VOL. XXIV.
INDIANAPOLIS,lIND., JUNE 22,1889.
NO. 25
Drouth—Excessive Moisture—Deforesting.
by *W. R. NORRIS.
It seems that my little article on "The
Drouth—Its Causes and Prevention," published in the Farm.br, of June 1st., has
excited considerable Interest, else I would
not have been pitched into by two of your
correspondents in one week, as in your
issue of the 15th. For instance Bro. Sullivan writes nearly three columns in reply, and treats us to quite an amount of
astronomical information, all well enongh
in its way, but much of it irrelevant to
the subject, and not In the leist degree
pertinent to the Issue. He asserts that
"for the first half of this cycle there are no
reliable data given of the influence upon
the rainfall, while for the latter half, the
statistics are convincing that, as
SON SPOTS, INCREA8K AND DECREASE,
both the temperature and rainfall of our
planet vary with them.". But he fails to
inform us whether the heat and moisture
increase with the increase of the sun
spots, or decrease with their decrease, and
vice versa; hence his statement about snn
spots is of no practical utility whatever.
What we are interested In, is the heat
and moisture of our
EARTH SPOTS,
where we live, and move, and have onr
being. We do not want them to be too
not, or too dry; too cold, or too wet; but
we do prefer that a reasonable equilibrium ba maintained, throughout the season, as being most conductive to personal comfort, as well as the growth of agricultural products.
He attempts to get off a few jokes on
"these forest and ditch reasoner?," and
suggests "that a half dozen of them conspire together at a given hour some morning at their ablutions—when we are suffering all the fierceness of a heated and
protracted drouth—and moisten their
heads, and expose them to the conditions
of vaporization. Wonldn't the large
amount of surface and dampness be of
sufficient magnftnde to generate a mass
of vapor and produoe clouds, and break
up and bring to a happy ending the severest dronth." Now we might retort in
response to such a far fetched and remote jest as that, that he, in a time of
flood and heavy rainfall, mop his manly
brow and mantled dome of thought, with
the dryest towels and handkerchiefs he
can find; also, that he construct a few
ditches down the sides of his Websterian
cranium, in order to accelerate the drainage of the superfluous moisture, and in
this way bring to a close the superfluous
down-pour of the pluvial elements.
He likewise drew a comical picture in
his mind of our humble self abont New
Year's, in our shirt sleeves, with cjllar
open, umbrella in one hand, and fan in
the other, walking slowly along the road
beside his row of trees that were to make
lt "cool and pleasant in summer, and
warm in winter," while the cold blizzards
were whistling through the crackling dry
branches I
We might in retnrn draw a picture of
him about the same time of year, in his
shirt sleeves, with open collar, and bare
head, desperately swinging his six pound
axe, frantically chopping down the last
remaining trees on his premises, waging a
war of extermination against all trees and
shrubbery on his domains, unmindful of
that pathetlo poem which Wordsworth
wrote, I believe, which says "Woodman,
spare that tree." Or another vision rises
to my view, in which he exhibits his fell
determination to clear the face of the
earth of all trees and shrubbery by cutting them oft with ponderous strokes of
his doughty axe, in July and August,
when sensible men seek the shade.
But while jokes amuse they seldom instruct.   Now we did not in our little ar
ticle advocate the digging up of "nary a
tile" already laid, bnt did question the
practicability of making the land too dry
by a super-abundance of ditohes and tile
laying. There is a limit to the use of all
good things, and ditching is one of them,
for it can be overdone, and then it may
result in detriment to the soil. There ls
a limit to the destruction of the forests of
the country, beyond which we should not
pass. That limit is a reasonable one—it is
our duty as wise men to And that limit
and not go beyond it. Whilst we are
ruthlessly cutting ofF our timber, the
people of the prairie States and Territories, are planting out timber and making
belts and groves of forest all over their
country, where trees never grew before.
