City Library
Yol. X.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, JUNE 26th, 1875.
No. 25.
liftre StocL-
WittiAM-Smith, of Detroit, has recently imported a lot of Berkshire pigs
from England.
 s    m*    m      	
The Prussiau government has in this
year's budget, for the first time, allowed
a sum of sixty thousand thalers for the
promotion and encouragement of stock-
breeding.
 .   m>   s	
A correspondent of the National Live
Stock Journal writes that he has a herd
of 1,000 grade Short-Horns, raised at
Hortsel, Col., at an elevation of 9,000
feet above the level of the sea.
 s     »     s	
The Clydesdales.
Editor Indiana Farmer.
In looking over your issue of the 19th
inst., I'see mention of Dr. J. P. Forsyth's
Clydesdale horse, Lord Clyde. I have
had the pleasure of seeing him fast week,
and am compelled to acknowledge that
he is the very best of the breed I have
ever seen in this country, and, indeed,
very few have I _ seen anywhere else t«
equal him. He is the heaviest bodied
horse I have seen of the breed. His
withers are unusually high, and his
shoulders thinner than is common for
one of his breed, those being the characteristic faults of the breed. He more
than disappointed me in excellence in
these points.
John N. Navin, V. S.
 . _ .
The Beater Beaten.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
Seeing a paragraph in your paper of
one Mr. John Askern clipping 15J lbs.
of wool from a yearling buck, and Nixon
Henly clipping 15} lbs. from one of his
ewe lambs, I wish to say that my neighbor, Harrison Crowell, clipped 17J lbs.
from a yearling wether. His yearlings
averaged about 14 lbs., they being a
Southdown cross with Bakewell and
Cotswald ewes. His entire flock averaged near 13 lbs.; his lightest fleece
weighing 111 lbs.
Newton Grant.
Laurel, Franklin Co., Ind.
For the Indiana Farmer.
STOCK BREEDING.
The farmers of Indiana appear to be
awakened in regard to the necessity of
improving their stock, but are generally
wanting in the knowledge as to how to
accomplish that end intelligently.
One of the great errors so common
among fanners is the habit of cross
breeding. Those who want an improved
animal, generally want him to cross on
some other breed, then oftentimes they
dispose of the original improvement, and
breed from the half blood—in other
words, instead of breeding up, understanding^, at once begin the work of
breeding out the improvement.
One of the heresies leading to the
practice is the claim that for certain
purposes the half breed is better than
the full blood. With as much reason
and philosophy, a man may contend that,
while a gold dollar is worth more than a
paper dollar, still fifty cents worth of
gold alloyed with fifty cents worth of
copper, makes a better dollar than pure
gold.
Pure bred Short-Horns have only at
tained their great superiority for fatten
ing qualities by a long systematic course
of breeding on the Dwarwinian
theory of "the survival of the fittest,"
breeding only from such as are fully developed in all the points in shape, predisposing to the accumulation of fat, and
no cross between the most perfect Short-
Hort bull and an ill shaped cow can be
the equal of the improved Short-Horn
in its present state of development—although the offspring from such a cross
will be a great improvement on the scrub
aide of the ancestry; because of the prepotency of the pure bred bull. To stop
here and begin the use of the half breed
on the original scrub, is at once to begin
the work of deterioration in blood by
oilutingor breeding out the improvement This practice has created an impression so common among farmers that
"fine stock will soon run out." If the
farmer wants to improve his stock, using
time instead of capital in its accomplishment, let him select the breed that he
wants.buy a pure bred male, and cross
him with females of the native breed, as
near him in shape as they can be found,
when his half breeds come into
then
breeding, exchange his pure blood male
ior another of the same breed—ihorough-
»   C~and- kreed ttis one   t0 the   taIf
stock, getting three quarter bloods; and
so on up; until his stock is  pure by a
■pBg remove from the scrub side; this
wH-W'^ aPPlv to a»' kinds of animals
with equal force.   Another error is in
st   i. g   to° many kinds of pure breed
>»tock and mixing it up; buying  for in-
-$?Pce<   a   Berkshire  boar and Poland
J^nma _ sows   and   crossing. them ;   the
|cross  is  a  good  one but  there is no
_TEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE CELEBRATED ACME BEAPER AND'MOWER, THE
Distributing House, 133 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana.
