."-rt!.. He Indiana Farm*,.
BimOT OF A6B1CDLTIIRE.
v-r Possibilities as to Sugar
Production.
,--111..- ami Prospects of Wheat-
ArtrsUii WeU8-linrPan of
Anliiml Industry.
i* Afrloulliiral   Department is very
ipniiliisl with the form in which the
•Plural bill passed  and has become a
.t. In* lilfs-nil appropriation will permit
.  -ir.lcrcsitincnnd valuableexperiment-s
iinr.Jiiil witlo research in some of tho
.iL.il-.rtant agricultural fields.   Fifty
. ;«a.l ilollars is appropriated   by the
,! r t-pcriiiienLs  in regard   to  sugar
. z*. Tlii'* Ii.'iihIsoiiio sum   will permit
I.jfirtinoiit to make a thorough study
■ ■,_» *!iliis't, anil already Commissioner
c:: »"fl Professor Wiley, tho chemist,
ri\rgmi preparation!).
THK t'l-'Kl'SION  PROCESS.
t*. (Viumiissioner has called upon the
_-r*whi> m.inufai'lured the "dill'usion
il^j'us*-! in tlio sorghum experiments
i-t *ir, asking them to make for the l)o-
i-jr.rat !»<> largo latteries of   this kind
_'»y.-5iii possibly l>e had in time for this
■as'* wurk. Tlio experiments with this
. ".slffn battery" wore extremely satis-
ivrv.  It was found  that nearly all of
:• hIlu1.Ii' qualities of the cane could lie
LLL-rtftl by llils  process instead of but
:»oier two-thirds as by tho old method
'.,.f-_iiij; lietweon rollers.   The readers
' "Jl.Karmkr will probably understand
x Ihe  diffusion   process   consists  of
tt the rane into  chips, placing it into
;sl«rof vessels which are connected
llm.1i other hy pipes, and forcing hot
■ cr thrmi_li from one to another, wash-
tiitsupir from the cano and leaving
■■I'h'.yf voiil of any valuable matter.
':• use ot the term "battery" in con-
•'->'!! with this procejss should not be
■y-v/fotl as referring In any way to
-sr. ilv.  The word is used here simply
"»:i__the  form in which   the vessels
tub porn spoar belts.
•V • lamination into   the sugar possi-
-«ot this country is to be very thor-
~A in 1 upon a sufficiently broad scale
'~vrv<>all the methods that can be
";' yfl. The study is to be ex tend ed
' ■= ii* supir maple at the North.through
' .*•! crowing sections adjoining the
'."■■• rnnple, then through the sorghum
""-7. nill further sonth, and thence into
" ■ ir-fiuzh the cane section of the Oulf
>"-**■ This country, in   the opinion of
* «bo have studied the subject most
*v:>, possesses four distinct sugar
'"•*- Thf first is in the North, whero
"'-'.''.-mis, Tlie second and perhaps
"■* f-lfortant ail joins this and covers all
^tT Kngland and part of Northern
"* V^k, stretches west through Nor-
■'■"^ f»hto. Indiana and Illinois, taking
: l"'f Wisconsin and Minnesota and
r'- b-knta, thence skirting along the
4 t! the British possessions until it
■-sttbt Pacific coast, then  deflecting
southward and embracing Washington,
Oregon and part of California. This beet
growing section alone the Department
officials believe sufficient to furnish all the
sugar required by this country. Next in
order comes the sorghum belt, which includes New Jersey, Southern Pennsylvania, Virginia, Southern Ohio, Kentucky,
Southern Indiana and Illinois, Missouri,
Kansas and Arkansas, stretching indefinitely southward until it touches probably
the cotton belt. Tho other and just now
the most important sugar belt, of course,
is that of the Oulf section. All of theso
aro to bo thoroughly studied by the Department this year, believing that a proper
examination into this subject may enable
tho Department to bring to the attention
of the agriculturists of the country the
fact which so strongly impresses itself
upon the minds of its officials, that tho
United States is amply able to produce all
the sugar its peoplo require, and for which
they now send out of the country nearly
?100,000,000 annually.
