The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-05-05
Deer Creek Farmers Club.

w liSOn ana arthur IraRO The President, Mr..
VIM. Munnikhuysen, was in the Char.
MIR. Archer's farm and outhuildings were view
ed by the club in body. and upon reassembling
the committee of inspection, Messrs b. Silver, Jr.
Cashier and Lochary, reported through Mr.. Sil-
Yer. chairman, that they considered the farm one
of the best kept in Hartford county. The house,
yard and surroundings as neat as an old
maids drawer. MIR. Archer has IS good cattle
turned out grass. His wheat and pas; ure fields
look well. The chairman suggested that too
much land was wasted in the lane leading from
the barn yard to the pasture field. Mr.. Archer's
garden. he thought, would furnish n pattern to
other farmers. who are too much inclined to neg
lcct that important adjunct to farm life. Mr.
Archer has nice driving horse, upon which not
biemish could he seen He keeps only two
work horses, yet his corn is already planted and
the ground In the best condition. His st Ibles
supplied with Judge Waters patent cattle fast
enors, which the committee thought an excellent
arrangement, not only in case of fire, To quickly
release cattle from their stalls, but also to save
labor in every day use.
Mr.. Archer thanked the committee for their
tattcrng report and explained that he had made
his lane wide because II was piece Of land which
could not he plowed on account of the soil wash
ing away.
A letter from Col. John Carroll Walsh, acRnow-
lodging his qualification At being elected an hon
orary member of the club, was read.
The question discussed was: Are the profits
arising from canning sufficient recompcnse for
the deterioration of land.
X. Harris Archer said that If Deer Creek lands
are plowcd more than twice successfully they
will deteriorate by washing To an amount which
no one can estimate. If canning increases in the
same proportion for the next ten years our lands
will be worse than in the poorest county in the
state: 1t will take whole generation to bring Il
farm back 10 fertility after five or ten years can
ming. without knowing the profits Of canning
he would answer the question empha icAly.
NO" lie did not wish TO discourage any from
engaging in the business but thought man
should only follow 1t moderately. He should
pillow no more for canning crops than he would in
the ordinary course of farming. In that way his
profits would not be made at the expense of his
land.
James Lee had not studied the question, but
lint hDf tTtrT tnu
re sold he corn on tenacres To Gamer at $50 an
acre. The Gamer aiterwar s Informed him that
en @ r mr. e" ne sad III If b w s NJ C G
sure such profits would last he would begin can
ming. His idea was that grazing and feeding cat
tie suits better than canning on the hilly lands
w. W. Iastner said he was not prepared to ad-
nit that canning impoverishes land. Ii has be-
| come most important and protitabl, business
and has done great deal for the county. In
stead of land detcriCrating he has observed that
| IL has improved under the canning system. Be
sides its profits have been large enough to justify
| persons in bringing under cultivation land which
| never would have been made available for gener-
al farming, purposes: Land around the large
| cities has been cultivated in trucking for fifty
| years and will produce more to-day than at first
| II cannere would raise couple of crops, then
seed down to clover he did not see why the land
should deteriorate any more than in ordinary
| farming Wheat follows tomatoes very well.
u. Silver, lr., who is extensively engaged in
canning, said he ala not know whether the husi
| Creek land he would take the risk Of canning 60
He would put 800 in truck. 800 in wheat and $40 il
| grass. If you pillow four or Ave years in success
sion you will have to put a great deal on it tC
bring il 10 where it was before. He tries not t.
f, plow the same land more than twice in success
| sion.
| b. Silver, another Gamer, said that since en-
gagi; z in canning he bad changed his mode U
farming very little. Instead ofputtng field il
corn he puts IL in tomatoes, and did not think III,
| land deteriorated more from the tomatoes thar
from corn. When the tomato crop is taken of
he puts the land in wheat and grass He did no
| think il hard hind field corn
His experience is that canning does not deterior
ate land more than other crops.
K. John Rogers said he had noticed that in lowe
section OF the county. where canning is ulmos
the exclusive occupation, the country does no
| present II desirable appearance. Land must de
teriorate where EARNED for the canning busincs
| exclusively. Farmers owning II great deal o
| land can keep il in better condition while can
ming than those with small farms Hartford
| manure He doubted whether commercial fer
tiliZers would keep them up. However, the pro
fits might justify the deterioration OF land. Som,
Gamers had said that they could use their land
or years in canning and then afford to give i
away but Hartford county would scarcely be ben
Arthur Trago said tomatoes had paid him bet
ter Than corn, and wheat and grass succeed wei
| after tomatoes.
