Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-04
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
asn orEsiN, DAYS rxEscIsrs
pr. Wiosersha,n 10 tho Onsir.- Ada,e.s OF
IN" President -Oompittss. Appoiated
DIR. gaIdsr on dram, tiul,,ro

months ago by tho Lancaster county agr,.
cultural aud horticultural aociety. N
farmers institute commenced it's sessious
IN the court house at 1880 this morn
ing.
The attendance was not 30 largo as IL
should hayn been, but many Of tho most
prominent and Intelligent farmers from all
parts OF the county were Ia attendance,
and doubtless tho number would have
been much larger, had u more favorable
date been chosen. At this timr
agricu'turists are IN tho mid -, ,ba,
tobacco planting and their T. .,,or,,. 20 ,o' sne,
work. -"pof'""s 'nr"
m, ,,,. ,rgaui, .,ion.
g LIZ ...u.o was called to order by ].
cr vile, who read the following LIST OF
..noers
Presidont--Dr. J. u. Wickersham, city
Woe Presidents-Honry NJ Eugle, James
Wood, Little Britain Calvin Cooper,
B'rd Band ; II, q Rush, Wost Willow;
o. .. Spencer, city.
Secrotary--J q. Linville.
committee on Receptior-Dr. ]. l..
Wioksrsham, $. L. Eby, w. II. Brosius.
sal'n Cooper, +, X. Diilenderfler.
Committee on Membership-M. ID.
kondig, j. l. Lands, johnson Miller,
Levi. Reist, Joseph +. Wilmer
DIR. Wiokersham On taking tho chair said
he was farmer aud sou of farme or,
lad been vice president OF tho Stats
Agricultural society, but was not now
engaged IN farm work. lie thought there
fore that some othor and more practical
farioer should have been called upon to
preside but as the committee had named
him for the position he would assume the
duties. lle then recited tho events
which led 10 tho holding OF the
institute, as they have already been
published in the lSTELLrGESCER. He
was in hopes there would have
been larger attendance, but as
everything has To have beginning
we must bo content with our present mum
bers Ho confidently believed the time
would soon como whom tho court house
would not be large enough to hold tho
farmers who wOuld crowd To tho institutes
tie then introduced DR.. James Calder, os
Harrisburg, chairman of tho state board
of agriculture,
Grape culture.
After reading q list Of twenty different
varieties OF Pennsylvania grapes, Some of
which he described "a excellent and some
only indifferent, he said ths best were the
concord, the Clinton and tho Martha. The
Concord is tho grape for tho million; IL
N'''N o." Nhi1 lNiih WI NbNl DEtIlllbbA 10
grow single vine let IL bo the eConcord-it
will grow everywhere, on all kinds of soil,
never Freezes, is easily managed, is pro-
lihc, Is easily proplgatel, aud the fruit is
tiDe
The Catawbl grape is an admirable
one 1t succeeds we'll IN many places, but
not in Others, 1t grows very poorly in
Harrisburg, while it docs we'll in Eric and
somo other parts OF the state. IL is not so
hardy and does not last more than few
years and seldom bears more than 70 or
seven years. In Beiks county 1t does
well for about three years out Of
seven. 1t has been noticed that tho
Catawba docs much better when it is
allowed To climb on trees, or is trained on
lofty troiliscs. The latter should never be
less than ten feet in height, aud fourteen
feet in height is still better.
The next variety Of grape presented by
DIR. Calder was the Martha. 1t is not 80
hardy as the others, but its fruit is admir-
able. IL was b!ed from a Seeding of the
Concord by Mr. Miller, who sold tho first
vine obtaiGcd 70 Mr.. Kuux, of PIttsburg,
for $500. MIR. Calder then at some length
gave directions for setting out a vineyard.
Grape vines do not do 81 we'll in wet
ground as on stony hail sides. Tho vines
should bo set out IN rows teu foet apart.
Tho American grapo, like tho American
man, don't like 10 be Gro owdod, and DOES
better when it has plenty of room. He
advised training tho vines on trellises
rather than tying them to stakes as the
Europeans do. Posts set at proper inter
walls and covered with galvanized wire are
ia some respects better than the wooden
tTells. DR.. Calder advised the selection
Oi young vines, not more than two years
Old, rather than older ones for the vine
yard, ard gavo elaborate directions for
trailing and pruning them. He held that
vineyard properly cultivated and man
aged should last at least hundred years.
Dr. Lorings Address.
DIR. Gerge b. Loring, United States com
missioner of agriculture, was next intro
duccd. He congratulated the farmers
present on the success which attended this
their first institute, aud thought there wa
no occasion for DIR. Wiokcrsham to apollo
gizo for it. DIR. Loring said he came from
Massachusetts, where the soil was barren
and the crops light, aud he felt that he
could say nothing instructive to the farm
ers of Lancaster county who raise onor
nous crops. He would therefore surrender
the whole business to them--they know
all about wheat culture aud fruit culture
and stock raising and oreameries aud
other farm matters, and why should he
attempt to instruct them. when on his
own farm the grass grew 80 poorly that
Lancas er county COWS wouldn't eat IL, anC
the wheat 80 poor that Lancaster county
farmer wouldn't reap it. He would how
ever talk to them on tho possibilities OF
American agriculture. From statistics
DIR. Loring presented to the institute the
actual figures of the wonderful
wealth of tho agricultural interest
of Pennsylvania, her millions o
bushels OF cereals, her cattle, horse
sheep, vegetables and fruit, presenting
picture OF industry, enterprise and pros
perity that cannot be equalled by any na
tion in tho world. OF all men the farme
should be proud of his occupation, hi
wealth and his comfortable surroundings
While natives of all tho countries of tn
world flock to America, what America
farmer would for moment think Of i'm
proving his condition by emigrating /
Norway, Sweden or other Europea
countries? An American farmer woul
die of fneness in Japan and burn hi
wooden plow to keep his family warm. d.
Loring then contrasted the German, Eng
lisb, French and Italian systems of farm
ing with our own, showing the great su
periority we possess over all others. Th
one great cause OF our prosperit
In the subdivision of the Ian
into farms, the, ownership of til
land in fee, the right to dispose G
il by sale during life or by will after deatl