Lend a Hand.
I'he parcels post is a reform question
that means a great deal to every person
who pays an express bill or licks a stamp.
Now is the time to advocate and agitate
it. The measure stands a fair chance to
be made a law by the present congress if
ei s'rybody interested will only lend a hand.
There is no disguising the fact that express companies of late have become more
than ever bold and overbearing. Not content with earnings which enabled some of
them to pay back more than twice their
satire capital stock in a single year, they
have artually advanced the rates, sometimes by a plain rise, sometimes by with-
sirawing former privileges, and sometimes
by shifting and juggling the territory
among themselves in such a way that two
companies get to bleed the patrons when
one would be bad enough; all this in a
time when prices on everything have a
downward tendency, and when even the
railroads have had to scale down their tariffs. In some localities the express companies have carried on a pretense at competition, which is amusing in view of the
ftsct that the same men are large owners
ia the various express companies. These
subterfuges they possibly think will help
take the attention of the public frim the
rate list and the special dividends of two
hundred per cent.
Every farmer should fight hard from
now on for parcels post and for the restraint of the express companies for the
reason that the present system of transportation for tight packages is the meanest of
trust conditions, and one which handicaps
the most profitable branches of farming,
<• specially the sale of high class produce
and live stock.
There is really no good reason why the
express companies should exist at all. A
1 etter plan would be to give us parcels
post for all small packages and then enact
a law that railroads should carry in the ex-
iress business direct as a branch of their
business, as is now practiced by some
Western Canadian roads. In this
way the express charges would be a class
"f freight charges, and would come under
the supervision of the various railroad
commissions of the country, and all would
be insured a fair deal. If the power of
the express companies is too great to permit a change of this kind, then let us have
a law authorizing the commissioners to
scale down exhorbitant charges to reasonable figures, while the parcels post could
b* counted on to do the rest.
Por years and years the Grange, the national organization if farmers have asked
fnr parcels post, and at last they have
found a powerful champion at the head of
the Postoffice Department. It looks as if
not even the great express lobby could prevent some desirable measure going through
Congress and going into operation soon.
It may not be just what we'd like to have
at first, but anything will surely be an 1m-
prrjvement on present conditions.
The fanners and laborers have no lobbyists at Washington to look after their interests in this matter, so our senators and
0°ngres!»men hear but one side of the question discussed. But most of them can
Wr>te, and letters could be fired into them
"° thick and fast that they could soon be
'nade to see what is the right and popular
,b>ng to do. Letter and card writing of
"'s kind has helped pass many a good
measure, and will pnt this one through at
* '■apid rate if everybody will only lend a
hand.
Value   of  Manure Spreader.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
For several years I have been talking
mannre spreader and that was as far as I
would get, and would handle it by hand
until about two years ago purchased a
70 bushels machine. I had been making
about 200 loads a year and bought about
one-half the same amount from a town
near by. We would scatter about 12 to
15 loads per acre and now we top dress
6 loads per acre and I am satisfied the results are better, for the manure is put
on even and is torn up better so the plant
can get at it at once.
Last year we manured one field for corn,
22 acri?s, and one just beside it was left
without any fertilizer at all.      The man-
eustsj. They now measure from 2 to 4
ins lies in diameter, and nre 20 feet high.
The largest would now do for stays for a
wire fence.
To raise locusts gather the seed from the
ticcs in the fall or winter. Keep until
time to plant. Get the ground ready for
planting, put the seed in a crock or bucket,
pour scalding water over them and let
stand 21 hours, when some of the seed
will turn white aud swell as large as a
grain of hot corn. Pour off the water and
take out swelled seeds immediately. Repent the scalding for four or five days until all have swelled. They will sprout
as quick as corn. Set them 4 feet apart
in rows 8 feet apart. Give good, clean
culture.     If they make a good growth the
Buildings    on    Farm of    C. C.  McKi
County.
ured field yielded 25 bushels more corn per
acre. The two fields are exactly the
same kind of soil and were plowed and
cultivated the same. I have made several experiments and without any exception where the spreader was used was far
the best.
If only the one item of labor-saving was
to be considered, it is as much superior
to handling with a fork as the self-binder
is to the old cradle. I think that any
man who owns as small a farm as 80 acres
ean well afford to own a manure spreader.
Since the farmers in our neighborhood
have watched the results of the
spreader work, and the increase
of       the       crop and        also       the
making of the manure go over so much
more ground and bringing good results, two
farmers and as many as three who join
farms have purchased n machine together.
When you have a spreader you will clean
up all the feed lots, rotten straw stacks
work more straw through the stable, buy
more manure. Raise larger crops. Then
you will be able to have better buildings
and conveniences, drive nicer horses and
carriages, enjoy a neat, comfortable home,
give your family a better education; have
a better library and good farm literature,
magazines, etc. And as our farms increase in fertility they also increase in
value and interest. J. W. C.
