The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-12-09
Deer Greek Farmers Club.
How 10 Raise Canning Produce without
ImpOverishing Farms.

chairman. MIR. Janney, who said that the reports
OF the inspection committees had been monoto-
nously favorable, and he had therefore looked
around for something TO criticize. but could find
nothing Mr. Balls farm stock. sheep, COWS and
young cattle are in good condition, his harness
hung up carefully, his barn well stocked with
provender and his corn crib well filled. He was
rather surprised to see the latter Mr.. Ball was
extensively engaged in canning tomatoes and APP
plies MIR. Moores said that Mr. tails wheat, al |
though sowed late, on tomato ground, is healthy
and strong; his pasture land and moving field look
well; the fence rows are clean and the stones
picked up. Mr.. Ball stated that within the last
years he had built barn and straw house a mill,
dwelling houses, hog house, canning house
and number of eutbuildings on his farm
The ques ion for discussion was as follows =
Hest ss stem of farming to keep up the fertility
of farms, while raising produce for canning pur
poses.'
Mr.. Ball said the question implied that farms
must necessarily 60 down, while raising canning
produce, but the country around Aberdeen,
where the canning business in extensively prose-
cutcd, has improved very much within the last
mixed system III farming. We must SOW clover,
corn and wheat MIR. Bal thought it might prove
to be u good plan to SOW clover at the last work
ing of the tomatoes lie lid not believe crop of
tomatoes is any. harder on land than a crop of
corn He advised plan by, which tomatoes
would follow corn, and wheat follow Tomatoes
He would rather risk wheat after tomatoes than
L. W. Lee of Kansas, said that if he were
Deer Creek farmer he would not undertake to
raise canning produce, because the land is rolling
AMI billy and he did not believe it could be kept
and tomatoes By a proper system of rotation it
might be kept up. but if man has canning
therefore can not rotate. The best plan is to ro-
tate with corn, oats and wheat, applying the
necessary fertilizers.
W. w. Cashier said he did not sec any reason
why, with proper rotation, the fertility OF the soil
could not be kept up, but if land is continually
cropped IN tomatoes and corn. 1t can not be kept
wheat and grass 1t had been suggested to
clover after tomatoes and pillow the clover under,
htlh 1ntt hfnItu ftnrf
10y blowing under II heavy green crop A heavy
growth of clover, he thought, would sour the
land. Glover should not be plowed under until
Il John Rogers said he would he opposed to
going into canning on a large enough scale to re-
qure blowing up the whole OF his farm He
would prefer to grow tomatoes, because, to do
large business much land need not be plOwcd
up us if sugar corn were raised. lie thought the
fertility of land could not be kept up without
grass Artificial manuring alone will not keep it
up. Our rolling lands would suffer from washing
by farming them continually in corn and toma-
toes. A good crop of clover following tomatoes
might help to keep up fertility.
The President Geo. T. Silver, did not agree
with Mr.. Rogers in regard to the difference in the
quantity of land required to raise sugar as
compared with that for tomatoes.
j. Thomas Bradford said that no system would
keep the fertility of billy land under constant
cropping. BY breaking it up frequently the soil
will wash away. He thought Mr.. Rogers correct
about raising corn and tomatoes. You can raise
800 bushels of tomatoes on acre. while IS BUSH
els of sugar corn is good crop. 10 keep up fer
UNITY atter working lana two or three years you
should SOW it in wheat and grass, and let it lay
until it gets something on it again. He did not
think sweet corn as hard on land as field corn
Land can be kept fertile by constant blowing fit
is covered over every year with manure, as our
gardens are
James Lee never thought the fertility of his
land, which is rolling, could be kept up by can
ming. His idea of canning would be to work ii in
with the present system, and only put in canning
any circumstances.
Vim. Munnikhuysen thought the only way
would be by n rotation of crops. If he were to
engage in canning, he would not put in more land
for the purpose than he expected to sow in wheat
and grass the same fall. Commercal fertilizers
ter, but you can not make land rich by artificial
fertilizers alone
VIM - Hays sail his system would be to put
on plenty Of fertilizers and all the beef you can.
Bennett n. Barnes thought fertility might be
kept up by sowing clover after tomatoes and let
the land lie for a couple of years. Most of the
Gamers in his neighbnrhuod after tomatoes sow
wheat and clover pas, uring the latter one or two
years. Some SOW in clover and nothing else.
