VOL. XXX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., DEO. 14, 1895.
NO. 50
The Institutes.
Hendricks County.—In connection with
Hendricks county institute, Danville,
Dec. 16th and 17th will be a farmers' exhibition. Mr. Babcock and Kiley will be
there and an interesting time is expected.
Our thanks are due W. S. W. for sending us a report of the Jackson county institute. As we had already received two
from other friends we are unable to make
room for his.
Jackson County.—A friend sends a
lengthy report of this institute of which
we have room for an extract only. "Reformation in farming" by P. J. Meyers, of
Vallonia, was first on program. Mr.
Meyers showing how and in what ways
the farmer might improve in his present
way of farming, by the cultivating of the
soil in a better way and improving the
ground by proper fertilization, sowing
more clover and using other proper fertilizers according to the soil. The next
subject, "To what extent can an average
farmer keep pure stock at present prices,'
by J. B. Love, Seymour. Mr. Love
showed that a farmer can breed pure
stock, for the reason that the care is no
greater for good horses than pure ones,
and that good pure breed animals bring
good prices even today.
Lawrence County.—A successful Farmers' Institute, fine display of fruit and
farm products. Hon. Henry C. Pearson,
Mayor of Bedford, delivered an address
of welcome that was full of valuable information as to the growth and development of agriculture.   J. A. Mount and J.
C. Stevens each discussed the "Growing
and utilization of the corn crop," all the
factors of success from the sowing of seed
corn, conditions of soil, tillage, and the
complete utilization of the corn crop was
discussed. It was forcibly argued and
clearly demonstrated that an acre of corn
fodder properly handled, possessed food
valuation equal to an acre of timothy hay
"The dairy," was discussed by Mrs. Laura
D. Worley. "The farmer's home," discussed by Mr. Mount, was received with
marked attention and approval. "A word
of encouragement to farmer boys," by J.
C. Stevens, met with commendation and
a resolution asking for its publication in
the Indiana agricultural reports.
Eight hundred school children visited
the institute. The high school came in a
body and was addressed by J. A. Mount,
and although on the impulse of the moment it was his best speech.
The display of fruit would have done
honor to any horticultural meeting.
Two students were elected to attend the
short agricultural course at Purdue.
The institute was pronounced the best
ever held in the county. This meeting,
however, was lacking in music and in the
part that should have been taken by farmers' wives and daughters.
Orange County.—The Orange County
Farmers' Institute was a decided success.
The city hall filled to overflowing. The
meeting enlivened by excellent music.
Young ladies and young gentlemen were
given places on the program, hence a
large attendance of young people. Committees on program should keep in mind
the importance of securing a large attendance of the boys and girls. To attain this end and enlist their interest, give
them a place on the program. The evening session was called the literary program. The essays and] recitations were
very fine. The essay on music by Miss
Stella Markland would have done credit
to a musical convention.
J. C. Stevens and J. A. Mount, though
not assigned to duty on the evening program, were called upon for addresses, and
each possessed the good taste to select
themes that excelled the possibilities of
rural life, showing that in the past and at
the present the great men of the nation,
the governors, the congressmen, the senators, the jurists, the ministers, the business men, were largely boys of the farm.
The home was exalted as the unit of government, and the influence by which the
nation's destiny was determined. These
addresses showed careful research, were
instructive and eloquent.
At the morning session the "Corn crop,"
"The silo," and "The value of shredded toi.
der," were discussed.
In the afternoon session the "Creamery," "Farm insurance," and "Good
roads," were discussed. Mr. Mount, who
is the president of the Indiana Highway
Improvement Asssociation, is indeed the
champion of good roads, not reckless in
seeking to impose heavy burdens of taxation, but advocating the wise economy of
road improvement as rapidly as consistent with the ability of the people to construct them.
This has been the best institute ever
held in the county.
Two students will probably be sent
from Orange county to Purdue to attend
the special course in agriculture. The
resolutions ask that Mr. Mount and Mr.
Stevens be sent back next year.
Dearborn County.—The Dearborn
County Institute, held at Manchester
Dec. 2d and 3d, opened with an attendance
of about 75. C. P. Ward president, K. .1.
