The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-09-07
THE CECIL FARMERS CLUB.
The August Meeting at the Home
of MIR. John s, Ewing.

The August meeting OF the Cecil Far
mers' Club was held at the old Ewinl
Homestead in the Sixth district in til,
occupancy of MIR. John S. Ewing, whC
cordially welcomed the members on Wed
nesday, August 2Sth. All in attendance
were in time for fraternal greetings
before the roll call, which was at 1920
The following members were present
S. R. Carson. H. S. Coudon, T. Z. Bond,
Enoch Mccullough, W. w. Moore, A. j
Miohiner, A. R. Magraw, j. S. Ewing
and J P. Wilson. The secretary, Mr.
H. r. Torbert being absent, ]. P. Wilson
was elected secretary pro tenn. The read
ing of the minutes of the last meeting
which we're quite lengthy were proceeded
with and with some slight corrections
were approved.
| The call for experiments w. w. Moore
said he had sown some Alsike clover,
some sown with the common red clover
with the result. Also had seeded some
alone but it did not make as large yield
as where sown together, that the second
crop did not come on like the red clover,
and where he sowed the Alsike alone.
Timothy and Plantain had taken the
ground.
Mr.. E. Mccullough, stated similar
experience after getting the one crop the
Alsike did not seem to show, but he was
going to test it further. He thought it
best sown in connection with the red
clover, say one third Alsike.
Mr.. Magraw when asked of his expe-
rience in sowing timothy with oats in the
spring, said he was not ready to report
as the weeds since the oats were cut
made it difficult to see the result of the
growth of timothy. Mr.. Magraw related
the experience of DR.. Price of West
Chester, stating he sowed field OF rye
i'll July, seeding at the same time liber-
ally with red clover, rye cut the follow
ing June, and two months later cut two
tons of hay to the acre..
Next in order being the essay our host
explained its absence on account of lee
ture which we expected from professor
of the National Bureau at Washington,
on the diseases of animals. Mr.. Magraw
of the committee on the procuring of
lecture, read his correspondence with
Secretary Rusk in his effort to secure a
lecturer.
Mr.. Ewing then asked Mr.. Lloyd Bal
derson visitor present, to give his views
on grasses. Mr.. Bslderson on the subject
of forage plants stated that the introduce
ton of clover was little before the days
of his boyhood. Glover and ground gyp-
sum to stimulate its growth were then
talked about as new thing. Before
that period we had to depend on water
ed meadows producing natural grasses,
miles of the old bitches made for irriga-
ton were still to be seen. His own farm
had large amout OF them and he had
been told by Thomas Richards that when
his father had purchased the now rich
to purchase hay to begin with from the
watered meadows in tue Colora Valley.
But clover, plaster, timothy and lime had
reversed such trade in hay and our sub
sequent experience has settled that re-
versal. But there has been much vicis-
situde attending !the growth of clover
since it's introduction. Sometimes it has
been greatly stimulated by plaster, some
times it seemed to have no effect. Lime
has much improved its growth and under
the effect of bone, guano, phosphates sc.
we have arrived at some uniformity in
the aggregate grass crop, but OF late
years clover has often disappointed us.
Although the seed is sown the plant often
fails to be there at harvest time. For
few years past when plants were we'll
grown they would fail to blossom and
now but little clover seed is raised in this
part of the country. The precarous re-
suits of the red clover culture have in
duced some Of us to turn our attention
to substitute in case that should fail us.
We have tried the Alsike either sown by
itself on land seeded with wheat and tim
othy or mixed with red clover and sown
in the spring of the year. The crop of
hay this year composed of timothy, red
clover aud alsike has been very satisfac
tory but in the growth since harvest it
does not seem to come forward as the
common clover. 1t is simply my purpose
said MIR. Balderson, to bring into view
what grasses and other forage plants we
have at command, that we may select
the best or most available for a given
purpose. 1t has been but few years
since Hungarian grass was brought to
our notice. Now we know that to fill
certain place in our routine it is invalua-
there is nothing better adapted to the
present demands than timothy and so
long as it thrives we'll it may have its
prominent place in our fields, but for
home feeding it is not the best thing for
us. Glover as large admixture has
proved it's excellence and we may now
try the value of alske as an additional
or substitute if the red clover fails us.
For pasture almost all grasses are good
when fresh in early summer but later on
there is much room for selections. The
annual foxtail orab-grass aud some others
that come up abundantly in midsummer
are we'll in their place but the dairyman
wants something more nutritious If he
can get it. Mr.. Balderston exhibited
some samples of Muhlenbergia, coarse
grass, growing abundantly on portions
of his lawn. the value of which he was
not assured. The cattle eat it readily,
and its value should be tested. Cattle
want not only abundance but they want
variety and 1t is worth an effort to find
out the uses of the plants thus placed at
our service. At the Maryland Agricul
tural Experiment Station they speak of
some 30 varieties of grass under notice
besides all the available clovers. Many
Of these are OF TIJIIe yaruo, v-.-------
be developed into important auxiliaries
in max ing out our profits from the sod.
He had not spoken particularly of the
poa pratense green grass. 1t is regard
ed as our most fattening pasture grass
but it fills only place. The cattle were
but poorly provided if they had nothing
else on the farm. After all we come
back to red clover our standard plant for
forage purposes generally. 1t is the ear
lest in the spring, earliest after harvest,