VOL. XIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JAN 19, 1884
NO. 3.
BOABD OF AGRICULT-IE.
Meeting of Members and Delegate* of
State Hoard of Agriculture at their
Rooms lu this City, Jannary
8, 9 and 10.
Vsual Business Transacted, Members
and Onii-cn. I-lceted, and
* -        ■'. Papers Read.
TCEStlATr's HT-SSIO-f.
Tuesday morning was consumed in the
preliminary work of examining credentials and organizing the convention. The
total membership of the Stato Hoard of
Agriculture is perhaps a hundred, and tht
nnmber in attendance last week was fairly
large. Tiic addresses before tho Board
were exceptionally good. Tho afternoon
and evening ol the first day wero occupied by addresses by President Mitchell.
Governor Porter, Dr. W. T. Htott, president ot Franklin College and Prof. J. H.
' Smart, president of l'urduo University.
PRESIDENT ItOIlERT MITC-IEI.!.,
in his annual address, congratulated the
Board upon its improved financial condition;, tbe debt Of fSO,O0r**ltvtl.g be*_n
reduced to $40,000,. and the present value of
the State fair grounds (including improve-
- ments) being $200,000. He reviewed the
characteristics of tho last fair, remarking
that alt-tough, tbe Illinois fair was held the
same week, tho stock show was as large
and in some respects superior to formor
years. • He believed it would be an advantage to abolish nil side shows on the State
fair grounds, which, although a means of
revenue, were disgraceful and demoralizing, and ought to have no part in an agricultural and mechanical fair. He also
■poke in the warmest terms of commenda-
* tion of Purdue Universlty.suggesting that
It ought to receive the united support of
the farmers of the State and as liberal appropriations aa the other State colleges.
Mr. Mitchell suggested tho idea of a fat
atock show at Indianapolis.   He said:
The production of good beer ought to
more earnestly engage the attention of the
farmers in Indiana. Situated as we arc in
the center of the great grain belt of the
United States, with abundant pastures and
surrounded on all sides with large and
flourishing cities, an "-.astern and foreign
market constantly increasing, we ought to
Sroduce and market more good beef in In-
iana than any ono of our neighbor states
of the same extent of territory. Considering the "great interest the peopleof the
jVeat take in the great fat stock shows of
Chicago, and the fact of the rapidlv growing demand for beef forexporUtioii.would
it not be advisable for our board 10 take
action to establish a fat stock show at Indianapolis some time during tho autumn
of this vear. Can we, as a people and
State, aITc-rd to stand still, while everv
other State and people are moving forward
to advanced positions in this grand industrial march to furnish the world with beef.
Indiana, farmors depend too much on
wheat. State Bof.rdsof Agriculture ought
to shape tbe current of agriculture in their
respective states, and when the farmers of
a State are found, to their own detriment,
. running in the same channel marked out
i by their fathers, State Hoards ought to
1. atimulato them and educate them to a different work, by inaugurating splendid
county and Mate fairs and fat stock shows,
at least to the extent of Inducing them to
engage.in mixed husbandry, which is-nl-
Ways more profitable than when labor is
1 to a single production.
OOVBItNOR rOHTKIt
by invitation addressed tho mooting. He
suggested that the State fair was neither
an agricultural nor mechanical fair. It was
moro than cither or both of these. Tlie
members of the State Hoard aro empowered by the law to offer a premium for tho
advancement of nil tho sciences, the encouragement of which they deemed to bo
in tho interest of the people of tho State,
and not merely for agricultural and stock
products. It was important, therefore,
that gentlemen should be chosen to nerve
on the board who are known not merely
as agriculturists, but as interested also In
all that is progressive in the interest of tho
State. Ho had been impressed recently In
noticing tho small number of the furmcrs
who attended tho meetings of tliO different
agricultural associations in comparison
with the attendance at county and Stato
fairs. Thoy do not fully realize how much
agriculturists had been helped by other
occupations outside of tholr own. Undoubtedly tho fanners contribute very
much to the benellt of tho rest of the
community, but thoy themselves have
been benefited by the industry and inventive genius of others more than they know.
For instance, tho draining of tho soil by
improved processes, the cheapening of the
ditch-making antl the Improvement of the
tile, havo resulted in an improvement of
from 25 to 50 per cent in the value of tho
soil wherever drainage has taken place.
