Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-07
OUR AGRICULTURISTS.
rnE CoNDlrluN OF THE CHOPS.

VOA ANxSASOAAS ~
TaE CONDITION. OF THE ckOPs'
rnvor.p,e xsports from All sect1ons-
HEAVY RsinfalIs-Ciover - . FeFtil.
izer-Care Of Oscnard', &c.
A stated meeting of the Lancaster coun'
ty agricultural society was held in their
room in City hall, yesterday afternoon.
The following named members were
present H. G. Rush. president, West
Willow Calvin Cooper. Bird INLAND
Joseph F. Wilmer, Paradise Henry N.
Enele, Marietta James Wood, Little
Britain S. P. Eby, city Casper Hitler,
Conestoga J. g. Rush, West Willow
NJ. d. Kendig, Creswell C. L. .Hunseck'
or, Mannheim township P. s. Reist.
Lititz John N. Stehman, ROhrerstown
J. H. Buckwalter. Salisbury (; w. 5. Her
shey, Chickies Ephraim s. Hoover. Man
helm township; johnson Miller, War
wick Fl. r. Fulton, city Levi 5. keist,
Oregon DR.. Bollinger. city.
Calvin Cooper, from the committee ap
pointed to visit and represent the society
at the late meeting of the trustees of the
state agricultural college, read long
printed report of his experiences en- route
and at tie college.
Crop Reports.
Reports on the condition of the crops
being called for, several farmers respond
ed, all of whom gave substantially tho
same testimony, namely, that the hay
crop was one Of the largest ever gathered,
but that the grass was too rank to make
hay Of tie best quality /; the wheat was
we'll filed aud we'll gathered in; and yielded
from 1S to 80 bushels per acre ; the oats
was generally good, but in few localities
affected by smut early potatoes very good
and the potato bee.ls not troublesome {;
the corn growing rank, and slow in shoot
ing ears, and that which was planted on
hillsides badly washed by the heavy rains !;
young clover very luxuriant, second crop
clover very slow iu coming into bloom and
a rather poor prospect of seed :; pasture
abundant and of fine quality tobacco
equal to any ever grown, but in some To-
calities badly cut by hail and damaged by
high winds. and in low, wet grounds,
somewhat affected by rust apples gener
ally very poor, the fruit dropping off and
being greatly injured by insects pears
promise full crop but many varieties are
badly cracked !; peaches in some localities
very good and in others scarce, the crop
being on tho whole below an average !;
grapes full crop, but suffering from mil
dew in some localities plums in some
localities pretty good, but generally fail
ure, rotting before they ripened.
The rainfall at Marietta for June was
reported at G 10 and for July a inches.
At Cresswell, Manor township, the rain
fall for June Was reported at inches.
The president remarked that year or
two ago when we were suffering from
drOuths, the trouble was attributed to the
cutting away of our forests and it was
seriously proposed that the planting #
forests would socn become necessary and
that lee islation would be required to save
them. The great rainfalls of the preset t
season would seem to disprove the theory
that drouths were caused by cutting away
the forests.
A discussion sprang up as to the proper
time to plow down clover as manure.
Some thought it should be plowed under
when green and juicy, and others that it
was better to wait until it had gone to
seed but all agreed that clover was
valuable fertilizer whether green or ripe.
s. p. Ely wanted to know if there was
no remedy for the rotting of plums before
they were ripe, and Casper Hitler an
swered that there was not; the rottiDg
being due to atmospheric conditions over
which man had no control. II. NJ. Engle
agreed that the atmosphere had much to
do with rotting the fruit, but believed that
the trouble might in great measure be
overcome by selecting certain varities of
plums that are not effected by the atmos-
phere. He had seen two varieties Of
plums growing side by side one of which
voted and the other matured.
The question whether it would be ad-
visable to cultivate southern varieties of
apples for winter use was discussed, and
it was agreed by all that our native apples
are preferable especially the York I'm.
perial. the Winesap, the Pennock, the
Smokehouse, Smiths Cider and the
Romantic. A rambling discussion on
apple culture followed, participated in by
Casper Hitler, Henry M. Engle. s. P. Eby,
Eph. s. Hoover, J. G. Rush, Joseph F.
Wilmer and others. Some Of the meas
ures proposed were to cultivate the ORCH
ards by frequent plowing aud manur;ng ;
to wash the trunks Of the trees with SOAP
suds or lye 4; to turn the swine and chickens
into the orchards to eat the wormy fruit
apd tho insects that infest the trees to
plant the trees only 10 clay loan to use
gratis from young and healthy trees only,
and to sea that the young trees from the
nursery have an abundance of good roots
to look cut for new and valuable varieties
OF seedlings, aud to disseminate them in
lieu OF old aud deteriorated varieties. Mr..
Hoover suggested that the coddling moth
might be trapped by placing lights with a
tub of water under them in the orchards
or building fires that would attract and
kill the insects. Mr.. Engle thought it
would be better to carefully examine the
trees and pick off and destroy all imperfect
fruit. Aud President Rush thought that
smaller orchards with more attention
given them would be the best means OF
securing good fruit.
On motion of Mr.. Cooper the secretary
was notified TO be present hereafter at al
meetings of the society, or in case of alb
sence to send to the meeting the minutes
of the last preceding meeting.
hlr. Eby asked, What do moles eat p
and Casper Hitler answered that be had
seen many upheavals by moles in gardens
and flower beds. but he had never known
them to eat or injure bulbs or plants. But
they do good deal Of damage by upheav'
ing the ground and by making safe paths
for mice which do injure the plants.
Messrs. Hitler, Eagle, Rsist and Eby
exhibited before tine society some fine
apples and pears. A committee was ap
pointed to test and report on them auG
awarded to Mr.. Hitler premium for the
largest collection and TO Mr.. Engle q
premium for the best plate of fruit.
Mr.. Eby read a newspaper article rela
tive to fertilizers, which provoked some
discussion by Messrs. Hitler, Cooper
Engle and Rush.
Adjourned.