VOL. LIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH 18, 1899.
NO. 11
HOW DO YOU TREAT OATS FOR BLACK
SMUT?
With What Success?
1st Premium.—Having read of several methods
of destroying smut fn oats I concluded two years
ago to try the hot water process. While the water
was heating in two kettles', I pla ed a barrel which
would hold about fifty gallons about twenty feet
from the kettles I then put one bushel of oats in a
guning sack. As soon as the water began to boil I
dipped it into the barrel and tempered it to 180 degrees Fahr. I then hung the sack on a pole plaeel
across the top of the barrel, and dipped it into the
water, leaving it about ten m'nntes. I then took it
out of the water, let it drip, and spread the oats on
the barn floor, leaving them there until dry I
treated ten bushels this way. In a few days when
the ground was ready for seeding I drilled the ten
bushels on five seres. There were ten acres in the
field, and I drilled the balance with oats not so
treattd. The result was that in the oata which I
treated with hot water, scarcely a head of smut
could be found, while just across in the next drill
mark the oats were badly smutted. I am satisfied
hot water will kill smut and is a very cheap remedy.
Steuben Co.   I. D. D.
REVIEW.
Mr. D. gives accurately the hot water treatment
for smut in oats. I would like to suggest that there
is a little danger of the water getting too low in
temperature in dipping quantities of oats in it Tbe
temperature ahould remain near 132 degress, for
surest results. Some dip in a galvanized iron kettle, and keep fire under it. The temperature must
not get much higher. This is a very efficient remedy and cheap.
The Formaldehyde remedy is however as efficient and mnch easier of application. ;You call at
the drug store for Formalin, the name meaning the
same as Formaldehyde It is simply the gas known
as Formaldehyde, dissolved in water; just as ammonia is ammonia Jgas dissolved in water. We
never buy ammonia as a gas but dissolved in water.
Formalin will cost about $1 to $150 a pound. Itis
as harmless and ttafe as ammonia. To nse it one
may spread out the seed oats, after fanning them,
en a floor, say two inches deep. Now put formalin
jn wa*er, one pound of formalin to 60 gallons of
water. For 10 or 12 bushels of oats one need not
use more than 1 or 2 gallons of water. Use a common garden sprinkler, and dampen the oats with
the mixture. If the oats are not all wet it does not
matter eo much. They must te piled up at once in
a round pile, say 2 or 8 feet deep and allowed to
stand and dampen through. They should be wet
enough to dampen all the oats, but not enough to
mold them. They Bhould remain in the pile 2 or 8
days. This allows the formaldehyde gas in the
water to diffuse itself all through the pile, and the
germs or spores which have lodged on the seed will
ba killed. They are very easily killed. There is no
danger from spores that have blown about the
field. It is only those that have lodged on the grain
that are harmful. Prof. Arthur says that he thinks
that one-*enth of the entire oats crop in Indiana is
lost by ravages of smut every year, ard that much
of its work is done withont ita becoming visible.
This is an innocent, easy and very effective remedy. Notice what Mr. D. says nbout the improvement in his yield. This remedy formaldehyde also
applies to wheat smut. I mean to the stinking
■mut in wheat. It will not prevent the common
black headB in wheat. The remedy for that is too
complicated and costly to be practical.
Home ask why this does not apply to the imut
balls in corn. It is becanse that kind of disease attacks the grown stalk. The oats smut attacks the
tender yourtgshoot. It enters it and grows up with
it inside the plant.
This smut remedy should be applied to wheat in
the same manner as to oats The Professor thought
it would pay to use it on wheat even if there seems
to be no- stinking smut in the neighborhood. He
*aid it will kill various microscopic enemies and
«artthe wheat with a better chance, being free
from all parasitic drawbacks connected with the
■eed. This may beappliel weeks before sowing.
X have some curiosity to know how many will use
this remedy at a cost of 25 or 50 cents.
No. 159, Mch. 25.—How can we best prevent
carrying mud and Band into the houi*e? What
should we make walks of, and how?