Geo j. Finney said it was reasonable to sup
pose that if you pillow land three, four or five
years In succession Its fertility will decrease, NJ
| matter how much commercial fertilizers you pu
on. He did not think it would pay in the Ions
run. unless II man would continue to can all hi
lie,
| Thomas LDchary said If he had farm along tn,
railroad he would be II Gamer. IT he had goOt
farm in this neighbOrhOoh he would take hi
chances in the old way OF farming, With cattle
grass and corn.
A. NJ. Fulford did not think there would be an,
| material deterioration from canning if pToperl,
| managed IL we expect to yet crops and retaiI
| fertility must feed the land. and for cannin,
we must feed literally. II is acknowledged tina
it psys literally. and we should expect L. see n
increase instead OF decrease of real fertility, IS
pccially on level lands where no loss would occu
from washing. 1t is different Deer Crcel
| lands. In canning they should he farned on tn,
same principle us for diversified crops If w
have To pillow hill side after taking OIL the corr
or tomatoes sow rye. By this time of the yea
roots to turn under. This wound stop the wash
ing in great measure. BY this means he did NJ
see why land should dcteriorate.
DR.. w. W. Hopkins said that from observation
| canning for the last two or three years has beer
| profitable. and he did not think the land neces
sariy deterorated more than from ordinar
| farming. II he was sure canned products wOui,
continue to be as high as they are now he wou
not object TO going into canning; bur Ia rais
| sugar corn or tomatoes 10 sell at prices now pa
by Gamers will not pay better than raising pres
ent crops.
Johns H. ,Ianney did not see why raising corr
| to can should deterOrnte land more than raisn
corn to sell for feed. liy iertiltng heavily an
turning down green crops land shout improve
tie thought the country about Aberdeen had i'm
proved very much under the canning SYSTEM
| cam ing must pay there. judgment should b
exercised in raising canned goods; crops shout
DC rotated. l4uIlil SUDull W SDNtu III wheat an
clover year or two and then plOwcd.
John Moores could not see why land should de
tCriorate while raising canned goods, 1t no NOR
hand is plOwCd than for the ordinary crops. rC
mAlOcs make no greater drain upon land tina
oats. If he were canning he would put stal
ground in tomatoes and follow with wheat, whic
does well after tomatoes Gamer must qui
other farming. II aman could make more none
by canning than by raising wheat, corn and oats
he did not see why he should not abandon tn
latter.
5. NJ Lee said the question assumed that Their
is proit in canning and that the land deerloratc:
| He had heard 5 me Gamers say they lost Will
Others asserted that they made money. If II
necessary tn pillow up all your land, or even
large portion of II for any crop, the land mus
dctcrorate. especially if billy. Land will was
some the first season. from blowing, hut not 8
much as blowing two or three years IN succession
Land must deteriorate by raising canned good
| because there can be no adequate return to tn
land. If there is the large profit, as assumed
that might be II sufficient otfsc. for such deterior
| alton. Canning, he admitted. had given greu
, impulse to business in Hartford county, and thi
instihes its continuance for the time being
Judge Waters did not see why land should de
teriuratc any more by the canning system tina
by any other carried on to the sam" cNtcnt-CeI
, | tnny not more than where produce H. sold D
the pace. OF course a farm can be- kept up he;
| ter by grazing. He did not see why raising suga
corn and canning it dCtrriorateS the land NOR
than raising field corn aud selling IT, or faisin
tomatoes TO can more than tomatoes to sell. II
dlcult 10 estimate thu PROFITS of canning Tn
expense Is high and certain and the prrltS de
pend upon whether the goods can be sold f9
|
Hosea Barnes knew some small farms improve
somewhat by canning, bur good many other
have deteriorated. One cannrr had told him thG
: all he had made by canning and $1,000 addition;
would not put his land back to whore il was whe
| he started. Through the Neck al the land thG
has been used in canning for from to ) ycaI
has gone back. At the same time he did not 50
why raising tomatoes or corn for canning shout
he any harder on land than field corn, unless III
business is pushed ahead year after year. rh
deterioration may be avoided by raising tomatoC
or corn one or two years and then getting TN
land in grass. Canning is uncertain, like an
other business. One-half the time they max
and half the time lose Mr.. VIM. Woolsey. h
had been informed, last year made 5000 on II
head Of CATTLE and he thought that kind of bus
/ ness preferable to canning.
Scott Barnes was of the opinion that whea
could not be raised after tomatoes, as Il gcncrt
| thing The tomatoes do not come OF in time I
put in the wheat early enough 10 make goo
crop. Bennett Barnes agreed perfectly with NJ
Fulford's views.
Harry Wilson thought canning had been
great Thing for Hartford county. 1t could no