VOL. XIII.
IKDIAKAPO-LIS, IKDiiAKii, DECEMBER 7, 1878.
_rr
FOB S-tX_E.
F OK SALE—Whitney sewing machine needles, all
_^ »l«es._at 30 cents        "     ~    «—..—-—--.-*»..
ANA FARMER CO*
_rdo_e—.
IPANY.
IUB.UIUs_     Ul^Ul^Oj    «...
Send order to INDI-
tf
FOE SALE—Five choice, early Poland China boar
pigs; also, ten fine Black, Cochin cockerels. Ad-
dre«a MAGEE BROS., Otterbeln, Ind.
FOR SALE—I have a few head of Jersey Red pies
now ready to ship, of undoubted partly _ of both
now ready to ship, of undoubted
sex, at reasonable prices.   HARRIS" SH
Spencer, Owen Co., Ind.
PARD,
FOR SALE—The
Book.   Complete method o:
counts. Pricefleach. Add
COMPANY, Indianapolis.
Farm  Register and
method or keei
Address INDIA!
keeping farm ac*
~"   NA FARMER
JERSEYS FOR SALE—Three buUs, three bull
calves, three cows and heifers; all ofthe very best
batter stock. For price, description, etc., apply to
T. J. JOHNSON, Greencastle. Ind.
FOR SALE—150 Berkshires from my imported herd.
Plfs weighing 40 toJ00 pounds, ilO; young sowsj
Pigs weigmiigw 10 jivju puuuus, ei-i. juuuk ..»-■
|1S to f25. They are as fine as the finest pedigreed
stock.   WM. H. FALL, Lebanon, Boone Co., Ind.
... -.„-_.-__. Pure bred Poland China pigs, very
low. Stock shipped toany part of the country
relent or   ex or ess.    Correspondence solicited.
FOR SALE,
low.   Sto<
hy freight or   expi      _-     -
DAVID M. McCORKLE, Richland, Ind.
Jerseys,
FOR SALE—Ayrshlres,   __ ,   -   -
horns, mammoth   Bronze  turkeys,   sired  by
largest goblers in world, 40 lbs, 42 lbs, 44 lbs.   Ca"
. all registered.   H. C. GRAFF, Kensington, Ohio.
Devons, Short-
sired
Cattle
FOR SALE—Large, high-bred Poland China pigs,
of both sexes, near descendants from the noted
Srize hogs Bismarck, Tom Corwin and Perfection,
[y herd are healthy and vigorous.   Prices reasonable.   Satisfaction guaranteed.    T.  M.  REVEAL,
• Fisher's Station, Hamilton county, Ind.
THOR SALE—Choice Poland China boars, ready for
J? service. Also, sows, bred to my fine boar,
yonng General Magie.   " "       * —*»---
beef prices.    " "
Box 21.
_. _._.   Prices low.   sfiort-horns at
Address. L. H. AIKMAN, Dana, Ind.,
EOR SALE-First-clasa H Jersey, M Ayreshire
bull calf, 3 months old, from best milking stock
In the country, price $10 cash or $12 in trade for hay,
•orn, oats, etc., or first-class.heifer or sow and pigs.
A. SEIFERT, Stratford. Postofflce address, 13 N.
Illinois street, elty.
wAjrr-Ei>.
WANTED—To exchange spring mattresses and
lounges for country p    * " ' ^~
setts Avenue, Indianapolis.
lounges for country produce. "No. 45 Massachu-
. XtOAStS.
s
IX PER CENT—.Loans made on long time on real
. _ estate security at $ per cent Int. Special arrangements fer those wishing loans in from 6 to 12 months
at lower rates. A. W. Pbathkb, State Agnet, successor to E. A. Whltcomb & Co. Office 72 E. Market
St., Indianapolis. Ind.	
TO LOAN—Money, at the Farm Loan Office of T.
C. Day. Interest at a low rate and payable once
a year. No interest in advance. Commissions moderate. No charge for examination, abstract or view-
ingfarms. Address THOS. C. DAY, or W* C, GRIFFITH, 24 Thorpe Block, Indianapolis. - • r
 ~ —r~-■¥*$
HISC E U-AIfEOlTS.
rsii
ALLEN'S DRUG STORE, opposite Postofflce, is as
good a place as you will nnd for anything in
drugs, patent medicines, dyes, perfumes, toilet articles, etc .      . _^^
BEAL ESTATE ADVERTISER tells all about
the Blue Grass Valley -of Middle Tenuessee.
