it. The central rasp is manipulated in the man- ner of a small saw or gouge, and the side sheaths follow and keep the incision suffi- ciently open to admit an egg. The eggs are deposited in two parallel rows, and they are all placed in the branch at a uniform oblique angle, each eggimbedded in woody fiber. All the tales, therefore, that have gained circula- tion about the stinging of the Cicada — in the sense of a bee's or wasp's sting— are likely to have no foundation in fact. Nor can they penetrate any substance suddenly with t,he proboscis, as bees or wasps do with their cau- dal stings. A mosquito can't, a horse-fly can't, a bed-bug can't. They begin with a boring motion, and it requires some time to penetrate the external integument. Admitting that people have been stung by Cicada- which is exceedingly doubtful — it never has been de- termined whether the wound was inflicted by the proboscis or the ovipositor. The song, or rather the noise made by the Cieacia is the peculiar province of the male insect, the female being entirely silent. It is in allusion to this fact that the crusty old Xenarchus wrote— " Happy are Cicada's lives, Since they all have voiceless wives." But the song of this insect is not vocal; it does not issue from the throat, as in man, and in animals endowed with vocal power. It is purely mechanical. Attached to the vietaste- mum of the male are two thin plates, which extend down and over the ventral portion of the abdomen, and beneath these plates are delicate abdominal membranes, and by mus- cular vibrations between these peculiar organs a stridulating sound is produced, which is known as' the Cicada's song. Indeed, no in- sect has vocal power. These mechanical stri- dulations are common to many other species of insects. I might instance the crickets, the grasshoppers, aud especially the well-known "katydid;" but in these the musical appara- tus is dorsal or lateral instead of ventral. In the katydid it is on the back, at the base of the wing covers. According to a catalogue of Homoptera published at Stettin, Germany, in 1859, there were 259 named species of the genus Cicada given, as the number recorded up to that period by entomologists, of which 21 were North American; 35 Brazilian; 42 Australian ; 22 European; 50 African; 7Mexican; 15New Zealand; 20 Asiatic; 4 Javanese; 5 Cuban.; 5 West Indian; 24 other parts of Central and South America, and the remainder from sun- dry islands. It is very probable that many of these species have been referred to new genera, but it is also probable that during the active entomological period that has inter- vened, many new species have been dis- covered and described by scientists. There- fore, although the number of species is very indefinite throughout the world; still, so far as positively known, one of our American species is pre-eminently the "Seventeen year Cicada," and is entirely unique. These in- sects, in England, are called "Havest-flies," perhaps because they make their annual ap- pearance about harvest time, but nowhere, except in the United States, are they called Locusts. They are the Cigala of the Italians, the Cigale of the French, and the Cigarva of the Spanish; all of which names are derived from the Latin Cicada. Our own annual species "put in their appearance," usually, about oat-harvest, or about a mouth later thau the seventeen year species, but this does not seem to remove them from the category of IjOcusIs, for we call them the "summer locusts, or the dng-day locusts, " by way of distinction. So far as I can ascertain, the first record of the appearance of the seventeen year Cicada in this country, was at Plymouth, Mass., in 1633, in a work called Morton's "Memorial," in which he says: "In bigness they were like unto bumble-bees, and came up out of little holes in the ground, aud did eat up the green things, and made such a constant yelling noise, as made the woods ring,and ready to deafen the hearers. " Morton's assertion that they ate up green things casts a shadow of doubt over his record; for other early observers state that they did not seem to eat anything, "motion and propagation appearing to be the whole object of their existence." The earliest record of their appearance in Pennsylvania, was in 1715, but they must have been here in 1698 1681, 1664, 1647 and 1630, and how long be- fore the last named period no man knoweth. Specimens are, or were, in the Linnean collec- tion of 1783, 1800, 1817, 1834, 1851 and 1868. But so numerous are the broods, and so widely are they diffused over our vast territory, that there is not a year pa.sses which is not a "locust year ' ' in some locality. But uotwithstandiu" all this diversity, there is a general concu"- rence in the /act, that there are always seven- teen or thirteen intervening years between the appearance of the respective broods. But, a knowledge of the Cicada is not con- fined to merely modern, or even mediseval his- tory, for it was well known to the ancients, and it seems to have been especially a favorite of the Grecian bards from Homer and Hesiod to Anacreon and Theocritus. They esteemed it as perfectly harmless, and lived only upon dew; hence they addressed it by the most en- dearing epithets, and regarded it as almost divine. As Egyptians wore their favorite symbol, the sacred ScAEAB.a:us— as an ornament to their head-dress— and especially their combs, so it became a subject of attic pride to set up a rival in the head-dress, ornamented with cicadas, by Cecrops and his followers, and the Samians most probably derived this fashion from the early Athenians. But the admira- tion of the ancients was not limited by the mere dead emblem. To excel the Cicada in singing was the highest commendation of a singer, and the music ot Plato's eloquence was only comparable to the voice of this insect. Homer compared his. good orators to the Cicada, "which, in the woods, sitting on a tree, sends forth a delicate voice." We are compelled to conclude from this, that the Grecian Cicadas must have been more highly gifted with musical powers than those of America, or that their admirers had very un- cultivated "ears for music," and the t-esti- mony of Virgil inclines to the latter conclu- sion, for he ^ays their song is a " disagreeable and stridulous tone," and he accuses them of bursting the very>hf ubs with their noise. Notwithstanding the veneration of the Greeks for the Cicada, their epicures made these insects an article of food, and accounted them delicious. Aristotle says, the larva, after its transformation to a pupa, just before or at the time it emerges from the earth, is the sweetest, and this is especially the case with the females, on account of the ova they contain. This is quite in harmony with the likes of our Amei-ican animals; for it was particularly noticed in 1868, that fowls, swine, weasels and even the domestic cats, devoured them with avidity. And not only by these animals and others, but also by our Indian tribes, who esteemed tliem as better than "grasshoppers," although that may not be saying much for thera. Among the ancients, JEiUa,n was extremely angry with the men of his age, that an animal sacred to the Muses should be strung, sold and greedily devoured by men. Still, with all this, which may be more or less fanciful or impractical, the Cicada must be of some use in the economies of nature, if it can't be immediately utilized, or it proba- bly never would have been created. That use, whatever it may be, must be developed through the restless ingenuity of man, and that will be ultiraated when the necessity arises. It has been said, although upon what speci- fic authority I have not learned, that the pupo and larva of the seventeen-year cicada, possessing as it does a fine oily substance, has been used in the manufacture of sqap. This need not surprise us, for. many years ago when the larva of the "cockchafer" be- 1881.] THE LANCASTER FARMER 53 came so abundant in France and Germany, their respective f^overnments offered compen- sations for their collection, of which offer the poor availed themselves, and returned them by bushels. Among other things they were converted into soap. But some of the cicadas are capable of a still more advanced use. The larva of a Chinese species {Flata limbata) and one of the smallest iu the family, secretes au unctuous substance on the branches of trees, which hardens into wax, which is mixed with oil and made into a superior kind, of candles. This wax is white and glossy, and 13 employed as a remedy by Chinese physi- j cians, in several disea»ses, and especially as a I preventive of palpitations of the heart and I swoouings. ■ In conclusion, most of tin- stories about the I dangerous character of the Cicada are merely j apocryphal, or exageralions. 'It is the same in regard to the story that they continue ' eight and a half years going down into the earth, and then requin^ eight years and a half to come up again. I bavu liad ilie l,iri\t -.d 3, ."), 9, 11 and 1.3 years after llic rejiuhir year, and they have all been found within the range of root vegetation. A record was made, I believe, in 1834, that a larva or pupa was found 30 feet below the surface, which is not at all improbable, as under certain circum- stances, the roots of trees may extend so far down. It is certain that during ;i few weeks previous to their advent, they arc usually found at a very inconsiderable distance be- low the surface, seemingly waiting for their metamorphosis. The extraordinary phenome- non of the seventeen-year cicadas building galleries, in the form of tubes, from six to ten inches above ground, was witnessed here in Lancaster city in 1868, and perhaps no where else on earth. Several of these tubes were preserved and sent abroad as insect architec- tural curiosities, and the phenomenon re- corded and Lhe tubes illustrated in books, &c. On a part of Mr. Hensel's lot tlie soil was saturated by a series of rainfalls, about the period of the Cicada's appearance. Tliey seemed to be too near their evolution to go " deep down " again, and yet not quite ready for their final change, and so they built these tubes above ground, and therein awaited that important event. And now, having delivered my Cicadiau "Rigmarole," I thank you for your indulgent patience ; for your great self-denial, and for the interest you seem to have manifested under such an extraordinary infliction. VENNOR'S LATEST WEATHER PRE- DICTION. Vennor Writes: "The winter of 1881 is not over yet by any means, and nothing in my opinion could render this more probable than the present term of mild weathei'. There are yet at least three storm periods in this month— namely, on the 12th, 13th or 14th; on the 16th and 17th, and lastly on the 20th and ilst. The last two periods will give us lieavy snow foils, one of which is likely to be the heaviest fall of the winter. This will be prelty general over a large part of North America, and is likely to cross over to Great Britain. There will also be one more cold dip of considerable severity. The month [March] will end with rain and slush. "Putting that and that together," the winter of 1880 and 1881 has been one of the longest and coldest on record. We say one of them, because we believe it has had is par- allel even within our own experience; some- how, the last of our experiences are always the best or the worst, more because they are fresher in our memories, than because of their real characters, whether founded on facts or mere fancies. After an event has passed and become chronicled merely in memory, its in- tensity, or the joy or calamity involved in it Boon fades away and succeeding events less pronounced or less intense are looked upon as enhanced repetitions of particular events that have passed. It ever has been thus, and ever will be thus with those who do not make a written record of time's changes as the world moves on. To our apprehension the winter of 1834 and 1835 was as protracted and as intensly cold as that of 1880 and 1881, and even exceeded it in its continuation. During that winter the Susquehanna was rig- idly bound in its icy fetters until far in the month of March, although we do not hesitate to .say that to our present recollection, we have never before experienced such intense and prolonged cold as that of the forepart of the present month, and especially the .5lh and 6th. As to the winds, we always have them about the opening of si)ring either, in .March or April. But what of Mr Vennor, the Cana- dian weather prognosticator? Is he a great prophet or noti" According to those who profess to have devoted their entire lives to meteorological observations, nothing is easier than a true forecast of the weather. It is quite certain that this sort of experience ob- tains very extensively among "Old Salts " who have spi.-nl almost their entire lives on till' bud of "old ocean;" but far inland they pnliaps would lie as much at fault as "land- lubbers." On the whole Mr. Vennor's pre- dictions were perhaps a little more correct than those of "Baer's Almanac," but then it may be easier to foretell, cold weather up in Canada than it is farther South, and easier still up about the North Pole. On the 16th of the month of March, the snow drops and the Black Hellebore in our garden were visited by hundreds of lively honey-bees; still in a country so vast as the United States and Can- ada the prophecy may have been fully verified elsewhere. It would have been "curious" if it had not been. Queries and Answers. Pine Grove, Pa-, Maicb S. S. Rathvon, Eiq.,— Dear Sir : Herewith lind some eggs found under some rubbish. They were adlieriog to leaves, grass, ifec, and I thought llrst they were radish seeds, but discovered the error on biting one through,when I found it to be tough, and and like the coeoou of an insect. If you think it worth while, let us know through the Fanner, what insect laid the eggs, &c. Yours truly, W. H. S. Your letter and contents duly received, but we do not think we can , give the information you desire. We would remark, however, that there is nothing, perhaps, that is not "worth while;" at least we think there is not. Every thing has an importance attached to it, when we know its relation to other things. We have on several occasions found thete tough little seed-like objects attached to decayed vesjetation, among' rubbish, but they were usu- ally larger than those you send. "They do not seem to be either seeds or insect "cocoons,' but more likely small species of fungi. They are flattened, pear-shaped lobes, six mm in length and two mm in width at the widest part. Under the microscopic they are of a brownish color, with a rougli or seabrous surface, and resemble Japanese persimmon figs. They are solid all through, and as tough as gutta percha. The inside is a pearly-wiiite, and closely resemble the inside of a papau seed. They evidently are for- eign to the plants on which they are found, although they seem to have grown out of them ; and this leads us to conjecture that they are a species of parasitic/imj/us. There is nothing like the structure of a cocoon alxiut them, and if they were insect eggs, they would have an interior cavity and an outer shell, which is not the case. The outer in- tegument is very thin, and in cutting them through it comes off in scales along the mar- gins of the incision. If they were seeds, at this season of the year, they would retain their form when dry, which they do not, b^it shrink into one-fourth their size, but expand again when immersed in water or alcohol. They differ greatly iu size and intensity of coloring ; the one we measured being the largest, most of them being ;not more than oue-fourth that size, which would also be against the egg theory. Seeds they cannot possibly be, because they seem to be growing out of both the stems and the leaves. We will endeavor to identify them and when we succeed we will apprise you of it through the columns of The Farmer. In the meantime we do not think you need fear any danger from tlium. THE "SACK-WORM." Afrs. H. B. B., LancasUr, Pa. The spin- dle-shape cocoons you sent us some weeks ago — evidently _taken from an Arbor mice, tree ari! the Itabilucula of a Lc|)idopterous insect known under the names of "Sack-worm," "Basket-carrier," "Drop-worm," "Sack- trager," and other names, but in scientific language it is called Thyridopterii xepliem- oeriformis., a name almost " as long as the moral law." Perhaps if it knew the space its name occupies in natural history, it would be better mannered than it is. It is notorious as a tree defoliator, especially conebearlng trees, and most especially, perhaps, the Arbor ViUf.. It may have a choice, but it is by no means restricted by that choice, and will at- tack almost any kind of tree. We have known it to be abundant on linden, maple, elm, apricot, plum, locust, apple, pear, various species of pine, quince, oaks— in short on nearly all kinds except the peach, and we have heard that it has been known in a "strait" to attack the peach. Many of the follicles now found on trees are the deserted habilacula of the males of last season, but a goodly number are those of the female pupa filled with eggs, and now before the trees have put forth their leaves, is the time to collect and destroy them. If the season is favora- ble, between the 1st and the l-")th of May, the young will be hatched from the eggs that have remained in the sacks or baskets of hist summer. If they arc left undisturbed until the last of May or the beginning of June, the trees will be in full foliage, and for a month or two the foliage will be too dense to see them. Each female deposits one hundred or more ('ggs,and these eggs possess the possibili- ties of the same number of caterpillars. These caterpillars are never nakedly seen, for as soon as the young are excluded from the eggs they begin to form their sacks, and these they carry with them wherever they go, only protruding the head and the three thoracic segments of the anterior part of the body. No liquid or powdered remedy can reach them, nor can birds dislodge them from their haliitaeula. If these insects are per- mitted to continue on the trees to their injury, the resi>onsibility must ri;st with those who own the trees they infest, for we know of no insect lliat is more accessible, especially dur- ing late fall, winter and early spring. Essays. HOW WE ARE POISONED.* Thousands of persons die every year from poisons taking into the stomach. I propose briefly to show in what manner it' is done, and also to show that thousands of persons also suffer pains, some of them almost inde- scribable, from the absorption of poisons into the body. On the outside of the bidy are millions of little holes called absorbents, which have the power like a suction pump of drawing into the body almost anything that may come in contact with the skin. Hence it is a self-evident fact that under no consid- eration should poisons of any kind be handled nor should they be taken into the alimentary canal. The object of a man or animal's stomach and intestines is to convert food into blood, and any foreign substance in these organs acts (like a splinter in the flesh) irri- tantly. Hence they are contra-indicated. Newspapers throughout our commonwealth •Rear! bo fore the .^pril mectinR of the LiincasUf County Aerricultural and Horticultural Society, by Dr. A 0. Qreen. 