VOL. XXVI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., JULY 25, 1891.
NO. 30
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN.
Of the Indiana Weather flerrlee la co-operation with
tbe*TBlted8tatei Weather Bnre.u for the week ending
Satarday, July 18,ISM.
The weather during the week, continued favorable to threshing and haying
but growing crops, especially corn, need
rain; the cool temperature during the
nights and absence of rain, have retarded
the advancement, of corn in some fields;
still it stands well, is of good color and
promises a good crop; reports from everywhere continue in praise of the abundant
yield and excellent wheat crop which is now
nearly all housed and much on the way to
the markets. Hay is saved in good condition and the crop is abundant; fruit, especially peaches in the southern portion,
is most abundant and yields a great crop;
tobacco in the southeastern portion promises better than last year and is of most
thrifty growth.
SOUTHERN POBTION.
Vevay, Switzerland Co.—The weather
continued delightful for threshing and
the welcome sound of the threshing
machine is heard in all directions; the
yield of wheat both in quality and quantity is pronounced by the most successful
farmers the best on record; other crops
are equally good; the late rains have benefitted corn, potatoes and tobacco which are
of most thrifty growth; the fruit crop
promises to be immense except grapes
which appeared so promising, are suffering now from rot and mildew, besides insects, resembling rose bugs are devouring
the leaves.   Rainfall, 0.25.
Worthington, Greene Co.—The nights
were too cool and the rainfall too light for
growing corn, its blades are twisting badly, but the weather could not be better
for wheat threshing and haying; there is
plenty of hay put up in the very best condition.   Kainfall, 0.01.
DeGonia Springs, Warrick Co.—Although a little dry for corn and other
crops, the weather is just splendid for
haying and threshing; wheat is yielding
full as well as expected, averaging about
20 bushels per acre; pasturage and the
water supply is getting quite short on
some farms.   No rain.
Mount Vernon, Posey Co.—The weather
was very fine for threshing; the wheat
crop is more than average and there will
be for sale in this county one and a half
million bushels of wheat; the large crop
of growing corn is in good condition. No
rain until the 17th when enough fell to
be of benefit to corn and pasture. Bain-
fall, 0.21.
Huntingburg, Dubois Co.—Farmers are
busy with threshing. Wheat crop over
the average, from 22 to 27bushels per acre;
hay is good, oats are not verygood. Rainfall, 0.70.
Marengo, Crawford Co.—The weather
has been unusually favorable for haying
and threshing wheat; hay harvest is
nearly done; wheat threshing is progressing finely, the yield is fair and the quality good, and meets the expectation of the
farmers. Rainfall, trace.
' Princeton, Gibson Co.—Remarkably fine
weather prevails for taking care of grain;
wheat threshing progresses rapidly and
much wheat is taken from the machine
direct to the market, it sells at 80 cents
per bushel; corn looks well but needs rain
much; pasture is drying up; there are
many peaches, plums and apples sent
to market.   No rain.
CENTRAI, PORTION.
Indianapolis, Marion Co.—Little rain
only and cool nights were not beneficial
to the growing corn; wheat threshing continues with a great yield; pasturage, potatoes and other crops still remaining are in
fair condition.   Rainfall, 0.04.
Sheibyville, Shelby Co.—Rainfall, tem
perature and sunshine during the week
were ail below average; the hay crop is
secured in fine condition; wheat threshing satisfactory; grain merchantable, and
averages a good No. 2; corn is doing well
yet but the ground is getting dry. Rainfall, 0.20.
Mauzy, Rush Co.—Wheat threshing is
the order of the day, most of it grades 54
to 57; corn shows tassels and silks in some
fields; blackberries are ripening; hog
cholera prevails in the northern portion of
the county.   Rainfall, 0.42.
Farmland, Randolph Co.—Farmers are
about done with haying and threshing
wheat progresses finely, the yield is above
the expectation of all gcod judges. Rain
is needed much.   Rainfall, 0.18.
NORTHERN PORTION.
Logansport, Cass Co.—The weather has
been most favorable to growing crops; hay
is mostly made and never was put up in
better condition; some wheat has been
threshed and the yield is greater than expected, most acres will yield 20 to 30 bushels; just now corn needs rain very much,
most of it is short but of good color and
with sufficient rain will make a good crop.