Price 25 cents a year. Published by E. M. COCK-
RIXL, Real Estate Agent, Gallatin, Tenn.	
CO. BURGESS, Dentist.   Offlce in room 4 Va-
.  Jen's Exchange Block, N. Pennsylvania St.
TO LOAN—Money to loan   on Improved farms.
J. H. HARDEBECK, 36 East Market street, In-
lO LOAN-
  J. H. r
dianapolls.
I have some good farms for sale, and desire calls and
correspondence from parties in quest of them.   G.
*. W. ALEXANDER, 36 East Market St.	
MONEY TO LOAN—Sums of MOO to $3,000 on lm-
_proved    farms.     RUDDELL.   W ALCOTT   A
VINTON, Indianapolis. Ind.
t
XVt  _St0Cu.
Db. J. P.' Forsyth has sold Lord
Clyde, an imported Clydesdale hor^e, to
Messrs. Morris & Keaton for $950.
The Iowa Fine Stock Breeders' Association -will hold its fifth annual convention in the city of Des Moines, beginning
Tuesday, January 8th; Fitch B. Stacy,
Secretary.
 —. -» .   "	
H. C. Graff, of Greendale Farm,
Kensington, Ohio, sold to Messrs. Nighs-
wander Bros., of Mongolia, Ontario,
Canada, the Bronze gobler, "Royal," for
$55, the largest price ever paid for a single
turkey in the world.
* «■» «	
Dr. J. P. Forsyth, of Johnson county,
this State, has bought one-half of "Heir
of Oakland," raised by Mr. McMillen, of
Ohio, and will put him at the head of his
flne herd of Short-horns. This is a well
known bull, and weighs about 2,400
pounds when in fair flesh. He paid $250
for half interest in him, and the other is
owned by Mr. P. Morningstar, of
Waverly, Morgan county.
 .   m,   .
Use Preventives Against Hog
Cholera.
This has been a successful year for
farmers in this part of the State, as to
wheat crops; but our corn is not as good
a yield as for some years past, but enough
to make prices very low. Farmers complain of the exceedingly low prices of
hogs. And one of the leading questions
among us all, is, how long will these
prices continue? After one has fed diligently and withstood the ravages of that
terrible scourge, the cholera, there is a
very small profit I assure you at present
rates. But nevertheless we can not
afford to lose them. The farmers must
raise hogs, he cannot afford to market
his corn at present prices, and trade demands it. Then men may say what
shall we do to avoid disease? I would
say to such, use a preventive, not just
for one or two weeks, or perhaps months,
but use it the whole year round; don't
wait until your nogs have got cholera,
but go to using a preventive at once;
don't wait until your neighbors hogs are
diseased, for that is not safe, but remember that "an ounce of prevention is of
more value than a pound of cure."
Friendswood, Nov. 30. A. J.
Origin of Hog Cholera.
To the Editors of Indiana Farmer: - -     .
I see in your columns of November 23d
an article over the signature of John Ott
on hog" cholera. He asks of the old
farmers their observations, and to report
conclusions. I have been a practical
farmer for over 50 years, and have lived
on this farm 33 years. I knew nothing
of any hog diseases, except the
thumps, till several years after we moved
here. I do not remember the date when
a disease broke out at a distillery, three
miles north of New Castle, in this county,
which j after killing several hundred
hogs,' spread through the country, killing
any and all hogs it came in contact with,
without any respect to breed. I do not
think there were any Berkshire stock
here at that time, and-1 think that the
importation of stock has nothing to do
with it, but to the contrary. The disease
was first known at still-houses, and is
kept alive by the poisons in the slop fed
to hogs, and the poisonous odors that
arise from these infernal institutions.
There never has beeu any of the
Spanish fever among the cattle of this
county, that I know of, nor has there
been any Texas cattle here.
. As to the chicken cholera, I have no
idea that it was brought here by imported
fowls: in fact, there has been none bred
here from any great distance, that I know
of, but I can't account for the disease
any more than I'can for the typhoid
fever, which also made its appearance
here long since I moved to this part of
the State.
