Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-03-02
AGRICULTURE.
MEETING OF The LOCAL SOCIETY

MEETING OF The LOCAL SOCIETY.
Crop RepOrts-ResOlutions of Respect
Essay ON apple Cuiture-Preservation of
forestsuClCver and Clover Seed-AnOther
Agricultural Fair, &C., &C., SC.
A stated meeting of the Lancaster coun-
ty agricultural and horticultural society
was held in their room in city hall yester-
day afternoon.
The following named members were
present
Joseph F. Wilmer, president, Paradise
NJ. D. Kendig, secretary, Manor; Henry
NJ. Engle, Marietta Calvin Cooper, Bird
INLAND Simon P. Eby, city; Frank r.
Ditfendertfer, city John C. Linville, Sails
bury Casper Hitler, Conestoga; John
Huber. Warwick; Henry Kurtz, Mount
JOY; Daniel Smeych, city !; J. NJ. Johnston,
city Christian A. Cast, city Elias Her.
shey, Paradise John B. Erb, Strasburg :;
Robert Dysart, city; Samuel Binkley,
Warwick; VIM. H. Brosius, Drumore :;
DR.. c. A. Green, city; Webster L. Her.
shey, Landisville G. L. Hunsecker. Man.
helm John II. Landis, Manor; Levi S.
Reist, Oregon; VIM. McComsey, city :;
Eph. S. Hoover, Mannheim; DR.. S. S.
Rathvon, city Jacob B. CARRIER, Colum-
bia ; johnson Miller, Warwick Simon A.
Hershey, West Hempfield Enos Engle,
Marietta; Wash. l.. Hershey, Chickies.
In nhe absence of thepresident when the
meeting first organized, H. NJ. Engle was
called to the chair.
Crop Reports.
Reports on the condition of the crops
being called for, Henry Kurtz of Mount Joy
said the wheat in that vicinity looks very
fine even that which was sOwn late in the
fall looks as we'll as that sOwn earlier,
grass does not look so we'll and clover
looks as if there would be a short crop;
the tobacco is nearly all sold.
John c. Linvillc, of Salisbury, said the
| wheat looks we'll fruit buds are pushing
rapidly and peaches will in a few days be
in blossoms if the weather continues warm
the maple is in bloom and the bees are
busy gathering honey; live stock has
wintered well, especially sheep, and the
advancing price of wool promises good
return to the sheep husbandmen.
II. NJ. Engle reported that the rainfall
for the past month was 81 inches.
| Resolutions of Respect.
On motion of Calvin Cooper, the rules
| were suspended to enable him to offer the
following resolutions of respect to the
memory of G.. NJ. Hostetter.
WHEREAS, 1t is with deepregrct that We
have lost one of our late fellow members
Christian NJ. Hostetter. Therefore,
Resolrrd, That while We bow in submis.
sion to the works of an overruling Provi.
| dence, we have lost an active co-labOrer il
the cause of agriculture.
Resoleed, That it is with sorrow we
think of his removal, while yet in the
prime of life, and we tender the friends OF
the deceased our sincere regrets, trusting
our loss has been his gain.
Resolced That copy of these resolu.
tiOns be sent to his friends.
The resolutions were unanimously adopt.
ed.
|. Essay on Apple Culture.
Casper Hitler read the following essay
The day was, in the recollection of many
yet living, that Lancaster county was one
of the greatest apple growing sections in
the country. Then apples rarely evel
| failed. Every other year was called the
apple year, though the off year usual,
| produced fruit in abundance for home use
! Well know that we picked wagonbeds
| full of apples and hauled then to the dis.
tillery to have them converted into apple
jack, to keep them from spelling CD. The
| hogs revelled in the orchard and got fat
and the cellars were filled with winter
| apples, that were free to every conner, and
| in the spring there was often such surplus
that they had to be carried out to the hogs
| In those days there were no available dis
tant markets for apples.
Then twenty-five cents bushel was q
| fair price for winter apples, and they were
| often sold as low as ten cents a bushel
But a change has come over these things
For many years the apple crop has beer
uncertain, sometimes failing altogether
but frequently plentiful enough, but defec.
tive and ripening before its proper season.
SO that often we had no fruit about the
| holidays.
The result of this is that our five or ter
acre orchards have disappeared, and il
| their place We see half acre or acre
orchards, and in many places no orchards
at all.
But with these discouragements in apple
| culture, are not these acre orchards after
all, paying better averages, than the rest
| of the acres of the farm? They generally
|
during summer. fall and early winter, sup
ply all the dried, applebutter and vinega,
needed during the year.
1t must not be forgotten that fruit il
necessary to health. If it is not grown
at home, the household will be often short
of a supply, especially in the summer
| season.
If a supply is to be kept up by purchas-
ers, the bills during the year could not be
paid by the profits of an acre of wheat OF
corn. These things should be sufficient
inducement for us to attempt to grow
fruit.
1t is a question, too, worthy of our con.
| sideration, whether we have been doing al
| we could to grow better fruit and more OF
| it.
The most careless observer, no doubt,
has noted occasionally tree of some well
| known variety, produce much better fruit
| than its fellows; or, sometimes an orchard
that from some cause is much better than
the average. If these trees or orchards
have received different treatment to others
| we should learn what it is and initiate the
| treatment. If they are caused by lOca-
tlon, influence OF soil, water supply, shell
ter, &C., why then by all means let us Sc
lect, if possible, just such conditions.
My own observation of late years has
made me a great believer in water supply,
not necessarily running water, but soil
retentive of moisture.
Deep clay loans, or swamps so drained
| as to take away surface water, would be
my first choice for orchard location. A
northern slope, where the sun has little in
tluence on the ground, is also good. All
. Aol r..