VOL. LV,
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH 17,1900
NO. 11
%xptKtmtz 8zpKxtmzuk
EXPBKIENCE DEPARTMENT LETTEBS.
Hereafter our frlenda who write for the experience department will please addrem their
manuscript to the Indiana Fabmeb, Indlanapolla, instead of E. H. Colling, Carmel, Ind ,
ae heretofore. This change Is made necessary
owing to a new arrangement we have made ln
the manner of conducting the experience department, and it will enable us to receive this
copy two days earlier than heretofore.
Mr. Colling has made the experience department a very interesting and valuable feature
of tbe paper, and every effort will be made to
still farther Improve its acceptability and usefulness to our readers ln the future. Mr. Collins Intends to devcte more of his time and
efforts hereafter to the Improvement of his
farm property.
Ths  Selection,   Purchase and   Planting
of an Apple Orchard for Family Uso.
1st Premium.—In selecting varieties for his orchard the average farmer wants only snch kinds
as are reliable. He does not desire to plant for
experiment; and as hii family snpply of fruit
usually depends upon a email orchard he cannot
well afford to make mistakes in the planting
Many good varieties do not succeed equally well in
all localities, but it is generally safe for one to
plant such varieties as others have succeeded with
in his own vicinity. Tour nurseryman shonld be
able to advise yoo wisely, but don't depend upon
him entirely to make your se'ecttons. Most men.
or their wives, have some old favorite. Of course
this variety shonld be given first place in the-rnew
orchard. After this the following twelve varieties
will furnish a Jong succession of ripe fruit and can
be relifd npon as good varieties to set, Summer apples—Yellow Transparent, Benoni, Duchess, Maidens B.ush and Wealthy, fall and early
winter, Grimes' Qolden, Jonathan and Borne
Beauty. Late keepers—York Imperial, Stay man
Winesap, Ben Davis and Clayton. In theory, it
may be best to tuy stock of your home nursery or
local agent. In practice, it is usually satisfactory
and often cheaper, especially if ycu intend planting largely, to buy direct frjmBomeof the larger
reliable nurseries. Be suspicions of any stranger
fonnd canvassing the country for nnrsery stock.
In some localities these tree sharks, with their
fine samples and llaer language, fancy priceB and
worthless Btock, are responsible for more unproductive orchards than all insect foes c mbined.
For planting, one and two-year-old trees of moderate size usua'ly grow off better than large ones.
Plant as early in the Bpring as the ground is in
good condition. <_ ut top back to balance roots that
have been broken in removing trees. Do not set
too deep observe that brace roots in forest trees
branch above ground. Carefully place mellow surface soil among roots and tramp as firm as abont a
post. When planted, either mulch or keep cultivated the first season Don't forget the cultivation;
you had almost as well forget the planting. A
common practice is to set fie trees in orchard
10x10 ft, requiring 50 trees per acre. During the
first years this seems to leave mnch waste space*
bnt after a few years the rank growing varieties
become too crowded. A suggestion for improving
on this would be to plant the larger growing sorts
10x40 ft. then filling in between with dwarf growers and early bearers, suet: as Transparent, Wealthy and Missouri Pippin; the trees wonld now
stand soiso ft, with 75 trees per acre. These fillers
wonld bear ten to twelve years before their space
was needed liy the other trees, and they shonld be
removed
Central Ind.   M.
2d Premium.—A family orchard should contain a
very different selection of trees from one for commercial purpsoes. As land in the apple belt is comparatively cheap, a family orchard Bhould be set
with quite a number of varieties, earliest, intermediate and latest. As the setting of an orchard is
of so mnch importance, great care should be taken
to become famiiiar with the varieties that do well
in your locality, and also in yonr kind of soil. But
you shonld go further. Farmers as a rule are very
conservative. They are slow to try new varieties,
many of which are of excellent quality and do well
over a large territory. On onr cheap lands we
shou'd try the varvieties named below unlets we
know that iher will not do well.
For inmmer set Early Harvesf,4; Golden Sweet,
20; BedAstrachan,4;Swcet Bough, SO; Tetofsky,!*
For autumn set Alexander, 4; Bailey's Sweet, SO;
Fall Pippin, 4; Snow, 4; Jersey Sweet,20; Maiden
Blush, 4; Rambo, 4.