'Hogs are dying, both large and small,
in the north part of the county at an
alarming rate. Corn "is not quite an
average crop; mostly gathered, and
worth 25 cents. Fat hogs are being hurried off at light averages, and at the low
price of $2 30 to $2 50. No fat cattle that
I know of. There is a large acreage of
wheat sown, and the major part of it
looks well. There is a little old wheat in,
the country,, which' is now worth* 80-to 84
As to hog and chicken cholera being
imported from other countries, it is a new
idea to me. I never heard of either being
in Europe. * The first I ever heard of hog
cholera was at the big distilleries at
Aurora in the south part of the State.
P. P. RlFNER.
Mt. Summit, Henry Co. Nov. 26th.
 ■—. ^ » ■	
For the Indiana Farmer.
Stock Farming—Feeding.
BY PROF. R. T. BROWN.
This subject includes food and drink,
and to both of these pertains the matters
of time, quality, quantity and manner.
FOOD.
Work animals, or animals that are being fatted for. slaughter, should be fed
three times a day, making the intervals
about six hours. In northern «ountries
where the summer days are long, it will
be necessary to lengthen the intervals
between the meals in work animals—
feeding at 5 o'clock in the morning and
7 in the evening. Care should be taken
that the animals are not fed when heated
or fatigued from labor, nor should they
be put to hard work immediately after
eating. Time should be given for rest in
the first instance and for digestion in
the last. Animals have a good appreciation of time and readily acquire the
habit of eating at certain hours, and it
will be found to favor the health of the
animals to encourage the formation of
such habits and comply with their demands.
Stock, feeding on pastures select their
own time for grazing, and this should
not be interfered with. In some part of
the pasture there should be a shade of J
some description—either a copse of shade
trees or an artificial shelter, to which
animals can retire for rest after they |
have taken sufficient food. In winter
feeding, stock should have their grain at
regular intervals. The hay, or whatever is used as a substitute for it, should
be placed in proper racks, so that the
animals can have access to it at their
pleasure, and yet can not trample it under foot and waste it. The quality of
food supplied to stock will, of course,
vary with the season. During the summer months, stock, except working and
fatting animals, should be kept exclusively on pasture. If it is desirable to
force a rapid growth in hogs in order to
meet an early market, it may be necessary to add grain to their clover, but as a
general rule they will thrive well on pasture till the corn crop is fit to feed.
In Europe, cattle are wintered chiefly
on turnips and carrots, and Prof. Mapes,
once made an earnest effort to induce
American stockmen to adopt the same
practice; but the project failed, first because our climate is not adapted to the
growth of turnips and carrots, and secondly, because we have, in our corn
crop, a source of cheap food with which
no crop can successfully compete. In
feeding horses and sheep, oats is frequently substituted for corn with advan-
When corn was worth but ten cents a
bushel in this country, we could rtFord i
to feed it to stock in the whole grain, but,
it is a very wasteful method of feeding
it, except to hogs  in  the   early fatf
•x\
v^O. 49.
alone or mixed with corn or potetoes.rkcan pay half what the office will make
..... Ehimfor corruption purposes, and then if
1 successful in obtaining it, it will be a
foocVfinancial investment.   So debasing
as jTbecome politics that the honest and
upright citizens of both parties have al-
ceased to have anything to do with<
>ntions, and it is these high salaries
thatare doing the mischief. •■■-:.;
In; my own county it has been tUi*.
covered by investigation that during
| eight years over $28,000 in money was
unlawnilly taken by county officers, and
that'too by .those to whom their offices
were paying from $4,000 to $8,000 per
yey. The man who uses the most money
ang practices the most trickery, whether
qiit|lified or not, is now most likely to
[obtain an office, and it will be so as long
as such salaries are paid. "
- .This is not a partisan political question,
bat one in .which all are interested, for
ftlSe'inoral as well as material, interests of
the country demand it. And as the
r»eeting of'the Legislature is near at
hand this agitation should.become universal, and if necessary florid the members with petitions praying for a reduction of salaries' and lop off a few offices
if possible. •        -"■•     W. H. S.
'.< Danville,'Ind.
