The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1897-04-24
CECIL FARMERS CLUB.
Regular Monthly Meeting at Mr.. James
H. MaxwellS near Pennington.

last the 18th inst At eleven O'Clock the
President of the Club, Mr.. John p. Wilson
directed the call of the roll of members when
the following responded to their names:
VIM. W. Moore, Henry S. Coudon. A. J.
Michiner, Col. Enoch Noyes, John p. Wilson.
Thomas c. Bond, L. L. Duyckinck, George
W. Clifford, Alfred Kirk, James II. Maxwell
and H. r. Torbert. The visitors present by
invitation were. VIM. Il. Cameron, Robert X.
Rawlings and Morris c. Reeder.
Reports of experiments being in order. Mr..
Maxwell said that the old adage as cit ed by a
member of the club, that feeding oats to ewes
was certain death to their lambs, he had
been feeding oats to his ewes. and the lambs
had done well. This subject was introduced by
the report of Mr.. Duyckinck, that out of thir-
teen lambs he had lost seven, when he was
asked what he had fed them on. He as well
as his father had fed their sheep on oats. He
thought the trouble grew out of the too fat
condition Of the ewes. For this reason corn
was too heating, causing the loss of the wool.
He did not attribute his loss to oats feeding,
but rather to his own negligence.
Col. Noyes said he had 80 sheep and forty
lambs. He would not select oats as IL feed
for sheep. He used mixed feed corn or oats
and bran. He did not think oats alone strong
enough as feed.
Mr.. Mlchiner said he had in a small way
fed sheep for fifty years. As boy he had
fed them. They got nothing but oats, except
perhas some corn twice week. He had 10
ewes and - lambs this season. They eat
about & quarts of whole oats at Il feeding
twice a day. He also uses corn ground in
the ear, with ground oats. kept constantly in
the trough. He turned them out every clear
day. He thought with Mr.. Duyckinck that
corn was in this climate too heating for feed
ing sheep. In higher northern attitudes corn
may be IA better feed than here
Mr.. Moore had no experience with sheep
having had none on his farm for 80 years.
He thought oats was not a milk producing
feed for ewes. They dried the milk up.
Col. Noyes said salt being Il laxative, sheep
should have constant access to it. If the
flock had grass range. he would feed oats
as an astringent feed. He would not feed
any animal oats exclusively.
MIR. Coudon said if compelled to choose
one grain for any animal he would prefer
oats. He preferred in any case mixed feed
Mr.. Kirk said he fed mixed feed when he
kept sheep. He would not feed whole oats
for milk in any case.
Col. Noyes said turnips alone were an ex-
celent feed for sheep, because being Il IaXa-
wit of Jr,, 60 Al,
animal healthy.
Mr.. Rawlings said if you watched your
stock, you could readily see what feed they
thrived on.
Mr.. Reeder said he used turnips with
mixed dry feed as the best winter ration for
sheep.
The regular essay being in ORDER Mr.. Max
well presented the following paper on the
thorough cultivation of the soil:
Mr.. President and Members of the Club:
We have had many subjects to discuss.
The one | think most important to the farmer
is the cultivation of the soil.
In my opinion 1t is not how much manure
we use on our crops, if there is not n thorough
cultivation of the soil.
In the spring we seem in n hurry to get the
oats in. and out of the way in order to get to
our other work. but | find cultiyating the
ground after blowing for my oats has
yielded me ten more bushels to the acre, than
when | only plowed, drilled and rolled.
In reference to the corn crop, | do not
think we can get the soil too mellow for the
grain. | think we can cultivate up until the
10th of July with profit.
As to the wheat crop, | think as soon as the
oats are Off the ground it is best to plow, and
no ii anil tnr fp Enn hA alp ,pI
oats from getting II start. and there is a much
better chance to get good crop OF grass the
next season And with barn yard manure.
ten loads to the acre and 300 pounds of bone,
we will be in good shape to have a good crop
of hay the following season. We find even
in our garden, if it is not well cultivated, we
come short of vegetables on our table unless
we depend on our stores.
Giving the ground thirty bushels OF lime to
the acre every years, we will see our money
after good living.
Comment on the essay being in order Mr..
Moore said the essay contained good sug-
sestions for good farming.
Col. Noyes said he approved the essay, and
thought farmers generally lacked in the
thorough cultivation of their lands.
Mr.. Michner said the only objection he
convinced that the failure of farmers to
thoroughly cultivate their land, was n source
of loss. He was an advocate Of the use of
lime and therefore endorsed Mr.. MaXwclrs
suggestion as to its use. In seeding wheat
he had always noticed one thing. that wher-
ever he had used light spread Of barnyard
manure in connection with bone, he had al
ways had q good set Of grass.
Mr. Clifford thought Mr.. MaXwell's essay
thoroughly practical. He endorsed particu-
larly what Mr.. Maxwell said, that cultivating
the ground after powing for oats. was a
better method than when he only plowed
drilled and rolled the land.
Mr. Bond said the essay accorded with his
views as to cultivation. He had always in
sisted on more cultivation of the ground as in
the case of oats. As to the five year use of
lime, that would be determined by the
character of the soil.
Mr.. Coudon thought there was Il limit to
profitable cultivation. Price of grain would
not now justify excessive cultivation: as extra
labor was expensive. He thought II single
years result would not prove the advantage
of excessive cultivation. He had noticed in
the case Of corn, that too much cultivation
injured it. He would prefer to expend the
, cost of the labor in fertilizers rs means of