The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-11-30
Cecil Farmers Club.

JAS. I'll. Maxwell, M. Ii thompson,
Elwood Balderston, A. r. Brown.
Lloyd Balderston and John Rutter
were also in attendance.
M. G. Reeder, chairman of COM
mittee on farmers clubs union, re-
ported that he had attended meet
ing held in Baltimore on Nov. u.
About twenty representatives were
present, and DIR. Mahlon Kirk, of
Montgomery county, was elected
president of the meeting and w.
w. G. Stewart, of Baltimore county,
secretary. VIM. l.. Amoss, j. D.
Worthington and w. w. 9. Stew
art were appointed a committee on
resolutions and made the following
report, which was adopted:
That the various farmers clubs throughout the
State. in joint convention assembled. recognize
the value Of district farmers clubs and desire to
promote their organization and the usefulness and
efficiency of State organization their natural
sequence
That to this end the State Conductor OF Farmers
Institutes be and is hereby requested and urged to
take the necessary steps during his annual visit to
each county to local interest in the subject
to assist in the tramiI Of constitutions for local
organizations and to take all necessary steps to
bring about the formation at least of one club in
each county.
That meeting OF this body be called by it's
president and secretary for March l, 1901. when q
constitution shall be submitted for adoption to be
fro, t,.-o 0f
three members to be selected by ballot at this
meeting.
That the existing officers continue In office until
March |. 1901.
That circular prospectus of the purpose of this
organization be prepared by the executive COM
mttee at an early day to be circulated throughout
the State. and that the executive committee be
empowered to carry out the purpose of this
meeting.
VIM. L. Amoss, J. D. Worthing-
ton and Asa B. Gardiner, Jr., were
chosen as the executive committee.
On the call for experiments FL
wood Balderston stated his ten
shoats had returned him $116.64.
Alfred Kirk asked for infOrma-
ton in putting on lime, whether to
put it out in small piles and spread
on sod, or pillow the ground this
fall and spread on top. The gen.
eral opinion was to pillow the ground
and spread on top, as best results
had been secured from this plan.
r. K. Rawlings gave an account
of his experiments with dairying.
He commenced year ago with nine
cows and they averaged him $50 a
head. He fed them during the
summer a special feed which cost
him $S3.
Mr.. Rutter was asked for infor-
nation in regard to keeping celery,
as he had been noticed covering
his entirely with dirt, which some
thought would cause it to rot. Mr..
Rutter thought not, but stated he
still had much to learn regarding
the proper methods to obtain best
results from the crop.
Mr.. Reeder stated that he had
seen so acres of celery near Philada.
and that the grower was to set it in
trenches about two feet wide and
bank sides with dirt and cover top
with marsh hay when freezing
weather set in.
In discussing the planting of
corn, the general opinion was that
it should be planted very deep for
certain termination.
In lieu of an essay from the host,
the following clipping from "Farm
and Homeu was read:
ROTATION OF CROPS PAYS.
system Of rotation of crops should be 80 ar
ranged as to economic the natural supplies Of
fertility contained in the soil Different crops feed
upon different soil ingredients in varying, guam.
titles. proper succession of crops brings all the
elements of plant food into and hence prevents
any of these from lying idle and being wasted, as
for example. by being carried away ny water in its
constant percolation through the soil.
Rotation economies applied manures by
When fertilizers are applied to soil. it will gen.
orally happen that any one kind of crop will not
be able to make use of all the elements of plant
food which they contain. and the more general
these fertilizers in their character the less will
be the capacity of any single crop to use all their
plant food components.
rotation tends to enrich the surface soil This
is owing to the variety of modes in which plants
obtain their food. Some plants draw Ia rye sup.
plies of their food from the air, while others
gather much plant food deep down in the subsoil
But by the decay ofrootlets and their consequent
change to soil and for the reason that much of the
plant food contained In crops is returned to the
soil again as manure. it follows that the surface
soil. when under proper cultivation, is being
constantly enriched.
Aregular succession of crops is helpful in keep
ing the soil free from weeds The rotation adopted
oughly cultivated and kept free from weeds, win
aid very much in freeing the farm from that pest
rotation of crops improves the mechanical
texture Of the SOIL When sod or green crops are
turned under, an amelioratng effect the soil Is
sure to follow.
The increase of destructive insects is hindered
by rotation Of crops. When but one kind ofcrop
is grown, the conditions favorable to the growth
OF the insects which feed upon that crop are con-
tinued unchanged from year to yeer. But when
another crop Is sown ana cultivated. the condi
lions are changed. The insects which the former
conditions favored are more or less destroyed.
Rotation is necessary for the economical feeding
of live stock it is necessary TO feed them with
variety of crops. and 1t will be that these can
be grown more cheaply when proper rotation il
observed than would be at all possible otherwise
The length OF time required to complete q course
of rotation is governed by the kind Of crops grown
and the amount Of land used.
In commenting on the article, the
concensus of opinion was that rota-
ton was absolutely necessary and
where experiments had been tried
otherwise failure had been the
result.
The following committee of in
spection of premises was appointed: