The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-01-04
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

iHg GuSrowpEk FARMRRs' CLps. The
farmers o. Baltimore county appreciate the
advantages Of association and corporation
tor their mutual benefit. They have formed
well organised club called the Gunpowder
Club. This club gives q prize, each year, ior
the largest yield OF corn, per acre, BY any one
Of rs members. The largest crops Of last
year, as reported in the Americaa Farmer.
were raised BY Messrs. Talbot +. Gorsuch,
Joshua Gorsach, and Edwin Scott, measuring
respectively n barrels, bushels, and pecks;
20 bbls. bushels and 10 hbls. 5 bushels and
.peeks to the acre. This is really fine crop.
ping, and some Of our readers may wish to
know how i was done. We give the plans
pursued By the Messrs. Gorsneh, who pro.
daeed the heaviest crops;
Mr.. /. 4. Gorsuch's test acre was a sod OF
three years standing, part of which was
plonghed four to i've inches, and the remaiil.
der nine to ten inches deep; the land was
heavily manured with barn-yard manure; the
rows run four feet opars, and the corn planted
IRON eighteen to twenty-five inches distant in
the rows, aboat the middle Of May. The corn
was slightly covered with earth from the
iurrow, after which some surface soil that had
been saved from the site ola new outbuilding,
was hauled, and the hills given moderate
NtfNAAtA WIZ ~ AAttl more fuflIl
from the burrows was added. The corn had
three workings; the first partially with The
harrow, but finding 1t broke downthe corn, the
eultivator was substituted; the second working
was with cnltiyators, and the third with double
shovel plows. Replanting was done at first
and second workings, and at the second the
corn was thinned TO two stalks in the hill. Ii
was hoed at the second, and the steps between
the corn were chopped with the hoe at the
third working. Soon after the second work.
ing, 10 bushels of chicken manure were worked
hne and well mixed with bushels of plaster
and bushel salt, and the mixture was scat.
tered lightly on the hills Of about fve-sixths
OF the acre. This application was too heavy,
and i proved and injury rather than benefit,
the dry, hot weather, causing the corn to fire.
Mr.. Joshua Gorsueh's trial acre was mart
clay and part loan. 1t was MANFRED from the
barn-yaFd, and ploughed early in spring, the
manure being turned under with CO lbs.
Peruvian guano added, and, a top-dressing
applied Of 'scrapingsn The land was har-
rowed three times, and the stones taken of.
Planted May 9th. About half the rows had a
spoonful Of ashes and plaster to the hill. As
soon as the corn was up, the cutiyator was
run through the rows once. Then % rows
were replanted in the hill, and on the rest of
the acre the middles were split, making that
portion of the hills eighteen inches instead Of
three feet apart, the rows being three and a halt
4. wide. Thew worms took the second planting.
Ranthe culhyator twice in the row and re- plan
ted again, working next with the drag. Replant-
ed once more the 22d June, and then ploughed
twice with double shovel, giving them last
working with the cultivator, once in the row.
the broad way. Husked out October nth.
We find in the same number of the Farm.
er, the Report of the Committee on Plough
ing Of the same Club, made Dec It'll, which
says: The committee tried fifteen plows. As
far as they had opportunity of Judging, they
consider the Champion Plow, manufactured
in Westminster, by the Taylor Manufacturing
/ Company Woodcock, Empire, Sell. Sharpen.
ing, and the Iron Centre Steel Plow, all three
horse plows, admirably shifted to the require.
ments of our soil and section. The Commit.
tee, composed of John ID. Matthews, Samuel
NJ. Price, Joseph Bosley, d. Gorsuch and /.
NJ. Price, also speak of the Burdicks Cutter,
manufactured by the Taylor Manufacturing
Company, Westminster, as doing its work
well, in cutting fodder and hay