Joseph y. Ball could not see why fertility can
not be kept up for canning as for anything else.
The farms in the lower part of the county have
been kept up better, since they have been raising
canning crops than when they raised wheat and
other crops. They have made money canning.
while II their lands had laid in grass they would
have grown poorer every year If you can sell
tomatoes at the average price of the last few
years 1t Will ply better than oar usual crops even
If the land does Ce'criOratC a little. If he had
only Il small place he would be willing to risk 1t
all in tomatoes. a tomato field will not wash
more ln;il corn Htld his pan WOull Oe u farm
the land four or five years using commercial fer
tiliZers and then let il rest. The fertility can be
kept up with wheat straw. barn yard manure &c.,
if you can get them. but the most economical
plan is to let the land rest.
Thomas A. Hays thought Mr.. Bradfords ideas
very good. lie did not believe you can keep up
fertility by blowing constantly aud applying com
mercul fertilizers.
S. G. Andrews said he had had four years ex-
pericncc in the canning business, and knew that
wheat will grow thrttly after tomatoes, TOma-
toes can be grown yea after year in the same
field, and each crop VII be better than the pre-
piled every year. Wheat is always good after to-
matoes. MIR. Charles James, with whom he had
lived. raised on an average % bushels of wheat to
the acre. on tomato ground. 25Ohushels of tOma-
toes is an average yield. That would make $50
cases or about II cases to a bushel If it can be
done it would tie better TO SOW tomato ground in
wheat and clover, even if you pillow it the next
year Sod ground is best for tomatoes, as they
will stand the drought better.
Thomas Lochary said that keeping up tho fer
tility of land with artificial manuros depends very
much on the land itself, The land around Aher-
deem had been improved during the last Is years
by this means but il our Deer Creek land, on which
from 10 to ~ barrels of corn can be raised to the
acre. were plowed every year it would go back
1t might be kept up with bone, but il would cost
more than the crops would justify.
John Moores thought land might be kept up
while canning. The Gamer he thought should
also be an extensive feeder of stock. He would
then have plenty of barn yard manure, which
would certainly keep any level land fertile. lie
would not advise GINNING on hilly land. Corn
meal at so or SIS u ton, or bran at one cent
pound, would be the cheapest fertilizer to buy
Feed 1t to stock and you would feed 1t to profit.
You would not only get fertilizer, in the shape of
barn yard manure, but profit on your stock be-
sides. Canning houses might be turned into
houses for winterng stock and the feed could be
advantageously cooked. lie did not think toma-
toes exhausted the fertility of ground, nor did
he think there was much difference between
corn and tomatoes, in their exhausting effects
upon ground He was not satisfied that bought
fertilizers would keep up fertility for canning
on all lands.
Johns III Janney thought fertility could be
kept up while canning Our gardens are plowed
up every year, and they grow very rich. He
the corn field at the last working, and pillow 1t I'M
der in March or April. With vegetable matter
and bone he was satisfied fertility can be kept up
not allowef to ripen on the land. Ii Gamers have
farm of any considerable size they might feed
cattle extensively. If they raise sugar corn they
should build a silo, cut up the fodder, and feed
with little meal. One hundred acres of sugar
corn should feed 100 steers. After three or four
v The President, Geo. f Silver. said he believed
1t almost impossible to keep up the fertility Of
hilly land under constant blowing. Such land,
after or years, would become very light, and
much of the soil would be washed away. On
Level Land tne ier v msnr pe ssp pP
bone. He did not regard corn tomatoes or peas
any harder on land than our present crops, and
he did not see why sugar corn should be as hard
on It as field or horse corn as it is called. There
is no reason why fertility should not be kept up If
we follow our usual rotation Say pillow two or
it lay He did not believe we could put enough
on hills to make up forthe constant loss by wash
ing but level lands may be kept up by bone and
phosphate. The question is will canning justify
this expensive outlay?
Jas ri. Ball said that the question resolved it. |
ing and raise tomatoes, corn or peas. shall we not
have to devote our usual corn ground TO raising |
these things, and buv corn for our stock?
The club then adjourned to meet at the farm of
William T. HAYS on the 18th of next January.