Hy fairjuf
months." Corn, after it is thoroughiy-SoSm'
is seldom chewed by any animal sufnU-coi
ciently to insure perfect digestion.   On '**
this account, it Is economy to grind it. It
may be fed to cattle and horses mixed!
with cut hay or straw, or It may be
mixed into a stiff dough with cold water,
or better, it may be boiled or steamed, j
This   latter   is   the   most   economical^
method of feeding hogs where the farmer
is provided with a proper boiler and furnace, and has his own fuel.   Sheep maybe fed on dry meal mixed with oats, oil
the two grains may be ground together,
and form an excellent food. ' .  ' /;
Hay is the chief forage for horses and,
sheep. Straw is largely fed to cattle as
forage^ but the small amount of nutriment it contains makes it of but little
profit beyond the bulk which it gives to;
relieve the too concentrated character of
grain feed. A large amount of excellent
cattle forage is wasted every year,
throughout the corn-growing West by
our failure to save the corn-fodder. If
the corn-stalks are cut two feet above the
ground, at the time when the husk be-* v...
gins-to turn white, and properly savedJJt,.. _.„ _ .,
fn shocks, they furnish fc^d which, ton^tb?Ed,to™IndlM»F"mer:
for ton, gives as much nutriment as timothy hay. The difficulty, however, is
that much of this is not available otf
account ofthe coarseness of the stalks.'
In the future, when food becomes more^
valuable, we will learn to grind this fodder and thus make an immense saving
in forage. As it is, corn-fodder is always
the better of being cut in lengths not exceeding half an inch, in which farm cattle will eat the greater part of it. Indeed, both hay and straw will well pay
for the trouble of cutting and mixing it
properly with meal or shorts. ■.;-.■'
A general rule as to quantity of food
is, to ascertain the eating capacity of the
animals fed, and feed a little below that
point.
is left, they will almost invariably, eat
r_iore._thati -the jr.. can-!"      '        •--■•-
it is so much food wasted. This rule-applies to grain food, chiefly. Animals seldom eat more hay or grass than they
can digest.
Northeastern Indiana.
f. Fort Wayne, Nov. 26.  ,
e Have been rather surprised from time
to time in noting the total absence in your
columns of any letters or reports from
this locality, and lest some of your readers from erroneous ideas of us and imagine that Indiana has no northeastern
corner, we make bold to send you a few
notes, trusting that you will pardon us if
we wander outside the "city limits."
On the 3d inst., we left South Haven,
Mich., for this place and by careful observation  and  numerous ■inquiries we
have let their cider apples go to decay
rather than work them for nothing:
In spite of the light corn crop hogs are
worth but $2 per hundred weight gross,
and corn 30 cents per bushel. Potatoes
are light yield and selling at 50 to 60
.'cents per bushel. Regardless of all these
discouraging facts the farmers are show*
ing their energy, by erecting numerous
buildings and othewise improving their
farms. Of course the past season has
aroused many to the impoitance of thorough drainage, and it is hardly probable
tbat the farmers' generally will ever suffer another such a loss from wet weather,
owing to the numerous drains and
ditches that have been opened during
the past season.   J .- - " '-*
At present the .roads are almost impassable, and a movement is on foot to
build free gravel roads throughout the
county. It appears evident that something! mst be done in that direction else
each man will be compelled to provide
himself with an ark.
.-In Paulding county, Ohio, it is fully as
bad as it is here, and some of the swamp
angels that-inhabit that dismal waste,
will need assistaf-ice before spring in its
etheral mildne«s shall put in its appearance. " If any one wishes to know
whether we live through the coming
winter,. I will endeavor to give information on< that point at some future time
ths.tis, if the editor is willing. *.':".
Tbamp.
.   KANSAS LETTEB—No. 2.
Crop Statistics—Stock—Fruit—State
Indebtedness and Taxes.
Correspondence Indians Farmer,.; •
To the man who desires to found him*,
self a home there is no* doubt but Kansas
offers the highest inducement of any of
the unpeopled regions of America. With
ordinary thrift and a combination of
other necessary qualities in the general
make-up of an* ambitious emigrant, a
man may in a short time, acquire unto
himself and family the ease and comforts of a competency., This assertion is.l
mt uivariaDiv eai.» -.,    ,   , .    i - ■■•    .   inot"by'way. of boast, but rathet.;^facts,
Ss._rtr£rr^^ let the following ,figures be
; eomasitomir^-fii-itfT^"*-^
,....    m... 1- __ t£reserlt eropg are not heavy, but are per       *""""""—*    *  —f-—*"•**•-- Yl-" "'
learned some interesting facts concern-
I* tn!^ii.ls..il^all0?red t^,*ml$n% the state of affairs generally, and
QUERY AND   ANSWER.
haps fully equal to the average;, the land
being rather too light and sandy to produce heavily. However, there are many
good'farms which yield as well as the
average farms in better localities. From
Kalamazoo to. Lima, Ind., is as fine an
agricultural country as one could wish to
see; the surface being gently undulating
and the soil gravelly loam.   The neat
way. Your extract was taken from the
Atlanta Constitution, and the gentleman
was said to live in Glynn county.