Scott Co., Ind.
Tree Culture.
E<3itors Insliana Farmer:
As the forests are rapidly being destroyed we will have to look to some other
source for posts. On many farms there are
places that are difficult to cultivate, which
could be set in part timber which in 10
years would yield good lasting posts. Five
or six years ago we set ont about 300   lo-
spring they are a year old, cut them close
to the ground. This makes them send up
a more thrifty, straight stalk than if the
first sprout is left.
For catalpas, select the seed from the
trees during the fall or early winter. Delayed too long the pods will split open and
the seed blow away. The seeds are as
light as paper. They can be pounded
out and the seed stored until spring. When
the ground gets warm you may furrow out
the ground then drag logs or weight in the
furrows until it is finely pulverized. Drop
the seed in the row the same as radishes or
fine garden seed; cover lightly. They
will sprout in a week, if favorable. Wrhen
tliey first come up they look like weeds.
Give good cultivation. They will be
all sizes in the fall, from 6 inches to 3
feet in height. Next spring set in rows
the same as locusts. Cut them close to
the ground the next spring. I have seen
same send up sprouts 10 feet high the first
year after cutting. Cut all the sprouts
but one. Where they are set back they
do not have limbs close to the ground as
if set in single rows. D. M. Adams.
South Haven, Kas.
Don't do this with too many as they can
be gotten ready for grating or grinding as
needed. If you have a food grinder, put
on the smallest plate and grind the roots
as-you would meat. This is very quickly
done, but the roots must be cut in long
strips before feeding into the chopper. The
pulp is then ready to mix with vinegar,
ts which has been added a tablespoonful
ssf salt and two of sugar for every pint.
Add enough ground horse radish to make a
mixture of the consistency of thick cream.
If you have not suitable bottles to hold the
horse radish use common jelly glasses with
tin covers, putting a circle of oiled paper
over the horse radish to keep the vinegar
from coming in contact with the tin.
If a grater must be used it is more tedious to reduce the roots to pulp, besides
being hard on the eyes, but by doing the
work before an open fire the latter trouble
is overcome in a measure. In either case
glasses sell at ten cents each.
One year from a small patch, just a row
across the garden, we sold eighteen dollars worth all put up as here directed.
All roots as large as a lead pencil, or
larger, were cut iu lengths of about seven
inches. The cuts were made in a slanting manner, and these cuttings or sets
were planted a foot apart, in soil made
very rich and ridged as for sweet potatoes.
The sets were completely buried in the
sssil.    being placed in a vertical position.
As soon as the plants begun to appear
above the ground the soil was kept stirred
to kill any weeds that were sprouting, and
soon the broad leaves begun to expand till
they shaded the surface between the
plants, and then we covered the spaces between the rows, with coarse manure and
litter, and nothing more was necessary, as
tbis mulch kept the soil moist and smothered the weeds.
One thing more in regard to the small
roots and tops. Open shallow furrows
in rich soil and plant these at intervals of
four or five inches. Roots will grow,
large enough for sets the following year.
It is well to remember too that when
making up baskets of "greens" for the
home market your customers will appreciate the addition of horse radish leaves,
while they are still so young and tender
that the stems can be pinched off, and by
using care in picking the greens, so that no
looking over is necessary, it is possible to
establish a paying trade, especially if
hotels and restaurants are canvassed.
Missouri. Mrs. D. C. C.
drowing: Horse Radish
Editors Indiana Farmer:
Did it ever occur to our girls who are
anxious for a little spending money that
the horse radish bed may be a source of
supply if rightly managed?
If there are only a few hills of horse radish the garden dig them out, root and
branch as soon as the frost is out of the
ground, and cut off the coarse tops and
roots less than three-fourths an inch iu
diameter.
Take the large roots remaining and
scrape off the skin after thoroughly washing them, then put in a pan of cold water.
The Tariff Commission
Kdltora Iadlana Farmer:
I see that there is quite an agitation of
the tariff question and an effort is being
made to create a tariff commission, the object being to take the matter out of polities. I think this ought to have been
done years ago.
The manufacturers I am told are desirous to have free lumber and free steel.
It seems to me that the present policy in
relation to lumber is a very short sighted
one, that approaches almost to criminal
negligence.
Xsiw there are very few things that the
farmer raises on which he receives any
protection whatever. There is one thing
that should be changed, and that is that
our farm machinery should not sell for less
money in foreign markets than here at
home. This plan if continued will in
time bring very serious results, and any
commission that is appointed to regulate
the tariff must be free from all politics or
party dictation. G. F.