VOL. XXVII
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.. JAN. 2 1892.
NO. 1
SEW BTATE FAIR SITE.
The State Board of Agriculture held
their final meeting last week to close up
the sale ot the old fair grounds and select
the new site.. There was a full meeting of
the B*>ard, and they worked faithfully
three days to determined the question of
the best location. There were four places
on the list to select from, heretofore
named. On the first Informal ballot all
received votes, but the selection was made
on the first formal ballot, and this was at
once made unanimous by the vote of ail
the members of the Board, the best of
feeling prevailing and bo the Yoss farm,
lying north of the center of the city about
fourmlles, on Fall creek waa selected.
The site ls a most beautiful one, comprising a nearly level tract of 214 acres.
The Monon railway rnns along the line
of the grounds on the west side, and the
Lake Erie & Western on the east. These
two railways have agreed to liberal terms
In transporting exhibits to and from the
new grounds, and the people attending
the fair. It is believed that the street car
company will extend its electrio lines to
the grounds in good season for 'the next
fair, as it will require the building of only
about a mile of road to reach them. And
so the completest facilities of transportation are thus assured. Nature has done
about all it could in making beautiful
grounds. On the west side is a very handsome park of natural growth of young
timber, affording amplo shade. This is
well set In blue grass. Along the east
margin of the grove the great amphitheater will probably be built, on the show
ling and mile speed track, easily obtained
on the grounds. Arrangements have been
made with the Schofield mill owners, just
to the east of the grounds for power to
force plenty of water through pipes for
general use, and one of the natural gas
mains runs through the premises. So it
will be seen there is not much besides to
desire for * fair site. The fair can be
reach from the city by vehicles without
crossing railway tracks, except that of the
Monon at the grounds.
. Under the present law the board can
purchase only 80 acres, but the remainder
agreed on 'wiU be leased till the legislature amends the law- so as to enable It to
buy this also. Indiana will then have the
largest and mnst handsome fair grounds
of any ln this country, and be ready to
hold, as it may easily do, the best and
most important fair in the United States.
There is ample promise of this in the
unanimous co-operation of the business Interests of the city, the horse breeders and
trotting association, in the choice and selection of vhe grounds. The board is commended on every hand for the wisdom it
has shown in the selection of the new site.
As showing something of the estimate
in which the new site Is held, It may be
said that as soon as the location was settled, a Dstroit party here at the lime,
bought 40 acres of land jast west of the
grounds, payiDg?i>00 per acre for it, upon
which he intends building a large summer
hotel. The sum paid by the board was
?300 -per acre.
Before adjourning, the board appointed
a committee to confer with Hon. John M.
Butler, their attorney, to arrange by agreement with the railways, to carry out all
their promises, conditioned on the selection of the new site. All of these matters
will be carefully attended to, and then
the board will begin the preparation of
plans for the improvement of the best fair
grounds in the United States upon which
to hold the fair of 1892.
and it is hoped that those statements disposed the reader towards improving tbe
highways of his neighborhood,
though the improvement goes no
farther than making good dtrt roads,
It is well to consider that money
judiciously spent in the solid improvement of highways is not wasted or even
put safely where lt will bring no Income,
it is invested where It pays a steady and
a fair income. Good highways also enhance the price of the contiguous farm
lands and render those lands more readily   salable.
A hundred localities thathavelmproved
their highways testify that tho sell
ing price of the property ln the neighborhood has been Increased by au amount
tbe township in which IllvecoBt several
hundred dollars, and required two or
three men and twelve horses, but lt made
roads so fast that lt was a good
investment, especially as it was
almost as good as new when the township
was done with it. It is necessary to grade
up the middle of the road, whether we
will be satisfied with a good earth road or
intend to add gravel.
In many places it will be necessay to do
more, however, than to grade up the mld-
dlo of the highway and cut ditches at the
side. Some of the highways ln this and
in other township** that I bave visited,
have been tiled, and with most satisfactory results. One line of tile only may be
used, it being laid along tbe-"l''-He  line
Written for the Indiana Parmer.
Transportation Problems.—No. 3.
BYJOHH M. STAHL.
In the preceding letter the gain from
good earth roads even was pointed out
"•-aBa0Qzac3aiiJd)O.,iLa'lU
l-io, MW tTATB FAIB BITE.
at least equal to the cost of the highway
improvements. Botter highways also
attract a better cla<*s of settlers, bo that tho
character of the neighborhood is improved.
It has invariably been noted that bettor
highways are followed by better schools,
oetter churches, better homes, better farming, better farms and better farmers.
When you urge y-ur neighbor to assume
his share of tho cost of good highways in
the neighborhood you do not ask him to
do that which is at all similar to giving
money for the conversion of the heathen
ln Africa, or for any other charitable object, you ask him only to have the business sense and foresight to make a shrewd
and profitable Investment.