•PATRON'S MACHINE."
See Notice on Fourth Page.
earthly reason for making it, because if
either breed has the claim of excellence
over the other in the mind of the
breeder, why not keep the better breed
pure? A fanner wants to obtain the
best butter and buys a Jersey bull, because he thinks the half stock better
than the full stock, and why? Because
he says the half stock will give more
milk than the full stock Jersey, and this
in Some cases may be true, but when
true, the milk ofthe half stock will still
not be so rich as the full Jersey, and
what has he gained, simply diluted the
Jersey milk on the one hand, and reduced the quantity of milk on the scrub
side.
> The main point we insist, that the
farmer should make in improving his
stock is, first, to thoroughly understand
what uses he intend to make of such
stock. If he intends to breed cattle, let
him fully understand what he intends to
use them for. If for beef, let him aim
high at Short-Horn blood; if for butter
let hiin seek the purest^ Jerseys he can
afford; if for cheese, strive for the Ayre-
shire or Dutch breeds, but let him know
that all these several breeds have been
long and carefully bred with reference
to certain ends and that their excellence
is due to constant care in conserving and
keeping these ends in view. In breeding,
make specialities, and resolve to beat all
other men in your chosen speciality and
avoid mixing as much as possible.
Mixed drinks confuse the intellect more
than a plain drink—so mixed breeders
end in confusion, and in disgust quit the
field declaiming against all improved
stock as humbug, while the intelligent
and patient breeder pursues his course
and reaps his thousands annually, tothe
astonishment of his laint hearted neighbors. Observer.
FEARKfAUGHT YEARLING SALE
OF COLTS.
Col. Henry S. Russell's fourth sale of
yearlings at the Home Farm <J» Milton,
on Monday afternoon, was attended by a
very large number of gentlemen interested in horse-breeding. Some 300 carriages were present, besides those by
rail. Fifteen yearlings. 14 of them by
Fearnaught and one of them by the
famous Smuggler, were sold, at an average of $600. The first three were sold
in the field, but the shower drove the
party to the stable, where the sale was
finished. The result in detail is as follows, the last colt mentioned being
by Smuggler, and the others by Fear-
naught:
" February," ch. colt. Foaled on February 23,1874. Dam, Black Pearl, by
Balrownie, out ofthe celebrated trotter,
Lady Sutton. Bought *by J. H. Rath-
burn, of Albany, for $550.
" Faith," bay filly. Foaled April 2,
1874. Dam, Emmie, by Volunteer. Wm.
H. Russell, $310.
"Fawn," ch. filly. Foaled April 2,
1874. Dam. Ruth, by Franklin, he by
old Black Hawk.   E. L. Tilden, $350.
" Felix," bay colt. Foaled April 13,
1874. Dam Bessie, by Ethan Allen. L.
S. Cunningham, $400.
"Freak," black filly. Foaled April
19, 1874. Dam. Darkness, by Ericsson.
Wm. B. Martin, $625.
"Free-foot," ch. filly. Foaled April
25, 1874. Dam, imported Cameli3. an
Irish Fox-hunter.   P. H. Flood. $425.
"Forager," eh. colt. Foaled April
27,1874. Dam, Mimi, by Ringgold. S.
G.Ward, New York, $650.
"Freshman," ch. colt. Foaled April
28,1874. Dam, Favorite, sold by Mr.
Ogden, of Kentucky, as a daughter of
old Mambrino Chief. Samuel G. Ward,
New York, $500.