No. 1G0, April 1.—What ia the fault of a
seedbed that needs plowing deep the first cultivation.   Give the remedy.
Premiums of $1 75 centa and 50 centa will be
Riven to let, 2d and 3d beat articles each week.
Let copy be a* practicable aa possible and forwarded 10 daya before publication to
Carmel. K. H. Collins.
LEGISLATIVE.
NEW   LAWN,
In addition to the laws of interest to our readers,
already published are the following:
House act No 68 authorizes county nnd district
agricultural societies, on a voto of a majority of the
stockholders, to Bell their fair groumlH or other
lands, and reinvest tho proceeds or divide them
among the stockholders. Itcontainsan emergency
clause and took effect February 7.
Senate act No 129 makes the stealing of any dog
which has been duly lit*ted for taxataion at its fair
cash value as personal property, and on which no
taxes are de^nquent, amount to the crime of larceny. The act does not, however, apply to any dog
that is known to have chased, worried, maimed or
killed sheep. It will not take effect until the laws
are published.
Senate act No. IBS amends Acts ISS5, page lis, so
as to make it a misdemeanor to permit even one
Canada thistle to grow until it becomes "of the
length of four inches, measuring from the surface
of the soil to the end or tip of the stem above the
surface of the ground/* instead of permitting Canada thistles to "grow and mature," as in the former
act. The amended act applies to persons having
charge of any land or control of any public highway or of the depot or Btation grounds or right-of-
way or any railroad, and the penalty ia the same aB
in the act of 18S5. This act will not take effect until the laws are published.
Senate act No. 260 provides that repairs to such
parts of public ditches as lie within any town or
city shall be under the control of the town or city
oflicers. This act will not take effect until the laws
are published
House act 210 amends Section 4181 of the Revised
Statutes of 1881, so aB to remove the limit on the
number of directors that may be elected by the
stockholders of a telephone company, providing
simply that they shall elect not less than three directors. It also adds the requirement that alt directors elected shall be bona-flde stockholders of
the campany. This act will not take effect until
the laws are published.
House act No. 5C9 provides for the appointment
of three persons as a fee and salary commis ion,
not more than two of whom- may belong to the same
political partr. One of them sha.l Berve as clerk
and receive a salary of $1,230 per annum and traveling expenses The other two members shall receive $3 a day and traveling expenses. The commission may obtain and tabulate alt possible in*
f rmation as to fees and salaries allowed by law to
any State, county, township, and nther public officer, classifying by counties the information as to
fees and lalarfes allowed to county oflicers.
ITituae act No. 414 enacts that if a man die intestate, leaving a widow and a child, or children not
exceeding two, his personal property shall be
equally divided among the widow and children, she
taking an equal share with one child; but if there
are more than two children the widow's share shall
not be reduced bel^w one-third. The second section enacts that if an intestate leaves surviving
him a second or subsequent wife, without children
by him, but leaves a child or children by aprevious
wife, or their decendents alive, such childless wife
Bhall take only a life estate in the hands of her deceased husband, and the fee thereof shall immediately vest in the surviving child or children, or
their decendents of the deceased husband, subject
only to the wid ow's life entate.
House act. No. fi2*3 provide* regulations t<» govern
the transfer of children from one school corporation to another, and fixes the tuition to be paid cut
of the special mchool fund of the corporation from
which the transfer ia made, at $1,50 a month in
grades below thfe high school, and tZ a month for
high school instruction. The act contains an emergency clause.
Senate act No. 78 defines the duties of school trustees. Is requires them to take general charge of
the educational affairs of their respective townships, towns and cities. Beiides conducting common schools, the act empowers them to erect and
maintain high schools, either singly or by several
school corporations combining; or, they may pay
from the special school fund the tuition of pupils
who are sufficiently advanced, at some neighboring
high school, not exceeding |10 for each pupil. Such
payments of tuition heretofore made are legalized.
AU trustees are required to maintain schools at
least iix months in every year. The art contains
an emergency clause.