54 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [April, often publish receipts and items on physiology ■ that are truthless, worthless and often ex- ceedingly injurious. In a March number of the Philadelphia Record sulphate of zinc and foxglove (or digitalis) are called a sure remedy for small pox, and yet both of them are powerful poisons; one grain of foxglove, which is the l-480th part of an ounce, has been known to produce vertigo, extreme pains dimness of vision, and a reduction of the pulse from 80 to 40 beats a minute. In the same issue was the following receipt: "A solution of oxalic acid is the best for scouring and polishing copper. Finish with whiting." Now as editors are not chemists or physi- cians, why will they in this reckless manner give such statements to their readers? The blacksmith who never saw an astronomical instrument, does not force his crude concep- tions of celestial bodies upon the people. Oxalic acid is also a very dangerous poison, and only a few grains of it taken into the stomach will produce disastrous symptoms and death, and merely handling it may intro- duce into the system sufficient to produce thousands of unnecessary pains and aches. It should never be found in your home; it is as dangerous as a rattlesnake. COPPER UTENSILS. Many farmers do a large amount of cooking for themselves and their cattle, poultry, &c., in copper and brass kettles. Any of them when not used for a time are lined with ver- digris, called in the books subacetate of copper, also oxide of copper, and it is soluble in water and is a virulent poison. Brass ket- tles are made from copper and zinc. Any acid will always act upon metals. If you stew apples, cramberries, tomatoes or any fruit or vegetable that is of an- acid nature, the acid eats or corrodes the copper or zinc and forms usually acetate of copper or zinc. No matter how small the quantity swallowed, it is a foreign substance as well as poisonous, and produces indigestion. The acid of apples is called malic or sorcic acid, and if it comes in contact with copper, sine, lead or tin, will produce malatate of copper, zinc, lead and tin. The formentation of apples or cider, giade from apples, produces vinegar, which is dilute acetic acid, aud it will also produce the same chemical changes if it has the opportun- ity, and the results will be acetate of copper, acetate of zinc, lead and tin. When the milk become sour it produces lactic acid which will a,ct in the same manner as the above acids, and for lactate of copper, lead, zinc and tin, and all of these metals are poisonous, and every one injures the health of the individual who has eating them in his or her food. Dys- pepsia in some of its forms, paralysis, neural- gia, and affection of the organs of the body, are the sequences. I would as soon have a copperhead snake- in my house as a brass or copper utensil for cooking purpose's. If they are scoured ever so clean, the acid will act upon them even more readily. It is a com- com occurence when pickles become a little changed in the spring, to put pickles and vin- egar in a copper or brass kettle and boil them fur a time and they come out much improved in appearance, and handsomely greened. This bright color is acetate of copper. Tin vessels also lose their lustre by long exposure and forms a poison called oxide of tin. Lead pipes have been used for many years to con- vey drinking water; it it stands for some time in the pipe the oxide of lead is formed aud any one drinking it is.poisoned. The quail and partridge in the cold winter months eat poison berri.es and in this way they contaminate their flesh and injure the health of the one who eats it. Acetic acid is distilled vinegar. If you take one pint of acetic acid and seven pints of water, and unite together, you have eight pints of vinegar. SOAP. Some soap makers, regardless of the conse- quences, take the tallow or fat of diseased ani- mals and make them into soap. The unchanged virus is absorbed into the body while being used for washing purposes. If you cook lemons in a brass or copper kettle, the acid of the fruit, called citric, will act upon the metals in the same manner and form citrate of copper, zinc, &c. HAra BRUSHES. Many persons use the hair brush of, another individual, or the barber uses upon a hundred or a thousand heads the same brush. If any of his patrons have tetter, eczema, syphilis or other skin disease, it can be readily conveyed to any one whose head is briskly rubbed with it. In the above and many other ways are poisons conveyed into the body, and the vic- tim of the virus may suffer all his life from the effects. I have brought for inspection some of these poisons, aud to show how small a quantitv of copper will by the laws of affinity make itself known, I propose to add one drop of a solution of nitrate of copper to one hundred drops of water, and then add one drop of aqua ammonia to the colorless liquid and it will at once become beautifully blue. I will conclude by saying that there is a friend of mine in this city who has over 100 tumors on his body occasioned by his handling paints. At the close of his essay Dr. Greene made a number of chemical experiments with the poisons referred to in the essay. Mr. Engle said that it was news to him that the souring of milk in tin cans produced a poisonous acid, and yet there seemed to be no doubt it would do so. In answer to questions. Dr. Greene said that tin was a less dangerous metal to be brought in contact with food than zinc, brass or copper. Iron vessels may be safely used as cooking utensils,as',when iron is taken in prop- er proportions it is not injurious; but people usually get enough of it in the food cooked in iron vessels, without taking it as a medi- cine. PRUNING TREES.* There is nothing more deserving of admi- ration than a well proportioned tree. Trees, when left to grow naturally, usually assume an outline that is pleasing ; but where prun- ing is properly understood and apphed, the general appearance of trees can be much im- proved. If pruning be judged by what is seen around us it would be difficult to assert that it is generally beneficial, for too often it has resulted in the permanent injury of trees and certainly to the disfigurement of nearly every street in Philadelphia. On a place where young trees have been recently planted tliere is room for the pruner's skill. There are many small fruit orchards in our town where pruning has been understood, that con- tain pear and other trees, models of symmet-ry. Pruning should commence before a tree is planted. In digging trees there are usually some roots bruised, and these roots should be pruned off, otherwise fungus will attack the diseased parts, and fungus around the roots is the mortal enemy of trees. If the trees that are being planted are fruit trees, such as pears and plums, the branches will generally need pruning ; and here at the start, is where the greatest amount of knowledge is needed. There may be two reasons for pruning. The first is that in transplanting some roots are always lost ; and a cutting away of some branches is needed, because the fibres, or feeders of these branches, have been lost. In other words, the servants to caiTy the provi- sions have disappeared, and some of the occu- pants of the house must go to enable the rest to be served. The other reason for pruning is to form the outline of the future tree. If the tree is wanted with a tall stem that youth- ful depredators cannot easily climb, the lower branches must be pruned away. If, however, the tree is desired with branches to the ground, it is the proper time to prune it. There is a very general belief that fruit trees are better for having their stems somewliat sliaded when young, but this should not be Horticultural considered where a low-branched tree is not desired. In pruning the tree on account of loss of roots; the weak shoots are the ones to take out so far as possible, leaving the strong ones wherever they have grown out at desirable places to make a shapely tree. There is too little care given to forming the future habit of . the tree at pruning. The usual way is to prune off the strong branches here and there to compensate for the loss of roots, with no regard to whether the cut has been where it was needed, and forgetting that the weak shoots are the ones to cut out. It not unfre- quently happens that fruit trees are cut back several feet with no good to the tree, and making it take a year or two of growth to gain the size it was. A tree properly planted and pruned will need but little heavy work afterwards if a little care be constantly given it. The most of the pruning will be to regulate the shape of the tree, and this can be done mostly when the tree is growing in the spring and summer time. A little attention in the growing season goes a great way. If a bushier growth be needed, the pinching off of a shoot will cause the buds along the side to burst and grow, and very soon a twiggy growth and a bushy tree is the result, isummer pruning is the only kind to be practiced to make a dense growth. In the winter time pruning tends to make vigorous shoots but not bushy ones. Just below where cut off, one bud, aud gener- ally one only, will burst out and grow up strong. Wherever weak shoots exist, winter pruning will benefit the tree by giving a stronger and cleaner growth the following year. To know what we waut is the point to be sure of before we commence to cut a tree. The street 4;rees of Philadelphia are pruned in a way that produces the very opposite of what is" desired. The trees are generally poplars, maples and similar trees, that have grown too tall, and the desire is to dwarf them. Some one with a hatchet and saw is called in, who speedily dwarfs the tree by sawing it almost to the ground. The^ tree makes a somewhat weaker growth the next year, but the pruner thinks it needs sharpen- ing and cuts again the next winter, and a season or two of this treatment gives the owner a half-dead stump in front of his house. The mistake is that a tree growing too tall was planted, and that it was not pruned every . summer to keep it dwarf and bushy. Sum- mer pruning takes but little of the growth of the tree away, and in this way there is no in- jury to the vitality of a tree. Repeated prun- ing of a tree weakens and kills it. This is not usually thought of, but it is nevertheless a fact that every branch removed from a tree is a blow to its vitality. Every greenhouse lad knows that the geranium which is repeatedly cut for cuttings dies ; and in the same way the tree that is repeatedly pruned dies. This knowledge is turned to good account by prac- tical fruit-growers. So long as a fruit tree is growing strongly it seldom bears well. It is only when it attains some size, and maturity commences, that it begins to fruit. To take away from a tree or plant spme of its growing; forces, is to make it flower and fruit. This Knowledge' gave rise to the practice of root-pruning to produce fruit, and being founded on natural laws it has proven successful. A tree that seems in full vigor, making a strong growth with healthy leaves, showing nothing ails it, can be gener- ally thrown into bearing by a pruning of the roots. It is often practiced and is generally successful. Some are satisfied with thrusting a spade down here and there around the tree, but this is too risky, as more roots may be cut oft" than desirable. The best way is to dig a trench on one side of the tree, cutting off a few of the strongest roots. This side should be the one least exposed to high winds, so that no danger of blowing over is brought to the tree. ' But roots enough cut off to make the tree liable to blow over is not wanted; a few strong ones will be enough. Many a per- THE LANCASTER FARMER. 55 son has a Scckol or Bartlett pear tree that grows wll, yv\ ilncs not bear, aud if root prun- ing be adiiii'nisU'n'il wliile tlie tree isdin-mant lop ■fruit will be the result. This prac- tice holds i^ootl with plants of all kinds. Any plant tliat does not llower, yet grows ram- pantly, may be helped toward.s flowernig by witholdiiig from it the elements of food. .Some inmates of the fniit-garden, suclias grapes for instance, connnence bearin;,' frnit llie year sucerediiii; their planting, and tlins need no I root-pruning ; but a proper pruning of tludr branches is benelicial to them. Grapes i)ro- i : duce the finest bunches from young canes, and to get them, a few brandies should be cut within an eye or two of the ground every winter. Some strong shoots will Ije the result, producing fruit the following year tlie whole length of the stem, wliich is hard to obtain on wood over a year old. On the lawn, deciduous and evergreen trees should be pruned on the same principle und, a toi> dressing of some good compost, free from, weed-seed, should be placed on top. The plants are ad- vanced much more rapidly in this way. It is not neces^ary that the site of the seed bed should be changed every year, but when old beds are used a second or third lime, it is de- sirable that their fertility be renewed by a coating of virgin soil several inches thick. The black vegetable mould from \voods is ex- cellent for this purpose. It must be carefully worked into the surface soil. In the South, ■ seed beds are nearly all made in cleared places in the forests, as the insect pests are found to be less troublesome. Of course, the seeds must be sown on top of the compost we have just spoken of, and not worked into it — merely pressed down hard. Lastly, when all this has Ihm'U done, a linal top coveriULT nl' luij.' lirisllcs must lie added. Several other sulist;'nicrsarc used in tlie South, such as brushwood of various kinds, but all yield the superiority to bristles. They serve not only to attract and retain the moisture, but furnish warmth to the young plants, and appear to act as a manure besides. Unless used, frosts are likely to play havoc with the seed-btd. They absolutely seem to reiiuire some protection, and none equal to this has yet been found. They are a most valuable adjunct to the seed-bed, and should never be omitted. Care must be taken to sjiread them over the bed c veuly, so as not to choke the plants, as well as to admit plenty of air and sunlight. Common laths may be laid Over them at proper distances to prevent the bris- tles from beiui: carried away by the wind. With some growers the custom is to replace them after the lirst weeding, while others do not. Care nnist, however, be used so that the yoiuig plants shall not be injured during the operation. A rake is the best implement for this purpose. With care the same bristles may be used a number of seasons. Open Air Beds Preferable. It will be observed that all the foregoing has reference to the growing of plants in the open air, in beds exposed to all kinds of weather. In a few cases plants are grown in hot-beds. We have not deemed it necessary to go into the details required to bring forward the plants in that way. In our opinion the prac- tice should be discouraged. The only advan- tage it ofl'ers is that plants are ready for set- ting out earlier. With onlinary care the open airbed will give you plants early enough to mature before the fall frosts. "Besides, the latter has many advantages. We do not mean in regard to cost and trouble only, but in the great superiority of the plants themselves. The plants are always stronger and hardier. They can stand much more cold and grow far more readily after being set in' the field. A weakj sickly plant is always to be avoided, if possible. The more capable it is of resisting its enemies of whatever kind, the better your chances for a good crop. Our advice there- fore is to Peimsylvania growers to dispense with the hot-bed for tobacco plants; Young plants can bear a pretty low tempera- ture before freezing. They are much more easily nipped by the saim- temperature when about maturing, than when iu the seed-bed. A grower of our acquaintance neglected to gather the seed from a plant tliat was left standing in his garden. The winds of autumn scattered it far and wide, and much to bis sur- prise these self-sown seeds developed into hun- dreds of unusually line and hardy plants in the early spring, ail of whicli wi-rc utilized. So far as tlie proper time for sowing the seed-bed isconcerncd, much of course depends on the season. .Most farmers I'avorthe earliest moment possible. Erota the middle to the end of March is the usual time in thisconnty, which gives the plants ample time inordinary sea.sous to attain their perfect development before the i>criod of frosts arrives. Care of the Seed Bed. The labor of the tobacco grower begitis with the seed bed, and no where during the entire season can he less alTord to neglect his work. If the season happens to f>c dry, the warn) sun would soon shrivel up such of the sprouted seed as wa.s not fairly in contact with the soil. This must be watched, and when necessary the beds should be carefully watered every' evening with slightly tei)id water. Tliis'shouhi not, however, be applied in large quantities, but only enougli to keep up the required moisture. Can-ful observa- tion will be the best guide of the farmer in this particular. When there are plentiful showers, of course artiticial watering must be dispensed with. Liquid manure is a favorite preparation with which to sprinkle the seed bod, as the jilants can much more quickly utilize the fer- tilizing properties of manures in this shape than any other. lien manure is most eom- moidy employed for this purpose. Care must be taken, nowevcr, not to make the licpiid ex- tract too strong, as it will in such casccs not assume a sickly appearance, but It has been known to kill them altogether. The careful grower will, however, note every stage of progress, and modify or altogether abstain from these applications if he sees unfavorable indications. When beds have been burned over, the likelihood of weeds is not so great, but under any circumstances more or less will make their appearance. These must be carefully watched and as carefully removed. No im- plemeflt except the fingers of the human hand will answer, and care must betaken to disturb the tobacco plants as little as possible during the operation. When the plants make their appearance, the beds should be examined to see whether they are too crowded. If that is the case the surplus ones ought to be removed at once, to give the remaining ones a better chance. A small iron rake with teeth three inches long, curved and set about half an inch apart, has been found efficacious. The hand is perhaps better for this purpose than anything else. After the plants begin to show well above the surface a top dressing of manure should be spread over tlie bed to hasten their devel- opment. Almost any kind can be used for this purpose, and various kinds are employed. Nothing better can be applied than a com- pound consisting of one part hen manure, one part unleached wood ashes and two parts Idack woods-earth ; these thoroughly mixed, the lirst and last well pulverized, and the whole .sown broadcast over the beds, will be found to give excellent re.sults. Perhaps well-rotted -stable manure, if rubbed tine enough to do no injury to the growing plants, would be better than anything else. Canvas-Coyered Beds While we -discourage the use of hot-beds for the growing of tobacco plants, we confess to a strong partiality for covering the ordinary open air beds with canvas. The advantages are !5o many that we have no room here to go into all the details. If burning the seed-bed were practiced by oiu- growers, and the beds aftervvards carefully covered with canvas, we believe they would rarely experience any trouble from beetles and bugs. The fire would destroy all in the bed, while the canvas would prevent the entrance of any from the outside. The custom is becoming very general among the Kentucky and Tennessee growers, and their testimony is unanimously in favor of its many advantages. It is not an expensive operation. Boards six inches high placed around the beds and closely fitted at the cor- ner are sufficient. Over these the canvas- common brown domestic will answer— must be drawn tightly to prevent sagging in the centre, and then tacked closely to the board frame. The keen blasts of spring are also kept out, and a more uniform temperature is pre- served within. On one side of the frame the covering .should be so lightly fastened as to admit of its easy removal when the bed fir plants reg[uire attention, or when it is desira- ble to expose them more fully to the sun. Further on we will allude to what is said to be a sure protection against fleas and bugs by the use of a plant frame or fence around the seed bed, but where the caijvas covering is not necessary. Of coiu'se where the ])recaution of burning the seed-bed is not adopted neither boards nor canvas will afford protection against bugs, as they are no doubt in the soil and will make their way to the surface in due time. Insect Pests. The greatest enemies of the tobacco crop are the hordes of insects that come to ravage it. They make their appearance in the seed bed and cease tlnif ilc|ii.il:itions only when the tobacco is bun;; iipiii iIm l.arn. 1 low to overcome them ami sciuic (lie crop in good marketable cou,litlon. tin i ',,;. 