For winter set Baldwin, 6; Ben Davis, 4; Tn*pe-
hoefcen, 4; Grimes Golden, 6; Johnathan, 4; Northern Spy, 4: .lunet, 4: Smith's Cider, 6; Stork, 6;
Tutman's Sweet, 40; Winesap, 6; Wealthy, 6; York
Imperial, 6; Milam, 2; Borne Beauty, 6. Total
number of trees 220.
No set rule can be given for the selection of varieties. But when it comes to buying and setting
the trees I can tell the very best way to do it, as I
have tried it. Now if yon want the largest, nicest
trees, in the fewest years, ready to bear, this is the
way to do it. Write to your nearest responsible
nurseryman and send him a list of the kind yon
desire. Te.i him to graft them for yon on
whole roots and seed yon by express. They
will come nicely packed In sawdust. Open
to Bee if all right, then put them in the cellar.
Yon can judge of the cost when I tell yon that I
bought EOO, (only 10 kinds) for $8, or 6 mills apiece.
If you are in doubt send yonr list and ask what the
cost will be When so few of a variety are called
for, and bo many kinds he many charge two or
three cents apiece for them. No matter, they are
cheap at that. But says one, "I don't want grafts,
I want my trees to bear as soon as possible." Just
so, and that is the very reason yon want to start
with these little grafts instead of trees from the
nurslry. One graft is worth two trees;
now we have the trees in embryo. They
are in the cellar waiting for dry weather
in April. As soon as the ground will do,
break np a strip of good corn ground about ten
inches deep Pulverize it thoroughly. Furrow it
ont as deep as plowed. Now get your grafts which
are about ten inches long, and set them 15 inches
apart (nurserymen set them Bix inches) and deep
enough ao that the best bud on the cion will be just
above the ground. Have yonr rows aoont three
and a half feet apart. Plow and cultivate as you
would if yon were trying for a premium corn crop-
In the fall you will have 220 nice trees, (to my surprise my eoo grew, didn't lose a half dozen,) twice
as large and sticky as those grown in a nnrsery.
Bet only Bix itch's apart to save room. Next
spring trim to a single whip and cultivate as the
year before. Yon have now the second fall nice
stocky trees a* large as you need to set to the best
advantage. The two year* past, has given yon
time to get yonr orchard site in just the right shape
for the trees Of course it Is on well drained elevated land, well fertilised; preferably a clover sod
It is deeply broken, well pulverised and rrarked
off with a breaking plow in double furrows, 20 feet
apart running north and south With a shovel
throw out the earth every 10 feet in the rows.
With a long tile spade these splendid trees,
with a great mass of (ibrous roots, can be easily
taken up, put into a pnddle in a half barrel (I used
a mortar box) hauled on a sled and set ont. By
taking a few at a time not a root need get dry
Three men will set the 220 trees in a day and do a
good job, if the soil is properly fined. Taken up
and set out thus, they are not even checked in
growth. If you are a business man and want apples, you will manure this acre of trees and cultivate them like a cornfield for six years, remembering to shape the heads just the way you want them
to grow, by rubbing off undesirable buds, and to
wrap every fall with paper stalks or something to
keep off rabbits Now if yon haven't grown too
much corn amongst them, they are big enough to
begin to bear. To induce them to do bo. Bet the
land in grass; get a sod. Now, barring
accidents, we have 2S0 growing trees on our
acre; rows are so feet apart and trees ten fees
apart in the rows. That is all right. They
will bear a good many bushels of apples before the
limbs begin to lap. When they do, cot out every
other tree, or the poorest ones. They now stand so
feet apart, and many more apples may b,e picked
before it is necessary to take out every other row
and soon. At last, when done thinning, your trees
stand 40 ft. apart. The first cost of the trees is so
small that you can afford to set them thickly, to be
removed later, and your stocky, vigorous, well.
rooted trees have given yoO fruit quicker than yon
eonld have gotten it from nursery-grown trees. I
know, for I have tr ed them side by side. Care
should te taken in setting to get the number of
each kind you wish to kesp, in the right places to
be left after thinning Do not set all of one kind
in a row, as some kind might be undesirable,
which, if removed, would leave a long vacancy.
Make a plat (with ink) so you will know when each
tree is set. I could give a good reason for the
above selection and for the numbers of each, but
apace forbids. Only to say that so many of the
sweet kinds will make lots of pork, if the surplus
can be used no other way. Perhaps the greatest
advantage of buying the grafts instead of trees, is
the chance afforded to thoroughly prepare the site.