This has como from tho Inventor. It is a
fact, that tho whole process, from tho time
ibo cultivation of the soil is commenced
to tho moment of grain reaching tho market, has l*oon wonderfully improved, and
nine-tenths of the aid thus received haa
been from persons outside tho farmer's occupation. He has been wonderfully benefited by tho improved process of manufacturing flour, which has nearly added
10 cents to the valtio of every bushel of
wheat. The cheapening of transportation
is constantly benefiting the farmer more
than anyone else. Tt now costs but 11%
cents to ship a bushel of wheat to Now
York. Thirty or forty years ago, it could
not have been sent to the Ohio river for
that amount, ln 1871 it cost 21 0-10 cents
to transport a bushel of wheat from Chicago by lake and canal to New York. In
18.1 it could be sent for 8 2-10 cents. The
statement Ls made, on tho authority of tho
Railroad Commission of Ohio, that between tho years of 18*59 and 1881 the saving in that State in tho cost of transporta-
tation was $347,G74,7o5, which was {21,000,-
000 more than the entire taxation of Ohio
within three years.
Tho address of Governor Porter served
to show tho dependence that farmers put
in the exertions of others and how little
thoy cared apparently foradvico andooun-
sel from those of their craft.
ITON'. I*. S. RENN-EDT,
of Montgomery county, read a paper on
"Tho Grasses of Indiana." He stated
that 100 years ago blue grass was
considered a pest, and this serves as a
fair illustration of tho way many good
and valuable grasses aro treated now.
Americans hare not yetlearned thoscience
of grazing, and do not know what capabilities there aro in it. England's grass
yields from $15 to $20 per sere with no labor. They know how to make the most
•f  their grass.   W« moat systematica onr
pasturing so as to havo a green sward In
all seasons. Blue grass does not penetrate
the soil doeply and consequently does not
flourish tn dry weather. Orchard grass.on
the other hand, sends its roots deep into
the subsoil and makes an excellent growth
In the driest of seasons. I have taken
pains to gather information from leading
stock grazers In various sections, and tho
testimony is universally in Its favor. Mr.
T. A. Cole, of Xew York, finds It his bost
dairy grass, and ho feeds no other kind of
hay In   winter.   With   him   lt  Is always
In the evening the Board listened to two
addresses.   Tbe first was by
DR. W. T. RTOTT,
of Franklin Collego, on the subject, "The
Itelalion of Farm Life to the Prosperity of •
the Commonwealth."   no said:
Not much Is expected of "them literary
fellers" when thoy talk of farming. I
have been a farmer'mysclf and am strongly prejudiced In favor of farming, ond do
no. speak altogether from a literary standpoint.
In speaking of the elements of  a State's
prosperltv, I would   say that tho   frst.-lo-
■ ment Is tlie rapid increase of lixed capital.
groen and  fresh, enriches the ground and I Without this the necessities of   lifo would
be no more abundant next year than tills,
and thr-rs would bo no progress. _Snv*-,tho
farmor is constantly changing circulating
Into fixed capital," aud is therefore non-
HL.ntly adding to the Mali's material
wealth. Ills capital is fixed in the I'oriu of
permanent Improvements, barns, lencos,
roads, dliches, etc. Manufacturers sud
merchants are often a-.tisfied lo get ihrutigh
tho year without loss, while the larmcr is
always disappointed unless ho makes an
absolute gain. There are oO failures among
manufacturers and merchants to ono
among farmers. Tho Increaso of mntrrial
wealth ln Indiana, in 30 vears, is shown
by statistics: In 1S30 there '....co) fsrms in
the Statu, and ln 1.J80, 194.0'X); in IbAO thero
wero $H3,(itKl,iajO invested in agricultural
implements, and ffl.VI,rtiO,0O0 in 1KP0. In
this time th(j population has only doubled,
and the Increase lo the material nealth ot
tho State in this time from agriculture is
evident. Ono element of farm ptohperity
Ilea In the harmonious union of capital
and labor in the farmer himself; the conflict between the two greatly rtducen
profits in other callings.
A necor.d requisite for tho prosperity of
tho commonwealth is bodily and mental
vigor. That farm lif« condlie**** to bodily
vigor no ono denies; and as stiengtn
and soundness of both aro necessary ior
the highest development of the mind, tho
farmri's mind should lie, and generally is,
jAisso-sed of very hifjh possibilities.