"Fancy." ch. filly. Foaled May 2,
1874. Dam, Fanny Green: pedigree
unknown.   R. B. Forbes, $300.
" Fortune," ch. filly. Foaled May 3,
1874. Dam, imported Maud, by King of
Hanover's horse Bruckwillow, and out
ofa mare belonging to the famous family
of Orloff trotters of Moscow. Maud
has trotted in 2:28. O. F. Eaton, $650.
" Friar." black colt. Foaled May 7,
1874. Dam, Lady Balch, by Kiaing Sun.'
Fred. Adams, $500.
" Falcon," ch. colt. Foaled May 7,
1874. Dam, Hambletonian, by Rysdyk's
Hambletonian.   T. L. Willis, $725.
"Forester," bar colt. Foaled May
20, 1874. Dam, Ladv Eleanor, by old
Mambrino Chief. S". G. Ward, New
York, $810.
" Fearnaught's Last," black colt.
Foaled June 21, 1874. _ Dam, Jessie
Wales, well known as having the fastest
double harness record, 2:27}. A Boston
gentleman, $1,075.
"Fire-fly," bay colt. Foaled August
20,* 1874. By Smuggler. Dam, Ella
Ellwood, with record of 2:29. Joseph
Bennett, $1,100.
This sale cannot fail to impress farmers
that skill, intelligence, good judgment,
combined with interest and enterprise in
the business of stock-breeding pays, and
pays well. This was confirmed by the
late extraordinary sale of Short-Horns
in the Empire State, as by Col. Russell's
former sales, and others of a like kind
over the United States and Great Britain.
The 15 colts and fillies sold for $9,170.
an average ot $611.33 a-piece._ It will
be noticed that those,of defective pedigree sold lowest, a fact that breeders of
thoroughbreds should make a note of.
The animals of the best pedigree sold
highest.—Boston Cultivator.
NOTES AND QUERIES.
PREMIUM No. 1.
PltmoutitJnd. June 21st.
Editor Ind. Farmer.—I was just
down to Argus, (where I keep him) to see
Louan Napier, and find him a splendid
calf, as good as represented, or better.
He weighs 450 pounds. Say to Gen. S.
Meredith & Son, that I am well pleased
with my premium, and truly thankful to
the-Indiana Farmer that our county
has the best Short Horn bull calf in
Northern Indiana.
Truly, J. Brownlee.
 — s    «_,    s	
Premium, Ne. 14.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
My time has'been so occupied for the
past month, that I have neglected to acknowledge the receipt of Premium, No.
14, awarded for list of subscribers to the
Indiana Farmer. ' The prize, a Berkshire boar pig, sent me by Mr. James
Riley, of Thorntown, Boone county,
came in good shape, about the 10th of
May. A great many of the farmers of
this county have called to see him, and,
without an exception, they all pronounce
him the best pig of his age that they have
ever seen.
I intend to show him at the North-
Eastern Indiana Fair next fall, as the
Indiana Farmer Premium Pio, which
will give the farmers of this part of the
State an opportunity of seeing at least
one pure-bred Berkshire.
I return you my thanks for the prize,
as I think the Farmer, without any
premium, is worthy of the efforts that I
have made to increase its circulation.. I
think I can safely promise you double the
number of subscribers from this part of
the State for the year 1876.
II.  M. LOCKHART.
Waterloo, Indiana.
Editor Indiana Farmer:
If Z. S. Ragan and friends wish, I will
send them a lot of garden seeds—general
assortment—including Moore's . Early
Concord corn, at my list rates, they paying express charges—and I will wait until fall for my pay. G. W. Or.ES.
P. S.—Or same to any other grasshopper people.      . G. W. O.
Plymouth Marshall Co., Ind.
Common Willow.—Will some reader
of the Indiana Farmer tell me how to
get rid of the common willow, which
infests our branch bottoms? Also how
to get rid of the button alder, which
grows in the low, wet bottoms and
swamp lands? D. M. Lett.
