Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-03-31
woodlnwn Farmers, Club.


The March meeting of the Woodlswn
Farmers Club was held at the residence Of
Lewis Gillingham on the Oath inst, Presi-
dent Pierson in the chsr. When the min
utes 9era read the president stated that a
proposition 10 investigate the milk trade In
Washington had been introduced in Con.
gress.
John Bsllenger, from the committee on &C.
reals, then read an interesting essay on oats.
in which he stated it was Il grain better
suited TO moist than to dry, and to cold
rather than warm climate, and no other
grain seems to be SO much esteemed for
feeding horses The varieties Of oats in
cultivation are quite nnmerous and some
highly esteemed vsrietiss are now being
grown Illinois produces more oats than any
other one of the United States, and Rhode
Island the least, while Virginia is about the
thirteenth on the list. From the agricullur-
al report of 1885 il appears the number OF
busels produced in the United States in
that year was upwards Of G29 600 600 bush
els On an acreage Of about y 600 OO0. being
en- average of about % bushels per acre.
Oats flourish best in cool, moist climate
hence it follows that ours is not adapted TO
the successful growth of that crop, "a We
frequently have il hot and dry at the season
when i! should be maturing its seeds, though
there are occasional exceptions. The
chances for o good crop seem 10 be more
sure when they are put in as early as the
land can be gotten in suitable condition III
the spring, WHICH ia generally not before the
Goth Of March, and frequently later. Oats,
like mos. other cereala seem to flourish best
in tolerably firm seed bed with but few
iorht of the top soil thoroughly puverlzed.
II is therefore a question whether it would
not be good plan to plow the land late In
the fall and let it remain 50 during the vim
ter, and when dry enough 10 seed in the
spring run the harrows over aud put the
oats in with drill, applying some fertiliz.
ers at the same time when uasded. 1t has
been The custom with como heretofore to
seed .aost all Of their corn land to wheat (;
that practice seems to be getting unpopu.
lar and they are leaving their corn land for
oats
When The reading of the essay was fin
ished an article from on agricultural paper
CD the "eayly sowibg OF oats" was read,
wherein the writer alluded to the rapidly
growing disposition to SOW oats very early.
A lengthy discussion followed the read
ing of the article.
Some one asked about the propriety OF sowing
grass seed with oats, when it wss generally con-
coded that it depended altogether on the season
following for success; but upon the whole it was
about as sure for catch as sowing with wheat, if
the same amount of manure and care in preparing
tho ground was used. 1t was thought that winter
oats would do well here if put IN early enough to
have the ground well covered before winter. Then
followed comparison of views to tho best drill
for sowing fertilizers.
petition for bridge over Cameron run al the
Telegraph road was presented 1t looked rs If it
had on it the nameg OF al the denizens of the
Pohick forest and most of the ad accent country,
and represented to be nearly all property owners.
1t was signed by nearly all present. The critical
report was then read By Frank wilkinson which
showed that the farm Of the host in general mani
festad evident signs Of improvement in the last
two years, and that the condition of the place be-
speaks the enterprise Of the proprietor.
After the reading of the report, the grass seed
snhject WAS renewed and some discussion follow
ed as 70 which was the best seed sewer.
Tbs next meeting will be at Mrs p. n. Ballen-
gers on the 21st of April Critical committee:
A. ~ Harrison, J. W. Roberts and II. W. Pierson.
w. GILLINGuAM, Secretary.