CHOP l'KOSPKCTN.
The Agricultural Department has received telegrams .and letters from its
agentsMn all parta of the oountry preparatory to tho issue of its general crop report.
This report will include the acreage of the
spring wheat and oats, as well as tbe estimate of tlie quantity of wheat which this
country is to produce this year. So far as
can now bo gathered the r»j>orts indicate
a slight increase in acreage over last year.
There will bo a marked increaso in the far
Northwest, especially In Dakota, whilo
Minnesota and Wisconsin will at least
hold their own. In the other spring wheat
■States there is a tendency on the part of
the individual farmer to lessen the number of acres, bnt. this being counterbalanced by the growth In the number of
producers, it is probable that the actual
acreage in these States will about hold
its own; so that, with the increaso in Dakota and other Northwestern States, tho
total will be slightly above that of last
year. I.egarding the yield, ffie indications
thus far are very promising, though of
courso the events of the coming month
must have largely to do with this question.
ARTESIAN WELT-S AS IRRIGATORS.
The House does not appear to be favorably impressed with the proposition for
irrigating the deserts of the West by
means of artesian wells. Some experiments in this line were made, it will be
remembered, a couple of years ago, and
with little success. The wells which were
put down were not deep enough to bring
any considerable quantity of water to the
surface, and when the appropriation gavo
out they were abandoned, temporarily at
least. Then some shrewd observers in
that section quickly set to work and "entered" the section of land upon which
thoy were located and the result was that
the thousands of dollars expended by the
government in theso experiments were
lost,
BURKAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY.
Preparations are making for the organization of tlie Bureau of Animal Industry
authorized by recent actof Congress. Under its direction the Commissioner of Agriculture has already appointed Professor
Salmon to be head of the Bureau of Animal Industry. . Prof. Salmon has for several  years  carried  on a series of experi
ments and inquiries into diseases of domestic animals which have resulted in
some very valuable information. Talking with tlie Farmer correspondent today he said that he expected to make, during the prescut summer, a thorough Investigation of tho pleuro-pneumonia question and possibly somo of tlio other diseases of animals.
It nppears from all thnt can bo learned
hero that this disease, pleuro-pnemonia, is
more prevalent in the section between
Washington and New York than elsewhere. It does not seem to nourish
greatly in tlio country, but is more prevalent in and about cities. Tliis is especially
true of tlie dairies and stockyards surrounding Now York, Itrooklyn and Philadelphia, (ircat dilllcnlty exists in theso
localities in stamping it out. The dealers
in stock appear rutlior to favor its existence tluyi otherwise, Itis said that the presence of tho dlseaso has been made a Houroo
of proiit by stockdealers in New York and
tho vicinity, who sell cows to dairy farmers at round prices and on discovering
them to bo alTeclod with pleuro-pneumonia buy them back for a song and sell
thorn to slaughter houses, where thoy aro
killed and sold to butchers for consumption. -
Causes of Hard Times.
Rdltora Inillana Parmer:
Theories that periodic depressions, must
occur havo witii many grown into a superstition; with others they nro considered
inevitable, and that it is not wortli whilo
to look for, or attempt to apply remedies.
This giving way to a blind fatalism is unfortunate; the bettor way would bo lo
look for causes until they are found and
make a determined attempt to prevent recurrence of tlie samo.
Ono of tho present theories that the pro-
vailing depression can be remedied by
people wearing out their old clothes, and
the reduction of the salaries of half a
million railway employes, supplemented
by reducing the hours of labor of tho
million of manufacturing operatives is being freely indulged in by surface thinkers.