B.F. McG.
Montmorency, Nov. 27. "
We have not the address desired. Can
any one of our readers give it?—Eds.
What Ails the ColtP
Will some one who knows please
answer the following query through the
columns of the Farmer: We have a
colt that will be two years old next
spring, which has had a breaking out
nearly all over her since she was three
months old. At times the lumps will be
as large as hickory nuts, which will
break, and pus will run from them. She
will then get better, but the lumps return in a short time. She is worse in
the hind legs and about the head. She
eats very hearty and grows fast. Sir<
and dam both healthy. The name o!
disease and cure would be thankfully received? ■ . J. M. S.
tage, and bran and shorts
are often fed to cattle and
from wheat
hogs, either
Salaries of County Officers,     i
To the Editors of Indiana Farmer: j
With a considerable degree of satisfa*.-
tion I read your editorial on "Profits c»
office." In talking to a farmer now abou:
the times he will invariably say tha'
everything is low but taxes. And th-
incoming Legislature will give more general satisfaction if they will reduce tb
fees and salaries of county officers to'i
fair living basis, and thus reduce taxt-
tion, and even let other legislation aloe*
than to legislate on other matters ani
leave this entirely alone. The fact is, tli
masses of the people must have relief, <r
they will be compelled to resist the co'-|
lection of taxes if produce continues ;
low as now. It is an outrage on the pec*-,
pie, and more in keeping with Europeni
institutions, where everything is done!*'
keep the masses down and totally at vr
riance with republican ideas. Yet we he*-,
some argue that you cannot get hone^
and capable officers for anything UtS
what they could make at any legitimate;
business; yet do not the facts bear it o'4
that never in the history of this counttl
was there such corruption and barefacA
stealing, and the offices never paid motf-l
I make this assertion that the most fruit-*
ful cause of the debauchery and corr-if**.
tion in politics is due to the fact that piitf
county offices pay such enormous sala->
ries— so much that an applicant for oflict"*
amount of interest paid per capita is
about four cents. Kansas seven per cent,
bonds* are worth ten per cent, premium
in New York, and her bonds and coupons have always been paid at maturity.
In closing this letter of facts, which If.;
have gathered from reliable sources, let
me urge upon those contemplating mak-   .!
ing Kansas their future home, this most  v
important necessity, of seeing for themselves, and our word for it, the great
Arkansas valley will be their choice forever. A. J. R.
' : » «» ♦ ■ '   1
Interesting Letter from Nebraska.
To the Editors of Indiana Fanner:
Seeing that our part of the country Is
hot represented in the columns of the
Farmer, I thought to drop you a few
lines, stating facts that may be of Interest
to your readers.   Crops have turned out
very fair this season.   Wheat 50 cents-
corn 25 cents; oats 25 cents; barley 60 to
80 cents; potatoes 20 cents, and plenty of
them.   No fruit here yet, as the country
has not been settled long enough.   Some
fine young orchards have been planted ;
and a few trees are just beginning to bear.
Horses and  mules scarce and high; a
good span of horses range from $175 to
$276; mules from $200 to $300; a good
yoke of cattle from  $80 to $100; cows
from $25 to $35; sheep scarce and high;
hogs scarce and low, about $2 50 per hundred, gross; railroad lands from $2 to $5
Eer acre, on ten years'   time  without .
iterest, and a discount of fifty per cent,
for cash.   There is  still a considerable
amount of government lands vacant in
the county subject to the homestead, redemption and timber culture laws.   Soil
good; black loam, with clay subsoil. Not
much demand for  farm hands; wages
from 75 cents to $1 per day.   Any one
with nerve enough to bear a few hardships and pocket change enough to carry
him through   for one year,   and   not
.afraid to work, can soon be independent
here. But without money enough to buy •
the necessaries of life for one year, he
['becomes dissatisfied, homesick and returns and gives our country a bad.name,..<;
With a resolve to,stay and endure,''ssOme- -
Iprivations,success is'-ccrtain. Stodk tuun""
Jcnji  Ywje;'.Ht_.   Adequate;; Meviof_tbe .:.
i;mzin^fiicVlfj'e>fi of lt.*is <*o'iin-.'
