Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-01-07
WoodlaWn Farmers Club
Reported for the Alexandria Gazette


The January meeting Of the Woodlawn
Farme.s' Club wsa held at tho residence of
Mrs. R. n Ballenger on the list. Psesi-
dent Piersoa iD the chsir HFpen the min
utes Of tbs list .aee;ing were eed E. b.
Mason thought ,ae closing sentences thereof
which sta:ed thai the ROADS 'gere growing
steadily woIse u0lcr ;he ptesent road sys-
lem, were not quite in aCcotdGGca with the
facts The roads have improved 30 rapidly
with the dry weather OF the past month that
it do seem to be Gn inc3ngcnity at this
time. bu5 upon appealDg to cub ms tmbers
as TO tbs correctness Of the mi0nies, as p
reseutng the expressions 81 .hs Tina, The
secratary's report was sDa 2iued By q vote
that YVES nearly unanimous Il copy Of the
reply Of the secretary to theiequest # Com
missioner Whitehead ia regard &c his re-
appoint ment as chief OF the agricultural de.
partuent at Richmond vas read end 5eari-
iy approved
A copy OF "a bill before Congress for tie
encouragement of irrigation in the western
territories with view to the realization OF
The arid lands thereof was reed and pro
duced an animated discussion aud developed
variety OF views. Some thought that there
resulting in overpfodncton and low prices
Of produce, that th re Was already Too much
land in the eastern s ates abandoned; while
Others thought IL !nudabie undertaking,
SO the member were recommended 10 make
further iuvesi gation into the merits OF
lhe subject and be prepared tc
further discuss The measure at next meeting
The question was asked by the president
whether any membeE had USED the Canada
ashes so extensively advertised In farm jouln.
ale, and answered iE the negative. he had
received reports from some ct the expert
meut slalions, whcrs they had been ana
lyzsd aud wherein they had been shown to
be deficient in potash, while they contained
9 large amount OF lime. TIE opinion was
advanced that il was difficult to conceive
how the vast quantity advertised is produced
unless there is heavy adulteration.
An interchange Of views was had in re-
gard to the prizes offered by some OF the
farm journals for tho largest yields of pota-
toes and other crops. 1t was thought gen.
erally thst 1t would be impossible to pro-
duce iu this climate and soil the immense
yield reported in some instances, though If
the heavy application OF fertilizers there
made, was resorted TO here, very satisfac'
so:y yield would be secured, provided alaCayS,
that seasonabIe weather wss Vouchsafed at
the critical time when the potatoes we're
setting, which is one of the greatest draw.
bscks to potato growing here.
Tay or Blunt asked about the rropriety
of piowi1g at thi5 TINA for spring crops, as
the weather was so favorable for such work.
Il was generally conceded that it was rieky
business; on some soil it was liable to run
together and become SO compact that after
second plowing it would be in a
worse condition than if piowed bpt once in
the spring. Some olher soils would be so
overgrown by blue grass hefore planting
shry. Very heavy soils were generally ben.
etitted by winter plowing thus giving the
frcst chance to penetrate the same and
better destroy noxious inseots In such
cases the furrow should be set up on edge
rather than laid fiat.
Courtand Lukeus asked why wheat was
looking go backward and making go little
growth, in view Of the very favorable wealth
or for the past month. He said be had
made al examination Of the plants in nu-
,nerous places In his field and failed to find
the two sets OF roots-ebove aud below
with the connecting stem between, as Is usu
ally the case, but all the roots were together
near the surface with one or two exceptions.
1t was thought to be attributable to the fact
of the land beng 90 full of water at seeding
time that where the seed was in deep the
lower roots hsd rotted off and disappeared
SOON after germiDatioD and thus had retard.
ed the growth. while in many cases the
grain only sprouted that waH quite near the
surface. 1t was thought that the grain had
grown more in the aet two or three weeks
than altogether before.
From this subject we passed to the con.
sideraton of the question of taxes. In view
of the time being at hand for the reessess
ment of lard, the urgent need ofsome meas.
ure for the equalization of taxes was
conceded most decidedly. The very large
amount required for the support Of the poor
in the county-sbout ten thousand dollars
was thought to be excessive, and some re-
form waa needed In the method of caring
for them.
The.statement being made that our Sena
tor, R. W. Moore, contemplated some re-
forms In these matters, the following was
introduced aud passed unanimously.
RESOLVED, That our State Senator r. Wal
ton Moore be encouraged to persevere in his
efforts TO pass bill to have the delinquent
taxes collected from whatever material is
available, whether it be timber, wood, or
other con certible property, also to use his
best endeavors TO have some measure passed
to equaiza taxation throughout the State
Next meeting et the residence of Presl'
dent Persop, February l.
W. GILLINGHAM. Sec.