VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH 16,1889.
NO. 11
INSTITUTES.
The Cass Oounty Institute held a meeting on Saturday last, and perfected its organization, adopting a constitution and
electing offl--era. Thornton Tyson was
made president, and H. N. Miller, secre
tary. An appropriate address of welcome
was read by Hon. B. F. Campbell. 'After
which a paper was read on the subject of
Corn culture, which was followed by a
spirited discussion. The writer, Mr. A,
J. Ford, advocated good plowing as the
foundation of successful fuming. Thor,
ough pulverization gives the root a chance
to find nourishment. Corn roots penetrate the ground to a great depth. He
recommended deep plowing and shallow
cultivation.
Mr. Cantley thought only the main root
penetrated the ground deeply. Most of
the roots go only four or five inches below
the surface. It is not wise to give much
cultivation after the corn is too large to
be plowed with the double cultivator. He
would not interfere with the roots at any
time. When they begin to meet between
the rows it is time to cease cultivation
Mr. Campbell cultivates deep and close
to the corn the first and second times,with
narrow shovels or bull tongues, after that
shallow." He gave some experiments
showing that cutting the roots does not
always interfere with the growth of con-
Mr. Cantley advocated hoeing the corn
one or two times at least, but the idea was
_jrtdicujery^y at numbar cf • tha speakers.
Saverafrecom'mended cultivating the corn
first with a light harrow before it appeared
above ground.
The attendance in the afternoon was
large, but as it was entirely of men the
writer asked to be excused from giving a
talk on the subject assigned him, the
Farm Home,and promised to attend some
future meeting when tho wives and
daughters were invited, as the subject is
one that more particularly interests them.
This Institute or Farmers'club starts
out with a good membership and promises much usefulness to the farmers of
Cms county. One excellent feature is the
appointing of a vice-president in each
township.
The Johnson County Institute is held
on Friday and Siturdav of this week.
The program is lengthy and attractlve.in-
cludlng the following papers: Benefits of
Farmers' Institutes, by J. B. McGaughoy;
The Grange movement, by F. M. Robin-
son; Diversified farmingjDr. K. T. Brown,
of this city; Industrial education, by
Pres. J. H. Smart; Agricultural chemistry, by Prof. Chaffee and Aesthetics on
the farm by Pres. W. T. Stott, both of
Franklin College; Corn culture, by John
Clore; the Fence Problem, by W. H. Dungan; Mistakes in Agriculture and Horticulture, by Sylvester Johnson; How to
keep the boys and girls on the farm, by J.
G. Kingsbury; Kural life and homes, by
S. W. Dungan; the Old way of farming,
by Judge D. D. Banta and Our kitchen
interests, by Mrs. Emma P. Ewing, of
Pardue. The papers are to be. followed
by discussions for which leaders have
been appointed. "Vocal and instrumental
music is liberally interspersed among the
heavier exercises.
The Parke County Institute at R.ck-
ville, March 14 and 15, has an interesting
program, including papers by Mortimer
Levering, Lafayette; Mrs. E. P. Ewing,
J. B. Conner, John T. Campbell, Prof.
Stockbridge, Wm. Campbell, of Rockville,
E.S. Folsom of this city, Mrs. H. C.
Meredith, S. D. Puett, Rockville, Dr. J. S.
Dare, Bloomingdale, D. L. Thomas, Rush-
•ville, Miss Lulu Davidson, Whitesville,
Aaron Jones, South Band, and Prof.
Einebaugh of Purdue.
There will be a meeting of the Farmers'
Club at Carmel, Hamilton county, at 1
p. m„ Saturday March 23d. The program
ls as follows;   The most successful plan
of setting out and caring for a young orchard, William Klnzsr; Bast method of
preparing the soil and planting corn, O.
C. Ellitt; Discussion led by J. W. Moffltt;
Is oats a paying crop? and most successful manner of putting it in, Mahlon Day;
Discussion led by Joshua Perisho.
The Marion County Agricultural and
Horticultural Society held its March
meeting on Siturday the 9th. The principal feature of the occasion was an address by Ssnator Mount, in which he illustrated the necessity of farmers being
watchful and determined in maintaining
their rights before the Legislature. If the
farmers had been organized and sent some
intelligent and efficient representative in
attendance to look .after'bills affecting
their interests several more of them might
have been enacted into laws.