This is a cowardly, pernicious mode of
procedure; it does not aim at, nor will it
remove the causo. It is simply indorsing
the punishment of a defenceless, innocent
class, for wrong doing of those who p:iss
free from merited censure from a misconception as to what are and what are not
facts.
The last mentioned should be arraigned
and tried by tho kind of enlightened sentiment which has scored so many bloodless victories.
There need be no mistake as to who tho
guilty parties are; they aro so well known
as to have become a distinctive class, that
is the option dealers.
Many of these occupy positions of trust;
all are considered respectable, at least, if
otherwise well behaved. Prosecution of
their calling in no way detracts from respectability. Manj' of them are partially,
some fully, engaged in various pursuits
and positions, but too frequently all these
are made subordinate to, or prostituted by
the gambling operations in which they
engage. If they ruined only themselves*,
no sympathy would be wasted upon them;
they deserve nothing of the kind, it is not
due them. Upright stockholders of banks
and  corporations  are bankrupted, often
without premonition of any kind, and lhe
results of  their misfortunes  are  swiftly
transmitted, felt almostinstantly by wago
workers of every class.   Tho injury to all
classes Is as sure to be   felt as that the law
of   gravity   asserts   itself.     Very   Utile
thought and investigation proves this; itis
by no means  an abstruse  question.   Apparent complications disappear under the
simplest forms sf analyzation.   The naked
truth stands boldly forth that tlio ill elfects
of  all crooked or illegitimate financial indulgence strikes down against day's work
with unbroken force.   Tlio prolligntn personal expenditures of the speculator when
he is on what  is termed the   right side is
demoralizing to   himself  and   all within
ills influence.   The mushroom growth of
sudden    wealth    creates  an   atmosphero
freighted with the seeds of mental, moral
and financial dissolution.   Tlio hypocrisy
of   tlie bank or corporation ollicial spending oilier people's money in endowments,
charitable  and   otherwise,   is  appalling.
Tlie  attempts   which some of   these havo
mado to cast a glamour over the eyes of a
deluded public havo been largely Indulged
in, but admiration of these is giving place
to disgust at such brazen ollrontery.    It is
to lie hoped il may soon take the shape of
merited punishment, and that this be enforced lo such an   ex tout as to make these
practices   dangerous in   tlio  long   future.
Tlio gambling operations in our own Stato
anil   tlio West   generally, aro   conlinod to
options in grain.   No   class soiling  themselves firmly and   unitedly against it, can
so surely and swiftly punish   these operators  as can tlie farming   community.   If
all agriculturists Ret themselves resolutely
against  dealers who have indulged in tho
practico, thoy can force them out of trado,
can   bring a return of   tho  early   state of
trado in which dealers' transactions wero
real, when tho purchase and sale Involved
actual existence and exchangoof property.
The ovils connected with tlie present
prevailing methods can only inevitably
gravitate towards tho ono fatal result of
bankruptcy of largo numbers and the inconvenience or distress of all.
Peru, Ind. M. J.
Farm Notes from Franklin Oo.
Edltora Indiana Farmer:
On Monday, Juno 9th, a violent wind
and hailstorm passed over tho northeastern
part of this county, doing much damage
to woods and fences. Many orchards wero
almost ruined and whole fields of wheat
were almost destroyed. Tlie fields are at
this date in many localities covered with
water and in tho woods tho water is in
some cases two feet deep. Tlio entire week
has shown a very low thermometer and
dally rains have occurred.
Corn is growing well, but farmers are
unable to enter tho fields on account of
frequent rains. Much corn had to bo replanted and some is only coming through
the gronnd. Wheat has Improved since 1
last wrote. Barley will soon lie ready to
cut. Tho meadows looks fairly well. Pastures aro in splendid condition, but much
pasturo land is going to waste on account
of tho few cattle raised by our farmers.
Apples promise a good crop. Strawberries
and early May cherries are plenty. Stock
is mostly in good condition with no diseases in any class of it. A. W. B.
Franklin Co., Juno 13.