Fonr out of five men who bny a bill of trees are
totally unprepared to set them ont bo as to give
them any show at all.
Putnam Co. L. A. Btockwbt.l.
8d Premium—I assume that this means for an
average family on a farm of 80 acres, and for family use primarily, with the surplus only to be marketed in years of abundant crop. The first important item is the selection of a nnrsery. This Bhould
be one that grows all its own stock. One cannot
afford to risk a second transplanting It should be
near the same latitude as the proposed orchard, or
north of it. One should know from his own experience, or that of his friends, that it is a nnrsery
with a reputation for accurate labeling, honest
dealing and vigorous trees. Second Varieties
Bhould be selected, bo as to give apple sauce on the
table and good eating apples every day in the year
as nearly as possible. Apples are cheaper than
medicine. Some variety f jr each season should be
selected which bears young, even if not so long
lived. Life is too short to wait 12 or 15 years for
ripe apples. Select a few sure bearers, like Ben
Davis, even if the quality is not so good. Any apple is better than none in poor crop years But the
greater number of trees sho-iid be varieties which
bear well, are hardy and the frnit of good quality.
No farm should have less than a 100 apple trees on
it. This will occupy only about two acres, as trees
set 80xEo feet, will be 48 ti the acre. These ICO
trees I would order as follows, named in the order
of their ripening: Red Junes, 2 trees; Bed As-
trachan,4; Early Harvest, 2; Yellow Transparent,
2; Strawberry. 2; Maidens' Blnsh, 6; Rambo, 6;
Wealthy, i; Yellow fielleflower, 4; Wine Sap, 2;
Grime's Golden, 6; Northern Spy, 4; R. I. Greening, 6; Borne Beauty, 4; Roman Stern, 2; Ben
Davis, 4; Baldwin, 6; White Pippin, 4; Tewkesbury Winter Blush, 2; Vandever, 9, Smith Cider,
9; Clayton, 4; Wine Bap,9; Pewaukee. 2; Knglish
Russet, 2; Gano, 2; Ash Black, 4; Lansingburg,
2. York Imperial, 4; Janet or Never Fail, 2. The
larger number of s :me trees is given on account of
their valuabe quality, and of others on acconnt of
their lack of productiveness. Thirty varieties may
seem to many, and it would be for commercia-
purposes. But the varying tastes of the family
and their friends make many varieties very desirable and when some var'e'ies miBs bearing, others
will bear frnit. Order five foot trees. Third. Order the trees two or three weeks before you want
them shipped, or your order may not be reached in
time. Order the trees shipped just as late in the
fall as you are sure of nice weather, before freezing. When received, unpack them at once and if
your ground is not all ready to set ont, wet the roots
good and "heel them in." The roots must not get
dry or be exposed'to air Fourth. Select a well-
drained rich loam, with an East or North exposure
if possible. Plow deep ard pulverize thoroughly.
Dig the holes 80 feet apart each way, and two feet
square and afoot or more deep, and leave loose
dirt in bottom. Dip the tree roots into a large
bucket of water and stand it in hole three or fonr
inches deeper than it was set in nu*sery. F_.ll in
five or Bix inches of loose dirt aod pull the tree up
gently until it is about the same depth as in nursery as shown by the bark of the tree. This allows
the loose dirt to settle nnder the roots and leave
them in a natural position. Fill in a little more
loose dirt and tramp about roots thoroughly. Fill
hole up a little more than level full, and tramp
solid again. Every tree will put out leaves and
grow vigorously the next spring if yon get good
stock. C. 39  Newlin.
Marion Co.
BBVIEW.
Don't yon all know men who are always going
to but never do put ont a family apple orchard?
These goodly letters both urge that it be done and
tell Just how. It may bs well when on a large scale
to buy grafts and grow them. But 'lie first cost of
apple trees is not much. I may be mistaken, but I
think that where we have fotattd our farm crops
in central Indiana for years with clover, as a third
crop, we may with safety plant ont an orchard on
any good corn land any season we wish. We are
never far from clover. But one thing has not been
mentioned free'y enough. It is drainage. I have
heard Mr. Billing sly several times lately on dra.n-
ing an apple orchard. He speaks of one where tile
were first placed over the lot five feet deep nnder
row, then also 4 feet deep between the rows; every
that these trees were wonderfully thrifty. Tile
does not fill badly with root) when deep, and not
supplied with spring water. This drainage may be
more than is necessary, but I was looking over the
farm of W. I. Chamberlain one time and he called
attention to the fact that half of his orchard had
tile two feet deep between the t-ees and the other
half did not have any tile The land lay mnch the
ssme and was rolling The trees on the drained
half were thriftier aid made a longer twig growth,
and their leaves were greener late in the fall. The
other leaves were yellowish in color.
