The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-02-05
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUa.
" hat Can Farmers On TO Increase Their
Profits?

the residence of Messrs. s. B. and Geo. Il. Silver
Mr.. BENZ. Silver. Jr President, was in the
chair, and II. Spalding Secretary. The question
discussed was as follows:
what other crops c IN we raise, or what other
methods can we adopt with our present crops, to
make our business more profitable?"
Geo. Silver said that the depressed condition
of farming interests makes this an opportune
time to consider the subject. If we can succeed
better with new crops or new methods we ought
to find out what they are.
He had gotten some figures from the farmers
clubs of Montgomery county. There are three
clubs In that county, and farmers convention
is held yearly, at which reports from the various
clubs are read. In that county great many
cows are kept and butter and cream are sold.
Five gallons Of milk will make gallon of cream
and IL lbs, of butter. The milk is worth from
to IL cts. per gallon. member of the Mont
gomery club has one COW VIII ch averaged 6S5 gall
Ions of milk from which he obtained 1877 gallons
of cream and 24O lbs of butter The milk was
worth say $54.S0. member of the Enterprise
club had realized from one cow, $3.50 galI,ns Of
milk, worth S2s so. Besides the calf would be of
making from 700 to 500 lbs of butter day, would
cost about $780, besides the buildings, and would
furnish a ready market for the milk from large
pay better to sell milk than to Craze cattle or
even cut hay.
The potato crop. also, might pay. The average
yield reported by the three clubs in Montgomery
county was l26 bushels to the acre., AT SO cents
a bushe the amount realized would be 1858 per
acre. A few acres, at least might be grown. Our
only chance of success is in diversified crops.
We might keep good, strong mares and raise
old readily sell at from SIPS to $3.50 The cost of
raising colt need not be more than $50 year
handled properly; One hundred sheep would
cost, at So each, $500. They would produce 100
WOOL at 70 els pound worth ss5 T IN I 9o, al
sales would realize $45, with the original 100 ewes
still on hand and worth in the fall $500, In all
would have profit of $5l5.
Seventeen head Of cattle would cost to keep
about the same as 100 sheep At S35 each the out
lay would be $685.. AT $50 per heal advance, we
would realize $780, against S5l5 from the sheep.
The only way we can compete with the West is
BY raising more from our ground than we do.
Silos and enslage will enable US to accomplish
this. silo 10 feet wide, 10 feet high and 10 feet
fodder from acres cut about one half inch long,
will fill this pit. The expense of making it is
moderate and the cost of filling it but little more
than the cost of cutting up. curing and housing
the fodder the usual way. Stock relish ensilage,
and much more stock may be kept with it than
thicker than usual and the yield is from Is to 20
tons per acre. Corn cobs and husks from can
ming houses would no doubt keep well in sos.
While thinking of new industries it is well to
encourage those we already have Canning has
been of advantage to the county. Because some
should be condemned. If the farmers would
unite with the packers in sustaining it, the bust
ness can be made profitable. There should be a
few large can err es in the county and the farmers
around should raise crops for them.
A few years ago tobacco was the new enterprise,
out now many farmers are against it. In Penn
sylvana it is still raised and it might be grown
here with profit. Every new enterprise thar
springs up should be ENCOURAGED
X: Harris Archer suggested that the poultry
business might be profitable. dozen eggs are
worth "a cents and will buy more at the store
buy 3 lbs. of sugar. or 3 lbs of coffee, o
yards Of calico Even a. IL cents dozen on a
else. Mr.. Archer thought the present depr, ssinn
in farming would not continue. One cause why
the tobacco enterprise failed was that the crop
did not have proper attention 1t will pay
when more people are interested in it
VIM. Munnikhuysen would not suggest radical
or sudden changes. He had found that small
patch of potatoes paid last year. Nothing pays
better than chickens Sheep are profitable. No
doubt it would pay to keep 9 or good mares and
matched, they will bring 800 or $500 pair
Calves can be easily raised and are profitable In
fact there are many little things which all farm
ers can do to increase their profits.
B. Silver eontrasted the profit of growing 81
corn. The sugar corn paid $l,sOO. In field corn
the yield would not have been over IL barrels per
acres. making "A barrels, worth this year; $685.