This being the annual meeting ofthe
society an election was held resulting as
follows:
Elijah J. Howland, president; Samuel
Patton, secretary, and Mrs. W. B. Flick,
treasurer.
FAEMESS MUST ORGAHIZE.
The great importance of organization
among farmers was manifested during
the session of our recant Legislature. We
are informed that all legislation affecting
the interests of the miners and other la
boring;classes,amoDg whom organ!z-.tions
prevail, was promptly considered. The
legislators roalized tho-J-wrt thff. the vctea
of these organizations were all important
to their re election. But when bills affecting the Interests of farmers came up, they
were tabled and set aside unceremoniously,
unless they were in charge of some earnest and persistent friend who had the
energy to force them through. The farmers are not organized, and this seemed
reason enough why their claims might be
slighted. Let this not be the case at
another session. Farmers should agree
on the legislation they want and then organize to secure its enactment.
Oub reporter in hia write up of the La
Porte County Farmers' Institute failed to
make mention of the pleasant trip to the
stock stable of Banks & Hilt, importers of
Cleveland Bays and Clydesdale horses.
Mr. Banks showed us through their fine
barn and trotted out several of the many
excellent animals in the same.
WEATHER CROP BULLETIN
Of the XudUna Weather Service in co-operation with
the United Statef Signal Service for tbe week ending
Saturday March 9,;i889.
The winter of 1888 to 1889 was the mildest in Indiana since 1880. The temperature during December 1888-and January
1889 was exceedingly mild and much
sunshine prevailed; at no time was the
maximum temperature noted below zero,
and during February, although a steadily
colder temperature prevailed and on one
or two days, the minimum temperature
reached slightly below zaro, the deficiency
in temperature of that month was not
enough to overcome the excess in temperature of December and January, so that
the whole winter seemed exceedingly
mild.
The precipitation during December was
abundant and above normal, but during
January and February the amount of
precipitation was deficient and much below the normal. The snowfall duriDg the
winter was light and snow fell under
such conditions, that it soon melted or
evaporated, leaving the ground baro and
fields uncovered, except for a few days,
but because of the prevailing mild weather
the absence of snow covering did not
cause injury to crops and pasturage, and
both at the end of .the usual winter
months are reported to be in good condition, especially so in the southern portions
of the State, less so, perhaps, in the north
ern portions.   Pasturage,  all winter was
not without green grass, and live stock is
n good condition.
Tho conditions of the weather during
the week ending March 9, have been
rather favorable to wheat especially so in
the southern portion, less so perhaps in
the northern. The temperature was nearly normal for Maroh or only slightly below the normal.
No precipitation occurred until the last
two days of the week when occasional
dry flurries of snow fell; the snow did
not remain on the ground but disappeared
sooa. Average amount of sunshine pro-
Tailed.
Seymour—The weather, altogether, during the week has been favorable to the
growth of the wheat crop, which ls in fine
condition, fully as good as it has ever been
at this season at any time for many years;
the grass crop also is in fine condition;
fruit buds are abundant and the prospect
for an abundant crop is most promising.
Farmers are preparing to plant a larger
area than usual to corn and melons. Precipitation, 0.13.
Worthington—There fell no rain during
the past week; wheat needs rain; the oold
weather, being dry, ia damaging wheat, at
least, the crop is not improving; we are
short nearly three inches of rain since
January lst.   No rainfall.
Columbus—The growing wheat is ap
parentlyinan averaga condition; clover
has been Injured by freezing; stock "sin
fair condition.   Precipitation, 0.05.
Bluffton—The precipitation during the
past seven days has been very small; with
the exception of two days the sun shone
every day,with very littlo freezing weather.
Huntingburg—Wheat is standing well
and the prospect for a good crop is very
good.
farmland—Wheat is looking only moderately well for this time of year. There
wore about three days of sunny weather
during the week; on Friday two inches
of snow fell and the wheat is neatly covered at the end of the week. Precipitation, 0.30.
Marengo—Wheat looks tolerably well.
A few oats has been sown; no rainfall.
