Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-20
FARMERS IN CONVENTION.
a Large Catherine as sandy Spriag.
Interesting Topics.

u Large Gathertug NJ Sn00y Spring.
Interesting Topics.
From the Baltimore American.
SANDY SPRING. January l6.-The annual Coz
vention Of the Montgomery county farmers CON-
posing the Sandy Spring Farmers Club. the
Enterprise Club and the Montgomery Club
assembled here to-day In the Sandy Spring Ly-
ceum building Mr.. Henry C. Hallowell. prrsi-
dent. occupied the chair. with Messrs Allan
Farquhsr and Charles r. Kirk. secretaries Mr..
Hsllowell In calling the meeting TO order ~
ferred TO the recent foods In Europe attribut-
inc them to the clearing Of the lands from tim
Der The first business In order was a report
concerning the railroad crossing on the Biers'
MIL road. near Rockville. where lady was Killed
recently. Mr.. VIM. John Thomas reported that
the Baltimore and OHIO railroad authorities
would In few DAYS confer with the county com.
missioners about placing safety gates at the
crossing. Mr.. Thomas said he thought the leg
isiature made great mistake In permitting rail-
roads TO cross county roads ut grade. IL was
also hard matter. he said to get the county
commissioners at work. a. they were so tied up
In red tape. Mr. Richard Kirk who WAS called
upon To report In relation to the Sligo crossing
stated that he thought il only dangerous IN
winter time. Col Washington Bowie secretarv
OF the Union Turnpike Company. read corre-
spond"nce between the company and the Balti-
more and ONO railroad company concerning the
piscl OF safety gates at the crossing nj Silver
spring. The gates will be erected within n few
DAYS. as the Baltimore and Ohio authorities win
meet the county commissioners on Tuesday next
TO locate the gates. Mr.. Asa NJ. Stabler Of the
committee on obtaining law to protect sheep
from dogs. reported that the committee had
been unable To have the law passed by the leg
islature. He thought the farmers We're losing
large sums of money annually by the non-pro-
lection OF sheep. VIM. n. Farquhar thought it
might be effective To write a letter TO candidates
Inf fftSf h..f..
tain their views on this subject.
Hog thistle, which appears to he q standing
joke in the convention, IA well as a standing
nuisance In the fields. came up for discussion.
As usual. there were a number OF interesting
and humorous experiences recited concerning
the plant. III appears that the best known REM
edy for hog thistle in TO cut II frequently Keen
cutting until IL disappears. Mr.. Allan Bowie
Davis also submitted letter on the same sub
ject.
TALK on ENsILAGE.
The next question was the most interesting
but one opinion from those who had tried tho
plan. Mr.. Robert r. Roberts, of Fairfax, Va.
who had been using enslage for three years.
said he had put away three hundred tons last
year. was feeding from fifty TO sixty cows. ana
could pronounce II q decided success Mr. Ed
L. Thomas also pronounced ensiage q success
but thought corn was better than rye TO nut In
the silo- He had heard no complaint on account
or flavor, ard thought II q decided advantage to
dry feed. Philip T. Stabler George l.. StabIer.
Llewellyn Massey icon OF Auditor Massey, Of
Virginia) and Others endorsed ensilage very
highly Mr.. Charles Stabler saying he Thought e
the biggest thing out: and Mr. Massey that ho
never had anything better
MIR. Samuel Hopkins thought flaxseed meal
was excellent Tor fattening cattle i'm winter aud
Mr.. Robert I. Roberts, who had fed cotton-seed
meal Tor two years. but never separately thought
II kept cattle In condition. and improved both
the quality and quantity OF milk.
Barbed wire fences. In the experience Of Mr..
Charles F. Kirk, VIM. w. Moore and others, were
good protection against the invasion OF horses
cattle and other animals
On the question of whether self-binders had
proved success there was no voice I'm the mega
tive. and they were, therefore pronounced sat-
isfactOry. Colonel Dorsey and Others spoke
most favorably of binders i'm general
MIR. John N. Smith. Of the committee on use
OF ground limestone, reported that he had tried
some OF the stene, but had failed to find any
results from its use.
REPORTS OF CLUBS
The Sandy Spring Farmers Club-the oldest
club in the country, organized In lS44-was rep
resented by Mr. VIM. II. Farquhar. who. In the
outset, referred to the organization OF the con-
vention. ten years ago. from the four farmers
clubs Of the country and its continued useful
ness since that date. From twelve farms man.
aged by members of the club. wheat was re-
ported as averaging 26 bushels to the acre, and
corn IL 6 barrels.
The Enterprise Club organized I'm 1865. Wa
represented by Mr.. Arthur Stabler In the re-
port ensilage was said to be no longer an ex.
pertinent. Local option or the failure OF the
apple crop had affected the manufact ure Of cider
The average of wheat to the acre on farms man
aged by members OF the club was placed ut 260
bushels. SH barrels of corn, 1S5 bushels OF no.
tatoes, ~ bushels Of oats and 25s4 bushels Of
rye.
The Montgomery Club was represented by Mr..
Robert HI. Miller, who reported the average
yield or the farms managed by the members or
the club, which were about the same as those
OF the Enterf rise club. Mr.. Edward p Thomas
presented a special report on ensage I'm which
1t was stated that five new silos had been built
In the county during the past wear.
A report was presented by Mr. Allen Farquhar
on the weighing Of hay in Washington and
Messrs. Benjamin II. Miller, Allan Farquhar and
Colonel Dorsey were appointed a committee TO
look into the matter and report at the next con.
vention.
CHICAGO DRESSED BEEF.
question a. to whether the Chicago dressed
beef now sold In Baltimore would affect the
raising Of beef cattle In Montgomery county
was unanimously answered In the negative. on
the ground that fr>st-class beef would always
be i'm demand. MI. Edward Gilpin said he found
the whole matter Of competition was I'm freight
rates, When the Chicago beef was first intro
duced in baltimore. car of dressed beef hold
Ing thirty-Ave carcasses, was run through at
the same rate as livestock SIPS per car: but the
railroad saw its mist AXE and had now advanced
to 500 per car Tor dressed beef Messre Asa NJ
Stabler Mr.. Aga Of Prince Georges county; T.
A. Farquhar. Geo. NJ. Tatum. n. c. Halloweu
and +. Pue also spoke on the question the latter
being of the opinion 1t was question affecting
the now too great profits Of the butchers rather
than the stock-raisers of Montgomery county q,
Mr. Aga stated that the first grade Of beef
shipped from the west went TO foreign marketa.
the second grade came east on hoof and the !.
third grade dressed. IL was claimed the dressed
beef was Texas or Cherokee cattle. which looked
nice. but was Of inferior grade. Various other
questions of interest tn farmers were discussed
alter which the convention adjourned until jan
uary, 1884
Among Others present were Messrs Fletcher
Magruder. Frederick Gather. Amos Holland,
George + Brooks. Alban Gilpin, Samuel Thomas
VIM. John Thomas. Edw Lea. Geo Tatum.
Richard Lansdale. Roger B. Farquhar, Granville
Farquhar Benz b. Palmer. Vim. w. Moore
Edw. c. Gilpin. Saml Hopkins. Dawson Lau-
renee. Thos.J Lea Richard Or nth. Jos Hutton,
Joshua Wartieid, Robert Mackall, Charles
Stabler. Captain Strain. VIM Lea. Charles Grif-
fifth Isaac Harfshnrna