The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1906-09-07
THE DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.

| The Deer Greek Farmers Club met at
| Poplar Grove" the beautiful home of Mr..
| J. l.. Mccormick, on last Friday evening,
| with the following members present: Pres
dent John Moorcs and Messrs. James Lee II.
| B. Bruins, ]. B. Wysong, w. Beatty Harlan,
| G. 6. Street, X. Harris Archer, John S. Sla6e,
William B. Hopkins, F. II Jacobs, w. w.
| Finney, Fred. Lochary and John ID. WORTH
| ington-visitors McsSrs 5. A. Hoblitzell and
| Horace Boarman.
After roll-call the club made trip of inspec-
ton of the premises in a body, and upon re-
assembling the committee of inspection, con-
sisting of Messrs. Harlan, Lochary and
Bruins, was called on for a report.
Mr. Harlan said that the beauty and its
excellent condition had never been more
striking than now. Located as 1t is, within
a mile of the county town and a good raj.
road, with ample buildings in excellent order,
and 80 acres of land practically all tillable
and in the highest state of cultivation; the
property had few competitors within his
knowledge as a model country home and
stock farm. noteworthy feature are the
handsome poplar trees on the lawn which
indigenous to the soil and gave the property
its name.
The committee in its trip was particularly
impressed with the general air of neatness
which pervaded the whole property. The
Guernsey herd looked fine and their daily score
ca I'd in the stable showed that they are d DING
excellent work. MIR. Mccormick has a large
lot of pure Wyandotte chicks and Pekin
ducks, and n nice lot of Berkshire shoats.
He also has remarkably handsome four
year-old coach horse which will weigh 1 300
lbs, and a fine half thoroughbred six months
old. His crop of corn is heavily cared, but
his dense crop OF slo corn was very badly
broken down by the late storm. He COM.
mendcd Mr.. McCormick's system of varied
farming, where "all of his eggs are not in the
same basket" and thus when one crop fails
we are not ruined.
Mr.. Lochary endorsed Mr.. Harlan'S re-
marks and said he particularly pleased
with the solid macadam road which leads for
a half-milc from the entrance to the residence;
it adds very much to the comfort of the
home. His hedge fences are perfect, and his
large variety of fruit very tempting. He
also has fine garden.
Mr.. Bruins said there are times when the
critic is compelled to render a favorable criti-
cism he had looked in vain, but found moth
ing out of order.
The topic of the day, Growing Grass"
then taken up.
Mr.. Mccormick said that in common with
all the farmers he knows, he has trouble
about getting set of grass. He had had
little experience with special methods, but
sometime since he had sown an acre and a
half directly to grass in early September and
cut from it five tons of hay the next season
Mr.. Fred Lochary said he had sown clover
seed successfully when working corn the last
time. Formerly there was little trouble in
getting a set, but now it seemed best to SOW
I he seed alone.
August.
MIR. Bruins said he had no trouble in getting
plenty of green grass ChaS 30 acrcS) by top
ping newly cleared land with lime and ma
nure, but failed to secure a set of clover.
Where he had dsced half Of field last fall
and plowed the other half, the latter alone
produced grass.
Mr.. ii GRACE Boarman said he had recently
sown seven acres to grass. using three lbs OF
ais ykc, four of red clover and six OF timothy
per acre, and it is now coming up nicely.
Mr.. Wysong-"This most valuable of the
farmers crops can be guaranteed where
wheat ground can be top dressed with barn
yard manure. but the supply Is necessarily
limited. believe we should SOW grass alone"
Mr.. Harlan" This was the first subject Sc
leCted by me when cntcrt aiming t he club many
years ago. / have had excellent results by
seeding sugar corn and tomato ground when
giving the last working. l advocate the Use
of lime and barnyard manure on wheat"
Mr.. Archer was troubled with getting only
chance catch with wheat. He advocated
SOW ing grass alone, sowing it thick-a half
buShel of timothy per acrc-and sowing only
variety.
Mr. Hopkins has great trouble to get set;
last year was a complete failure Believes
we should use more potash, as demonstrated
where spread ashes, and has had good
set on tomato ground.
Mr.. Worthngton said good or poor grass
on a farm with our system OF husbandry rep
resents the difference between success or fail
ure He did not think should expect that
small, tender seeds could be thrown onto
hard ground in springin the midst of grow
ing crop and succeed; he advised sowing
grass alone on well titled, well fortified
bed in August, sowing one fourth aIsyke, one
fourth red clover and onc-half timothy.
More potash and lime should be used.
Mr.. Jacobs always lines for corn. Sows a
mixture of grass seeds the latter part of
August. using 400 lbs of commercial fertiz-
| er. and has generally gotten satisfactory re-
| suits.
Mr.. Lee has been making a variety of ex-
| periments on the subject in recent years, and
| gave them to the club In detail. They may
be summed up as follows: Till thoroughly
| lime, SOW + lbs. asykc, of red clover and
| of timothy per acre, with wheelbarrow
sower. and strike in carefully with smo othin z
| harrow. He had at times mixed red top
with other seeds, but did not look with favor
| upon the grass.
| Mr.. Shade finds success with same methods
varies in different sections, but thinks COM
| mercial fertilizers have hurt our chances for a
| grass set. He sows crimson clover in corn
| ground where it is to lie over winter, and
now has good set OF grass on tomato
| ground Last harvest he cut twenty-five
| acres of good grass sown last August, while
| the field where wheat was harvested last
| year not worth cutting.
| Mr.. Finney has raised his best grass from
| tomato ground. and has started it success
fully from oats he believes in lime for grass.
| President Moores does not plant grass on
| fallow not because he loves grass less, but be-
| cause he loves wheat more. He states that
| grass has been retrograding since 1877. He
| finds chances far the best for clover where he
| lines, and states that timothy is very exhaust
| ing to the soil. He recalls a story that the
first load of timothy in the Baltimore market
| went from Hartford during the Revolutionary
| war, but not looked upon with favor.
| He does not consider heavy seeding as essen
tial.
The club adjourned to meet next month at
| the residence of Mr.. w. Beatty Harlan.