Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-06
Essay by ThwnAs BAKER.

it was not practicable for farmers to abol.
ish the present plan of boarding their
help.
Essay by rhvJnAs Baker.
Thomas Baker, of Lancaster county,
who was appointed to read au essay ON
Farmers Holidays" made but brief
alluson to them, saying that every GLASS
of people have their holidays, on which
they abstain from their usual avocations.
Strength of body and activity Of mind
alike require these seasons of relaxation
the farmers special holidays are few
consisting of social gatherings, farmers
club meetings and institutes like this, at
| all of which he believed great good was
| done. Mr.. Baker then proceeded to discuss
| at some length tho system of rotation of
crops, and the application Of fertilizers to
the soil.
| Governor Patusons Address.
| Governor Pattison entered tho court
| room by the private stairway, and as soon
as ho was seen was greeted with hearty
applause, the entire assemblage rising to
| their feet.
| DR.. Wickersham introduced his excel
lency to the audience, saying that Penn
| sylvania had had several farmer governors
who had done credit to the commonwealth,
and taken an active interest in agriculture.
| DuI hluOuk luttu al luOEt uOk bNtu OuC
who had done more in behalf of agricul-
ture and agriculturists than Governor
Robert +. Pattison.
| Governor PattisOn said that he had
come to Lancaster moro as q hearer than n
doer. He has always taken q lively in.
terest in agricultural affairs, and especially
the agriculture of Pennsylvania because It
is Of vastly greater magnitude than any
other interest. But after what has been
said by Colonel Piolet, and said so well,
he could not hope to say much that would
interest the institute. He would, however,
call attention to the fact that while agri.
culture was the most ancient and import
ant of oil interests its votaries were the
last aud the slOwest to combine for their
mutual benefit, IA long ago as the
time of the patriarch, we read in
the Bible OF their wealth in cat
tie, sheep and other possessions, and
job himself was the owner OF thousands
of camels, sheep and cattle. Long age
! tradesman, merchants, mechanics, and
manufacturers formed various unions and
other organizations for their mutual pro
teotion and advancement; but it is only 70
) Gently that the farmers have gone into simi
) lar organizations Other interests therefore
of far less Importance have outstripped in
influence the great farming interests. But
now the farmers are organizing. They
are forming farmers clubs, agricultural
societies and oranges, aud this farmers in
stitute, the first in tho state, will be the
parent OF others in all sections Of the com
mon wealth. AS long ago rs the middle OF
) the last century an attempt was made tC
j organize farmers society in Lancaster
county, but il failed. 10 1895 another and
more successful attempt was made, auC
out of it has grown tho present agricul
D tural society OF the county.
! The governor paid ahish compliment
T to the German ard Scotch Irish pioneers
who first settled these fertile valleys, anC
whose descendants have made them bloom
n like rose until the county has received
g rs it has earned, the title Of 1.-THE gardot
:. spot of Pennsylvania"
l Tho early farmers had but few branches
q of industry to look 1t ; they could b,
T counted on their fingers ends. TC. day thei
. interests are OF great variety and immens,
? value. Ii then in the early days 1t wa
deemed essential to organize for mutua
( protection how much more deserving
, of consideration the great inter
= ests now involved. You have now 9, ,0Ot
farms in your county, embracing 4S0, ,00(
acres of land, of an assessed value of S69,
0O0, 900, and yielding an annual incOme o
, 1000 900 Is not this Of sufficient im
portauce TO demand the most careful anC
constant consideration? If this amount
were involved in mercantile, mauufactur'
ing or other pursuits, those interested in
it would be continually holding Conyen
tions and ClamOring for legislation to pro
. teCt IL.
; The governor next called attention tC
the many eminent professional men thai
, Lancaster county had produced Here il
q thu hrfhnlann nf tho amiDant
DR.. Agnew, aud here is the resting place
. of the old commoner, Thaddeus Stevens,
: and here also rest the remains Of n presi
; dent of the United States, two governor,
. of the commonwealth and other officers
. who held high station. Comparing the
A present with the past the governor refer
red to the old inland ship the I" Con
estoga wagon" and recited verse or two
from ballad sung by the wagoners, ont
verse Of which read {:
THE devil get the man
That invented the plan
To build II railroad or cut q canal
But tho wagons and wagoners, once th,
, pride Of the county, have gone down anC
. given place to better and cheaper system
of transportation.
Pennsylvania Is not q manufac turing
> state. Great AZ arc her manufacturing
interests, her agriculture represents much
more wealth than all the manufacturing
interests combined. In behalf of the
interests farmers should combine by sys
T. tematized organization and thus secure
: public recognition commemorate will
: their interests.
The governor next called attention to
great feature Of agricultural wealth tina
does not receive the consideration III
Importance merits: namely forestry
= There Is no pursuit more profitable anC
none of such vast value. To show this h'
quoted from the census reports of tn,
I United States the figures representing (
few Of the greatest interests /; whilo th'
D product of our forests Is set down a
r s700, 000, 600. the value OF our corn is only
s675, 900, 900; wheat $475, 900, 900; oat
$500 100000; cattle $500, 600, 600 ha.
s150. 100000; gold and silver ESQ,
0OO, 900; coal s94, 4,000,0 and al
. others only $3.50, 900, 900 And yet
this great interest of forestry, which
, overshadows and underles all others has
l until recently received but little organized
attention. The wood interest represent
ing s700, 900, 900 goes into every othe
branch OF business, into our houses. barns
bridges, railroads, everywhere. or rail
road ties alone there are 100, ,000, 600 useC
. annually, and these ties represent th'
destruction of an immense number o
! trees, each Of which was thirty years il
; growing. Then the bark stripped from
, trees, for tanning purposes, REPRESENT
| - A. nnn Onn aal IL,