RainfaU, 0.22.
Marion, Grant Co.—Wheat is being
threshed yield gocd from 20 to 30 bushels
pear acre; hay is nearly all put up in good
condition and of good quality; corn is
growing nicely.   Rainfall, trace.
Angola, Steuben Co,—There prevailed
exceedingly fine weather; wheat cutting
is done and stacked in good order, the
crop is heavy; no threshing has been done
yet; corn is doing well but needs rain, also
potatoes; another week of fine weather
will end the harvest in good shape. No
rain.
Lafayette, Tippecanoe Co.—The weather
has been excellent for hay making and
wheat threshing; the cool nights have prevented to some extent the growth of corn,
but the prevailing large amount of sun
shine and excellent condition for cultivating have more than counterbalanced any
such bad effects; the yield and quality of
wheat is excellent; blackberries are abundant.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
Per C. F. R. Wappenhans,
TJ. S. Weather Bureau Assistant.
in this neighborhood we have had for
many a year. It is worth 80 cents, and is
moving the wheels of trade with a mighty
power. This fine wheat crop brings me
to a question I would like you to ask the
farmers of central Indiana who have used
commercial fertilizers:
1. How much did they use per acre?
2. How much increase did it make?
3. Did it pay?
Let us have a free discussion on this
subject, for I think there's "millions in it."
Pittsboro. A. W. S.
The wheat in Middle Township Hendricks Co., Ind., is turning out from 20 to
40 bushels to the acre.
Our State Fair.
A Success Beyond a Doubt—Meeting
the Executive Committee.
of
THE WHEAT CROP.
Notes From  our Correspondents,  Etc.
Editors Indiana Farmer *.
I have seen a number of reports in various papers about large yields of wheat
and now want to report what I think the
champion yield in the State, the varieties
are the Early Red Clawson and Winter
Fife.
The Early Red Clawson I sowed 11 acres
and threshed 440 bushels, machine measure, which is 40 bushels per acre and will
weigh out about 43 bushels per acre. This
field was struck by a hail storm and all
who helped to thresh agree that at least
100 bushels were left on the ground.
The Winter Fife I sowed one bushel on
slightly more than an acre and threshed
4i>% bushels without cleaning up around
the machine. Mr. Wm. Pollard who did
the threshing said he never in his experience with a machine of 20 years threshed
wheat to equal it.
I had 12 acres of New Monarch that
yielded 24 bushels to the acre. I consider
that it will pay any farmer immensely to
sow the Early Red Clawson and Winter
Fife wheat if the seed costs a big price,
as they yield double the average of other
varieties in my neighborhood.
New Augusta. J. E. I.
On Tuesday, the 14th, inst., President
Banks of the State Board of Agriculture,
called a meeting of the executive committee. All the members; were present and
tehy were much pleased over their triumph
in both the Superior and Supreme courts,
which gave them their right to continue
to manage the State Fair, and all the members with one accord determined to use all
their energies to boom the coming State
fair and make it one of the largest ever
held in Indianapolis. They ask'the assistance of all those interested and especially
the press of Indianapolis. The question
of selling the grounds was ^discussed and
several gentlemen appeared before the
committee to make their propositions and
talk the matter over, but we are informed
no definite action was taken. The board
wished to sell the ground this fall, but owing to the act of Legislature and the legal
difficulties which have occupied the attention of our courts for the past four months
they will be compelled to hold the coming State fair upon the old grounds, much
to their;d.slike. Had not this legal fight
taken place, the board would have sold
the old grounds, purchased a new one, and
built a fine mile track, and had every thing
in readiness for the coming fair. Several
tempting offers were made the board, to
ramove the fair to some of our enterprising Indiana towns, but none were accepted. The [demand for premium lists is
greater than ever before, and the outlook
is for the largest fair ever held in the State.
UNCLE SAM'S FISH DISPLAY.
The World's Fair will have the Greatest AQuarium ever Constructed.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
We are threshing the best crop of wheat
The fish exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition is to be a wonderful one,
and not the least interesting portion of it
naturally, will be the Aquarial or Live
Fish display. This will be contained in a
circular building, 135 feet in diameter,
standing near one extremity of the main
Fisheries building, and in a great curved
corridor connecting the two.
In the center of the circular building
will be a rotunda sixty feet in diameter,
in the middle of which will be a basin or
pool about twenty-six feet wide from which
will arise a towering mass of rocks covered with moss and lichens. From clefts
and crevices in the rocks crystal streams
of water will gush and drop to the masses
of reeds, rushes and oramental semi-aquatic plants in the basin below. In this
pool gorgeous gold fishes, golden ides,
golden tench, and other fishes will disport.
From the rotunda one side of the larger
series of aquaria may be viewed. These
will be ten in number and will, have a
capacity of seven thousand to twenty-
seven thousand gallons of water.
Passing out of the rotunda by the entrances a great corridor or gallery is reached
where on one ^hand can be viewed the
opposite side of the series of great tanks
and on the other a line of tanks somewhat
smaller, ranging from 750 to 1,500 gallons
each in capacity. The corridor^or gallery-
is about 15 feet wide. The entire length
of the glass fronts of the aquaria will be
about 575 feet or over 3,000 square feet of
surface. They will make a panorama
never before seen in any exhibition, and
will rival the great permanent aquariums
of the world not only in size but in all
other respects.
The total water capacity of the aquaria,
exclusive of reservoirs, will be 18,725
cubic feet, or 140,000 gallons. This will
weigh 1,192,425 pounds, or almost 000 tons.
Of this amount about 40,000 gallons will
be devoted to the marine exhibit. In the
entire salt water circulation,'{including
reservoirs, there will be about 80,000 gallons. The pumping and distributing
plant for the marine aquaria will be constructed of vulcanits. The pumps will be
in duplicate and will each have a capacity
of 3,000 gallons per hour. The supply of
sea water will be secured by evaporating
the neeessary quantity at the Woods Hall
station of the United States Fish Commission to about one-fifth its bulk, thus reducing both quantity and weight for
transportation about 80 per cent. The
fresh water required to restore it to its -
proper density will be supplied from Lake
Michigan. In transporting the marine
fishes to Chicago from the coast there will
also be an addition of probably 3,000 gallons of pure sea water to the supply on
each trip. 	
■   ♦   a	
Farmers' Reading Club.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
As the time approaches for the inaugural
meeting of the Farmers' Reading Circle
which has been fixed for Aug. llth, the
importance of the subject grows upon me.
Your correspondents touch upon many
interesting points. I fancy that the executive committee will be animated by a
spirit of humility when it undertakes to
select 10 or 20 books suitable for the farmer's family. Who, indeed, is competent
to perform such a task? There is so much
that is good to read and yet with Carlyle
we must exclaim, who has read one book?
A book that is not worth reading twice or
ten times is not worth reading at all.
It is a fact that in rural communities
there is a prejudice against books of fiction
but this provincial sentiment should be
over come. The portrayal of character as
done by the best writers is often more influential than the homilies of preachers
and the advice of friends. The perversity
of human nature inclines all of us to resent and to discount good advice, but we
are found disarmed when we come to read
the story tbat portrays the nobility of self-
sacrifice, the loveliness of every day kindness and the greatness of character that
comes from the discipline of striving. We
can see in fictitious characters the rejection of what is admirable in our friends
and also hints of what la deformed in our
own natures, all of .which helps us to know
selves, to appreciate our frienda and generally to make lite happier and better.
I have been much impressed with Mrs.
Mount's suggestion that the farmer's
family needs such reading as will give
new themes of conversation and new
ideals. Mr. Bartholomew deserves the
greatest appreciation and encouragement
for his enthusiastic pushing of this movement. It becomes every one who can
help, and who comprehends the magnitude and possibilities of the Farmers'
Reading Circle, to meet with us Aug.
14th, in the rooms of the Secretary of
Agriculture and by their counsel and encouragement promote the cause. A program will shortly be announced, for while
business is the primary object of the
meeting, yet the discussion of practical
topics will facilitate the intelligent transaction of business.
Virginia C. Meredith.