_-n diie tohsideratidh:. "^ ^_^'-&^?&t.-■..l>ftYe:
1877, was a partial failure, it ranked the try- ■" needs to be seen to lie appreciated.
To the Editors Indiana Farmer: j
In your issue of Oct. 19th, I see some
very remarkable statements in regard to
cost of keeping sheep in Georgia. I have
been over a large portion of that State
and can readily believe that good loca- fsxrms the excellent buildings, the fine
tions for sheep farms might be bought j      , ' ,     . . , ° '    ,
very cheap. But keeping sheep at a cost 8t«=k. the beautiful lakes which dot the
of 75 cents a head per year is something landscape, together with all indications
very remarkable, and I have tried hard Jof excellent crops made a grand view
to get the address of the gentleman who jfrom the wirjdow a8 we ^jigd mer.
has done it, but thus far without success. ;
Perhaps you can aid me a little in thatirl|y along*
         Through the kindness of our genial
traveling companion, the Rev. W. A.
Hinsberger, formerly of Lima, we
learned that this is an excellent wheat-
growing country, and that all the cereals
are extensively grown. Judging by the
appearance of the corn-fields we conclude that it is equally good for corn.
Nearly the entire crop is harvested. In
fact we saw but two fields in which the
corn still remained. The greater part of
jthe corn has been "topped," and in
many places wheat has been sown
among the stubble. We were informed
that the Clawson is quite popular and
that a large acreage of that variety was
sown during the past season. The plan
bf
j SOWING WHEAT AMONG CORN
seems to be gaining favor among the
farmers generally, not only here but in
other parts of Michigan, and the excellent results obtained indicate that it is
one of the very best methods of securing
a good yield. The growing crop looks
(Well and will doubtless be sufficient to
reduce the price to such an extent that
honest men can buy flour. Wheat is 70
cents per bushel.
j LIGHT CROPS.
j At Lima we met Mr. S. F. Humble
from Kosciusko county, and we were
rather surprised to learn through him
that their crops during the past season
have been decidedly light; the corn crop
especially being far below the average,
owing chiefly to the continued wet
weather during the summer. As we
neared Fort Wayne we could not help
observing indications of a similar state of
affairs in Allen county. The corn shocks
were small and the weeds tall, all indicative of recent floods. Through,the
kindness of farmers from several losoali-
ties we learned that the whole county is
in a similar condition. In many places
men were compelled to wade water day
after day in order to secure their wheat
crop. Many of the fields planted to corn
produced absolutely nothing, and but a
small part produced even a fair crop.
However, we have
AN ABUNDANT FRUIT CROP,
the orchards being literally loaded with
apples of excellent quality, but as a result of the enormous quantities produced
the prices are simply ruinous. No. 1
picked winter apples selling'at' 20 to 25
cents per bushel on market, and at 10 to
: 15 cents in orchard. Cider has been dull;
sale at 5 to 6 cents per gallon, and many-
eleventh of the great wheat growing
States, while its average yield, (13.5bush-
els per acre) was not up to the average of
former years, it nearly equalled that of the
greatest wheat-producing States.    Tbe
yield for 1878, will however, place Kansas the first in rank in wheat production
in the United States.   It is impossible to
give full and complete statistics of even
a single county as the product estimate
of the crop is not threshed. I will, therefore, draw a comparison of two or three
counties on the line of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, and for example will commence with Reno.   This
county in 1872 had two acres in wheat,
producing 30 bushels*, in 1878 the acreage
was 69,110, the estimated yield being
1,451.310 bushels, while her corn crop for
1878 is put down at 1,658,910 bushels, and
the estimate considered low.    Pawnee
county, in 1874 had 30 acres in wheat; in
1878 no less than 25,896 acres were sown,
with an estimated production of 458,118
bushels, and a corn crop estimated at
366,280 bushels.    Edwards county had
not a bushel of anything in 1874, while
in 1878 no less than 3,365 acres were harvested, with an estimated production of
80,630 bushels, while their crop is put
down at 107,596 bushels.   Kansas gathers her crop statistics through the district assessors, whose official duty it is to
collect them, therefore the acreage referred to above is correct, while the estimate is considered within bounds.
