Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-01-23
Convention of Farmers Clubs.

| erS' ClnOb OF hoh'BVheIy tO"h'y pS'" 40
second annual meeting at the Sandy Spring
ILyceum, on the 18th dry Of january. About
eighty persons were present, comprising sub
staptial body of intelligent, practical farmers.
Mr.. Sands OF the american Farmer was in at
tendance and followed the proceedings with
evident interest.
At2P. N, the President II G. Hallowell,
took the chair, assisted by several Vice Presi-
dents, and the efficient Secretary, DR.. +.
Thomas.
After appropriate remarks by the Presi-
dent, in which he congratulated the assemblage
upon the success of the association as proven
by the interest manifested on both occasions
of their meeting, the Secretary read the min
utes OF the meeting held one year ago, and the
Committees then appointed were called on for
their Reports. The Committee upon "Agricul-
tural Experiments" represented by Z. j..
Hall, exhibited manifest diflidence in an
swering the CALL but excused themselves on
account Of the absence of their Chairman,
Joseph II. Bradley, Esq. who was prevented
from attending by urgent professional bust
ness. We were assured, however, that Mr..
Bradley had not been wanting in attention TO
the subject.
The Committee appointed to confer with the
authorities Of the District in regard TO the
legal weight of oats, reported through Arthur
Stabler, that the law of Maryland fixing &c
pounds TO the bushel, was universally regard
ed as so detective that no corresponding adj
| 10 ;,al aebi nto ~
twas thought however, that legal standard
of 80 pounds might be agreed upon in both
places.
The several Clubs were then called on, for
the abstract of proceedings taken from their
respective Secretaries' records for the year
! 1878; and the audience appeared interested in
these notes, which showed in a condensed
FORM the chief subject that had engaged at
tention al the monthly meetings Of the differ
ent Clubs.
Amongst these proceedings was an interest
ing report on Diaries, prepared by the Secretary
of one of the Clubs, which evinced n lively
and successful cultivation of that branch Of
our business; n copy was sent 10 Mr.. Sands,
at his special request, and the report win pro-
badly appear, together with some further
references to our Convention. in the next
Faymcr.
W!fen ,hisregular business was gone through
with, the farmers present were invited to
communicate such statements of interesting
statistics, and other facts relating to agricul-
ture, as might be profitable to the persons
present.
A response was made by P. T. Stabler, who
gave full statement of his farm operations
for the past twenty-four years, so far as related
to the two main crops Of wheat and potatoes,
showing the prices and the times of year when
each article was highest and lowest, with the
amount of fertilizers used, and other interest
ing matter. A good balance was exhibited in
favor of the farm; but whether this would
have been the case, if the cost of labor had been
, fully reported, seemed rather doubtful; a
, great improvement of the soil Of his farm is,
however, well assured. His suggestion of the
advantage to every farmer, in keeping an ac-
curate account of his operations, with debt
and credit attached to each, is considered high
ly deserving of imitation.
B. r. Roberts read a statement carefully
prepared, showing the cost of keeping horses;
by which it appeared that the cost for the year
of grain fed to each horse was $6420, the
average quantity consumed each day, being
IL pounds the grain was all fed, ground in
chop. Mr.. R. also gave the cost to him Of
feeding his pork in the year just past; it being
6s cents per pound.
The Chair announced that the discussion or
the questions, as heretofore published, was
next in order:
The first question related to the fatal disease
which has destroyed SO many valuable hogs
in our county. 1t appeared from the remarks
made by T. G. Hallowell, Geo. L. Brooke, JAS.
S. Hallowell Chas. Staber and others, that
the disease called by the general name of chol-
era, was very different in its appearance last
Fall from the pestilence of past years. 1t was
| insisted strongly by some of the speakers that
t The disease would not attack hogs kept up in
the pen but the experience of others seemed
to disprove this idea. Although it was stated
: positively that swine kept up all the time had
! died just like those running out. the advocates
5 of the penning system contended that thost
deaths were the result of contagion caught
from the others; and that ''no cholera hat
: appeared in the part of the county wher,
thrce-rail fences are used" The only remed,
mentioned, was turpentine in the slop.
The next question was what can be done fo
: the encouragement of sheep-raising2 The dis
: cusson of this question proved that the mind
: of this assembage of farmers are all turned
to one point, viz: the necessity of abating th,
curse of seor!hlesS, sleep-killing dogs, as the
first step toward improvement in this most i'm
: portaut branch of our business. A large com
mittee was appointed, Chas. Albert as chair
. man, to prepare the draft Of Law to be pre-
y sented to the Legislature now sitting.
The afternoon having slipped rapidly ava,
d end certain degree of impatienee beiui
: manifested by some Of the company to &c
: at the 9th question appointed for discussion
a il was concluded to refer the remaining ques
b tions to committees, for report next year, Al
e follows
+ Sd. What is the best County Road system
Referred to committee, Caleb Stabler, CHI m n
4th. Would Butter and Cheese Factories
y profitable 2
. 9th. Can cooperative Laundries be estab
= lshed ? Both referred.
: The Chairman then read tho 9th and las
e question Will the establishment of Farmers