Jackson Co., Ind.
For Curb.—Take muriate of ammonia, 2 ounces; water, 1 quart; tincture
of poison hemlock, 4 ounces; dissolve
the ammonia in the water, and then add
the tincture of hemlock. Apply a roller
or bandage bo as to cover the tumor four
or five thicknesses, and keep wet with
the above solution. The horse should
have rest. Owen County.
Timothy.—I have a 15 acre field—10
acres now in oats, and five in corn, which
I desire to sow to timothy. Will some
reader please designate the best plan to
treat the above crops—or rather, how
shall I manage the corn part? How
would cutting it up, letting it cure, and
hauling it off of the field do? What is
the best time to sow timothy? Ought
the oats stubble be bro_en as early as
possible ? McCrabb.
Lawrence Co., Ind.
Good Idea.—I would like to know
about what the weight of gome of the
Poland China pigs are at one month old ?
Also at two months and at three months
old ? If my sows have good luck, I will
give you the weight every month for one
year. Jly first report will be about the
20th of August; and I would like if
some Poland China or Berkshire man
would do the same, as I believe I can
beat any one of them. Or if any man
wishes to report the Chester White or
any other breed, the more the merrier.
Waterloo, Ind.      L. S. Goodwin.
Bio Head.—I wish to inquire through
the columns of the Indiana Farmer
what will cure big_ head in a horse. 1
have tried Dr. Navin's recipe, that which
I found in " Navin's Explanatory Horse
Doctor" edition of 1870,. all but the
White Hellebore; that I could not get
The result is that it helped the horse
in the way of appetite, and it is more
lively and not so inclined to stiffness,
but thc swelling on the head docs not go
down\ neither could I get any blister
started by applying the liniment recom
mnded in said recipe. Will Dr. Navin,
or some o'her com paten 6 person, en
lighten me on the subject?
New Beginner.
Gold is up to 117 _
The Pope's health is again reported
poor.
The crops in Spencr county, are reported in fine condition.
Chicken_cholera is reported in a fatal
form in Ripley county, Ind.
Posey county, Indiana, reports $58,000
in the treasury, and out of debt.
Immense corn crops are growing in
Kansas, and now promise large.
The Ohio doctors can't agree, either,
and another medical college is proposed.
The specie shipments to Europe from
New York last Saturday were $2,781,000.
Coal h is said may be found in Northern Indiana at a depth of 300 to 400
feet.
Four horse thieves were hanged at
Wellington, Kansas, one night last
week.
Great preparations are going forward
at Philadelphia for the coming centennial.
The Mooresville Herald reports wheat
in that vicinity as in a very promising
condition.
Central Indiana has had a great deal
ofraip in the past three weeks—more
than it needed.
The grasshoppers are reported destroying the strawberry plants at South
Bend, Indiana.
The commissioners of Monroe county
refused to grant any liquor license at
the term iust held.
An international Congress is proposed
in Europe to settle the differences between the different powers.
Advices from all parts of Southern
Nebraska say that the grasshopper
ravages have been exaggerated.
The commissioners of Hamilton
county, Indiana, refused liquor license
to all applicants at the late term.
Owensboro Monitory "The tobacco
crop in Daviess county is as promising
as the most exacting could desire."
Jeff. Davis it   said will   address   the
Bartholomew County Agricultural So
ciety at their annual fair next fall.
Oxford Tribune : "A general survey
of the prospect throughout the county
was never better for a large crop."
The old settlers in the Wabash valley
have formed an association, and will
celebrate the Fourth of July at Terre
Haute.
Perry county intends to build two exposition halls, one 24x50 and the other
16x32 feet, 21,000 feet of board fencing
and 80 stables.
The applications for license to sell
liquor, produce crime and increase taxes
were all refused by the commissioners in
Grant county, Indiana.