• Large and fortunate crops of rye, oats,
barley, buckwheat, Irish potatoes, sweet
potatoes, sorghum, castor beans, hemp,
flax, tobacco, broom-corn,   millet, and
Hungarian,  timothy  and  clover have
been produced this year and can only be
estimated by comparison as above.   In
1877 the gross value of these minor crops
was   in   excess   of   $13,000,000,   while
the total value of all field crops was
$45,597,051 21.   When we compare the
remarkable results of the past four years
with the record of any other State for
the same period, the result is simply remarkable, showing conclusively that nowhere else has husbandry been so well
rewarded than in this most fortunate and
prolific State.
Kansas is rapidly passing to the first
rank in the rearing of live stock, as the
ratio of the ihcrease of the total value
shows, the increase in 1877 having been
no less than 113 per cent, in hogs, while
that of horses, cattle and sheep was almost equally as large. Sheep raising
here is a profitable industry and is attracting the attention of sheep growers.
The expense of pasturage is nothing
while prices range at fair figures. Foot-
rot is unknown west of the Mississippi,
and scabs, ticks and vermin are seldom
seen on a prairie flock.
Remembering that Kansas is yet in
her infancy the quantity and quality of
the fruit crop of 1877 was excellent, and
reached the very important figure of
$3,000,000. A few more years wiy place
ber on an equal footing with the greatest fruit-growing States in the Union.
The State's indebtedness on the 10th
of June last, which is all bonded,
amounted to $1,182,975, bearing interest
at the rate of six and seven per cent, per
annum. Of this grand total $713,500 are
owned by the several State funds, leaving a balance owned by outside parties
of $468,3&5. The interest paid on these
bonds within the State is paid back
directly by the disbursements to the several school funds, therefore this is no
burden to the tax-payer.     The actual
1
Between the different valleys' ai*e large
tracts of hilly country, that will never be
settled, which is covered with a luxuriant
growth of grass. Soil the same as in tlie
valleys. The Middle Loup river runs
southeast through ono corner of the
county, and has a valley from four to
six miles wide. Mira Creek valley is
from four to eight miles wide and about
thirty-five miles long, and runs diagonally through the county from northeast
to southeast. The North Loup river runs
in a southeast direction through the
county for about thirty miles. Between
the North Loup and Mira Creek valleys
is a range of hills from three to four miles
wide, and botween Mira Creek valley
and Middle Loup valley is another rango
of hills from six to eight miles wide.
Health good. Weather flne for plowing.
"VVinter schools commenced. L. P. G.
Vinton, Valley Co., Neb., Nov. 22.
 .   m.   .	
Letter from Dearborn County.
To the Editors of Indiana Farmer.
The latter partof summer and fall here
has been uniformly dry—too dry for
wheat. Sowing was purposely deferred
on account of the fly, and sowing continued far into October, which is of course
small and makes a poor showing. The
early sown in many sections is not mucli
better, the fly, as was expected, having
damaged some of it badly, and the want
of rain will prevent it from shooting a
second time, unless the present moist
spell and mild weather should continue
long enougli to give it a start before
winter sets in. Taking it altogether the
prospect is not very flattering. Tlie
acreage sown is about the same as last
year, but lam glad toreportan improvement in the preparation of the ground—
better plows, more thorough culture, and
manure is applied. Boneuust is quite extensively used in the southern part of tho
county, but with what result I am not
able to say.
Corn in this county and section of the
State will not be a two-thirds crop, if it
reaches that. The bottom land is below
an average, and the upland in some sections has less than a half crop. Potatoes
are not more than a half crop. Apples
scarce; many farmers will not have a
supply for the family. Home hog cholera
in the southern part of the county. Not
many hogs raised here, the land being
too broken to grow corn as a general
crop.
The rich limestone hills of this and
adjoining countie* are admirably adapted
for sheep farming. Some few of our
farmers are moving in that direction, but
there is notonesheep in thissection where
there should be one hundred.  I am much
Eleased to know that sheep fanning is
eginning to receive the attention it deserves.   Have read with much interest
the articles published in the Ja*t numbers  of the Farmer on  "Sheep Husbandry."   The  series of   papers being
published   in   the    Farmer    on   the
''Methods of Education" are pointed and
conclusive. The writerstates strongly and
clearly what  others have known   nnd
felt for years, and I have no doubt but
that it has touched a popular chord, and
that at no distant day education will take
an entirely different direction: t ha tit he
practical will take the place of the theoretical, and that our millions of money
will be turned to better account, and our
schools be made what they should be, a
bles»ing to our State and the world.
J. B. Wakij.
Forest Hill, Nov. 28th.