Ewbank Secretary. MesBrs. J. W. Bill-
ingsley and C. B. Harris were the State
speakers. Mr. Billingsley's leading paper
was on the subject of highways. It costs
the farmer to haul his wheat to market
five or six times more per mile, Mr Bill-
ingsley said, than it costs the railroads,
the annual expense in the United States
being not less than $16,000,000. This cost,
the speaker affirmed, was reduced one
half where good roads existed, and the
value of crops increased by the fact that
they could be got to market whenever
desired. The value of lands were increased from 20 to 40 per cent. The running of tiles on either side of the road
was suggested as a means of improving
the road-bed. This question was discussed with interest. A paper by Mr.
Harris on "How to start in the dairy business," emphasized, primarily, the necessity of having something better than
scrub cows. Papers by Messrs. Mendell,
Piatt, Tufts, Sawdon, Churchill and
Ketcham completed the morning and
afternoon sessions of the first day. One
of the most notable of these papers was
the experience of Mr. H. D. Tuft in the
management of a 100-acre farm in Dearborn county. Mr. Tuft's conclusions
were that small farming gave better
promise of success in that region. The
principal talk of the evening session was
one by Mr. Harris on silos and ensilage.
Mr. Harris's idea of a cheap and successful silo is that it be made of two and one-
half inch tongue-and-groove stuff. This
swelled by the silage will be air-tight
and in the drying when empty, will not
gape. The best silage, in the spealfcr's
experience, was fodder, (Duncan's white
prolific corn preferred) cut in the glazed
stage. He had tried sorghum, but found
it unsatisfactory. In good fodder silage
he found absolutely no waste. Oat straw
and pea meal fed with silage increased
the milk yield, he had found, 15 per cent.
His oats and peas he sowed together, cut
with a mower and threshed by machine.
Tbe cost of silage he estimated at 72 cents
per ton and an acre would produce
enough to keep one cow. The second
day's session was not quite so well attended. Mr. Billingsley spoke of "Business methods in farming," urgi g the
necessity of exact systematic meth Js as
well as industry. A well-written semi-
literary paper by Miss Nellie Jaquith
dealt with the morals of life, as essential
to success and happiness; and one by
Mrs. Janie Liddle dealt with home influence and the making of character. Mr.
Harris gave his idea of a "General pur
pose barn." He held that stables should
be so arranged as to have plenty of ventilation and light, sunlight being the
greatest of disinfectants. Windows
should be high up so draughts will not
strike the animals. Glass windows in
mows are dangerous, acting some times
as sunglasses, and slatted windows are of
small value as ventilators. Ventilators
in the roof were best, not only for ventilating purposes but as a safeguard against
lightning, so the speaker argued. A
paper by G. H. Smith dealt with the subject of social intercourse and organization
among farmers. One of the novel features of the program was "Scoring the
points of a hog," by H. L. Nowlin, of
Lawrenceburg, who brought with him a
hog for the purpose. Altogether the
meetings indicated a warm and growing
interest in the institutes in this count}'.
Monroe County.—This Institute met at
Bloomington, December 29. The Chairman and Secretary in their places; very
small audience, as it was quite a wet and
disagreeable morning, yet a good interest
was manifested by those present.
The first subject was "Institute work."
Brother O. F. Lane gave a very fine talk
on the many benefits to be gained by
such work, but sorry that so many neglected to avail themselves of them. Discussed by A. Jones and others who fully
endorsed the remarks. The next subject,
"Crimson clover and cow peas," was ably
handled by Alfred Howe. The subject
being new was discussed but little, yet a
great many questions were asked, which
were answered by Mr. Howe in quite a
satisfactory way. "Planting and care of
orchard," was well handled by Mr. Lane-
and also well discussed by the audience
W. W. Stevens gave a very fine paper
on "Fertilizers," favoring the use of commercial, barnyard and green manures,
making the ground so rich that it would
produce large crops, for it is the big crops
which pay.
Mr. Lane gave an excellent paper on
"Manitaining the fertility of the soil,"
which was well received, the points were
manuring, clover, feeding tbe clover on
the farm and returning back to the soil.
"Feeding and feed." by Mr. Stevens, was
most interesting and profitable. Keep the
best stock and feed well, mature early
and it will sell well. He recommended
oats as the best for growing young stock
(or the ration to partly consist of oats).
At the evening session, "Early recollection of farm life." A poem, "Fifty years,
ago," was grand and enjoyed by all, as
was "Housecleaning," by Mrs. Fred Tess,
both were to the point, for mirth and information and were greatly enjoyed by
the audience, as was also a song by C. A.
Robinson, to the delight of all present.
The second day was cold and disagreeable; audience some larger, but not what
it ought to have been, but attentive.
