Garden
fe
VOL. LXVI
INDIANAPOLIS, MARCH 18   1011.
NO. 11
Written for tbo Indiana Farmer:
VETCH   AMI    HELPLESSNESS.
Genesis Farm.
In  Indiana  climate    vetch    will not
make so much growth to turn under, on
my sort of land, as early in the spring,
for the same expense ot seed as rye. Por
humus purposes without nitrogen buckwheat in summer and rye in winter are
hard to heat on my kind of soil as fertilisers.      For   nitrogen   purposes   combined with humus, red clover, crimson
clover, alsike clover, sweet clover, Canada field peas, Southern cow peas, alfalfa, are much preferable to vetch.    I
have grown them all and prefer them
to vetch.     If you cannot use anything
better you can try vetch as a last resort,
but   it  is  expensive,   uncertain,   is   the
Biblical tares (one species of vetch is),
warned against as a possible weed, and
•auses dockage in wheat price.     If you
wish to (xperiment with one acre, Mr.
Smith says to sow it from the middle
of July till the early part of August.    I
have sowed it later,    but he is a little
farther north,  and  I think it safer to
take his date« even for here.     He sows
with a drill.     I broadcasted and harrowed   in.      One   thing  in   Mr.   Haynes
articles does not agree with my experience.      He  says  the  seed  will   sprout
well in drought.      With me it ls exactly the cpposite.     It takes an excessive
degree of moisture and a  longer time
than   for   most   farm   seeds   to   induce
vetch  to sprout,  otherwise  it will not
ccme up till the next spring.     Also one
correspondent Is told In the January 7,
1911 issue, that spring and sand vetch
are the same. Hairy vetch, winter vetch,
sand vetch, vicia villosa, are four names
for one and the  same plant.      Spring
vetch, tares,    vicia    saliva    are    three
names for another species.     There are
also kidney vetch, Dakota vetch, etc.  It
is said there are over a hundred spec
ies of the vetch plant, but vicia villosa
is the hairy, winter, sand vetch which
we are discussing.     The editor says not
to bother Mr. Haynes with letters about
vetch  as  he  told  all  he  knows  about
vetch     in     his       printed     statements.
Maules   catalogue    issued    from Philadelphia     says     vetch    blooms    in May
from seed sown the previous year. Henderson's Farm Manual catalogue »<iys,
"It is the earliest crop for cutting, being
nearly a month  earlier    than    scarlet
(crimson)   clover  and  a  full  crop  can
he taken off the land in time for planting spring crops."     This Is not true in
my locality.     In 1908 my crimson clover first open bloom    appeared    May 7,
in 1909 on May 9.    I had none last year
in 1910.     The first bloom noticed    on
vetch was May 21 in 1908, May 23  in
1909, and May. 24  in  1910.     Vetch is
therefore  two  weeks  later  than  crimson  (scarlet)  clover    instead    of    one
month   earlier,   and   the   catalogue is
therefore six weeks,    a month    and a
half, off in its statement, for certainly
no crop can be called a full crop until
it has at least begun to bloom, besides
vetch like cow peas, has not made its
full growth    until it    vines    out    and
blooms.     It is June before a full crop
>'f vetch can be either taken off or turn-
''1   under,   in   this   locality,   from   seeil
s,,wed the previous summer.   I bought
my first seed in 1907 from S. M. Isbell &
Jackson   Michigan,   anal   sowed   it
°ctober  14.      It  sprouted   Oct.   28   and
Moomed    May 21,    1908,    after    being
green all winter, but that late a sowing
is not to be recommended Por turning
under for corn planting, I prefer either
white sweet clover, or crimson clover,
to vetch. If you are interested in sweet
clover write the A. I. Root Co.,'Medina,
Ohio, for their free leafflet on the subject.
Putnam Co.
SEW LAW FOR IMPROVEMENT OP
AGRICULTURE, ETC.
House Bill No. 2*4, Introduced by 1.. 15.
Clore.
A Bill for an Act    for the improvement and advancement of agriculture,
simi department of the school of ami-
culture and agricultural experiment station under such rules, regulation^ and
methods as may be prescribed, and a-
long lines to be determined by the following officers: The board ei trustees,
the president of the university, the dean
of the school of agriculture, the director of the agricultural experiment station, the superintendent of agricultural
extension of Purdue university, and the
advisory committee as provided for In
section 3 of chapter 1G7, laws of 1909.
Section 4. For the purpose of defraying the local expenses of meetings
held and other work done under the
provisions of section 2 and in accordance   with  the  rules  and   regulations
A  (lass    in Horticulture from  Purdue Visiting  C.  M.  Hobbs &  Sons  Nursery.
domestic science and rural life, by the
dissemination of information relative to
agriculture, domestic science and rural
life among the people of the state, repealing laws in conflict and declaring
an emergency.