1 :,,e the all iniportaiil qnestioiis. I,,> -> than tuv-.fv different insect [,<-: ,. , i. ,| prey- ing upon the tobi.ccocroi, in l„,i,r:,-l, I .omity. Some of them were such as were never known to attack it before. They succeeded in damag- ing the crop to the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Their ravages extended into the adjoining ccmnties of Dauphin, Leba- non, Voik, Beiks and Chester, but nowhere wen^ they so bad as within a radius of ten miles around the city of Lancaster itself. Some years they destroy the seed beds almost en- tirely, but at other times their ravages are not so bad. The first destroyers that came along last year were members of what Entomoloj'ists call the HalHcidac family, or " Flea Beetle." The principal ones were the " Cucumber Flea Beetle " — Haltica Cucumeris. " The Downy Flea Beetle," Haltica Pub&icens, and the "Snow Fleas " or " Spring Tails." It was the second brood of the " Downy Flea Bee- tle" that ravaged the crop so badly a few weeks before maturity. The question that concerns our tobacco growers is how the ravages of these insects shall be prevented. They did immense damage in some seed beds, destroying thousands of plants. They seem to be the first insects that attack vegetation in the spring. Several intelligent farmers have, in conversation with us, expressed the hoi)e that the severe winter may have killed olV these invaders and that we shall not be troubled with them this spring. If they do not come, it will not be becatise of the low temperature. One species is often to be ob- served in large numbers on the surface of the snow, hence its common name "snow flea." No amount of cold weather will kill them, and other means must be sought to attain that end. Their size is so minute that they cannot be caught with the hand. Besides, the largest of them are not more than the sixteenth of an inch long, while others are hot larger than coarse grains of gunpowder. They are, besides, able to take long leaps, and when disturbed at once find refuge and safety under the surface of the ground. The small clods especially afford theiu hiding places. How to Kill Them. As both they and their larva are to be found in the ground the first thing is to kill those already in the seed bed. To do this it has been recommended to drench the seed bed copiously with hot water several days be- fore sowing. This should be done on a warm, sunshiny day, when they no doubt are near the surface. This plan would no doubt kill all it could be made to reach. To keep out the rest, a board or plank 14 or 15 incl)es high, placed close around the beds, with the earth pressed tightly against it on the out- side, has been found effectual. If neither of these precautions has been taken and the lU'C beetle makes its appearance iu the beds, a different course must be pur- sued. .Drenching the beds with a solution of lime has been found effectual. Paris green in water will also do the work. Persian insect powder kills them, if it reaches them, which, however, it cannot always be made to do. A gentleman reports that an application of sul- phur and asafoetida relieved him of the annoy- ances. Carbolic acid and kerosene liave been recommended and tried, but with unsatisfac- 58 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [April, tory results. One of our largest and most successful growers informs us that he has always obtained relief by the following method: lie extracts one gallon of lye from half a bushel of hen manure; to one part of this fluid, four parts rain water are added, and with this com- ponnd the beds are sin-iiikled every evening. This remedy deserves to be tried by all grow- ers, as it is cheap and easy of application. The fluid is besides highly beneficial to the plants, and occasional applications of it are highly desirable even though there are no fleas to be killed. A partial preventive is to plant the outer borders of the plant thickly into black mustard. It comes u}) quickly and the flea beetle is very partial to it, as it is to cab- bages, turnips, radishes and many other plants and vegetables. Lastly, we give the plan mostly in vogue in Tennessee, which is to set several hens with broods of chicks from six to fourteen days old near or in the bed, of course securing the mothers. The chicks are said to make clean work with every species of insect life to be found in the beds, and, at that age, can of course do no harm to the plants. A species of centipede ,or spider, that frequently girdles and kills the plants, would of course succumb to the various remedies given above We do not give these remedies as infallible. They have proved successful with some grow- ers, and will no doubt do so wherever they are fairly tried. If one is found not to answer, the farmer sliould try another. The end in view is worth all the trouble and expense he may go to. Grow Enough Plants. Do not forget that you cannot well sow the seed too thinly; the danger always is your plants will come up too tliick. When they stand close together they grow up thin and spindling, neither the roots nor leaves having room for development. When not crowded, they grow a stronger and more vigorous stalk, which will not only have better roots, but bear transplanting better and stand a fairer chance of resisting the insect enemies and the season, to say nothing of maturing earlier. In fact, too much stress can not be laid upon the great importance of having a stand of strong, healthy plants. They will stand drouth much better and pass beyond danger from the cut worm much sooner. Last year the early to- bacco escaped the ravages of the flea beetle; a period of ten days' time may make or mar a crop. Another thing we especially commend to the attention of tobacco growers: Always sow twice as much seed as you are likely to require. It is not enough to have just as many plants as you need, but it is well to have a good many more. In the first place, you have a mvxch larger field for selection. By this plan you are enabled to secure plants more alike in size; this will not only make your tobacco field present a much finer ap- pearance, but it will ripen more evenly, and as the buyers make their inspecting tours, they will make notes of wliat they see, which may put a good many dollars in your pocket. No matter if you have more plants than you need. There are nearly always some who have been careless in this matter and must buy their plants. If your first planting is badly eaten, as it perhaps will be, you have a second sup- ply of vigorous plants to replace them. Last year the cut-worms were so numerous here- abouts that a tliird replanting was required, and the unlucky growers were often compelled to ride weary miles at much expense to obtain the required plants. Every consideration of prudence therefore should induce the tobacco grower to take the necessary steps to provide himself with an ample supply of plants. THE USES OF LIME IN FARMING. From an Irish agricultural paper we take the following summary of the uses of lime : The uses of lime are in part mechanical and part chemical. 1. Upon deep alluvial and clay soil it in- creases the crop of potatoes, and renders them less waxy. Sprinkled over potatoes in a store heap, when both the potatoes and the lime are in a dry state, it preserves them, and when riddled over the cut set at plant- ing time it wonderfully increases their vitality. 2. Lime eradicates the finger and toe disease in turnips, and helps to give greater firmness to the bulbs. 3. It gives, when applied to meadow land, a larger product by producing more nutritious grasses, also helping to exterminate the seeds of mosses and aquatic plants. 4. Upon arable land it destroys weeds of various kinds. 5. It rapidly decomposes vegetable matter, producing a large amount of food for plants in tlie form of carbonized elements. 6. It destroys and neutralizes the acids in the soil, hence its adaptaliility to some lands. 7. It acts powerfully upon some of the or- ganic parts of the soil, especially upon sulphate of magnesia and alumina. 8. It proves fatal to worms and slugs, and the larvae of insects, though favorable to the growth of shell bearers. 9 Slacked lime added to vegetable matter causes it to give off its nitrogen in the form of ammonia. Upon soils iri which ammonia is combined with acids, it sets free the ammo- nia which is seized upon by the growing plants. 10. Its solubility in water causes it to sink into and ameliorate the subsoil. When the soil contains fragments of granite or* trap rock, lime hastens their decomposition and liberates their constituents. 11. Its combination with the acids in the soil produces saline compounds suah as potash and soda, which immediately enter into plant growth. 12. Strewed over plants it destroys or renders uncomfortable the location of numer- ous species of insects which prey on the sur- face—notably the turnip fly. 13. Worked in with grass seeds the benefi- cial effect of lime, chalk, marl and shell sand —into the composition of all of which lime largely enters — it has been known to produce visible effects for upwards of thirty years. Applied to manure, lime serves to destroy the seeds of various weeds, the larvte of in- sects, and otherwise exercises a very beautiful effect in the liberation of organic constitu- ents, and then assists in their combination with other and more useful forms of plant food. So much for the testimony of an intelligent Irish Journal ; and now let us see what our progressive friends nearer home have to say as to the marked beneficial effects oi^ Lime when applied to the soil : From some reports from the Department of Agi-icultural at Washington, we clip the following from its correspondence : J. R. Evans, of Hainsville, Pa., says : * * * * * u Considerable interest is manifested by our farmers upon the subject of manures. They devote their attention as carefully and regularly to collect- ing and saving all kinds of vegetable matter to be procured as to the more indispensable labors of the farm. Lime is applied to corn ground, after it is ploughed, at the rate of 7-5 to 100 bushels to the acre. Tlie ground is then thoroughly harrowed before planting. For wheat on fallow land, 100 bushels are sprfead to each acre in August previous to sowing." " A. M. Higgins, of Delaware, writes : * * * * * "In about the year 1830, lime began to be introduced, against much skepticism as to its utility. It is now universally used, and may be regarded by our farmers as the principal element in the success already attained. It is deposited by lime boats, from the Schuylkill, along the banks of the Delaware and other inlets, in vast quantities, at a cost of from 12^ to 14 cents per bushel of stone or quick-lime. No farmer has occasion to haul his lime further than five or six miles from a landing." Authority on such matters writes as fol- lows concerning Lime : * * * * * " Where the soil is heavy, and contains so much water that it is sticky and plastic, and fit to make brick, green manuring would do no good. Such lands would be radically improved by another means— by the use of lime, which sometimes produces the most wonderful effect on stiff clay soils. With a top-dressing of lime, lightly harrowed in, the lime will gradually dissolve in water, and as the water penbtrates the soil the lime goes down with it, is deposited in the clay, and intervenes its own particles be- tween the particles of clay ; and it will be found, after a season or two, the plowing of the land can be undertaken earlier in the season. It dries off sooner, and acquires a loamy texture, while at the same time it is chemically improved." .Joshua S. Keller says : "As fertilizers, we chiefly use barn-yard manure. The cheapest way to improve land is by Lwie. "The quantity depends on the kind of soil and after-treatment. Heavy clay can bear one hundred or more bushels to the acre, while on light soils, from fifty to eighty bushels will answer very well." Wm. Bacon, Richmond, Mass., writes : "Lime is extremely valuable for lands which have acquired too much acidity, whether they rest on a limestone formation or not. But the extreme high price it bears, from 25 to 30 cents per bushel, forbids the use of it to any considerable extent. The re- fuse of the kilns is readily bought up at cheap rates, and usually applied to land in compost with swamp or pond muck, or turf from the highway, which, when thoroughly worked, is productive of great benefit as a top-dressing on grass lands, and ploughed crops. The ashes from these kilns, like house ashes, are in high demand for the compost heap, or im- mediate application to the land, where their effects are strongly marked and long visible. They are obtained at from 8 to 10 cents a bushel." John Eichar, Greensburg, Penna.,says: " The only fertilizers in general use with us are lime, plaster and barnyard manure. Air- slacked lime and barnyard manure are ap- plied to land intended for wheat, oats, or corn, and are generally spread upon the ground after it has been ploughed. Plaster is prin- cipally used in the spring on our grass lauds, at the rate of a bushel to an acre, which will increase the yield of hay about one-third. Fifty bushels of lime and twenty-four horse- loads of barnyard manure to an acre, renewed every three years, are generally applied for corn, oats, and wheat, which usually in- creases the yield 25 percent., and the soil will be in good condition for the two follow- ing crops." N. Linton, Chester Co., Penna., very for- cibly writes : "Barnyard manure and lime are our main dependence. Lime is mostly spread on the sod at the rate of 30 to 60 bitshels to the acre, once in each course of crops ; but it is often scattered on corn ground just previous to corn planting. Many farmers think it the best way to apply it to wheat stubble shortly after the grain is harvested ; but in whatever way it is put on, it is the basis of successful hus- bandry. Nearly all our lauds for miles around were formerly worn out old fields, which would produce nothing ; but the appli- cation of lime unlocked the hidden treasures of the soil, and redered available as food for plants 'the inert organic matter which it con- tained. This, accompanied by judicious cul- tivation and a proper rotation of crops, has entirely changed the appearance of our neigh- borhood. Scarcely an . old field is to be found." TREE TRIMMING. In trimming a tree several objects must be held in view. Fu'st. A proper balance of limbs and branches. A leaning tree or a one- sided tree may produce good fruit, but a straight, well balanced tree will produce more fruit and better fruit. I go once or twice 1881.J -THE LANCASTER FARMER. 59 around a tree, and try to take in the whole situation before I put my knife to the limb. I look at the probable size and shape of the tree live to ten years hence, and cut accordiiiKly. Three years ago I set a row of plniu trees where the prevailing winds made all the branches grow on one side. Sickness pre- vented niv attending to them properly, and the next winter they were a sorry sight- all on one side. 15y my constant attention sum- mer and winter, encouraging one side and discouraging the other, they are now pretty equally balanced. Second. A proper degree or openness, so as to let in sun and air, to properly perfect fruit and branches; and not too much sun to wither up any part of tlu; trees. Thirdly. Limbs must not cross eAch other, producing future chaling of the bark. Fourthly. A crotched tree must be avoided, as when one of the crotches splits off the tree is ruined. Fil'lhlv. Surkers ami sap limbs, and long, strag^'lin;; braaclie.s must he kepi in check. I sutler my trees to branch out low, often less than a foot from the ground, so as not to have a long naked bndy e.\posed to the sun, wind and insects. I keep the lower limbs pretty well in, however, so as not to be too much' in the way of the plow. To do this it is sometimes necessary to cut oiT the ends of the limbs to an inside bud. I trim all times of the year; as one nurseryman expresses it, "whenever my knife is sharp." I trim so often that I vei7 seldom take off a large limb. One large limb taken from a tree is more in- jurious to its vitality than many scores of small ones. Indeed, if the thing were pos- sible without introducing the inevitable Irish- man, I would trim so often and well as not to have to trim at all. This, indeed, would be the perfection of fruit-growing— when you can induce your true to expand all its vitality in the production and perfection only of fruit and necessary growth. And, I think, by con- stant attention, pinching in and summer prun- ing, we ciin come much nearer perfection in this direction than is often done. I love nature; 1 like to see her in all her wayward moods and rough, wild way.s. I never ])ut a knife to an ornamental or forest tree. These city evergreens, trimmed up in shape of bot- tles, pyramids and cones, are pretty, to he sure, but thej' look so constrained and dis- torted that the sight to me is rather painful than otherwise. But when it comes to a fruit tree, it must be constrained to a shape of utility, and then only it is beautiful. A fruit tree with clustering masses of tangled boughs, so that the sun and air cannot penetrate to give color and flavor to the fruit, or with long straggling branches, unprotected from the fierce winds and hot glare of the sun, or with neglected sprouts growing from the roets, sap- ping the life from the trees, is truly a sorry sight. About Orchard Grass. It is gratifying to note the number of in- quiries made of late concerning Orchard- grass. It is quite as valuable a grass as Timothy, and in some respects preferable to that grass, and should be more generally known. Its botanical name is Dacti/lis glmne- ruta, the generic name, Dadylin, being nearly the Greek word for "a finger's breadth," probably applied to it on account of the size of its cluster of^spikelets. Though called orchard- grains with us, it is generally known in Eng- land as "Cock's-foot." In some works it is given as a native of this country, but while it is generally introduced in all the older states, it is nowhere a native. Still, singularly enough, the .success that attended its cultiva- tion in Virginia, where it had been brought from England, in colonial times, caused it to be returned to the mother country about 1764, as Orchard-grass, and of great value; thus an interest was created in England in one of their own grasses, which iiad not heretofore been highly valued. Since Orchard-grass was thus introduced into England, its culture largely increased, and it now properly holds a high rank. In this country, on the contrary, its popularity diminished; and it is only within a few years that interest in it has been renewed. Without discussing the reason for this, we may say that we know of no other grass, not even the universally enltivated Timothy, so well deserving the at- liMiliou (if our thriiieis I'nr boll] hav and pas- tunige, us Orehard-urass. It adapts itself to all varieties of soils; its stems are very leafy; it does well in the shade of trees; it gives a very heavy aftermath; and it is in its best con- dition, in blossom, at the same time with red clover; all of these being in its favor as a meadow grass. For pastiures it is quite as valuable, startiiig quite early in spring; push- ing a new growth very rapidly after it has bcH'U gra/.e(l over; lasting late in the fall; and enduring ilnmlh liettei' than almost any other. Against it are cited twd faults: 1st. It has a tendency to grow in clumps and form tussocks; and 2ud. It has not sufficient hold upon the soil, but is pulled up by the roots by the cat- tle. The tirst of these is overcomft by thick seeding, and the second by not turning the cattle upon it \mtil the roots have taken thorough hold of the soil. On this point Col. Killebrew, in his excellent work on "The Grasses of Tennessee, " says: " It should not be pastured, the first season, until August, however tempting it may be." He states that in every case of complaint as to the want of endurance of tliis grass in pastures, he found the trouble due to pasturing too early. Like Timothy, it may be sown with grain crops in fall or spring, and is regarded as es- pecially suitable to seed with oats. The seeds run from 12 to 1.5 pounds to the bushel, those usualy offered by seedsmen weighing 14 pounds. Two bushels to the acre is the least that should be sown, and two and a half bushels is still better, using about 15 pounds of Clover seed to the acre. Orchard-grass has been found admirably suited for winter pasture in the Southern States. Howard, in his pamphlet on " Grasses and Forage Plants at the South," ranks it as next in importance to the "Fall Meadow Oat-grass" (Arrenatherum avcna- ceiim), both for hay and especially for winter pasturage, with both leaving the after-math undisturbed, and turning the cattle on after Christmas, and if the grass is for pasturage only, keeping them on after spring opens. One point to which we have before referred, finds an illustration in this grass; that is, the im- portance of improving our grasses hy selec- tion . Something like 40 years ago, the Messrs. Lauson & Son, of Edinburgh, selected some of the most vigorous plants of Orchard-grass, (Cock\s-foot), and by continuously sowing and selecting, established a variety known as "Mammoth Cock's-foot," the seed of which, at the present day, bring a much higher price than those of the common kind. We have not yet found out what it is possible for us to do in the improvement of many of our com- mon grasses. OUR Local Organizations. Tlie I>anc.i6tor County Agricultural and Horticul- tural society hfild a stated meetinif in their room, in city liall, Monday afternoon, April 4tli. The reading of the minutes of last meeting was on motion dispensed with. The following members and visitors were present: Messrs. Jbs. F. Witmer, president, Paradise; M. D. Kendig, secretary, Creswell; Dr.Wra. Compton, city; John C. Linville, Gap; Henry M. Englc, .Mari- etta; S. P. Eby, city; Henry Kurtz, Mount Joy; Frank R. Diffenderfler, city; J. M. Johnston, city; John H. Landis, Millersville; Dr. C. A. Green, city; C. A. Gast, city; Johnson .Miller, Warwick; W. W. Griest, city; C. L. Hunsceker, Manheim; W. H. Brosius, Druniore; .John Huber, Pequea; Israel L. LaudiS) Manheim; Cyrus Neff, Manor; J. Hoffman Hershey, Salunga ; I. O. Arnold, Drumore ; .Mr. Buckwalter. John J. Moore, of Drumore township, was pro- posed for membership and elected. President Witmer said he had within a few days received a note from J. B. LIchty, In which he says, if the society holds a fair next fall, he will guarantee a profit of $150 to ?200 from the publication of the premium list. Dr. Greene had recently said that lie would guarantee $500 profit to the society If the fair was run on a plan suggested by him. President Witmer added that If it was the intention of the so- ciety to hold a fair, now would be the proper time to take action. Dr. Greene said he had no doubt that if prompt and proper clforts were made the society could give a fair that would of be profitable to Itself and a credit to the county, and now Is the time to commence making arrangements. Farmers want five or six months in which to prepare some of their exiilblts. The names of pro|)osed exhibitors should be secured and published widely. There are many Industrial interests that will be only too glad to have an oppor- tunity of displaying their manufactures (o the public. While he had no desire to have anv control of the fair, and thought It would be much better for the so- ciety to have entire control of It, he would stand by ■ the offer he had made on a former occasion, and for- feit J.'JOO if the fair proved unsuccessful, If run on the plan