Sugar corn works well in rotation with other
crops as II is pulled when there is but little else
to do. Raising colts is profitable The sheep in.
enough sheep here to bring buyers of lambs and
wool. there is no section of country more ad
y,antageously, situated for raising sh,ep; Stock
sheep can be bought low and we can find a good
market in Philadelphia. The climate seems to
suit them and we have natural green grass pas.
be bought in the spring at to 5 cents To-.
weighing 80 lbs, and kept until November, when
they will weigh lUO lbs. Tobacco. will skillfu
tention, will Day 800 an acre. The dairy business
is booming in Hartford, particularly in the upper
part of the county: MIR v G stubbs, in Delta.
the milk, when fresh. He feeds the skim milk to
hogs and makes butter of the cream. There is
w. D. Lee thought that az this is grazing sec
ton it would pay to raise improved stock There
is money in poultry but we don't pay enough at
and work up apples, of which great quantities go
20 waste every year for want of a market for
them.
VIM. B. Hopkins thought as much money can
be made by the old system of farming, except in
growing wheat, as in anything else. Farmers
ought to raise all their own horses and calves He
had found butter making profitable. Farmers
ought to try a little of everything Potatoes pay
at SO cents bushel and sugar corn pays little
better than field corn. II will also pay to raise
few hogs every year, A few chickens will pay
for eggs but tor nothing else.
VIM II. Bayless knew of two young men who
went West five years ago, with a capital of $4,000
and engaged in the poultry business THIS year
one firm to send them 10000 chickens. They now
have 800 QUO between them.
6. Martin Bayless said that all know. there is
not much profit in farming. He had begun to
raise colts, which he thought more profitable
than cattle
Edward II. Hall thought that farmers generally
do not pay sufficient attention to the little things
such as raising colts, calves and poultry and max
ing butter The best stock to raise is half Per-
The mare can be worked nearly all the time He
also believed ensilage would pay, and the reason
cause people don't understand it. Mangold
sgnrzel beets pay well. There is money in mar
keting of all kinds-eRgs butter, oats, meal and
small stock. Asparagus is a profitable crop.
There is no money in milk at ID or IA cents gal
ion.
Johns II. Janney thought farmers lose thous-
ands of dollars every year by not selling small
things. and they can not be sold because we are
not near a railroad He had thought that hop
vines would grow along the creek bottoms, and
hops are generally paying crop. He advocated
silos and ensilage The system, he said, is no
cf.,I tln
acre of sugar corn fodder is equal in value to one
acre of field corn fodder Cattle wintered on it
cd nn ed eorn fndder pnnltry rnigbI b nroe
table if properly attended to.
II. Spalding had raised colts and calves with
profit. GOOD chickens pay very well; He has
Plymouth Rocks, for which he gets IS to $40 a
dozen. His butter brings 40 cents pound in fall
And winter and 30 cents in summer.
Geo. II. Gorrel regarded sugar corn as one fl
tho best crops raised. He had raised over 10l
bundles per acre last year He is raising two
colts aDd the cost Is not as much as for fattenne
two steers Eggs are always saleable and profita-
ble There is small but certain profit and nc
Outlay in little things and farmers should look
Thomas Loehary would rather try to improve
on the crops now raised and the stock fed thar
try anything new He did not think much OF
dairy farming.
John Moores said he did not think farming SC
much depressed as is generally thought. There
is still a good living in it but expenses must bt
kept down. When we can raise 20 or 30 bushels
of wheat to the acre and get from $l2 to SIS tor
for nav we can do well. Many small things
such as sheep. poultry and hogs are worthy of at
teuton md work in with other bu iness. He wa
in favor of raising colts but believed mules
curse to the country. Every year thousands o
dollars are sent out of the county to buy mules
when every farmer should raise his own horses
The country is flooded with old, broken-dowI
mules and good brood mares are scarce. Their
as money in hogs, but he would not advise an!
one TO lay out much capital in them, on accoun
of hog cholera There ought to be some law {,
compel people to keep their infected hogs a
home and when one dies to bury it.
Rev q. ID. Wilson said he had been intereste,
ia the very intelligent and thorough discussion
of the question, ne was sure the preach err
would be willing to have boom strike the agri
culturists of the county and he hoped they woul
find something To make them all very rich. n
suggested that perhaps fruit might be foun
profitable.
Benz. Silver, Jr.. the President, said that tn,