House enrolled act No. 882 provides for the election of a road supervisor for each road district
throughout the State nt the November election
every two years. Supervisors are to receive $160 a
day for each day in excess of the time required to
work out their own road tax, and must render
sworn bills for their charges. The provisions as to
compelling residents and land-owners Jof the dia-
trict to work on the roads are very similar tt> those
of former road laws.   Th*.' net contains an emergency dim ho.
SenateenrulledactNo.il repeals Sections 6,7*1
to 6. 783 ofthe revised statutes of 18*1, which authorized the appointment of a commissioner of
fisheries, nnd provides for the appointment bv the
Governor of a commissioner of fisheries and game,
to hola oflice four years unless removed by the
Oovernor for incompetency or other cause. The
commissioner is required to examine the various
lakes, rivers and streams of the State and ascertain whether they can be rendered more produc.
tive of fish, and what measures should be taken to
make them ho. He shall also investigate the best
method of propagating fish and game nnd of protecting them. To the commissioner is given tho
nuthoritity to see that the fl«h .'ind game laws are
enforced, and to institute prosecutions for thoir
violation. He may appoint deputies, who shall
have power to assiBt in the prosecution of persons
charged with a violation of the fish and game
laws, and shall be entitled to a fee of $10 fer every
conviction or plea of guilty, to be paid by tbe person convicted. The commissioner and his deputies
are authorized to arrest without wa*rant nny per.
son found violating the fish or game laws.
House enrolled act No. 884 puts the repairs of free
gravel roads in charge of the road supervisors of
the different road districts in which they lie. The
supervisor is forbidden to furnish a team or employe of his own to work on the roads, but is required to give precedence to workmen living along
the line of the road repaired. He shall receive $1 !J0
a day for supervising the repairs, but not more
than 7 per cent of the gravel road repair fund can
be used in paying hia wages, The free gravel roads
in the county are to be divided into three districts,
in each of which one county commissioner shalj
act as superintendent. The commissioners may
condemn gravel or other material for making repairs. All payments for labor or material are to be
made only on warrants drawn by the auditor after
itemized bills have been allowed by the board of
commissioners.
Senate act No. 51 forbids any person to manufacture, sell or offer for sale in this State, any drug or
article of food which is adulterated, within tin-
meaning of the act. Drugs are to be deemed adulterated if they are sold under a name recognized by
Btandard authority, but differ from the standard of
strenKth,quality or purity laid down therein.unless
such diffeernce is clearly made known. Food (including articles of drink) isto be deemed adulterated if any infirior. cheaper or other substance
have been mixed with it, aito reduce or lower or
injuriously affect its (quality or strength, or any
valuable constituent has been wholly or partially
omitted from it or if it is an imitation of another
article under the name of which it is sold, or is
composed wholly or in part of disensad or decomposed organic matter, or, in cane of milk, is the
product of diseased animals. <>r If it ts eolored or
otherwise treated so as to conceal itn defects and
make it appear better than it is, or any ingredient
has been added which may render it injurious to
the health of thoee using it.
The law relating to traveling and township libraries and the fish law will be given in next number.
CScucvnt eZXcxos.
A pet fox in a West Chester (Pa.) bird store upset
a gas stove and asphyxiated a number of the birds.
old Egyptian cloth was so well woven that after
serving to cover mumm es thousands of years the
poor Arabs use lt ns dress material.
A clergyman has figured out that $5 is spent for
drink in Kngland for every penny and a half expended for missionary work.
An elephant ean pull as much as SS men.
The Urgent Hewing machine in the world ia in operation in Leeds. It weighs fl.V)? pounds, and sews
cotton belting.
There are now 15 beet sugar fnetories in tl.e I'nited States. Germany has Jflo in the Mngdeburgdis-
trict. The beet sugar of Germany equals in amount
the product of cane sugar in all the rest of the
world.
Selling value of English farm land in some sections has doubled or trebled Bince the profitable
wheat harvest of wot.
Because of the drouth in California farmers in
some sections of the State have been released from
their sugar beet contracts.