suggested by him. It should embrace live slock of all varieties, farm produce of all kinds, manufactures and machinery of all kinds, fruits of every variety, and liberal luduraments should be held out to all Industrial interests to exhibit the best of their several products. The fair should be widely advertised, and talked up and written up for months in advance, and It would certainly prove successful . H. M. Englc said if a few men as liberal as Dr. Greene were to take hold of the matter, the fair could undoubtedly be made a success. He did not think, however, it should be conducted under Indl-, vidual auspices. The society should at once take hold of the matter and push It forward instead of holding it back. The first thing to be done is to secure proper grounds. A committee for the pur- pose should be at once appointed. Ample space should be secured ; experience has shown that the Northern market house is not the place to hold a county fair. What has been done can be done again ; we have had good fairs In years gone by, and wc can have them again; farming is not going liackwards but forward ; other counties hold gooil fairs annu- ally and there is no good reason why JLaiicaster county should be behind them. There is no reason for being east down simply because our last fair, held at the wrong time and place, had proved a fall- Mr. Kurtz favored holding another fair. There are plenty of farmers in the county who own plenty of superior stock and grow superior products, and they have sufficient county pride to exhibit them It proper Inducements are held out to them. Mr. Witmer said that if our farmers had felt an interest in exhibiting their products there was plenty of room for them in the Northern market house last fall, where they could have shown every- thing except live stock and heavy machinery, and yet the market house was not half filled with ex- hibits. Mr. Eby said we used to have good fairs before the war, but after the troops took possession of the fair grounds, pulled down the shedding and fences and burned the timber the society collapsed. Those fairs were made successful by liberal subscriptions from the hotel keepers and other business men, who subscribed from ?.5 to ?.50 each to promote the fairs. Unless the business men of Lancaster come forward and pledge themselves for an amount suflldent to meet all probable expenses he would oppose holding another fair. Dr. Greene made a motion that a committee of three or more be appointed by the president to can- vass the city for subscriptions, to call especially upon business men, mechanics, manufacturers and men of wealth, and solicit their assistance and sup- port ; the committee to report to next meeting. Mr. Englc moved to amend by making it a part of the duty of the committe to look around for suitable grounds on which to hold th^ fair. The amendment was accepted and the motion as amended was adopted. The chair appointed Dr. C. A. Greene, H. M. Engle and Henry Kurtz said committee ; but .Messrs. Engie and Kurtz both declined, on the ground that the committee should be residents of Lancaster. The chair then substituted the names of Wm. McComsey and Dr. Wm. Compton. Dr. Compton positively declined. He expected to be very busily engaged In another matter for some mouths, and would not have any time to devote to the Interests of a fair. Besides, he was opposed to holding one, aud prophesied that the society would run itself 82,.')00 in debt if it held one. He had been mixed up in one fair, and he wished to wash his hands of all conuection with another. If, however, the society resolves to hold a fair he will do all he can to make it a success. Mr. Iluusccker spoke of the success of the old time fairs, and had no doubt that sufficient funds could be collected to make the next one a success. As Dr. Compton positively refused to serve on the committee, the chair substituted the name of Israel L. Landis. Crop Reports. Henry Kurtz said the condition of the crops In the vicinity of Mount Joy was rather discouraging ; the 60 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [April, wheat looks bickly and is getting worse under the action of bad weather ; clover and timothy is in gen- eral a failure; many farmers have plowed up their grass fields and will plant them in corn or other crops. H. M. Engle said that the condition of the crops had changed hut little since last month; it is too soon as yet for farmers to begin to croak; there are plenty of chances yet for a good crop of wheat if the season should not prove unfavorable; much of the grass is, of course, frozen out, but what is left may make a pretty good yield. As to fruits he believed all the peach buds in his neighborhood had been killed; he had e.^ca mined great numbers of them and all were deid; apricots and other tender fruits have been killed; apples are not injured, but as this is an "off year "a full crop cannot be expected; pears stand severe cold without injury, and a good crop maybe expected. He had been astonished to find that several half-hardy varieties of grapes and rasp- berries, which had in former winters, mnch milder than last winter, been killed, were now uninjured. The rainfall for the past month was one of the heaviest he had ever noticed, being 6}g inches. S. P. Eby said he had a small peach orchard on high ground, near Mountville, that did not appear to have been injured by the winter; he had examined a great many of the buds and found that while they were brown outside they were green and healthy looking within. J. C. Linville, of Salisbury, said th.at the wheat in his neighborhood that had been well manured, looked pretty well, but all the rest looked bad^much worse than when the snow first melied; it had been mucli injured by the recent frosts and rains. Tlie result teaches one good lesson: if we expect to grow good crops of winter wheat we must manure them well. R.aspberries, blackberries and other small fruits ap- pear to be uninjured; the peach buds are all killed, but the wood is uninjured. His grass appears to be nearly all killed, and he will plow up the fields and put in Hungarian grass and other crops for fodder. He asked if any of the member had had any experi- ence in sowimr peas as a substitute for grass. .Mr. F,iii;le answered that he had sown peas with oats, and Ininil them to do very well as green fod- i| r, and lir l[ad no loubt they would do well dried. .M.D. Keiidig mentioned as a peculiar circumstance the fact that he had a Marseilles rose — a variety that floritsts say will not stand the winter— which he had kept outside for several winters in succession, and notwithstanding the severity of the past winter, the stock was not frozen. He reported the young grass and clover in his neighborhood as being a failure, some of the farmers having sown their fields three times without securing a setting of grass, and would plow up-the fields. Re further reported that there was last year more stall-fed cattle in Manor than ever before, and most of them had been sold at good prices— 5 and 5\i cents per pound and some choice cattle at It. cents. The stock was fed with the object of securing more manure. About 40 per cent, of the tobacco crop has been sold at good prices, and prices are still maintained. Mr. Linville reported in behalf of Daniel Smeych, that while many varieties of cherries liad been in- jured by the severe winter the " Lancaster cherry " had weathered it uninjured. Wm. H. Brosius, of Drumore, said that some fields of wheat looked very well and others very bad, the prospect for a crop being below the average. The grass fields are all very thin. President Witmer said that Paradise township was about on a par with others reported ; wheat does not look so well as when the snow first left ; grass in some places is pretty well set ; a great many cat- tle were stall-fed and disposed of, but not at quite such good prices as were mentioned by Mr. Kendig ; tobacco goes oflf slowly, some of the local buyers having gone all the way to Juniata county for leaf, while the bulk of the crop in their own tovvnship re- mains unsold. Mr. Engle advised farmers to be not too hasty in plowing down their young grass; it may with favora- ble weather come up thicker than they now expect, and with the wild grasses may make a pretty fair crop; better let the grass grow till June than cut off what there is of it, and if it is not a full crop, plow down the stubble and sow Hungarian grass or mil- let, which only require sixty days to mature. If you determine, however, to grow oats, the grass fields must at once be plowed down. Iron Pyrites as a Fertilizer. Dr. Greene said he had a bushel or two of a fertili- zer which"he would like to distribute among farmers who will give it a trial; he will willingly give a quart or two to all who apply. It is nothing more than iron pyrites, decomposed by long exposure to the at- mosphere, and is composed largely of sulphur and alumina. It is not only a good fertilizer, espeeially for fruit trees, but it is a sure preventive against in sect pests. He has no interest in it whatever, but having witnessed its valuable.effects he would like others to give it a trial. Dr. Greene read an essay on "How we are Poisoned." See page 53 of this number of the Fahugb. The Cololpa Spisiosa. Mr. Engle read an interesting article on the Catalpa spisiosa tree, wherein the writer, .Mr. Doug- lass, pays it a deserved compliment as being one of the most valuable of trees. It is more durable than the locust, makes an elegant shade tree, grows rapidly, and can be easy grown as far north as lati- tude 45. He urged farmers to secure seeds or young trees which could be got from Illinois nurseries, and perhaps elsewhere, at trifling expense. Business for Next Meeting. The following questions were proposed for discus- sion at next meeting : " What is the best to way repair worn out lands?" Referred to Dr. Greene. " Is land improved by lying many years in grass ?" Referred to C. L. Hunsecker. "What do farmers keep dogs for ?" Referred to Wm. H. Brosius. " What is a good substitute for a good hay crop ?" Referred to Levi S. Reist. Adjourned . MARCH MEETING OF FULTON FARM- ERS. At the .March meeting of the Fulton Farmers' Club, at the residence of Joseph Griest, Fulton twp., an election for officers to serve for the ensuing year was held with the following result : President, Wm. King ; Secretary, E. Henry Haines ; Treasurer, Lindley King; Librarian, Wm. P. Haines. William King exhibited some Nottingham Brown apples and a scion 4 feet 3 inches long cut from a graft that was put in last spring. Solomon L. Gregg exhibited a Lawrence pear and Rawles, Jannett, Dominie, smokehouse. Ridge, Pip- pin, and Smith Cider apples. Question. Jus. Griest^Which is the best way to dispose of the rag weeds now on the wheat stubble fields ? William P. Haines would drag a scantling or slab over them to break them off, and then rake them up and haul them off the fields. Jos. C. Stubbs would break them off with roller and rake them. William King said they could best be raked with an old iashioned wooden horse-rake, with the teeth only in one side of the head. S. L. Gregg had gone over his field twice with a green pole dragged in opposite directions. Isaac Terrill had moved his in the fall and intends to rake them off in the spring. S. L. Gregg stated that either corn stalks or weeds will knock off easier the first hard freeze than they will afterwards. S. L. Gregg— How have apples kest this winter, and what is the proper way to keep them ? William King replied that his had kept well, both in barrels, in the cellar and buried in the ground. Those of the cellar were left out until cold weather. Isaac Bradley has packed apples in leaves with good success. He fills the barrels with alternate layers of leaves and apples, and puts them in the cellar when freezing time commences. He thinks leaves much better than chaff, as they do not heat. After dinner the men portion of the meeting took a look at things in and around the farm, where they found about a half dozen horses, several cows and heifers and fifteen very fine fat steers. The owner has another barn on his premises, not visited, where he also keeps some stock, making an unusual amount for the size of his farm. Most of the host's stock was admired from the horsesdown to the dogs, and the only things found fault with was that the chickens were allowed to roost about the stable, and the rabbits had eaten the bark off several young fruit trees. After assembling in the house, Joseph Griest read from the Country Gentleman an article on ensilage, written by Dr. Bailey, of Winning farm, Mass., who was the first to thoroughly test, in this country, this manner of keeping green food for stock, and who still claims great merit for the new discovery. At the request of William P.Haines, the secretary read an article on the question discussed at the last meeting about the paint on carriages suffering in- jury if they are kept near stables, in which the writer insists on the necessity of keeping all painted vehicles out of the reach of the gases arising from such places. William King read an article on pyrethrum, an in- sect powder for killing potato bugs, elc. Carrie Blackburn recited "Farmer Ben's Theory." .Mary A. King read a temperance article entitled "The island and City of .\»any Such. Mabel H. Griest read "The Two Ages." Discussion. On the qu'-stion, "Is it better to buy manure from the city or buy feed and straw and feed cattle to make it ! Joseph Griest, who has used considerable of city manure, said it cost three and a half dollars per ton delivered by railroad at Peach Bottom, and it re- quires four tons per acre to give the land a tolerably good dressing. He believes at present prices farm- ers had better make the manure at home. Last year he fed a lot of steers by which, counting the manure to be worth the hay and straw consumed, he received a dollar per bushel for his corn. Joseph R. Blackburn, who is another of the few cattle feeders belonging to the club, coincided with the above view on the subject. William King said that if it would pay to fatten them on purchased feed, and if it is better for those who raise the feed to feed it on their farms and save from going to the city for manure, it will pay others to purchase feed and do likewise. Several others seemed inclined to an opposite view of the question, and reasoned somewhat in this wise ! if it takes 35 bushels corn at 50 cents per bushel, one ton of hay worth §15, and one ton of straw worth S6 to fatten one steer, the cost of fed and bedding will be 838.50. Now if the steer is sold at an advance of $25 (and farmer.s as often get less as more) there will be a loss of ?13.50, which is more than the manure is worth, while in addition to this there is the loss of the labor. The librarian requested all those that hftve books belonging to the Club, to bring them to the next meeting, which will he held at Lindley King's on Saturday, April 14. E. H. H., Sec'y. APRIL MEETING. The April meeting of the club was held at the resi- dence of Lindley King, in Fulton township, on the 9th instant, a number of visitors being present by in- vitation. Montillion Brown exnibited several ears of corn of his own raising, and also some ears that were sent for exhibition by Jesse Tocom. William King exhibited an ear of Canada corn, an eight-rowed variety, which some of the Chester county farmers are raising on their corn-stalk ground as a substitute for oats, its early maturity enabling them to clear it off the ground in good time to seed it with wheat. Questions Asked and Answered. Josiah Brown asked what kind of potatoes the club would recommend for planting. The Early Rose was recommended as one of the varieties by every one present. The Victor and Peerless were also the varieties that would be planted by some. Day Wood asked if it would be of any use to sow timothy seed in the spring. Josiah Brown always mixes timothy seed with his clover seed wlfcn he sows in the spring. It some- times does very well. Robert Gibson, (a visitor), said it would take as well on flat ground when sown in the spring as in the fall. Several others had known it to do well svhen sown in the spring. Lindley King; Would it be worth while to sow clover on the wheat stubble where the young grass was thrown. out by the winter? Montillion Brown did not think that it would in ordinary cases. If the ground was harrowed and manned it might do. Josiah Brown would run a harrow over it. He had treated corn stalk ground in this way and sowed with clover and had it to take well. Joseph R. Blackburn thought that it would not be worth while to make the trial. Edwin M. Stubbs asked, which would produce the most feed per acre— corn sowed for foddei , or Hun- garian grass — feed tb be used in winter ? Hungarian grass was preferred by nearly all pres- ent. It produces a good quality of hay, and cattle do well while feeding ou it. Day Wood and Robert Gibson thought that more weight could be obtained from corn. Lindley King: Which is the better way of putting on phosphate for eorn, sow broadcast or put it in the hill; .Montillion Brown had tried it in the hill several years. About one-half bf the time it does well, but in dry seasons it is an injury rather than a benefit. It is better as a general thing to sow and plow down. Joseph R. Blackburn would sow part broadcast and put the remainder in the hill. Sowing broadcast and plowing In seemed to be in favor with most of the others. Montillion Brown asked what kind of oats the club would recommend for sowing. Common white would be sown by all except Jos. R. Blackburn and Robert Gibson. The first would sow White Poland, the others Whire Mediterranean . Entertained by the Host. The club next adjourned to the dining room, where a good substantial meal was waiting. After the wants of the inner man were well supplied, the male members of the club were shown over the farm by the proprietor. The fences were found in goo.d order, and things generally looked well. Some improve- ment had been made in the dwelling, and a new hog pen built since the club last met there. He was ad- THE LANCASTER FARMER. 61 vised to put a jointer on his plow in order to turn In the corn etalks tnore effectually. Papers Read. After returnlns: to the hoase the host selected an article entitled " More corn to the acre," which was read to the Club. The article gave an .account of a crop raised by Joseph G. Pierce of over one hundred bushels per acre. It was planted two feet apart In the rows and rows three feet apart, two stalks In the hill. Nine hundred pounds of standard fertilizer had been used, part sowed broadcast and part in E. H.Haines read a letter from Joseph A. Roman, of Colora, Cecil county, Maryland, giving a report of his experience with eusilaffc. While he is aware that one winter's trial Is not sufBcient to establish its merits al)Ove_ feed cured In the ordinary way, he is so well pleased with it that he would Increas ■ his sllos if he was not looking forward to the time when he would be livln? on n prairie farm. Mr. Haines f^aid that he did not suppose that Joseph had been able to give it anything like a fair trial, but as it had turned out so well we might try It. .Montillion Brown said this Is something new and we sometimes go too fast. He had seen an article in tlie Gcrmantown Telegraph warning people to be careful. In Europe, where It originated, It Is by no means universal. K. H. Haines. The French are not so much in ad- vance of us. What they know to-day we know tomorrow. Joseph R. Blackburn asked if a crop of corn raised for ensilage was worth more than if raised for Samuel J. Kirk thought It would be if it could be got otrthe ground In time for seeding it with wheat. . Montillion Brown : The advocates of ensilage have one strong ground to stand upoi) — there are no patents to sell. Day Wood had not much faith In it. It would suit fancy farmers, with a surplus of money. The question was left for further consideration at a future meeting. An Interesting Essay. Mary A. King read an essay on agriculture, writ- ten by William M. Way, recommending more atten- tion to science in farming and closing with strong remarks against the cultivation of tobacco, an arti cle that was of no use, but an Injury to mankind, and its bad effects would be likely to be visited on our children. S.J. Kirk thought it a very able essay and it would be well for farmers to think about it. E. H. Haines said the writer speaks of scientific farming. He had thought the matter over and had come to the conclusion that there was nothing in it. We try an experiment and succeed. We are paid three or four fold, and we think that money can be made easily and fast. We try again and lose. We don't know the amount of sunshine or the amount of rainfall we are going to have. There are many things affecting our experiments over which we have no control . The results of chemical experiments are always the same. Literary. Emma King recited the ballad of " Thirty-six ;" Phebe A. King recited " The Wish," by Isaac Allen, a school teacher, who was somewhat of a poet and resided In this vicinity many years ago. At the re- quest of several of tho-ie present, Sadie Brown read the " White Parasol," by the same author. Adjourned to meet at Josiah Brown's Fulton town- ship, the first Saturday in May. THE LINN.ffi;AN SOCIETY. The society met on Saturday afternoon, March 3iith, 1881, in the Museum building. President Stahr and Secretary Davis in their chairs. Eight members and five visitors present. Reading of the minutes of the last meeting dispensed with. After the usual pre- liminary business the following donations to the museum and library were reported : Museum Additions. 