Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-10-20
wooDLAWN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

! wooDLAWN AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
reported for the Alexandria Gazette.)
This society met at ] Ohm Baliengers or
the 18th instant, President Pierson in the
chair. The State Agricultural Society hav.
| ing extended an .invtation to local organi.
cations tosepd delegates to the Richmond
| fair, President, Pierson was appointed fol-
| that purpose. The critical report was read
alludDg to the good order in which every
thing was found about the place; the fall
seeding all done, and most of the grain up
They thought the lands were too wide
which were about tWenty-four, feet Six.
| teen feet would be better for this level land.
| Pasture and grass lands looking we'll fol
this dry season. Judging from the size and
quantity of the fodder the corn crop was
large. Stock all in exceptionally good con-
dition. In the matter of tools and imple-
| ments there was place for everything aud
| nearly, everything in its place Fences In
good condition and well cleaned up. The
dwelling model of neatness and convent
ence, with ample out-buildings for all pur-
poses The question of how to improve poor
land was taken up and discussed with con-
siderable latitude. -"~
The overcoming subject of lime re-
ceived it's share of attention, oyster shell
lime especially coming in for its modicum
of praise and censure according to the de.
gree of success or failure that had attended
its use. = ""
John Ballenger and Courtland Lukens
each had short essays on the subject in
hand. The former thought it was impossi-
BILE to enrich land by the use of commercial
fertilizers alone; that they only acted
as stimulants; that one must needs
use. plenty of grain fed stable manure
in conjunction. with the fertilizers, and
in that way the land could be made to
crease in fertility. Chemists tell US that
crops receive large amount of fertilizing
material from the atmosphere which per-
haps is not to be questioned, but he had yet
to see the first piece of thin land made rich
by, that agency alone. - ''',,'-''
His brother, Levi Ballenger, living in
New Jersey, who was present, stated, on
the contrary, that he had one field on
his farm that had received nothing in
the way of fertilizers for fifteen years ex-
cept concentrated manures, and that it pro-
duced quite as we'll as any of his other Gelds
that had been treated with stable manure
but he further observed that no homeopath-
ic doses would do. You must put on as
much in value as you would of yard ma
nure. II we would count the actual cost of
the usual coatings of stable manure that are
applied to land it would be found to be
three times as much perhaps as the few
hundred pounds of phosphates that are gen.
orally used per acre.
/ Q. Lukens' plan for improving roor land
would be to plow when in good order in the
spring and apply 800 pounds, equal parts
guano and dissolved bone, per acre, and
SOW with oats After harvest seed to wheat
with an application of 200 pounds guano
and 400 of raw bone, Il bushels wheat, 6
quarts timothy and not less than 4 of clover
seed per acre, then BET it lie over one
year, taking off no hay crop, then
plow again not less than twice,
moderate coat of stable manure, 200 pounds
of Bryant's No. and 800 of raw bone per
acre, sow to wheat and grass again. If not
in good condition after this, go and leave it.
If farm of 100 acres is to be improved
take one seventh at time sow on that
portion early in the winter 500 pounds of fine
ground raw bone per acre; plow in spring
four to FIVE inches deep; plant to corn with
some good fertilizer in the hill work deep
and often. Take another seventh for fall
seeding and treat as before recommended ;
next year take two more sevenths, and so
on until all is brought in: In the meantime
put on stock and feed high; make plenty Of
manure and apply in place of part of the
fertilizer. For the high feeding of stock you
should get small profit from their produce,
which would lessen the cost Of fertilizers,
particularly if done under the personal su-
pervision Of the owner.
The other members generally, as called
on, gave their views on the subject, the
weight of testimony being ia favor of getting
the land in grass as soon as possible to sup
ply the needful vegetable matter, and
nearly all relied upon stable manure
from grain. fed stock as the sheet
| anchor. Several would use line on. the
grass land-stone lime being preferred gen.
, orally. Mr.. Williams, from Connecticut,
who. was present stated that they thought
there, they. could not improve their land
without cattle, they were the main reliance
The President reviewed what had been said
and spoke of the benefits to be derived from
experiment stations, which drew out some
antagonistic remarks, and solution was
proposed that no more money be appropri
ated in this State for any such purposes, bu
which was laid overuntil tmeeting, wher
the subject will be discussed whether j
is advisable, in view of the present fnancia
condition of the State, to make any turthe
appropriations for the fostering of an agrl
cultural department; college or e3perinen
station, and also as to the utility OF. intro
ducing practical industrial. education int!
4 the Public schools.
Next meeting to be q Cameron" on tn
| 21ss Of November. Critical committee, J
N. Gibbs, S. Pullman and B. Barton.
W. GILL1NGHAM, Secretary.