It is not my purpose to write n treatise
on road making, but some hints about
making good earth roads will not come
amiss. The first thing to do is to secure
thorough drainage of the road bed proper;
without this, good earth roads cannot possibly be made. It la the first essential. In
some soils fairly good drainage may be secured by throwing the earth up in the
middle until it Is three to four feet higher
that the ditches at the side. The elevated
middle strip should be so wide that two
loadsof hay can pass on it and no wider;
the ditches should be about four feet wide.
The only economical way ln which to
grade up highways ln this shape is by
using one of the road graders now manufactured, and operated by horae or steam
power. One of these graders costs a neat
sum, but It can be disposed of to another
township alter one township has graded
np all Its highways.  The grader used In'
of the road, with outlets every thirty to
fifty yards to the ditches at the side?.
But lt is better to use two or even three
lines of tile—one along the central line
and one at each side a little more than
half way to the ditch. The tile should be
thirty inches to three feet below the surface, hence it is bea to place them before the
middle of the highway ls graded up. They
should be very carefully laid, for it will
be very unfortunate if the middle of the
highway must be dug up, after it has been
worked down solid, ln order to replace
tile. The benefit of tile is not much seen
before a year and the full benefit Is not
apparent before two years at the least. It
requires that long for tbe water to perfect
ways through the solidly compacted road
bed to the tile. In "seapy" places a yet
better drainage is requisite, if the road-bed
is to be kept dry and solid. This ls best
secured by making a corduroy foundation of poles laid across the road. The
poles may be from four to eight Inches In
diametet and should be laid closely together until they form a stratum a foot
thick at least. They should be so long
that their ends will reach ont to the ditches
at the sides. Over them earth should be
brought until lt is trom two feet to thirty
inches deep. Tbla farnlshea well nigh
perfect underdrainage. Mud holes that
we treated in this manner fifteen years
ago are pieces of good road to this day.
In all cases the surface of the * elevated
portion of the highway BhouldJ be nicely
rounded off so that tbe water will flow
readily to the ditches at the sides.
Quinoy, 111.
Experience With Sassafras.
Editors Indiana Farmer:
The prospective difficulties of your
Spencer county correspondent, J. E. S.,
impel me to "rise up in meetin," and
give my experience with sassafras.
In March 18871 took possession ot a ,
small farm that had been practically abaD
doned, aud was largely overgrown w,,
sassafras. Neighbors who had bee\
famtliar with the pi aco for many years
told me that I could not subdue Ity Others
suggested tbat close pasturing with sheep
was my only hope. Under existing circumstances I could not use shopp, but did
what seemed best with tbt/ means at
hand. I had the sassafras/grubbed out,
trying to remove such yrnags as would
interfere with the plow; but paid no at-
tehtlon to running roots. I then broke
up the ground and planted to corn, trying to cut out young growth with the hoe,
but with the Jlmltea amount of capital
and labor at my command did not succeed very well.
Tbo sprouts were carefully turned
under the next spring and most of the
growth was thus subdued. In the fall of
1888 I tried a diflerent plan with the
worst piece which has proved a success.
I seeded the ground to rye after careful
plowing, removing every snag that would
possibly obstruct close mowing. I sowed
Bix quarts of timothy and 200 pounds of
bone meal per acre with the rye, and followed -his -..ith eight quails of clover per
acre in February following. I cut the
rye for chop feed on May 31, setting the
reaper as low as possible. Then on August lst, I mowed the second growth
which, In places, made considerable hay.
The young sassafras was from three to
four feet high and thick on the ground,
but so tender that I could cut every sprout
without injury to the mower. The piece
was mowed last year and this, but nothing grew that the mower did not cut and
that could not go Into the hay-mow.
I tried the same plan with another bad
piece In the fall of 1890. I mowed the
stubble this season ln August, cutting the
sprouts with ease. Xot one can be seen
now over six inches high on any of the
land thua treated, and I have no further
fear of them.
I have one or two spots to clean yet, and
am satisfied that I can easily pull the
young saplings when the ground is soft,
with a team, but I never should waste
labor to dig out roots. They rot in the
ground when not permitted to grow tops
above ground. Part of this ground was,
also over run with what is called here
"wild sweet potato," but the mowing
machine cure has discouraged it so much
that I am hoping tbat it, too, will soon be
a thing of tho past. Moreover, my land
waa over run with many otber kinds or
weeds, which have been to a great degree,
subdued by thesame means. I tried the
same plan this year on a permanent blue-
grass pasture overrun with great clumps
of iron weed and thick patches of briers.
I confess I started with some fear and
trembling, but my McCormick walked
right through both. Hereafter, I propose
to use it on them twice a year.
Now If somebody will tell me how to
get ahead of greenbtler, I shall be greatly
obliged.
I also want to hear from Mr. Heaton on
artichoke culture. I intend plantingsome
several years ago, but somebody's printed
experience, real or Imaginary, frightened
me out. T. G. McCalmont.
Dearborn Co.
"While skating on the bay at Ashland,
Wis., Joseph Slosson, a senior at Faribault
Academy, Minnesota, and Mable Shores, of
Ashland, broke through the ice, and the
former waa drowned. He sustained bis
companion until help reached them, but
was himself so exhausted that he fell back
and floated under tbe ice.