1. Mrs. Gibbons donated a specimen of anthracite coal, which she received from a friend, the fracture of which exhibited their circular disks, indicating transverse fractures of the vegetation out of which the coal.was originally formed, if not fossilized eu- crinities. 2. Mr. Rathvou donated a small bottle containing alcoholized specimens of the larva of a species o"f TCTieftrio— commonly called "meal worms," taken from a piece of wood around which cloth was wrap- ped. This larva has the singular ability of moving either backward or forward with equal facility. Also a specimen of the "short-winged mole-cricket," (OrijUotalpa brevipenne) ,%eni to him by a correspon- dent from Ch£8ter county, who last summer de- tected to preying upon his young potato tubers. This is entirely in harmony with the general character of this insect. Also a specimen of the " Goldeu carp " (Cyprinus auralm)— the victim of an ill adjusted aquarium. 3. Mr. John May, of South Queen street, donated a fine specimen of flint which he found in a mass of common chalk; probalily from the chalk beds of England or France. 4. Mr. KevinskI donated a fine specimen of "chilled Iron," from the Peacock furnace, at the southern terminus of Prince street, Lancaster. 5. Prof. T. R . Baker, of Millersville, donated beautiful crvstalllzed speciments of Calcium, formu- lated Ca. H". 0. 75-2. H. .Mrs. (ilbbons exhibited a fine specimen of Beet Stujar, from the Russian department In the Paris in- ternational exposition of 1S7H, and was surprised to find such a large and beautiful exhibit of Russian sugar on that occasion. Additions to Library. 1. Report of the commissioners of education for 187K, 771 pp. octavo, from Hoh. A. H. Smith. 3. United Stales coast survey for 1877; 192 pp. quarto, with 34 folded maps and charts from the de- partment of the interior. •■'.. Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12, vol. 19, of the Patent Of- fice Gazette from the department of the interior. 4. Proceedings of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science from Oct. to Dec. 1880. 5. Lancaster Farmer for March, 1881. 6. LIppincott's classified catalogue from 1881,100 pp. royal octavo, with index and illustrations. 7. " BooksMf" for March 1881, a new standard of choice publications. It! pp. 8 vo., illustrated. 8. Sundry minor catalogues and circulars. Historical. Four envelopes containing 40 historical and bio- graphical selections. New Business. Prof. I. 8. Geist propo.^ed William H. Buller, of Marietta, for active membership, to be acted on at the next meeting. The committee to whom was referred the question Involving the status of membership in the society, reported that no person had been elected an active member since the 29th of July, 1871, without paying $.5 (for which he received a certificate of ownership), and contributing 10 cents monthly to the funds of the society. But as there 4re persons who desire to co-operate with the society, and who for suflScient reasons may waive all present ownership the com mittee recommended a proviso, that such persons may be elected : and it shall be optional with them whether they become certificate members, or come in under the $1 initiation, which obtained previous to July 29th, 1871, and contributed lOcents monthly. It was a.\so provided that all active members elected under this rule, after being three full years con- tributing members, and all their dues paid up, shall receive a certificate of ownership as a gratuity, and enjoy all the privileges- and prerogatives of other certificate members. The report was debated and unanimously adopted. Note.— Contributing members are entitled to all that other members are save that of voting on the disposition of the Museum Library and other pro- perty of the society, which are subject to the control of the certificate holders — whether they are members of the society or not— and to the amount of certifi- cates they hold, each $5 representing one vote. On motion duly seconded, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted :■ 1. Resolved, That the president appoint a commit- tee of three to examine the records and report the number of active members and correspondents from the organization of the society to the present time; the date of thfeirelection, how many have withdrawn, and how many have died, including their name, and so far as known, their residences. 2. Resolved, That said committee also report the financial standing of each active or contributing member (in their relations to the society) and how many, and who are entitled to additional certificates of ownership, under the resolution of 39th of July, 1871. 3. Resolved, That said committee report at the next stated meeting of the society, either finally or the progress it has made in the work assigned It. The president appointed Drs. Ralhvon, Davie and Baker said committee. Scientific Gossip. Under this head, half an hour of free social inter- course was spent very pleasantly. With good talk- ers and good listeners this might be made the most interesting feature of the society. After the usual routine of business is disposed of, which is neces- sarily formal and subject to rule, " scientific gossip " is declared by the president, when every one can " say his say ' on any subject, without fear of being out of order, and also with more freedom than wh^n confined to " place." Adjourned to meet on the last Saturday in April, which occurs On the 30th, the last day of the month A CHICKEN fancier says that he stuck court plaster over an egg found broken in the nest after the lien had been setting a week and in due time it gave chicken as sprightly as any of the brood. Agriculture. About Limestone and Lime as Fertilizers No other single topic has recently brought so many queries. This is due to the extraordinary claims of parties selling ground Limestone, or mak- ing machinery for grinding it. Limestone is a most ividely distributed mineral, one of its purest forms being known as marble, and Is found almost all over the country of various quiilltles and deirrces of purity . It is a Carbonate of Lime, that Is Lime combined with Carbonic Acid. If a fragment of Limestone Is placed In a glass of water, and a little strong acid is added, the Carbonic Acid is set free, and we see It pass off as bubbles rising through the water. Lime stone Is so slightly dissolved by water that it is taste- less. It takes l.tiOO parts of water to dissolve one part of Limestone. Water, in which there Is much CiUlioiiii- .\( id. dissolves a considerable amount of (Ml .n,i. I I ii:;. . If a small piece of Limestone be k. |.: I II r.i| heat for some hours, it will be uiii ' I ! Iii:avy as the original stone. What li» : I ;■; I iMiinlng? If tested with acid, as be- fore, \v> bulil.les of gas will be given off. The heat has driven out all the Carlx)nlc Acid ; it Is no longer a Carbonate of Lime, but simply Lime (an oxide of the metal Calcium, or Calcic Oxide as the chemists have It.) Liiii.-sione burned in kilns produces Lime., often called tjuicklimc. If a lump of freshly burned Lime have water gradually put upon it, it soon be- comes hot, in a little while it swells up, cracks and falls into a Vfry while powder; though much water ha.r it; add a seasoning of pepper, salt and butter. Place it in the oven for ten minutes, and serve very hot. Stuffed Potatoes.— Bake some large potatoes in their skins; when quite done scoop out the insides, and mash them well with a little butteror milk; mix some finely minced beef or mutton with the mashed potatoes, adding pepper and salt to taste; refill the empty skins with the mixture, and place them in the oven again till thoroughly hot, adding a small lump of butter on the top of each to prevent their becoming too dry. Serve up in a cloth. This Is always a favorite dish with children. Veal with Tomato Sauce.— Take a piece of breast of veal, cut it in pieces an in inch square, toss them in a saucepan with some olive oil till they be- gin to take color; add a shallot finely minced, some French tomato sauce, pepper and salt to taste, and some minced parsley ; let the whole simmer gently by the side of the fire, shaking the pan occasionally for about half an hour. Beef Tea for Children. — The best way to make beef tea for children is as follows : Soup meat without bone, from the shin or the neck. Cut the meat into dice with a very sharp knife ; to every pound of meat use one pint of cold water. Cut the meat on a dish, not on a board, as the latter absorbs the juices wastefully. Have the proper measure of water beside you, in a proper soup basin or bowl, and as you cut up the meat sprinkle it moderately with salt, and throw It Into the cold water. There let it remain for two hours ; then put It all Into a saucepan and set It on the flre. Watch carefully the first rising, and skim and secure this ; it Is the very essence of beef being thrown out. Put it In a clean bowl, and let the beef go on boiling for ten minutes, no longer, then pour it" through a sieve to the first skiminings. Stir it before using. In older children than infants you can flavor with 0!.ion and a few cloves. 80 completely does this way of making beef tea extract the goodness, taat a dog would not eat the meat that Is left. Oedfs a l'Orange.— Make a stiff pudding, with a pint a milk, put on fire with a small half cup of sugar. When it comes to boiling point add tq It two tablespoonfuls of corn starch, dissolved in a lit- tle cold milk, previously reserved from the pint. Stir until it thickens, then add the beaten whites of four eggs, and flavor with a teasjjoonful of orange juice. Have some little patty pans oval like an egg, and put It into the centre ol'cach a small round hall of wood, the size of an egg yolk, and dipped )n cold water. (To keep these balls steady they must be bored, and the hole filled up with lead.) Pour the hot pudding into the little pans, which must also be dipped Id cold water, and when it is cool and firm take out the little wooden balls. Then pour into their vacant place an orange jelly made thus: dissolve half a Iiackage of gelatine in half a cup of water, letting It stand an hour. Then add the juice of Ave sour oranges and a little less than apound of white sugar. After mixing these together pour on the whole a half pint of boiling water. The mixture is not to go near the fire at all. Before the jelly Is cold add it to the pudding and set away to get firm. Then slip the "eggs" out of the little pans on a dish to serve. They have the appearance oi poached eggs, and are very nice. A set of these pans and balls will be found useful. Mayonnaise Dressing for Salad.— One pint of olive-oil, salt and cayenne pepper U> taste, half tea- spoonful of French mustard, the juice of one lemon, and vinegar, take an earthen dish, rub a clove of garlic on the bottom of the dish, then place in it the yolks of two raw eggs, salt, pepper and mustani, take the bottle containiug the oil in the left hand and a wire whip in the right hand; pour the oil slowly and keep stirring the yolks. • Should it become stiff, add a little viuegar. "Keep adding oil and vinegar until you have used the pint of oil, but be careful not to add too much vinegar. Finish with the lemon juice. The dressing should bo of rather a stiff con- sistency, and will keep any length of time if It Is covered so that the air will not reach it. Pisn-P.VSH OF Mutton.- Take any lean mutton, cut it in small pieces without any fat or gristle, boll it down into a nice broth. Then lake out the meat. Wash a teacupful of rice nicely, and boil it for a lit- tle while in the broth, until it begins to look trans- pareut. All grease to be skimmed off. Then take a mutton chop or two, take out the bone, cut in dice. Boil the whole together, with a whole onion aud a little pepper and salt, for a quarter of an hour. Serve it without straining. The «ame recipe does for beef, chicken, turkey, or rablrft. Matonnaisb op Fish.— Boil a pickerel (n salted water *ith lemon juice in it ; be careful that the flsh does not break. When done let it get cold ; remove the boues carefully, aud cut the flsh Into neat, smooth bits the size of a thimble. Let them stand for an hour or so in a little oil and vinegar or oil and lemon juice. Then dress some nice lettuce with Mayonnaise sauce, and arrange the bits of fish around the dish, mixing with them canned shrimps cut in small pieces. Put more Mayonnaise sauce over the whole. Danish Pudding.- One cupful of tapioca, three generous pints of water, half a teaspoonful of gait, half a teacupful of sugar, one tumbler of any kind of bri^lit jelly. Wash the tapioca and soak in the water all night. In the morning put on In the double boiler and cook one hour. Stir frequently. Add the salt, sugar and jelly, and mixthoroughly. Turn into a mould that has been dipped into cold water and set away to harden. Serve with cream and sugar. Snow Pudding.— Take five eggs; divide yolkt Irom whiles; beat whites to a stiff "froth; place one quart of milk on the range; when at a boiling point add sugar to taste, one vanilla bean or one stick of cinnamon; sweeten the whites with one tablespoonful of powdered sugar and drop them into the hot milk; leave In long enough to scald them while you whisk them into small flakes; take a skimmer and takeout the flakes and let them cool on a dish; add yolks to milk with a teaspoonful of corn starch dissolven In water; when cool add the flakes and serve. 64 THE LANCASTER FARMER. [April, 1881. Clam Chowder. — One quarter pound of fat pork, one quart of white onions, two quarts of potatoes, ono cents' worth of parsley ; one-half dozen large tomatoes, fifty clams ; cut the pork in small pieces and fry ; chop the onions fine and fry ; boil the pota- toes ; chop the clams moderately fine ; put all the ingredients together and let simmer gently until the tomatoes are cooked. Thr above quantity makes one gallon of chowder. Ckow's Nest. — Fill a deep pudding tin or dish with apples cut in thin slices ; sugar and cinnamon, or lemon, to sweeten and flavor to taste, and a little water ; cover with a thick crust madQ as above ; hake until apples are tender ; serve hot with hard sauce, or with cream and sugar ; be sure to cut air holes in the crust to let the steam escape. Potted Meat.— Remove all gristle, hard pieces and fat from the meat ; mince it very Hue, and pound it in a mortar with a little butter, some gravy, well freed from fat, and a spoonful of Harvey or Worcester sauce ; beat it to a smooth paste, season- ing during the process with pounded clove or all- spice, mace or grated nutmeg, salt, and a little cayenne; put it in pots, press it close down, and cover with clarified butter, or with marrow fat. Poor Man's .Sweet Cake.— One cup of sugar, one cup of sour cream, one-half cup of butter, one egg, half a teaspoouful of soda, one-half a nutmeg, grated fine ; flour enough to make a ^tilf batter, gratedn s slow oven. Potato Salad. — Take about ten nice, tnealy, freshly boiled potatoes; when they are quite cool cut them in thin slices and plac tliem in nn earthen dish ; add vinegar, pepper, salt, and olivi--oil to taste ; mix with a wooden spoon; add a chopped onion and parsley, also, if desired, add capers. To Eemove Ink Stains from Printed Books. ^Procure a pennyworth of oxalic acid, which dis- solve in a small quantity of warm water ; then slightly wet the stain with it, when it will disappear, leaving the leaf uninjured. Baked Corn Meal Pudding.— Boil two quarts of sweet milk ; scald it in seven tablespoons of corn meal. When a little cool, add salt, three eggs and half a teacup of sugar or syrup; season with nut- meg. Bake in a moderate «ven oven over three hours. California Pudding.— Chop and pound to a paste a quarter of a pound of candied orange peel ; put it into a stew pan in which you have melted three-quarters of a pound of butter and the same of sugar; stir all together and then add the yolks of twelve eggs ; put into a buttered dish and bake. Live Stock. Attention to Swine. The average American farmer pays entirely too lit- tle attention to the health and absolute wants of their swine. Not a few keep their hogs closely confined in vile and filthy pens, where neither enough light or exercise can be had. Common decency and our com- mon interests demand that American stock must be kept free from diseases. Foreign countries are de- pending upon us for meat supplies, but from the complaints made in prominent French journale of diseased hog products received from America, it be- gins to look very much as if our foreign export trade might be irreparably crippled by the filthy and criminal carelessness of a few of our worthless farmers who do not take the necessary sanitary pre- cautions to keep hogs healthy, and who do not hesi- tate for a moment to send off to market hogs from an infected drove, or even animals that are sick. Among the worst needed things at Chicago is an in- spector who would condemn and kill every diseased hog. By those who know not whereof they speak, it is frequently said and thought that hogs are more .uni- form in quality and sell at a more narrow range of prices than do cattle. The idea is absurd, to say the least. The quality of hogs varies just as much as any other class of stock, and like cattle, a heavy average weight is not always indicative of good quality. For instance, a drove of soft, "ghuffy" hogs, averaging 200 pounds, will not bring as much per hundred, by fully 10@15c., as a lot of well bred, firm hogs that weigh twenty pounds Jess on an average. Good breeding and careful selection is just as essential in making" the best selling pork as in producing any other kind of stock calculated to realize top prices —Dfover's Journal. Hereford Cattle. Though the Herelbrd breed of cattle has not as yet been exclusively introduced into this section of the country, its excellencies are commanding the situation at many other points, notably in England, Australia, South America and in our western country. It is a matter of record that not only in the London market have they been quoted from one to two cents a pound above the Short-horns, but that the Hereford steer has a record over the Short-horn, and the same record shows that the Hereford steer has made as good weights as the Short-horn at any given age. And now the Bath and West of England society has awarded the two champion prizes, for best male and female in the show, to the Herefords. Coupling this with the fact that during the same re- cord he has always brought better prices, and another established fact that he has always been a more economical feeder and grazer, is it not strange that the press and agricultural societies have not been more ready to encourage them ? A recent sale of one hundred Hereford bulls in England lor eliipniLiit to the grazing regions of Buenos kynn .sImuv.^ iln' rsi iiuation in which this famous stock is ilurr li.ia. The Herefords have made more rapid pr. u^ri'ss in public favor at the west in the last live years, than ev«r was made by any other breed of cattle in America in the same time. In Colorado and Wyoming there are several herds of from .30,000 to 70,000 head, that are using all the Hereford bulls they eau get, and already at the Union stock yards at Chicago, and at the St. Louis and Kansas City stock yards, these steers are commanding the top prices, while flAe years ago they were not known in these yards. In five years more they will be quoted in all the markets, as they have been in the London market in England for the last hundred years or thereabouts. The Hereford cattle are tough and hardy, and thrive on a diet both in quality and quantity tha would be unprofitable in the short-horns. The cattle are very large in size, make excellent beef, are fair milkers, especially when crossed with other kinds, and are withal quite handsome, being red-bodied, with white markings and white face, the latter being an invariable mark of the kind. — American CnlHva- Why Cattle and other Stock Die toward Spring. When the stock is not regularly fed, and the sup- ply of respiratory food is deficient, nature avails her- self of the fat previously stored in the animal's body, as fuel (o sustain the animal heat; and where the food is deficient, and there is no accumulation of fat to supply its place, the muscle and other portions of the body are consumed, and death by gradual starva- tion is the consequence. Farmers, keep your stock well fed if you do not want to sustain losses toward spring. — Farm Jo^irnal. Literary and Personal. Crawford's Strawberry- CuLTtTBE, with cata- logue, "free to all." Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, for 1881. This is an octavo pamphletof 3Spp., in tinted covers, descriptive of t,wenty-nine of the most popu- lar varieties of the strawberry, together with their mode of culture, the insects that prey upon them, and the remedies for their prevention, expulsion and destruction; including the questions of irrigation, manuring, testing, fertilizing, etc. Annual Catalogue of Franklin and Mar- shall College, for 1880-1'^81, 36 pp., octavo, in paper covers, including also the catalogue of the Theological Seminary, their faculties, number and names of students, courses of study, prices of tui- tion, etc. E. B. Case's Botanical Index, spring supple- ment for .March, 1881, Kichmond, Indiana, 20 pp., octavo, splendidly illustrated, including a splendid colored frontisplece,embracingtwo choice varieties of pelargonum, natural size. Mr. C. does not only tell to the public what he has, but also tells how the public may obtain or produce the same, with practi- cal views upon cultivation, etc. The Sugar Beet, (4t,h quarterly number) , a royal quarto of i;0 pp., finely illustrated with designs of the most elaborate machinery. The Sugar Beet is begining to loom up in the progress of domestic pro- duction, and ought to, and doubtless eventually will succeed. The Naturalist's Leisure Hours, a monthly bulletin of science and practice, published by Dr. A. E. Foote, 1223 Belmont Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. A-u interesting 16 pp. octavo, and of special value to practical naturalists and amateurs in any branch of science. The Journal of Forestry, and estates man- agement, an octavo magazine of 60 pp., published by I. & W. Klder, 14 Bartholomew close, E. C, Lon- don, with publication offices in Edinburg, Dublin and 2.3 Murray street, N. Y. Price one shilling per number. Tha March number of this excellent journal is replete with valuable information on the subject of Foresty, in which our country has a growing interest. Eleventh Quarterhj Report of the Pennsylvania State Board of Agricultural, for December, January and February, 18>0-81. Contains a list of members elected by the Agricultural Societies of the .State ; a list of the present olBcera ; proceedings of the an- nual meeting condensed from the minutes of the society ; fourth annual report, of tlie Secretary to the members of the board, at the annual meeting held January 26th, 1880, embracing local reports, corres- pondence, commercial fertilizers, suppression of pleuro-pneumonia, contagious diseases of live stock, new source of profits for farmers, beet sugtir, forestry and tree planting, silk culture, and an estimated value per acre of timber land ih nineteen States of the Uuion ; centrifugal creamers, by the Secre- tary, with four illustrations; geology as related to agriculture, by Prof. J.P.Lesley; estimated aver- age value of farm lands in nineteen States of the Union; a list of olHoial reporters and correspondents for 1881 ; an act to regulate the manufacture and sale of commercial fertilizers, and tabulated analyses of fertilizers, by Dr. C4euth, chemist of the Pennsyl- vania Board of Agriculture. The average value per acre of timber laud seems to be highest in New Jersey(8.5ii.82), and lowest in California (?8..5.5), Pennsylvania standing eighth on the list (g29.70.) The average value of farm land per acre, is highest in .Massachusetts ($8.5.00), and lowest in New Hamp- shire ($1.1.00), Pennsylvania is fifth on the lift ($45.75). These papers are all interesting and val- uable, especially that by Prof. Lesley on geology— particularly his graphic account of an interview with the old farmer, who had been looking seven- teen years for coal on his land without finding any. There are many people in Lancaster county that are akin to the old Somerset farmer, who always have their "pockets full of rocks," perhaps comforting themselves, with the prospect that — "a blind sow may find an acorn " Dairt Farming being the theory practiced and methods of dairying by I. P. Sheldon, assisted by leading authorities in various countries. Part 22 of this excellent quarto has been received, with rather more than its usual amount of practical matter in re- lation to an enterprise that Interests every man, woman and child in the entire civilized world, and probably the moral and intellectual condition of no country could be measured by no surer test than the quantity and quality of its butter and cheese. When we unsophisticated outsiders scan the pages of such a journal, we may well be surprised at the im- mensity of the field occupied by the dairy interests of the world, the improvement in dairy furniture and implements, the astouishing production and the ad- vanced literature on the subject. The full-page plate in the part before us is perhaps the very best that has yet been issued, illustrated groups of improved swine, including the Essex, Berkshire, Poland-china, Suf- folk and Yorkshire, colored to nature, than which nothing could be handsomer in that line of beauty. Fourteen other wood cuts, comprising plans of fac- tories, coolers, butter-workers, pails, etc., illustrat* this nber. The chapter on recent modifications in American cheese-making, goss into practical details of this in- teresting branch of human husbandry at great length , including " making cheese without acid;" the ched- der process; heat; setting the milk; cutting the curd; stirring the curd; the rack; oxidation; salting; taints; sour milk cured; curing and coloring. Also a new method of making skim-mnk cheese, and winding up with a statistical list of articles, with prices required to thoroughly equip a factory or creamery receiving the milk from .500 cows. In this part is also commenced an elaborate chapter on " Canadian Dairying," which jve have not space to notice at this time in detail. Published by Cassel, Potter, Gilpin & Co., London, Paris and New York. Forty cents a part. The Farmer's Magazine and Ror.al Guide, a 12 page monthly quarto, published at Parkesburg, Chester county, Pennsvlvauia, by Potts & Brothers, at 25 cents a year, this is a " right down " good paper— ably conducted and amply illustrated, and also cheap ; and more than that, it is not "too eheap to be good." It seems to us that a paper so cheap arid good ought to have its price inserted into every paralgraph relating personally to it, and yet if one should miss seeing the terms in small type on the first page, one might look in vain for a distinct state- ment of it throughout the whole journal. "Single copy four cents," although conspicuous enough, is no indication of the subscription price per -year, nor yet is any club-rate statement. We feel as proud of our young neighbor as we do of our neighboring county from which it hails, and would cheerfully club with it at one dollar a year, for the Farmer and the Parmer's Magazine. Its editorials are "level- headed," and Its selections the very cream of the agricultural literature of the county. Its scope is the "very thing" for those who love to indulge in diverse reading-luruishing as it does, that " streak of lean and streak of fat," so agreeable to the literary apetite of the general reader. Its columns contains as much of that which relates to the local interest of Lancaster and Chester counties as can be found in the columns of any of its mammoth city contemporaries, and yet it, like similar rural enter- prises everywherejperhaps has to struggle for a local recognition as energetically and perseveriugly as others have, and with similar elements and influ- ences " Tubs," of course, should stand upon their own bottom ; " but the fashion of the world is to recognize and to patronize that which can call to it, aid other supports than those which are abstractly its own. Well, be it so, let us "possess our souls m patience"— and bide the good time that is coming. Let us "wait for the wagon." THE LANCASTER FARMER- MISCELLANEOUS. The Lancaster Examiner. Wc desire lo call tlie iitluiitlon of tlic readers of the Farmeii to the Daily and Weekly Examiner. The Daily was enlarged over six columns on January Ist, and is now tlie largest dally published In the county. The weekly supplcineut was also enlarged over three columns, and the weekly is now one of the largest weeklies in the State. Subscribe for the Examiner. They are both, daily and weekly, good family newspapers. ROSES ,r RARE PLANTS %.r'$l. Our Oropnhoiifipg fcnvrring 8 acres in Glass) Peter Henderson & Co, 35 Cortlandt St., New York. EGGS FOR HATCHING. All the vrfiieties of poultry, in. h h i_ i;i , Cochiii8,-IIiiinburgs, Polish, Plynu>th — Leghorns, etc.; also Houeii, Pt-km ^ . i .> Cayuga Ducks' Eggs, carefully pack m '•>>: pens Si .50 per 13; two or more sittinK^. idu i-t i i-; Plymoth Uocks and Pekiii.s have never bucii bcittc FIFTY TONS mi I- sale at the Lancaster (Jraiii Elevator, at 50 CEIVTS PBK BUSUKL. Linseed meal is a good general Feed and unequalled for the production of Milk, Beef and Butter, summer as well as >vinter. The best Englisli authorities estimate the feeding value of lOO poiiiidH of this meal to be equal to 300 poiiiidtt Oats, 'SIH pounfis Corn, 767 pounds Wheat Bran. GROFF & WE8THEFFER, apl-Siu LANCASTER, PA., 30 CENTRE »iQITARE. I.IGHT BRAHMA EGGS Por lintchin^, now rea»ttl ajOOAddiesH H. Hai.lktt It c. . Portland, Maine. ^jun-lyr* M. HABERBUSIl, MANnFACTIlRKK OK Plain and Fine Harness, .s.voni.rK. COLLARS, WHIPS, FLY NET.S, &c.. TRUNKS, TRAVELING BAGS, liUrAI.o HOBKS, Horse Covers, Lap-Rugs, Gloves. Sec, No. 30 Penn Square, CHAS. A. LOCHER. WHOLESALE/vWP RETAIL ^DRUGGIST -^ 10 9 EAST KING SXR. -5>- LANCASTER, PA. manufagtur!-:r Or<^ LOCHER'S RENOWNED COUG \NDcffEBRATEDHORS ;$? CATTLE POWDER GLOVES, SHIRTS, UNDERWEAR. ^ SHIRTS MADE TO ORDER, E. J. TGRISMAN. 56 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. PHAHKN W. b'HY. '.Vholesaleand Rct.il Dealer in WfttL PAPER & WINDOW SHABE8, iloll.'iiKlv. Plain Sli:>^r:;{^L.^. Make Money lU 2X8«:«i{l*p";f«"°"°'"' Best Book for Farmere and Farmen' Pfty». Bndorted hp Lfadina Pnptm and Ablctit Writf^ro n-- n Th'^rouijhty Practical S60 Past*. 140 Illiutrfttlont. Haniaomest nod Beit Pann Bouk over published. Every yarmtr thould Aatr« a Copy. For Dcscrljitlvo Circular and Tcrmi to Ageott, SMrat, J. C. :::Ci:BDr & CO.,-632 Chcstaut St.,Phnadolpliia, P», dnoinoati. O. Chicago, JX\. cr St. Louis, Ho. %m IV. THE LANCASTER FARMER [April, 1881. WHERE TO BUY GOODS LANCASTER. BOOTS AND SHOES. M. BOOKS AND STATIONERY. JOM X BAEK-.s .s«t X -S, Nos. 1.5 and 17 Xorth Queen 8he(.l, liaM- tlic !.ir.^'(.-st and best iii%sorted Book and Puper .Sturu in tlu- CHy. FURNITURE. 'EISilT.SH-N.No. I.i'., East King St., (over China ^ Hall) is Hit- ilicapest iilaoe in Lancaster to buy nilure. I'ionu-e Frames a specialty. CHINA AND GLASSWARE. HIG!« .t MAKTI>. X.J. 1.3 East Kiiij; St., dealers in China, aia.-.s and (Jneeiisware, Fancy Goods, Lamps, Burners, Cliininey.s, etc. CLOTHING. M YBKS A- KATIIKOiV, Centre Hall, No. 12 Eas King SI, Largest Clotliinsf House in Pcnnsvlvanii side of Philadelphia DRUGS AND MEDICINES. (^ W. Iiri,!.. Dealer in Pun- l)nm:= uid > T« Cheniieals, Patent Jledicincs, Trusses, Braces, Supporters, &c., 15 West Kini; St., Lane JOHSf F. l.OXti A SOX, Drug-ists, No. 12 North Queen St. Drugs, IMedi^ines, Perfumery, Spices, Dye Stuffs, Etc. Prescriptions carefully compounded. DRY GOODS. GlVl^ltK, B4>WERf» A- HUKS'I', No. 25 E.King and Merchant TaiLnin- . I'lrces as I.av as the lowest. HATS AND CAPS. CJI AMKX. No. a;i West Kni^t Street, Dealer in • Hats, Cai.s, Furs, Robes, etc. .Assortment Large. JEWELRY AND WATCHES. H / KH<>\n*. A JSItO, No i -West King St M itthis ( lotk in I "Uasical Boxes Watches Jcweli\ -Mnnd nlnii 1 ti Older PRINTING JOHN 4 mt«»l4M> tf Not th Queen St Sale Bills Cneuliis I o I, i Carls InMt itions letter andBill Heads mdEuMl .icsneitlj pruittd I»ri«slow biges AI Mcar ( n ai 1 t rfp ol jth r \(„etablc8, I invite tL« pitronjge of all who are anxioui. to hare thetr need dttet fly from the grower^ fre^h, Uue^ and oftlie veiy STEW VEGEr\RI,E|i| \ SPEClAI.rY. Nov-emo] EVAPORATE YOUR FRUIT. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FIlEli TO AI.I.. AMERICAN DRIER COMPANY, diHniborwbiir);, Pu. Apl-ll .Jl FARMING FOR PROFIT. iscono.-.Ic! tl^at this large and coniprehensiv M,i'ii'i'.'iVLvr V, '„k''f"i'ic ki'i'i'.'i ,',''i''„.ir'il!^'.: ;-v book, &Oo., gc-' Jt alto- r been go, "7.',.:,-' -•'■'■'■ ' '. ■■' , ,:-,.;- s!^ ;".^';,;;.; ■;■..',/,' .::. ^-■umu li'i; sivcsalc. ."-cnN arc IV li. iKst agricultural is declined to have ,nlcd everywhere. r-'itis writers Tan-U ^rV'*" ' B^ ^^^S ji^^a ^ A HOME ORGAN FOR FARMERS. LANDRETH'S GARDEN SEEDS I FLOWEinXli 1;. xcrv finest quality. I'LAXT l-uilll l-dl; liorsi: I'I,\XTS. F.\R:MSAI/r, FI..\XS1CF1I .Mi;,\i,. CARBOLIC .SOAPS, PARIS GRKICX. LONDON PURPLE, PARIS PURPLE, INSECT I'OWDER, TOBACCO DU.ST, AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS in great vjjriety, HORTRiULTURAL TOOLS in great variety, REQUISITES for CJARDEN AND GREENHOUSE. D. LANDRETH & SONS, Nob. 21 AND 23 SOUTH SIXTH .STREET, (Between Market and Chestnut,) No. 4 ARCH STREET, apr-6m] PHILADELPHIA, Ready-Made Clothing BELOW COST. RATHVON & FISHER, Are SilUng u^' their entire stock of READY-MI|DE CLOTljING, BELOW COST. ALSO, FURNISHING GOODS, OF THE LATEST STYLES BELOW COST, CLOTHING MADE TO ORDER In the prevailing styles and,at mediuui prices. Corner N. Queen and Orange Stree ts LANCASTER, PA. RATHVON & FISHER, MEEOHANT TAILORS. GERMANTOWN TELEGRAPH. Which is generall.v acknowledged to be the best Literary, Farming and Agricultural Newsnapers in Peuueylvania, Is issued weekly at Gcvmantown, Phihidelphia, at $2.60 per aunnm. It will commence its .5l8t volume .with the first number in March, jiroxitno, being established and conduct- ed by its jtreeent editor and proprietor. No family giving it a trial for a year would be willing to do without it at double the flubecription. AddreeB PHIMP R. FKEAS. Germautowii, PbiJa. *R Tfl (tOnper day at home. Samples w q)y I U ipZUAddreeBSTlKSON & Co., Pen jnu-lyr" $.5 free. A MONTHLY JOURNAL, ' Devoied to Agriculiure, Horticulture, Do- mestic Economy and Miscellany. Founded Under the Auspices of the Lancas ' ter County Agricultural and Horti- cultural Society. EDITED BY DR. S. S. RATHVON. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION ONEDOLLpPERANNUlf, POSTAGE PREPAID BV THE PROPBIETOR. All subscriptions will commence with the January number, unless otherwise ordered. Dr. S. S, Rathvou, who hue so ably managed the editorial department in the past, will contiuue in the position of editor. His contributions on subjects connected with the science of farming, and particularly that specialty of which he is so thoronhly a master— entomological science— some knowledge of which has become a necessity to the success, ful farmer, are alone wortli much more than the price of this publication. He Is determined to make "The Fanner' a necessity to all households, A county that has so wide a reputation as Lancaster county for its agricultural products should certainly be able to support an agricultural paper of its own, for the exchange of the opinions of farmers Interested in this mat- oter. We ask the co-oporation of all farmers interested in this matter. Work among" your friends. The "Farmer" ie only one dollar per year. Show them your copy. Try and induce them to subscribe. It is not much for each sub- scriber to do but it will greatly assist us. All communications in regard to the editorial management should be addressed to Dr. S. S. Eathvon, Lancaster, Pa., and all business letters in regard to subscriptions and ad- vertising should be addressed to the pubhsher. Rates of advertising can be had on application at the office. JOHN A. HIESTAND. No. 9 North Queen St., Lancaster, Pa. ONE DOLLAR FEE ANNTTM-SINOLE COPIES 10 CEITTS. Dr. S. S. RATHVON, Sditor. LANCASTER, PA.. MAY. 1881. DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Pig's Feet, -------- 77 How Voltaire Cured the Decay of His. Stomach, 77 Fences, .--.---- 77 Oatmeal and Beef Tea, ----- 78 Horseback Riding, ------ 78 English and American Implements, - - - 78 Cement for an Aquarium, - - - - 78 Id Testing Eggs, - 78 ToTake Woody Taste Out of a Pail, - - 78 HOUSEHOLD RECIPES Jelly Custard , 78 Marlborough Pie, ------ 78 Vermicelli Scup, 78 Broiled Chicken, 78 Snow Cakes, 78 Light Pot Pie, 78 Chicken Pudding, 78 Putting Away Clothes, 78 Spice Cakes, 78 Orange Pie or Pudding, 78 Canadian Jelly Cake,'- -. - - - - 78 Rhubarb Tart, 78 Barley Soup, ----... 78 Sauced Herring, - - - . - . 78 Royal Diplomatic Pudding, .... 78 To Make Chocolate, 78 How the Chinese Make Tea, - - - - 78 Egg Dumplings, 79 Cocoanut Pudding, -..-.. 79 Baked Piefeerel, 79 Chocolate Mange, 79 LIVE STOCK. Care of Cattle in Warm Weather, . - - 79 Raising Calves, - .79 Treatment of Cows with Calf, - - - - 79 Raising Camels in Nevada, . - - . 79 The Value of Water for Cows. - - - - 79 A Cow's Cud, -.-.-- 79 Beef and .Mutton in England, - - - - 79 Feeding, ----.-. 79 POULTRY. Feeding for Eggs, ------ go Sail for Poultry, ------. 80 Literary and Personal, - - - - . 80 wTscnsTNTTMn^ 500,000 ACRES LHIIUO ON THE I.I.VE OF THE W^SCOSfSl.X CENTKAL K. R. Kor fn'l parHculars, which will bp sent prbr, »ddrr»B Chari.k^ L. Colby. Land CommisKjoair, Milwaukee. Wl» ;CH1I A. HIESTAND, Publisher. .Svt'ontI 4'lM CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. EDITORIAL. A County Fair, - C,6 A Meeting of Citi7.cn9 Called to Coiisider the Matti-T. "Our Hellebore,"' - - - - - - 05 To Avoid Insect Ravages, - - - . 66 The Skunk, 67 The Peach Crop, - - - - . - 68 QUERIES AND ANSWERS. False Flax, - - - 68 SELECTIONS. Cultivating Spring Crops,- - - - , - 69 Growing Barley— Corn I'lanting— Cultivation of Beets —The Potato Crop. Soiling Milk Cows, ------ 69 Fodder Corn, ------- 69 Ensilage, - 70 A Peniisylvrtnia Farmer's Conclusioni*. Castor Pomace as a fertilizer, - - - - 70 To Make and Maintain a Lawn, - - - 71 Origin of Fultz Wheat, ----- 71 Tobacco Culture, ------- 71 Uow to Grow the Coming Crop— Rich .SoiL Required New Ground Iho Best^The Host Ixjcalities— .\ Chanfie of Ground Desirable— Full and Spring PlowiriR— Use of FertjIiMrs— Quantity of Manure- Plowing the Land— The Proper Condition of the Ground — Throwing up tlie Ridges — Distance Be- tween the Rows and IMants. Insanity of Farmers' Wives, - - - - 73 OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. Lancaster County .Agricultural and Horticultu- ral Society, ------- 74 Members Present— Reports of Committees — Crop Re- ports-How we are Poisoned— Is IaikI Improved by Laying Many Years in Grass— What to .Substi- tnle for a Failing Hay Crop. The Poultry Society, ------ 75 Election of N^w Members— New Business— Young Chieks. The Liunsan Society, 75 Museum— Library— Historicrtl Relics — Papers Read. AGRICULTURE; Encouraging Reports from All Over the Union, 75 Systematic Farming, - ----- 76 Weeds, - - - 76 Table Com, -------- 78 Are Roots Worth Growing, . - - - 76 Stumps, -----... 76 The Wheat Crop.in Kansas, - - - . 76 Some Items in Farm Economy, - - . 76 HORTICULTURE Flower Garden and Lawn, - - - - 76 Magnum Bonura Potatoes, ----- 76 Prepare for the Fruit Crop, - - - - 77 Timely Notes of Seasonable Interest, - - 77 Raising Peas, ---... 77 Manuring the Garden, ----- 77 Raise Grapes, ----.-. 77 1 1 cheapest and best In lotli Pearl and Magrnum Boniim Potatoes ('-73i bu. grown from 1 lb. of pfcd). Berksliire Beauty Cab- bage, Amber Cream STxreet Com, La Flume Ch.estnut Celerv, etc, eto. £1»- jant Catalogue free to all ; send for li. NICHOLS.SHEPABD&CO YtBRATOR THRESHERS, Traction and Plain Engines and Horse- Powers. 32 VEARS:; if-'f, without cJiiDt'O of ^.«...r,v.^-"l, or location, to'^bad: broad warranty ytr«i en aUourffootU STEAM-POWER SEPARATORS and Complpto Srcam Outnu of matdiUvmialUiM. Ftnett Traction Ed fines and Plain Emrincft ever seen in the American market A muUituda of special featvraa and improoemmu* for 1881, tOBBther with re/xrior qualiHa in conftnuy- lion and maieriaU not dreamed of by other malicrs. Four sizes of Separators, from 6 to 18 horse espacity./or Hyd PRACTICAL ESSAYS ON ENTOMOLOGY, Embracing the history and habits of NOXIOUS AND INNOXIOUS INSECTS, and the best remedies for their expulsion or extermination. By S. S. RATHVON, Ph. D. LANCASTER, PA. This work wiU be Highly [Uustrated, and vnll be put in nresB u" sooiTafter a sufficient number of subscnberB can EeobtainedTo cover tUe cost) as the work can possibly he accomplished. Don't forget this notice. \fs''o'm^Lmd°I'7ul!'rssortm;nt';f'Counte.