Paper by Mr. Lane on "Condition of
success in farming," was good and to the
point, main features, frugality and economy ; taking care of machinery, keeping
farm accounts, invoicing each year so as
to know the loss or gain, saving every
thing, etc., also giving the farm credit for
what we consume in living, enjoyments,
etc., etc
We then had a talk on"Cornfodder," by
Mr. Robinson, its value and profit in saving and feeding, saying that one acre of
good fodder was equal to two tons of good
hay. "Potato culture," by Mr. J. S. Dinsmore, was well received, being very instructive and to the point. Mr. Stevens
then read a paper on "Silos and silage,"
for the general farmer, telling how to
build a silo, its good qualities, saving
crops, etc., etc., which was listened to
closely and will be of much benefit to the
farmers of this county. Afternoon, first
was election of officers for next year; resulting in the election of Geo. P. Campbell
for president and D. W. Maxwell for secretary.   Both energetic and well qualified
for the offices. A paper on "Green manures" was then read by Mr. Stevens,
showing the great advantage of green
manuring, by plowing under clover, rye,
millet, oats, or weeds. Advising plowing
under just after blooming or before .ripening as giving the best results. The paper
will be of great benefit to farmers of the
county, if they will practice the advice.
"Farmers' Co-Operative Insurance Co.,"
was given by G. P. Campbell, showing
the great advantage of the same, being
much cheaper and keeping the money at
home instead of sending it away to enrich foreign capitalists. He, with others,
insisted that the farmers should take
steps immediately to organize such company in this county. The meeting then
adjourned sine die, all feeling that they
had gained much by attending, and that
such meetings should be better attended,
and hope that in the future they will have
a much larger attendance and thereby be
of much greater benefit to all.
One Who Was There.
Jackson County.—The farmers of Jackson county held an interesting session at
Brownstown, Dec. 2d and 3d.   O. W. Foster chairman, after some appropriate introductory    remarks,    introduced  F.  J.
Meyer who  discussed  "Reformation in
farming."   Brain, ingenuity and ability
were factors in greater demand than mere
brawn.   Continuing  he  said,   the   brief
period of farming had exhausted the fertility on many farms, and reformed methods  were  demanded.     He  argued   that
farming could be made   the   most  independent and remunerative avocation if
farmers, through agricultural papers and
farm institutes, would learn from success?
ful farmers and   follow   their Aethod*
"Keeping   pure   blooded stock" was discussed by J. B. Love  and  others.   The
consensus   of   the  discussion   was   that
farmers, through the use of pure blooded
sires, should improve the breeds,  and by
better attention and feeding place better
animals  upon the market.   Prospective
prices of live stock was discussed by J. A.
Mount.   Mr. Mount argued that the law
of supply and demand was the controlling
factor in prices, and the   intense student
of this economic factor, was in position to
forestall  in  some  measure  prospective
prices.   It is well,  said   the   speaker,   to
watch the trend of farmers.   When  one
branch of live  stock  was   being   aban-
donened, and the numbers   being diminished, and at the same time  no  diminution of consumption, then as a rule, was
a safe time to go counter to the current.
In the past   two  years   the   number  of
sheep has decreased over 5.000,000, at the
same time the demand for  mutton   and
wool was on the increase.   The prudent
farmer, he said, could now  stock  up  in
sheep and be ready for   the   reaction  in
prices of wool and mutton, that will be
likely to be realized inside of two years.
The tendency of farmers to supplant the
beef breeds with dairy cattle, brightens
the  future  of  beef.   Cholera  and  corn
were the prominent factors in the price
of hogs.   The entire address was listened
to with intense attention.   "Conditions of
success  in   corn culture," was ably discussed by Mr. J. C. Stevens, of Centerville.
Mr.    Stevens'   having demonstrated his
knowledge of these conditions, by a yield
of 118 bushels last year as shown by State
Agricultural reports, and 120 bushels this
year, as affirmed by written statements.
He attached much importance to perfect
shallow cultivation.   At night Mr. Mount
discussed the "Farmer as a factor in the
Government." The farmer as the pioneer,
transfering   a  wilderness  inhabited   by
wild beasts and wild men   into  fruitful
farms and happy homes was forcibly presented.   He reviewed the farmer as a factor in the war of independence, sending
from the farm such men as Washington
and Putnam, and furnishing a majority
of the signers of the Declaration of Inde-
Continued on nth. pane.