The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-03-22
THE sEGZN.
BEL AIR, FRIDAY, MAR. %, 1873.
Deer Creek Farmers Club.

active members and about fifteen honorary men,
bers and visitors were present.
Messrs. Ball, Bayless and Glasgow, appointed
committee to inspect the farm and buildings
reported that they found the farm in an excel
lent condition. The cattle and hogs were very
fine. They did not see the sheep, but were told
that there were about one hundred lambs with
the flock. They approved of the arrangements
about the barn. Mr.. Moores mentioned very
useful implement he had noticed for cleaning
out the stables. 1t was in the shape OF Guilt
vator, with teeth three feet long. horse is
attached to it, and the manure drawn out OF the
stable.
The question previously appointed for discus
sion, namely, the reconciliation OF silver In Its
effects upon the farming interest, was dropped,
and the following announced as the subject for
discussion:
Resolved, That other crops than those grown
by the farmers in this county will pay better.
Geo. E. Silver said this was a question which
every farmer must ask himself. IL Is a TACT that
the profit on corn, wheat and cattle is very small.
He had been investigating the cultivation OF to-
bacco in York and Lancaster counties. 1t is Il
crop that requires careful and particular atien
tion. The average production III pennsylvania
is 1000 lbs per acre. In Southern Maryland the
average is 600 lbs The soil aud temperature OF
our State should furnish everything necessary
to raise large crops Of tobacco. Tobacco eas
been grown In our State in times past, and five
can grow from 800 TO 1000 lbs per acre al tue
prices obtained in Pennsylvania, namely, 30
cents per h., it would pay. Ii we would lake
as nucn pains Win TOBACCO Us luey QO Ill
sylvania 1t would pay better.
Mr.. Gorrell thought tobacco would be proti-
able if we could raise as much Us they do III
Pennsylvania. Had seen there II lot vi one-lhird
of an acre, from which SS4 was realized last
year. 1t was tended by the owners vile and IL
little girl, who kept the worms oil. One man
can put in aud cultivate two acres of tobacco.
York county farmers say that turkeys, which are
sometimes used to devour the worms, VIII not
do the work efficiently, and they must be pick
ed off by hand. He knew of no other crop that
could protiaby be substituted for our present
ones.
Mr.. Bayles, believed that tomatoes pay well.
AT 80 cents per bushel, the price obtained last
year, they would pay better than corn, Three
hundred bushels per acre is an average crop.
Sweet corn for canning might also pay,
Mr.. Janney said that where you find certain
crops successful for number of years it will
not do to change. If you live in grazing coun-
try you can find nothing that will pay better.
He had been raised in u tobacco country, and
the cultivation of tobacco is u hard liie-worse
than anything else except trucking. ltrequires,
in measure, skilled labor. You must have
barns and houses, build fires at certain seasons
and keep lot of persons TO pick off the worms.
Turkeys won't do it. Tobacco is exhausting 10
the soil. 1t takes all the potash out His adj
vice was to keep on grazing or raise truck.
Mr. Silver remarked that in Pennsylvania the
ground, after tobacco, was left in the best condl-
tion for wheat.
Mr. Willis was of the opinion that small fruits
would pay, if you are near the city, but not II
you are five six miles from railroad or Is or
20 from city. He did not think there was any
money in grain at the present prices: From
what he had seen Of tobacco raising in Virginia
aud Maryland it requires as much labor as truck
ing.
Mr. Janney continued, and said that farmers
were discouraged, and justly SO. But they were
not losing so much as merchants and manutac-
turers. These are hard times for everybody. The
farmer should not be discouraged but bear
steady hand.
A. f. Galbreath said that some farmers in
York county are making more money OIL 10
acres in tobacco than our farmers of four times
as much land Unless we can raise tobacco he
did not think We could raise anything better
than cereals.
Mr.. Glasgow did not believe we could make
any improvement over our old system OF farm
ing, and more attention and care to the cultiya-
ton of our present crops would insure greater
profit.
