Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-28
Woodiawn Farmers Club.

L lie SSpCeuteT HeetiuS vi VIC Nooo'
lawn Farmers Club was held at John
Ballinger's on the 23rd inst, President
Harrison in the chair. The minutes OF
the July meeting were read and ap-
proved. The attendance of members
was small at the annual meeting in
August, and an informal meeting was
called to elect delegate to the State
fair at Richmond, f. E. Mason being
chosen for that purpose-no other busi-
ness being done. Consequently aG
election of officers was held at this
time, resulting as follows: A. w. Har-
r;son for president; w. Gillingham, sec
retary, and John Ballinger, treasurer.
The committee to secure road to the
Mt. Vernon Railway station reported
having so far completed the same as to
be in good order for travel, so the COM
mittee was discharged after having re-
ceiYed the thanks of the club for their
labors.
Several articles were then read
from the Southern Planter and one taken
from the GAZETTE by "W. U. S." on the
subject of wheat raising the most
of them tending to show that wheat
was grown in this section of the coun.
try at loss to the farmer, which led
TO very promiscuous discussion of the
subject. occupying most of the after
noon. Mayor Hine stated that wheat
could be raised in the northwest at a
cost of about so cents per bushel and
as long as that was the case the farm
ers in the east should turn their atten-
ton TO the growing of other crops, un-
less it seemed necessary in the course
of farm economy, proper rotation
of crops &C., to contine wheat growing.
1t was thought by several that feeding
of wheat 10 the stock at home was
more profitable than selling it at pres
ent prices. No harm seemed to re-
suit from feeding musty wheat to stock,
all kinds of stock would thrive upon
wheat and it can be fed in the straw,
thus saving threshiug and grinding.
In the course of the remarks upon
stock feeding Mayor Hine alluded to
the recent experiments made at the
Maryland station which seemed to
prove that the butts of corn stalks
were more digestible than either the
tops or the blades, the ratio being "A
per cent. of the butts to 66 ofthe blades.
II did not state whether the amount Of
nutriment was greater or less. An ar
ticle was also read from the Southern
Planter for the special benefit of the
dairymen present wherein the intro
duction of good music into the stables
was recommended, stating that it
would pay to eXpend 50 per day fer
good music for herd OF 10 COWS. The
editor of the Southern Planter vouched
for the truth of the statement, so those
who are anxious to pursue the investi-
cation further might communicate with
him. This created some amusement
in The club, and while under the in
fuence of this sort of thing,
f. E. Mason told the story of a hen
that crowed being sent to the National
Museum as curiosity for in
vestigation. One of the officials
put her in coop to see if she would lay and
some of the other fellows procured dozen
eggs and slipped ono in the coop each morn.
ing until the lot was exhausted, said official
watching the course of events with some sat
isfaction when the laying stopped. They had
the nondescript "analyzed" and found that
it was impossible for it to produce eggs. Then
there was one mad man there, but lot Of
fun had been evolved.
As sort of wind up to the proceedings
Major Hine told Of crop of oats he had
grown the last year, which was sown too
thick by almost one-half according to the ac-
cepted ideas, but had produced 20 bushels per
acre. So it was thought farming would pay
IN some places and under certain circum-
stances, and the club finally adjourned for
supper and to meet in four weeks at Walter
walton S. w. GILLINGHAM.
| Secretary