Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-03-02
woodIavn Farmers Club.
(Reported for the Alexandria GAzETTE.J
6Ni-.l

The Woodlawn Farmer=' Club met at the
residence of John Balenzar on tbs 18th of
February, President Pierson in the chair.
The secretary reported having commuDi-
Gated with Secretary Merrick, Of the Farm.
ere Assembly, as directed, and the latter
said he would send proceedings of the As
sembly when published:
A circular from the \. Y. Tribune Office
was read and petition to Congress asking
for increased duties on various agricultural
products was signed by most of the mem
bers. as were aso two other petitions in ia
yor of the pure food, aud the bureau Of ami
NAL Industry bills now before Congress.
AS pertinent 10 the tariff subject, A. ".
Harrison read an extract from late ad-
dress of the president Of the New Jersey
State Board of Agriculture. In discussing
the subjects embraced in the petitions NEIL
toned, in connection with tho proprieiy CT
abolishing the revenue tax on liquors and
tobacoo,it appeared evident that the prevail
ing opinion was in favor of high license rath-
er than prohibition.
President Pierson then announced the
standing committees as follows Ga cereals,
John Ballenger, ]. H. Buckman and F. Will
kinsop: live stock, A. W. Harrison, j. w.
Roberts, J. N. Gibbs aud H. w. Pierson; ag-
riou!tural implements, c. Lukens, E. Wal,
ton and C. Gibbs; manures and fertilizers,
f E. Mason, w. Hunter jr., and D. W.
Ballenger; fruits and vegetables, G. L. Luz
kens. j. Hunter jr., aud j. M. Tro!h; grass
es and forage crops, Il. W. Blunt, [. Snow
den and D. Buck man; public roads, w. Wal
ton. L. Gilingham and A. II. Roberts.
A talk about COWS and how 10 prevent
their depredations, elected the statement by
A. w. Harrison that very small quautlty
of coal oil mixed with the seed corr before
planting, would stop their pulling it up
We then drifted into a discussion of the Cal
nv interests and extracts frem report OF
Farmers Institute IN st. Lawrence county,
New York were read, as To the cost of MAX
ing butter there. E. f. Mason thought we
had better start nearer hOme-and was re-
minded of some points brought out in J,
w. Roberts essay at the late Farmers Con
vention, relative 10 the vast growth OF the
dairy interest in this section since the wer.
DR.. Johnston, Of Washington city, was quot.
ed as saying that the milk sent there was SUI
perior to thar furnished any other city in
the country President Pierson thought that
was going rather too far; that if the truth was
known, very much improvement was need
ed and it was thought Congress ought to
provide for milk inspectors there. The idea
vas developed that many Of the milk deal
era in the city required soma careful look.
leg after.
The critical report was then called for and
read by William Hunter, ir., as follows;
To the Woodlavn Farmers Club:
We, as q committee, have been called
upon 10 perform rather delicate and per
haps unnecessary duty. The two previous
committees reported az finding nothing TO
criticise and such being the case, our COM
mittee is needless inslitutiOn. 1t is with
considerable reluctance that we enter upon
thu discharge Of our duties because our host
bas grown grey in bis calling, and with bet
ter opportunities than have fallen TO the lot
of your committee, and with the experience
of added years, as we write this report ii
forcibly comes 10 our minds that we should
look al home.
The task, however, has been assigned us
and we shall endeayor to shape our report
go that il may not be considered, either as
fulscme hattery or as harsh and unjust
fault finding.
The farm of our most consists of seven
fields of farming land of twenty acres each
with woodland TO bring the area up to over
one nearest the barn has been in pasture for
twenty years. The remaining six fields
have the following rotation Two in wheat,
one after corn to be followed next year by
wheat again, the other in wheat after
wheat generally. but owing to the
wheat last year having winter killed, this
wheat is after oats. The other four fields
will be this coming season as follows Two
in, nd in
pasture. The wheat after oats looks well,
and the corn land wheat not 30 we'll, the
earliest sown of the corn land looking the
best. The chances for a crop will be very
much influenced by that character of the
of March. We were shown three strips
through The corn land wheat which were
MANFRED with three different fertilizers
namely, sueqaehanna, Bryant's ammoni-
eted and dissolved s. O. rock. At present no
difference is porceptible. A strip Of Full
caster appeared to have made more growth
than the Fultz by its eide.
We are unable TO report on the other
branches of farming on account Of the sea-
son and the extreme softness of the land
from the thaw Our host haa butter dairy,
selling the product himself 10 Washington
and Alexandria.
Your committee would call the attention
of each Individual member who is engaged
in butter making to the churning apparatus
which is at the same time cheap and effect
i've Tie churn, one of SPANS patents, has
churned 81 pounds at one churning. The
power is the mule, who has shelter to
work under. and rather enjoys the perform
ance. Any one of the members of the club
contemplating an improvement in this di.
reclion should sec this arrangement. The
dairy consists Of fourteen mich COWS, grade
short horn. with several heifers ranging
from two years down to q few months. He
has two bulls. Jerseys, one three years and
the other perhaps ak months iu age. The
older bull is confined in stall outside the
barn into which, at times, he hiss consideFa-
bic trouble to get the gentleman TO enter.
We would suggest that he would be easier
managed if the stall in which he kept him
was in the same stable with his cows. He,
If he was stabbed with them when Young