And they derive a great benefit therefrom,
for while such hand planted forests serve
as wind breaks in the winter season, protecting themselves, their dwellings and
their live stock from the severity of the
bitter biting Boreal blasts, they find that
ths annual summer rainfall has been
muoh Increased since such artificial foresting began. In our oonnty of Shelby
we have pretty nearly reached the limit of
profitable ditching; we have over a hun
dred public ditches, and innumerable
private ditches—our ditches are both open
and tile and many of our farms are so
well ditched, that their proprietor can go
to plowing soon after a heavy rain, and
the well drained condition of their farm
is snch that they can answer in part
Frank Williamson's joke In your lastissue,
Qf "Excessive Moisture—Its Causes and
Prevention," for whilst they cannot tell
what causes excessive moisture to fall
from the clouds, they have so thoroughly
ditched their premises as in a great meas
ure to prevent injurious consequences
arising therefrom.
Inasmuch as Bro. Sullivan appears to
have a penohant for astronomical subjects,
we will suggest a theory in regard to the
sun, upon which he may exercise the
lucubrations of his mighty intellect, to
wit; Is not the sun, or perhaps more
properly what astronomers term the pho-
tosphere of the sun, avast magnetlo—electric light, c.eated for the Illumination of
the solar system, and is it not the vary
ing intensity of the radiations of the sun's
electro-magnetio light, that causes the
corresponding variations in the temperature and climatic conditions of the earth?
We have no patent right on this theory,
but merely throw lt out as a suggestion
fully as plausible as many other theories
that have preceded it, and we think as
well worthy of investigation.
—Henceforth no more such personalities and j ikes as the above and those of
Mr. S. will be allowed in our columns.—
Eds.
Interesting Notes from Owen Oounty.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
The past spring was remarkable for
being cold and dry. Maroh was a good
month for farm work, but quite dry.
April, the month of showers, gave us but
two rains, May, the latter part, was rainy,
bnt too oold for growth of vegetation
Corn has been slow, extremely slow, com
ing np. Some on my farm lay ln the
ground over three weeks, and after it
came np had a hard battle with the
THE ORUH WORM
with odds ln favor of the grub. This pwt
has been very bad ln this locality, espsc-
ialy on sod ground, and Its ravages are
not confined to corn. The rascal is no
respecter of plants; he has declared war
against our blue grass pastures, meadows,
and even works on the wheat. A plot I
examined the other day was yellow,
headed out low and was falling over, the
whole stool of stalks easily stripped from
the surface, revealing nnder one plant
four or five fat grubs. A spot ln the
meadow abont 16 or 18 inches square
yielded fifteen white satisfied worms, "in
harmony," as Joseph Cook wonld say
"with their environment." Bat the poor
snn burnt, horny-handed son of toll, who
sees his corn dying, pastures and meadows consumed and wheat ruined, is out
of harmony.
Can the Farmer's grub professor tell us
what formB the grub? Through what
stages does he pass? How long does he
live in the present stage etc.? Does the
common tumble beetle have anything to
do with him? Some of our farmers say
stop ringing the hogs. But that cure
when applied to meadows and partures is
impracticable. Just now the grub seems
to be on top (or underneath) and the cure,
winter plowing or hog snouts, or whatnot, needs to bo understood and applied
by the Owen Co. farmers.
Last night and to-day June 8lh, we are
getting a big rain, fully three inches of
water has fallen and still continues.
Oats, the wiBe ones said, would not be
worth cutting; to-day they promise better
than corn. Wheat promises an average
crop if it fills well. A small green insect
is in the head; it remains to be seen what
Its work will be.
Wool Is delivered @ 25 to 20 3. Sheep
sheared light. Stock sheep in demand,
nearly every farmer wanting a few. Early
lambs selling @ f3 50 to $3.60 per cwt
Fat hogs mostly sold @ i cents to Wi cents.
Quite an interest is manifested in horses.
Some good colts are coming on. Cattle
are low, traders scary and farmers not
anxious to take present prices.
We have a good location at Gosport for
a creamery, good cattle, good grass good
shipping facilities. Speak a word for ns,
and send a live man.  ' A. B. M,
June 8.