Section 1. Provides that the following sums of money are hereby appropriated to Purdue university, out of any
moneys in the general fund of the state
treasury not otherwise appropriated,
$10,000.00 for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1911, and $30,000.00 annually thereafter, said sums to be paid
quarterly to the treasurer of Purdue
university.
Section 2. The sum of $10,000.00
available during the current year and
the $30,000.00 annually appropriated
thereafter in section 1 of this act shall
be expended by the school of agriculture and the agricultural experiment
station of said university in securing the
necessary office force, extension workers, lecturers and equipment, and in defraying any other expenses in the study
of rural conditions and in promoting and aiding in the organization and holding in various parts of the state, farmers'
short courses, farmers' institutes, farmers' conferences, contests, lectures and
demonstration work of various types,
and any other forms of agricultural extension, instruction and demonstration
agreed upon by the authorities of Purdue university as being necessary to accomplish the purpose of this act.
Section 3. The work proposed by
this act shall be carried out by the said
Purdue University  through  the  exten-
provlded for in this aet, such as hall
rents, printing, advertising, prizes for
contests and other local expenses, the
county farmers' institute chairman, is
hereby authorized to file with the county auditor, an itemized list of expenses
of such meeting or meetings, and other
work done and the county auditor shall,
after such claims have been approved by
the county commissioners, draw a warrant or warrants on the county treasurer who shall pay same; Provided, That
in no instance shall the aggregate of
such items exceed an amount equal to
twenty-five cents for each square mile
of territory in said county.
Section 5. That there may be funds
in the county treasury available for the
payment of such warrants as are herein provided for, the county council shall
appropriate annually an amount equal
to twenty-five cents for each square
mile of territory in said county.
Section 6. Provides for the repeal-
ment of conflicting acts approved
March 9,  1889 and March  8,  1907.
Section 7. Whereas an emergency
exists for the immediate taking effect
of this act, the same shall be in effect
from and after its passage.
CO-OPERATIVE    RURAL    LIFE    IN
INDIANA.
Persons knowing of cases of cooperation among farmers, financial, industrial, social or religious are requested to write me giving history, character,
tfcope, membership, influence, etc., for
use in these columns. B. A. Ogg.
THE SALEM FARMERS' CLUB.
Before me is a very attractive booklet
with the title page bearing the Inscription, "Nineteenth Annual Program of
the Salem Farmers' Club, Salem, Ind.,
1892-1911." One turns the pages of
this booklet with increasing conviction
that here is an organization that is doing great things for its members and
through them for the community. For
unless the members be small hearted
and selfish, the work of the club is sure
to enrich much more life than that included in the membership. And that
the members are broad-spirited is evidenced by such names as W. W. Stevens, E. M. C. Hobbs, W. B. Lindley,
etc.
The constitution and by-laws are very
brief, consisting of but ten short sections. The club song, written by W. W.
Stevens, is a very pleasing one. The-
program for January has the church
life as Its central thought, that of February, the school, that of March, fruit
growing, that of April, the young people, etc.
One thing that cannot fail to attract
attention is the farm names. They
are all poetic and suggest a decided
love for nature's beauty on the part of
members. They are bo pleasing and
suggestive that I cannot refrain from
giving the entire list: Woodlawn,
Elmhurst, Maple Shade, Branch Side,
Glen Elsie, Echo Farm, Glen Brook,
Spring Hill, Ashland, Merry Hill, Glenwood, Sweet Briar. It seems to me so
pretty a custom to have a name for
the farm that I wish it might become
general. The name makes it homelike; not simply a place to make a living, but a place to live and love and
minister to the happiness of others.
The name will suggest the surroundings
or the poetic temperament of the owner or something in the history of the
farm. My farm In Green county .is
called Island Grove Farm, because
while it is a marsh farm, it contains
about forty acres which being somewhat higher ground, was an island
when all the surrounding land was submerged. To distinguish It from smaller islands, it was generally known as
"the big island." Part of the woods
is now a beautiful woods pasture and
barnlot and the name Island Grove is
historical as well as descriptive.
The program of the Salem Farmers'
Club plainly shows that the twenty-four
men and women who compose it are
students who propose that the meetings
of the club shall mean larger knowledge and broader comprehension. The
meetings are held the third Wednesday
at 10 o'clock. The corresponding secretary, Mrs. C. N. Lindley says: "We
are the only Farmers' Club in Indiana
that I know about which holds an all
day's session, the hostess furnishing the
dinner to the entire club." She further says: "We have 'backed' the demonstration work of Purdue ln our county. We started the Boys' and Girls'
Club work and are ready to help further any movement that will aid the
farmer and his family to better their
condition." I most heartily indorse
her conviction that many more such
clubs should be organized in the state
and trust that this series of sketc.ies
may aid to that end. R. A. Ogg.
 > m  •	
It would be just as well for young
men to remember there are more prizes
offered for agriculture than for aviation
and the game is safer.—St. Louis Post
Dispatch.