The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-03-13
CECIL FARMERS CLUB.
Regular Monthly Meeting at Mr.. ThoS.
c. Bonds Near Port Deposit.

The regular meeting Of the Cecil Farmers
Club was held on Wednesday the 10th inst,
mt the Naples farm, the homestead OF Mr..
Thomas G. Bond near Port Deposit. At 10.30
H. m. the President of the Club. Mr.. John w.
Wilson directed the call of the roll of mem
bers. when the following responded to their
names. Henry S. Coudon, A. J. Michiner,
Col. Enoch Noyes, John p. Wilson, Thomas
G. Bond, E. l.. Duyckinck, Rev. d. L. Shaw,
George W. Clifford, Alfred Kirk, DR.. II. E..
Bromwell and II. r. Torbert. The visitors
present by invitation were Rev. H. w. Ewing,
Rev. W. W. Shaw and Mr.. Frederick Van
Dorn of New Jersey.
The minutes Of the two last meetings hav-
ing been approved, Il quorum not having
been present at the last meeting, and reports
of experiments being in order, Mr.. Kirk said
he had been trimming during the winter an
old apple orchard. The trees were very thick
and he had been told that the trimming of an
old apple tree was almost sure to kill it.
Mr.. Michiner said he had trimmed apple
trees when the sap was flowing and had
given himself the additional trouble of trim
liihS luplH pNtl dSiluy d5 tlb SloNlH vi SUE
cors had been increased, and he would not
again trim them when the sap was flowing.
He thought trimming should be done always
when the sap was down. AS to grapes, look
ing to n crop of fruit, he was not in favor of
excessive pruning.
Col. Noyes said he had an expensive exper-
ience in trimming old apples trees. A tenant
on his farm in 1865 had cut off the large and
heavy limbs of about 300 apple trees. He
secured crop that year, but the following
year general decay began, and in four or five
years the orchard was dead except a few
younger trees. The orchard was probably
thirty-hve years old. He thought the heavy
trimming of an old orchard would certainly
kill it.
Mr.. Bond said that he had trimmed the old
wood from old apple trees, and had lost
them.
Mr.. Duyckinck said, that the generality of
farmers allowed too many main limbs on
young trees. That proper number, two or
three, main limbs being left on young tree,
there would be no necessity for much trim
ming, lis there would not be a superabund-
anre of sprouts to require trimming. He
was not an advocate of excessive pruning.
Mr.. Clifford said his experience showed,
that the cutting of main limbs of fruit trees
was detrimental to them. He had pruned
successfully young trees when in bloom. but
aimed always to leave the main limbs intact
As to grapes he thought with Mr. NIchiner,
that excessive pruning lessened the quantity
of fruit. and was therefore detrimental to the
vine.
Mr.. Kirk thought the essential condition
for successful prape growing was moisture,
which was necessary for the root growth of
the vine. Mr. Mitchner said animal matter
promoted the growth of grapes, and worth
less ours could be well utilized by planting
for grape growing.
Mr.. Duyckinck instanced the experience OF
Il lady who cut her grape vines back to two
fruit in large quantities.
Col Noyes asked why it was that the wild
grapes ceased bearing fruit The wild vines
that once bore fruit in abundance, now bear
ID fruit. The question was not satisfactorily
answered.
The regular essay being in order Mr.. Bond
submitted the following paper:
"In casting around for subject for paper
to offer the club, find that everything per
tanning to the welfare of the farmer or the
interest of the farm is we'll nigh exhausted
and anything I might say has been said be
| nit l,,, H.,
ure, ceased to be experimental. for we have fol
years tried all new methods and followed al
reasonable suggestions, that our farms might
prove more productive and the difficultie:
that environ us solved. But seemingly W,
are as far from solution by these method.
as when We commenced. The truth is, farm
ing these times in the Atlantic States il
cereals has ceased to be profitable, for tht
reason that large tracts of land throughou
| the West and Northwest under the combinat
i've system has superseded the primitive
methods of small farms as with us and We
now no longer can compete in the worlds
markets against the larger producers.
"Our position as farmers may be likened
to the position Of the small trades people and
the wage earners as opposed to the large
combinations and trusts, where thousands
used to find employment and reward for theil
toll, they are now supplanted by the large
aggregation Of means and improved machin-
cry, consequently there is not that diversified
way and means Of securing the results for
which we all strive This condition of affairs
look upon rs II sequence to the increase in
the wealth Of the country. the perfection of
machinery and the aggregation of capital.
do not think it is polite to complain or wise
to oppose, for in the nature of things the world
must progress till frution arrives. The ques-
ton then is, how best to adapt ourselves to
this condition of affairs.
Some contend that there is remedy, and
blindly insist that preventive in the form
of legislation will correct the matter Whilst
it is true there are unlawful combinations
and unjust means used to defraud the people
of their inherent rights, yet to object to all
improvements devised for mans benefit, is to
go back in the scale of human progress and
advancement. Comparing civilized with
semi-civiized countries of the world. we can
see wherein we are more largely benefited by
the advance of science in the art OF produc-
ing and living. The picture Asiatc countries
present from time to time of their starving