Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-03-19
FARMERS CLUB NOTES.

The March meeting OF tne NOOuId"h
Farmers Club assembled at the home of
Mr.. C. Lukens OH the afternoon of the
18th and was called TO order by the
President, f. H. Wilkinson. The Feb
ruary meeting, on account of sickness IN
the family of Lewis Gillingham, was not
held there as announced, but, instead, a
Joint meeting of the Housekeepers' and
Farmers Clubs were held at Sherwood
Hall. The Farmers Club secretary not
being present at that meeting had no
report.
The minutes of the January meeting
we're read and approved.
The committee on subjects for discus
sion called attention to recent speech
by the editor of the Country Gentleman
condemning the governments arid land
irrigation policy.
Mr.. A. l.. Lukens did not feel that
he could quite agree with the editor OF
the Country Gentleman that the said
policy is altogether bad, "a blessing
turned to a curse" but the opinion
seemed to prevail with the majority of
the club members that the development
of the west has been carried on too
rapidly and so, by opening up large
territories of fertile land to cultivation
has resulted in over production OF many
agricultural products, forcing the price
below that of profitable production and
also lowered the values of farm lands.
In the present scheme of irrigation the
eastern farmer helps bear the burden of
expense and the cheap products 50 raised
will compete with his on the mar
ket. Thus the eastern farmers help to
create their own competition, to weave
the moose that will encircle their own
necks.
The secretary then read an article from
the February Success" on the progress
of scientific agriculture.
The critical committee then made
their report which is appended hereto.
Several members spoke of their COWS
failing in milk but no cause could be
assigned.
Supper being announced the CLUB
then took a recess.
After supper the club was called to
order and several members made state
ments concerning the condition and
management of the Washington, Alex
andria and Mt. Vernon Electric Rail
way, especially the Mt Vernon branch
The road bed is reported to be in eX-
tremely bad condition and the bridges
dangerous. Trains are invariably late
entailing serious inconvenience and loss
of time to those going back and forth
to their business.
The milk car is very irregular, causing
great annoyance to the dairymen and
milk is continually being stolen from
their cars. One dairyman reported
having lost as high as fifteen gallons OF
milk in one month. The cars are too
heavy for hand breaks and the air
breaks are generally out of order.
When the trains leave Alexandria
going south the crew rarely ever know
when or where to meet trains going in
the opposite direction and often have to
keep a boy running ahead with a flag
to avert accident. Freight is not prop
erly distributed. For instance packages
for Belmont or Riverside are likely to
be carried to Mt. Vernon and vice
versa. The cars are unclean and fire.
ouently uncomfortable in bad weather.
Especially on several occasions OF large
national gatherings at Washington,
when many people haze desired to visit
Mt. Vernon, has the management CT
the road been so frightfully bad that it
is fast becoming notorious as national
nuisance.
A committee was appointed to report
at the next meeting resolutions en-
bodying the grievances of tue community
that the club represents, and insist on
better service,
The secretary was directed to COM
municate to DIR. Woodward the appre-
citation of this club in the recent move
of the Health Department of Washing
ing requiring milk dealers to wash the
milk cans before returning them to the
shippers.
The President appointed the following
committees
On subjects for discussion, A. r..
Harrison and II. Pierson.
Critical committee, j. n. Gibbs and
J. p. II. Mason.
The Club then adjourned to meet at
Walnut Hill, the residence OF Mrs.
Anna S. Walton, April IL.
CHAs. NJ. PIDEGEoN, Secretary.
WoodIawn, Va, March IA, 1908.
To the President of the Woodlawn Farm
ers' Club:
Your committee, in making their re-
port would say that they are so familiar
with the premises of our host that they
do not deem it necessary to go regularly
over the whole of them at this time.
The field crops of winter grain and
grass are making fair showing, and
under favorable conditions, will doubt
less make good yield. In going through
the stables we find fine lot of stock OF
mixed breeds which would seem to show
that the patrons of the dairy desire some
thing better than the products of Hol.
stines. His ensilage is in good condi
ton. The advantage of this method o