A resident of Kempton claims to have discovered
a process by which edible flour can be manufactured from hay.
When President Kliot was put at the head of Harvard University he at once donned for the first time
in his life a high silk hat. In all the years since
that time he has never been seen out of doors in
any other Btyle of headgear.
Itazors can be quickly bharpened by a newdevice
formed of a circular piece of flexible material, having a fine grinding powder on its surface, the sharpener being folded over the back of the razor so that
grinding surface actrf on tbe blade aa it slides to
and fro.
The Chinese do not paper their walls much,
though they are doing so more than formerly, but
they are delighted to get hold of bright, crisp and
cheap wall papers for such decorative purposes, as
the making of flowers.the clothing of dolls.the covering of boxes, partitions, and lastly ceilings.
otitic Qcxos.
Joseph Williams, near Cynthiana, aold hia farm
paid his debts and left with 18^0), abandoning his
wife and leaving no word as to bis destination.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Waggaman,of Kokomo,
have celebrated the ty.th anniversary of their marriage. They were the first couple wedded in Koko.
mo county.
Samuel Warner, a farmer, nefcr Hartford Cityt
declined all offers to lease his land io oil men. Instead he contracted for drilling and tubing wells,
with s::ch remit that frequently hi sin come reaches
1103 a day,and it aKgreitates |l,500"monthly.
Timothy Nichelson's barn, south of Bloomfleld
together with contents, burned on the lOth. Three
horses were cremated.
Jacob Eronste'n, a peddler, driving a balky horse,
near Sodom, Mch. 7th. while trying to force the
animal to proceed, was kicked in the stomach, and
will probably die.
A large barn belonging to George Siple burned
on the 9th together with contents. Sevoral head of
catte were cremated.   The loss is I7.0C0;  insured.
M. Symonds, a farmer living near Hopeville.who
was well and attended the horse sale March
sth, at Cambridge City, was found dead in his
bed the next morning. It is supposed to be a case
of heart failure.
An oak tree was cnt down on the farm of Edward
Woods, near Whiteland, the stump of of which
measured eight feet in circumference. The first
cut, 12 feet long, will yield 2,200 feet of lumber. The
tree waa purchased by an Indianapolis firm.
POSTAL CARD CORRESPONDENCE.
I'rwiv Co..March 11.—Karly Bown wheat all riKht,
late sown considerably damaged. O. W. W.
I.Al'ortTi: Co.. March 9.—Wheat lookh bad, some
will be wintor killed ; Htock prontly look well: the
vrrip ha. nearly Kone. bnt many old people and invalids have died thin winter; the cold wave from
•January 87th to 1'ebrrrary 18th inclusive, killed
three-fourths of our peach bud. anrl enme of the
twigs, but not the trees, at least they look alt right
»o far. Mns. It. A. Kavib.
It Glvea Perfect Satisfaction.
Editors Indiana Farmed.
I recieved laet December ae a Christmas
gift from my father one of your eewlng
machines. It came in good condition, and
haa been in almost constant ur>e.ever eince,
and hae given perfect eatiefatctlon. It ie a
eplendid machine, of high finlah and equal to
any Sn'.<i or $35 machine.
Andereon. Mrs. Bessie W. Bkeshii..
Well Pleased With the Machine.
Ediiors Indiana Fabmeb.
I recieved one of your eewing machines for
a Christmas preeent and have given it a
thorough trial, and am well pleated with it. I
like it better than machines that eell for thirty
dollars. Mas. Aloxzo Cole.
Freeport.
More Than Pleased With the Machine.
Kditors Indiana Farmer.
I received tee machine in first-claeg order
and everthing ae represented in advertisement;
am moro than pleased with it and thank you
for yourprompt delivery.   Habby Dickey.
Columbua.
The Farmer Sewing Machine.
Editors Indiana Farmeb.
The eewing machine received eome time
ago, and after a thorough trial we believe It
to be ae good ae the beet. My wife is well
pleased with It.
Santa Fe. W. D. Reynolds.