Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-07-05
WOODLAND Agricultural Society.
reported for the Alexandria Gazette. |


Reported for the Alexandria Gazctel
The monthly meeting was held July lst at
George Mero's, President Roberts in the
chair and N. W. Pierson, Secretary.
The minutes of the proceeding meeting
were read. The president said he should de-
cidcdly object 10 that part of the report that
said 1.-The club had to endure its monthly
scold by its censor" us unworthy ofpubica-
ton, and hoped that nothing of the kind
would again find its way into print So said
several others, the Secretary pro TEN. alone
defending the report.
The first reaper and binder used in this
section by some of the members of the club,
was used this harvest. They were called
upon to give their opinion of the practical
working of the machine.
c. Lukens said it cut clean swa tn. and
bound the grain in compact bundles about
as fast rs an ordinary reaper would cut it.
There was no need of raking after it, He
thought there Was room for improvement
in simplifying the machinery.
The question was asked when is the best
time to cut timothy grass? Some thought
that 1t should be cut when in full bloom :;
others preferred to wait until the bloom was
oil and the seed we'll ripened before cutting.
An article i'll the Agricultural Department
of the New York Tribune was referred to rs
coinciding with their views.
This was the report by Professor j. w.
Sanborn, New Hampshire Agricultural Col
lcge, of four years Of careful trial, in which
he found that cows feed upon timothy or
clover hay cut in bloom or when coming
into bloom, would give more milk than when
fed upon later cut grass but the later cut
grass, when the seeds have formed, would.
when fed to COWS, produce more butter and
keep the cows in bett,r condition than
when fed upon the earlier cut hay.
The wheat crop was reported as good, but
the oats were badly affected with blight, the
cause ofwhch no one could discover. Some
thought 1t was caused by the plant-louse
that was seen upon the wheat, others had
examined the roots of the oats and found
them dried up or eaten, but could find no
insects or worms that seemed to be the
cause.
A great many depredating insects, and
worms were reported as eating the corn,
sweet potato and tomato plants. The army
done but little damage except to about two
acres of corn and corner Of a field of grass
on the farm of John Ballenger
The secretary called attention to an ex.
pertinent, hom 10 keep butter street as related
to him by a gentleman who owns farm at
Annapolis Junction, Md. This carefully OBJ
serving, successful farmer, who formerly liv-
ed in the western pail of the State of New
York, said, when the price Of butter was so
low one summer that he did not think it
paid to sell it, after carefully washing out all
the buttermilk in cold spring water be pack
ed the butter in stone jars, putting no salt
IN at the time, filling the jars nearly full
then spread cotton cloth over the butter
and poured melted lard on it so as to effect
ually exclude the air. The jars were set in
cool cellar and left there nearly two wears
when they were opened, and the butter
found TO be as sweet as the day it was nut
in. Salt was worked in and the butter sold
for "giH-edge" price. The customers not
knowing the age of the butter pronounced il
the choicest kind wanting more of it after
it was gone. He accounted for the peculiar
sweetness ofthe butter after so long a time,
to the absence of salt, which. would have
ditluscd itself through the butter and impair
ted stale taste. The great secret in keep
Ing itso long was the entire exclusion of at
mosphcre, and uniform cool temperature.
Valentine Bakerrclated an instance where
a pumpkin was kept perfectly sound, fit for
food, in open air two years, then made into
pics.
p. H. Troth said he could match that
statement with sweet-potato story where
bunch of sweet potatoes hung in kitchen
closet through winter, summer, and win
ter again until spring, when planted in the
not bed was sprouted for plants.
Caps, or no caps for wheat shocks, was
discussed pro and con.
Inc advocates OF no caps appear to be the
most numerous giving many reasons why it
was better to shock the wheat we'll bv pres
sing the tops of the sheaves together and
leaving them until they were stacked or
threshed. All agreed however that the
shocks should be left but short time in the
field to dry sufficient to stow away. so that
the grass would not be killed beneath the
shocks.
Ii was proposed that after the active la
oors OF the harvest and haying was over, an
excursion should be taken down the Potomac
on some steamer On motion, a committee
OF three was appointed to make the neces-
sary arrangements. The chair appointed
n: W. Pierson, E. E. Mason aud C. Iukens
The next meeting Of the club will be held
July Goth at D. Buckman's.
The critical committee are w. Walton. F.
f. Mason and p. H. Troth