Third, the stability and steadiness of
farm doings rellect themselves on the
mind of the farmer, making his thoughts
strong, clear and Btcad fast, and these
characteristics are of the greatest valuo in
State government.
The fourth element of the State's prosperity Is a good slato of morals.and in this
respect the farm h-incomparabiv above Ihe
town and city. 1 here are not tho temptations to evil In the country that are present ln tho city. Prohibition would have
carried In Ohio, but for the influence of
the large cities. Tho great sober second
thought Of this Nation ia in the rural dls-
makes an excellent mulch In winter.when
allowed to grow to some length. Itlchard
Waters, of Kentucky, states that orchard
grass graces more stock to the ncre than
any other kind, and makes more pounds
of meal; lt grows more ln a week In July
than any other kind docs in the whols
month. W. V. Talent, of Virginia, finds
that In a drouth it affords more pasture on
ono aero than clover and timothy on two.
Mr. Kennedy himself had found these
statements correct, but cautioned his audience on one point; 1. e., that orchard
grass seed will not germinate after it is two
years of ago. Mr. K. mentioned another
grass not very well known. It Is tho flat
stemmed or Knglish bluo grass. It remains green and succulent In tbo longest
drouths and retains its vitality in winter.
It is solid, like broom corn, and weighs
heavy; makes superior hay and contains
more nutrition than other grasses. Objections to it aro that it can't be killed out
and that it stops growth for the season
when cnt off. A good mixture for pasturing* could bo mado of orchard grass nnd
English and common bluo grass. English
grazers mako a profit of $20 per acre, while
wo make but ffl. Thoy understand tho
valuo of variety. Woof Indiana can pro.
duce grass of all kinds as well as anybody.
We can pasture, In some sections, 75 head
of cattle por acre whilo Kentucky can ac-
commodato only from 30 to 50. Our main
wants are varieties of grasses and experience in treating them.
REMAKES.
8. R. Qnlck:   I fed 30 bead of steers on
orchard  grass and  clover hay and In the
month of December they gained .2 pounds j tricta.
eacjj# |_ Aa a people wo arslmmensely Interested
,.    __ _,   ,    . , , , In tho farm.   The false view that leads tbe
Mr. Thompson: We food too much corn  ^y ^ IeaV9 the farm 8i10uld be corrected.
and heating food and too littlo bulky food.   Make him a   joint partner.   Give him tbe
Cattle will get grass, oven under tho anow,   "est  agricultuial  papers  to read.   Make
' life as pleasant for h'.m as possible.   Thero
is one  untoward  feature in agricultural
if thoy have access to it.
A member: My experience Is that the
longer land lies in pasture the better that
land bocomes.
Jtobt.   Mitchell:   Orchard grass  grows
pursuits, and that is that suicide and.insanity gather too large a proportion of victims from your craft. Ihe rea.on for this
seemingly strange fact is that very often
those  engaged  In   agricultural  pursuits
early and rank, snd thrives ln tho shade, •; neglect the equal do elopment ot mind,
but it makes coarse hay. My cattle do not body and brain together. They do not de-
_„,.,i, vole  their leisure to  the culture of  the
preier it. brain.   Ag a romedy  for this ,hev should
THK reports of opncERs apply themselves  more to  books, papers
wore next in order. That of Mr. Alox. and magazines, and accustom thcmeelvca
Heron, secretary, made the following fl- [o think and talk of subjects of general in-
nancial showing: Total receipts, $37,658 69,1    „   '     .. . „       ..
and the expenditures, $28,242 31, leaving ^    Dr. Stott was followed by
balance on hand of $9,316 33.   Tho reporla > rR0"'*3- H* smart,
of Mr. J. A. Wildman, treasurer, and Mr..ot Purdue University, on "The Relation
Fielding Beeler, general superintendent, of Purdue University to tha Rural Indus-
were also presented and appropriately re- tries.". Prof. Smart said:
ferrod. Tho remainder of the afternoon '- ,l wl1* tospoak not about the farm, but
._..._....<_ . - about the bovs and girls on the farm; and
session was occupied with the reporla cf the importance and breadth of mv subject
the department superintendents, which maybe comprehended from the fact that
contained a number of suggestions and outof the two millions of people in our
were referred to committees for sonaldor-   State,   100,000 live  in  towns,  400,000 in
a tion.
I-
«o-tc_.t*_>BS ox rxoa 0.