Calais, Maine, was the scene of a disastrous storm on Friday of last week.
Several lives were lost, and the fishing
interests suffered much.
A distinct shock of an earthquake was
felt here, and_ at many places in this
State and Ohio on Friday of last week
No damage was done.
Indiana Farmer Family.
J>ur Postal Card Correspond «no>_
For the Indiana Farmer.
Farm Note from Tennessee.
Troy Station, Tenn., June 19.
Mr. Editor:—The farmers of our
county are wanting to buy their grass
seed from those who raise it. We are
wanting a correspondence with some of
the County Granges in your State, on the
subject of direct trade between the
farmers of your country and ours. We
also want to sell our wheat direct to the
mill-men.  .    W. H. Farris, Agent.
Obion Co., Tenn.
The commissioners of Fountain
county, Indiana, granted _ license to
twelve to sell whisky in Attica, and refused the applications in one township
Governor Beveridge, of Illinois, during the last six months, has pardoned
out of the State's # prison seven murderers and fifty-nine convicts of less
degree.
The wheat harvest has begun in
Southern Kansas, and it is reported that
the crop is heavy. Fears are entertained
that enough help cannot be had to save
the crop.
Late correspondence by General Pope,
in the West, indicate that great frauds
have been committed in furnishing Indian supplies, and a big investigation
will likely be the result when Congress
meets.
Two men were executed at Effingham,
Illinois, on Friday 18th inst., for murder. They both protested that they
were innocent, but the proof of their
guilt was strong.
The army worm has appeared in the
southern portion of Illinois, and is destroying crops at a fearful rate. Advices state that one hundred and fifty
acres of corn were destroyed in an incredibly short time.
A gang of dead beats attempted to rob
apd kill a saloon keeper at Fort Wayne,
on Saturday night of last week, but were
unfortunate and did not succeed. Saloon
keepers can be scared better than any
other class of people.
A ship which arrived at New York
to-day from Manilla reports that on June
14th, in latitude 19° 16\ and longitude
57° 52\ north, she felt the shock and
heard the noise of an earthquake, which
lasted about ten minutes. It began in
smooth water, and the ship pitched her
bows under.
SPENCER COUNTY-lune 19th.
We are getting plenty of rain. Meadows look
splendid. Wheat has Improved considerably
of late. Ah Immense crop of tobacco ls being
set ont this year. Everything points in the
direction of a good crop. N. B.
VERMILLION COUNTY-lune 18th.
We've had a wet backward spring, which
makes the prospect for corn crops look very
discouraging. Farmers have all their corn
planted. Wheat in this part of the connty will
not make a fourth of a crop. Oats, meadows,
and pastures look well. Stock hogs scarce and
ln good demand.  Frnit nearly all killed.
J. K. J.
FLOYD COUNTY-June 18th.
The many seasonable rains of late have
brought ont the crops wonderfully. Orn looks
promising, though planted late. Oats good;
grass looks well, and wheat will be over half a
crop, at least. No apples or peaches, but plenty
of berries. There is a fine prospect tor beech
and oak mast. Potatoes and cabbage never
looked better.   Farmers are more hopeful.
D. W. V.
HOWARD COUNTY—June 20th.
It has been very wet; corn has the yellow
fever; oats look well; flax prosperous; potatoes
fair crop planted; wheat late, but would make
a fair crop if lt was not for the red weavel. I
went to the field to-day, and without picking
out heads, I took a hand full, I did not and bnt
one grain without weavel, and some had twenty
weavels on one grain. A. ty. Cook.
CASS COUNTY-June 14th.
Corn is looking well In our part of the state.
Tbe amount planted ls much larger than usual.
Wheat will not bean average crop, bnt better
than we expected early ln the spring. Apples
and peaches are a failure. Cattle are looking
well and are cheap. Hogs are scarce and high.
Grangers plenty, and the Order getting along
finely. Lindoi, Smith.