-pane8, OU Cloths and Blankets of every variety. [noY-iyr. PHILIP SCHUM, SON & CO.. 38 and 40 'West King Street. We keep ou baud of our own manufacture, QUILTS, COYERLETI^^^^^^^^p,,,^ Bureau and Tidy Covers. Ladies' Furnishing Goods, No- " p" rtfcuiar attention paid to customer Rag Carpet, and scoweiiug and dyeing of all kinds. ° PHILIP SCHUM, SON & CO.. $77 a month and expenses guaranteed to Agents. Outfit free. SnAW S CO., Augusta, Maine. THE HOLMAN LIVER PAD Cures by absorption without medicine. Now is the tune io aj.plv these remedies. They will . for you what nothing else on earth """^ ^mnlreds ot cii zens of Lancaster sty so. Set the genuine at LANCASTER OFFICE AND SALESROOM, 22 East Orange Street. C. R. KLINE, y\.TTOI^NEY-AT-J:iAW, OFFICE : 15 NORTH DUKfi STREET, Lj^lSrCA-STKR, FA. Nov-ly The Lancaster Farmer. Dr. S, S. EATHVON, Editor. LANCASTER, PA., MAY, 1881. Vol. XIII. No. 5. Editorial. A COUNTY FAIR. A Meeting of Citizens Called to Consider the Matter. The citizens of Lancaster county and this city who are interested in holding a 2;randfair of the farming and industrial interests of the county are requested to meet in the spacious reading room at the Stevens House, oh Wed- nesday afternoon at 3 p. ni., April 27, to ap- point committees to act in concert with the Agricultural and Horticultural Societ}' in showing next fall on our Fair Grounds tlie great resources of this favored spot of Penn- sylvania. The exhibits will be shown under immense tents and buildings to be prepared for tlie occasion. Every farmer and artisan will be astonished at the wealth and manufactures, and it is ex- pected tliat all of the citizens will take hold with willing hands to make it the grandest exhibition ever held of our agrcultural and horticultural products, of our numerous cattle, sheep,- hogs, poultry, &c\ also, of all the var- ious manufactures of every kind here produ- ced. On each day of the fair there will be ex- hibited in a ring prepared for the occasion a cavalcade in which each farmer can show his animals to advantage for the benefit of the thousands of visitors. Hundreds of animals will be in this immense ring at one time, led or driven by their owners or attendants. There will probably be the largest exhibition of poultry ever brought together in Pennsyl- vania, containing fancy fowls from other counties and States. The details and prem- ium list will be published as soon as the com- mittees can prepare them. At the last meet- ing of the Lanciister County Agricultural So- ciety this matter was well discussed, and a committee of three were appointed to make the preliminary arrangement.s. We insert the above in this number of the Fahmer, "because, having noticed it in only one of our city papers, we do not think it was sufficiently advertized, according to the vast importance of the subject involved, and hence, perhaps, the reason for the mcaser gathering on the day appointed. From the same paper from which we quote this, we ob- serve that there were only four or five persons present at the mi'cting at the Stevens House, and that these transacted no business. This is very much to be regretted ; but we hope it is no indication of what will be ultimately done in the premises. Lancaster city and county ought to accomplish and ran accom- plish, if they will it— all thai, is proposed in the above call, although it does seem to be a "big claim" to promise definitely so much in advance of its determination by the farmers in solemn conclave assembled. We may, how- ever, be permitted to say this mucli, that no one man will be able to carry out such a programme without being sustained by superior person- al influences, much time and patience, unusu- al energy and perseverance, aud last not least, ample pecuniary means. Perhaps the very wisest plan would be to first ascertain upon what special plane of operations the united resources of the city and coimty could be con- solidated in the ultimation of such a mag- nificent and worthy enterprise. There should be no " brcalting in " on such a subject, but on the contrarj' wiUi/ o£ will and purpose, and all abnegation of self should bo the pre- dominating influence from beginning to end; and this also in the general results, as well as in all particulars pointing to such results. There ought to be one hundred~ov at the very lowest number Ji/ty— good and trno men in Lancaster city and county who arc willing to assume the reponsibility of such an exhibition; and whilst it may be true, as a general maxim, that "where there is a. xoill there is atoay," yet there is nothing truer thau that idll has its limits, and those limits are often bounded by a wall of adamant, beyond which no way can possibly penetrate. We believe the fathers of the rising genera- tions of farmers, mechanics and artizans are making a great mistake in their apathy and non-participation in agricultural and mechan- ical exhibitions. These things exercise and foster the higher instincts of our human nature, besides encouraging mechanical and agricultural skill, as well as affording a stimu- lant to the cultivation ot the intellect. Any one of sufficient mental capacity can see, that every year it is demonstrated more clearly that viind is working the lever of labor, in- stead of mere physical force. These exhibi- tions should occur about once a year in every county in the Union, and especially ajich count ties as contain the resources of the county o Lancaster. Fathers do not know, in the pres- ent progressive spirit of the age, how much recreation their sous and daughters need as a relaxation from the monotonous labors of the workshop and the farm. "All work and no play makes Jack a didl boy," is true in more ways than one ; nevertheless, there is, and alw.ays will be, a distinction between liberty and license ; but the happy mean can only be attained through the cultivation of a mind governed by moral principle. It is true, that these occasions may be prevented, or thwarted from their legitimate ends, but this does not militate against their proper use. Man is by nature a social being, and in proportion as.he ignores the social relation between himself and his fellow man, in that degree he becomes selfish. An exhibition of the agricultural, mechanical, domestic aud mineral produc- tions of a county, a State, a district or a nation, is an object school to the artizans who delve in these different occupations, and prac- tically illustrates to the one half the world not only how the other half lives, but also what it knows — it becomes, as it were, a city set upon a hill, where it can be seen of men. No man, however, should engage in an enterprise of this kind through compulsion, or with an end only to pecuniary speculation. Those who necessari- ly give their time to it, with no interest in it save their other daily labor, should be reason- ably compensated; but in all prosperous and progressive communities, there must be those who have an indirect or ultimate interest in the success of these enterprises, and these ought to labor or use their influence in behalf of th« common good. There must ever Im a mutual intercourse between city consumption and rural production, and public cxhibitious lead to that commerce between these communities which develops the best articles and the most compensating rewards. In short, a public exhibition of industrial products, is one of the most practical and satisfactory advertise- ments that can possibly be made, because, the objects on exhibition in mute eloquence speak for or against themselves. But the ground work must be unity of purpose, mutual confidence, untiring energy, disinterested perseverance, and abnegation of, self relying for compensation upon reacting efiects. •OUR HELLEBORE." The winter of 1880-81 will doubtleas long be remembered as' one of the longest, coldest, "snowiest and blowiest " in the annals of meteorology— so much so, indeed, that we surely thought our "Black Hellebore " {Hik- boroiis niger) would perish. The perishment of the insect world had been forecast by grave sarans, and if these all fell victims to the frigid blasts of King Boreas, how could we expect a blooming winter flower to escape? We say blomning, because the last time we noticed it before the winter set in — about Thanksgiving Day— we observed that it had begun to push forth its flower buds, and in the winter of 1870-80 it bloomed from November to April, and never had less than a dozen opened flowers at a -time. But during the winter just ended it was nearly all the while . covered with ice and sliow, or' slush, most of the time frozen nearly as hard as a rock, and what plant could expect to pass through such an ordeal unscotched or unscathed by frost? But, when winter's frigid reign relaxed, the ice had thawed and the snow had melted away, there arose old Hellebore witli his half a hundred swollen flower buds, congratulat- ing the tiny snowdrops on the prospective advent of spring. Some of his leaves were nipped by frost and partially discolored, but the flowers were intact. When we first ex- amined the plant, March 16, we counted over sixty flowers, about half of which were open- ed—each expanding over two inches in diam- eter—and about as many bees were holding a sort of carnival among them. What a singu- lar provision of prolific nature, that the deni- zens of the insect and the floral worlds should thus be rolling in jollity befoi% Saint Patrick's day. When we planted our Hclebore Ave years ago, it remained stationary for nearly two years thereafter, apparently never making a single leaf. But all the while it w;w invisibly gathering strength, and now the " bush " measures nearly two feet in diameter. It looks like a huge composite flower, surround- ed by a very dark green frill of leaves lying flat upon the ground. This is perhaps an ob- jection to the plant. If it bore its flowers more aloft it would be more desirable, but they have a short stem and all come up from THE LANCASTER FARMER. [May, the earth around the bases of the leaf stems. It is interesting and instructing to observe tliis singular plant during au open winter, and when there are no snows upon the ground, lu a warm and genial day, its flowers expand, and it seems to rejoice with you that even in bleak winter and in the open air, it can recall the semblance of blooming summer. It seems to .say, "Now, enjoy yourself while you may, and to the extent that you legitimatel}- can. Dou't put it off until to-morrow and then run into excess, but improve each day and hour as it passes. Let your chief delight in life be in your duty, and let your duty be your de- light." "Don't be afraid of wasting jour precious fragrance on the desert air, for its outgoing will bo a boon to somebody or some- thing. Why, I have been visited by the gen- tle 'little busy bees' in the months of Decem- ber, January, February and March, attracted chiefly by the perfumed aura that exhales from my winter bloom, when all the other objects of the flowery realm are transiently enveloped in the sleep of death." But when summer is fairly initiated, or when "showery, bowery, flowery May " has made her advent, it seems to speak a different language. It seems to say, "You do not need me now. There are fairer, loftier, sweeter and more winsome forms than mine. Auon, worship these, and leave me to my accustom- ed summer rest. When 'the last rose of sum- mer, left blooming alone,' sadly retires, I will awake from my long sleep and cheer you again. During all the precious summer you have been banqueting on the 'balm of a thoiisaud flowers, ' and you have quite forgotten me, but I will not forget you. When the Chrysanthemums fade and shiver under the chill November winds, and the memories of God's incarna- tion begin to loom up, I will peer forth with becoming humility, and hail the auspicious day." And it will redeem its pledge, if it is only vouchsafed the "ghost of a chance." Heav- ing on it or around it, all the blessed winter, old boots, broken crockery ware, coal screen- ings, coffee grounds, snows, ices and slushes don't improve it much, although they may not destroy it, and every intervening warm period throughout the vrinter it will expand one or more flowers, which will greet with a cheerful " Here am I ; the tip of the morning to ye !" Perhaps one of the most singular character- istics of the Black Hellebore is the successive changes in the color of its flowers ; in that re- spect, seemiijgly affecting the habit of the common Hydrangea. When the flowers fu'st begin to "blow," they are white, tinged with green — at least this is the color of the outside, for they force themselves up inverted and with the flower stem abruptly bent. As they expand they turn their faces upward, or towards the outer margin of the group. The corollse, then, on their inner surface, are mar- gined with a delicate pink coloration, which is intensified about the base. They continue in this condition for some weeks, and then they gradually change to a dull crimson, from which, during the month of April, they change to a light green, after which they be- come brownish and shriveled, and by the first of June they have all passed away. The seed pods become enlarged, and look like six small peas united by their stems, resembling the seed pods of the Aquileyias, or coliimbines, to which it has a family alliance. The leaves also become brown and shriveled, and in May and June new leaves are developed. While it reposes other flowers can be cultivated all around it, completely hiding it from view — provided, always, that they are not perennials. As the plant is very lowly, perhaps a slightly elevated mound in the centre of a circular bed would be a proper situation for it. Also, if some regard was paid to shelter it might improve it some. We have not been noticing specially the effects of culture upon it, but rather its singular progress under neglect. The "Black Hellebore" belongs to the order Ranuncidaceoe, "Crowfoot family," and, be- cause of its winter blooming, it is also called the "Christmas rose." There are three well- known species of the genus Heleborous, name- ly, the H niger, or "Black Hellebore ;" the Hfetidm, or "Fetid Hellebore," also called the " Bear's-foot ;" and H. viridis. or " Green Hellebore." The fir.st named is a native of Austria and Italy, but was introduced into England by Gerard in 1596. Just when or by whom it w.as iutroduced into the United States we have not yet been able to learn. The second species is a native of many parts of England, especially in Yorkshire, where it has long been used as a vermifuge for chil- dren. Its substance is an acrid cathartic, and it owes its virtues to these qualities. The third named is found growing Wild on Long Island, near Jamaica and Brooklyn, but is supposed to have been originally iutroduced from Europe. The Black Hellebore was extensively used- by the ancients as a purgative, in cases where there was obstinate costiveness. In modern practice it seems to be less frequently used, and then chiefly in small doses, as an altera- tive in obstructions of the uterine discharges, or in dropsy. There is also a plant called the " White Hellebore" of a more poisonous quality than any of the aforenamed species, but this be- longs to a different genus and a different family. This is the Veralrum album, or "False Hellebore'" and is included in the order MELANTHACEiE, or Colchicum family. This plan is a native of Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Russia, and Gerard is supposed to be the person who introduced it into Great Britain. There are three or four species of Veratrum recorded as native to North America, but the album is not among them. It is singular how difficult it is to correct a wrong start in nomenclature. The true and the false hellebores are already so much con- founded by writers, that it is difficult to tell exactly which the ancients attempted to de- scribe. When the average individual wishes to procure the poisonous "white veratrum," he must ask for "white hellebore," or it is possible he may not be able to obtain it. It lias long since had a reputation, in specific cases, as an efl'ective insecticide, and in all works, or in cases where it is recommended, it is invariably alluded to as white hellebore. So let it be, if it can't be otherwise, until it shall be of suffi- cient importance to change it. Get your Job Printing done at the Daily ExAsiiNER office. TO AVOID INSECT RAVAGES. Several methods of treating the plant beds to avoid the ravages of the flea-beetle have come to our notice within the past few days. A planter of large exiwrience writes from Tennessee that he has found unleached wood ashes an effectual remedy. The method of using them is this: Early in the morning, while the dew is still on the plants, the ashes are sown broadcast over the bed, thinly, of course, but carefully,, so tliat every plant may receive its due share. Tlie dew aids the ashes to cling more closely to the plants. A. rain, however, will quickly wash them off'. The ashes ought to be supplied every other morn- ing, whether it has rained or not. They' should be sown over the bed from the earliest moment the flea-beetle discovers itself. Per- haps it would be better not to wait for their appearance, but to begin as soon as the seed begins to develop leaves. The ashes ciin be sown over the bristles, brush or whatever covering may have been placed over the seed- bed. We have been assured this remedy is ef- flcacious. At any rate, no better fertilizer can be put on the seed-bed. It is at once a cheap- remedy, easy of application, and de- serves to be tried by every tobacco grower in Pennsylvania. Another grower assures us that he has al- ways succeeded in getting ahead of the dread- ed beetle by the Use of cow manure. This is prepared by putting the solid manure into a couple of old barrels during the previous fall, and adding a few handfnls of unslacked lime to every six inch layer of the manure. The barrels should be kept in the dry, and in the spring, when needed the manure will be dry, may be easily pulverized, readily handled and must be dusted over the beds. Like most of those already given, this application will enric.i the soil and hurrj along the plants, while it is protecting the young ijlants from insect ravages. Certainly, from tlie nu- merous remedies we have offered, the tobacco growers out to be measurably protected from these pests. Let no tobacco grower be deterred from using one or both of these agents because of their apparent simplicity. Such common, cheap and easily obtainable remedies are oftentimes the most efficacious, although many may reject them because they seem so simple. The above we clip from the columns of a local daily, and insert it here for what it may be worth. Possibly it may be efficacious in the seed beds in the spring, especially since it is endorsed by a "planter of large experience. " Here in Lancaster County the "Cucumber Flea-beetle " and the "Snow-flea" predomi- nated in the spring, and either of these reme- dies would probably be efficacious, especially in the case of such a delicate creature as the last named insect. But the grtatest damage the tobacco sus- tained last year was from the " Downy Flea- Beetle" {Haltica pubescrns) in the month of August, when the plants were fully developed, and ready to harvest. The tobacco growers of our county had fields of from one to fifty acres under cultivation, and in the application of any remedy the magnitude of such a labor may be imagined, when we con- sider the vast increase in area, and leaf sur- face, in such enclosures, compared with the area of a seed bed, and the diminutive plants. Nearly eight acres in the vicinity of Lancas- ter city were completely riddled by these in- sects, one leaf of which, now in the rooms of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society, being penetrated by two thousand holes, from the size of a common pin-hole, to that made by a common duck-shot. Of course, such leaves were rendered entirely useless as wrap- I THE LANCASTER FARMER 67 pers. and could only be used as fillers, and I)erhaps were damaged even for that purpose. We confess we are at our wit's end to con- ceive of a remedy that would reach this sec- ond, summer brood of the flea-beetle. But^ " It will uevcr do to irlvc it up 80," and therefore wo suggest the trial of any and every reasonable thing iu playing for such a st,ake. The following paragraph from the same source, may do no harm, if administered in time. "The present is a cood time to destroy in- sects which harbor l)eneath the bark of trees. Scrape off the bark and then wash the trunk aud lower limbs with sIioul; soap suds, or with a solution of potash, or even with lye from wood ashes, but do not use whilowash." THE SKUNK. ( MqMtis americana. ) I have at length succeeded in procuring for the Muneum of the Linnasan Society, a local mammal that I have been endeavoring to obtain for fifteen years or more without suc- cess ; not that the animal is at all a rare one in Lancaster county, but that it usually emits such a nauseous odor that no living being, (•i\-ilized or savage, cares about coming in contact'with one of them ; and yet, if advan- tage can be taken of them, they are as in- offensive as a rabbit, and their flesh is said to be far superior to a rabbit's, as food. * Abouttwo weeks ago, two citizens of Martic township called upon me and offered for sale the skin of a "skunk," which they had trapped in a "dead-fall" the night previous, and so sudden had been the capture that the animal was killed before it had time to discharge its fetid liquid. I purchased the skin for a trifle, and placed it in the hands of Mr. George . Hensel, one of our local taxidermists. It is one of our most beautiful animals, but all its beauty is entirely negatived by its repulsive stench. To obtain this specimen, therefore, under these circumstances, was a rare oppor- ttmity that I could not resist, aud especially because of its color aud condition, for many of these animals are a rusty black or brown- ish, and the lighter parts are not so clear a white in color. It is said that these differ- entialities are the bases of various species, to which I will allude farther on. Aud here it may be well to say that the fetid liquid of the skunk is not its urine, as has been commonly supposed, and perhaps is still, by many in- telligent persons, so regarded ; and the idea, also prevalent, that the animal discharges this liquid upon its bushy tail, and thus scatters it abroad, is equally erroneous. This animal has two glands, corresponding to the musk glands of musk animals, but iu the skunk they are located near the inferior extremity of the alimentary canal, and these glands secrete an extremely fetid liquor, which the animal has the power of emittiug at pleasure, as a means of defence, and although a car- nivorous animal, and amply provided with an efticient dental apparattis, it never attempts to defend itself iu any other way — either by "fight or flight." This liquor is said to possess valuable