Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-11-04
WOODLAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

reported for the Alexandria GAzErrEl
The November meeting was held on the
1st instant at a. W. Harrison's. c. Lukens
was chosen chairman with N. w. Pierson,
secretary.
A bill of two dollars for extra copies of
the GAZETTE, in which was published the
proceedings of the club meeting in October
Was ordered paid
The delegate appointed to attend the
State Fair at Richmond reported that in
consequence of other engagements that in
terfered, he did not attend, but would give
City, Md, where lie interviewed the pro.
prietor Of the largest sugar corn canning
factory in the world.
Mr.. McMurray, of Baltimore, Nd, com
menced the business of canning sugar corn
twelve yeers ago in Frederick City, Md.
on small scale, renting few acres of land
on which to raise the corn. BY newly
invented process Of his own, he could make
bis cans a little cheaper than any one else.
His business gradually grew in extent so
that he ventured to purchase 100 acre farm.
The price of canned corn at that time was
ing good profit for the money invested.
The extern. of the business has increased so
that at the present time be owns more than
two thousand acres, for which he paid from
Sl20 to $3.50 per acre, and also rents num-
Der of acres, all of which is cropped every
year with corn for canning. This requires
thirty large wagons, each drawn by four
mules, making three loads each daily to
supply the canning establishment with corn.
The number of cans put up this year was
two million, five hundred thousand. the
price of which is only one dollar per dozen.
This season he has built an immense silo,
thirty feet deep, with rock walls divided into
three compartments, each holding six hun.
dred tons. Nothing but the husks and cobs
are used for the enslage. The cornstalks
are all plowed under and rye sowed on the
land to be- turned under in the spring, then
plant to corn again. The. manure made
upon the farm is applied to the rye as top
dressing, then when the corn is planted a
handful of fertilizer is put in the hill using
about 400 pounds to the acre. This ferti
lzer is compounded on the premises of S.
c. rock dissolved with acid, two parts, and
one part of tankage, sometime using part
kainit in the mixture. Thirty-six large
plows with wrought shares and points of
steel drawn by three mules each turns
furrow ten inches deep and fourteen inches
wide, turning under rye, often six to eight
feet high.
A cargo of tin is purchased at time
which costs about $4,000. This immense
canning establishment requires about $780,
600 investment, being the largest corn can
ming establishment in the world. Mr.. Nc
Murray said his factory in Baltimore for
xrtp nd in hnIr
toes and other articles of food, is even larger
than this one. There is no rotation Of crops
on this 1000 acres, but, instead, the system
of blowing under green rye and corn stalks
serves to supply the vegetable matter re-
quisite to maintain the fertility Of the SOIL
The question was asked, what is the
proper depth to SOW wheat? In discussing
this and other subjects we had the valuable
experience of Mr.. R. B. Farquhar, president
of the Montgomery county Maryland)
Agricultural Society, who was present. |
The prevailing opinion was that wheat
should be covered from one to two inches
deep TO insure the hest success. Those who
had been feeding ground wheat to cows,
horses and hogs found as good result as
when they fed corn meal and bran, and |
about as cheap a present prices.
How can plantain be destroyed? was |
answered by gentleman from Wisconsin |
that sowing about three bushels of salt to
the acre had the desired effect.
a free discussion was had on tie kind of
bridge and the length that should be built
over Hunting Creek, and the space that
should be filled in. A large number of the
heaviest taxpayers in the district, those
who have to pass over daily, resolved
That our supervisor he in
4 nc - ri
Supervisors of this county the building of a
substantial iron bridge not less than 400 feet
in length, and that the remainder of the
space be cribbed and filled in.
The next meeting of the club will be held
at Mira. Theron Thompson's, November 90.
The critical committee are: Isaac Snow
len, J. n. Gibbs and Benz. Hunter.
Sig hnafa cal rvinp f6S TONS of coal left |