—As to the grub worm. He is the descendant of the well known May beetle, a
dark brown insect about three-quarters of
an inch in leDgth, that Is sometimes very
numerous and annoying of evenings in
early summer. The beetle feeds on the
leaves of grape vines, cherries, plums and
other fruit trees, but does nowhere near
so mnch damage as the worm that hatches
from the eggs that are laid in the grass in
June or July. The worms are two or
three years in making their growth. The
first summer they do comparatively little
damage, but the second are larger and
voracious, often destroying strawberry
beds and ruining acres of pasture and
meadow land. This Is the worst year for
their depredations for some time. Two
years ago the beetles were flying in
myriads, so the grubs must be in their
second year, and next year will have
changed into beetles again. If farmers
had broken up their meadows and pas
tures and planted them in corn this year,
it would have cheated the grubs out of
their favorite diet and starved the most of
them out. Hogs are very fond of thom,
and sd are crows. The presence of so
many crows this year in places where
they seldom are seen at other times may
be accounted for by the large amount of
their favorite diet to be found there.—Eds.
average crop. Oats will be short; grass
ditto; corn came up unevenly, but plenty
of time yet for that crop; some cutworms.
Weather very wet, ground too wet to
work except a day or two for the last two
weeks. E, Butterfield.
Wright's Corner.
—The bugs are the grain aphides, plant
lice, described in last number.—Eds.
 .   o. »	
Written for the Indiana Farmer,
Drouth and Flood.
BY A. E. FRAZEE.
In June lat No. of the Farmer, Mr. W.
K. Norris writes that the drouth of 1887
was the most widely extended drouth in
our history. But ia that any reason to
think that we are going to have successive
drouths of as great or greater extent? Ho
says it is time to call a halt and stop the
destruction of the forests. I say it is time
to stop, whether lt is the cause of drouth
or not the cause. But because our forest
lands are being cleared is that any good
reason to think we shall have extended
drouths? If so, why is it that the prairie
lands are not reporting more drouths than
the timbered lands? In all of my reading
I have never noticed any more complaint
from the prairie land owners than from
timber land owners.
It is all very well to plant forest trees;
they may become useful some day. But
if we make reservoirs, and save all the
water we can, would not that be very bad
for the years of Hood that are likely to
come? Hold all the water we can and
when the floods come it will be quite a
disagreeable time for the farmer. It might
cause greater loss in a week's time than a
drouth in one year's time. Yes, now we
have it; which is the worst, a flood for one
week's time or a drouth for one year's
time? We can sprinkle our garden in
time of drouth, but the fl rod, is there any
artificial way to get advantage of it?
I suppose some may say be ready for It.
But the same is true of the drouth. Cannot we be ready for it, also? Are we having any more drouth than floods? If we
are, then the destruction of the forests
may be the cause. But if we are having
as many floods as drouths—and I think
we have more—then I doa't see how the
destruction of the forests can be the cause.
Yes, give us a remedy for the drouth.
Bat at the same time look out for one to
remedy the flx>ds. In time of drouth we
sometimes have to haul water from the
creeks or drive the stock to them, while
our crops are being burned by the sun,
and some of our friends may be suffering
from heat or sunstroke. But in time of
floods instead of watering the Btock and
seeiog to the sick, we have to see to our
fencing adjoining the creeks, or repairing
the public roads, putting in the bridges
or graveling^ saying nothing of the crops
that have been washed away, not to be replaced. Yes, give us a remedy for tho
drouth, but don't forget a remedy for the
floods.
Clermont, Marlon Co.
Notes from Dearborn Oounty.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
I herewith aend specimen of an insect
that is Infesting our wheat, oats, and especially rye. They seem to destroy that
entirely and I have noticed them in the
heads of rye for two or three years, but
have never seen them in the wheat or oats
until now, the wheat and oats are full of
them. I do not think they will greatly injure the wheat as the grain is hardening.
Oats is just beginning to head, don't know
what injury the myriads of tbem may do
to the oats. The prospect for wheat was
never better in this section than it was
this spring until the drouth checked the
shoots, causing the wheat to be thin, as
there was none but the main stalks that
came to mature heads.. So our enormous
wheat crop will thresh out about half an
Word received from all parts of Monroe
oounty, where there are any low .lands,
states that the damage of the heavy rains
a week ago has been nnderestimated. It
is now estimated that 1,000 acres of corn
will have to be replanted, much of it being drowned out by reason of the standing water. Hundreds of acres of grass
have been so badly "sanded" that it will be
useless for hay. Much wheat was also
knocked down and will rot before it can
ripen.
A tank line and pipe line company has
been organized at Terre Haute, with
abundant capital, and headed by-Josephus
Collett, with W. K. McKeen as Treasurer,
to utilize the oil found at Terre Haute, by
caring for and disposing of it. The stock
holders are mainly those composing tha
original Dlall Company.