The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-05-01

elevated TO the top story, anu Is pdsscu
through machinery called purifiers. This
separates the different particles; after this
separation it is returned to the first floor
and passed through buhrs, which give it
the required frneness; this is again elevated
to the third floor, and run through boiling
cloths, which separate the different grades
of -four, and by spouting is dropped to the
first floor; here it is received, and by auto
matte arrangement is packed in barrels.
The beautiful whiteness and rich color of
the first quality is marvellous. Their chief
market is Baltimore.
"How long, Mr.. Shriver, have you been
bringing this mill to its present perfec-
ton 2"
'The process has been gradual, but in
the last twenty-five years the milling bust
ness has made wonderful strides. About the
year 1913 my father, VIM. Shriver, deter
mined to abandon the two 16-feet-in-diam-
eter breast wheels, and adopt the new in
vention of the turbine wheel. This was a
great improvement, for although these
breast wheels were well housed, the accu-
mutation of ice on them in very cold weather
was a great drawback, and attended with
much severe labor, for until this was re-
moved the wheels were useless. The tur-
bine, on the contrary, being placed at the
bottom of the water, resists all freezing
weather, and with the same amount Of
water produces greater power. A smut
machine and few other improvements
were made, and this at that time was con-
sidered wel-appointed mill The later
improvements have been made since 1870. y
''Mr. Shriver, your explanation about
milling has to me been quite satisfactory.
Will you kindly show me your canning es-
Enlistment? 2"
"With pleasure. We will take short
cut instead of following the road As we
strolled along shaded path on the bank
of the mill race, which is bordered on either
side by a variety of beautiful trees, the
maple predominating, and through splen-
did patch of meadow leading towards the
west from the mill for about 300 yards,
Mr.. B. f. Shriver related to me how, in
the year 1870, he commenced the canning
business in an unpretending way.
"That little frame house you see to our
right, now used for cooper shop to man
ufacture flour barrels for the mill, was the
scene of my first efforts. Here continued
for two years. Business growing, l deter
mined to build on the present site, which
you see is on the west or other side
of the turnpike built, as then thought,
sufficiently large, but after year or two L
found it necessary to enlarge About this
time, 1874, l invited my brother, I. Her
bert Shriver, to a partnership, and we
now constitute the firm of B. T. Shriver
& Co.
T. Herbert Shriver was assigned to the
duties of the office and the disposal of the
goods manufactured; | to growing of crops
and the management of the persons en-
ployed.
Here we arrived at the Office of the fac
tory. The building for packing is large
two story frame structure built in the form
of an l., the wing in which most of the
labor is done is constructed over the mill
race. This was done for the purpose Of
carrying off the refuse ofthe factory. The
principal storage house is built some twelve
feet distant from the factory proper. l
am sorry we are not now in operation; in
our busy season we employ about 40 per-
sons, which make things quite lively, Do
you grow all your own truck? No, our
farmers in the vicinity have to certain
extent learned the art and profit of truck
ing, and our purchases from them are quite
large. We produce, ourselves, some $500
bushels of peas, $500 bushels of string
beans. from 1900 to 1000 bushels of toma-
toes, and $500 tons Of sugar corn, How
much land do you cultivate? About 40
acres here, and 135 acres on our farm at
Stonersville, 81 miles down the turnpike,
between this place and Westminster. What
use do you make of the offall? Well, it is
fed to hogs of which we have from thirty
to fifty, principally of the Berkshire breed
The husks and cobs from the corn we place
in a silo built conveniently at our barn and
which makes most nutritious and appe-
tizing feed for our cattle during the winter.
Our cows are grade Attorneys, we prefer
them to thoroughbred as being less deli
cate. We also fatten more or less number
of cattle each year for beef.
Our stock of working animals is eight
mules and eight horses, including the team
at our lower farm -Four of the horses we
use for driving and riding purposes; these
are half thoroughbred, sired by the thor
oughbred horse Yassal, now owned by ex-
Gov. Bowie.
Leaving the factory in our progress to-
wards the barn, Mr.. Shriver called my at
tention to the flats and hills lying to the
north; these 125 acres were purchased about
1910 from the late John Erb, Esq. by my
father, William Shriver, at the rate Of So
per acre, and afterward divided with his
brother, A. X. Shriver. This land had
been fearfully neglected, and truly not a
blade of grass was to be seen. Where once
the fences were an impenetrable hedge of
small trees, interviewer with grape vines,
blackberry bushes, and wild briars of var
ious kinds. This land, though, was kind
and susceptible of easy improvement, as
witness the crops of peas, beans, corn, to-
matoes and wheat, now produced. Wheat
is of exceptionally good quality, and the
Weld is an average of 30 bushels per acre.
In the reclamation, if may use the word,
of this land, lime was first employed, then
followed the different phosphates, and now
our principal dependence is lime, South
Carolina rock, and KANT. We have no
stereotype mode of farming, but our usual
practice is to turn down clover for corn,
followed by peas, ect,, and fertilize well; in
the fall manure heavily with barnyard ma
nure, and again fertilize for wheat. 1t
pays.
We have, as you see, abolished all parti-
ton, and believe only in outside or division
fences. Our cattle in summer are kept in
suitable enclosures large enough for exer-
else, with water and more or less shade.
Here we supply them with cut rye, grass,
corn, sown broadcast, and other articles of
feed. We think it more economical than
allowing them to roam at pleasure through
the fields tramping and destroying more
than they consume.
Have you Geographic communication?
Well, no. these poles you see, and which
we have just this winter planted, are to put
us in telephone communication with West
minister the ADVOCATE Office. and stthe