medicinal powers, but its extreme ofifensiveness interferes with its use. Whenever it prepares to charge upon its foes, it carefully turns its tail over its back, for it is a scrupulously clean and neat little animal, and will not soil itself with its own fetor or anything else. At night the offensive liquor exhibits a phosphorescent light, and it can be discharged from ten to fifteen feet. It is not the stench alone that is to be dreaded, but the liquid is exceedingly acrid, and when discharged into the eyes of its assailant, it produces severe^inflammation, and even blind- ness. The term " skunk," is said to be a contrac- tion from Segankii, whatever that may mean. The group of animals including the various species of skunks, is conflned exclusively to North and South America. It is true that in Europe they have an animal that also emits a disagreeable odor, called the "Pole-cat," but this animal belongs to a different genus— Mi(s(ela ptitfiriits — alied to the true weasels. TJie term Pole-ait is said to be a contraction of Poidtry cat, hecmiso. it feeds largely on poul- try : it is also called the fitchew, or fitchel. Pole-cat is also pretty extensively applied to our skunk in Pennsylvnnia. Our common species of the skunk abounds from Hudson's Bay to the plains of Missouri, aud was de.scrihed by Linnseus aud Giueliu under the name of Vivm-a mephitis: and, although several species are described as North American, yet Dr. Godman held that they were all merely varie- ties of the same species. The same author places the skunk in his second Iribe which includes the Dj"y»f''^'"rt<^'''s— a-nimitls walking on their toes — between the weasels and the ot- ters. Other authors place it in a family be- tween the Viverridn- or civets, and the Ursi- dce or bears, and claim that it is more planti- grade than digitigrade— that is, walking on palms, or flatfooted. Desmoulin described it first under the name of Mephitis americana, the significance of the generic term being a foul, offensive or noxious exhalation from de- composing substances, filth or other sources, and the specific term from the fact that it is exclusively an American animal. America therefore enjoys the distinguished honor of possessing the " loudest smelling " quadruped on this planet. Among the early (Spanish, English, French and German) settlers of America, this animal is the "Skunk "and "Polecat" of the English; "Bete puaute " of of the French; "Stinkthier" of the Ger- mans; "Pisskatz" of the Pennsylvania Dutch; "Seecawk" of theCree Indians; "Mapunto" of other tribes; " Mefitismo " of the Italians, and also the same of the Spaniards. The French naturalist. BufCou, called it the "C'hincha;" Pennant, the "Skunk- Weasel;" Father Charlevoix, "I'Enfant du Diable "— the child of the devil ; the German natural- ist, Kalm, called it Fiskatta ; so that an ani- mal so able to make its presence manifest, it will be seen, has not been slighted by the absence of a "local habitation and a na«if. " Tenny assigns it to his sub-order Carnivora and family MuslelicUe, placing it generically between the Otters and the Badgers. He also drops the specific name of Amvricnnn and adopts that of Cliinga, or Chincha, of Ticde- man. He also claims four distinct species north of Texas and east of Missouri, namely: Chinga, variaxts, occidentalis and mesokncn. In addition to these species there are the bicolor and meficaiw of Mexico ; the mcsome- las and nasuta of Texas ; the chiknsis and couepnl of Chili ; the zorilla and interruptn of California ; aud the castanea, quitentis, fenillei and plusilineatu of South America. Although the skunk is habitually a night prowler, yet when pressed by hunger he will also roam abroad by day— indeed, the only first I ever saw at large, full sixty years ago— I saw about fonr o'clock in the afternoon; but they seem 80 be more frequently met with about human habitations during the morning twilight, al- though I have Iwen sensible at other hours of their whereabouts scores of times. They feed on rabbits, mice, frogs, insects, poultry — especially young chickens, and have a great fondness for eggs. It is very seldom that they are included among collections of living animals, on account of their offensive smell, although Cateshy, in his natural history of Florida, states that he saw one domesticated, and that it never had made use of its offen- sive battery. A volume could be written on the encounters of diflerent people with this handsome little animal, in which the assail- ants always had been vanquished. It never moves very rapidly nor makes any special at- tempt to escape, seemingly conscious of its repelling power when pressed too ilosely. Kev. Lyman Beecher states that one oftliese animals once crossed his path as he was taking an evening walk, and not knowing what it w;is, he heaved a volume of the British cyclo- predia at it and struck it; the consequence was that the volume had to be buried, and after remaining for mouths in that condition the effluvia had not diminished. A skunk was in the habit of entering a cel- lar in the vicinity of Rochester, New York, through an avenue known only to itself. It had often been seen in the cellar by the mem- bers of the fiimily, but they, being acquainted with its peculiar characteristic, had never alarmed or assailed it. But an uninformed servant maid, recently hired, on going into the cellar on one occasion, commenced au attack as soon as she saw it, with the follow- ing result : The girl had to be carried to bed, where she lay three weeks before she was able to work again ; her clothing had to be buried or burned, and all the butter, cream, milk and meat in the cellar spoiled, and had to bo thrown away. I think it is Hearne who recorded that about Hudson's Bay he saw the Indians cooking and eating the skunk — in- deed, he ate of it himself, and found it excel- lently flavored ;ind tender. He himself helped to kill one, soon after which the place was covered with snow, aud on retui:ning to the same place again the following spring, when the snow had melted away, the odor was quite as strong ivs it had been four months previously. The odor of the skunk is not easily definable, and I suppose Its substance has never been chemically analyzed. The one I saw, to which I have before alluded, was surprised near a "sink hole" in a har- vest field, which had been partially filled up with stones, collected from said field. Two bigger Iwys and an inexperienced dog were iu advance of me in the effort to capture it be- fore it could gain its buiTOW under the stones. The animal, perhaps, saw that it would be intercepted, and immediately opened its bat- tery on its assailants, and the rout Wiis imme- diate and complete. The dog began to root iu the ground, and ran home to the farm house. The foremost boy disgorged a lunch, taken a few moments before, and the re- THE LANCASTER FARMER. [May, mainder of the company had no appetite for supper that day. A highly diluted whiff of the skunk musk is not more disagreeable to some people than the musk of commerce ; but on that day I think it would have compared with the smell of a Mexican kitchen, in which a traveler detected " niwe(!/-m)ie stinks and fourteen well-defined stenches." The Linnsean Society is, therefore, to be congratulated on the acquisition of this splen- did subject, for notwithstanding its disagree- able odor, it cannot be ignored in a collection ©f our local mamals, and the circumstances under which it was captured may illustrate to others the manner in which it may be laken without incurring the usual risks of suffoca- tion, blindness or nausea, oo a too near ap- proach to it. But, it may illustrate more than this. It is well known that game ani- mals are every year becoming less abundant in Lancaster county, and, tliat animals now reach the table of the epicure, which in the early history of our local settlement were either unknown or of little value as articles of human food. I might instance the raccoon the opossum, the groundhog and the frog. These animals have a fearful gauntlet to run now, and are likely to become extinct event- ually, to the great distress of those who de- light in such fare. Let it be generally known that the skunk is a rich and delicately flavored edible morsel, and that it can be captured , without discharging its repulsive effluvia and one more may be added to our limited list of game animals. Neither is this all. As a commercial article of peltry, the skin of the skunk, when in good condition, -is worth from one to three dollars. The great drawback to the business has been t^^e difficulty of secur- ing them untainted. What these unsophisti- cated citizens of Martic have accomplished, may be accomplished by sporting experts with improvements thereon, reducing the business to a safe and certain system. An able writer on this subject, states that no animal on the earth possesses the defensive and repelling power of the skunk. By the simple ejectment of a valuable and nauseous liquid, it can put to flight the most ferocious bloodhound, the kingly lion, the stealthy tiger, the ponderous eleiphant and even the venonous rattlesnake. No animal once encountering a skunk will ever put itself in the way of anotlier. But, nstwithstanding all this, it may be circum- vented through the superior tact and intelli- gence of man, and this too by so simple an implement as a dead-fall trap. THE PEACH CROP. From all we can learn, the peach crop will doubtless be nearly a totaf failure throughout the entire country where peaches have been heretofore cultivated as a special crop. There may be a few here and there, where they have had more than ordinary protection. This is to be regretted, for there were millions invest- ed in it, but it cannot now be helped. Per- haps in the end, there may be some compen- sation for the losses thus sustained. It is very certain that there were many inferior varieties under cultivation, and it is to be hoped that where it will become necessary to remove the old trees, better varieties will be substituted in planting the new. The busi- ness of raising peaches should be by no means relaxed or abandoned on account of the late "slight discouragement," for such a winter as we have just passed through may not occur again for many years; moreover, past exper- ience has abundantly demonstrated through- out the entire world, that no croj) of any kind is exempt from meterological contin- gencies. To illustrate the loss which the country (and especially the peach growers) sustains the present season from the failure of this single crop, we adduce the following, clipped from the columns of a local cotera- porary, and the newspapers all over the country speak about the same language : "There is no longer hope entertained by the fruit-growers of Delaware of any profit from peaches in that State this season, Not in twenty-five years has there been a worse show ing, and not only have the growers giving up all hope of having a crop this season, but the belief is general among them that a great majority of the peach trees have been killed, while almost all the rest of them have been so injured as to make them useless. Many of the most enterprising growers are already making arrangements for planting new or- chards to take the place of trees which they believe to be dead or -dying. Should the fear of growers prove| correct that the peach or- chards of the State have been practically de- stroyed, it will result in serious loss, as not less than $.5,000, 000 are invested in peach cul- tivation on the peninsula, more than half of which is invested in Delaware." It has been alleged that such paragraphs have been heretofore put in circulation by the peach-growers tliemselves, when there was no foundation for them in fact," in order to "eteate a corner" in the market, but we think they can be exonerated from such a suspicion the present season, for the wolf this time seems to have really carried oft' the sheep. The plums and the cherries in many places seem to have bloomed as freely as usual, and in rare cases of protection this has also been the case with apricots, but the peaches are almost universally shabby looking. How the case stands in this county, may be inferred by glaucing over the proceedings of the May meeting of our local Agricultural and Horti- cultural Society, which is by no means encour- aging, although as a whole, the crop may not be a total failure. Solicitude about the condi- tion of the peach crop, however, is not at all a new thing ; foi' we can remember its peri- odical manifestations there very many years. We have seen the peach crop a mere drug from our earliest boyhood, and we have also seen its absence lamented as much, perhaps, as it will be the present season. Peaches are so universally and so intensely esteemed, that every year as soon as the Christmas festivals have subsided, the next thing was to indulge in speculations about the "peach crop" — its status always seemed precarious. Queries and Answers. FALSE FLAX. Mr. Wm. A. Jlf.— The plant which you find so abundant in your tobacco field of last year, is the noxious weed, known as "False Flax," and belongs to the crucifbr^, or Mustard family. It is generally known as a noxious weed, and abounds in fields — espe- cially flax-fields— and on the roadsides, and seems to have been introduced into this coun- try from Europe. It is said to have been formerly cultivated in Germany for the sake of an oil which was expressed from the seeds; from which you will observe that, noxious and useless as it may seem, it is still of some use ; and although it may never pay in this country to develop that use, yet it may be intrinsically of more value than tobacco. Its abundance on your premises has no special significance other than that it has found the soil unoccupied and congenial, the seeds having been scattered from contiguous proper- ties last season, and were germinated and protected by the snowy mantle of winter. It has been observed this spring that from the same cause many plants have survived the past winter unscathed^ which in milder and more open winters have been entirely out-frozen. It was also observed that as soon as the snow had ;disappeared, the ground, so far as concerned frost, was in a condition to be spaded and plowed. The past long and intensely cold winter will, therefore, afford no immunity from noxious weeds and insects during the coming season. Tlieir embryos nestled too cozily in their " little beds," cov- ered with a "tick" of feathered snow, until the vernal suns bid them rise. From a paper read before the Linuaean Society by Mrs. G. on Saturday, the .30th ult., I quote the fol- lowing : "Our late very severe winter has not affected plants very much that were close to the ground ; owing, doubtless, to the early and long continued snow. Thus I have found this spring calliopsis and pausies tliat have survived the winter out of doors." The plant under review seems to be unique, both in genus and in species, and our young bo- tanist, Mr. T. B. of North Queen street, identified it as Camelina sativa. It grows from six inches to two feet high — according to the strength of the soil — and bears a small yellowish flower. Its cogeners are the mus- tards, the pepper grasses, the turnips, radishes, cabbages, &c., &c. Indeed, its cruciferian character is apparent from its odor when bruised, being akin to that of decaying cab- bages. Perhaps it might be utilized as "greens," especially when other "sauce is scarce." If you do not care about going into "green grocerage " the best thing you can do is to " root it out " of your premises before it matures its seed. After your tobacco is once fairly started, there will be little danger to be apprehended from the "false flax," for tobacco will not allow much else to flourish where it becomes domiciliated. Hev. E. H., East James Street, Lancaster, Pa. —The beautiful Uttle green Beetle you sent us is a variety of Gastrophysa ccerulsipennis, and as a variety, might properly be named veridiphennis, ov "green-winged." They be- long to the Chryomklans a Lady-bird fami- ly. They strongly resemble the "Flea-Beetle," but they have not the leaping powers of the latter named. We have found them on sev- eral occasions feeding on the loaves of various species of "Dock," {Rumex) and also on "Smart-Weed," (Fobiyonum) enth-ely de- stroying the crop, which was no very serious Mr. J. H. S., Manheim, Pa.— Your sniall box and postal, by mail, were duly received. The box contained sundry fragments of a 1881. J THE LANCASTER FARMER. 69 specimen of Cermatia foroeps, an animal that belongs to the Mykiapoda or " many feet ;" and they destroy cockroaches ar.d bedbugs, and are, therefore, very desirable about a house. Tliey are quite common in some localities in this county. Selections. CULTIVATING SPRING CROPS. The first grain crop to be put into the grouud is spring wheat, and this should be sown so soon as the ground can be made ready. Out of its proper district, marked by climate, it is of no use to grow spring wheat. There are other crops that are surer and give mueli better returus. Oats should come immedi- ately afler spring wheat in time of sowing. S'.iccess with oats in our hot climate largely depends upon early sowing. Tlie cooler cli- mate of Canada and New Brunswick is more favorable for oats, where they are plumper and much heavier than those grown in most parts of the United States. By using seed from the northern localities above mentioned, we can grow heavier and better oats than when our seed is sown. The aim should be to harvest fifty to sixty bushels per acre. This cau be obtained by having the soil rich and in good condition, and sown with about three bushels of the best seed. Oats are a succes- ful crop in the far Southreu States, as they can be sown and make their growth in winter and the crop kept out of the way of hot weather. Growing Barley. Barley, under favorable conditions, is a re- liable and profitable crop, and should not be considered simply as material for brewing. There is no better grain to feed to horses, and when ground with corn it makes a most ex- cellent feed for cattle and growing swine. The two rowed varieties yield more than the six-rowed, but bring somewhat less in the market. The grain should be sown thickly, 2k bushels per acre. Barley will succeed in any good, well prepared soil, but it prefers a mellow, clay loam, in good tilth. Corn Planting Corn planting comes later in the spring, as it requires a warm soil for the grain to ger- minate, and snfters from late frosts. The time of planting of course varies with the locality, and the soil can be prepared in read- iness for the coming warm, settled weather. Sod turned under not too deei>ly is conducted as the best for corn, but excellent crops can be grown upon stubble, provided there is a good supply of manure given to take the place of the vegetable matter of the rotting grass, etc., of the turned sod. Cultivation of Beets' Beets, including mangels, need to be put in very early. There is much difference of opin- ionas to the advantage of soaking and sprout- ing the seeds before sowing tiiem. If thus treated they should be carefully watched, and be sown as soon as soon as the minute germ or sprout appears on a few of them. Drying with fine gypsum (laud plaster) will make the sowing easy. This treatment will insure quick germination, and the young plants will get the start of the weeds. As soon as the plants are up sutficiently for the rows to be seen, run a hand cultivator between them and witliin an inch or so of the plants. This will leave a strip next to the rows to be treated with hand-hoes. Use a horse-hoe for most of the latter cultivation. The manufacture of beet- sugar promises succe.ss, provided enough roots are grown in apy one locality to make it pro- fitable to erect the necessary buildings and machinery for extracting the sugar. This needs co-oj>eration among the farmers them- selves, and between them and the manufac- turers; upon this the success of beet sugar making in our country depends. The Potato Crop Farmers have so thoroughly learned how to manage the potato-beetle that it is not neces- sarp to plant early with a view to escape its ravages. But it is well to plant early, espe- cially if the crop is to be sold, and there is a ready market. The earliest pays the best, and the one who is first gets the cream of the market. The Early Rose still holds its rank among the most desirable varieties. SOILING MILCH COWS. Soiling is a method of feeding cattle that are confined in yards, pens or stables, with green fodder grown for the purpose and cut and carried to them. It is a jjractice suited best to lands that are of high value, and to small farms upon which pasturing cannot be made profitable. For instance, a farmer that has .^0 acres of fair land would do well to keep 10 cows upon it under ordinary circum- stances, but if by soiling his animals he can support 30, 40 or even 50 cows, the advantages are very obvious ; and this result has been reached by farmers who understand the sy.s- tem and know how to apply it economically. The method may be described as follows : To begin, a green crop should be prepared fof use early in the summer, but a beginning may be made at any time. The system can, however, be better understood by going through the whole detail, supposing every- thing is in working order. The first crop pre- pared is winter rye or wheat, or both, sown early in the fall and later, so