Delphi—At present, largely owing to
the unfavorable start in the fall, it is hardly possible to estimate the condition of
wheat, but from a number or estimates
we place it at 63 par cent of an average
crop; precipitation 0 00.
Mauzy—Wheat is not looking as well as
it did a month ago; fat hogs are scarce;
heard killdeer on the 4 th; blue birds, robins, etc., have returned; trace of precipitation.
Troy, (Spencer Co.)—The past seven
days have been fair spring woather; the
wheat is in excellent oondition; the buds
beginning to swell and the grass to grow;
farmers are plowing.
DeGonia Springs—As the winter has
been so remarkably mild, stock of all
kinds have wintered well; wheat generally looks well; also the volunteer oats in
some fields; the buds of plum trees are
swelling; precipitation 0.18.
Mount Vernon—Our winter wheat looks
fine; no spring Wheat Is over sown in this
county; working in the garden has commenced; peach buds are swelling; March
winds are drying up the ground nicely;
market dull; corn 30 cts.; wheat 90 cts.;
80 per cent of the corn is not sold yet;
180,000 bushels of wheat are held in first
hand here; precipitation 014.
H. A. Huston,
Director Indiana Weather Service.
pioneers of western farm journals, and it
has kept fully abreast of the progress of
western agriculture. It is an interesting
paper to read, and no one can bs a regular
reader without being the bstter prepared
for successful farming. Of its many readers ln this part of the State wo have yet to
find the first one .who has dropped the
Indiana Farmer from his list of farm
papers. A sample copy will give any
farmer a better idea of what the paper is
than a printed description. A postal card
addressed to that office at IndianapoUs
will no doubt secure a copy for examination, or better still, enclose a dollar bill
for a whole year's number.—Peoria, (IU.)
Transcript.
A Good Paper for Farmers.
If any farm reader is undecided as to
what paper to choose for his adviser during the coming season, or if there are any
who wish to add to their list of papers,, we
would call their attention to the merits of
the Indiana Fabmeb.  This is among the
The Ration's Forests.
The first step in the effort to provide for
the conservation of the forest on the national domain should be the withdrawal
from sale of all forest lands belonging to the
nation. It will not be necessary to preserve
and maintain all these forests permanently, but the extent of forest-territory
which will be required by a practical plan
of forest-preservation and management
for our western mountain regions cannot
be at once preci.ely determined. A thor
ough examination of these regions, and of
the agricultural country depending upon
them for its water supply,will be necessa*-y,
in order to show what forests must be ve-
tainod, and what tracts of timber can hp
put upon the market without injury to
the important interests involved. Until
such an examination has been made none
of the forest lands now belonging to the
United States should be sold.
The second step should be to commit to
the United States army the care and guardianship of the forests belonging to the
nation. There is in time of peace no
other work of national defense or protection so important as this which the army
can perform, and it is plain that under
existing conditions the forests on the national domain will not be—indeed cannot
be—adequately guarded and protected by
any other moans. The measures which
have been tried including these now in
operation, or nominally in operation,
have proved almost entirely ideflective.
The forests.on thepublio.lands are pillaged
by settlers, and by the employes of railroad and mining companies, without scruple or limit. Other instruments will have
to be employed if the forests are to be preserved. Their complete and final destuo-
tion, with that of the soil which sustains
them, is under the present system,orwant
of sytem,only a question of time, and of a
very short time.
Tne third step should be the appointment
by the President, of a Commission to
make a thorough examination ofthe oondition of the forests belonging to the
nation and of their relation to tho agricultural interests of the regions through
which the streams flow which have their
sources in these forests, and to report,
with the facts observed, a comprehensive
plan for the preservation and management of the public forests, including a
system lor the training by the government
of a sufficient number of foresters for the
national forest service.
The commission should determine what
portions of the existing forests on the public domain should be permanently preserved, and in what manner the remainder should be disposed of. The national
forests can be so managed that they will be
perpetually reproduced, and will yield
forever an abundant supply of timber for
inhabitants of the adjacent country,
and a revenue which will more than sustain the cost of the forest service. A National School of Forestry aholud be established at a suitable place in one of the
groat mountain forests on the public lands
and its equipment should be as thorough
and adequate for its purpose as ls that of
the National Military Academy at West
Point.—Garden and Forest, j