Let me say that it has not been certain at the beginning of this year whether I should continue
with the Farmkr or not. And the Company and I
have agreed to discontinue my work with the Ex
perience Department of thi Farmkr at this date.
I have enjoyed very much the new acquaintances
and associations of the past four years work, and
wish to speak appreciatively cf ths Farmer Company and of all who have written or spoken a helpful word, as the weeks grew into yeare. And 1
wish the Indiana Farmkr and ita friends many
years of prosperity.
No 211, March 94th —Describe your method of
oiling and repairing harness.   What oil do you use?
No. 212, March 81st.—Give a list of plants and
flowers that you are preparing to grow on the lawn
this summer.
No. 218, April 7th —Care of bees in the spring.
No. 214, April 14.—How and where can a jointer
be used ia breaking land? How do you manage
cornstalks and heavy, trashy stubble?
No. 215, April 2lst.—How can one best destroy
biennial and perennial weeds, dock, Eng, plantain
or buckthorn, white top, Canada thistle, wild garlic, red sorrel, etc
No 216, April 26th —What household remedy do
you keep on hand? Give emergency treatment for
croup, indigestion, earache, toothache, sprains,
cut, etj.'
POSTAL CARD CORRESPONDENCE.
Jackson Co —When, l'ots bad sin e the lata
freezes: clover sowing is the order of the day; hay
is scarce and high; cattle scarce and good price;
pneumonia, lung fever, coughs and colds prevalent. T S. B.
March 9.
Dubois Co.—"Wheat was damaged ve^y much the
last few weeks; one-fourth is dead to the roots, and
will never grow again. Don't retcember the time
when wheat was hurt so much by the frost as tliis
year H. D.
March 6.
Lapobte Co.—We are now having the beet
sleighing we have had this winter; lots of snow
and huge diifts; more snow fell on the last day of
February than we had all the r.st of the winter;
can't tell anything about the wheat till this big
snow goes off. Mrs. B. A. I >,
March 8.
Jay Co —Wheat never looked an bad in this
county as it does at present; there will be hundreds of acres of it put in sp-ing crops. Stock of
all kindB looking well; feed plenty; large percent
of lambs and pigs perishing on acconnt of cold
weather. W. R. B.
March 10.
FotrxTAix Co —Lots of rain; wheat looks bad on
account of being exposed a'l winter without snow;
clover that was mowed last year all frozen out;
young lambs are doing flne, with but a small per
cent f loss; clover hay sellingat * 8, timothy, $10;
stock in good condition; hogs, $1.(0; corn, IS cents;
spring work will be late on account of bad weather.
March 5. K. L. B.
Fayettb Co., Mar. 2 —The prospect tor a
good wheat crop ls not very flattering. Many
fields of early sown wheat that looked splendid laet fall look almost barren now. The
fly and the absence of enow during severe
freezes have played havoc with it, although far.
orable weather at the approach of spring may
bring lt out. 0. B.
Shei .i _\- Co , Mar. 5—Wheat looks bad In most
places through the county, and unless we have
a good season, their will not be more than
one-half of a crop; stock has wintered well,
good horses are scarce and high; stock hogs
scarce; some few lost their pigs ln that zero
weather. Fruit buds seem to be all right yet;
corn selling at 30@32e ; wheat at 68c; hogs *}_;
butter Ue; eggs lie; roads are muddy; health
ls good for the time of the year.      F. E. R.
Freeport.
SHOULD TELEPHONE F0L88 BI TAXED?
0. E. A., Laporte Oounty, asks why the
farmers have to pay taxes upon the land fronting their farms in the highways, while telephone and electric light companies use the
highways without c _>st. He thinks that theee
companies should pay a rental of at least 25c
a pole. We agree with him that some tax
ought to be charged for thia privilege, but
whether more or less than 25; we are at
preeent unable to say. What do other readers
think of the question. It ls certainly one
worthy of the attention of all farmers, who
live along the highways.