E. c. Hopkins, of Lee said tobacco had been
raised here years ago, and the land had run out.
With more care its cultivation might pay better.
On small farms anything that would pay bet |
ter on a few acres might be tried, but on large
farms wheat, corn and grazing would be better.
These crops have paid and Will pay again
James Lee thought farmers could do no bet |
ter than they are doing. He preferred to stick
to the old plan.
Mr. Spaudng gave an interesting account of
the mode of cultvating and handling tobacco in
Southern Maryland, where he resided for many
years, spoke of the ceaseless vigilance required
in raising it and the long delay i'll getting it to
market. He would not advise farmers here to
engage largely in tobacco raising.
VIM. d. Lee believed corn, wheat and grass |
would paw us better than anything we can turn
our atier lion to at present.
Benjamin Silver, Jr, argued that the present
cause of the depression III the farming interest
was the reaction consequent upon The flush times |
during the war; He also thoughts large portion
of the farmers profits went to the mddlemen, |
who, he said, should be done away with
Mr. Ball related the experience OF an old resi- |
dent of Dublin district told him ON the occasion
of his first visit there. His narrator described |
how much better farmers doing now than |
in his younger days. He said then great deal
of tobacco was raised. This was put iii casks,
large pin placed in eacn end, horse attached,
and the cask rolled to JVppa The land became
impoverished from raising tobacco, and The
present improvement could be attributed 10
raising grain and feeding cattle. Mr.. Ball
thought perhaps mauder lur coloIlug purposes
might be easily raised here with pruht. lie did
not know Of any crops that would pay better
than those now raised.
Mr. Hugs said he was down on tobacco, from
seed to ashes, and thought ii would pay best III
the long run to stick 10 the old pan.
Mr.. Lochary did not believe III making changes,
but by sticking to one thing farmer will come
out best in the end. To 90 into tobacco raising
would involve great EXPENSE and without eXpe-
rience we could make nothing.
r. B. Mccoy said that in Lancaster county
most farmers are interested in raising small
patches of tobacco, from one to four acres The
crop last year was sold at II cents per Id. They
told him it would pay at 10 cents per Id. He
would not recommend our farmers to raise
it, on account of the expense necessary
to prepare for such change in our sys-
TEN of farming. 1t will not do to make spe-
calty of any one crop. Potatoes at 50 cents per
bushel, he thought, would pay better than to-
bacco.
MIR. Easter believed in the old crops and would
not advise u change.
Major A. M. Hancock referred to the enor-
nous profit in raising asparagus, said to be 5000
an acre. He agreed with Mr. Janney in his re-
mark that the present depression OF the agri-
cultural interest is because 1t is In sympathy with
thegeneral distress all over the world. 1t will
continue SO long as production is SO much i'll de-
mand. We are cultivatng too many acres He
did not think any man can now make money at
farming or at anything else. He was born in
tobacco region, and his recollection of Kentucky
was that the lands not only got poor but the
farmers got poor too, raising tobacco He
thought hop raising might be made profitable
in connection withgrazing. In Madison county,
Western New York, every farmer puts in from
one to three acres of hops. The greater por-
tion of their land is in grass. They keep from
so to 100 cows. The country is crested with
cheese factories. The manure keeps up the land
for the hops, which sell at from 80 to 40 cts h.
All the farmers well to do. He had been told
that since they had engaged in hop raising those
in debt had gotten out.
Mr. Archer thought farme rs don't take into
consideration that they live WELL The past year
farmers did well. Those who did not, failed be-
cause they held on for higher prices. Ills farmer
had made 800 and pays 81 900 rent. Everything
is depressed. Manufacturers and merchants have
not lived so well as farmers. We have not paid
enough attention TO wheat, and ought only to
raise corn enough to feed on The place. Farmers
should leave hops and peanuts alone This is a
grazing country
Mr. Rogers said he had no inclination to go
into tobacco raising. He likes to use it, but
IL alc raio