HAMILTON COUNTY—June 17th.
Wheat looks well. Oate splendid. Corn
looks well on drained land. Grass and clover
are good. No fruit. Potatoes look well. There
are some bugs, but are doing no harm. Cattle
are doing well. Hogs are an average crop.
Sheep scarce. Wheat $1.10; corn 55 cents. Grangers all right, and in good spirits.      8. A. B.
HENDRICKS COUNTY-June 19th.
Rain! rain ! ls all the talk. Acres of corn not
planted yet, and this is the 19th day of June.
Corn that ls planted ls full of weeds and fox
tail, and acres of it ls drowning out. Wheat
looks well, and if not prevented by rust or
chinch bugs will make a fair average. Oats the
same. John B. Bell your corn (the celebrated
eight row,) is too small. We would like to know
something of your black African oats.    I. H.
FAYETTE COUNTY-June 17th.
There will be about one third ot a wheat crop
ln this county. Corn looks well. Oats will be
about half a crop; grass two-thirds. There will
oe no apples—no trait of any kind except a few
berries. There are few good cattle in this
counly. Pastures have been short. There is an
average number of stock hogs in this county,,
and a greater number of pigs than last year.
There Is not much clover pasture, lt having
been winter-killed. A general scarcity of everything ls the complaint. I. N. Davis, Jk.
JACKSON COUNTY-June 15th.
Corn all planted, and owing to rather wet
weather some that was drilled ls getting weed y.
What little wheat we had left over the hard
winter, is heading out. There Is much cheat
among it. We will have no wheat to amount
to anything. There was a double acerage of
corn planted in our connty this spring. Oats
look well. Sheep and hogs ln good demand,
but-rather scarce. Hogs generally healthy-
worth from 5 to 7 cents. D. M. Lett.
PARKE COUNTY-June 17th.
Wheat has Improved lately, and if lt escapes
the chinch hug, will average over half a crop.
Corn looks well generally, and ls growing flne,
but ln consequenee of the heavy rains the
weeds have made equal progress with the corn.
Grass looks well. Hay promises a full harvest-
Potatoes are looking splendid. A large acreage
was planted. The bugs are not very bad as yet.
Saw a peach on one of the trees to-day abont
the size of a small marble, which may be said
to constitute the crop. Is.
JASPER COUNTY-June 18th.
The weather is flne at this time, and has been
very flne tor several weeks. Occasional
showers are bringing corn on finely. A larger
amount of corn planted in this county than
has ever been planted in one year before.
Wheat will not exceed one-fourth of a crop on
account of freezing out last winter. Oats look
well, also grass. Stock is doing well. Stock
hogs scarce. Cattle plenty and prices improving, best selling at 6 cents. J.G.CU-P.
HOWARD COUNTY-June 17th,
Apples exceedingly scarce, particularly the
winter varieties. Peach trees badly winterkilled. Plenty ot berries and the smaller
fruit'). Fallow wheat an average. Corn ground
very poor. The crop will fall far below last
year's yield. Harvest late. Oats good, but
little sown. Corn foul, with ground in a
compact state. Considerable fear Is entertained
of ravages by the chinch bugs. A good friendly feeling prevailing among the people.
Enterprise Is observable ln both town and
country. T. J. HA_«A.
WASHINGTON COUNTY-June 21st.
Heavy rains have fallen lately. Vegetation
growing finely. Butlltile wheat or fruit. An
agricultural society is being formed In this
county, which will prove of great benefit.
There has been subscribed already some _ ,000
stock, and still the good work goes on. Since
our fairs have Eone down stock of all kinds are
greatly reduced in quality. The "Maul headed"
scrub cattle now meet the eye on every hand,
but hope to soon have a change, as some
thorongh-breds have lately been brought to^
this county from Meredeth's flne herd. Sac-
cess to the Fabmwe. S. N. S.
_<
_!_—_.
"\     :_7r-